Stories from the Cupboard: Feature No. 1 --- My Kitchenmates

     Two weeks ago, my post talked about Aling Charing's recipe book ("Masasarap na Lutuing Pilipino ni Aling Charing) that I have always used in the kitchen when I was a young wife. Today, I'm posting about my other favorite kitchenmate, Del Monte Kitchenomics.

     I got my very first Del Monte Kitchenomics recipe from SM Grocery store. My husband got it from among the Del Monte products on the shelves. Reading through the very first copy I had paved the way for me to become a member of the Del Monte Kitchenomics Club. This entitled me to a regular subscription of their recipes by postmail. See some of these in the collection I have made through the years---

Credits to Ana Cristina (my youngest daughter) for the photo

     I have more of these but these are just a few of what I have actually tried. Oh, I just found those recipes very useful. They kept me company while my two kids were growing up. Del Monte Kitchenomics Club offers simple, easy-to-cook, healthy recipes at very practical cost.  A real friend to a newbie in the kitchen!

     Here, let me share with you some of my favorite starter Kitchenomics menus:

      Menudo a la Cubana (click here for the recipe) - This used to be a regular menu on our dinner table when my kids were still in grade school. I liked to cook this because my kids and I like the sweet taste brought about by the saba (cooking banana) and it is very appealing to the eyes. 

Menudo a la Cubana by Del Monte Kitchenomics

      Kitchenomica  Burger (click here for the recipe) - I also used to cook this dish for the kids' baon (pack lunch or snacks). An effective substitute to the burger from the favorite and popular burger store!  I like this because it is very nutritious, with grated carrots, malunggay (Moringa) leaves and gabi as its major ingredients. Even my office mates loved it! I cooked this several times and it worked well with the kids until they noticed the malunggay leaves popping out of the patties! 

Kitchenomica Burger by Del Monte Kitchenomics

       Karekareng Manok  (Chicken Stew) (Click  here  for the recipe) - This is one of the family's favorites. I experimented on several recipes for this dish using different brands of Karekare premix but I would always go back to the original Kitchenomics recipe which doesn't use any premix at all, just peanut butter (short cut to the process of grinding peanuts) and coconut milk.  I confess I would often substitute beef, ox tripes or pata (pork legs/trotters/knuckles) for the chicken while still using the rest of the ingredients. Here's my own version of the Pork Stew.

My Pata Karekare using the Kitchenomics Karekareng Manok recipe

     Longganiza Kitchenomica (native sausage) (Click here  for the recipe) - I also tried this  recipe, longganisa being my husband's favorite next to tocino (sweetened cured pork). Well, my homemade longganiza tasted good! My mother also loved it! It's just that I'm not very fond of doing dishes which require wrapping, rolling or forming into balls (like meatballs), unless I have somebody to assist me with the task. With this dish though, I prefer using wax paper than plastic wraps in shaping the longganiza. 

Longganisa Kitchenomica by Del Monte Kitchenomics

      Tuna Sisig (spicy tuna) (Sorry, there's no online recipe for this in the Del Monte Kitchenomics website. I wonder why?) - Ever since I discovered this recipe, my husband has never ceased liking this dish that has a healthy twist from the original spicy and fatty pork sisig. Made of fresh tuna fillet, it could be mistaken as beef.  All our friends who have tasted this during a luncheon fellowship at home liked it. Here are the ingredients.

       For this dish, you will need:

1 small (1/2 k) puso ng saging (banana heart), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 2

1 head garlic, crushed

2 large onion, chopped

1 siling haba (green finger chilies), sliced

350 gms fresh tuna fillet, chopped

1 can (140 gms) Del Monte Tomato Sauce

     And for the steps, here's how:

1. Boil puso ng saging (banana heart) in 2 cups water and 1 tsp iodized salt for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain, discard the hard middle portion, then chop finely. Squeeze to remove excess liquid. Set aside.

2. Saute garlic, onion and sili. Add 3 tbsps soy sauce, puso ng saging, fish and Del Monte Tomato Sauce. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring.

Tuna Sisig using the recipe above

      There you are, very easy, isn't it? You should give this recipe a try! You'll love it! It's healthy too! I prefer to use the white banana heart than the red one.

      Of course, I won't ever forget the Kitchenomics pan de sal or loaf bread pizza which I used to make using a variety of toppings (ham slices, tuna chunks, corned beef, sausage, bell pepper, mushroom, onions sprinkled with grated cheese melt) over a tablespoon or two of Del Monte Pizza sauce. 

         

Homemade Pizza using pieces of loaf bread or pizza crust!!!

       My neighbors had a taste of this during a Tupperware Party which I hosted at home. I also brought a sample of this pizza using pan de sal which my co-staff nurses enjoyed for midnight snacks.

     What I love most about Kitchenomics recipes is that they're very much Filipino so the ingredients are available locally. True to its vision, Del Monte Kitchenomics has continued to come up with budget-friendly recipes that are easy-to-do, delicious and nutritious. Today, the Del Monte Kitchenomics website allows members to receive invites to events, free cooking workshops, budget-saving promos and access to their downloadable Kitchen Companion. Like other foodie blog sites, members also get the chance to send in their own recipes for other members to share!  

The Del Monte Kitchenomics homepage

      Today, there are a lot of food networks that offer online recipes. A little click here and there would give you lots of ideas to choose from.  I've been doing exactly that... facing my laptop on the kitchen table as I manage my ingredients. Oftentimes though, I would still fumble over my recipe box in the kitchen to look for my favorite Del Monte Kitchenomics recipes. 

     Thank you, Del Monte Kitchenomics for having been such a great mentor and kitchen mate all these years!  

     I wish I could share all my experiences about all the Kitchenomics recipes I've tried. Hmmm... that would mean quite a number of blogs in the future eh?! 

      Meantime, this would be all. How about posting in the comment box below the recipe you are fond of? I would love it very much if you do that.