Pork Ribs Caldereta

Caldereta is one of my favorite dishes ever! If a Filipino kiddie party will never be complete without sweet spaghetti, I think any Pinoy handaan (basta mahanapan ng something to celebrate for) will not be as special without a tomato-based meat dish. Afritada, menudo, mechado, caldereta—whichever way you like it—at least one of them is surely ever present. When I was a kid, I always looked forward to having menudo with pancit bihon. But as I grew older, my food choices have changed. I'd have caldereta any other day. Its thick and savory sauce plus the non-complex number of ingredients make it so enjoyable to devour.

I read (or have watched) somewhere that caldereta originally has goat meat but I guess, our ancestors have actually taken it from beef bourguignon of the French that we also started using beef. For a lot of Filipino families though who'd like to eat caldereta on a regular day, beef can be a bit expensive for everyday cooking. Good thing a more affordable and very versatile meat has entered the picture—pork. Of course, there's nothing like beef caldereta but if you're on a budget and craving for this Pinoy handaan staple, this recipe that uses pork ribs is a great alternative! 

Salmon Teriyaki

Do you know that salmon is a stress-busting superfood? I didn't know that, too and actually can't confirm if it's true. I just read that somewhere and thought it can be quite a cool opening sentence to this recipe post lol. Kidding aside, fact or fake, eating salmon really does bust stress away! At least for us, my husband and I, who love the fish down to its pink meat. So when I knew that Seaking, a brand I love buying at the supermarket, now has wild-caught Alaskan salmon, I got excited for my salmon-loving better half. 

You see, Seaking's salmon cuts are not farmed so they don't feed from chemically-enriched fish food. It's clean, fresh-smelling and so convenient to use! It comes in three cuts – slab, steak and chunks. It's a life-saver, I tell you. Allow me to share with you this latest recipe that I've tried doing and had been successful at for the first time!