Hello everyone! It is the second Monday of the month already? Can you believe it? Anyway, sharing with you yet another fresh list of low-budget yet highly delicious ulam recipes that your family will surely love! If you are new here in our blog, you may want to check the earlier weekly lists here 

Like the past weeks, we will be sharing seven ulam or full meal ideas that are within the range of Php200.00 for our to five adult portions. The recent headlines on rice prices can prompt us to think for moe creative ways to stay within the budget, so I hope this week list of murang ulam ideas can help:

Filipino budget ulam ideas for the week

1. Chicken Salpicao. Since beef is kind of pricey, and chicken is equally yummy and affordable, why don’t we make some chicken salpicao! All you really need is chicken and lots of garlic and you are all set. If you have extra budget, you can add more mushroom for that yummier umami flavor. Here is a good recipe to check out.

2. Tortang giniling. Fluffy tortang giniling will always be a good budget meal idea. In our house, I just serve it with banana ketchup and everyone is happy! Half kilo of pork and four pieces of eggs will have a long way to go. Since most of us already have a torta go-to recipe in our arsenal, I will just be posting a recipe for beginner cooks. Here, here, here   

3. Tinapang Lumpia. I thought this is a bit complicated a recipe but we can buy frozen boneless tinapang bangus in any grocery, and it is really yummy! Just stuff it in local rice paper, and you will get the kids more excited about eating this kind of fish! The good thing about this recipe is you can also use other types of smoked fish, so just go with your favorite or what the budget permits. Here is a cool recipe to check out.

4. Adobong Sitaw with Tofu and Pork. This is a yummy yet budget-friendly ulam that will get the kids eating string beans. Try this on a weekday! Ladle the sauce over steaming rice and everything will surely be oh so yummy! This is a good recipe to try.

5. Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings and Adobong Kangkong. Just buy 3/4 kilogram of chicken wings, fry it like usual and just drizzle some salt and cracked pepper upon cooking. Pair it with adobong kangkong, and you will have a complete meal! The kids will surely love it. 

6. Chicken Leg Quarters Cooked in Sprite — Buy 4-5 pieces of leg quarters and cook it in sprite — a trending recipe some years ago, and is not promoted to be a mainstay in some households who love the sweet and savory taste of this chicken meal. Use leg quarters instead of whole chicken in this recipe.

7. No-oven Pinoy-style Baked Macaroni – To take a quick break from the rice meal routine, we can serve a no-oven “baked macaroni” which is usually served in parties. To stay within the budget we can use ground chicken instead of beef. We can use our usual Pinoy Spaghetti recipe and just add more cheese as the budget allows. If you do not have a go-to recipe yet, try this fun one. 

So that’s it, hope you will be able to use some (or even all) of the suggested recipes.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you could allow me to share with you, one of the bible passages I love to read and re-read. This is from the the Book of Psalms:

"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Psalm 86:15

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is  a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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Hello everyone! Another Monday, and this time the first for September. Giving you now a new list of affordable ulam recipe ideas that could help you stay within the family’s food budget for the week. If you are new here, check this out for the past lists of seven-days’ worth of low-cost ulam recipes for the family.

Like all recipe ideas, the meals I suggest here all cost below Php200.00 and could feed about four to five adult portions. And since the computation may not include some condiments and seasonings that are pantry staples, I suggest that when the budget is not too tight, maybe we could invest on bigger condiment bottles that are more economical.

Buy more condiments when there’s extra budget

Also, try buying other condiments that could help us make more flavorful yet affordable recipes. These include honey, butter, oyster sauce, sesame seeds, star anise, bagoong, tomato paste; Korean spices like Gochujang and Gochugaru if you are into spicy Korean fare, Mirin, Sake and Miso if you are into Japanese food, and some herbs like cumin, cinnamon, curry powder, basil, thyme and the like for Italian and Indian recipes. Take advantage of discount and free shipping promotions on your favorite shopping app to save on time, money, and effort.

So without further ado here’s our list of this week’s murang ulam ideas:

1. Garlic Tokwa and Kangkong – It may not sound appetizing but when I watched Panlasang Pinoy’s video of this recipe, it dawned on me that even my children will enjoy eating this dish! Try Vanjo’s recipe here. 

2. Sotanghon Guisado. One thing in my repertoire as a mom that is not in my own mother’s cooking line-up are pancit recipes for full meals. She only likes Pancit Bihon Guisado and not as a meal, but as merienda. When I became a parent, I figured that noodle dishes are heavy and can really be a main dish either for dinner or lunch. So here, I am including this super yummy Sotanghon Guisado recipe on our list this week, because pancit is not just for merienda or for special occasions, it could be a main meal! Check out this recipe and just sub the shitake mushroom to whatever dried mushroom you have at home. 

3. Pinakbet – You do not have to hail from the Northern Philippines to enjoy this delicious and nutritious fare! To make the kids enjoy it, add chicken strips and it is game time! You can sub the bagoong for patis if your children are allergic to it. Check out this fun and easy recipe to follow.

4. One pot recipe: Stuffed Cabbage – It may seem like a complicated recipe but it is not that difficult to cook. It only calls for about 400-500 grams of ground pork and cabbage and you are good to go. Bonus points is the fact it comes with rice so you’ve got a one-pot dish for all! Divide this recipe in half.

5. Minced chicken adobo and scrambled egg rice toppings. Who says rice toppings are just served in fastfood chains! No-no-no! Surprise your family by mincing chicken breast (or buying ground chicken) seasoning it with adobo spices, and stir frying it. Set aside the cooked minced adobo and then scramble some eggs. Top on bowls filled with newly cooked white rice, and if you are feeling generous, serve it with atsara or chilled cucumber-vinegar salad. BTW this is a good baon idea for your kids who bring lunch to school

6. Lumpiang shanghai – Yes another standard birthday fare that you can cook everyday even on a budget! Just use 400grams of ground pork, lumpia wrapper, an egg, small piece of carrots, garlic and onions, and your desired seasonings like salt and pepper. You’ve got a yummy lumpia lunch for everyone!

7. Sardine omelette — Here’s another budget dish that does not seem like a budget dish. Use spanish style sardines to level-up the taste, and instead of making one big pan-sized omelette, make small patty-sized ones. Serve with a side of chilled carrot vinaigrette salad. Use this recipe but sub the tomato-based sardine to Spanish Style sardines. 

So that’s it for this week, hope you got useful ideas for your week-long cooking, and looking forward to your visit next week.

By the way, if you are looking for daily devotionals to aid in your prayer, quiet time and reflection, please check out our daily reflections posted on this section of our website

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible verses, this time from te letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians:

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Murang ulam ideas for the week (Sept 2023) appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello everyone! Time flies, it is a Monday once again, and Mondays mean that we will have a fresh list of budget ulam ideas that are both affordable and nutritious. If this is your first time to check out our series, I invite you to check out the earlier entries so that you will get to have more budget ulam recipe ideas in your arsenal. Here’s a link to the recipe lists.

