Easter break

There are few things in life sweeter than the realization upon waking that you don't have to jump out of bed to dress for work because you're on holiday. This morning was pure bliss. When this dawned on me, I burrowed deeper into my pillows with a groggy smile for a short snooze. Then I finally got up to make breakfast. I celebrated the start of my 5 day Holy Week/Easter break with a yummy breakfast in bed of yogurt & berries with agave syrup and a glass of OJ. I loved that I wasn't rushing through breakfast like I normally do on the weekday. I enjoyed every lazy minute and morsel of it.

But now I need to finish packing as I'm spending my holidays in Dumaguete. Yay! I'm extra excited this time to be going back because many of my friends from Manila and old friends from Cebu are heading there as well. So for sure I'll be back with lots of stories and photos. Until then, I wish you all a Happy Easter and safe travels if you're going anywhere! :)

Cheezy Chorizo Dip

About a month ago, I had 5 kgs. of chorizo hubad (chorizo not in casing) in the freezer. This stash was just a fraction of a bigger order a bunch of us had placed and it was flown in on the first flight from Dumaguete. It's fantastic chorizo! Each time I go to Dumaguete, I return with a few kgs. packed in a box along with my other favorite goodies from there like budbud kabog, tuba bread, danggit, puto etc.

As much as I adore a sinful breakfast of garlic-fried rice topped with spicy chorizo and a fried egg, I can only indulge in such once a week at the most. Any more than that and I swear I can almost feel the fat infiltrating my arteries to gear up for an attack. So I'm trying to have it in slightly smaller quantities, and in other equally satisfying ways: either snuck into a wholesome bowl of lentejas, stuffed into a breakfast burrito or omelette, tossed with some pasta, or tucked into a bun with some cream cheese. The choices are endless and it's been fun cooking with it.

Chorizo is so versatile, it not only makes for a perfect breakfast or part of a main meal, it's excellent as an appetizer or mid-day snack. This cheezy chorizo dip is one example. So easy to make and so many items you can serve it with. (You can even stuff it into a pan de sal for a quick and easy choriburger!)

Cheezy Chorizo Dip

250g of chorizo
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup mayo
1 pack cream cheese
smoked paprika (optional, depending on the chorizo you're using)
chili pepper, sliced (also optional, depending on your chorizo and spice threshold)

Cook the chorizo in a pan until the fat begins to melt. Mix in the minced onion and cook some more until the onions become translucent. Add the mayo and cream cheese and continue cooking until the cheese is melted well into the chorizo. Remove excess oil.

Serve hot with crunchy tortilla chips, potato chips, melba toast, or baguette slices.