Paella Mixta

I've been wanting to post this for the longest time but I had to wait until I get a chance to cook it (not very often) and take a picture. Admittedly, even if in the Phils. this is a 'fiesta' quality dish, I've never really eaten this back home or maybe I did but did not like our first meeting. However, once I set foot here in Europe and had access to the ingredients needed for it, I set about hunting for a good recipe to religiously follow the directions. I got more fuel for it when I visited Valencia, the traditional home of paella, where I got to taste the authentic the real thing. As in my previous Valencia post, the original Paella Valenciana DO NOT have any seafood in it. Traditional ingredients for it include rabbit meat, chicken, broad beans, snails, other vegetables besides of course the rice. If the paella has seafood exclusively then it's called Paella Mariscos. While the one with mixed meats - red, white, seafood, et al - is called Paella Mixta, hence the name of this recipe.

This time around my paella was a bit on the 'wet' side since I put in a whole tin of chopped tomatoes (400gm). I didn't want to put in half and waste the other half however I forgot to reduce the amount of stock accordingly. Also, I think I have to be braver and not be constantly scared that the rice is undercooked. It's cooked alright but it's got more sauce than desired. Like any popular dish, there are hundreds of variations. You can put almost any combination of meat, seafood and/or veggies. Some even grill the top a little, some involves cooking the meat entirely separate from the rice and only combining them together at the end. I rather prefer Delia Smith's technique of cooking the chicken with the rice so that the flavour from the chicken is well infused in the rice. I have loosely adapted this from her How To Cook Book 2. Her instructions and most other recipes says not to stir it much after the rice has boiled. But I can't help it because the pan is so much bigger than the hob consequently the heat is not evenly distributed. Besides the meat will not be cooked well if I don't stir it. Another note, if you're going to cook this please use only paella rice such as Calasparra, Bomba, and Granza. The rice in it is supposed to be creamy and clinging a bit to each other but not exactly sticky - very similar to risotto. You wouldn't want to use long grain or Jasmine rice in your risotto, would you?



Paella Mixta

350 g  paella rice (calasparra, bomba, granza, etc.)
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
750 g  chicken - cut into serving pieces
1 large onion - chopped roughly
1 red bell pepper - diced into 1/2-inch pieces
110 g  chorizo - skinned and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp saffron strands
225 g  tomatoes - skinned and chopped
5 cups stock or water
10-12 raw tiger prawns, shell-on
1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
salt and pepper

1. In a 13-inch paella pan, heat oil then lightly brown chicken in batches. Set aside.
2. Saute onion, bell pepper and chorizo for about 5 minutes in medium heat.
3. Stir in garlic, paprika, cayenne (if using), saffron and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Bring back the chicken to the pan, stir a little; then tomatoes.
5. Add plenty of seasonings (salt and pepper) and pour in the stock.
6. Bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.
7. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and set aside.
8. Pour rice in the pan and stir.
9. Bring back to boil, stir once or twice making sure rice is not sticking at the bottom. Lower down heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. As you simmer, move pan occasionally to distribute heat evenly since your pan is more likely to be a lot bigger than your cooking hob.
10. Return chicken to the pan, cook for another 10 minutes while stirring occasionally (and *carefully* so as not to turn the rice into mush) and adding more liquid if necessary.
11. Add prawns and peas and cook for another 5-10 minutes turning prawns half way through.
12. Check rice if cooked especially ones at the outer edges. If not yet fully cooked, simmer for a few minutes more while keeping a close eye to make sure the bottom is not browning too much. Add more liquid if necessary.
13. Remove from heat. Cover with a tea towel for about 5 minutes to absorb moisture. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Pinaputok na Isda

The husband wanted something 'simple' and uncomplicated for dinner. No rich sauces or dozens of ingredients to purchase. So we thought of this, never mind that the name is quite appropriate in the current climate here in London. Pinaputok in English means fired, popped, or exploded (thank goodness all we're 'exploding' is a fish). I'm not quite sure why this is called as such since it does not really 'pop' though I have an inkling it might have originated in another region where the name means something else. Traditionally, this is wrapped in banana leaves and fried. But I don't have any banana leaves so I used a foil plus we wanted something not oily so we baked it. I imagine this would even be better in a barbecue.


Pinaputok na Isda
(Baked Fish)

1 piece fresh fleshy fish (sea bass, pomfret, grouper, tilapia, sea bream, etc.)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion - chopped
green onion or coriander - chopped (optional)
salt to taste

1. Scale, gut, clean, and wipe dry the fish. Score with several slits (tari-an) on each side.
2. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the fish and in the stomach cavity, making sure the salt gets in the slits that you made. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
3. Mix the chopped tomatoes, onions and coriander (if using) in a bowl.
4. Lay the fish on a piece of aluminum foil big enough to wrap it. Put the tomatoes and onions in the stomach cavity, under and on top of the fish.
5. Wrap the fish tightly crimping the ends of the foil.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C/fan 180C/400F for 40 minutes or on a barbecue.

Cookbook Meme

Charlie of What's Cooking? and Stel of Baby Rambutan both tagged me in another meme. Just in time to have some break from all the baking and cooking. This gotta be my favourite of all the memes passed to me. I'm the type who has cookbooks for bedtime reading ...

1. Total number of cookbooks I own.

54 (not including the food magazines and hundreds of clippings)

2. Last cookbook I bought.

Brian Turner's Favourite British Recipes

3. Last food/cook book I read.

Book of Baking by Sue Lawrence

4. Five (cook)books that mean a lot to me.

Why only five? Most of the cookbooks I list here are ones that taught me the basics of cooking mostly from the time I went away and got married. You can easily tell due to the state they're in that they're favourites - dog eared, worn out, food splattered, no cover, etc. I wanted to put in my old beloved Betty Crocker's as well but I lost it when my sister's friend borrowed it then said it 'burned' in an office fire. Yeah right. Hmmmp!

Let's Cook with Nora Daza - when I first set up house with my husband, I only know how to cook the standard Filipino fare of adobo, nilaga, sinigang, and the odd fried fish (or fried anything for that matter). So this was indispensable to me in jogging my memory on how to cook other Filipino dishes.

