The roles of fathers have gone beyond being the sole provider for the family. They are equally important in nurturing the family’s wellbeing by building strong relationships and being actively involved in child care interests and responsibilities.
These wonderful fathers, who literally become our rock, protect us as much as they can. Some fathers may not be huggers or emotionally attuned to us but you know they truly care deep down through their unique love language. We are truly blessed to have fathers and father figures in our lives, who helped mold us into what we are today. We thus salute these ‘’men’” on their special day.
Nothing beats whipping up something sweet from the heart. Make your love language food. Make this utterly #Madalicious treat, Cerveza Negra Chocolate Balls, made with Magnolia Devil’s Food Cake Mix combined with Cerveza Negra. It will pleasantly surprise your taste buds, too.
Preheat the oven to 176.7°C (350 F). Meanwhile, line and grease one (1) 12x16 inch square pan with baking/wax paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, Cerveza Negra, and oil. Mix until smooth and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool and then crumble cake and form into 1-inch balls.
Prepare dark chocolate by melting it for 10-15 seconds in a microwave oven over a high setting.
Dip each ball in melted dark chocolate and then roll each ball in pistachio nuts, cocoa powder, or desiccated coconut. Drizzle with some melted white chocolate placed in a piping bag, if desired.
Notes
Yield: 40 pc (30 grams per ball) /4 pc per serving
Here at home, mashed potatoes are probably among the dishes my family enjoys the most. Here at home Wednesday is my assigned day to cook dinner. I’ve been serving grilled steaks and mashed potatoes and waiting for my family to complain about the repetition but, it hasn’t happened. As a matter of fact, they keep asking for it. 😁
Thankfully, mashed potatoes are straightforward to make. I don’t understand why there is even such a thing as instant mashed potatoes because, honestly, preparing it is so simple, that it may as well be instant. But I guess instant mashed potatoes are really geared more toward people who do not want to have to deal with peeling potatoes.
Over the years I have developed my own technique for making this yummy side dish. It may not be original (I’m sure someone else is doing it this way) but through experimentation, I’ve found this to be the most efficient way to make it. Traditional recipes will tell you to wash the potatoes, boil them with the skin on, then when they are cooked, you peel the potatoes before mashing them.
That does not work for me.
Hot potatoes are not easy to handle.
If you wait until the potatoes are cool enough to handle and peel easily, it makes them more challenging to mash properly and infuse with flavor.
This is why I like to do things differently. I like to peel and slice the potatoes BEFORE cooking them.
Mashed potatoes are a good side dish to anything fried or grilled.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: potatoes
Author: Penny Angeles-Tan
Ingredients
1kilopotatoesI prefer using the big ones, as it means less potatoes to peel but, really, the size does not affect the taste so use whatever is available.
1tsp.salt
1cupmilkIf you want the mashed potatoes to be creamier, go ahead and add more!
2tbsps.salted butterA lot of recipes you will find online will tell you to use unsalted butter. I say, bring on the salt! It just means I have to add less (or not at all) at the final tasting.
I am not fond of salads because most of the time, they serve it with a dressing that uses mayonnaise (which I dislike) or something similar. That said, sometimes it is nice to try something different.
This recipe for a Vietnamese-Style Chicken Salad comes from Marions’ Kitchen. She has a video of how she made the salad, as well as the detailed recipe, which is very important for people like me who are more cookbook cooks than instinctive chefs.
This was easy to make and a hit with the family. I will definitely make this again. Thank you, Marion, for the recipe.
I did make a few changes to the recipe, mainly because I have family members who don’t like spicy food. I also prefer lettuce to cabbage in my salads so I switched that out.
Here’s the adjusted recipe, if you want to replicate what I did:
2cupsshredded cooked chicken I used air-fried chicken thighs
1small carrot
1/2head finely shredded lettuce
1/2small red onionabout 1/4 if big onions are all you have
1/4cupfinely sliced spring onionscallions
1/2cupmint leaves
1/4cuproasted peanuts
Dressing
1/4cuphoney
2tbspwhite vinegar I used white rice wine vinegar
2tbspfish sauce
Crispy lumpia noodles
6pcs lumpia wrapper cut into strips
Instructions
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together. Set aside until ready to serve.
To make the crispy wonton noodles, heat a small saucepan of oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the noodles and cook for a minute or until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. The noodles will crisp up even more as they cool.