For our list today, I included non-meat ideas that are filling and yummy at the same time. Again the main dishes can serve 4-5 adult portions for a range Php150-200.00 per cooking. One of the keys also to serving nutritious yet cheap and cheerful meals is to be on the lookout for discounted items that are of course not suspiciously discounted.

Ways to lower food expenses

Apart from cooking budget ulam recipes. there are other ways to lower food expenses without sacrificing the taste and nutritional value of the main dishes that you prepare. These include looking out for discounted items, stocking on pantry staples, making double batch of food items that can be easily reheated like dumpling, spring rolls, native longganiza, adobo etc. By doing the aforementioned things, we homemakers can further lower the food costs in our home.

So without further ado here is this week’s list of budget ulam recipe ideas:

Budget ulam recipe ideas for the week

1. Almondigas with Patola. Take advantage of the rainy days and let your family enjoy piping hot misua soup with beef balls and patola. It is a complete meal in itself, but as Filipinos, we can still pair this with rice. 300 grams of ground pork is enough to make this dish meaty and yummy, making our budget cut for this week’s cheap and cheerful meals. Here is a good recipe that I have tried before.

2. Crispy Galunggong and Upo Guisado. Deep fry some galunggong fish and make it extra crispy so that the kids will enjoy. Make a side dish of semi-soupy upo gisado and serve with a smile! If you are feeling generous you can serve a side dish of red egg and tomatoes with this dish.

3. Chicken Basil. Yes it sounds like a Thai restaurant main dish but really, this is a very affordable ulam to serve to your family. Just buy some basil leaves and then your favorite chicken chop up to 3/4 kilograms! Surely, this new dish will tickle the tastebuds of your family. At least we can serve something that is out of our usual menu or kitchen repertoire. Try this recipe. 

4. Tinolang Clams or Mussels. Whatever is available in the palengke or grocery, grab any of this two shellfish and cook this comforting native soup recipe! I remember having this every weekend when my Mom goes to Farmer’s Market in Cubao. I think it is really her happy place because she just shares the joy to all of us through the yummy food she asks Manang to prepare the whole week! So whether it is Tinolang Halaan or Tinolang Tahong, just make sure that it has a lot of ginger so it will be really soothing and yummy at the same time! You can also up the nutritional value by adding some malunggay and sayote. Here is a happy recipe to try.  

5. Gyoza plus sweet and crispy dilis side dish. Gyoza may seem like a foreign dish that is expensive but do you know that you can prepare this for your family on a normal weekday? All you need is half a kilogram of pork, chives, cabbage, and gyoza wrapper and you are all set. Almost all other ingredients are pantry staples so you do not have to worry about staying within our P200.00 budget. Cooking is also easy, imagine all you need to do is fry and steam for less than 15 minutes? The good thing here is you can make extra batches for easy freezing, and cooking for when you need to have food ready right away! Try this recipe.

6. Liver steak. They say that eating internal organs like liver can be healthy from time to time. So why not take advantage of the fact that pork liver is relatively cheaper compared to other cuts of pork, and is considerably healthy if eaten occasionally. As a child, I liked eating liver seak too so why not try serving this to your family? Check out this recipe.

7. Tofu and Fish Fillet with Tausi. Relax, I know you think that the recipe is over and above the P200.00 budget but let me propose this to you — You need not use up the whole bag of fish fillet for this recipe. Use the other half for another recipe for later, and then use tokwa. You also need not use up the whole pouch of Tausi or black beans. You can just refrigerate it and use it for other dishes like clams with black bean sauce, pata humba, and other dishes. Follow this fun restaurant-style recipe.    

So there you have it. I hope you get to try the recipes that I have suggested for this week.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible verses, this time from the Book of Lamentations:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/07/19/how-busy-moms-can-start-reading-the-bible/

The post Ideas for budget ulam recipes for the week appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello everyone! It is a Monday once again and it means that I shall be sharing with you a list of budget ulam recipes for the whole week. Like our past affordable ulam ideas, our list this week will again feature viands or main dishes that are reasonably easy to cook, with a budget of P150.00 to P200.00 per dish for 4-5 adult portions.

Making nutritious meals on a daily basis is not just a budgeting challenge, it could also be a planning challenge. Apart from thinking about what to cook, we moms have to make sure we have ingredients at hand. Moreover, we have to make sure that the ingredients are ready to be cooked — meaning thawed the night before. Without a meal plan, it will be harder to have nutritious meals on time, making us rely on processed or ready to cook food, or spend more money on delivery service of meals that are not as healthy as we would have wanted for our families.

Planning healthy meals through budget ulam recipes

Our budget ulam recipes are not just affordable, they are also healthy and balanced. While we moms cannot always readily prepare healthy meals either because of time, budget, or skills constraints, it is a must try to provide nutritious meals whenever possible.

Apart from providing nourishment, striving to cook healthy meals is like investing in your child’s health for the long term. It is like making them get used to eating full balanced meals so that they would prefer healthy home cooked food over processed meals and fast food items.

So without further ado, here is our list of budget ulam ideas for the week:

Weekly healthy budget ulam ideas list 2023

1. Twice-cooked Chicken Adobo with steamed tomatoes and chilled cucumber salad. One of the ways we enjoy plain chicken adobo at home is to cook it twice and prepare simple and budget-friendly side dishes like steamed ripe tomatoes and chilled cucumber salad. Before cooking the adobo, make a salad dressing by combining 1/2 cup of cane vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, and 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Mix until dissolved and then add in cucumber slices. Refrigerate. Now it is time to prepare the main dish, just cook your adobo as you normally would and then refry it in oil. The steamed tomatoes on the other hand can be cooked alongside the steamed white rice. Serve everything with steamed rice and a huge smile

2. Laing. Laing can be a bit intimidating to cook but it really is not, and the best thing about it is it is affordable and yummy! Just saute onion, garlic and ginger. Add in 1/4 kilogram of pork or chicken. Once the meat is cooked, add 1 tbsp or more of ginisang bagoong and then 2 cups of coconut milk. At this point you may add in either bird’s eye chilis or siling labuyo or siling pansigang if you want it spicy. Add one tbsp of granulated sugar, mix and then bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning at this point. Add the dried Taro leaves about 2 fist-fulls (tip: SM sells dried taro leaves, so you can use about half of a P50.00 bag). Bring to a boil and let it simmer uncovered. Stop cooking until desired consistency is met — some like it a bit soupy, some like it just right (about 20-minute cooking time), while others like it nagmamantika which takes a lot longer. Either way the good thing about this recipe is you can freeze leftovers for whenever you crave

3. Crispy chicken neck and pechay guisado. Chicken neck is relatively cheap and you can get about 3/4 kilo to a kilo for less than 150.00. Just season the neck with patis and kalamansi, dredge in cornstarch-flour mixture and deep fry. Your remaining budget could be used to buy 100 grams of ground pork and bunches of pechay. Just saute onion, garlic, ground pork and wait till the meat is cooked. Add oyster sauce and 1/4 chicken cube and 1/2 cup of water. Add the chopped pechay and cook for about three minutes. Serve with a smile!