Maya Cookfest series - my friend Nanette gifted me with the first 2 of this and I bought the last 2. It gives me joy just reading the recipes, always imagining and salivating on cooking the great dishes there.

Chinese Cuisine & Chinese Cooking for Beginners by Huang Su-Huei - this pair guided me a lot in creating and imitating tasty Chinese dishes we had while living in Hong Kong. They are one of my most cherished cookbooks.

How to Cook series by Delia Smith - again another one of my reference books (this time for Western cuisine) whom I consult whenever I want to find out how to cook certain basic ingredients or dishes. Her recipes always work.

The Food of the Philippines by Reynaldo Alejandro - a very good source of information about Filipino food and the recipes work, too.

5. Which five people would you like to see fill this out in their blog?

Most of the people I know has been tagged already so I hope these five haven't been yet:

Thess of Eets Makelijk
Annalyn of Ajay's Writings On The Wall
Ling of Little Gingko Nut
Dilek of Dilek'ce
Riana of For The Love of Baking

Ayam Tempra

The moment I saw this dish in Stel's blog, adapted from the cookbook Shiok! by Terry Tan and Christopher Tan, I was enamored. I felt I had to try it since we often have chicken at home, much more than any other meat and had to find other ways of serving it from the usual. Both me and my husband love the salty-sweet taste plus the subtle flavour of the blachan which is very similar to the Pinoy's bagoong. Stel was right, hot steaming rice is the perfect accompaniment with this dish plus any salad or stir fried vegetables.

The blachan or shrimp paste that I got from our local Chinese grocery is from Thailand branded as 'Tranchang'. Malaysia and Indonesia also have this pungent ingredient. It's drier, finer and more concentrated than our bagoong but imparts similar taste and aroma. If you can't find it, I think you can substitute bagoong. The only complain my husband had was he got pricked with the lemon grass while eating because what I did was to chop it into small pieces and mash with mortar and pestle. After conferring with the chef Stel, next time I'll cut them into bigger pieces, just slightly bruise them so it can be easily fished out before serving. So here's my take on this tasty dish and thanks to Stel for sharing it.


Ayam Tempra
(Spicy-Sour Stir-fried Chicken)

750 g  chicken - cut into serving pieces
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion - quartered
1 stalk lemongrass - cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces, pounded slightly
1 long green chilli pepper - sliced (optional)
1 bird chilli - sliced (optional)
1/2 cup chicken stock/broth
3 Tbsp lime juice
3-4 Kaffir lime leaves - midrib removed and leaves finely sliced

*Marinade:
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 stalk lemongrass - cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces, pounded slightly
1 tsp shrimp paste (blachan)
3 Tbsp ketjap manis (thick sweet soy sauce), or dark soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tbsp crushed palm sugar

1. In a mortar and pestle mix and mash all marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Set aside and let sit for at least an hour. Drain and reserve marinade.
2. In a wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Saute the garlic, onion, lemongrass, and chili, until fragrant.
3. Add chicken pieces and stir fry until chicken is well browned.
4. Pour in the marinade and chicken broth. Bring to boil then lower heat to a simmer.
5. Stir from time to time, adding more broth or water a little at a time if it gets too dry. Cook until chicken is tender, about 25-30 minutes.
6. [optional] Remove lemongrass.
7. Add in lime juice, Kaffir lime leaves, and salt to taste. Stir well and remove from heat. Serve.

Note: If using boneless chicken meat, cooking time is cut drastically and you may not need to add more broth or water.

SHF 10: Honey Cake

As you may have noticed by now, I'm partial to recipes that has few ingredients and/or easy and simple to make. The recent announcement of the current Sugar High Friday theme of honey, which by the way is hosted by Nic of Bakingsheet, got me scouring my cookbooks. Luckily the BBC GoodFood Magazine's 101 Cakes and Bakes yielded this one-saucepan simple and easy cake. But don't let its simplicity fool you for it resulted in a very moist and moreish cake perfect for afternoon tea. The nice thing about it is you can change the taste by using different flavoured honey instead of the usual clear one. You can have flavour as mild or as strong as you like depending on the honey you use. My work colleagues whom I gave a generous part of this cake gave it a resounding thumbs up. This is a definite keeper of a recipe.


Devonshire Honey Cake

225 g  unsalted butter
250 g  honey
100 g  dark muscovado sugar
3 large eggs - beaten
300 g  [2 1/4 cups] self-raising flour
2 Tbsp honey for glazing

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/300°F/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20 cm/8-in round loose-bottomed baking pan.
2. Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute. Leave to cool.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan.
4. Add in the flour; mix well.
5. Pour into the pan and bake for 50 minutes or until cake is golden brown and spring back when pressed.
6. Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.

Prosciutto Quail Egg Rolls

One of the finger foods that I prepared for my aborted participation in the last London Food Blogger's picnic at the Henley Regatta is this scrumptious quail eggs wrapped in prosciutto. Lovely melding of flavours with the spiky tang of the lime zest contrasting with the creamy and a bit salty cream/smoked cheese mixture serving a nice foil to the blandness of the quail eggs while the chewy-citrusy prosciutto completes the melange of flavour. This was a lovely surprise and one that I will definitely make again. Next time I will try it without the smoked cheese or probably choose one that's not too salty.

I love air dried hams such as the Prociutto di Parma or the Spanish Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano. They are just so yummy to have very thinly sliced on sandwiches, cheese or just eaten on their own. Steep prices of these is the only thing stopping me from having them all the time.


Prosciutto Quail Egg Rolls

12 quail eggs
40 g  cream cheese
2 Tbsp finely grated smoked cheese
1/4 tsp grated lime zest
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
6 slices prosciutto di parma (parma ham)

1. Hard boil quail eggs by lowering in a gently simmering pan of water. Cook for 4 minutes. Drain and cool immediately by plunging into cold tap water. Peel and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Combine cream cheese, smoked cheese, lime zest, chopped basil in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Cut prosciutto in half lengthwise then cut in half again crosswise making 24 pieces.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture in each strip then wrap each of the quail egg halves in it. This can be made about 6 hours in advance.

