Cooking pasta al dente is something many people find challenging. Even when we follow the cooking instructions in the package of store-bought pasta noodles they don’t always turn out right. I learned a trick that guarantees your pasta will never be undercooked or overcooked and soggy.
Boil water in a pot.
The size of the pot and the amount of water really depends on how much pasta you are cooking. If you are cooking just one serving then a smaller pot and less water would obviously be better. A common question I encounter is how do we know how much water to put in?
How much water do I put in?
If you are cooking pasta like fusilli, penne, bowties, or macaroni here is a trick I learned.
While the pot is dry, pour in the pasta and shake the pot until it is evenly distributed.
Take note of how high up the pasta goes and then transfer it to another container.
Fill the pot with water up to where the pasta reached plus 1 inch.
When cooking pasta like spaghetti, capellini (angel hair), fettuccini, or lasagna, I honestly just eyeball it following the same principle as above. If you are cooking the whole package, following the package instructions also helps.
Can I put the pasta in yet?
Set the pot to boil. Sometimes we get impatient and want to put the pasta in when the water starts to smoke. DON’T DO THAT. Literally, wait for the water to bubble and boil.
Before putting in the pasta add the salt and a little oil to the water. The salt will add flavor to the pasta and the oil will help in preventing the pasta from sticking.
Is there a proper way to put the pasta in?
Keep the heat setting on high.
For long pasta noodles like capellini, spaghetti, and fettuccini, the trick is to hold the pasta in a fist, standing (the pasta noodles, not you) in the middle of the boiling water and then letting go, allowing the pasta noodles to fan out in the pot.
Do not make the Italians angry. DO NOT BREAK THE NOODLES TO FIT THE POT! As the noodles absorb the water, they will all slide into the pot and fit, I promise. Once the noodles have settled in the water mix them slightly so that they get coated in the oil.
If you are cooking fresh noodles you just put them in carefully so as not to tear them. For other types of pasta, you can just pour them in and mix them slightly to evenly distribute them in the pot.
How long do we cook this?
This is where several opinions usually come in but this is what we’ve found works the best. First of all, make sure the heat is set on high. set your timer for TWO (2) MINUTES.
Yes, I said just TWO Minutes. Cook your pasta uncovered on high heat. While waiting for the timer to ping you can start preparing your sauce and toppings.
Once the timer pings turn off the heat, stir your noodles (which at this point will not look cooked yet), and then cover the pot. Set your timer once again depending on the kind of pasta you are cooking from four (4) to eight (8) minutes. Pasta noodles like capellini need less time so I usually let them sit in the hot water for three (3) to four (4) minutes. With thicker pasta like penne, rigate, or fusilli you can max out the time.
Take note that at this point the pasta is cooking in the hot water but no extra heat is added. This is an important step to ensure your noodles are al dente. In the meantime, prepare your sauce and toppings. My go-to is aglio e olio as it is quick and easy. I just add whatever meat I have on hand such as marinated chicken, sausage, or leftover pork chop. You can also prepare your sauce ahead of time if it will take longer than five (5) minutes to prepare.
Once the timer pings again, your pasta is ready to be served! If you are mixing your sauce in directly then just drain the water and put the sauce and pasta together. Make sure the pasta is drained well or your dish will be watery. If you are serving the pasta and the sauce separately then aside from draining the water, you will also want to run the pasta under running water to stop the cooking process. Remember, while there is heat, the pasta will keep cooking!
Today I whipped up come capellini aglio e olio topped with chopped up hotdog and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
The only thing you have to do now is eat!
* except for the last photo, all the other photos were taken from Unsplash.com.
Every year, we always wish for the good health of our loved ones. One great way to do this is to try out new recipes that are more nutritious and share it with them.
You can offer nutritious meals to your family without compromising on taste. You can also shop for affordable ingredients at your nearby grocery. For more variety, pasta is a quick and easy ingredient you can turn into a filling meal. There are also endless possibilities with pasta or “pastabilities” that you can whip up every day.