4. Asado chicken quarters. Sear chicken quarters, set aside. Add 1 cup of pineapple juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 pc of star anise, 1 pc of laurel leaves, and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil. Add in the seared chicken quarters and braise for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is super tender. Once the chicken is cooked remove it and make a slurry of 1 tbsp of cornstarch to 2 tbsps of water. Add to the braising liquid and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning to taste, and pour the sauce into the cooked chicken. You’ve got a yummy dinner!

5. Fiesta pancit canton. Who says fiesta noodles are only meant for special occasions? You can cook a happy noodle dish for P200.00. Buy 1/4 cup of chicken breast (chop in bite sized pieces minus the bones of course), the smallest pack of squidballs split in half, and some chicken liver. Add carrots, cabbage and baguio beans. If you are feeling extra generous, throw in a chinese sausage (but that is if you have a left over in the ref because chinese sausage is out of budget already haha). You can then follow this fun recipe      

6. Sweet and sour fish fillet. Sweet and sour fish fillet is so homey, and whatever fish you can buy with budget will always be yummy! Best affordable options include  Pangasius Fillet or Tilapia Here is a good sweet and sour recipe that I have tried.

7. Ginataang Sigarilyas with a side of crunchy tawilis. Sigarilyas (winged bean) in coconut milk is one of the happiest coconut milk based dishes that I loved as a kid, and so I tried offering it to my kids as well. And as predicted, they liked it! Try this fun, fun recipe here,

So that’s it, those are our seven tipid ulam recipes for this week. I hope you check out our website again next week for our weekly budget ulam list.

Food for the soul

At this point I hope you could allow me to share one of my favorite bible passages. This time, it is from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/07/12/how-moms-can-carve-a-consistent-prayer-routine/

The post Healthy budget ulam recipe ideas for the week appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello everyone! I am here again to give you ideas for budget ulam recipes for the week. In this series which we started last month (Check out past posts here), we aim to provide nutritious yet affordable recipes that could hopefully ease your burden of planning for meals, thinking about the ulam for the day, market and grocery shopping, and ensuring that the budget is followed.

As mothers we are blessed to have been given the responsibility to choose and prepare nourishing meals for our families. In provers 31:27-28 it says “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her…” So to aid us in planning budget-friendly and nourishing meals, allow me to offer you our suggested recipes for the week:

Cooking nutritious yet affordable meals for the family

Like the past week, the recipes in this list can all be cooked for a budget of Php150.00 to 200.00 and could produce about four-adult portioned sizes. These ulam ideas are also easy to prepare. SOme may require two steps but nothing really complicated.

If ever there will be other ingredients like seasonings, most are pantry staples. If ever they are not in your pantry then consider buying a pack as an investment. Anyway, if you divide your use into the next couple of days or weeks, then the amount shall redound to our target of more or less Php200.00 per main dish. So without further ado, here is our list of budget ulam recipes.

List of budget meal ulam ideas for the week 2023

1. Chicken binagoongan. This is a very easy and affordable recipe to prepare. Just pre-fry two medium sized eggplants. Saute onion, tomato and garlic. Add the bagoong and a teaspoon of sugar. You may also add sliced siling pansigang at this point if you want it a bit spicy. Add the chicken pieces and ensure that the chicken is cooked through. Add 1/4 cup of water and simmer unti;l the bagoong or shrimp paste gets a bit oily. You can then add the cooked eggplants and adjust seasoning to taste.
2. Ginataang Tilapia. This one is easy and nutritious! Fry two to three pieces of sliced tilapia. You may slice the fish into three or half, depending on your preference. Set aside. In the same pan, saute onion, garlic and ginger. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cracked pepper, plus one piece of chicken cube. Once boiling add the fried tilapia pieces and bring to a boil. Simmer for about five minutes and then adjust seasoning to taste. Patis is a good choice when it comes to seasoning coconut milk based dishes. You can also add in siling pansigang at this point. Serve with a smile!
3. Chicken Arroz Caldo. Arroz Caldo can be eaten in our house as a whole day meal! It can be eaten as lunch, the left over as merienda, and then the next day, it can be eaten as breakfast. Even your babies who are beyond 6 months can eat this (more baby and toddler food ideas can be found here)! Extra money saved for its budget can be used to buy Tokwa for a soy-tofu side dish mala “tokwang walang baboy” Here is an easy recipe I previously posted.
4. Tuna spaghetti. Let us take a break from rice and use our favorite pasta in making this super easy dish: Tuna Spaghetti. Just sauté your favorite can of tuna in onion and garlic. If you are feeling generous you can add all purpose cream to make the dish creamy but if not then the oil from the pasta should be enough. Season with salt and pepper, and if you have Basil at home then add some shakes of it.
5. Bangus a la Pobre. This is another budget friendly yet nutritious recipe that could feed a family of four or five. Even kids will be happy to eat this especially when the Bangus is boneless. Here is an easy recipe to follow.
6. Pork Sinigang using sinigang cut. Sinigang cut of pork is less expensive compared to the liempo cut, so one can easily go ahead and make use of it as a dinner or lunch ulam. Just make sure to add kangkong, labanos and gabi to fill up the recipe. Of course encourage the kids to eat up their veggies too!
7. Chicken Liver and Gizzard Adobo. This is an easy and super yummy recipe that will ensure that you will reach out for more rice. It may take a bit more time to cook, but the effort is worth it. Plus left-overs can be easily frozen! Here is a good recipe that I have tried.

So there goes our list for the week. I hope you come back again next week for our fresh list of suggested ulam ideas.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can allow me to share one of my favorite bible verses, this time from the Gospel of St. Matthew:

“But he answered, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Seven Budget Ulam Ideas for this week 2023 appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello Mommies! It is a Monday once again, and it means a brand new entry for our Budget Ulam Recipe Ideas Series for 2023! If you’ve missed the past two entries, You can start with the first one here.

Anyway, like what I mentioned, the ulam or main dish ideas here are mostly Filipino dishes, or dishes that we Filipinos have adapted to our palate. It feeds a family of 4-5 with adult-portion sizes. The dishes usually cost between P150.00 to P200.00 which is of course much much less expensive compared to ordering delivery food, grabbing take out, or dining in a restaurant (or even in a fastfood).

