Making the most out of pantry staples

The kitchen has never been busier now that everyone’s staying at home. The thing is, options have also been limited with the community quarantine in place.  With most of us stocking up on canned and instant food for their long shelf life and convenience, you won’t be alone when finding yourself out of ideas on how else to serve pantry staples.

Here are a couple of ways to jazz up what you most likely have in stock from The Maya Kitchen.

Hotcakes. Maya Hotcakes are great on their own, but there’s always room to introduce new flavors to this menu favorite. It’s easy enough to add in oats, fruits, peanut butter, or anything else you prefer. If you don’t want to go for sweet, here’s a tip: Get some onions and cheese and mix in leftover shredded roasted chicken or chopped square ham bits to your hotcake batter for something savory to start the day.

Canned sardines. A popular pantry regular, it’s a good source of protein and a versatile ingredient. Add eggs to make torta, grab some spaghetti to whip up a quick pasta dish, or throw in misua or sotanghon for a hearty noodle soup. Cook with leftover rice for another take on your favorite  sinangag, or sauté canned sardines with your preferred seasonings to serve on top of a steaming bowl of rice.

Hot dogs. A top pick for kids, hot dogs have long since established their place in our fridge. Saute with onions and banana ketchup (you can choose a spicy version for extra kick), or try a twist on lumpiang shanghai by swapping your usual giniling with hot dogs and lots of gooey cheddar cheese. Add canned or bottled corn, beans, salsa, and peppers for a Tex-Mex-inspired hot dog dish, or serve as corn dog bites for a fun, tasty snack.Tinned tuna. Budget-friendly and good for you, canned tuna presents many possibilities for everyday meals. Turn it into a  spread  to go  with  your  breakfast  toast  or  as  the star  of  your  salad.  Make quick  patties by adding breadcrumbs and onions, or get all the #avors you love about  sisig  by substituting canned tuna for an equally delicious dish without the cholesterol. 

Tip: Whip up a creamy tuna bake with Spanish-style canned tuna, fettucine noodles, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and frozen mix vegetables. Top with saltine crackers and grated cheese, and pop in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Instant noodles.  Instant noodles are convenient and tasty, but there’s really nothing stopping you from going beyond what it says in the packaging. One of the easiest ways to upgrade instant noodles is to use it with other ingredients or infuse it with different flavors. Enjoy your own ramen by adding pork slices, eggs, nori, and miso paste to your instant noodles, or do a Thai-inspired stir fry by using peanut butter for your sauce. For a dish that’scloser to home, use your instant noodles to make bulalo or as the base to pancit canton. 

Discover   many   other   tips   and   recipes   you   can   try   while   keeping   safe   and   healthy   at  home  atwww.themayakitchen.com. Like   and   follow   Maya   Kitchen   on   Facebook   and  Instagram   @TheMayaKitchen1   and   follow   us   on   Twitter@TheMayaKitchen.

Brunch Cooking Workshop with Chef Noel Dela Rama

Since my business is located near my residence, I really don't go out a lot. I'm a typical homebody person, who goes out to drive my children to school and my wife to events. I'd rather spend my Saturday and Sunday relaxing at home while reading books or building my Gundam and Lego collection.

This Saturday is special because I chose to attend Brunch Cooking Workshop with Chef Noel Dela Rama at The Maya Kitchen. I must say, it was so worth spending this day as I've learned three yummy dishes, namely, Chorizo Breakfast Casserole, Eggs Baked in Ham Cups and Banana Bread Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping, from a New York based chef, cater and instructor. 

"You don't have to be a pro to create a great brunch spread for your friends and family. 

Cooking may seem complicated, but it's really a matter of practice and finding dishes that you're comfortable with. 

In the end there's a certain joy that only cooking can give 

and it multiplies when you see a loved one enjoying a meal you've especially prepared for brunch"

If you wish to watch  the video, attaching here my wife's vlog from www.occasionsofjoy.com

To learn more about these recipes and more, visit www.themayakitchen.com

Learn about cooking and baking by emailing contactus@themayakitchen.com

or call 8921185, 8925011loc 208

Maya Happy Mug

As a bonafide person with a sweet tooth, I enjoyed today's event at The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center where we got to try Maya's newest product - Maya Happy Mug

Maya Happy Mugs is a versatile mixes that come in single servings and are ready to mix: just microwave for 2 minutes and voila, you get a warm and tasty cake that's so easy to make!

 

Maya Happy Mug is available in Chocolate and Caramel.  It comes with its own delectable sauces that will surely satisfy one's craving for cakes. What's best about Maya Happy Mugs is that you can even add other toppings like nuts and fruits. It's an easy and hassle-free way to make a quick treat for the whole family.

  

Chef Carla Asence was also present at the event to teach a fun and easy Christmas breakfast, Maya Hotcake Art using Maya Original Fluffy n' Tasty Hotcake Mix and Maya Complete Quick N' Easy Hotcake Mix.