Biscocho

A favourite childhood snack of mine is 'biscocho' - toasted left-over bread smeared with butter (or Star margarine) and sprinkled with sugar. Biscocho in Spanish means sponge cake while the Filipino version is a crunchy piece of bread toasted with butter and sugar all around. This is certainly one of my most treasured comfort food from my growing up period in the Phils. The crunchy bite on the bread (usually pandesal) with the salty-sweet taste of the caramelised butter-sugar mixture is simply a great way to fill you up. You could just imagine how this came about - mothers who wanted to use up their supply of stale pandesals and serve as snacks to their brood. What a nice invention.


Biscocho

slices of bread
butter or margarine
sugar

1. Spread butter or margarine on the bread and sprinkle sugar on top. Spread the butter a bit on the thick side to have enough for caramelising with the sugar also to make the sugar stick on the bread. If you prefer you can do this on both sides of the bread.
2. Grill in a hot oven (about 400F/200C) until butter and sugar bubbles up and turn golden. Serve warm or cold.

Insalata Caprese

Whenever my husband wanted to have a simple uncomplicated healthy light food, the first thing that comes to his mind is this Italian salad. It is quite simply his favourite. And why not? It's one of the very few that he can make without anybody's assistance ;-). Named 'caprese' in honor of the Italian island of Capri where this supposedly originated.

There are only two main ingredients in this one - tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. As for the dressing, some people (like him) like to drizzle just olive oil and balsamic vinegar on it. Others (like me) want something with more flavour like a vinaigrette - any type will do for me. I included a vinaigrette recipe below which I adapted from Delia Smith's The Delia Collection Italian. Make sure to drizzle the olive oil or dressing right before serving because soaking in oil/dressing will just make the tomatoes soggy.

We're having a lot of this lately because of the hot weather and the abundance of tomatoes in season. Beef tomatoes or large vine-ripened tomatoes can be used (though the latter has more flavour, IMO). With the cheese, get the mozzarella that's shaped like a ball and packed with some water. I heartily recommend the mozzarella made from buffalo milk (mozzarella di bufala) due it being more creamy (according to the husband) than the ones made from cow's milk.


Insalata Caprese

fresh ripe tomatoes - sliced 1/4-inch thick
mozzarella cheese - sliced 1/4-inch thick
fresh basil leaves - torn into pieces
salt and pepper (optional)
olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar (optional)


*Vinaigrette Dressing

1 garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped herbs (basil, tarragon, thyme, etc.)
freshly ground pepper

1. Arrange overlapping layers of tomatoes and mozzarella in a plate.
2. Scatter the basil leaves on top and crush some salt and pepper on it, if using.
3. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette dressing. Serve immediately.

*For the Vinaigrette Dressing

1. Mash the garlic and salt with a mortar and pestle. Add the mustard and mash until creamy.
2. Transfer to a small bowl and add the vinegar, olive oil, and pepper. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the chopped herbs.
4. Drizzle on salads just before serving.

Muscovado Brownies

For industrial strength brownie lovers, I dedicate this one. (Am I not sounding like Master Yoda?) I found Sue Lawrence's Book of Baking at our local library and just wanted to try *everything* in that cookbook, forgetting that my ancient oven is not really up to scratch. But since the peculiar characteristic of burnt edges and undercooked middle is perfect for brownies so I gladly made this one. It is indeed intensely chocolately and if that's what you fancy then welcome to this post. Maybe next time I'll try to play around with the chocolate and sugar proportions to tame the chocolate a little bit. My previous brownie recipe of Banana Nut Brownies is not far off from this. I imagine this would be great with milk, ice cream, strong tea or even stronger coffee.


Muscovado Brownies

350 g  dark chocolate (60-70 per cent cocoa solids)
200 g  unsalted butter
250 g  [1 1/4 cups] dark muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
70 g  [2/3 cup] plain flour - sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/325°F. Butter bottom and sides of a deep 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over simmering water in a saucepan. Stir and mix until smooth.
3. In a container or bowl, combine well the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, put in the sugar, making sure to break up lumps if there are any.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add this to the melted chocolate; combine well.
6. Add in the flour mixture, gently folding together.
7. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes. Cut into squares or desired serving sizes in the pan before allowing to cool completely. Remove from pan.

Column Feature and Cooking Meme

What a hectic weekend that was. And it seems everyone else including here in blogosphere is making the most out of the good summer weather and the holidays. Everybody's busy ... partying and relaxing. It's only now that I got to blog. First things first, just want everyone to know that I was included by Ajay in her Blog-o-Rama column in the Manila Bulletin. I was one of four food bloggers in a roundtable discussion about what else - food. Thanks Ajay for featuring us!

Now let's have some fun. I was tagged by the cooking queen of Boston, Stel of Baby Rambutan for this cooking meme, here it goes ...


What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?

I clearly remembered being left for about an hour with my 2 younger sisters at home. I was probably 7 or 8 years old at the time. To amuse them, I decided to treat my sisters to popcorns. My mother used to cook popcorns in our a banged up old aluminum pot and I distinctly remembered how she did it. I thought, 'I can do that with no problem at all.' So I turned on the electric stove, put the pot on, poured ridiculous amount of oil then added a fistful of popcorns, covered the pot and waited until it popped. Once we heard the tell-tale popping sounds I dutifully shook the pot just like my nanay did. It was fine until I opened the lid and out came this big black puff of smoke! We thought we had to call the bumberos (firemen). My sisters have to make do with the popcorns on top because all of the ones at the bottom where burned black. Nevertheless, from then on one of the strict instructions from my mother was - no more cooking. Hehehe!


Who had the most influence on your cooking?

That would be my nanay (mother) and my Lolo Apeng (maternal grandfather). Nanay was the one who first taught me how to cook - all the Pinoy basics from anything fried, sinigang, adobo, nilaga, etc. although it was my Lola Ebia (maternal grandmother) who taught me the nuances of cooking rice in a pot. I'd like to think I inherited my cooking genes from Lolo Apeng. He's a great cook and a stickler for details. He's the type who won't cook at all if he can't do it the right way with the right ingredients prepared in the way that he deemed correct.


