marinade – Jellybeans in the City

7 reasons why Ellie Liquid Seasoning is the #BidaSaKusina

Want to jazz up your home-cooked meals or adjust the taste of your restaurant-bought meal according to your personal taste?

We Pinoys have a ready solution for it: our condiments!

Whether in the form of dipping sauces (“sawsawan”) or marinades (“pinagbabaran”), we are firm believers of further improving the flavor of our food with the addition of condiments.

One condiment that I think does not get enough credit – not being celebrated as much in the local food scene as the ubiquitous patis, toyomansi and sukang pinakurat – is the liquid seasoning. A soy-based sauce that imparts a unique blend of saltiness, sweetness and umami (savory and meaty taste), liquid seasoning imparts the flavors that appeal to the Filipino palate to various foodstuffs. It is usually sold in small bottles or containers that are easy to store and retrieve from our pantries whenever we need to add some flavor to our viands.

Add to the rub and use a extra seasoning for Baked Pork Ribs

Ellie Liquid Seasoning, marketed and distributed by Benby Group of Companies, deserves some of the limelight in the Filipino kitchen.

Here are reasons why it deserves the title of #BidaSaKusina:

It’s very versatile. It can be used in a variety of dishes, whether as a marinade for meat and seafood, as a condiment for rice, noodles, and vegetables, and as a flavoring agent for soups, stews, and sauces.
It has low-fat content. Ellie Liquid Seasoning is low in fat, making it a healthier alternative to other flavorings that are high in fat and sodium that can lead to risks with your heart health.
It imparts that umami flavor. It is primarily characterized by that distinct umami flavor that adds depth and richness to dishes – that delicate balance between sweetness and saltiness that brings out the flavors of many of our favorite Filipino dishes.
It’s an affordable and easily accessible way to enhance the flavor of food. Priced affordably at Php79 (SRP) per 280ml bottle and widely available in leading retail outlets and online stores, Ellie Liquid Seasoning is very accessible, providing Filipino households with an inexpensive way to add flavor to dishes without breaking the bank.
It’s so easy to use. Need to imbue that umami flavor into your food? Just drizzle a bit of Ellie Liquid Seasoning into cooked food or pour into the marinade.
It’s proudly Philippine-made. Get your Pinoy Pride on and support this locally-made product, thereby supporting the country’s economy and the growth of its food industry.
It’s part of what makes the Pinoy dining experience unique. Filipino meals are usually served family style so condiments come into play to allow each family member to customize his meal according to his preferences. Ellie Liquid Seasoning is part of a long-standing tradition of being inclusive towards various personal tastes and preferences in every hapag-kainan.

Add to braising sauce for Beef Salpicao

So let’s give our very own liquid seasoning some love by exploring more ways to incorporate it into our cooking and by stocking our pantries with Ellie Liquid Seasoning.

It is available at leading retail outlets and online stores.

Know more about Ellie Liquid Seasoning and other Ellie PH products by following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature story.

Sawsaw-sarap ng Pinoy food, thanks to all-natural vinegars from Casa Lontoc

One significant feature of Filipino cuisine is the abundance of condiments.

We don’t consider a viand complete when it leaves the kitchen and is served on our dining tables. Nope, we still keep the option of further enhance its flavor or add some spice, zing or texture to it, through the use of condiments.

In his article The Psychology of Condiments: A Review, food scholar Charles Pence posits that “the existence of condiments is probably also an acknowledgement of the very different worlds of taste in which we all live.^”

After all, condiments allow us to personalize our food, adjusting its taste according to our individual preferences.

There’s little wonder then, that we Pinoys developed a wealth of condiments and dipping sauces that make our dining experiences all the richer.

Husband-and-wife team Juan Carlos Lontoc and Louwina Ann Balboa Lontoc grew their small enterprise of making and bottling sinamak into a fast-growing business they called Casa Lontoc.

Sinamak is the spiced vinegar which is aged with spices and aromatics, making it very flavorful. It is a perfect complement for the Ilonggo delicacy chicken inasal, as well as grilled and fried dishes such as liempo and seafood. Plus, it can also be used as a marinade for various dishes or as the acid in the local version of ceviche, such as the tuna kinilaw.

Casa Lontoc’s Mild Sinamak is the best bet for those who want a distinct Ilonggo flair for their grilled dishes. It is made from all-natural distilled cane vinegar and spices, inspired by a Lontoc heirloom recipe.

Similarly, the Spicy Sinamak, is made from the same recipe but has more heat to it, not only enhancing the flavor of the dishes it accompanies, but also bringing a lot more spice to them.

Casa Lontoc’s Sweet and Spicy Cane Vinegar, on the other hand, is quite distinctive thanks to its sweetness. This makes it quite a match to the Filipino penchant for sweetness and is a great salad dressing or vinaigrette for ensaladas, or a dipping sauce for finger foods.

