Our little schoolers are facing more and more challenges these days. My kindergartener, for example, has 9 subjects in school this year, including Araling Panlipunan and Science. When did they ever start teaching Science to kindergarteners?! I remember when I was in kindergarten, its all play, storytelling, arts and crafts, and a bit of studying, nothing like the hectic and challenging schedule 5-year olds had to deal these days. This is the same reason why I am not surprise to hear my little one complaining about being tired and falling asleep immediately after arriving from school on some days.
Amino Fres-C comes in 3 real fruit flavors ~ orange, pineapple, and mango. Each 1 liter pack retails at only Php8!
As mums, it is up to us to make sure the little ones get all the rest they can get once they got home from school. It is also important that we give them meals and food items to nurture them and help them prepare for a demanding school day ahead. Our friends at Ajinomoto Philippines and Amino Fres-C shares interesting ideas on how we can help lessen the stress our children get from school:
I am a culinary-challenged mum and I have a limited knowledge about the kitchen and cooking. It was rather unfortunate that I was not able to inherit my Mama’s cooking prowess. It does not help that I have a very picky eater to feed and please come meal time. At the moment, the little man is not so adventurous about his food choices and would often stick with his staple food rather than trying out something new.
You’d probably wonder what I was thinking signing up for the Ajinomoto Cook and Blog Contest? Oh well, I have the same question traversing in my mind. Of course, I had to rule out cooking unfamiliar and elaborate dishes that I am not sure I can pull off. So, as my entry, I cooked this simple yet delicious dish ~ Ginataang Gulay.
I love any dish with coconut milk, so even when I am not adept at using the ingredient, I make it a point to cook something with gata every once in a while. I chose to prepare this meal as it was very easy and simple to prepare, it has very few, not to mention affordable, ingredients which you can readily get from your local grocers or the wet market. It is also economical as most ingredients, save for the pork cuts perhaps, cost less that Php30!
Let’s Cook Away
As I’ve mentioned this is a very simple dish and I bet most of you mums have tried it in your kitchen on one or two occasions. I have no specific measurements for most of the ingredients but for the veggies, I opt for those pre-packed ones in the grocers, I just chose the size and amount which I thought would be enough for my dish.
Here are the ingredients for our Ginataang Gulay:
1 medium-sized onions, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
about 400grams of squash, cut into cubes
about 400grams of string beans, cut in bite sizes
a cup of pork, cubed and seasoned with PORKSAVOR™
a cup of coconut milk {I used a sachet of a popular seasoning product for this dish}
salt and pepper to taste
Here’s how to cook the dish:
Fry the cubed pork pieces until golden brown, set aside
The fourth year and fifth implementation of the AJINOMOTO® Umami Culinary Challenge welcomes thousands of visitors and 450 student-competitors at the SMX Convention Center last February 02, 2013. 43 universities and colleges in Metro Manila and nearby provinces showcased their mastery of achieving umami taste in their culinary creations to vie for the coveted Umami Bowl Award.
one of the judges, Chef Rosebud Benitez
In each of the five (5) competition categories, HRM and Nutrition students were given an hour to prepare and cook their dishes. These dishes are then presented to an esteemed panel of judges, which includes, among others, professional chefs – Eugene Raymundo, Seiji Kamura, Rosebud Benitez, James Antolin, Sau del Rosario, food editors – Nana Ozaeta and Dolly Dy and other food experts. Judges decided based on intensity of umami taste, culinary technique and creativity, dish preparation and plate presentation.
the Umami dishes
One of the major criteria of this competition is Eat Well, Live Well.® Cooking. This is judged by the UCC Nutrition Panel composed of Dr. Celeste Tanchoco, President of the Nutritionist-Dietitian Association of the Philippines and Dr. Josefa Eusebio, President of the Glutamate Association of the Philippines. This criterion refers to the integration of culinary skills and nutrition knowledge to create a delicious and nourishing umami dish. Chef Russell Bautista, Project Head of the event explains, “The AJINOMOTO® Umami Culinary Challenge has always been about providing opportunities for aspiring chefs to learn how to develop healthy and tasty dishes. We go beyond satisfying the taste buds. We want all of our participants to appreciate the importance of improving of the quality of life of the people that we serve.”
the competition area
Apart from the culinary competitions, foodies and other guests enjoy exhibit booths from sponsors and witness the Caterers’ Forum hosted by Food Caterer’s Association of the Philippines (FCAP) and AJINOMOTO® CaterServe and a meat processing seminar facilitated by Mrs. Lourdes Rivera of Ultima Entrepinoy Center. Ms. Kathryn Bernardo, the new AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning endorser and one of the hottest stars of the Kapamilya Network also made a special appearance to congratulate all the participants for a job well done.
The Umami Bowl Champions, Arellano University – Jose Abad Santos
The event finale is the awarding of winners, which names Arellano University – Jose Abad Santos as the Umami Bowl Champion for garnering the highest average score and excelling in competition categories including Umami Bento Meal, My Own Umami Creation and Umami Potter. The UCC 2013 gold medalists, as follows:
Category
School
Dish Name
Students
Umami Bento Meal
Colegio de San Lorenzo
Pouched Salmon with Shoyu Glazed with Rice Pilaf
Christine Torio
Lardette Mohammad
Fritz Prudencio
Healthy Asian Umami Dish
Central Luzon College of Science and Technology
Grilled Fish Fillet in Lemon and Chives
Krisna Mae Portin
Ma. Naomi Kimeco Fortunato
Vanessa Arimboanga
Best Filipino Umami Dish
Delos Santos STI College
Liver Rice Adobo and Chicken Coconut Pandan with Crunchy Kangkong
Patricia Anne San Agustin
Maricel Refusio
Patrick San Agustin
My Own Umami Creation
Arellano University – Jose Abad Santos
Gabi Roll in Bagoong Coconut Sauce
Anna Andrea Parilla
Christopher Rabino
Raymart Palacio
Umami Potter
Rogationist College
Hot and Sour Coco Clam Soup with Saluyot, Vermicelli and Shredded Coconut Meat Served in Fresh Buko Shells
Maximillian Cosca
Joyce Ann Gatpandan
Romnick Dela Cruz
Overall, the Umami Bowl Champion brings home a kitchen showcase on top of other prizes. 15 more schools receive medals, cash prizes, cooking equipment, gift certificates and culinary books courtesy of Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation and its sponsors.
The AJINOMOTO® Umami Culinary Challenge 2013 is presented by Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation, in partnership with the Food Caterer’s Association of the Philippines and sponsored by La Germania, Solane, Whirlpool/Fujidenzo, Sweetlink, Masflex and Anvil Publishing.
