Healthy cooking with Mamazing Iya and Chef Jose

‘Mamazing Mom’ Iya Villania and Chef Jose Sarasola are serving Kapuso viewers much-needed inspiration to lead a healthier lifestyle amidst the new normal. The top question they hope to answer: how do you make healthy dishes more appetizing to everyone?

“I think the misconception of eating healthy food is hindi siya ganoon kasarap.” Chef Jose said. “But you can actually make healthy food taste like [the] regular yummy food which we [are] all used to.”

You might think this is only easy to say for a chef, but his kitchen buddy Iya can attest to it.  As she quickly discovered during their first season, even the simplest of dishes can be both healthy and delicious if seasoned well. You can have a clean and healthy diet no matter your culinary level, even if you are a busy homemaker who has a lot on her plate.

 

That’s what the second season of AJINOMOTO®’s “Eat Well, Live Well. Stay Well.” cooking show promises to deliver: recipes that are easy to cook, affordable, and made healthy and delicious with the right cooking partners.  AJI-GINISA® Flavor Seasoning Mix gives guaranteed deliciousness to stir-fry and saucy dishes, while AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning brings out the flavors in each dish. A major game-changer this new season is the use of the Sarsaya® Oyster Sauce. Its blend of real oyster extract and spices adds a sweet, salty, and rich brown texture to any stir-fry dish. “Many times, when we’re cooking in the [AJINOMOTO®] kitchen…we can’t believe that it just took this one ingredient to make it taste so good!” Iya laughs. “I’m guilty of…repeating kung ano man niluto namin sa araw na yun and cooking it at home for my family.”

Just like any other mom, Iya wants her family to be at the best of their health especially these days. She happily shares that she has no problem getting even her kids to eat nutritious meals. Good produce, when seasoned and cooked right, will almost always come out good. “And if it tastes good,” the mom-of-three explains, “hindi ka na mahihirapan ipakain sa mga anak mo.”

This is most probably the umami flavor at work. Known as the fifth basic taste, umami is the savory or malinamnam flavor that Filipinos enjoy. AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning intensifies the umami in a dish, bringing out the rich flavors of all the ingredients. It contains only 1/3 of the amount of sodium than that of table salt, so it’s a great way to lessen the salt needed in your dish without sacrificing the taste. This is ideal for those who want to lose weight or simply eat healthier. So, if you’re looking for home cooked meals that are malinamnam yet good for the body, you can’t miss this second season’s well-chosen recipes.

Chef Jose has this to say to encourage everyone to join them in a healthier lifestyle through the right kind of meals: “Just start cooking, take it [slowly], and eventually magiging normal na yung pagluluto para sa ‘yo.” Be like ‘Mamazing Mom’ Iya, who now finds it a joy to be in the kitchen thanks to the fun and informative first season with Chef. “[Now] I’m not afraid to veer away from the recipe, to experiment and try something new.” she proudly said.

Thanks for the fitspiration, Iya and Chef! Now who’s ready to eat well, live well, and stay well?

Tune in to the second season of AJINOMOTO®’s “Eat Well, Live Well. Stay Well.” on GMA Network every Friday at 11:20 am. Follow AJINOMOTO®’s Facebook page and official website to keep up with fresh ideas and recipes in the kitchen!