Do you have an old photo as "evidence" of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?

Since my childhood photos are few and far in-between, I don't think I have this. Though my family will surely attest that I'm a very enthusiastic eater. :)


Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?

I didn't have any before but just recently I get nervous when blind baking tarts or pie bases because of repeated disasters I was in. :(


What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?

Well, I don't know if you consider it a 'gadget' but my cleaver is indispensable to me. I use it for most kitchen jobs from slicing, mincing, tenderising, whacking garlics open, etc. Letdown? Hmmm … I think it would be the mini chopper. After only 1 month, the blades were already blunt.


Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like and probably no one else.

I'm pretty boring in this regard, most of the combinations I like are 'orthodox' such as crispy fried anything with rice and sinigang or singkamas (jicama) sliced thinly and marinated in vinegar and salt and chilled well then I eat it and slurp up the vinegar as well. Yum!


What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don't want to live without?

Rice, dimsums, patis (fish sauce), adobo.


3 quickies:
favorite ice cream ... Rocky Road, Coffee Mangosteen
you will probably never eat ... Like Stel - 'pet food', horse meat, escargot
signature dish ... I really don't have any signature dish to speak of but my cassava cake always get requested.

Tag 3 people ... I think most people has been tagged already but hopefully these three haven't been yet - April Lassy, Ting Aling, and Jmom.

Bruschetta

Everytime we have a dimsum lunch we tend to order too much - not that I'm complaining. So we usually have a very light dinner afterwards or none at all. Last Saturday was one like this, me and my husband were still partially full and we couldn't possibly have our usual dinner. I decided to fix something light with the ciabatta I picked up from the supermarket earlier.

Bruschetta is a favourite starter in Italian restaurants. In essence, it's garlic bread with toppings like tomatoes or anchovies or aubergines, etc. Although this garlic bread uses olive oil instead of butter. The one I made that night is the standard bruschetta you find in restos with tomatoes and basil leaves on top. Very easy to make though quite refreshing to have. Biting on the combination of crusty garlicky bread soaked in olive oil with fresh tomatoes and basil on top is simply divine.


Bruschetta

slices of crusty bread (ciabatta, baguette, etc.)
olive oil
ripe tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
garlic clove - peeled and sliced in the middle
salt and pepper

1. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Scoop out the seeds, discard. Chop roughly.
2. In a bowl, put the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper.
3. Tear basil leaves and mix with the tomatoes.
4. Toast, grill, or broil the bread until well browned on both sides.
5. While still hot, rub the cut side of the garlic on the toasted bread.
6. Drizzle or brush olive oil on top.
7. Spoon mounds of tomatoes on top of the toasted bread. Serve immediately.

Chicken Caldereta

I've done several recipes for caldereta with different takes on this spicy dish. But I always comeback to this version which is the simplified amalgamation of most of the calderetas I have tasted. Goat's meat is traditionally used in the Filipino caldereta. The spiciness lends well and sort of masks the 'gamey' taste of the goat's meat and since it's quite tough the dish benefits from the long simmering making the sauce quite rich. Like any popular dish, it's got lots of variations and mine here uses chicken instead of red meat. I tone down the spiciness if I know my children are having it otherwise I add the full gamut of fresh chillies and Tabasco sauce. Also for everyday use I often skip the chorizo and olives. This recipe can be adapted for red meats as well such as goat's meat, mutton, beef, lamb, etc. The only difference that I could think of is that you have to marinate the red meat longer and obviously simmer/cook it for a longer time.


Chicken Caldereta

1 kg  chicken - cut into serving sizes
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns - lightly cracked with mortar and pestle
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion - chopped
oil for frying
500 g  passata (tomato sauce)
1/4 cup coarse grained liver pate (or mashed cooked liver or 85gm can of liver spread)
125 g  chorizo - chopped into 1/2-inch slices [optional]
1/2 bell pepper - seeded and sliced
1 green or red fresh chilli [optional]
hot chilli sauce (or Tabasco)
1/3 cup bottled olives - drained [optional]
1/3 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
250 g  potatoes - peeled and quartered
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Mix vinegar, salt, garlic, and peppercorns in a bowl. Add chicken pieces, mix well. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours.
2. In a big pot, heat oil for frying. Drain chicken from marinade and brown briefly in the oil in batches. Set aside.
3. Remove oil from the pot but leave about 2 Tbsp. Heat up again and saute the onion on medium heat until soft and translucent (about 4-5 minutes).
4. Scoop out the garlic and peppercorns from the marinade and add to the onion. Saute for a few minutes.
5. Add in the browned chicken, stir for a minute.
6. Add the rest of the marinade, stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
7. Stir in the passata and bell pepper. Bring to boil then turn down the heat.
8. Add the chorizo and fresh chilli (if using). Simmer until meat is almost done.
9. Stir in the liver pate and mix well to combine.
10. Add potatoes and peas. Simmer until potatoes are cooked.
11. Add grated cheese, mix well until cheese has melted.
12. Taste sauce and correct seasonings adding hot chilli sauce if preferred.
13. Add olives just before removing from heat. Serve warm.

Honeydew Sago

If you want a sweet dessert for the current hot summer days why not try this staple of Chinese dimsum restaurants. It's basically cold ginatan with sago and fruits. You can vary the fruit, instead of honeydew melon you can use watermelon or rock melon or other fruits you fancy. We had this when we had a barbecue at a friend's house. It was so refreshing to have a very cold bowl of coconut soup dotted with floating pearls of sago and the fresh crunchy bite of the honeydew.

I got sago cooking tips from Wendy's Eupho Cafe and indeed the sago I made was well cooked through (no white thing in the middle) , soft but a bit chewy and not at all mushy. So thanks Wendy for that tip. This is so easy to make even kids can do it.