Kick-off 2023 right with masarap, masustansya, and sulit dishes using a good quality ingredient like El Real Pasta. Here are some recipes that the whole family will enjoy:
Bet na bet na Pinakbet Pasta
Pinakbet is a Filipino ulam with pork and vegetables like squash, ampalaya, and tomatoes, which are all good sources of vitamins and minerals. You can change it up and make Pinakbet Pasta with El Real Healthy Pasta. The combination of crispy pork belly, hearty vegetables, and flavorful bagoong will give you a burst of flavor. See the full Pinakbet Pasta recipe here.
Spicy and creamy Healthy Laing Pasta
Add a spicy kick to your El Real Healthy Spaghetti by adding laing and chilis to it. The taro leaves used to make laing are known to be rich in vitamins A and C. For the sauce, it’s made with coconut cream to make it thicker and creamier. See the full Healthy Laing Pasta recipe here.
Go green with Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni
For a nutritious and filling macaroni dish, you can try making Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni. Made from basil, pesto is said to be a good source of vitamins, calcium, and iron, which makes it a great pasta sauce. Give your dish more flavor with some lemon juice and sour cream in the sauce, and top off your El Real Elbow Macaroni with chili flakes and parmesan cheese. See the full Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni recipe here.
Healthy Sardine Spaghetti for your dose of seafood
Fish like sardines are an excellent source of vitamins B-12 and D, and other nutrients. Sardines can make a great pasta dish when mixed with oil, garlic, and a little lemon juice on top of El Real Healthy Pasta. See the full Healthy Sardine Spaghetti recipe here.
Creamy Spinach Pasta for all ages
If you want a dose of iron and vitamins, you can try adding spinach to your meals. A delicious way of incorporating this into a pasta dish is by mixing it with cream and ricotta cheese. You’ll get a nice creamy sauce with hints of spinach with every bite of El Real Healthy Spaghetti or any type of El Real pasta. See the full Creamy Spinach Pasta recipe here.
Start the year right with sarap, sulit, at sustansya meals courtesy of El Real Pasta. You can now share nutritious pasta dishes that are also delicious with your loved ones, be it daily or on special occasions.
The Mango Float is a popular dessert during parties. I’ve heard it referred to as a Mango Graham cake because of its ingredients, I suppose. This dessert is easy to make and disappears quickly! I always make sure to make space in my tummy when I know it is on the menu.
Will any mango do?
If you live in the Philippines you know that there are several types of mangoes but not all of them will go well as an ice cream cake, which is technically what this dish is. The type of mango we use for the mango float is the one we call kalabaw. I seriously have no idea why it is named after an animal but among all mango varieties, this is the one that is very sour while it is green and super sweet when it is yellow and ripe.
The secret to a really good mango float is … the mangoes have to be very sweet. And the best way to find out is to taste it. Just take a slice and eat that. From my experience, though, you should be able to tell how sweet it is even as you are peeling it. In my case, if I start to salivate I already know it will be too sour to put in the dish but perfect to munch on later.
What cream to use?
All-purpose cream is what I used for this recipe but if you have whipping cream (or whipped cream) then that will do as well. There are several brands in the market to choose from such as Anchor, Emborg, President, Arla, etc. I prefer regular all-purpose cream because 1) it’s cheaper and 2) it is available everywhere. In addition, I can easily whip the cream myself with a stand mixer.
Can I use sugar instead of condensed milk?
Truly, what you combine is up to you but from my experience, the condensed milk not only serves as a sweetener but is also a binder since it is quite thick.
Graham crackers
For this recipe I would recommend having the Graham crackers two ways … in cookie form and crushed. You can find both versions easily in the grocery store. For the layers, we will use the cookies but for the toppings, we will use the crushed Grahams. This is honestly more for aesthetics than anything else but I also like the texture of the crushed Grahams. 🙂
A simple no-bake dessert that is always a hit at gatherings. The most challenging task for most is layering.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: cream-based, graham crackers, mango
Equipment
stand mixer (optional)
mixing bowl
spatula
1 9x13 pan
Ingredients
500mlcream
250mlcondensed milk
Graham crackers
crushed Graham crackers
2 to 3piecesripe mangoes, sliced thinly
Instructions
Place the cream in a bowl, and mix it until it is smooth and not lumpy. Add the condensed milk and fold using a spatula.
