Less stressful holiday dishes

While many people are all ready to make the stars of their Noche Buena tables, this has been an odd year and many people have put this off to the very last possible moment — which is now. Here are recipes for some relatively simple holiday dishes to whip up, courtesy of the folks at San Miguel Foods and Universal Robina Corp.’s El Real noodles.

San Miguel Foods has come up with 10 easy holiday recipes — from main dishes to desserts — made using Monterey Exclusives’ Ribs, Purefoods’ Ready-to-Eat and Seafood Delights and San Miguel Mills’ pre-mix line, which are available at most supermarkets and grocery stores.

 

DELICIOUS BABY BACK RIBS IN CLASSIC BBQ SAUCE

Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 kg Monterey Exclusives Ready-to-Cook Baby Back Ribs
• 1 cup Water
• Marinade:
• ½ cup tomato ketchup
• ¼ cup Magnolia Dari Creme Classic, melted
• 2 tbsp store-bought char siu sauce
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp rosemary
• ¼ tsp thyme

Procedure:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl.

2. Transfer to a saucepan and add water. Cover and let boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 40-45 minutes.

3. Remove ribs from the pack and set aside the sauce to cool down.

4. On a hot grill, place ribs and cook until lightly charred. Baste with sauce occasionally.

 

CERVEZA NEGRA CHAR SIU RIBS

Makes 6 servings / Yield: One rack of ribs

Ingredients:

• 1 800g pack Monterey American Style Ribs
• 1 cup tomato ketchup
• 3 tbsp Magnolia Butter-licious
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp char siu
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, finely crushed
• 1 tbsp five spice
• 1 330ml San Miguel Cerveza Negra
• 1 cup water

Procedure:

1. Add rib marinade in a pot, including all the sauce ingredients over low heat. Mix until butter has melted and the sauce is uniform in color.

2. Add ribs and bring to a boil. Cover and bring heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes. Remove

cover and turn heat to high for five minutes.

 

ARROZ VALENCIANA CON POLLO

Makes 2 servings / Yield: 3 cups rice or 1-½ cups per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 pack Purefoods Heat and Eat Afritada
• ½ cup glutinous rice, washed and properly drained
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 50g red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 50g green bell pepper, sliced

Procedure:

1. In a paellera or large frying pan, add the afritada over medium heat until cooked through. Add washed rice and cook for two minutes.

2. Add coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil while stirring continuously then lower heat. Add

The bell peppers, cover, then cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and liquid has been fully absorbed.

 

BISTEK STROGANOFF

Makes 5 servings / Yield: 5 cups at 1 cup per serving

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Magnolia Gold Butter unsalted
• 5 pcs fresh button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pack Purefoods Heat and Eat Bistek
• 2 250ml Magnolia All-purpose Cream
• 4 cups fusilli pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Procedure:

1. Melt butter in a pan and sauté mushrooms for one minute. Add bistek and cook until heated

through.

2. Slowly add cream while mixing. Bring to a boil and toss in the pasta until well-coated with sauce. Turn off heat and mix in chopped parsley.

 

CALDERETA SHEPHERD’S PIE

Makes 8 servings / Yield: One 8 x 4 x 4 loaf pan

Ingredients:

• 1 pack Purefoods Heat and Eat Caldereta
• 2 cups grated mozzarella
• 1 165g Magnolia Quickmelt Cheese
• 1 100g red bell pepper
• 1 100g green bell pepper
• Mashed potato
• ½ kg potatoes, washed thoroughly and boiled
• ½ tbsp iodized fine salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 250 ml Magnolia All-purpose Cream
• ¼ cup Magnolia Gold Butter unsalted

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Chop the caldereta meat into 1/2-inch squares. Transfer into a pan and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Set aside.

3. Mash the potatoes and set aside. In a pan, combine salt, pepper, cream, and butter over low

heat. When the butter has melted, mix into the mashed potatoes.

4. In an 8 x 4 x 4 heat-proof loaf pan, place the caldereta evenly. Top with the mashed potatoes and bake for 30 minutes or until the top has browned.