Honeydew Sago

1 x 400 g  can coconut milk
3/4 - 1 cup water
3 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp)
1/3 cup small sago pearls
honeydew melon - peeled and chopped into small pieces

*To cook sago:

1. Boil about 3 cups of water in a saucepan. Add in sago pearls and bring to boil.
2. Once it boils, cover saucepan and turn off heat. Leave for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the lid, stir the mixture, turn on the heat and bring it to boil again.
4. Once it boils the second time, cover again, turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. The sago should be cooked by now.
5. Drain the sago from the hot water and rinse. Soak in cold water (to stop it cooking further). When completely cool drain again and set aside.

*To cook coconut milk soup:

1. Put coconut milk in a saucepan. Add in enough water to dilute it. This will depend on the brand of coconut milk you got. If it's very thick then you add up to 1 cup water. If a bit thin then you reduce the water accordingly.
2. Add sugar and a pinch of salt.
3. Stir to mix and bring to boil for a few minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Taste the mixture to see if the sweetness is acceptable, if not, add more sugar.
4. Remove from heat and cool completely. Chill in fridge. This should be served very cold.

*To assemble:

1. Put in desired amount of sago and chilled coconut soup in a bowl. (The coconut soup might separate when left standing. So stir it first before ladling into bowls.)
2. Top with some honeydew melon. Serve.

Variation: Add in pandan leaves in the coconut soup mixture before boiling. Remove the pandan after taking coconut soup from heat.

IMBB 16: Braised Quail Eggs with Mushrooms

Originally, my entry would have been Leche Flan - the creme caramel version of the Philippines. But decided not to, since I mixed up my aunt's instructions on the recipe with me putting in 2 cans of condensed milk and 1 can evaporated milk instead of the otherway around. Result was a very sweet dense flan, almost like a dulce de leche. Well scrap that, I just have to find a way to use it up. Enter this savoury dish of quail eggs which is quite easy to make. The recipe I adapted from Huang Su-Huei's Chinese Cuisine cookbook was a bit on the salty side so had to reduce the soy sauce and eliminate the salt. Other than that it was quite nice and I love the way the baby button mushrooms and the eggs mimic each other's shape and colour. Can you guess what I forgot in the presentation? I should have put this in a bed of steamed green veggies. But in my haste and excitement I forgot and only remembered when me and my husband began eating it. Being mostly eggs, it was quite rich so it needed the foil of something bland. Also I think it would benefit from being only one of a group of dishes on a lunch/dinner spread. It seems quite rich just on its own.

I'm sure this version of the IMBB would have a lot of participants due to the universality of the theme (which in case you didn't notice is *eggs*). Thanks is in order to Viv of Seattle Bon Vivant who thought up the theme and is hosting this edition.


Braised Quail Eggs with Mushrooms

24 quail eggs
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cups oil for deep frying
1 green onion - cut into 1 1/2 inches length
2 cups canned or precooked fresh baby button mushrooms*

*Sauce:
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup stock

*Thickener:
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

1. Hard boil the quail eggs by lowering them in a saucepan with gently simmering water. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove hot water from saucepan and then fill up with cool tap water. Replace water again once it gets warm again. This is to stop the eggs from cooking. Drain eggs from water and cool completely.
2. Peel eggs, mix and marinate with the soy sauce for about 15 minutes. Drain.
3. Combine all ingredients for sauce and thickener in separate bowls.
4. Heat 2 cups oil in a wok or saucepan and deep fry the marinated quail eggs for a few minutes or until golden brown. (Some of the quail eggs may balloon and burst at this point) Remove from oil and drain. Set aside.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in the wok and saute green onions until aromatic.
6. Add mushrooms and sauce; stir fry for about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in quail eggs. Then the thickener. Stir to mix.
8. Best to serve on top of steamed or blanched vegetables like broccoli, pak choi, cabbage, etc.

*Note: You can precook mushrooms by cooking or steaming it in simmering water.

Buddha's Delight

For me, after work dinner at home usually consists of some meat stew and steamed vegetables with the occassional rice. Sometimes I hanker for a more 'sophisticated' veg dish and try to whip up something quick. I almost always end up doing a Chinese stir fry because it's so easy to cook in the shortest time possible. But this dish involves braising under cover not just plain stir frying. I love the combination of the ingredients with the simplicity of the sauce it uses.

This dish is also known as 'Buddha's Delight' or Lo Han Zhai that normally uses 18 different items which I'm not sure if it represent the 18 arahats or 18 disciples. Whichever it symbolises, this Chinese dish definitely has Buddhist connections. Nowadays the use of six to eight vegetables is the more usual practice. I adapted this from the Chinese Cookery Secrets cookbook of Deh Ta Hsiung. I adore the succulent straw mushrooms but still hated the stink of bamboo shoots. Despite washing and draining it several times it still have that smell that I abhor. So probably next time I'll replace it with something else. Also the original recipe tells you to stir fry in a wok first then transfer to a casserole. I decided to do away with the wok and stir fry right in my cast iron pot which I think is okay. Also, if you have ready made seasoned oil in your cupboard you can eliminate the ginger. It's just for spicing up the oil which is entirely optional. So this is my take on the Buddha's Delight ...


Buddha's Delight
(Vegetarian Casserole)

1 cake tokwa (beancurd) - diced into 1/2-inch cubes
cooking oil for frying
2 small ginger slices (optional)
5 g  [about 1 big piece] dried black fungus (wood ears)
85 g  [3/4 cups] bean sprouts
115 g  [about 3-4 stems] Chinese cabbage - cut into small pieces
1 small carrot - cut diagonally into thin pieces
50 g  [1/2 cup] sitcharo (mangetout or snow peas) - topped and tailed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soft brown sugar
85 g  [1/2 cup] sliced bamboo shoots - rinsed and drained
85 g  [1/2 cup] straw mushrooms - drained
1 Tbsp light soy sauce or oyster sauce
3 Tbsp stock
few drops of sesame oil

1. Soak black fungus in warm water for 20 minutes, rinse and drain well. Cut into bite size pieces discarding any hard bits.
2. Mix stock, soy sauce or oyster sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat about 2-3 Tbsp oil in a non-stick pan and fry one small slice of ginger (if using) until it turns brown. Discard ginger then fry bean curds in the same oil in pan until light brown. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat about 2 Tbsp oil in a casserole or medium sized pot. Again fry one small slice of ginger (if using) in the oil until the ginger turns brown. Discard ginger.
5. Stir fry the Chinese leaves in the pot for about 1 minute then add the carrot, mangetout and bean sprouts with the salt and sugar. Cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add the black fungus, bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms, and stock mixture. Blend well and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and cook under cover for 5 minutes.
7. Lift cover and add sesame oil. Stir for a few seconds more and then serve.