Of course, nothing compares to the nutritional value of home cooked food, and so, this takes into consideration the labor of love of us moms for our respective families.

This week’s budget ulam recipe ideas

This week’s entries are again easy to cook. Most of the basic ingredients and seasonings are also pantry staples so you would not have to rush to the grocery or the market to buy them. And since this list helps map out seven meals, it will help in your meal planning and grocery shopping making it more cost efficient.

By the way, if you are on the look out for meal plans, affordable breakfast meal ideas, and even kids’ ulam ideas then please do check out our website’s recipe section and baby and toddler meals.

Cheap but delicious ulam ideas 2023

So without further ado here is our list of cheap yet delicious and easy to prepare ulam recipes:

1. Bangus Steak — Instead of high-purine beef, use Bangus and make a Bangus Steak recipe. Of course, use red onions as white onions are still relatively expensive nowadays. Marinate for at least 15 minutes sliced bangus in a mixture of 1/4 cup soy sauce, and about 4-6 pieces calamansi, plus pepper.

In a pan, caramelize some onions and then set aside. Fry the Bangus in the same infused oil. When the fish is fully cooked, add the remaining marinade and the caramelized onions. Add a bit more onion rings and bring to a boil. Simmer for about five minutes and adjust seasoning to taste.

2. Chicken Sotanghon Soup and Crunchy Fried Galunggong – In these days of thunderstorms it is fun to eat noodle soups like our traditional chicken sotanghon soup. You do not need much for this recipe except for a few pieces of chicken breast or whatever chicken cut you prefer. Vermicelli noodles and then spring onions then you are good to go. Pair this is up with crunchy fried galunggong for the win

3. Pandan chicken – You may find Pandan Chicken in the menu of restaurants but it is surprisingly cheap to make. All you need is Pandan leaves, some seasoning and deboned chicken cuts and you’ve got your family an interesting dish that will surely make them ask for more. Here is an easy recipe to follow.

4. Steamed Tilapia with Soy Ginger Sauce. This is a nutritious and very delicious steamed fish recipe. You can use this recipe for steamed Pompano, just sub the fish. With Tilapia you can buy at least 3 medium sized pieces for less than 200.00.

5. Kare-Kareng Gulay. This is another good recipe to make and will surely help the kids enjoy vegetables specifically eggplant, string beans, and pechay. Well if you have kids who could not eat straight up Kare Kareng Gulay, you may add some 2-3 Pork Pata slices so that they could have some meat with their veggies. Here is a good recipe to use.

6. Crunchy fish fillet with thousand island dressing. Yes you can make this party staple as an ordinary-day main dish as it is both affordable and easy to make. Just use your favorite breading on Pangasius fillet and make a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise as dipping sauce. The breadings that work for us include the usual flour-egg-flour / cornstarch mixture, or the flour-egg-panko breading mix.

7. Chicken Afritada. Who says caldereta is only for special occasions? It is a legit everyday meal since you can buy chicken pieces, tomato sauce, carrots and potatoes for about P200.00 Here is a recipe that you can follow.

So that is our list for this week, hope you visit our website once again next week for new entries to our list of budget ulams for the week.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you could allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/06/29/super-easy-soy-veggie-fried-rice-two-ways/

The post Budget ulam recipe ideas for the week of July 2023 appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello Mommies! I will be posting once again, yet another set of week-long budget ulam recipes to help you in planning out affordable meals for your family.

Like the previous post in this budget ulam series, the main dishes featured this week range from P150.00 to Php200.00 for a family of 4-5 members (with kids eating adult-portion sizes).

Before we go over the list for this week, I hope you can also check out our meal plans and recipes section here that could help you map out the dishes you will prepare for up to one month. Having such plan can also guide you on what to buy in the grocery or wet market, making your food budget more cost-efficient. More budget ulam ideas can also be found here.

Seven budget ulam ideas for Filipino families

So without further ado, here’s our list for the week:

1. Sinigang na Bangus — Sinigang na Bangus will always be comforting no matter what pang-asim you decide to use. Some use just overripe tomatoes, other use the usual tamarind, others Kamias, but my mom chooses to use Guava or Bayabas. Either way, it is a good and nutritious soup based ulam that will fill hungry tummies.

2. Tortang Giniling with Patatas — This is one budget friendly recipe that will surely make the kids happy especially when partnered with Banana Ketchup. You will only need 1/3 Kilo of ground pork, about two pieces of potatoes and about 2-4 pieces of large eggs. You can increase the nutritional value of this meal by adding malunggay leaves. Here’s a Tortang giniling recipe we posted before.

3. Chicken Sisig and Cucumber Salad — This is a fun and refreshing food for the family. Leftovers (if there will be any can make for a perfect sandwich filling!) Just use chicken breast for this, some mayonnaise and a bit of oyster sauce and kalamansi, plus onions then you are good to go. Here is a simple Chicken Sisig recipe we posted before. As for the cucumber salad, just thinly slice cucumbers (either round or matchstick size, then prepare a sugar-vinegar-salt-and-pepper dressing. Cheap and cheerful, indeed!

4. Braised eggplant with ground pork. Just the sauce of this recipe will surely make even your kids eat more rice than usual. You will only need about 2-3 pieces of eggplant, 1/4 kilograms of ground pork, and the rest is pantry ingredients already! Fry the eggplants and set aside. in the same pan, saute onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the ground pork and cook throughly. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 beef cube, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Add a cornstarch slurry made of 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water. Wait for the sauce to thicken and adjust seasoning. Add the eggplant and carefully mix. Drizzle with sesame oil if you do have some in your pantry and serve with a smile!

5. Munggo Guisado and Crispy-fried tawilis. Need I say moe? This is the perfect lunch or dinner on a Friday! If your kids are not into Tawilis, then just buy some Pork Chicharon and serve with love!

6. Tokwa and Fish Tausi. This is another nutritious and filling main dish that even kids will enjoy. You can use any fleshy fish, but Bangus slices are fine for this. Check out this recipe.

7. Chicken Sopas. Looking for a hearty lunch? This will surely fill hungry tummies and will leave it warm and happy on a rainy day. USe this recipe minus the hotdogs and you will get a hearty soup and some left overs for merienda for less than P200.00!

Budget ulam recipe series 2023

I hope you get to choose an ulam or two, or even all, for this week’s suggested budget ulam recipes. I hope your family will like them and I pray that I have at least helped you answer one of the hardest questions homemakers face every single day: What’s for lunch or dinner?

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you could allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages. This time it is from the Gospel of St. Matthew:

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/06/24/how-jesus-comforts-brokenhearted-mothers/

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Hello mommies! As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Preparations however usually come with a challenge as it may involve less time as everyone is in a hurry every morning, and increasings costs of food could push more moms to go for quicker and easier breakfast options like cereal.

