As much as we would like to use fresh ingredients for our meals, there are times when we simply do not have the time to prepare something from scratch. (Or, admit it or not, the canned stuff can actually be really good!)  All you need to do to spruce up your “de lata” are a few extra ingredients to turn something simple into a gourmet meal.

Bangus in Oil.  While this is already good eaten straight out of the can with hot rice, turn it into something you can serve at a dinner party.
·        Sauté garlic and onions.
·        And add your bangus fillets with some of the oil it comes with.
·        Flake your fish while cooking and fry until completely flaked and crispy.
·        Set aside.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Use for finger food such as crackers with cream cheese topped with crispy bangus. Or, add to pasta with either homemade or store bought pesto.


Corned Beef.  Yummy sautéed or hashed, corned beef also makes great tacos.
·        Cook corned beef until toasted.
·        Fill your taco shells

Food is the center of the Christmas season in the Philippines, with people giving and receiving delicious presents from the start of December onwards. The Noche Buena table on Christmas Eve is the height of the food-focused season. While what we serve is often dictated by nostalgia and tradition (Christmas ham, anyone?), it would be good this holiday season to mix things up a bit by adding one or two new dishes to your repertoire. Here are a few suggestions:

Candied Chestnuts. Also known as marrons glacé in French, these babies take a bit of time to make, but not a lot of effort, and the results are definitely worth it.

·        Boil water, sugar and vanilla extract down to a syrup.
·        Toss peeled chestnuts in the syrup several times in the course of about 2 or 3 days.
·        After the chestnuts have fully absorbed the syrup, put them in the oven for about an hour to dry and firm up.
·        Serve as is, as an alternative to plain, roasted chestnuts, or use them as ice cream or

Soup is one of the easiest things to make. If you choose the right ingredients, it can even be a full meal in itself.
 
Aside from the fact that you need very little time to make soup, you can also make it in larges batches and freeze for those days when you don't feel like cooking or the weather is just asking for you to comfort yourself with a big bowl of broth.
 
Here are a few soup ideas anyone can make.
 

1. Malunggay and Chicken Soup

This one stop meal provides the heft that you need for a full meal and the nutrients from the super healthy and reasonably priced malunggay. Just sautee malunggay in garlic and onions and puree. Add chicken stock and coconut milk and top of with shredded chicken breast. A yummy addition would be a sprinkling of fried garlic!
 

2. Tomato and Cilantro Soup

Instead of tomato cream soup, change it up a bit by adding a Mexican twist. Sautee onions and garlic and add a can of diced or whole tomatoes. Add a bit of stock and bring to the boil. Add a teaspoon each of