Is the rain preventing you and your family from doing your usual weekend routine? Why don’t you plan a fun movie marathon for your brood instead of heading to the mall? Prepare a few DVDs, dim the lights, park yourself in your comfiest chairs, and you’ll be all set! Top it off by munching on this great snack that won’t take long to prepare and uses up ingredients you can grab from your pantry and refrigerator.

Pica-Pica Feast
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes six to eight servings

Ingredients:

Base:
1 pack frozen French fries, fried until crisp and golden brown, or 1 big bag nachos or tortilla chips

Chili Con Carne Topping:
1 big can chili con carne, 1 tomato, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 container sour cream

Corned Beef Topping:
1 big can corned beef
1 pack pizza sauce
3 tablespoons canned whole corn kernels
1/3 cup grated cheese

Procedure:
1. Pile either French fries, nachos, or tortilla chips on a platter.
2. Start making the Chili Con Carne Topping by heating the chili in a skillet or in the microwave. Add some Tabasco sauce if you want it hot. Spread the chil over the fries or nachos, and top with chopped tomatoes and onions. Drizzle with sour cream.
3. Make the Corned Beef Topping by first heating the pizza sauce in a skillet. Add the corned beef and whole corn, and cook until heated through. Pour over the fries or nachos. Drizzle with bottled cheese sauce or lots of grated cheese and spring onions.

TIP: If you’re lacking a few of the ingredients to make this Pica-Pica Feast, don’t fret! You can still make it with these quick cheats:
For fries: sauté cubed fresh potatoes, salted, until crisp and browned.
For nachos: use your favorite bag of corn chips, or broken-up taco shells.
For the chili con carne: sauté ground beef, tomato sauce, and chili powder.
For pizza sauce: blend together tomato sauce, dried herbs, and a little sugar.

(Photo by Ocs Alvarez. Styling by Cay R. Araneta. Recipe by Cris C. Abiva.)