Fruit Salad

One of the all time favorite Filipino dessert  is the fruit salad which is made out of fruit cocktail and cream.  Aside from being delicious, it is easy to prepare and easy on the pocket.

For less than a thousand pesos, this can generously serve 30 pax (or upto 50 pax when pre-served in a small cup).

Ingredients:

6kgs (2 large cans) del monte fiesta fruit cocktail (P204 x 2)

2000ml (8 packs) nestle all purpose cream (P46.5 x 8)

450ml (1 and half can) carnation condensed milk (P48.5 x 2)

24oz (2 bottles) nata de coco (P40.75 x 2)
2 cups grated fresh coconut meat

1. Open the fruit cocktail and nata de coco.  Pour onto a coliander, to drain the syrup for about an hour.

2. In a big bowl or tupperware, place the drained fruit cocktail, nata de coco and coconut.

3. Add in the cream.

4. Add the condensed milk to desired consistency and taste. Toss the mix all ingredients.

5. Chill overnight then serve cold. 

Tips: 

If it tastes too milky, it means, there's too much condensed milk.  You may add more cream in that case.  Thus, it is best to add the condensed milk gradually to desired taste and consistency.

You may also add other ingredients like kaong and kennel corn or fresh fruits for added texture.

Avoid freezing it as it becomes watery when thawed.

Black Pepper Crabs

Ingredients:

1kg crab

3 tbsp keecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

3 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp white pepper

1 large white onions

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 bulb garlic

1. Put the crab to sleep in ice water.

2. Heat pan, place the crab add rock salt, cover until orange (almost cooked)

3. Remove from fire, clean the crab, remove the gills, chop to desired serving size. Set aside.

4. Prepare the sauce mixture. In a bowl, mix the keecap manis, oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside.

5. In a pan, heat butter. Saute the onions, ginger, garlic.

6. Add the black and white pepper.

7. Add in the sauce mixture.

8. Add in the crabs to cook. Then serve.

Simple Guacamole

Avocados are in season now.  I'm not a fan of fresh avocados but I can eat up a bowl full of guacamole with chips.

In one of our recent trips to Mexico, I've tasted all sorts of guacamole and the one served at Casa Magna Marriott in Cancun was to die for.

Before I danced the night away during one of our girls night out in Cancun, I learned how to prepare guacamole in Carlos and Charlie's.

Ingredients:

(Single serve) 

1 fresh avocado

1 small tomato

Half red onion

1 tsp lemon juice

Cilantro

Salt to taste

1. Slice an avocado, remove the seed and scoop out the meat.

2. In a bowl, mash the avocado coarsely using a dining fork.

3. Remove the seeds of the tomato then dice it.

4. Finely chop the onions.  (I don't like the taste of onion so I prefer to chop it finely.)

5. You may also add chopped cilantro (but I prefer none).

6. Add lemon juice (or calamansi) to keep the color nice and bright.

7. Fold everything together, season with salt (and pepper) to taste. Don't over mix.

8. Serve with your choice of chips to complement the blandness of avocado.

The very salty tortillas of Pringles was a perfect match.