The good news is there are healthier and more affordable breakfast options out there that are available, especially if we are willing to do a bit of leg work, or make things from scratch. We all know that homemade food is definitely healthier as we know every ingredient we put in, it is fresher, and at the same time more economical.

Invest time and reap healthier and cheaper meals!

Sometimes, we may have to invest time and ingredients, but usually if we do this, we could  double, or even quadruple the number of meals that we can make with the ingredients that we buy. And the next time that we serve it, we will not spend as much time as we have spent during the time we are making the meal from scratch. Good examples are pancakes and waffles, homemade tocino, homemade longganisa, tapa and the like.

So without further ado, here are 7 affordable breakfast ideas that you can serve your family. By affordable, I mean about 100.00 to 150.00 all in all for a family of four to five people (or with kids who can eat adult-portion sizes).

Budget breakfast ideas for Filipino families

1.Champorado with fried dilis. This is easy to cook and is definitely not too expensive! It yields a lot too you can even have leftovers for merienda. And since condensed milk comes in smaller cans now (than when I was much younger), you can have a creamier bowl of champorado! Tip for the dilis is you can fry it with a sprinkling of brown sugar to make for a sweet, yummy glaze.

2. Crunchy Tortang Dulong. Even my kids eat this as long as I fry them crunchily. The secret is to use a good amount of really hot oil. You will not be deep frying it, but you cannot fry it in a non-stick pan with less oil (well, you can do that if you want a healthier version) but for crispylicious Dulong Patties, shallow-frying in really hot oil is the secret! Dulong sells in the marker (or even in SM Savemore) for about P50.00 for 250grams. That 1.4 kilogram will go a long way since you will add it in a pancake-like batter before frying, so try it. Here’s a past recipe we published.

3. Oatmeal with Tropical Fruits. Oatmeal, especially the plain ones are not as expensive. Whatever you have at home — instant, quick cooking, or rolled, just prepare some and top with your favorite tropical fruit like mangoes or bananas. One piece of mango can go a long way if you would cube it. One piece of banana for every person is enough, just slice the banana on top of each bowl, and there goes your healthy breakfast! If you still have a bit of extra budget left, why not drizzle some condensed milk on top?

4. Homemade chicken longganiza. Half a kilo of ground chicken (about P110.00) can make two meals worth’ of longganiza. The good thing about this is you don’t need any other ingredients except for pantry staples like brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, flour or cornstarch, salt and pepper, and some oyster sauce, maybe some ketchup. You will not need a wrapper since this can be a skinless longganiza that you can freeze as soon as formed so you do not need to wrap them in parchment paper. Find the time to do it as it is worth the effort and surely healthy too!

5. Pandesal Bar – Want to make weekend breakfast fun for the kids? Set up a pandesal bar on a weekend morning. Buy some pandesal. Gather all the bottled spreads you have at home, and make some more yummier spreads using your remaining budget for this breakfast. Ideas include: Hardboiled egg spread, tuna sandwich spread, and tomato sardines spread. 

6. Arroz caldo. As they say, congee  goes a long way, and that is not just because of the budget factor, but also the energy that it provides. Buy 1/4 chicken breast, boil and shred it. Buy soup pack chicken, and use whatever bigas you have at home. Buy some spring onions and boil some hardboiled and you’ve got a hearty arroz caldo!

7. Tortang talong. Super yummy, high in fiber.Tortang talong is a good breakfast, and is even good for lunch! Fry some and make it extra crunchy. Try our recipe here

Hope you picked up an idea or two from our post! Will endeavor to post once again about budget breakfasts. And if you are looking for more ulam ideas, hope you can check out our recipes and meal plans section here.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can allow me to share one of the bible passages that I have been asking my kids to memorize:

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”

1 Corinthians 10:31

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/06/16/7-budget-ulam-ideas-for-the-week-p150-00-to-200-00-per-dish/

The post Seven budget breakfast ideas for Filipino families 2023 appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello mommies! I am aiming to start a series on budget-friendly ulam recipes for Filipino families. One of the challenges of being a homemaker is deciding what to cook for the day. Even more challenging is trying to make all the meals fit within the budget.

With this series, I am hoping to add to your arsenal more affordable ulam ideas for the family so that as early as the weekend you already have an idea what to cook for next week, and prepare accordingly in terms of including the ingredients in your weekly shopping list and respective meal plan.

2023 Budget Ulam Recipes

As for the definition of budget friendly, these recipes cost P150.00 to 200.00 for a family of five with children that can already eat adult portions. It is 2023 and food costs have risen considerably, and healthy servings could easily cost P150.00. Of course even if it adds up to Php200, it is still cheaper than ordering from Panda or Grab right?

I have written several blog posts before about P100.00 ulam ideas, however because of inflation and the several years that have passed, it would be better if we could come with an updated version of the recipes given the increase in the cost of ingredients. If you want to see the previous articles on this, please check out our budget recipes section here.

Weekly Filipino Budget Ulam Ideas

Here is our list of budget ulam ideas for the week:

1. Tinolang Manok — Tinolang Manok is highly nutritious and is not as expensive to prepare. Chicken is about P200 to 220 per kilo, you do not need to buy a full kilogram to feed a family of five. What you can do is buy half a kilo of chicken breast chopped and then half a kilo of soup pack chicken which is only at P120.00 per kilogram. The soup pack pieces add more flavor to the broth, and also comes with a bit of meat. Or you can buy one whole chicken that is not too big, and then have it chopped. The rest of the budget can go to the sayote and the ginger. I am sure you have garlic, oil and onion at home, and some malunggay from the neighbor Here’s a quick and easy Chicken Tinola recipe.

2. Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa — This is another classic filipino dish that is easy on the budget. It is filling too since squash and string beans are filled with fiber. Buy 200g of Pork Giniling or Pork Panggisa which is about P75.00, then one tali of sitaw, and a portion of kalabasa. One small pack of coco mama is less than 35.00 so your budget is A-ok. Here is a recipe I previously posted.

3. Paksiw na bangus with black beans — Bangus is so endemic in the country and is inexpensive. Buy half a kilo to 3/4 kilo of Bangus and slice it. Buy an eggplant and a small amplaya as veggie or some black beans. Fry the bangus first before simmering it in a water-vinegar mixture. Add the ginger, garlic, and eggplant (My mom even likes to add ampalaya to this type of Paksiw) and then bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper, and add the black beans. adjust seasoning to taste.

4. Fried chicken wings and adobong kangkong — Buy about 3/4 kg of chicken wings. marinate in a bit of calamansi and patis mixture. dredge in a bit of flour to avoid oil splatters. The remaining budget can be used for a side dish — adobong kangkong.