Put some of the cream mixture in the tray and spread evenly.
Place a layer of Graham crackers (without overlapping) to cover.
Put some cream on the Graham and spread evenly.
Last some thinly sliced mangoes as close to each other as possible.
Place a layer of cream and spread.
Repeat step 4 until you run out of mango slices.
Top with crushed Grahams.
If you have extra slices but not enough to cover another layer you can put them on top of the Graham bed.
Place in the freezer to set.
Notes
This does not take long to set so you can enjoy this in an hour or two.* In the first step, before mixing the cream with the condensed milk, I like to whip it for about 7 minutes to put some air in it so that once this dish is frozen it isn’t rock hard.
This really doesn’t take long to make but I hesitated to indicate a time because it really depends on you. If you are the type who likes to work quickly and efficiently then it will be done in no time at all. But if you are the type to loo-lee-loo and take your time, it will take longer, but probably not by much more. What matters is that when you make this dish, don’t stress out. It really is super easy to make.
During the rainy season, almost everyone has experienced having at least one batch of laundry that takes ages to dry. With the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable these days, how do you keep your clothes and fabric fresh, clean, and kulob-free?
Midea (pronounced mai-dee-yah), the leader in intelligent, and surprisingly friendly home solutions, shares this simple guide to help you keep your newly washed clothes and fabrics clean, fresh, and vibrant even when the monsoon hits.
Choose the right washing cycle and mode.
With so many different options available to us, it’s important to choose the correct spin cycle for the clothes we’re washing. For a more hassle-free washing experience, there’s the Midea 8.5Kg Fully Automatic Top Load Washing Machine that automatically calculates and determines the spin duration, water program, water level, and the number of rinses that your clothes need.
This washer also has 8 different wash programs to assist you in washing your clothes properly and easily such as Standard, Quick, Bulky, Delicates, Intensive, Mini Wash, Jeans, and Dump Dry options. All these come with an energy-efficient washing experience, thanks to the inverter function, making your washing experience more efficient and less time-consuming.
Hot water gets the job done.
When it comes to washing your workout pants, socks, and undergarments hot water can be the best option for thoroughly cleaning dirt and odors. To help you better take care of your clothes and leave them smelling clean and fresh the next day, you can start off with the Midea’s 12/8Kg Fully Automatic Front Load Combo Washing Machine which has a built-in water heater that allows you to adjust the water temperature from 30°C to 75°C to efficiently remove dirt, bacteria, and odor from fabrics, and give you clothes are free from amoy-kulob, even during the rainy season.
Say goodbye to clutter and an unorganized laundry stack as this washer also comes with 16 pre-set functions such as Cotton, Delicate, ECO Wash, Rapid, Stain Wash, Jeans, Normal, Duvet, Dry Only, Auto Clean, Shoes, Towel, Antiallergic, Silent, Spin Only, and My Cycle. This 2-in-1 washer also has a 1-hour wash-spin-dry cycle function so you can experience the best of both worlds and enjoy more cozy moments with your family!
Keep your washing machine dirt and clog-free.
A dirty washing machine is a perfect environment for mold and bacterial growth, as well as grime buildup so if you continue to wash your clothes in a not-so-clean washing machine, your clothes can get stained and come out with a not-so-pleasant smell. This is where the Midea 13KG Twin Tub can help.
This twin tub has a superb built feature which means it’s made from a highly durable plastic body that cannot be easily nipped away by dirt and clog and is also rustproof. Plus, it comes with a Magic Lint Filter that helps trap loose threads, leftover trash, sequins, and buttons so it won’t interfere with the cleaning process.
Go for the efficient inverter washer.
When you have loads of dirty clothes to wash, especially in this damp weather, time and electricity consumption are important considerations. The faster you can do your laundry, the more power and time you save. This is where Midea 7.5kg Front Load Washer Inverter can become your best laundry buddy. This washer comes with an inverter function that gives an energy-efficient washing experience – that means it uses the least amount of power without sacrificing its cleaning performance.
