7 Noche Buena-Worthy Dishes Inspired by Marian Rivera

If you’re already thinking of your handa lineup for Noche Buena (and who isn’t, right?), turn to Marian Rivera for inspiration! The GMA Primetime Queen’s separate Instagram account @lutoniyan is dedicated to all her wonderful food creations. She’s made everything from classic Pinoy dishes, scrumptious desserts, cooling refreshments and even a few Korean and Italian dishes. Here is just a sampling including our recipe suggestions so you can whip them up at home:  

1. Butter Garlic Shrimp

Garlic shrimp recipes with glistening medium-sized prawns pack in a lot of flavor. Bonus, they’re easy to make too. Try out this recipe from Yummy.ph that has freshly ground szechuan pepper, five-spice powder and lemon aside from garlic and butter.  

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 kilo medium-sized prawns
1 tablespoon freshly ground szechuan pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon chinese five-spice powder
salt, to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Recipe instructions can be found here.  

2. Palabok

No salo-salo is complete without pancit! We're guessing the mom of Baby Zia particularly favors Palabok as it’s currently the only pancit dish she’s posted (unless you consider Miswa and Spaghetti pancit dishes). And doesn’t Marian’s Palabok make you want to prod a fork at your screen? Try making it at home too using this recipe from Yummy.ph. 

Makes 4 servings

1 pack bihon or palabok noodles (500-gram)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 cloves garlic
1 piece small onions, chopped
1/2 kilo ground pork
3 1/2 cups pork broth
1 tablespoon anatto (atsuete), dissolved in 1/4 cup pork broth
1 piece shrimp bouillon cube
3 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
4 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup pork broth
1/4 kilo cooked shrimp, shelled
1/2 cup smoked fish (tinapa) flakes
1/2 cup pork chicharon, ground
3 pieces hardboiled eggs, sliced
1-2 cups cabbage, shredded and blanched
1 cup squid, cook
garlic, fried and minced
spring onions
calamansi 

Recipe instructions are at Yummy.ph. 

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3. Korean Pork Chops

Level up your barbecue and make Korean Pork Chops instead just like Marian. With a mix of salty and sweet, young and old will be licking their fingers with this saucy dish. You can use this marinade from Yummy.ph for whatever meat you have: beef, pork or chicken. Or, you can go for something closer to Marian’s with this Korean Chicken Wings:  

Makes 4 to 5 servings 

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic paste, (we used lee kum kee chili garlic paste)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
16 chicken wings
chopped spring onions for garnish

Recipe instructions are at Yummy.ph. 


4. Sopas

Tired of sweltering under the sun, we’re all looking forward to chillier December nights. Warm everyone up with a comforting soup dish like Sopas. Marian chose to add malunggay in hers, no doubt to support her breastfeeding as she’s spoken many times before of her breastfeeding journey. Make your own too, with or without the added greens, with the help of this video recipe tutorial from Yummy.ph:  




5. Lasagna 

Marian’s Lasagna is a 4-cheese wonder with ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella and quick melt. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Don’t worry if you can’t get your hands on the cheeses though, you can still make a delectable lasagna with easy-to-find ingredients. For that, see Yummy.ph’s recipe here. For a dish with a little more oomph, try this Cheesy Sausage and Vegetable Lasagna also by Yummy.ph. It also have lovely mozzarella with an option to add in ricotta.   

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup white onion, minced
1/2 cup carrot, minced
1/2 cup celery, minced
500 grams raw pork sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 425-gram can sliced button mushrooms, drained
2 medium eggplants, cubed
2 medium zucchinis, cubed
1 225-gram can diced tomatoes
1 720-ml bottle tomato purée
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, plus more if needed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, warmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
12 sheets large lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 200-gram pack ricotta cheese (optional)
2 1/2 cups grated, mozzarella cheese

Recipe instructions are at Yummy.ph. 

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6. Laing

Whoever says laing doesn’t deserve a spot at the Noche Buena table hasn’t come across a really good laing yet. When done right, laing becomes a sidedish star especially for heat-loving folks. Marian’s laing has a good helping of chilies but you can adjust this to your liking. Here’s an easy-to-follow recipe from Yummy.ph. 

Makes 4 servings

5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 red onions, chopped
oil for sautéing
1/2 kilo pork, diced
25 pieces taro leaves (dahon ng gabi), cleaned, dried, and shredded
2 cups coconut milk (gata)
5 bird’s eye chilies, sliced
1/2 cup shrimp bagoong
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
1 cup coconut cream

Recipe instructions are at Yummy.ph. 


7. Homemade Banana Chocolate Ice Cream with Almonds

Ice cream is a surefire faavorite dessert especially for families with kids. Make it extra special by whipping it up yourself, you only need 3 ingredients! Here’s how:  



You can also make a fun activity out of it by letting the kids construct their own ice cream sandwiches. Here are a few ideas: 

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