It’s time to go back to school, and in the past 20 years that I’ve been writing “Kitchen Rescue,” back-to-school recipes have inspired and helped mothers prepare new dishes for their kids’ baon.

Browsing through the cookbook “Chef RV’s Cooking Secrets” (to which I was asked to contribute a blurb), I came across easy-to-do, budget-friendly baon dishes that chef RV Manabat so willingly agreed for me to share with you.

Chef RV has succeeded in making himself one of today’s most relatable and relevant chefs.

Watching his videos and reading his books give even a kitchen amateur the confidence to whip up the impossible. To the kitchen-savvy, he provides an alternative way of preparing everyday dishes and favorite sweets.

His forte is to make cooking and baking fun, easy and doable for everyone, which is why his latest cookbook is a must-have.

Making sandwiches exciting every day is a challenge. Here are new ways of making all-time favorite sandwich fillings.

Creamy Chicken Spread

1 kg chicken breast fillets, boiled and flaked

1 small can of or ⅓ cup fresh pimientos, chopped

¾ c red onions, chopped

2 Tbsp pickle relish

1 c mayonnaise

¾ c cream cheese (at room temperature)

2 Tbsp condensed milk

1 tsp hot sauce, optional

1 Tbsp white vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cheese Pimiento Spread

1 kg chicken breast fillets, boiled and flaked

1 small can of or ⅓ cup fresh pimientos, chopped

¾ c red onions, chopped

2 Tbsp pickle relish

1 c mayonnaise

¾ c cream cheese (at room temperature)

2 Tbsp condensed milk

1 tsp hot sauce, optional

1 Tbsp white vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

For both recipes: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Do not overmix. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the surface directly with cling film. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cooking secrets: Pair with bread or crackers. For the spread, you can include raisins, cranberries, walnuts or apples.

Breakfast meats are top baon picks, so here are RV’s take on the Pinoy breakfast classics.

Beef Tapa

½ c plus 2 Tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

½-1 Tbsp sugar

2 heads garlic, with skin on

1 Tbsp calamansi juice

½ tsp baking soda

½ c cola or apple juice

1 kg beef, tenderloin, sirloin or sukiyaki-cut

Vegetable oil

In a blender, combine soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, skin-on garlic, calamansi juice, baking soda and cola or apple juice. Blitz until well combined. Pour over beef and marinate.

Heat oil in a pan. Add beef and cook until brown.

Tocino

1 kg pork (liempo or loin), sliced thinly

¾ c coconut, muscovado or brown sugar

¼ c pineapple or orange juice

1 sugar beet (around 2 inches in diameter), peeled and cubed

2-3 tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

Cooking oil

Combine sugar, juice, beet, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour over pork. Massage well. Refrigerate for 6-12 hours. Freeze if not cooking immediately.

Heat oil in a pan. Cook tocino until browned.

Cooking secret: Try this with chicken, tofu or tuna.

Garlic Longganisa

1 kg ground pork

½ c brown sugar

½ c garlic, minced

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp achuete powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp iodized salt

2 Tbsp flour

1 tbsp tomato or banana ketchup

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well until they turn into a paste.

Scoop up the mixture with an ice cream scoop and form into a ball. Transfer to a piece of waxed paper. Roll into a log or flatten to make a patty. Let rest in the refrigerator overnight.

Pan-fry in oil until cooked through.

Cooking secret: You can also make this longganisa with beef or chicken.

Chicken Teriyaki

1 c apple or pineapple juice

1 c soy sauce

½ c brown sugar

½ c oyster sauce

2 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp garlic, finely minced

3 Tbsp ginger, finely minced

1 kg chicken thigh fillets (you may substitute with pork, beef or salmon)

Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, pepper, garlic and ginger in a blender. Blitz until smooth.

Place chicken in a resealable bag. Add half of the teriyaki sauce. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Pour the remaining sauce into a pot. Simmer over low heat until reduced and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a nonstick pan or prepare the griller. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until browned and caramelized

Let rest for 30 seconds to a minute.

Serve chicken teriyaki with extra sauce, garlic noodles, and buttered cabbage on the side.

(Garlic Noodle and Buttered Cabbage recipes are on page 44 of the cookbook.) INQ

“Chef RV’s Cooking Secrets” is available online at the Anvil and National Bookstore websites, Lazada and Shopee, and at select National Book Store branches nationwide.

Follow @iamreggieaspiras on Instagram and Facebook; reggieaspiras.com.