Note: If you must wait for quite sometime before serving it, do not put the lid tightly on the pot. Keep it slightly ajar to prevent the vegetables from overcooking and discoloring.

SHF 9: Fresh Fruit Tart

This is probably the worst food blogging event I've done. Not the theme of course (which by the way is tart), but my entry. I just can't hack this tart making more specifically the tart base. Why my first attempt was a resounding disaster because my tart almost burnt to cinders. The second one almost met the same fate. :sigh: My ancient oven seems to have a lot of hot spots.

The biscuit-like base was actually good which should be crunchy and on the brittle side but it got sooo hard when I made the mistake of chilling the whole thing. I was already contemplating on borrowing my neighbor's chainsaw to give myself a slice. Then there's the case of the pastry cream (creme patisserie) which tasted sort of ... ah ... 'cheap'. It must be the vanilla or maybe I should have used single/light cream instead of milk. I don't know, it just doesn't taste right. The only consolation I have is the sight of the fresh fruits arranged glistening on top. Really nice.

It only proves that I really learn a lot from these food blogging events. Lesson for today is - buy a new oven ! :lol:

[TV announcer lilting voice] This edition is brought to you by Red Beard at Life in Flow, A French Kitchen in Burgundy by Anne Willan for the tart base and French Cooking Made Easy (it's not bloody easy!!) by the Australian Women's Weekly. If you're masochistic enough to want to torture yourself, here's the recipe:


Fresh Fruit Tart

*For the sweet pastry (pate sucree):
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
100 gm chilled butter

*For the pastry cream (creme patisserie):
1 1/4 cups milk
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp cornflour
1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine)
1 tsp vanilla [optional]

*Topping:
sliced fresh fruits
3 Tbsp apricot jam
1 Tbsp water

*To make the base:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°C/gas mark 6.
2. Mix flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two butter knives until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
3. In another bowl, gently mix egg yolks and vanilla. Add little by little into the flour mixture while tossing and mixing with a fork.
4. Press and squeeze the mixture into a ball (if needed sprinkle a few tablespoon of water). Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Take the dough from the fridge and roll out into a 13-14 inch circle. Lay out on a 10-inch tart pan and trim the edges. Prick the base all over with fork.
6. Bake blind for 10 minutes. [To bake blind: cut parchment paper on tart base. Place baking beans or ceramic beans on top.]
7. Remove beans and parchment paper and bake again for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

*To make the pastry cream:

1. Boil milk in a saucepan. While waiting for it to froth over, mix egg yolks, flours, sugar, and vanilla in a heatproof bowl.
2. Once the milk boils, pour into the flour mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
3. Transfer back into the saucepan and let simmer until thick while stirring all the time.
4. Remove from heat, put a moistened parchment paper on the surface (to prevent a film/crust from forming on top). Cool completely.

*To assemble:

1. Heat apricot jam and water in a saucepan. Strain and cool.
2. Spread the pastry cream evenly on the tart base. Arrange sliced fresh fruits on top.
3. Brush the apricot jam mixture on the fruits using a pastry brush. Serve.

Thai Sweet Chilli Crisps

A comment in one of my snack posts last month reminded me of my most favourite crisps (that's potato chips for Pinoys and 'Merkins) and dip combination. It's been about 6 months since I last had these so I don't think anyone would mind if I have one now, would you? ;)

Thai Sweet Chilli crisps from Walkers was already my favourite when it first came out a few years ago. But I discovered that when you paired with a sour cream and chives dip it was out of this world. Labeeeett!! It had the right blend of sweetish very mild spicy hot flavour with the usual excellent crunch of crisps that Walkers does well. Once you dip it in that sour cream concoction the spiciness of the crisps is countered by the bland coolness of the dip that gives an ever so slight sweetness to the combination. Oh, so heavenly ... hmmm, hmmmm, hmmm!

I could finish one whole big bag of this in one sitting but only with the sour cream dip. I've always loved contrasts in food. Something about the balancing of flavours and textures appeals to me. How about you? What's your favourite crisps or potato chips combo?

Spaghetti Amatriciana

That night my son wanted a pasta dish. He suggested something cooking something else because we were quite tired of spag bol, baked pasta, or pesto. Flicking thru my cookbooks, I spied a familiar title that I have tried several times in restaurants before but have not attempted to replicate. Upon seeing it, I was quite impressed for I remembered this to be a quite tasty one but the ingredients were few and uncomplicated that can be found in any kitchen larder. I've seen most types of pasta used for this ranging from bucatini, rigatoni, penne, to even farfalle. This is quite versatile so, unless you're an Italian pasta purist, use whatever pasta you have. The Food of Italy cookbook provided the recipe that I adapted. It was a fast, tasty and easy dish to make though I had a hitch with the parsley. At the end it should have been stirred in. But I forgot! So as you can see it makes a nice garnish as well. ;)


Spaghetti Amatriciana

1 x 400 g  can of chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp double-concentrated tomato puree (tomato paste)
150 g  chopped pancetta or smoked bacon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small onion - chopped
1/8 tsp dried chilli flakes (or to taste)
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese
300 g   dried spaghetti

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Fry pancetta in medium heat until brown.
2. Add onion and cook until soft.
3. Tip in the garlic and chilli flakes. Stir and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
4. Add in chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, and season well with salt and pepper.
5. Bring to boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Stir in parsley in the sauce and cook for another minute. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
7. While the sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti in boiling water until 'al dente' (about 11-12 minutes). Drain and set aside.
8. Add cooked spaghetti to the pan and mix until well covered evenly by the sauce. Serve onto serving bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Note: You may also serve it with the sauce on top of the pasta as seen in the photo above.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Most of my recipes here are 'basic', you know ones that are basis of endless variations depending on availability of ingredients, cook's mood, or customer's (ones who will eat it) preference. That's always been my intention, to record all my basic recipes first then do the variations afterwards. I have a running list in my head of basic recipes I will post here. One of them is this chocolate chip muffin. I waited sometime because I was looking for a recipe that would do better than what we sampled over the years.

