Fried Pork Nuggets and Tofu in Chunky Basil Tomato Sauce

Am I in a roll?

Just making up for lost time!

How are all of you doing?

The weekend is here! I'm just going to stay at home and think about what I should cook tomorrow.

Have I become boring? Been asking myself that a couple of years now.

I have to admit, I've mellowed down a lot.

I guess I ran out of energy and interest in partying. Maybe because I've been doing it hard for a decade.

It's funny because when I was a kid, I've always liked playing indoors. Always been interested in what my Ma or yaya did around the house and stuff.

Then puberty! I only stayed at home to sleep and eat.

Then today! At home on a Friday night, deciding whether I should read the latest book I've hoarded or spend  2 hours watching reality TV shows.

Pretty cool. Everything does come full circle.

Does it mean I'm going to be wild partier when I turn 40?

Simbako! or to those uninitiated: PERISH THE THOUGHT.

Some of my friends say I'd be a great housewife by now.

I say I should just focus on being a great houseperson and I'll be fine.

Who hurt you, Basil?

I'm super happy today because I found a pack of (not so) fresh basil in the fridge.

Turns out my Ma brought (and bought!) the list of stuff I need in the kitchen when she went grocery shopping alone. (I usually am with her every time she goes)

Well, my only concern is that this herb easily bruises which makes it hard to work for garnishing.

Other than that, I love it. I love its odor the most! So fresh and delicious.

I was about to just cook a recipe for a basic basil tomato sauce but I checked the time: 5pm.

Time to make dinner. So here it is!


Fried Pork Nuggets and Tofu in Chunky Basil Tomato Sauce

What you need to make the Fried Pork Nuggets and Tofu:

(very much like making meatballs or the local bola-bola)

500 grams ground pork
2 pieces fresh eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
a dash of ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups cooking oil (for frying)
1 block tofu, sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips (to be fried)

note: I added tofu to add volume to the dish. You can omit the tofu or you can omit the pork nuggets. Either way, both are perfect for the sauce.

How to:

1. Mix all the ingredients (except tofu and oil) very well. Form rectangular bite-size pieces of the mixture.

2. Heat 2 cups of cooking oil in a pan and fry the nuggets until golden brown. Also, fry the tofu.

3. Place the cooked nuggets and tofu on a paper towel or aluminum strainer and set aside.

Let's make the sauce!

You will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 pieces of fresh basil leaves, cut into long, thin strips (chiffonade)
4 pieces of small local red tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped olives (optional)
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or 1/2 buillon cube + 1/2 cup water)
1/4 cup tomato sauce or 3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute garlic, onions, and red tomatoes for 2 minutes. Add a little salt, pepper, and sugar and let caramelize for 2 more minutes.

2. (Optional) Add chopped olives and red wine. Let it boil and reduce to half till tomatoes are rich and thick.

3. Add tomato sauce (or paste), broth, and basil leaves and let sauce simmer for about 5 minutes or until the consistency is silky.

4. Season with salt, pepper, and more sugar as you please.

5. Add the pork nuggets and tofu into the sauce and mix well so the flavor of the sauce will seep into the dish.


This is the type of food you'd wanna come home to.

So full of aroma and bursting with flavor.

If you'd like, you can make the sauce in advance and keep it in the freezer and it's still great to be heated the next day!

Serve it over a hot bowl of rice or pasta. Yum!


Till the next eats!

Oh, Smother!

Welcome to the first post of the year. As much as it seem ridiculous to me, I will start assuming that readers aren't as imaginary as I thought because 1. I still get comments and 2. my online counters are still running. Thank you for dropping (and drooling) by! I feel bad for not updating as much as I would like to. I do hope that you tried using some of the recipes in here and enjoyed it.

I've been busy since the New Year up to the Sinulog festivities, cooking as well as roaming around town, as usual. I'm not a stranger to people dragging me around and stuff. If I get my way all the time, I'd be a hermit by now. I would rather lounge around the house in an oversized shirt lugging a book and coffee mug, heating up some righteous grub but I must accept the sweet fact that I have great friends who love to have me around all the time.

Forever alone does not apply to me even if I am actually resigned to the idea of it and I've actually planned how to live my future out: a spinster with cats and one big busy kitchen like this:

Haha. That looks like a desperate episode of Hoarders.

or maybe like this:

Okay, that's more like it. :3

But enough of all that useless crap. The future is bleak and lucky are we if we get there. Let's focus on the now and let's get down to delicious business!

One look at the Recipe Index of this blog and you'd judge me to be partial to pork. I am all for pork. I'm not a big fan of beef unless for Pochero and burgers. Steak? Not too much. There is something neutral about pork that is hard to replace.

I saw this ad campaign by the US National Pork Board last year and I thought HELL YES, IT IS!

You can cook it light to almost mimic chicken and it can be prepared heavy and artery-bursting. That quality is just pretty hard to beat. There is also one reason why in all meats, pork is closest to my heart and that is:

I am partial to quick-fix meals because like most people, I couldn't wait too long to eat (which explains my affinity for fastfood!). So with these facts, I bring to you a really easy, non-complicated savory pork dish that can be prepped and cooked in less than and hour.

