Fresh Finds at SM Hypermarket

I love to cook and surprise my family with delicious meals. I'm well aware that to be able to come up with great dishes, all the ingredients should be as fresh as possible. Which is why I am very particular with the products I use for cooking.

The other day, I was invited to a cooking-demo event at SM Hypermarket Pasig where several chefs showed us how to make various dishes using fresh ingredients that can be easily found in the supermarket's shelves. I'm delighted to find out that SM Hypermarket now offers more food products that we can use for basic as well as exotic dishes.

And since the Lent season is upon us and many people are looking for non-meat meals, here's sharing two vegetable dishes that Chef Jeremy Favia taught us how to do as well as two recipes from the makers of Gardenia bread.

Mushroom Stuffed Red Capsicums

Pan roast or pan grill 3-4 red bell peppers (seeds removed). Set aside. Make the mushroom mixture. Heat a pan, sauté 1 can of sliced button mushrooms in 2tbsps unsalted butter and 4-5 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil then season with salt, pepper, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 stalk chopped fresh rosemary and 1 stalk chopped fresh thyme.

Stuff the bell peppers with the mushroom mixture. Top with grated gruyere cheese and fresh flat leaf parsley.

Carrot and Pumpkin Soup

In a large pot, saute 4 cloves crushed garlic and 1 large chopped onion in olive oil. Add 2 large carrots (peeled and diced) and a quarter of a pumpkin and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 stalk of chopped celery and cook for another 2 minutes. Add a pinch of paprika and 5 cups of water (or vegetable stock) and let it simmer. Then add 1 sprig of rosemary and 1 sprig of thyme.

Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is smooth. Put the mixture back in the pot, add 1 tbsp. unsalted butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or a swirl of yogurt/sour cream.

Gardenia Tuna Maki Rolls

Mix together 1 can (184g) drained tuna chunks in water, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. chopped red bell pepper and 1 tbsp chopped green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture evenly over 6 slices of Gardenia Classic White Bread. Place a slice of cheese on each slice then roll tightly. Wrap a roll in plastic wrap or aliuminum foil and chill for at least one hour. Slice into 1-inch pieces and serve cut-side-up to show filling. Serves twelve half rolls.

Gardenia Frozen Delight

Combine 250 ml chilled all-purpose cream and 1/4 cup condensed milk in a small bowl. Spread 1-2 tbsp of the cream mixture at the bottom of a loaf pan. Place 2 slices of Gardenia Double Delights Ube and Cheese Loaf. Top with cream mixture and layer sliced peaches on top. Repeat until the pan is filled. Pour 1/2 cup cooked instant gulaman on top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake at least one hour before serving. Serves 5-10 slices.