Some Good Duru Bulgur from The Goodwill Market

Going to the market is a little arduous these days but I had to do it during the most difficult times in our lives, the pandemic. One of the few discoveries I've had during that time was a welcome treat, it's called Bulgur. It is cracked wheat grain that's known to be more nutritious than white rice. It's got twice more fiber content which makes it also better for diabetics (like me) who want to control our blood sugar levels.

I've had the chance to eat this quite a lot in hotels but it wasn't that conveniently available in Philippine markets. I also don't know how to cook it other than just mixing veggies and protein (and a bouillon cube on some occasion). It's very filling and satisfying, plus it tastes great. I was wondering what other recipes could be cooked with it, but here goes the good people from The Goodwill Market showing me how it's done. 

In Ilocos, there's a very little known noodle dish called Pansit Lusay. I'm quite familiar with it as I've spend quite a while in the region. The Goodwill Market is sharing this recipe with Bulgur to show how easy it is to make dishes out of it.

 Here are the ingredients:

1 cup of Duru Bulgur (Coarse Bulgur)
½ cup of tomatoes chopeed and seeds taken out
½ cup of onions thinly sliced
1 can Tuna
2-4 tbsp Bagoong Ilocano
Pinch of Black pepper
Salt to taste

Put Duru Bulgur in a rice cooker and wash it first. Cook til it gets fluffy or according to package instructions. Take it out of cooker and scrape with fork onto a tray then put in the fridge to chill. In another container, put tomatoes and onions together, drain the tuna from the can and mix together. Combine it with the Bulgur and treat this like a cold salad. Pour Bagoong Ilocano, salt and pepper to taste. 

This is certainly full of vitamins, minerals, Omega 3, and is an excellent alternative to rice, noodles or pasta. Think about the things you could do with this in soups, salads, Filipino or international dishes that would usually include rice or noodles, using Duru Bulgur was really an eye opener for me and it's been something that I add to any dish if I want to make it a little more healthy. Plus even if you put a little, it's already filling. Plus it can be sent to your home via The Goodwill Market. You can visit their website at https://goodwill.market/. They also have different healthy organic products you should try if you're into healthy stuff. They also have cleaning products, some for the skin, even coffee for those who are choosy. You don't have to travel to other countries to get it, it's all at The Goodwill Market.

 Don't take my word for it, you got to try if it fits your taste!

 

MFT's SALADSTOP! Ventures Into Spanish Market

Have you ever wondered why there are thousands upon thousands of brands around the world that are here in the Philippines but not quite a lot of our own venturing into other countries? That's depressing to know huh? Have you guys seen Saladstop!? I've had the privilege of seeing and experiencing it over at San Juan but they're pretty much everywhere as they have outlets in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. The brand originated in Singapore and is now present in other countries too like Japan and Indonesia.  

Albeit not being that into salad, I tried out several of their best sellers. The Vegetarian Bowl I had is called IRON WO MAN and is comprised of fresh Spinach, salty and creamy feta cheese, roasted pumpkin, sweet and tangy raisins, nutty toasted almonds, in a tangy Raspberry Vinaigrette.

This one is one of their signature wraps. It's got romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, creamy avocado, green apple, celery, grapes in a Ranch dressing. Pretty good and very filling.

This is Fried Kale, it's very nutty and fresh.

The MFT group Joan of Regional Marketing Head says "We were established in 2009 and is one of the world's leading nutrition brand. It is the first time that we are taking this out of the country, to Spain in particularly. Our brand puts holistic customer experience to the forefront because we want this to be an experience for them. The founders are vegetarian and we are sharing the values for the brand. 12 Signature wraps, 4 tortilla wraps, our dressings are home made and fresh made everyday. We source our food locally so for the Spanish branches we maintain a good relationship with the farmers and suppliers. We want people to eat wide awake, in September we are putting this movement in Spain and we are so happy about that."

Paul Paraeda who's handling their operations in Spain and Portugal says "We are moving to these countries in a few months and why not. It's a good place to start for a Philippine business to venture out into the EU. We will have more as soon."

MFT Group CEO Maria Francesca “Mica” Tan adds "MFT is a diversified holding company. We are not limited in regions, involved in 22 subsidiaries under our wing including medical equipment, petroleum, and now SaladStop! in Spain. Barcelona has 5 million people and is an emerging area. There is a very diversified economical structure home to 90% of investments in Spain. Hopefully we would be doing it in the whole of Europe later on. We are not just tied with food, they are also looking for something healthy and this is evident in food clusters in Spain. MFT group is confident about this franchise in Europe and we are present in 6 countries, we love emerging markets. We want SALADSTOP! to be our flagship food product. In SaladStop Spain we have our own suppliers and farmers so it will be a level up as Spain and there is a big demand for what we are offering. The carrier of the food is the sauces, the freshness is still with the farmers that we have locally and you'll only get the best produce."

This is very promising and I can't wait to see how they (being a Filipino owned company) would grow BIG in the European region.

KUMAGCOW
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Pizza, Pasta, Salads at Project Pie BGC

Guess who just opened up shop at 7th Avenue in BGC, it's Project Pie baby! The store's design has been spruced up, a little far from the former fully industrial look they had in other stores, which they also plan to implement in the near future. The difference is much of the added decor, a little scribble here and there, some pastel colors, lighting, pillows, instagrammable spots and a few bunk chairs and tables for groups of three or four. 

I guess they might have had a millenial inspiration and felt updating the place is vital so people could appreciate spending a little time there and appreciate not just the food, but connect with the ambiance.

Now that's not the only thing that has changed because along with the customized yummy PIZZA, you can now Build Your Own SALAD and PASTA too! They give you a form and a ball point pen so you could choose the ingredients to start building your perfect Pizza, Pasta or Salad and you know what I did? I chose them all!

You will be assisted by the kind pizza guy and no he's not included. They've got a selection of vegetables, proteins, sauces and crust. If you're not in the mood, just tell them and they could suggest too. 

For the drinks, you can have them all UNLIMITED for only 69 pesos and choose between the usual sodas, pineapple juice or iced teas. If you want booze, they also have local and importd beers but it's sold per bottle. You'll save a lot if you get the former.

Then you just have to wait on your table while they bake it in the brick oven. In the meantime, grab another form and start building your own Salad. I wanted a LOT of protein in mine so I've got sausages, pepperoni, tons of different cheeses and peppery arugula leaves. It was drizzled with Raspberry Vinaigrette and voila! My own salad masterpiece!

They also have a section of their kitchen where you can ask them to whip your favorite Pasta. I prefer either cream or pesto sauce on mine but you can always get the usual spaghetti and meatballs as it's still a hit for kids and adults who enjoy marinara sauce. 

I went there the next day to try it is was so good, albeit a little mix up in the orders they apologized but I completely understood. I'm going back there anyway! Now there's no reason to be sad when you're in one of their stores. Grab a slice, a fork and enjoy more at Project Pie today!

KUMAGCOW

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