Reading a magazine while having my toenails done in a salon a few years back, I came across a carbonara recipe. I had the impression that it’s gonna be a quick and easy but delicious treat that is worth trying out for my kids. Since I have no pen and paper with me that time, I just tried to remember the ingredients and the procedure hoping that I can store most of them in my head and retrieve from my memory bank when needed.

While procuring the ingredients I felt unsure if I’m getting the exact stuff mentioned in the magazine, but I went on with it anyway. Cooking was the next challenge for I can’t recall the ratios…hmmm how much should I put??? At that point of no return, it's was clear that I had to create my own version... LOL. Well, what's the worst thing that can happen? I might be wasting money, time and effort, but never a chance to learn.

How did it turn out? ...my carbonara was GREAT! My family loved it and had been requesting for it until now. My daughter even volunteered to her teacher that she’ll bring it for their school’s Christmas Party. It was also a hit to our relatives in one of those gatherings that quite a number had asked for the recipe.

So I am going to share my own version of carbonara in this blog for all of my readers to benefit. Below is the list of ingredients and the procedure in case you'll be inspired to give your kids a special treat at home. Indulge in its creamy goodness from time to time.

Ingredients:
500 g Pasta of your choice (Fettuccini, Bowtie, Elbow Macaroni, Spaghetti, Shells)
1 cup Butter (Salted)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
250 g Corned Beef
4 slices Cooked Ham, diced
1 can Mushroom Pieces and Stems
1 can Cream of Mushroom
2 packs Nestle All-Purpose Cream
1 cup Evaporated or Fresh Milk
1 cup Grated Cheese
200 g Fried Bacon Bits

Procedure:

Cook the pasta as per label instructions. Place in a large bowl or food tray and set aside. In a pan, melt butter and sauté the garlic. Stir in corned beef for 2 minutes then mix in cooked ham and mushroom. Pour in cream of mushroom, all-purpose cream, and milk. Let boil for 2 minutes with occasional stirring. Add half of the grated cheese and stir until it melts and becomes incorporated with the sauce. Pour sauce in the pasta bowl. For added flavor and garnishing, sprinkle with fried bacon bits and the remaining grated cheese.











Tsk, tsk, tsk, I was not able to take a picture of the finished product because my son was not able to resist and just excitedly dug into it upon seeing it on the table. Now, you can imagine how tempting this dish is.=D

Ingredients:

• 500 g Beef Sirloin strips
• 2 tbsp Calamansi juice
• 3 tbsp Knorr Seasoning or ordinary soy sauce
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
• ½ cup Mixed Pickles with syrup
  
• ½ cup Water
  
• 2 pcs Potato, small, cut into 2” strips
  
• 1 pc Carrot, small, cut into 2” strips
• 1 pc Red Bell pepper, julienne
  
• ¼ cup Coarsely ground roasted peanuts
  
• 1 cup Grated Cheese
  
• ¼ cup Raisins
  
• 250 g Tomato sauce
  
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
  
• 1 pc Onion, chopped
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
  
• 3 tbsp Cooking Oil

Procedure:

Marinate beef for at least 1 hour with Calamansi juice, soy sauce, black pepper, the first tablespoon of sugar, and pickles. Drain beef strips and save marinade. Sauté garlic and onion then stir in beef strips. Stir ingredients in pan for about 2 minutes before adding the marinade to slightly brown the beef. Add water, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in potato, carrots and peanuts and simmer for another 5 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are almost cooked. Add tomato sauce, the remaining sugar, bell pepper, grated cheese and raisins. Stir constantly for 2 minutes after boiling to allow cheese to melt and be completely incorporated into the sauce. Serve hot.

Back to Our Christmas Dinner 2009.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Tilapia, about 1 kilo (scaled and cleaned but fins are intact)
• Salt, Pepper and Aji Ginisa Mix
• Cooking Oil

For the sauce:

• 1 cup Vinegar
• 3 tbsp Tomato Catsup
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Strips of Ginger
  
• 1 pc Onion, small, cut into rings
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water

For the Garnish:

• 1 pc Carrot, julienned
• 1 pc Red Bell Pepper, julienned
• 1 pc Green Bell Pepper, julienned

Procedure:

Make 3 to 4 diagonal incisions about half an inch deep on both sides of the fish. Season the fish by rubbing with salt, pepper and Ginisa mix, paying close attention to the gut area and the incisions. Heat the oil and deep fry the fish to golden brown. Make sure to put the fish in the pan only when the oil is hot enough or when it starts to emit smoke. For even cooking and texture, flip the fish when the underside is done then fry the other side. Drain fried fish on paper towel and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced vegetables on top.

For the sauce, place the vinegar, tomato catsup, sugar, salt, onion and ginger in a pan and let boil without stirring. Then add cornstarch dissolved in water with continuous stirring for a minute. You can add more sugar to suit your preference. Pour hot sweet and sour sauce over fish and vegetables. Serve immediately.

Back to Our Christmas Dinner 2009.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Ground Pork (with a little fat)
• 1 pc Carrot, medium-sized, finely chopped
• 1 pc Onion, small, finely chopped
• 1 pc Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
• 60 g Pickle Relish
• 50 g Raisins
• 4 pcs Chorizo de Bilbao, finely chopped
• 1 cup Sweet Ham, finely chopped
  
• 100 g Skim Milk
• 20 g Iodized Salt
• 50 g Brown Sugar
• 100 g Bread Crumbs
• 2 pcs Eggs, Large
• Aluminum Foil to wrap
  

Procedure:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Place about 100 g of mixture on a piece of foil and roll into a loaf, making sure the mixture is tightly packed and wrapped securely by the piece of foil. Close by twisting both ends of the foil. You can modify the amount depending on how big and how many you want to make per preparation. Put the embotido packs in a steamer and steam for 45 minutes. Embotido is served sliced into rings.

Freeze remaining embotido packs for longer shelf life. Now you have an easy-to-serve dish to be reheated in a few minutes before serving. To heat, steam (with foil) or microwave (without foil). Serve immediately.


Back to Our Christmas Dinner 2009.