5. Monggo guisado and daing or fried galunggong — Fry some fresh galunggong fish or its daing counterpart. Then make some monggo guisado — make sure to add either chili leaves or malunggay to make it extra healthier!

6. Yummy Tokwa or Tofu Sisig – My kids eat most veggies, and they also enjoy eating other nutritious food like tokwa, so it is easy for me to incorporate it in our weekly meals. For this recipe, use four squares of tokwa (Tokwa is cheaper than tofu). Fry it and set aside. Make the sauce by using good quality mayonnaise, oyster sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a pan, saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper or siling pansigang if you are adding sili. Then add the tokwa. Let the tokwa absorb the infused oil before adding the sauce mixture. Serve with a smile!

7. Deep fried salmon belly and eggplant salad –– Salmon belly flaps in our grocery sells for around P150.00. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in a bit of flour, then deep fry or pan fry to a crunch in used cooking oil. Boil or steam or grill some eggplants, peel and then top with sliced onions and tomatoes and seasoned vinegar! You’ve got yourself a yummy lunch there!

Hope you picked up a thing or two (or everything) in our list for the week. Just a tip, I am not being haughty or proud about my parenting skills (I am far from being a perfect mom) but one of the best decisions I made as a mother is to train my children to eat veggies. This is an investment on their health, which pays off as well in terms of budget. Having said that if your kids are still very picky I suggest that you start with foregoing the urge to cook a special ulam or dish for them just to get them to eat whenever the ulam is veggie based or is something they would not eat. If they go hungry, they will eat it. And it takes heart, patience and practice.

Food for the soul

At this point, please allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible verses as a mom. It is from the Letter of St. Paul to Titus: 

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Titus 2:3-5

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post 7 Budget Ulam Ideas for the week (P150.00 to 200.00 per dish) appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello Mommies! Sharing with you this beginner-friendly, condo-friendly, and more importantly budget friendly Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet) Recipe. My kids like this recipe because it is extra crunchy too, and I will let you in on the secret.

There are two reasons why this comes out crunchy — I add a spoonful of cornstarch for every egg that I use for the Torta. The second way to make it crunchy is by flipping it a couple of times. As for the no-grill secret, well, I steam the eggplant instead of grilling it.

Budget friendly recipe idea

Eggplants are high in fiber, and is a healthy option for those wanting to avoid red meat. It is also more affordable! One eggplant can very well serve one person. Sometimes, one piece is more than enough! I even found a way to save on electricity while cooking this, by using the steamer contraption on the rice cooker. Just cook it while you are cooking rice! Truly easy on the pocket, budget-friendly, and easy peasy!

By the way if you are on the lookout for budget ulam ideas, hope you could find the time to check out our budget meal archives here. So without further ado, here’s the tortang talong recipe:

No-Grill Tortang Talong, crunchier edition!

Here is the simple procedure:

1. Steam the eggplants along with your rice. If steaming by itself, 20-25 minutes of steaming will suffice. You can do this ahead of time like a day before, and just store the steamed eggplant in your ref. It can keep for at least 2-3 days.
2. Peel the eggplants. set aside.
3. Beat two eggs for every eggplant. Season with salt and pepper (and garlic powder if you like), and then add two teaspoons of cornstarch in the mixture. Put the eggplant in the mixture and flatten and mash the eggplant without removing it from the stem. Use a fork for this process.
4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the eggplant. Cover for about 2-3 minutes and then flip.
5. Flip it again for about two minutes until it seems toasty and crunchy.
6. Serve with a smile and a side of Banana or Tomato Ketchup!

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you would allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages. This time this is from the book of Psalms:

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Budget Ulam Idea: Extra-Crunchy No-Grill Tortang Talong appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Beginner friendly chicken tinola, perfect for the rainy days

When you have been breastfeeding continuously for more than 10 years, Chicken Tinola will become a staple in your household. If it were music, it would have been one of the sound tracks of my life, and I am not exaggerating. Upon the birth of my third child, I almost abhorred the sight of Tinola but since I know that this will help me make more milk, weekly chicken Tinola for the win! BTW if you are on the lookout for breastfeeding resources, please check out our breastfeeding section here.

Having said that, I have decided to share with you today this beginner-friendly chicken tinola recipe that is helpful not just for lactating moms like me, but is also a very nutritious dish for young kids — actually a healthy dish for everyone, period. Chicken breast of course is a lean meat, add to that the veggies like Sayote (or even Papaya), and the greens which is usually malunggay (Moringa) or dahon ng sili (chili leaves), ginger is of course good for digestion and garlic is good for the health, plus onions is a great anti-oxidant. It is jampacked with the nutrition every person needs, and best of all, the ingredients are not expensive, and the soup? Super soothing!

So without further ado, here is the simplest of all procedures on how to get that steaming bowl of Chicken Tinola into your dining table.

Easy Chicken Tinola

Here’s the simple procedure:

1. Preboil chicken cuts for at least 12 minutes. Wash and then set aside.

2. Saute ginger, garlic, and onions. Add the chicken and make sure that the chicken pieces absorb the infused oil from the aromatics.

3. Add chopped sayote, and add about 3-4 cups of water (or even more depending on how soupy you want your Tinola to be).

4. Add 1-2 chicken cubes or 1-2 Tbsp of Patis whatever seasoning you prefer.

5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

6. Once the sayote is tender, add in the malunggay or dahon ng sili. simmer for another minute or two and then serve with a smile!

Food for the soul

Hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Gospel of St. John:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Again, thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Beginner-friendly Chicken Tinola appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello fellow mommies! Sharing with you an easy to follow yet out of the ordinary homestyle porkchop recipe! In my home, our usual porkchop recipes are either Tonkatsu style or breaded with Japanese Panko breading or just plain seasoned with salt and pepper.

This time, I am sharing with you a recipe I tested that was a hit for my kids! I call it Homestyle Porkchops with a twist! By the way if you are on the look out for easy to follow recipes and meal plans, I hope you could check out our meal plans and recipes section here.

Porkchops with a Twist Recipe

As promised, this is super simple, and even beginner friendly! It does not require deep frying, and is actually best for shallow pan frying. I Know most of you would not like to use your air fryers and ovens simply because it generates too much heat in this hot weather, so here you go shallow frying for the win!

