Pork Pochero

This recipe that I am sharing with you today is one of the most loved pork recipes in the Philippines. It is popularly cooked for special occasions like weddings, fiesta and Christmas. Called Pochero, the name of this dish came from the Spanish word Puchero which means stewpot.

Pochero can be cooked using pork, beef, chicken and fish, but pork pochero is the most common version. The ingredients used for all versions and the manner of cooking may vary depending on the cook's preference. As for me, this is how I cook my Pork Pochero. Check it out and let me know what you think. You might also want to check the Fish Pochero I have posted before. 

Roast Balsamic & Herb Rolled Pork Loin

Pork loin is where we get the leanest and most tender pork cuts. It has a mild flavor that goes well with either sweet or savory ingredients. It's delicious roasted, grilled, or pan seared. But no matter how you cook it, it is important to be careful not to overcook pork loin because it will dry out easily. 

For this recipe that I am sharing with you today, I used boneless pork loin roast, but tenderloin which is a lot smaller in size will also work. Though if you are going to use tenderloin, be sure to keep it whole instead of butterflying so it will remain moist.

This roast pork loin recipe is one of my family's favorite and is truly so easy to prepare. With just a few ingredients, you'll have a fancy dinner with no considerable effort! If you have more time to marinate, you can cook the pork loin whole, but if you don't, you have the option to butterfly the pork loin which will allow the marinade to be quickly absorbed. 

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and gravy, but this will go well with oven roasted Brussels sprouts, salad, mixed veggies, green bean casserole, or any side dish of your choice!  An awesome roast pork that's easy to prepare but looks and tastes like you spent a lot of time on it! Perfect for Valentine's Day dinner!

Ham and Cheese French Toast Roll-Ups

I remember that it was in college when I first made something like this after having tried it at a friend's house. I used to call it cheese rolls, hotdog rolls or luncheon meat rolls depending on the filling I used, which most of the time was MaLing luncheon meat, Purefoods hotdog or Eden cheese. When we got to the US, I learned that French Toast Roll-Ups is how these scrumptious rolls are called! I also learned that you can fill it with other stuff like fruits, cream cheese, peanut butter, Nutella and whatever filling you could think of! The possibility is truly endless! I remember one time when I made this with Mozarella sticks and dredge it in bread crumbs before frying...oh my, the girls really loved that! But their favorite version is this one that I am sharing with you today...the one with cream cheese, ham and shredded Mozzarella cheese for filling.

I made this the other day for snack. It has been a long time since I last did, and the girls as well as the hubs were all thrilled! They just couldn't wait for me to finish taking pictures. ^.^

These Ham and Cheese French Toast Roll-Ups are perfect for breakfast too! I tell yah, its wonderful aroma will have everyone jumping out of bed and running to the kitchen! ;)

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have some brown and mushy bananas in your fruit bowl? Well, you can put them into good use with this Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! There are a lot of wonderful things to turn overripe bananas into like Banana Bread with Walnut Crumble, Banana Cream Pie Shake, Banana Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars, Almond Banana Cake, Banana Cream Trifle but I think this is the one that my daughters love the most. It's really good, that's why!

These cookies are soft, chewy and really tasty! They have the goodness of chocolate chip cookies with the added flavor of banana. Who wouldn't love that? My daughters enjoy having these cookies for snacks and they love bringing it to school for lunch dessert. 

Such wonderful treats! You should try it!

Ham and Vegetable Chowder

The holidays are long  gone, but we still have some leftover ham, so I decided to make this Ham and Vegetable Chowder which is  perfect for this cold weather that we've been having. It is a hearty, easy soup that's ready in 30 minutes so you won’t spend hours in the kitchen with this one! Sounds perfect, right? I sometimes use cooking cheats for this like a carton of reduced fat cream starter, but even if you use the usual chowder ingredients like I did here (milk, chicken broth and flour), it still won't take that much time!

If you don't have ham, turkey or chicken will also work. It’s very comforting and perfect during the cold fall and winter days, or even during days when you just feel like having a nice bowl of soup. You should try it!

Festive Fudge Brownies for the Holidays

As promised, I'm sharing with you today a simple way of making fudge brownies into festive holiday gifts for anyone on your list! It's very easy and fun to make...and such a wonderful activity with the kids! They will love making these delicious treats and you'll definitely see the glow in their eyes as they put on the sprinkles, nuts and crushed peppermints! :)

Whether you're making it for gifts or just for personal consumption, I'm pretty sure you'll have a great time! Try it and let me know what you think...