The Auto-Clean function of this front load also has a high-speed water flow that clears dirt residues off the inner and outer drum to prevent secondary pollution of the clothes. Plus, with its 15-quick wash feature, you can wrap up your laundry time in just 15 minutes – more time to spend relaxing or bonding with your family! Not only that, but Midea washers are also strategically installed with Piso-Wash features. This means that when you use Midea’s home-friendly solutions, the electricity cost per wash load is equivalent to only PHP1.00!
By making just a few tweaks to your routine and choosing the right washing appliance, you will know how to keep your laundry fresh during the rainy season and not let the rain dampen your plans. Another useful tip is to use a dehumidifier like the Midea Cube Dehumidifier to keep away the dampness and kulob-smell on your clothes while making sure you’re home environment is safe from moisture. You can conveniently keep dampness away wherever you are in your home by controlling this humidifier through the Midea Air app.
Get rid of those kulob-smelling clothes effortlessly during the rainy season with Midea. Midea’s products are available at the following Midea Philippines online flagship stores:
You can also check out more Midea intelligent home solutions at leading appliance stores nationwide or visit any of these sites – Facebook: MideaPhilippines; Instagram: mideaph; Youtube: Midea Philippines Official and on TikTok: mideaphilippines
There are many translations for the word “kulob” in this context it refers to that muggy smell between washed and unwashed.
Doughnuts have been a popular sweet indulgence of Pinoys since these were introduced about 4 decades ago. And from then on, doughnuts have evolved, even trended, into exciting formats and flavors.
Doughnut you know that you can now whip up consistent, #Madalicious, premium quality yet affordable doughnuts to satisfy you and your family’s cravings or start up a sweet profitable business venture? San Miguel Mills Inc (SMMI) added recently to its line of baking premixes
Mix ‘n Fry Yeast Raised Doughnut Mix. You doughnut need to make doughnuts from scratch, which will incur a lot of your precious time. Instead, just add yeast, water, and oil to the premix and be ready to churn out 2 dozen delicious, soft doughnuts! Get glazy with these doughnuts.
As adults, we tend to work ourselves to the bone and we forget about this “new-fangled” thing called work-life balance. Okay, it isn’t really new, but it is something that is often overlooked, especially when we are working towards a financial goal. It could be something like a new car, your child’s tuition, an expensive phone, or even simply future financial security.
I, myself, work several jobs. I teach, which means I prepare lesson plans, deliver the lectures, interact with my students, then check and grade their submissions. I write on the side and right now it is a bunch of AV scripts. I do social media management so I’m preparing a social media plan. I edit for some authors, which for me, does not feel like work. And if any other opportunity comes around, I snap those up, too.
So, like you, I don’t get much time to relax – it is work, work, work. What you and I need are opportunities to destress!
If I could get away I would go to …
… the beach! If time and money are things to consider, the simplest getaway I could think of is a visit to the beach.
Nirvana! I don’t even need company. I just need the peace and quiet of laying on the soft sand with the sound of the waves in my ears and the gentle sea breeze flowing over my skin.
But if money was no object and time was not a factor either, I would love to travel again. It has been so many years since I’ve flown anywhere. The last country I visited was Hong Kong which I have been to many times. So far I’ve only been to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and, of course, different parts of the Philippines. I would love to go somewhere different and new starting with those that countries that don’t require a visa for short-term visits.
Escape for a few hours
You don’t need to go far or spend a lot of time traveling to destress. There are things you can do nearby or even in the comfort of your home that will do as well.
Grab a drink with friends
Whether it is at a coffee shop, a juice bar, a restaurant, or a bar … it’s not about what you eat or drink, it is about who you spend it with!
Meeting up with friends means we get to talk about stuff that has nothing to do with work. We could catch up on each others’ lives, gossip about other people, talk about something we watched or read … really the topics for discussion are endless! Just try not to talk about work as that would defeat the purpose.
My favorite place to meet up with friends is Starbucks, specifically the Starbucks Reserve near my house. I love how they greet me by name and with a smile and wave from the moment I step into the store. They make me feel so welcome! I love how they know me so well that I just give them my tumbler and they know what to put in it without me saying anything.
Another place I like to go to is High Grounds Cafe, also near my house. I think of it as a one-stop shop. They have coffee, tea, food, and beers so, whatever my friends feel like, this place most likely has it.
