I am not a chef, nor am I a great cook. But I can hold my own in the kitchen and I’m capable of throwing a pretty decent dinner party. I put together a mean Thanksgiving dinner every November. My kids think we should celebrate Thanksgiving to be thankful for all our blessings. Personally, I think they just like turkey and all the side dishes.

I’m always on the lookout for good recipes. When I try a new recipe, I follow it to the letter. If it’s good or shows promise, the second time around I tweak it to suit my taste and that of my family.

I learned to cook through sheer persistence. With a husband and three growing children, the need to come up with good dishes was a challenge, considering I had a full-time job. Rachael Ray’s “30-Minute Meals” was a godsend to me.

I am sharing two recipes dear to me. One is Eggs in Tomato Sauce. Not a very glamorous name for a dish, but it is what it is—hard-boiled eggs in tomato sauce. My mother, Anita Sayoc Meily, said she got this recipe from her mother-in-law, Josefa Manuel Meily. Since Lola Meily (what we called her) had quite a number of children, this was an inexpensive, filling and healthy dish for her brood.

The second recipe is also a hand-me-down from my mom. It’s called Spaghetti with Corn. Again, it’s a no-frills, to-the-point recipe.

I grew up one of four girls and two boys, and these two dishes were a Friday staple during Lent.

As children, we were taught to eat whatever was on the table, regardless of whether we liked what was served or not. There was always one main dish, one vegetable dish and fish. This way there was always something to eat. These meals were lovingly prepared or supervised by our mom—which we had to eat or starve.

I try to instill this in my children: Eat whatever is prepared. But I do have a husband who will sneak in a can of Spam or corned beef once in a while!

I hope these two dishes will be part of your Lenten menu.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 white onion, minced

3 fresh tomatoes, cubed

1 pack 250-g tomato sauce

½ tsp salt

⅛ tsp black pepper

½ tsp sugar

¼ c water

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes. After a few minutes, add tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Simmer for a few minutes and add the water. Adjust seasonings according to your taste. Add eggs and turn off heat. Spoon mixture over the eggs. Remove from heat and serve with hot rice and your favorite fried fish.

Spaghetti with Corn

225 g spaghetti, cooked

according to package instructions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 white onion, minced

1 can 400-g tomatoes, peeled or minced

1 can 250-g whole kernel corn, drained, keep water for later

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp pepper

2 Tbsp shredded basil leaves

½ c quick-melt cheese or freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. Mix in corn. Simmer and add seasonings, and add water from the corn so it doesn’t dry up. Add cooked pasta (you can also add cooked shrimps to this dish).

Transfer everything to an ovenproof container, sprinkle quick-melt cheese and bake until cheese is melted. Or, simply sprinkle parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad to complete the meal. —CONTRIBUTED

The author is president of Salutare Inc., distributor of Growrich Virgin Coconut Oil in capsules and Sunburst Saw Palmetto. Are you also a passionate home cook and want to be featured? Share with us your story and recipes, along with mouthwatering photos. Send them to [email protected].