Frannywanny

Pasta is one of the dishes that I am most comfortable in preparing. It's one that I can easily whip up when pressed for time or when I'm just craving for some comfort food. Normally though, it would take me at least 30 minutes to an hour to prepare a pasta dish as I have to cook the pasta noodles till al dente, prepare the sauce, incorporate both together, plate it, sprinkle with garnish and set it on the table. This doesn't also take into account the time spent in preparing each ingredient such as chopping the garlic, pulling out all sauces and sometimes, cleaning the seafood too. A month ago, I received one of the best things that has ever graced my kitchen counter -- the Instant Pot. I have yet to tell you more about it but basically it's one powerful kitchen appliance that can cook rice, make porridge/congee, saute, cook even the hardest and toughest meat under high pressure, delay cooking and make yogurt. I have yet to explore all the functions but so far I'v...

There's nothing that excites me more than a challenge... a foodie challenge, that is. When the folks over at Doña Elena asked me if I'm game to prepare a special pasta dish using their products, this got me so excited that I said yes. Luckily, the package came ahead of my twins' grand debut so I still have time to work in the kitchen before I start dealing with milk and dirty diapers. I'm quite familiar with Doña Elena's product line-up as I used to buy their Spanish sardines, pasta noodles and olive oil among many others. I didn't know that they actually have their own pesto sauce and whole tomatoes too. Looking at my Doña Elena's loot, I was inspired to take the tomato-based route and prepare my version of Shrimp Fettuccine Puttanesca .

I love breakfast food! Nothing perks my day up more than a plate of garlic rice, sunny-side up egg and a choice of meat or fish! I can eat breakfast all day and can never get tired of it. Luckily, my mom discovered a new grocery item that has became a staple on our breakfast table every so often. Dona Elena's Spanish Sardines are packed with iodine and protein plus it has less cholesterol than indulging in those mouth-watering crispy pork bacon early in the morning. It comes in three variants: in Pure Olive Oil, in Corn Oil and Mild Spicy in Corn Oil . Imagine her glee when a big green bag arrived filled with three types of Spanish sardines and two bottles of olive oil. We love using olive oil on our pasta, baked meats and fishes and a lot more! Now I'm thinking of preparing paella soon! Got to fish out that recipe that I've been keeping for a long time! Doña Elena Spanish Sardines and Olive Oil are available in all leading supermarkets!