Patio Vera Marikina Food Review

It had taken quite a while to review again for Open Rice. And I'm glad to receive an invite from them again after a long time. This time, we were invited to review a Marikina restaurant called Patio Vera. Tucked inside the heart of Marikina's bustling mix of commercial + residential neighborhood, Patio Vera is an oasis to begin with. It's like discovering a secret place just like Frances Hodgson Burnett's old classic, The Secret Garden. Patio Vera is a quaint romantic restaurant. Imagine dining to heirloom family recipes in an eclectic setting. 

HEALTHY RECIPE FOR HOLIDAY LEFTOVERS

With the approaching holiday, I'm sure most of us have been planning what dishes to serve our guests or what special meals should we prepare for the traditional Christmas eve dinner. But have you ever thought what you can make out of the usual leftover foods after Christmas? Well, here's another healthy recipe for holiday makeovers courtesy from our friends at the Century Culinary Circle called Century Tuna Risotto Balls.

Yes, you can still make something fabulous out of food leftovers such as rice. And apart from good 'ole sinangag or fried rice, they could be made extra special by coming up with risotto balls! Here, I am sharing with you the recipe so that you can do this delicious, nutritious and healthy recipe with your holiday leftovers. Your family will love this even a day after their sumptuous holiday dinner. Just make sure that the rice isn't spoiled yet before doing this to avoid possible food poisoning. But this Risotto balls are really winners when it comes to taste. 

RECIPE: Century Tuna Risotto Balls

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon oil

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup onions

2-180 grams Century Tuna Flakes in Oil, drained

2 cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon chicken powder

1/4 white wine

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs

Marinara Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup minced garlice

2 cups chunky tomato sauce (canned diced tomatoes with tomato sauce)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Procedure: 

In a pan, sauté bell pepper and onions until caramelized. Add the tuna and stir to break chunks. Add cooked rice, chicken powder and white wine. Set aside. Let cool. 

Mix in Parmesan cheese and form into small balls. Dredge in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then deep fry into golden brown. 

For the Marinara sauce: In a pan, heat olive oil. Sauté garlic and tomatoes. Allow to simmer until thick. Add salt and pepper. Lastly add basil leaves and remove from fire. 

Makes 28 balls. 

Paella Festival 2014 at Marikina City Hosted by Song and Lydda's FoodService

Marikina City will get a taste of Spain this month as Song and Lydda's Food Service holds its first ever Eat-All-You-Can Paella Festival which will be held on November 21, 2014. It will be held from 5:00PM onwards. The said event, dedicated to unite paella aficionados and fellow foodies to promote the Spanish Paella dish. The event will be happening at the Kapitan Moy Main Hall, J.P. Rizal St. Marikina City. 

RECIPE: Bangus Ala Madrilena

Tired of the same old boring dishes you have made at home? It's time to try and experiment on new dishes that your families will surely love. Here's another healthy holiday alternative from the Cenutry Culinary Circles. This time, we'd be cooking something different, and it's no longer made from tuna--but from Bangus (Milkfish). We're going to use Century Gourmet Bangus Fillet Spanish Style for this recipe. Yes, and the Spanish name of our dish came from its Spanish-style Bangus itself. So get your cooking pans and ingredients ready and let's cook this healthier alternative to Spanish dish called "Callos". This is healthier because we'll be using fish that's rich in Omega-3 (good for the heart) rather than the old Callos recipe using ox tripe. Try this dish and you'll never regret doing it.