Exercise
When we think of relaxing exercise most people immediately imagine yoga or pilates. But the truth is, any type of exercise can serve to relax and destress. Exercising releases endorphins – the happy hormone – which help in releasing the tension that may have accumulated while we are working. My go-to workouts are dance exercises, running, and lifting weights at the gym.
You can even exercise at home if you have the discipline for it. I have an exercise bike at home that I try to use once a day for 30 minutes … the operative word is TRY.
Veg in front of the TV
Grab some snacks and the TV remote and put on that movie or TV series you’ve wanted to watch for some time … or watch something new! You can even watch a game if you are into sports. Watch on your own or watch with family or friends. Escaping into a fictional world or watching other people excel in sports takes your mind away from your work.
The last series I watched on Netflix was Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. How about you? What was the last thing you watched?
Read a book
Reading is not something a lot of people enjoy but for bookworms, like myself, this is an easy way to escape! Whether it is an e-book or a physical book, I enjoy getting lost in the stories and characters that jump at me from the page.
If I had to choose between e-books and physical books, it would be difficult. I love how convenient reading an e-book is as I only need to have whatever device I have handy, such as my smartphone or iPad/tablet. And yet, there is something to be said about the smell and feel of holding a book in your hands.
Right now I am reading so many books at the same time! I’m in the middle of a story in iBooks, a couple (or more books on Kindle, and so many more on Goodnovel.
If reading is not your thing, that’s okay. There are other things you can do such as …
Play games
Games abound for game consoles, mobile phones, and tablets. While there are also games available for desktop or laptop computers, many adults (especially the much older ones) cannot be bothered to install a game, unless someone installs it for them. I have a few games installed on my phone. My go-to games to relax are word puzzles, matching games, and shooting games. I don’t like games with timers (especially those with a very short timer) because they tend to stress me out instead of relaxing me.
Recently I did a Google search looking for some classic games I could play online and I came across this website called Plays.org.
Two things attracted me … FREE and ONLINE. So I scrolled through and played a few of the games.
Awe Shoot! shooting games
Cannons and Soldiers
I tried a couple of shooting games. The first one was the Cannons and Soldiers Mountain Offense. As with most shooting games, it has to do with physics. To play you need to choose the correct trajectory and strength to release the cannonball from the cannon and hit the soldier. In this game, there is no need to actually hit the soldier as he can just fall or get hit by debris.
The trajectory of the cannon is easy enough to figure out as it just follows whatever direction the mouse is in. The strength of release, however, can only be controlled by mousing over the cannon first. It would have been helpful if that was written in the help link/button.
The help button at the start is no help at all. It just says Forestry Games and plays.org so to play it I kind of had to figure it out for myself.
The Sorcerer
The second game I tried was called The Sorcerer. This one did not take much figuring out as it is tailored after the classic game Zuma.
In this game, the goal is to form at least 3 balls of the same color in a row to eliminate them and ultimately remove all the balls before they reach the end. I haven’t reached the higher levels yet so I don’t know if this version of this shooting game has the option to switch balls with the spare as Zuma did but so far, it plays in pretty much the same way.
The Sorcerer is a relaxing game until the balls snake closer to the exit … then the pressure really piles on, especially at the higher levels.
Education
Zombie Typing
I mentioned earlier that I am drawn to word puzzles so I looked some up like crosswords, word twists, etc. and the one that caught my interest is Zombie Typing. This is probably not the most relaxing game but I think I enjoyed it the most. If you aren’t a fast typer this game will turn you into one or the zombies are gonna get ya!
On the lower levels, the words are easy with some words just being 3 or 4 letters long. Later the words get longer and longer. If you misspell a word, there is no backspace. What you typed will disappear and you have to start over.
Solitaire and Pinball
Speaking of classic games, we can’t get more classic than Solitaire and Pinball. Of all the solitaire variants available I chose Luxor Tripeaks.
Just as with the original version of the game, the goal is to bring down cards from the pattern above whose value is one step higher or lower than the exposed card. If there is no available card then we open a card from the stack until a card appears that will allow cards from above to be brought down. In the end, what we want to do is to bring down all the cards.
