Recipe - Filipino Spaghetti

Also Taken from my NUFS 144 class: This is the original date where I compiled the recipe. The pictures were taken weeks later, when I cooked this dish again. Enjoy!

Week #5 – Saturday, February 21, 2009 Today I cooked Filipino Spaghetti. I’ve been researching how to cook this dish for about a week, after craving it for so long. Filipino Spaghetti can be found at a fast food chain known as Jollibee. Supposedly, Jollibee is the Filipino equivalent of a McDonalds. There are a bunch of them in the Philippines, and few in the states. I’ve been to the one in San José and San Francisco a few times, and I’ve always loved the spaghetti there. After all, that’s what they’re known for! Filipino Spaghetti is… well, it’s sweet. I was skeptical at first, when my friend explained it to me, since the main ingredients in Filipino Spaghetti are Banana Ketchup, Sugar, and Hot Dogs. It did not sound appealing to me at first, but after trying it, I’ve been hooked. It’s a different taste, because Italian pasta dishes are robust in flavor. Since I’ve been used to the “sour” taste of pasta dishes, I didn’t want to leave my comfort zone, but I’m glad I did. A few years later, I’m writing about it in this journal. So, without further ado, here is the recipe I used to make my delicious dish today! (Note: recipe is for a LOT of people, serves: at least 8)

Ingredients:

2-3 lb of Spaghetti Noodles

1 lb of Ground Pork

1 lb of Ground Beef

4-5 Hot Dogs (must be RED), chopped in slices (about the size and thickness of a nickel, or a quarter, or any other coin.)

1 Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

½ Onion, finely chopped

½ to 1 bulb of Garlic, pressed, and finely chopped.

2 bottles Banana Ketchup

1 can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce

3-4 Bay Leaves

1-2 tbsp White Sugar

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Picture of all the ingredients, from left to right: garlic, onions, hot dogs, beef/pork and green bell pepper

Optional:

-Grated Cheese

-Hot Sauce

Steps:

1. Cook spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions
   
   
   
2. Heat a large pan to medium heat, and cook the pork and beef all the way through. Remove the oils and fats from the pork and beef. (2nd picture is all the oil from the beef/pork!)
   
   
   
3. In a large wok, put a small amount of oil at the bottom of the pan and sauté the garlic, until it starts to turn golden brown.
   
   
   
4. Once the garlic starts turning golden brown, add the onions, sautéing the onions as well.
   
   
   
5. Once the onions are soft enough, add the hot dogs.
   
   
   
6. Cook the hot dogs through for a few minutes, and then re-add the pork and beef.
   
   
   
7. Mix thoroughly, and then add 2 bottles of Banana ketchup. Put a small amount of water in the bottles of ketchup, shake, and pour the rest of the banana ketchup into the wok (to get the ENTIRE bottle added)
   
   
   
8. Add the Tomato Sauce to the mixture, and mix thoroughly (again, to get all of the tomato sauce, add a small amount of water to the can, to get the ENTIRE can added)
   
   
   
9. Add the Bay Leaves to the mixture.
10. Finally, add the Green Bell Peppers to the sauce, and let it heat through.
    
    
    
11. Add 1-2 tbsp of White Sugar to the mixture, and Salt and Pepper to taste, and mix thoroughly. (Optional: add hot sauce to the mixture to make it mildly hot, medium hot, very hot, or even extremely hot)
    
    
    
12. Serve on top of pasta, and sprinkle grated cheese on top of the sauce for a more delicious flavor!
    

~Swong

Workout routine - Body Sculpting class - Outside Assignment

Hey all, I'd like to share this workout routine (HW) from my body sculpting class, this is a homework assignment for tomorrow, and I figured it would be a great resource to share with you all!
You WILL sweat if you try this, and don't rest in between ANYTHING!
Try to get it down with controlled movements, and try to finish this entire routine in about 40-45 minutes, enjoy! =)

Outside Assignment for KIN 31 - Body Sculpting!
We Will NOT be meeting in class on Thurs., March 12 - please complete this workout!

1. Warm-Up 10 minutes: Using cardio machines like treadmills, elliptical trainers, bikes, etc... warm your body for 10 minutes (or more). You want to break a sweat!
   
