by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 28, 2021 | Bon Appetit
For the second part of the series, we will visit Vietnam and Thailand and try making some finger food starting with Vietnamese spring rolls.
Vietnamese spring rolls are super easy and require no cooking at all. Of all the ingredients the most difficult one to find is possibly the rice paper wrapper but most groceries carry it.
Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Tuna
Every time I eat at Pho Hoa, I always make sure to order fresh spring rolls for starters. They are light and tasty and crunchy! I rarely, if at all eat this as a viand, but it could be.
Fresh Spring Rolls with Tuna
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: spring rolls, tuna
Servings: 5
- 1 can (185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna in Water, drained
- 3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 5 pieces rice paper wrappers
- 1 piece (100 g) cucumber, sliced into thin strips
- 1 piece (80 g) carrot, sliced into thin strips
- 5 sprigs cilantro or basil
- 1 cup shredded lettuce leaves
- 2 tbsp Magnolia Real Mayonnaise
Mix tuna and 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce together. Set aside.
Fill a shallow bowl with warm water. Dip rice paper carefully until it softens.
Lay rice paper on a flat surface and while soft, quickly place 1 to 2 tablespoons of tuna in the center, then add several pieces of cucumber strips, carrot strips, cilantro, and shredded lettuce.
Fold the sides of the wrapper inwards, then tightly roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
To make hoisin sauce, mix together the remaining hoisin and mayonnaise. Serve with the spring rolls.
Use a combination of fresh vegetables and herbs in making the rolls such as cucumber, red radish, bean sprouts, bell peppers, zucchini, shredded cabbage, leeks, and mint leaves.
Do not oversoak rice papers in water as it will become soggy and sticky.
Space assembled spring rolls apart to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Hoisin from scratch (about 1/2 cup): 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp peanut butter or black bean paste, 1 tbsp brown sugar, honey or molasses, 2 tsp rice wine or white wine vinegar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 clove garlic minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp hot sauce
Thai Fish Cakes
Thai fish cakes are like seafood burgers. This is a good recipe for lent. You could use any fish but canned tuna is an easy solution.
Thai Fish Cakes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: patty, tuna
Servings: 6
- 1 can (185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water, drained
- 1 tbsp Sriracha or preferred chili sauce
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 2 tbsp chopped Thai basil leaves or coriander leaves
- 1 piece Magnolia Brown Egg
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Golden Fry Palm Oil
Combine tuna, Sriracha, green onions, basil, egg, and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Break tuna apart with a fork to mix well. Form mixture into 2 tablespoon patties. If the mixture is runny, add more breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a frying pan, fry fish cakes until golden brown. Serve with extra Sriracha sauce.
Tips:
- Substitute breadcrumbs with mashed potatoes for a different texture.
- Chill patties to set before frying.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 27, 2021 | Work Tips
Is success measured in earnings, popularity, or happiness? I started to blog because I had a lot of thoughts racing around in my head that needed to get out but I hated taking pen to paper and writing it down.
Keeping a diary was so frustrating! Rather than the therapeutic exercise, it was meant to be, it became a source of stress instead. Typing on a screen became my outlet and my thoughts flowed freely from my fingers. I never thought I would be the blogger I am today.
My early blogging years
My early public posts were mostly reviews, which came naturally to me, particularly about books I have read.
Growing up my parents instilled in me and my sisters the joy of reading. Many times you would find the entire family in the living room, each member in their own chair with a book in hand, enjoying each other’s company while lost in our own literary worlds. Every now and then we would look up and share how we felt about parts of the book that we read. This would spark comments and sharings, especially if they have already read the book previously.
Something else I loved to review back in the day were movies and stage plays (particularly musicals). This is what put me on the radar back then. The internet was still fairly new and people didn’t really know much about websites or SEO or any of the fancy terms we take for granted nowadays. Authors and directors or producers would find out about my blog and started inviting me to review their book, their movie, or their play.
Finding a niche
When attempting to identify your niche keep in mind that a niche classifies the kind of content you would be posting on your website. It implies that you are an authority on the subject or, at the very least, more than just a passing acquaintance with it. Take for example beauty blogger, Nikita Charuza, who wrote a piece about influential people and their favorite perfume scents for 2021.
Another example is lifestyle and fashion blogger Alexandra Nicole. As an entrepreneur, stylist, and mother deciding what to write about was a no-brainer. Her lifestyle site, Chic City Living, is geared toward moms and gives advice on fashion, beauty, health, parenting, etc.
In the beginning, I would say my niche was more ENTERTAINMENT, which later evolved into the more eclectic LIFESTYLE. Lately, though, with everyone being stuck at home I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen and my site (while still in the lifestyle niche) is starting to look more like a FOODIE site. Identifying myself as a lifestyle blogger, though, opens up my site to different kinds of content so it is important to know what your niche is.
Working with brands
For many years now I have had the pleasure of working with several brands, big and small. There are those that offer to pay a fixed amount, some ask for my rates, and others offer products or services instead. Ever since bloggers were recognized as a media arm I have had the pleasure of attending many events as part of the media where I received firsthand information which I then disseminated on my site and on social media. It was an opportunity not only to know more about (and enjoy) the product or service but also to hobnob with the company bigwigs and personalities, as well as other bloggers and members of the press.
Oftentimes these brands through their agency partners would send press releases for posting. You do not need to post everything they send you. Consider if it matches your niche or will compromise your own brand.
Write your own material
While I do post materials from brands I work with, I also do my own writing. After all, a blog should be more than a repository of press releases. When you do write, make sure to always, ALWAYS check your grammar and syntax. I can’t describe the level of frustration I feel when I read a social media post or an article with horrible grammar. This is a common problem with people who are not native English speakers but sadly, it isn’t limited to them. Write in the vernacular if you are more fluent in that.