Space Adventure Pinball
For pinball, I chose Space Adventure Pinball. Except for the space theme, this pinball game executes just like regular pinball. The controls are fairly easy as well as it uses the arrow keys on the keyboard. However, I must confess … this game would be more fun if I could use both hands for the paddles. It is probably just me, but controlling the paddles with just the fingers of my right hand is not as fun as having my left-hand control the left paddle and my right-hand control the right.
Beyond playing the games I also took the time to read all the other information on the site and I made some exciting discoveries!
If you want to just play, with no commitments, you can! Just pick a game from their wide selection and start playing. But if you want to save and track your progress then you need to register on their website.
These games could be played on a touchscreen. This means that so long as the device has a browser the games could still be played. Hooray for pinball! Woohoo!
No ads or ads targeting. I was so glad to see this! Do you have any idea how rare that is? I hate how my game gets interrupted by ads. Well, here is a site with TONS of games and no ads. According to their site:
We use Clicky web analytics to track our website performance to see where our site is discussed around the web and how popular various games are so we can create and publish more games similar to the most popular games. We do not serve ads on our site nor retarget users across the web.
The one feature I would probably hope they would add as I didn’t see it is a search feature, just so finding specific games would be faster.
I am not exaggerating much when I say “tons of games”. Look at the number of categories alone!
I feel that I need to explore Plays.org more as I’ve barely scratched the surface. With thousands of games available, I could choose one game a day and will still be visiting the site for years to come. I’m really looking forward to playing some of the cartoon games next like The Powerpuff Girls, the Superhero games, and Looney Toons. I can’t wait to try them all!
Keep the heat setting on high.
Add a spicy kick to your El Real Healthy Spaghetti by adding laing and chilis to it. The taro leaves used to make laing are known to be rich in vitamins A and C. For the sauce, it’s made with coconut cream to make it thicker and creamier. See the full Healthy Laing Pasta recipe 
For a nutritious and filling macaroni dish, you can try making Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni. Made from basil, pesto is said to be a good source of vitamins, calcium, and iron, which makes it a great pasta sauce. Give your dish more flavor with some lemon juice and sour cream in the sauce, and top off your El Real Elbow Macaroni with chili flakes and parmesan cheese. See the full Pesto and Parmesan Macaroni recipe 
Fish like sardines are an excellent source of vitamins B-12 and D, and other nutrients. Sardines can make a great pasta dish when mixed with oil, garlic, and a little lemon juice on top of El Real Healthy Pasta. See the full Healthy Sardine Spaghetti recipe 
If you want a dose of iron and vitamins, you can try adding spinach to your meals. A delicious way of incorporating this into a pasta dish is by mixing it with cream and ricotta cheese. You’ll get a nice creamy sauce with hints of spinach with every bite of El Real Healthy Spaghetti or any type of El Real pasta. See the full Creamy Spinach Pasta recipe 
The Mango Float is a popular dessert during parties. I’ve heard it referred to as a Mango Graham cake because of its ingredients, I suppose. This dessert is easy to make and disappears quickly! I always make sure to make space in my tummy when I know it is on the menu.
A dirty washing machine is a perfect environment for mold and bacterial growth, as well as grime buildup so if you continue to wash your clothes in a not-so-clean washing machine, your clothes can get stained and come out with a not-so-pleasant smell. This is where the Midea 13KG Twin Tub can help.
When you have loads of dirty clothes to wash, especially in this damp weather, time and electricity consumption are important considerations. The faster you can do your laundry, the more power and time you save. This is where Midea 7.5kg Front Load Washer Inverter can become your best laundry buddy. This washer comes with an inverter function that gives an energy-efficient washing experience – that means it uses the least amount of power without sacrificing its cleaning performance.
Doughnuts have been a popular sweet indulgence of Pinoys since these were introduced about 4 decades ago. And from then on, doughnuts have evolved, even trended, into exciting formats and flavors.
Whether it is at a coffee shop, a juice bar, a restaurant, or a bar … it’s not about what you eat or drink, it is about who you spend it with!
Reading is not something a lot of people enjoy but for bookworms, like myself, this is an easy way to escape! Whether it is an e-book or a physical book, I enjoy getting lost in the stories and characters that jump at me from the page.
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