   
2. Start with legs!
   Squats: 20
   Squats with a side leg lift: 20 each leg
   Back lunges (stepping back) holding onto hand weights (5 lbs+): 15 ea. leg
   Side lunges: 10 each leg (holding on to hand weights)
   
   
3. 15 push-ups NOW!
   
   
4. Shoulder Press: 15 - 20 repetitions
   
   
5. Lateral Raise: 15 - 20 each side
   
   
6. Front Raise: 15 - 20 each side
   
   
7. 15 push-ups NOW!
   
   
8. Rows - using a cable machine (make sure you get instruction if you have never used one) or tubing: 2 sets of 10 - 15 repetitions
   
   
9. 15 push-ups NOW!
   
   
10. Lat-pull down/Assisted pull-ups (get instruction!) 2 sets 10-15 reps
    
    
11. 15 push-ups NOW!
    
    
12. Biceps curls: 15 - 20 each arm (you can grab heavier weights for this one)
    
    
13. Triceps extension: 15 - 20 reps each arm
    
    
14. 15 push-ups
    
    
15. Abdominal work!
    Legs straight up - lower one leg at a time then lift back up and crunch... repeat
    R shoulder L knee - L shoulder R knee... "turn center turn" then "turn, turn, turn"
    Side crunches plus ALL of the ab work you can remember!!!

~Swong

Recipe - Fruit Smoothie, healthy AND sweet!

I want to share with you all a little recipe and background on me.

This is taken directly from my Journal for my Food Culture Class (NUFS 144):

Part of my New Year’s Resolution is to eat healthier. Some of the factors as to why I’ve decided to change my eating habits are as follows:

1. My family has a history of heart problems, obesity, high cholesterol, and various weight issues. In fact, my dad is the smallest in his family, even though he is 5”11” and at least 250 pounds. By his weight and height, he is overweight, so I’ve been taking the initiative to start eating healthier, earlier.
2. I don’t have the money to constantly eat fast food or eat out. Since eating healthier, I’ve realized that making a huge salad and sandwich at home is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than going out to eat a burrito. Not only do I feel healthier in eating at home (or bringing home cooked/prepared meals to school), but I’ve saved a lot more money in doing so.
3. I want to lose unnecessary weight (fat) in my diet. Now, I’ve read up on the Atkin’s diet, and I know the long term effect and consequences from such a diet. So I’ve been eating healthier, and balanced!

Since eating healthier, I feel more energized, my skin is clearer, and I’m a lot more attentive in school. I’ve also noticed that my metabolism is a LOT faster than if I were to go and eat out. There was a point where my lunch was: 2 sandwiches (1 Tuna, 1 Turkey), Salad, 2 Clif Bars, a banana and an orange, and I were hungry after all that! I’ve heard a healthier way to eat is to eat throughout the day, 5-6 small meals, instead of 2-3 large meals throughout the day.

I realize I don’t get enough fruits and vegetables throughout the day, so my roommate and I figured out a VERY healthy way to get our daily fruits and vegetables in without craving hardcore sweets such as candy, dessert and soft drinks! We decided to incorporate natural fruit smoothies in our diet, to satisfy cravings in between meals, and to balance our diets. My personal recipe is below:

Ingredients:

3-4 Frozen Strawberries

A small handful Frozen Blueberries

1 whole Banana

3-4 tbsp Nonfat, unflavored Yogurt

A dash Orange Juice.

Optional:

-1 scoop of your favorite Whey Protein Powder (I prefer GNC’s Vanilla)

Steps:

1. Get all the ingredients together in a blender (Magic Bullet works wonders!)

2. Blend thoroughly!

~Swong

First post, and an introduction

So I've been sucked into the blog scene again, and I'm not sure why.

I'm really tempted to erase my old xanga, my old blog, but eh, there are a lot of memories with how angsty I was!

Anyways, this blog will be random thoughts, and I'm going to impart my knowledge onto you all.

Whether it be something I have learned, or something I would like to share, the goal I have with this blog is to make it useful and worthwhile, so come back soon, and see the results!

~Swong