I realize that this limits the audience but there is an easy solution … use grammar tools like Grammarly. I, myself, am not immune to making grammatical errors, especially with homonyms, which is why I use grammar tools myself.
Blog if it makes you happy
It isn’t always about the bottom line. Blog because it makes you happy. Blog because you have something to share. Most importantly, blog because it is something or about something you are passionate about.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 27, 2021 | Bon Appetit
Lent is upon us and for most Christians, this is a time when we abstain from red meat. Instead of preparing the same dish over and over again here are some tuna recipes that can put variety and excitement to our dining table. For part 1 of this series, we will “visit” Italy and Mexico.
Creamy Tuna and Mushroom Pasta
In our household, creamy tuna pasta is a regular weekend dish prepared by my sister. It is easy to prepare and is quite filling! In addition, one can of tuna feeds so many people. Try it yourself.
Creamy Tuna and Mushroom Pasta
Course: Main Course
Keyword: cream-based, pasta dish, tuna
Servings: 6
- 1/4 cup Magnolia Gold Butter Unsalted
- 2 tbsp minced onion
- 1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
- 1 can (298 g) cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups Magnolia Fresh Milk
- 1 can (185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Oil
- 1 tbsp chopped dill leaves optional
- 1/4 kg spaghetti noodles cooked according to package directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onion and mushrooms.
Add cream of mushroom and milk. Mix until lump-free and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in tuna and dill, and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Toss the pasta into the sauce.
Tips:
- Substitute dill leaves with chopped parsley or basil leaves.
- Add sliced black olives for a flavor boost.
Tuna Tacos
This recipe is for soft tacos but you can easily change it up into the regular tacos by buying hard shells instead. I would make this for a quick meal. If you have a busy day ahead, this is one of those you could eat on the run as it is essentially a folded sandwich.
Easy Tuna Tacos
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: tacos, tuna
Servings: 6
- 1/3 cup Magnolia Real Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 6 pieces small flour tortillas or pita bread lightly warmed or toasted
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 piece tomato, sliced 100 grams
- 1 can (185 g)San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Oil drained
To make garlic sauce, mix mayonnaise and garlic then set aside.
In the center of each flour tortilla, place 1 to 2 tablespoons of lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, tomato slices, and tuna. Drizzle with garlic sauce.
Fold tortilla to secure filling.
- Keep tortillas in the refrigerator for up to a week and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To warm store-bought tortillas: (1) heat in a dry hot pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds on each side, (2) wrap stacked tortillas in a paper towel, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 300°F for about 10 minutes and (3) cover tortillas with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute.
- Buy salad greens that are bright in color, leaves crisp, free of blemishes, and smell fresh.
The hard taco shell can also be replaced with nacho chips and this tuna taco can be transformed into a tuna taco salad, yum!
Most people don’t have tortilla wraps available in the fridge but most homes have the ingredients to make one. Click HERE for my paratha/roti recipe. FYI, there is very little difference between a paratha and a tortilla wrap so if you can make one, you can easily make the other. 😀
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 26, 2021 | Advocacy
Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) — the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country — donated more than 800 COVID-19 Rapid Test kits to Naga City.
PCPPI Bicol Regional Operations General Manager Francisco L. Escala, Jr. turned over the test kits to Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion, aiming to help the local government unit maintain its health and safety standards to stop the spread of the virus in the Bicol region.
In the photo are (from left) PCPPI Operations Manager Emmanuel Manaog, Territory Manager Sharmaine Banaag, HR Manager Roxana Ulpindo, Finance Manager Jose Bergonio, General Manager Francisco Escala, Jr., and Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 23, 2021 | Health and Wellness
To celebrate women, women’s month, and new beginnings, Vine Holistic Medical Aesthetics launched its new logo and campaign tagged “Beauty Speaks”.
Dr. Em Sevilla
Dr. Emehly Sevilla, or Dr. Em, the owner of Vine Aesthetics, said since the majority of Vine’s clients are women, the new campaign is aimed at celebrating women and their valuable contribution not only to their families, colleagues, and friends but to society in general.
“We have been working on the relaunch of the clinic and we felt that the month of March would be the best time to do so to coincide with the celebration of International Women’s Month,” Dr. Em said. “There’s no better way to celebrate women than to show that we cherish them by pampering them and showing them how much we love them.”
Vine’s relaunch campaign focuses on beauty and how women communicate through their beauty. Through their beauty, women are able to convey their strengths, self-love, fight for equality, service, and freedom amongst others.
“As we celebrate the women in our lives, we would like to give a deeper meaning and value to the self-care,” Dr. Em said. “We want to be there for women so that they can relax, reboot and reset.”
The new logo of Vine Aesthetics’ redefines “beauty by going back to its roots through unfiltered self-confidence.”
“We have decided to adopt a new logo, a new face that will allow the women’s beauty to speak and spread like new vines waiting to flourish,” Dr. Em explained.
To celebrate the new campaign and logo, Vine Aesthetics came up with Beauty Speaks promos that will allow women to “Raise Your Arms High,” “Peel it Away” and “Come Back to Your Shape.”
“We want to give you the best care that you need until your unfiltered beauty speaks for you,” Dr. Em said.
To avail of the Beauty Speaks promos, book an appointment by calling 09178590642 or through PM at the FB page of Vine Aesthetics.
While I do post materials from brands I work with, I also do my own writing. After all, a blog should be more than a repository of press releases. When you do write, make sure to always, ALWAYS check your grammar and syntax. I can’t describe the level of frustration I feel when I read a social media post or an article with horrible grammar. This is a common problem with people who are not native English speakers but sadly, it isn’t limited to them. Write in the vernacular if you are more fluent in that.
To celebrate women, women’s month, and new beginnings, 
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