My Mama's Kitchen and Garden

Apan-apan is an Ilonggo side dish and one of my favorite since I was a kid. This is similar to Tagalog adobong kangkong. My nanay always cook this for me and I love it. This is how my nanay taught me but we don’t measure our ingredients. We just estimate everything. Since I started making my blog, I started measuring all my ingredients for consistent output and easy to follow. Ilonggo Apan-Apan or Stir Fry Water Spinach Author: Neliza Ly Ingredients: 1 bundle Kangkong/ong choy/water spinach 1 tbsp. oil 3 cloves garlic 1 shallot 3 tbsp. shrimp paste ½ cup rice vinegar (the smell and taste is similar with tuba langgaw or coconut wine vinegar) 1 tbsp. white sugar Instructions: Cut stems/stalk at least 3 inches long. Wash and set aside. Heat and boil water in a large pan. Add water spinach and blanch for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Mix for even blanching. Drain the water spinach and set aside. Add vegetable oil in a pan and sauté garlic and shallot for 2 minut...

Breville Smart Oven Air – Air Fryer Pandan Chiffon Cake Author: Neliza Ly Pandan chiffon cake is a light, fluffy, green-colored sponge cake popular across Asia. This recipe is specially adapted for the Breville Smart Oven Air , but it includes settings for regular baking and traditional ovens as well! Ingredients Dry Ingredients Cake flour:  1/2 cup + 1/8 cup (80grams) Baking powder: 1 tsp (3 g) Salt: $\frac{1}{8}$ tsp Wet Ingredients & Yolk Mixture Coconut milk: 100 ml White sugar: 1/2  cup + 1/8  cup (118 g), divided Vegetable oil: 1/8  cup (2 tbsp) Egg yolks: 4 large or extra-large eggs Fresh pandan extract: 1/4  cup (60 ml / 2 oz) > Tip: Blend 8 fresh pandan leaves (approx. 35 g) with  3/4  cup (6 oz) water, then strain. Reserve any leftover extract for your next bake! Bottled pandan extract: 1/4  tsp (optional, for a richer green color) > Note: If you don't have fresh pandan leaves, you can substitute them with 1 tsp...

Instant Pot Ilonggo Ginat-an (Taro & Tapioca Coconut Dessert) Ginat-an is a popular afternoon snack in Iloilo and Guimaras Province. It is a warm, comforting sweet soup made with sliced saba bananas, taro ( dag-may ), sweet potato, ube, coconut milk, colorful sago pearls, and glutinous rice. Growing up, I loved eating taro ( dag-may ). My grandma had plenty of taro plants near her rice mill, and I remember how she would harvest the taro roots, leaves, and stalks to make various delicious dishes. Note: I omitted sweet potatoes from this Instant Pot version because they tend to get too mushy when pressure cooked. Instant Pot: https://amzn.to/2tMcCk4 , https://amzn.to/2tXcZaQ Instant Pot Ilonggo Ginat-an or Taro Tapioca Coconut Dessert Author: Neliza Ly Ingredients 3 pcs (approx. 730g) baby taro, peeled and diced 2 plantain or saba bananas, sliced 2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk ½ cup water 1 cup rainbow tapioca pearls (sago/boba) ½ cup white sugar 8 oz frozen ...

Instant Pot Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup) Author: Neliza Ly Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Pressure Release: 20 mins | Servings: 4–6 Pho Ga is one of our all-time favorite meals at home—my mama makes the absolute best version! Whenever she cooks a pot, we end up eating it at least three times a day for the next couple of days. While we’ve tried Pho at many different restaurants across New Jersey and Philadelphia, Mama’s home cooking still wins every time. I originally learned how to make Pho Ga on the stovetop, but I converted the recipe for the Instant Pot and made a few tweaks for even richer flavor. I discovered that cooking skinless chicken in the Instant Pot yields a wonderfully clear, low-fat broth that is perfect for Pho. With my husband and Mama as my official taste-testers—and after incorporating a few of Mama's expert suggestions—this recipe officially has her stamp of approval! Equipment Instant Pot (6-quart or larger) Spice bag or...