Other Casa Lontoc products include:

Spiced Tuba Vinegar
Spiced Iloco Vinegar
Chili Garlic
Habanero Chili Garlic

Casa Lontoc’s all-natural vinegars and sauces certainly help to bring new dimensions of flavor to many Pinoy dishes.

Who knows? Maybe they can also introduce new sawsaw-sarap possibilities to foreign dishes as well!

Try them as dipping sauces for your everyday meals or as dressings or marinades for special dishes during your weekend family barbecues.

To know more about Casa Lontoc and its products, visit its website and follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

Go on a virtual food trip with Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Flavors of Asia

While I do enjoy traveling to new places here in the country and abroad, what I really look forward to are the new and exciting dishes I get to try.

I do travel through food and whenever possible, I include my family, especially my kids, in the experience. For me, delving into local cuisines is one of the best way to get to know a foreign culture. It paints a picture of the area’s agricultural scene as well as tells the story of its history, food traditions, values and influences.

However, traveling can be quite costly, time-consuming, and during a time a worldwide pandemic, well nigh impossible.

The solution? Going on a virtual food trip at home.

We might not have the means to always be ordering food from various restaurants to be able to go on our virtual food trip, but we can try to whip up exotic dishes ourselves for the fam to enjoy.

If you find cooking foreign cuisines quite intimidating, brush your fears aside. We now have a set of handy kitchen aids that will help us in achieving our lofty culinary goals.

Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Flavors of Asia

These new additions to Del Monte’s line of mixes and sauces are set to make cooking exotic dishes so much easier not just for kitchen newbies, but also for more experienced cooks who may not have the time to study unfamiliar recipes.

Perfectly seasoned and blended to approximate the authentic taste of Asian dishes but still appeal to the Pinoy palate, Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Flavors of Asia packs are made with real ingredients, bringing out real deliciousness in each dish with every bite.

By following the recipes in the packaging like I did, anybody can whip up real sarap Asian dishes at home, while saving on time and effort in securing and preparing various ingredients.

Get ready for your culinary adventure with these!

Teriyaki Marinade 80ml

Teriyaki is a cooking style used in Japanese cuisine wherein food are grilled or boiled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin and sugar.

Made with real ginger and soy sauce, Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Teriyaki Marinade brings out the signature sweet and savory flavors of a Japanese-style Teriyaki dish!

Chicken Teriyaki

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo chicken breast, filleted and cut into thin slices
1 80ml sachet of Del Monte Quick n Easy Teriyaki Marinade
1/4 cup spring onions sliced thinly
1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

Procedure:

Marinate the chicken in Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Teriyaki Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Place the marinated chicken into skewers
Pan-grill the chicken while basting with the marinade.
Garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds before serving.

This recipe makes 6 servings.

Green Curry Mix 30g

Sweet green curry – also known as kaeng khiao wan – derives its name from the creamy mild green color of the dish brought about by the combination of green chillies and coconut milk.

Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Green Curry Mix contains turmeric, ginger and other spices which brings that fresh taste of Thai-style sweet green curry dish.

Green Curry with Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo chicken breast, filleted and cut into thin slices
1 30g pack of Del Monte Quick n Easy Green Curry Mix
2 tbsp oil
1 400ml can coconut milk
1 small eggplant, sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 bunch Thai basil leaves

Procedure:

Heat oil and Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Green Curry Mix in a saucepan until fragrant.
Stir in coconut milk and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add in chicken and simmer in a covered saucepan for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add eggplant and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add red bell pepper and basil. Simmer for another minute.
Serve and enjoy!

This recipe makes six servings.

Red Curry Mix 40g

Curry originated in the Indian subcontinent with its name coming from the Tamil word kari which refers to a sauce or soup eaten with rice. While Indian cuisine is highly diverse, it is also highly influential: India’s spice trade with Europe sparked the Age of Discovery. Indian cuisine’s influence is present in the food cultures of Britain, the Middle East, Southern and East Africa, Southeast Asia, North America and the Pacific Islands.

Made with real paprika, cayenne and other spices, Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Red Curry brings out the spice and richness of Indian-style curry dishes!

Red Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo chicken breast, filleted and cut into thin slices
2 tbsp oil
1 35g pack of Del Monte Quick n Easy Red Curry Mix
1 400ml can coconut milk
1 bunch French beans
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 cup cilantro

Procedure:

Heat oil and Del Monte Quick ‘n Easy Red Curry Mix in a saucepan until fragrant.
Stir in coconut milk and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add in chicken and simmer in a covered saucepan for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add French beans and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add red bell pepper and cilantro. Simmer for another minute.
Serve and enjoy!

So if you feel like broadening your culinary horizons, stock up on Del Monte Flavors Asia on Lazada.

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