FOOD TASTINGS: Deliciously Healthy Recipes by Manila’s Celebrated Chefs! @FoodMagazine

Food Tastings is a series of free cooking classes hosted by ABS-CBN Publishing Inc.’s Food Magazine and the Lifestyle Network at Eastwood Mall Atrium, Quezon City.

If you’re kitchen-savvy or just discovering your knack of cooking, Free Tastings is an educational experience for food enthusiasts of all levels. These classes will be held throughout the year as a celebration of Food Magazine’s 20^th anniversary.

The third leg of the Food Tastings series titled “Food Tasting Deliciously Healthy” features healthy recipes and healthy eating tips by prominent local chefs.

Related Blog Post: FOOD TASTINGS: Pasta and Pizza Class @FoodMagazine (A Photo Essay)

On September 13, Team OAP took the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade as presented by the following chefs: 

Anthony Macaraeg of Fit Burger Inc.,
Deejay Santos from Tefal Kitchen Appliances,
Matthew Bates from Early Bird Breakfast Club,
Nancy Dizon-Edralin from ICE Culinary Sapporo, and
Robby Coco from Green Pastures.

The chefs demonstrated up to two dishes at Healthy Tastings.

 

Chef Anthony Macaraeg is a lifestyle educator, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and co-owner of Fit Burger Inc.

 

The demonstrations kicked off with with Chef Macaraeg’s healthy post-workout breakfast burgers and the Classic Fit Burger. Fit Burger’s food focuses on high-protein dishes that are ideal for athletes! 

You can learn to make the breakfast burger yourself here:

Ingredients

• Whole-wheat pita bread
• 90 gram beef patty
• 2 eggs
• Double smoked bacon
• Bell peppers
• Homemade mayo (egg yolks & extra virgin olive oil)
• Heinz ketchup

 Directions

1. Grill pita bread on Panini press and pan-grill beef patty
2. Cook egg omelet with red and green bell pepper
3. Cook double smoked bacon
4. Setup bread, sauce, and bacon

 

Chef Deejay Santos, on the other hand, taught us how to cook a delightfully fresh Mediterranean Chicken and Couscous.

 

The dish was light and refreshing, almost salad-like and was delicate in taste. If you’re on a diet and want a balanced meal, Chef Deejay’s Mediterranean Chicken and Couscous is a fun and easy dish to make.

You can make it yourself:

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of San Remo Couscous
• 2 cups of water
• 2-3 pieces of chicken breast cut into small cubes
• ½ tsp ground oregano
• 2 tbsp La Española Olive Oil with Lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cubed zucchini
• ½ cup garbanzos
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ½ cup diced tomatoes

 Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 pcs lemon or lime juiced
• ¼ cup cane vinegar

 Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat a Tefal Pure Red Wok with water to boil. Place couscous in a bowl or container. Add boiling water then cover. Set aside. Season chicken with ground oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. On the same Tefal Pure Red Pan, add olive oil and sauté chicken followed by the zucchini, cook until chicken is well done. Turn off heat then add garbanzos, black olives, and diced tomatoes.
3. Combine ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle some on the couscous mixture. Transfer on a plate, garnish with hard-boiled egg wedges, and chopped cilantro before serving.

 

Chef Matthew Bates from Earlybird Breakfast Club demonstrated his culinary adroitness by showing us how to make two dishes: Poached Salmon Aioli and the Breakfast Sausage Tart.

 

Chef Bates’ Salmon Aioli was the crowd favorite. It was praised for its simplicity and the straightforwardness of its flavors.

Here’s how you can make it yourself:

 Ingredients

• 1 Slice of whole grain bread
• 10g salmon
• 1 poached egg
• Lemon wedge
• Parsley

 Directions:

1. Toast whole grain slice
2. Poach salmon in poaching liquid
3. Slice the bread and plate. Put the salmon and top with poached egg.
4. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, fresh parsley and lemon wedge on the side.

 

Chef Matthew, again, treated us to a charming breakfast dish he calls the Breakfast Sausage Tart. Aside from the attractive plating, it was jam-packed with a variety of breakfast comfort foods like bacon, sausage, cheese and mushroom.