Easy procedure:

1. Marinate porkchop for at least 30 minutes to overnight in this mixture: 1/4 cup calamansi or lemon juice 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder 1 tbsp brown sugar crushed garlic
2. Dredge the marinated porkchop in potato starch with a bit of salt, pepper, and cinnamon. You can also add any of your favorite seasonings like garlic salt or any herbal-salt mixtures.
3. Pan fry in hot oil in medium heat for at least 6-8 minutes per side. Check on the 6-minute mark and flip. You will need to flip the chops for 3-4 times to make it extra crunchy.
4. I usually check the internal temp to ensure it is thoroughly cooked. I aim for at least 165F.
5. Serve with a smile! Simple banana ketchup is the perfect dipping sauce

Food for the soul

Hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

Ephesians 3:20

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Homestyle Yummy Porkchops Recipe appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello everyone! Sharing with you my recipe for Instapot Chicken BBQ Legs with Peanut Sauce. This may require three steps but all these are almost effortless, and are worth your time and energy because it is super delicious! You do not even need to grill it over coal! Indoor grilling, or even pan-grill works well with this fun recipe! And since this food is grilled, it is healthier compared to fried or deep fried food

It is actually reminiscent of our favorite Chicken BBQ restaurant where they serve juicy, fresh hot-off-the-grill chicken barbecue quarters that are juicy, tender, and very flavorful especially with the thick and yummy peanut sauce!

Instapot Chicken BBQ Legs with Peanut Sauce

Please see below simple procedure for this easy barbecue that does not require you to grill over hot coal!

1. Braise the legs in 1/3 cup lemon or calamansi juice, 2/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, salt and pepper, splash of banana ketchup, and pounded garlic.

2. Set in Low Pressure at 14 minutes. You may need to add more cooking time depending on how much chicken you are cooking. I am cooking 4 medium-sized leg quarters.

3. When time is up, wait for 10 minutes (LO10) before doing a quick pressure release.

4. Remove the chicken from the Instantpot and grill it either in a griller or a stove top grill pan. Make sure that the griller is oiled so that the skin will not stick on it.

5. Since the chicken is fully cooked already, all you need to do is to get grill marks and smoky flavor. This will not take much time — about three minutes per side only for me, so better check yours on the third minute mark too.

6. As for the sauce, add half a cup of the remaining braising liquid and add at least 1.5 Tbsp of your favorite peanut butter. The taste and consistency will fully depend on your preference so adjust the seasoning to your own liking. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about two minutes.

7. Serve with a whole lot of love!

Thank you for stopping by and if you are on the look out for ulam or meal ideas, hope you can check out our meal plan and recipes section here.

Food for the soul

Hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Again, thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Instantpot BBQ Chicken with peanut sauce recipe appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello fellow mommies! Sharing with you my go-to Air Fryer fried chicken recipe. This one tastes much like Max’s fried chicken, only it is not deep fried And since it is not deep fried, I believe it is a bit more healthy to eat!

This recipe is easy although it may require several steps. The good thing about this is that the steps can be done between days if you do not have the time to do all the cooking in one day. The first step starts at the supermarket, where you will request your butcher to chop the chicken in half, or butterfly-style. If you already have a whole chicken at home, well just chop the chicken in half.

By the way, if you are looking for meal ideas, meal plans and recipes, I hope you can check out our meal plans and recipes section here. 

Easy Max’s Chicken Style Air Fryer Recipe

As I mentioned, this is a relatively easy recipe to do and I am sure you will like it because it is a healthy and delicious way to cook restaurant-style fried chicken!

Here is the super easy procedure:

1. Chop the chicken into butterfly cut (chopped in half — you may request your butcher)
2. Season with salt and steam it for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size — ours was about 2 to 2.5 pounds (over a kilo).
3. Baste the chicken with Patis, and then cool and dry out to remove excess moisture.
4. Spray or brush with oil, and air fry for about 25 minutes (or more depending on your air fryer and the size of the chicken) at 200c
5. Check on the 20th minute and add additional cooking time as needed
6. Serve with ketchup-worcestershire-hot sauce dip for the sarap to the bones experience.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Gospel of St. John:

“I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage, I have conquered the world!”

John 16:33

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/05/24/how-to-cook-pork-belly-sinigang-in-the-instapot/

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Hello fellow mommies! Let’s cook Pork Belly Sinigang in the instapot I would like to share with you how easy it is to cook Pork Belly Sinigang in an Instapot. I prefer cooking this family favorite in the IP since it takes less time to cook and tenderize the meat.

I also enjoy not having to tend to the stove every now and then as after mixing everything all I need to do is to set it on high pressure and it is good to go. Anyway, if you are on the lookout for quick cooking meals, please check out our recipes section here. Now, without further ado, here’s the super easy to follow recipe.

Instapot Pork Belly Sinigang Recipe

Just combine pre-boiled pork belly sliced into cubes; diced tomatoes, quartered onions. 1 to 1.5 cups of water (depending on how soupy you want your Sinigang to be), string beans, sinigang mix, and then beef or pork cubes or any seasoning of choice (patis or salt). Just mix it well and close the instapot lid, making sure that the vent is in sealing position.

Set on high pressure for 12 minutes. Wait until the pot reaches LO30 before doing a quick release of pressure. If you are not in a hurry, you can just wait for the instapot to naturally release its pressure.

Once pressure is fully released, open the instapot and mix. Adjust seasoning accordingly and add quick cooking vegetables like Kangkong and Okra. You can either just coer the Instapot and let the veggoes cook on the remaining heat, or if in a hurry, set on saute mode for 3-5 minutes or until the veggies are cooked. Your sinigang is now ready to serve!

Food for the soul

Hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Book of Psalms:

“I will proclaim your greatness my God and king; I will thank you for ever and ever. Everyday I will thank you; I will praise you for ever and ever.”

PSALM 145:1-2

Again, thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/05/20/easy-truffle-pasta-recipe/

The post How to cook pork belly sinigang in the Instapot appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello mommies! Sharing with you the heavy afternoon snack I prepared today — Truffle Pasta and Clubhouse Sandwiches. It is a win-win merienda for us since it is very easy to cook (I will share the recipe in this post) and it is one of my family’s favorites.

I decided to serve heavy merienda since I have a lot of laundry to fold and would really be happy to serve dinner at a much later time. So, there I prepared some truffle pasta and then club sandwiches filled with parma ham, scrambled egg, black olives, and jalapeno. I also used some paper plates because like my laundry, I am also behind in the dishwashing section hahaha

Super easy Truffle Pasta recipe

1. Cook your choice of pasta according to package instructions. Set it aside.

2. Saute Shitake mushroom in olive oil and butter. Add heavy cream, and then the truffle paste. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste, and then simmer for a bit.

3. Add your favorite type of cooked pasta, toss and then turn off the heat.

4. Drizzle with truffle oil, and then top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve

Hope you’ll like the recipe and if you are on the lookout for easy to cook dishes like this, and meal or ulam ideas please check out our recipes section here, or our meal plan section here.

Food for the soul

Hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Book of Job:

“Agree with God and be at peace; in this way, good will come to you. Receive instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart.”