Place the chicken, carrot, lettuce, onion, spring onion, and mint, in a large bowl.
Chop up the peanuts. I used a chopper but you can use a mortar and pestle too. Just make sure you don't chop too fine. Add these to the bowl with the chicken also.
Pour the dressing and mix until well combined. Pile onto a serving plate. Use your fingers to crush the crispy wonton noodles over the top. Serve immediately.
Changes from the original recipe:
The original recipe used cabbage. The lettuce worked better for me because I like my cabbage cooked.
She also included some chilies and shallots. These felt more optional to me but do try it the way she recommended.
For the 4th part of the Tuna Recipes for Lent series, we are revisiting the U.S. and Italy once again. Sandwich and soup go well together and you can certainly enjoy these for one meal.
Tuna Bruschetta
Bruschetta is an open sandwich and the bread used is usually a crusty type of bread such as a baguette. Technically you could use any bread but it wouldn’t be the same. 🙂
1pc.baguette, sliced 1/4 inch thick and lightly toasted
Instructions
Mix together tuna, onion, tomatoes, basil, capers, olives, vinegar, and olive oil.
Top each piece of bread with a scoop of the tuna mixture.
Tuna and Corn Chowder
I love chowders. A chowder is a very heavy, filling soup. Tuna and corn chowder is a healthy alternative and is not difficult to make. I am certainly making this over the holy week.
A chowder is a heavy, cream-based soup! On its own, it is quite filling.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chowder, corn, fish, soup, tuna
Servings: 5
Ingredients
1/4cupDari Creme Classic
1pc.(50 g) onion, chopped
1/4cupcelery
1/4kgpotatoes, cubed
1/2cupcorn kernels
2cupschicken broth*
1pack(250 ml.) Magnolia All-Purpose Cream
1can(185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water
1/4tspiodized fine salt
1/8tsppepper
Instructions
In a saucepot, melt margarine and sauté onion and celery
Add potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add corn and cook for another 5 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Pour in broth and cream. Stir and let simmer.
Mix in tuna and cook until soup thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
For a thicker consistency add roux to the chowder. Roux is combined with equal parts of butter and flour.
To make roux: Melt butter over low heat and mix in flour until blond in color. Cool down. Add a few tablespoons to the soup and cook until desired consistency is achieved.
These tuna recipes go well together as well. Let me know if you tried to make them and how well the dishes turned out. 🙂
The third part of this series brings us to the United States and Italy. You could have these two dishes together. 🙂 I have been to restaurants like Almon Marina, for example, that serve half a sandwich with half a pasta order for a meal.
Tuna, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich
Think of the BLT – bacon, lettuce, and tomato – sandwich. Now substitute the delicious bacon with the yummy tuna and you have a TLT sandwich.
1can(185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water, drained
1pc(60 g) salad tomato, sliced
1pack(165 g) Magnolia Quickmelt Cheese, grated
2tbspMagnolia Gold Butter Unsaltedmelted
Instructions
Slice bread horizontally in the center. Spread mayonnaise on the inner side of the bread. On each bread, place a piece of lettuce, a third portion of the tuna, tomato slices, and cheese.
Brush the outer side of the sandwich with melted butter. Toast bread in a preheated Panini machine for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pressed sandwich is golden brown. Serve hot.
Notes
If Panini press is unavailable, toast bread on a preheated pan and press with a lid.
Tuna Aglio Olio
Aglio Olio is a dieter’s go-to pasta dish but, I will be honest with you, it isn’t the most exciting dish. Adding tuna and some spices elevates the flavor of this dish.
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.
1can(185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna in Water, drained
3tbspHoisin sauce
5piecesrice paper wrappers
1piece(100 g) cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1piece(80 g) carrot, sliced into thin strips
5sprigscilantro or basil
1cupshredded lettuce leaves
2tbspMagnolia Real Mayonnaise
Instructions
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.
Notes
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.
1can(185 g) San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water, drained
1tbspSriracha or preferred chili sauce
2tbspchopped green onions
2tbspchopped Thai basil leaves or coriander leaves
1pieceMagnolia Brown Egg
1/4cupbreadcrumbs
1cupGolden Fry Palm Oil
Instructions
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.
Notes
Tips:
Substitute breadcrumbs with mashed potatoes for a different texture.
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