Heads Up, Parents! Here are Easy Dinner Ideas that You Can Make!

Nobody wants to be stuck in the kitchen all day, so here’s a bill of fare that takes the stress away

Suppers have always been the most magical time of the day in a Filipino household. With moms and dads returning home from work and children from school, the house is almost always full of joyous laughters and dinner time how-are-you’s. If it were a weekend, grandmas and grandpas would probably even knock at your doors before you know it. This leaves the hosting kings and queens a daunting task of assembling all different ingredients pronto—and, very quickly, things can also get pretty messy.

Yet, dinner preparations don’t have to dull the lively spirit. Everyone, including those who are in charge of the banquet, can actually spend the day at ease and have a blast. And making headway holds the key for such a stress-free family dinner. That means the time to plan your board, hit the shops, and stock up on the ingredients you’ll need for the days to come starts today.

Ahead, Modern Parenting, together with “The Philippine Cookbook” author Nina Daza-Puyat, hands you a menu that makes use of one key ingredient in three different meal courses. Don’t worry, you’re not going to end up with the same taste for your night-time feasts. The succeeding recipes are simply here to make your life easier, without jeopardizing the overall family cheer and gastronomic experience.

UNDOUBTEDLY EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE

One of the things that’s so great about pancit is its versatility—not only in terms of the wide array of protein and noodle to choose from, but also in the sauces these ingredients are tossed in. In fact, various iterations of this Filipino favorite have already been made to date. From Luzon to Visayas to Mindanao, there always seems to be a unique take on pancit in every corner of the archipelago. So does Nina Daza-Puyat with her Pancit Noir.

The French term “noir” directly translates to “black” in English. It goes without saying that Nina’s version has opaque black sauce, which is made of squid ink. “The [pusit] lumot is the big one that they use for grilling… That has so much ink and the ink is super black,” Nina shares, noting that that is the perfect squid to cook with on this dish, instead of the smaller ones that are commonly used for adobo. “You’ll never get that dark ink if you use the regular squid.”

While this is a twist quite unfamiliar to the Filipino palate, Nina’s Pancit Noir is a start for when you want to surprise your spouse and kids with a delectable main dish during dinner. It is bursting with umami flavor from the squid ink alone. If you want to up the ante a little more, you can add shrimp and mussels, along with the broth, and create a stronger seafood flavor.

TO CRAVE IS TO BE HAPPY

The culinary landscape continues to expand and flourish over the years, and with the rife amalgamation of cultures, it no longer becomes a surprise when we see dishes being a resemblance of two or three eats. Nina Daza-Puyat knows this better than most. She herself takes recipes from chefs and home cooks from all over the world, and comes up with an adaptation that has her signature on it. It is her way of appreciating the beauty of cooking, especially during family meals.

Another gourmet recipe from her has come to existence—the Emperor’s Cups, featuring two distinguished cuisines in Asia. “It was inspired by the lettuce wraps that we see in Chinese restaurants… Second [by] this Thai dish called krathong thong, the crispy wonton cups with ground meat and corn,” she explains. She says she enjoyed them so much that they had been her cravings for a long while.

A meaty goodness wrapped in lettuce leaves and topped with crispy fried vermicelli, the Emperor’s Cups are the perfect finger food to fill your guests’ stomach after a hearty pancit. It has the pleasing contrast in temperatures between the warm pork and the cool lettuce, and the satisfying balance in texture among all ingredients. Add a dash of chili garlic sauce, and you’ll get a surprising kick to your taste buds.

NOTHING BEATS A HOLIDAY CLASSIC

The Filipino family is no stranger to the classic leche flan—a custard dessert that has been a go-to in any occasion, be that an extravagant feast with all members of the family or simply a intimate dinner with the grandparents. The Filipino flan has always been an opportunity to show off the household’s dessert magic. In fact, every family has their own version. And more often than not, you’ll see the earthy ube or the soft puto with it.

Of course, the renowned food stylist and cookbook author is not one to shy away when it comes to whipping up desserts in her own style. Straying away from the typical add-ons, her ingenious rendition might just surprise you.

“I wanted to think outside of the box,” she tells Modern Parenting. “Leche flan has always been served exactly the same way… Either atop a pool of syrupy caramel sauce or on a spread of the nutty ube jam. There has to be another way to innovate this all-time favorite.” 

Needless to say that this Filipino flan is on another level. The fried vermicelli is a texture twist to the traditional creamy flan. The crisps make every bite even more interesting. Not only do they blast one’s palate with a contrasting finish, but they also make for an overall pretty plating to cap the night off.

These recipes developed by Nina Daza-Puyat are made with the Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli. Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli is a low-glycemic index carbohydrate that is low in sodium. It is gluten-free, fat-free, and cholesterol-free. For more information, visit their website.

Photography ED SIMON and EXCEL PANLAQUE of KLIQ, Inc.
Art Direction FRANCE RAMOS
Creative Direction NIEL JHED IBAY
Recipe and Food Styling NINA DAZA-PUYAT
Shoot Coordination VINCE SABITIAN, TONI CALINGASAN, and GODWIN DOMINGO

This story about how to incorporate the Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli in different dinner dishes first came out in Modern Parenting’s special Holiday 2023 Print Edition available on https://sarisari.shopping/.