Here’s how he made it:

 Ingredients

• 1 pc Tart
• 60g Sausage
• 15g HC bacon
• 5g Onion
• 10g Tomato
• 50g Cheddar Cheese
• 10g Button Mushroom
• 30 Lettuce
• 50g Vegetable Salad
• Garnish: Katsino glaze, basil oil, fresh parsley
• Sides: Salsa and homemade ketchup

Directions:

1. Sauté onion, bacon, tomato, banger, and mushroom. Season
2. Get tart shell and place #1
3. Pour beaten egg over tart
4. Bake until cooked
5. Top with cheddar cheese and bring it back to oven until it melts
6. Place it with lettuce, salad dressing and balsamic vinaigrette
7. Get shot glass for homemade ketchup and white egg cup
8. Drizzle basil oil and finish with reduced balsamic vinaigrette and fresh parsley

 

Chef Nancy Dizon-Edralin demonstrated her unique take on the Filipino staple, Sotanghon noodles by adding squid ink! Unconventional, yet pleasantly surprising.

 

This was also a general crowd-pleaser. The audience was very receptive to the unique look of the dish as well as the taste. The squid ink and fresh seafood added richness to the irregular noodle meal.

Make your own at home here:

Ingredients:

• 1200g Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli
• 200g Prawns, peeled, with tail
• 200g squid rings, sliced
• 200g mussel, medium size
• 200g clams
• 1tbsp squid ink
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4tbsps olive oil
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 pcs lemon wedges
• Parsley to garnish, coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain immediately and set aside.
2. Heat the oil, sauté garlic and onions—cook until translucent. Add the tomato mixture into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the squid rings, shrimp, mussuls, and clams. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until seafood is done, around 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Reheat the skillet, add the tomato mixture. Add the squid ink and chicken stock, simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust the salt and black pepper. Remove skillet from heat.
5. Add the Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli. Transfer it to a plate, top it with the seafood. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.

 

Chef Robby Goco is the owner of Green Pastures, an ideal restaurant for the health-conscious foodie. All ingredients used in his restaurant are natural, local, organic, and MSG-free. He taught us how to make Mushroom & Kale Paella.

 

The Kale and Mushroom Paella was hearty and comforting. The paella had a sweet, nutty flavor due to the mushroom stock used with the red rice.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 30ml Extra-virgin olive oil
• 100g White onion, small dice
• 70g Shitake mushroom, thinly sliced
• 50g Button mushroom, thinly sliced
• 30g Enoki mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 50g Garlic, minced
• 100g Tomato, grated
• 2g Spanish paprika
• 100g Red rice
• 250ml Mushroom stock
• 1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
• 180g Kale, cut
• 50g Oyster mushrooms
• All purpose flour
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1pc Chicken egg
• 30ml Paprika oil
• 30ml Saffron aioli
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. In a 10’’ paellara, heat 15ml of olive oil until it starts smoking.
2. Sauté the diced onion until translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until brown. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add minced garlic until fragrant. Add grated tomato and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until almost dry.
4. Add the red rice and sauté in the mixture. Season with salt & pepper. Distribute the rice evenly in the pan.
5. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes.
6. Burn the rosemary sprig. Open the cover of the paellara, quickly put the flaming sprig on the rice, and immediately cover the pan again. Then, take the pan off the heat to let the rosemary infuse.
7. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the other 15ml of olive oil until it starts smoking. Add the cut kale, season with salt and pepper, and sauté briefly just until wilted. Set aside.
8. Lightly dredge the oyster mushroom in seasoned flour. Deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
9. Poach the chicken egg. Set aside.
10.  To serve, garnish paella with sautéed kale, poached egg, saffron aioli, and paprika oil.

 

We had a great time learning recipes that were both tasty and healthy. We couldn’t wait to try them out for ourselves!

Food Tastings: Deliciously Healthy
Food Magazine
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Related Blog Post: FOOD TASTINGS: Pasta and Pizza Class @FoodMagazine (A Photo Essay)

 

Lead an Awesome Life!

 

Nico and Sheila of Our Awesome Planet Team

Disclosure: We attended the Food Tasting: Delicious Healthy event at Eastwood, Quezon City. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.