Layered Love

Even with clothes, I love layers. If not for this Philippine weather, I'd have owned an extensive collection of  overcoats and plaid flannel and tapestry jackets and corsets and lace-y camisoles to be worn on top of the other. But no, we are born naked and are set to strip down for life. (Haha. Rant!) Sorry, it's just that I'm kind of frustrated with the fact that it's already October and I still feel as sticky as March.

As for food, layers are great. The textures aligned, the flavors of each ingredient perfectly recognizable. For example, the taste of a burger depends on how it was prepared and put together. Some burger chains in the U.S. are known for this creative layering of condiments and patties and cheese and junk. I don't know why, I'm no burger connoisseur (even if it is my favorite food) but I can sometimes sense a difference when I eat in different branches of the same fast food chain. I got the burger sense. Haha.

Who Do You Cook For?

(Meet my dining family.)

Ask yourself that. Some people, living alone, cook for themselves. Mothers cook for their kids. Some fathers cook for their families, like my dad. Wives cook for their husbands. Some of my female friends cook for their boyfriends. I don't know any of my male friends who cook for their girlfriends. Most of them just buy ready-to-eat food. Some would care so much to prepare instant pancit canton. 


But really, who would want to slave over the hot stove? 

Leftover Makeover -- Well, almost!

Sorry! I know this is such a late post that I am pretty certain all your holiday leftovers are either long gone to the sewers or the waste disposal units. But hopefully, this recipe will be useful someday. January will be over in a couple of days. Oh how time flies! And now that the midterms are done with, I've been busy prepping for 2 major events coming up for my Banquet and Catering Class. The first one is on February 10 which is a pre-Valentine dinner. Here's the poster I made for Group 3 which my best friend, Mimie, is a member of.

Pretty sweet. For next month, the group I'm in, is in charge of the final event. I can't disclose the details just yet until the plans are finalized but we'll get there. I am super pee-in-pants excited.

So here goes my too-late recipe. I hate to be late. It's my pet peeve and now I'm doing it. Blah!

Meatballs on a tree.

I don't know about you but when I set up a Christmas tree I always fantasize about a gigantic edible peppermint or white chocolate tree with food decor.

Meatballs as Christmas balls and bacon trinkets, candy canes and twister fries all over, chocolate truffles stringed and gummy bears tied and hanging up there as well and then a huge star made out of pizza.

Perhaps, it's a lousy idea and I don't think food will last that long if you put it up as decor. Not in our house. It doesn't even last that long in the fridge, if you get my drift. Haha!

At parties, the best representation of Christmas, in my opinion, are not the gifts you bring home. It's always the food served on the table and when lucky bountiful enough, the leftover food you get to bring home as well.

I'm lucky to have a very festive family.

Mini-Cheeseburgers (and a bit of news about the author)

A few weeks ago, I took my dusty running shoes out of its box and laced up for a walk. I figured it would be quite a nice change for me to spend an hour or two on the tracks than spending the evening indoors – watching TV and munching on whatever pasalubong my papa brought home from work. I have never been a fan of intense physical activity. I used to play basketball when I was younger but now, the closest I get to sports is “watching” it. I hate sweating. I hate jumping around.

The doctor advised me to get moving but she wouldn’t allow me to jog because I’m too heavy and this can cause me to break my knees. So I researched a few articles about walking and gave it a try. The first few days were pretty taxing but then after that, it got easier. All I ask myself now – what took me so long to try it out? I’m glad I did though because it’s been three weeks and I love it. Walking 3 miles a day doesn’t feel like work anymore, I even look forward to it. Who would’ve thought, right?

I’m just happy because I’m not getting any younger and it’s tough to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you’re me (lazy and procrastinating) but I’m really trying and I guess it’s all that matters. Taking care of yourself first so you can take care of those who are around you, which brings me to another great thing – food!

Curry up!

"Once you get a spice in your home, you have it forever. Women never throw out spices. The Egyptians were buried with their spices. I know which one I'm taking with me when I go.”


-Erma Bombeck (U.S. humorist, 1927-1996)

Just thought I should add a random quote about spice for today's post. I'm not a big fan of curry but I don't hate it either. It's just there is something so strong about it that sticks with you all throughout the day.

The way it clings to your breath and a hint of it every time you burp when you had curried food - it's distracting! But really, in a sweet way like when an old flame crosses your mind on a random Tuesday morning as you throw out the garbage. Haha. What in the world am I talking about?

Two weeks ago, I created a curried dish. It was a self-dare somewhat, because I've never had curried pork. It's always chicken anywhere. So I did it and it was pretty yummy. It was a hit in the dining table.

Icebreaker.

Hi! By now, you must have gone through a lot of food blogs and recipe sites (or not). So, what makes diy-eats different from those? Nothing much really. It's still about food. The only thing is, there's nothing in here that's hard to make or expensive to buy, so think of this as a poor man's gourmet wonderblog of sorts. And of course, everything's delicious.

If you're here, you most likely know me already somewhere or have stumbled upon my shameless self-promoting links. (I googled my page and it's not in there. Ha!)
Okay, let's skip all the small talk and get down to business.