Job 22:21

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/05/17/moms-make-breakfast-as-a-sign-of-love-%f0%9f%92%99/

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Belated happy Mother’s day fellow mommies! Like most morning persons, i love preparing and eating breakfast. It is actually one of my manifestations of love for my family. So in this belated mom’s day post, allow me to share with you our typical weekend breakfast

In the picture above, you can see our simple and typical weekend breakfast Smoked Bangus, Eggs, Okra, rice and miso soup.

Heavy breakfast on weekends

We usually eat a full heavy breakfast on weekends since everyone can take their time to eat and enjoy their meal. This is of course in contrast to the rush and panic of weekday breakfast where we usually just have basic breakfasts of either fried rice with all the fragments or leftovers in our ref, or Gyeran Bap, Oatmeal, or breakfast sandwiches.

Anyway, I prepared some Smoked Bangus (i just thawed it the night before since i bought it frozen and then fried it in the morning), steamed okra, fried sunny side up eggs, rice, and quick and easy miso soup with bokchoy and tofu.

Enjoying cooking and eating with the family

I have always loved cooking, and weekend food prep is always nice since I am not also frantic to put food on the table.

Since everyone is still sleeping and I do not have to prepare anything for school, I think cooking becomes an even more enjoyable task. If you are on the lookout for breakfast ideas, I hope you could check out our meal plan and recipes section.

Food for the soul

Hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28

Again, thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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Hi everyone, sharing with you another quick and easy ulam idea that is also delicious and nutritious — Steamed Stoy Ginger Pompano Recipe. This is a common staple offering in Chinese Restaurants at it is my go-to recipe for when I am too busy to cook.

I was actually pleasantly surprised that it is very easy to cook, since my first objective in learning how to cook it is to save on costs given that one order of this dish is at about Php450-500.00. I figured that with that amount, I can already buy two pieces of Pompano, which is just enough for my Family of 5. Most of the other ingredients are pantry staples too like spring onions, ginger, garlic (optional), Kikkoman soy sauce (or any soy sauce for that matter), brown sugar, and sesame oil. Apart from these reasons, I was thinking back then that it would not hurt to have another fish recipe in our regular meal rotation, given that I am trying to make the kids eat more fish for its nutritional value.

Steamed Pompano with ginger soy recipe

So without further ado, here is my super simple recipe!

Here are the steps:

1. Season the cleaned Pompano with salt

2. Make a steaming liquid by combining 1 cup water; 1/4 Cup Kikkoman soy sauce; 3 tbsp Brown Sugar; Salt and Pepper, thinly sliced ginger (as much as you like), and chopped spring onions (as much as you like — sorry I did not have spring onions nor leaks when I cooked it for the blog as seen on the photo, but it still tastes great as long as there are a lot of ginger). You can add pounded garlic if you wish, but we usually skip the garlic.

3. Steam the fish for 13-16 minutes flipping halfway through. The timer should start once the steaming liquid is already boiling.

4. After transferring the fish in the serving dish, season the steaming liquid to your liking.

4. Douse the fish generously with the sauce, and then add splashes of sesame oil before serving.

Hope you enjoy the recipe. I am keeping my fingers crossed that you would include this in your meal rotation!

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Book of Ecclesiastes:

“To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Ecclesiastes 2:26

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

The post Quick and Easy Ulam Idea: Steamed Soy Ginger Pompano appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.

Hello everyone! Sharing with you one of our favorite main dishes in our family (well except for Achi who is allergic to shrimps) — Ginataang Hipon with Sitaw and Kalabasa. This is a budget stretch meal that provides not just more than enough viand for everyone, but also overflows in nutrients.

Stretching the Budget

Please note that I did not label this dish as BUDGET MEAL since it is not — Shrimps are as expensive as Beef at around 450 per kilograms. BUT If you will add squash and string beans, and lots of yummy coconut milk, then this Ulam can feed a family of five with just half a kilo (or even a bit) of shrimps!

Apart from its nutrition content, it is also very delicious! Shobe, Papi and I could eat the ulam for two straight days! Yay! Of course you should make sure to immediately refrigerate the left-overs since coconut milk spoils easily.

Easy to cook

Another advantage of cooking this meal is that it is easy to cook, and has a relatively short cooking time. What takes time is the cleaning of the shrimp. Yes, supermarket bought shrimps may have less “whiskers,” but I still remove the sharp antennae on the head, and I devein each piece.

I usually devein by using a toothpick or barbecue stick, inserting it on the fourth or third section of the shrimp’s spine, and cautiously removing the black veins until I successfully get everything off. It takes a bit of time to perfect this move, but every mom can learn right? Good thing this dish does not require peeling of shrimps or else it would have taken much longer to prepare hahaha

Ginataang hipon with sitaw and kalabasa recipe

So without further ado, here’s the recipe for the Ginataang hipon with sitaw and kalabasa (Shrimps with squash and string beans in coconut milk):

1. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger.

2. Add the kalabasa and the sitaw.

3. Add the coconut milk and half chicken cubes.

4. Simmer untll the vegetables are fork-tender.
5. Add the shrimps and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the shrimps are fully cooked.
6. Add peppers and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately!

I think you can also use alimasag for this recipe, or even mud crabs. You just need of course to chop it into quarters.

Food for the soul

At this point, I hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the First Epistle of St. John:

 “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels al fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.” 1 John 4:18

Thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

https://happypinaymommy.com/2023/05/12/visiting-an-old-fish-pet-shop/

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My girls have been bugging me to cook sweet spaghetti for their afterschool merienda. Today, I gave in to that prodding and made some. This simple snack dish is made from my super easy and quick recipe that I thought of sharing with you too.

Disclaimer though, we do not put ground beef anymore because my kids are picking out the minced beef. I also do not grate cheese on top since they do not like it. After more than a decade of motherhood, I have learned to pick my battles and not sweat the small stuff, so I don’t bother anymore. Anyway, this is just an after school merienda. They get nutritious food in their main meals most of the time anyway haha.

After school snack: easy spaghetti

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside.

2. Fry sliced hotdogs. Add onions and garlic.

3. Add tomato sauce about 250ml for three to four servings.

4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Half a beef broth cube, and then cracked pepper.

5. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.

6. Adjust seasoning according to taste

7. Add cooked pasta, combine well and serve.

Plain but the kids love it

The spaghetti may look plain, but for my kids, this spaghetti is the best especially when they get home from school starving for merienda. You can use any type of pasta for this dish, and you could even substitute the tomato sauce with canned diced tomatoes, or if you want to be healthier, omit hotdogs and replace tomato sauce with pureed over ripe tomatoes.

Thank you and hope you will like this recipe too! If you are on the lookout for recipes, please checkout our recipes and meal plans section here.

Recipe for the best life

At this point, I hope you can also allow me to share with you one of my favorite bible passages, this time from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land”

Isaiah 1:19

Again, thank you for stopping by and till next post!

A happy homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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