Most of the recipes we tried tasted good but the consistency of the batter is not thick enough thus, making the chocolate chips to sink to the bottom. More often the muffin would result in some kind of a layered cupcake. All chocolates at the bottom with all the cake batter on top. This is the first one we had where the choc chips were more or less evenly distributed throughout. I adapted this from Peter Shaffer's The Genuine American Cookie & Muffin Book. Try it, you'll love it. :)


Chocolate Chip Muffins

350 g  [2 2/3 cups] plain flour
200 g  chocolate chips (plain or milk)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs - beaten
200 ml [heaping 3/4 cup] plain natural yoghurt
215 g  [1 cup] soft Demerara sugar
115 g  [1/2 cup less 2 tsp] butter - melted
2 tsp vanilla flavouring

1. Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Add in chocolate chips and mix.
4. Combine melted butter and sugar in another bowl. Beat until well combined.
5. Add yoghurt, eggs, and vanilla.
6. Fold butter mixture into the flour mixture. Do not overmix.
7. Put in 10 of 12 muffin pans. Half-fill the remaining 2 with hot water to avoid burning the pan and give moisture while baking.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until metal skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake!
9. Let stand for a few minutes in the pan, turn out and cool on a rack.

Pork Chilli Noodles

Here's one noodle dish that's so easy to make and with few ingredients. You just need some sotanghon (aka bean thread noodles or glass noodles), a little minced pork, some chilli bean sauce, soy sauce, garlic, green onion and you're done! My blogging friend Stel rightly pointed our to me that this is actually the Szechuan dish called Ants Climbing A Tree. Gosh, I didn't know that. :facepalm:

I adapted this from the Chinese Cuisine cookbook by Huang Su-Huei. Adjustments were made to the soy sauce (it was originally quite salty) and the chilli bean sauce (too hot for me) and eliminated the salt. Other than that it was easy peasy to make. Previously, I soak the sotanghon but I stopped doing that to keep it from getting overcooked since I simmer it in the stock anyway for a few minutes.


Pork Chilli Noodles

100 g  sotanghon (bean thread or glass noodles)
125 g  [1/2 cup] minced pork
2 Tbsp chopped green onions
1/2 Tbsp chopped ginger
1/2 Tbsp chilli bean sauce
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 cups stock
2 Tbsp cooking oil

1. Soak the sotanghon in water until soft (about 20-30 minutes). Drain. Cut to desired lengths.
2. Mix stock, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl or container. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry pork for about 3-4 minutes. (Optional) Add about 1/3 cup hot water or stock and simmer pork until water evaporates. This is in case you want the minced pork to be tender.
4. Turn up heat and add green onions, ginger, and chilli bean sauce. Stir fry for about 1 minute or until green onion and ginger becomes aromatic.
5. Add stock mixture and sotanghon. Bring to boil then turn heat to low and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. (Optional) While cooking, cut sotanghon to desired length once soft enough.
6. Dish up and serve.

Menudo

I haven't cooked menudo for a long time, actually it was years ago when I last did. This is all to do with pork liver which is a required ingredient here (if it doesn't have liver I don't consider it menudo). Pork liver in the UK really are stinky (most of the time). No matter how much I washed it before cooking, right after I stir it in the pot it starts to stink. So much so that more than half the time I have to throw away the whole lot. What a waste! I don't know why they stink here. In the Phils and in Hong Kong I never had this problem. Could it be the way pigs are raised here? Or the handling at the abbatoir? I really am clueless.

Anyway, I had some chicken liver to use up and thought of using it in menudo. It was a great addition. The taste wasn't as strong as pork liver but it will do. This recipe is how menudo is cooked in my mother's family, rich and a bit sweetish with the addition of the cheese and raisins. They are actually optional but you should at least try it with them.


Menudo

500 g  pork - cut into 1/2-inch cubes
125 g  chicken or pork liver - cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion - chopped
500 g  passata (tomato sauce)
1 small red bell pepper - deseeded and cubed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup diced carrots (optional)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Heat oil in a saucepan or pot. Saute garlic and onion in low-medium heat until onion is soft and translucent.
2. Stir in pork, cook for a minute. Add soy sauce, stir and cook for another minute.
3. Add the passata, bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bring to boil and then bring down the heat to low. Simmer until pork is almost cooked - about 40 minutes. If it's drying up too much add hot water a little at a time.
5. Mix in the liver, potatoes, and carrots (if using). Turn up heat and cook until potatoes are almost cooked about 5 minutes.
6. Add peas and raisins, cook for 2-3 minutes or until peas and potatoes are thoroughly cooked.
7. [Optional] Add cheese, stir and remove from heat. Serve warm.

Swiss Food

It's been a while since I blogged. Me and my family were on a driving holiday to Switzerland last week and it's only now that I got to sit down and type up something for this food blog. I will be posting our travel iteneraries in my other blog - soon. But on the food front it was not quite as exciting.

We just passed by France, stopping at Reims to sleep and tour around for a few hours. I didn't get a chance to visit a local market or eat a restaurant. Three kids were with us who were turning up their noses on things like pig's trotters, sausages or anything that looked different. Ay ya yay!!

I did notice that roadside food in France is so much better than in the UK. They're expensive as well but we had one of the best quiche, egg flan, and mash potatoes at a roadside cafe in the Jura region.

High prices in Switzerland kept me from eating at proper sitdown restaurants which is a shame 'coz Shatzli suggested lots of food to try. I even printed out all the emails she sent me as a guide but I only tried a few. Oh well, all's not lost because my sister lives there now so there would definitely be more chances for me in the coming months/years when I come back to visit.

