Sunday Lunch

This is my new bestfriend. For me, nothing spells Sunday than gata something. Today, I cooked gata with string beans, okra and dried fish and squid. Mainly because langka apprently is not Allan's best vegetable, and because these vegetables are easier to find than sliced langka (which I have to go to SM for).



First, I dumped the string beans into my rice cooker with a little water to cook it. When it started to boil, I poured in two packs of Mama Sita ginisa mix and added the gata. Then, I added the dried fish and squid (soaked for 30 minutes). It is my mother's rule that when you cook with dried, salted food, put it before you season because they will contribute to the saltiness, and season the dish itself. When the sitaw is already half cooked, I added the okra and after simmering the okra for a few minutes, I seasoned it. It needed only a tiny pinch of salt. I allowed it to boil for 3-5 minutes and it's done!



And yes, that is an ice cream container. We eat ice cream at least once a week (and when you see us it shows) so we often have these containers. For me it's super sayang to throw it away, with the garbage problem and all. So we recycle the containers. We also use newspapers as place mats. After eating it's a matter of throwing the paper and the table is clean.

Have a happy Sunday lunch!