 

SWEET AND SOUR FISH NUGGETS

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 200 g Purefoods Seafood Delights Fish Nuggets
• Sweet and Sour Sauce:
• 1 100 g carrot, sliced thinly
• ½ cup cubed green bell pepper
• ½ cup cubed red bell pepper
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup banana ketchup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 227g pineapple chunks
• 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water

Procedure:

1. Cook the carrots and bell peppers in boiling water until the carrots are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, ketchup and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over

medium heat.

3. Gradually stir in the cornstarch mixture until sauce thickens. Add vegetables, pineapple chunks and fish nuggets. Simmer, then serve at once.

 

CRISPY SHRIMPS CAESAR SALAD

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 200 g Purefoods Seafood Delights Tail-on Shrimp
• 1/3 cup store-bought Caesar salad dressing
• 1 170 g mixed greens
• 2 pc Magnolia Brown Eggs, boiled, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup store-bought croutons

Procedure:

1. In a mixing bowl, toss lettuce and salad dressing and arrange in a serving bowl.

2. Top the salad with the sliced eggs, crispy shrimps, parmesan cheese and croutons.

 

NUTTY CARAMEL BARS

Makes 60 pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 1kg pack Mix ’N Bake Cookie Bar mix
• 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp condensed milk
• 1 cup Magnolia Butter-licious
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cashew nuts
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°F (350°F). Grease and line two 8 x 8 inch baking pans with baking or wax paper. Set aside.

2. Pour the cookie bar mix into a bowl. Add condensed milk, butter blend, and water. Mix well.

3. Add nuts. Mix until well combined. Press the dough down evenly on the pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let Cool.

 

FRUIT AND NUT CARAMEL BARS

Makes 60 pieces

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gazed fruits
• ½ cup Anejo Rum
• 1 1 kg Mix ’N Bake Cookie Bar mix
• 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp Condensed milk
• 1 cup Magnolia Butter-licious
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup walnuts

Procedure:

1. Soak glazed fruits in rum for 2 hours. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°F (350°F). Grease and line two 8 x 8 inch baking pans with baking or wax paper. Set aside.

3. Pour cookie bar mix into a bowl. Add the condensed milk, butter blend, and water. Mix well.

4. Add the glazed fruit. Mix until well combined. Press the dough down evenly on the pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.

 

CARAMEL BISCOTTI

Makes 60 pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 1 kg Mix ’N Bake Cookie Bar mix
• 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp condensed milk
• 1 cup Magnolia Butter-licious
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups sliced almonds

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°F (350°F). Grease and line two 8 x 8 inch baking pans with baking or wax paper. Set aside.

2. Pour cookie bar mix into a bowl. Add the condensed milk, butter blend, and water. Mix well.

3. Add almonds. Mix until well combined. Press the dough down evenly on the pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.

4. Slice thinly and air dry for four hours. Bake again at 135°C (275°F) for 30 minutes or until crispy.

 

Meanwhile, here are a couple of easy-to-cook recipes to try from El Real.

 

PINEAPPLE BACON MACARONI

Ingredients:

• 400g El Real Elbow Macaroni
• 1 cup bacon
• 150g pineapple Juice
• 1 can pineapple slices
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Cook El Real Elbow Macaroni in lightly salted boiled water for 8 minutes. Set aside.

2. Fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside.

3. Drain pineapple slices from the can then coat them with brown sugar. Fry the brown sugar-coated pineapple slices until browned. Set aside.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream and pineapple juice.

5. Mix the cooked macaroni with the sour cream-pineapple juice mixture and toss in crispy bacon and brown sugar-coated pineapple slices. Serve.

 

PINEAPPLE PARTY PASTA

Ingredients:

• 400g El Real Party Pasta
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup all-purpose cream
• 250g bacon, chopped
• 2 cans pineapple tidbits
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Cook El Real Party Pasta in lightly salted boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and let cool.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan.

3. Fry bacon until crispy. Cut into small pieces and set aside.

4. Once pasta is cold, mix in all-purpose cream and mayonnaise.

5. Top with crispy bacon bits.

6. Serve

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