Magic Shikika Recipe: Sponge Gourd Soup with Sardines ☺️❤️

Hello everyone!

Hope all are safe and well! ☺️❤️🙏

It’s been a long time since I last shared one of my Magic Shikika recipes. Life has been a little busy lately, but I’ve missed posting about the simple meals I prepare at home. So here I am again! And next time, I’ll be sharing more of my easy-to-cook meals in my upcoming blogs. ☺️

Today’s weather here in the Philippines is rainy and windy. There’s a typhoon somewhere in the country, so we’re experiencing gloomy skies, strong winds, and constant rain. It’s definitely soup weather, the kind of day where you just want to stay home and eat something warm and comforting. ☺️

While thinking of what to cook for lunch, I suddenly remembered the sponge gourd a friend gave me after our early morning jog the other day. I checked my pantry and decided to make use of whatever’s available, no need to go outside in this weather. Just a little viand, because there’s only two of us in the house to eat it. Just enough for us! 😁

And so, I ended up cooking a simple yet satisfying Sponge Gourd Soup with Sardines.

Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:

✓ 1 pc - Sponge gourd
✓ 1 small can - Sardines
✓ 1 pc - Onion
✓ 2 cloves - Garlic
✓ 1 tbsp - Oyster sauce
✓ a bit of Seasoning granules
✓ 1 tbsp - Cooking oil
✓ a bit of Salt
✓ 1 sardines can of Water

You might notice a soy sauce included in the picture. I didn’t use soy sauce for this soup. 😂

Procedures:

1. Peel and chop the sponge gourd into small pieces.
2. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. (I wasn’t able to take a picture of the chopped sponge gourd, onion, and garlic.) 😁
3. Heat a pot and add a 1 tbsp. cooking oil.
4. Saute the garlic, onion, then the sponge gourd.
   
5. Add the sardines.
   
6. Using the sardines can, add just one can of water into the pot.
   
7. Add oyster sauce, seasoning granules, and a little bit of salt.
   
   
   
8. Mix well. Let it simmer until everything’s cooked.
   
   
9. When cooked, serve while hot and best paired with rice! ☺️😋
   

That was our simple viand for lunch today. ☺️❤️

I find joy in these simple meals. There’s something so satisfying about creating a dish out of what you have on hand. The soup was flavorful and warm, a perfect comfort food for the cold and rainy day. I enjoyed sipping the broth, it felt like a cozy hug from the inside, warming me up despite the rains and stormy winds outside.

It’s a humble meal, but it fed a hungry tummy and lifted my mood. That’s the magic of simple home cooking especially when shared at home with someone you love and care about. ☺️❤️

Have a Blessed Sunday everyone! 😀😀😀💖💖💖

Thank You Lord for the blessings and love!

Be grateful in every little/simple things and you’ll find happiness you ever wanted! 😀😀😀

Everyday is worth to be grateful of!

Praying for the safety and wellness of all.

Heal Our Land Oh God!

Lovelots,
@shikika