For more fun ideas on making hotcake art, follow Maya Hotcakes on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Mayahotcake and on Instagram at @mayahotcakesandmore.

The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center

8F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City

8921185 or 892-5011 local 108 or +63929 679 6102.

The Pancake Warrior at The Maya Hotcake Art

Aside from Christmas, summer time is always the best for me because I get to join mom in events that interests me. I can't remember the last time I wrote for this blog. It's usually my twin brother, my dad, or the other contributors that have time to do so.

Although my brother also attended this Maya Hotcake Art, I chose to write because I really enjoyed meeting and learning from Elle Jay Orbase, also known in YouTube world as The Pancake Warrior. Plus, I'm also into arts. I like, drawing and painting (when I'm in the mood, or when mom forces me to paint for her, lol!)

Elle Jay, though originally from Cotabato City, studied and graduated in Cebu. It was in 2012 when he took up culinary courses on the weekends while working at a call center to support his dream of learning culinary. After receiving his culinary diploma, Elle Jay served as a Demi-Cook for Shangri-La Mactan in their buffet section and dessert plating section. Apart from hotcake art, Elle Jay’s specialty is Humba, a braised pork belly dish marinated with soy sauce and brown sugar.

What began as a hobby at home turned into a fulltime career as Elle Jay’s works became sensations when he started The Pancake Warrior YouTube channel. Up to date, he has garnered a total of 16 million views and was given the YouTube Silver Play Award for having reached over 100,000 subscribers. 

The Pancake Warrior is such a cool person who's got a ready smile for everyone. We learned the tricks on how to make that perfect hotcake art. He advises, “You can just use additional ingredients, like whipped cream, chocolate chips, or even fruit slices, to decorate and make designs on the hotcakes. “You don’t need to be an expert to do Maya Hotcake Art! For me, the important thing is that you make your kids and family happy, and that you have fun together.” 

With Maya, there are endless ways to make any meal more exciting. For more fun ideas on making hotcake art, follow Maya Hotcakes & More on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Mayahotcake and on Instagram at @mayahotcakesandmore. You can also visit us at The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City and call 8921185 or 892-5011 local 108 or +63929 679 6102.

Chef Nikko Baking Demo

I've been quite busy with work for the past months that's why I lay low from covering events for this blog. But because cooking and baking is what I'm not good at, I make sure to attend events that will give me more knowledge in these two aspects.

Yesterday at The Maya Kitchen, Chef Nikko Buendia taught attendees how to bake Dulce De Leche and Japanese Cheesecake.

Japanese Cheesecake

Dulce de Leche

Chef Nikko  (02) 887 1711.

59-A Paseo de, Roxas Blvd, Urdaneta Village, Makati,

The Maya Kitchen (02) 892 1185

8th Floor, Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Ave, Legazpi Village, Makati

Thanks for dropping by here!

RIZ

  

B Hotel and the Bellevue Kids Club Cooking Class with The Maya Kitchen

B Hotel  and the Bellevue Kids Club in collaboration of The Maya Kitchen encouraged and inspired young kids, aged 4 – 12, with their Baking Class last December 11.

Little hand, as well as big hand of the parents enjoyed doing and decorating Vanilla Cupcakes and Ginger Bread Cookies.

It was timely that B Hotel threw an event like this to give kids a chance to experience the fun and easiest way.

If you want your kids to join activities like this, contact The B Hotel in Alabang at (02) 828 8181. It is located in Madrigal Business Park Prime Street, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Chef Anthony Ballesteros at The Maya Kitchen

In a fast-paced life of moms like me, I usually has less time to prepare dishes.  Even at work, It is always same Filipino food that is available during lunch because of time constraint.

The only available time to bond with family and make them feel special and loved especially the kids, is to cook for them different cuisine like Italian.  But the dilemma is, how can one cook an authentic Italian?

The solution is The Maya Kitchen Culinary school.  Aside from baking classes they also teach different cuisine from all over the world.

The real beautiful part of The Maya Kitchen is that they have a well-known chef specializing in Italian dishes, and that's none other than Chef Anthony Ballesteros. Chef Anton has quite an impressive culinary background. 

The cooking demo by Chef Anton was truly very helpful for hands-on and busy moms.  His style of cooking was very informative, from teaching the procedure on how to make pasta, very easy to prepare Aglio Olio, the Lasagne Ragu (that not only tastes so very good but smells so great and nicely and sumoky presented) among the few.

This kind of cooking shown by Chef Anrhony is truly world class and Italian cooking at its best!

Special mention goes to Joy of Occasions of Joy for this wonderful experience! Here borrowing, with permission, Joy's video of the event:

Lasagne Ragu

Aglio Olio

Risotto Salmone With Asparagus And Hollandaise Sauce

Plain Risotto (Italian Rice)

Caprese Tricolore (3 colors salad)