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Menu Planner: a Collector's Item

Gourmet the Supermarket Way 2013. That's the name of the menu planner I got from a promo December last year after accumulating some grocery points at the nearest Rustan's Supermarket, where we usually go for our weekly household supplies. Looking at my menu planner makes me realize how swiftly time has passed! It's the 1st day of June and I have just barely written on it.

I'm a collector of notebooks! Some (uhh uhh... many?) of them I haven't used yet. But that's what collections are for, right? Menu planners are no exception to my collection.

Well, I remember telling myself that I would use this year's menu planner for keeping my original recipes. Define original recipes... Recipes that I invent or concoct myself. In my notebook I refer to them as "Eve's Originals." But once uploaded, they then become Garden Chef's property. :)

Let me introduce you to my 2013 menu planner ...

The cover


Let's see what's inside...

A daily planner with special events reminder.
This is where you write the menu you have planned for the day, like this...
 Kitchen tips
Attractive photos of dishes featured on special glossy paper
Recipes of dishes. There are quite a number of recipes for selected dishes one can serve anytime of the day--- breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.
Quotes for the day by famous personalities, including chefs
 

Oh, I almost forgot, it also includes conversion charts. Then, the notes pages where you can keep a diary. But I use these pages to write the drafts of the original recipes I cook. See what I have written inside.
 
I bring my menu planner to the kitchen to jot down specific instructions in making a dish. Writing down what you do as you go along allows you to remember some details which you might forget later. Besides, I wouldn't want to soil my laptop with wet or oily hands! Although I often refer to recipes on line while trying some new dishes.

For this post, I'm featuring one very simple and easy recipe I tried lately, a modification of a very native dish we call "laswa". This dish is a favorite and popular dish in the Visayas region of the Philippines where I grew up.

Sauteed Shrimps with Saluyot
Ingredients:
Oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 large tomato, sliced
1 cup shrimps, pre-boiled; skin and head removed and soaked in water to make 1 cup shrimp stock
1 bunch saluyot / tugabang leaves (Corchurus Olitorius or jute leaves)
pinch of salt 

Steps:
1. Spray oil in stainless pan. Saute garlic, onion, tomato and shrimps.
2. Add half of shrimp stock before mixing the saluyot leaves. Simmer for one minute.
3. Add more shrimp stock according to desired consistency.
4. Season with salt. Simmer until saluyot leaves are cooked.
5. Serve with fried or grilled fish or pork.
 
I will feature a similar version of this dish in another post next time. For now, I've ushered you into the main door of my kitchen laboratory! Welcome to Garden Chef's Needle and Pen! A blessed Sunday to all!!!
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Linking to:
Life on Lakeshore DriveBWS tips buttonBWS tips buttonAll recipes are on Petitchef

Comments

  1. Love the shrimp and your cool menu planner. Nice how it gives you seasonal recipes. Thanks for sharing this with us on foodie friday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Diane. Glad to join your Foodie Friday link up.

      Delete
  2. What a wonderful menu planner! I always say I'm going to plan out my menu but I never do. lol Your recipe looks SO good!

    Thank you for linking up with me!

    Blessings - Julie

    ReplyDelete
  3. This menu planner looks great. Thanks so much for sharing with Adorned From Above's Blog Hop. The party will be back this week starting Tuesday and 8:00PM mountain time. We can't wait to see what you have to share this week.
    Have a great week.
    Debi and Charly
    http://www.adornedfromabove.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the invitation. Will be there!

      Delete

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