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit at the Nestle Cailler chocolate factory in Broc. We were shown a 'romantic' documentary on how the company was formed. Then led by a guide on sections of the factory while explaining the intricancies of chocolate making. Did you know that Cailler made the first milk chocolate? The lady guide said they only use fresh milk from the Gruyere area and are used in the factory within 24 hours of milking from cows. Unlike some chocolate makers who use powdered milk. It is the only Nestle Cailler factory and they only export 40% of their output which explains why their products are not very common outside of Switz. After the short tour we were led to the tasting room where an array of the complete range of Cailler chocolates were laid out for us to sample. Yes you can eat as much as you like!! I got really excited over seeing chocolates everywhere. Yum! See picture above of what we had.

Most of the time we ate in fastfoods and Migros supermarket - they're the most affordable. Occassionally we indulge in some really rich snacks and desserts. Above are meringues (or what's left of it) and heavy cream from the small cute village of Gruyere. Shoplady said to eat it by dipping the meringues in the cream and scoffing it down. Double cholesterolic calorific expialidocious !! But they were divine! Haha. I just forgot all about diet or high sugar level that day.

Above are fondue pots and cooker for sale in the same shop. No fondue or raclette for me. :(

The one time we went to a proper restaurant was at the Restaurant du Lac de Bret. Setting of the place was beautiful. We sat by a picture window overlooking the small picturesque lake of Lac de Bret. Seafood was their specialty so it was just natural to order that. It was so fresh that we didn't realise the lobster in the aquarium that greeted us was our dinner! Poor chap but he was delectable. I couldn't remember the name of the dish we had but as you can see above it was served in a cast iron wok. The seafood (lobster, giant prawns, mussels, and langoustine) was steamed/cooked over long grained rice which was in turn cooked in stock and spices. The flavouring was simple and subtle which was meant to bring out the delicious freshness of the seafood. It was very very good ! Don't ask about the price though I don't want to spoil the memory.

We visited the small delightful village of Kandersteg and had a happy 'accident' of being in a small brasserie-like restaurant (Aux Chalet View) where we had nice soups, delish strawberry tart (above), and the traditional Swiss rosti with bratwurst (below). First daughter liked the latter. She said rosti was like hash brown while the sausage (bratwurst) was excellent. It's probably their proximity to Germany why all the sausages we had in Switz, whether from a street stall or a supermarket or a restaurant, were all superb.

I didn't fare well foodie wise, why I didn't even get the chance to taste Swiss wine. A friend said they have excellent 'young' wines which are best to have within a year of bottling as they don't keep well through the years. Never mind I'll make sure my next time will be better.

Virtual Girls' Nightout

Stel of Baby Rambutan invited all bloggers for a virtual girls' night out a few weeks ago. How could one refuse? It's complete sacrilege to break my vow to party at a drop of a hat so here I am sashaying to my dance music ready to drink, eat and be merry at Stel's place. Let's parteh parteh partehhh !!

I want to sing in the karaoke so I better drink up. You know my vocal chords don't work when not lubricated by some alcoholic drink. Hic! And y'all better drink up, too. I don't want any complaints of broken ear drums when I sing. Hehehe! ;) Oh by the way, I brought these treats for us to partake ... care to join us?

Cheers mates!

I've got Sangria and some finger foods - Pinchitos Morunos and Tortilla Chilli Cheese. Actually, I also cooked Albondigas al Azafran (Meatballs with Saffron). But I think I put too much saffron and none of us really liked it. So down the bin it got chucked.

Sangria

1 bottle red wine
2 cups club soda or ginger ale
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup white rum or gin (optional)
slices of unwaxed lemon and/or oranges
chopped fresh fruits (apples, pears, strawberries, pineapples, etc.)
ice cubes

1. Chill red wine and club soda.
2. Combine all liquid ingredients in a jug.
3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
4. Add lemon, chopped fruits, and ice cubes. Serve cold.

Sorry, I overcooked most of this tapas. Actually I forgot it in the oven grill. Good thing it's not completely charred. ;) In the second batch I finally got it right though it got eaten right away that's why only the burnt ones were pictured. But this was really very tasty and I'm sure the Filipino palate would like these. Adapted from Pepita Aris' Spanish Cooking cookbook.


Pinchitos Morunos
(Spicy Moorish Kebabs)

500 g  pork - sliced thinly (or in small cubes - your choice)
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp mild curry
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp paprika
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Mash garlic in a mortar with the salt. Transfer in a container and mix in all the other ingredients except pork. Combine well.
2. Add pork slices and mix well. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Skewer pork pieces in barbecue sticks.
4. Grill in barbecue or oven grill. Cook in high heat for about 4 minutes each side.

This is an appetiser I often see in Mexican or American style restaurants and often have salsa, guacamole, and sour cream instead of chilli con carne. Very easy to make that even my kids can do it.


Chilli Cheese Nachos

plain or ready salted tortilla chips
chilli con carne or salsa
grated cheddar cheese

1. Put tortilla chips in a wide shallow plate or container.
2. Spread evenly the chilli con carne on top.
3. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
4. Grill briefly under a hot oven grill/broiler until cheese is melted. Serve.

IMBB 15: Almond Jelly

Summer is nearly here. Along with the warm weather and easy laid back lifestyle, there is a preponderance of barbecues, salads and cold light desserts. Often we have fruit salad in light syrup. Occassionally we 'garnish' it with some almond jelly. This is a staple in Chinese restaurants especially popular during dimsums. Very easy to make with few ingredients. I normally use agar-agar for this but since I don't have any I adapted the recipe using unflavoured gelatine powder we get from local supermarkets.

This is my entry to the IMBB 15 whose theme is jelly or gelatine. The honor of hosting this edition lies on the lap of Elise of Simply Recipes. I'm looking forward to seeing the other entries and fattening up my file of recipes to try later. :)

[Update] If you'd like to see the round-up of all the entries to this IMBB edition, please click here. Thanks again to Elise for all the hard work.

Almond Jelly with Fruit Cocktail

3 x 11.7 g  (3 tsp) packets of gelatine powder
1 cup hot water
1 cup water
2 cups milk
3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine)
2 tsp almond essence
can of mixed fruit cocktail in syrup

1. Sprinkle gelatine powder in a bowl with the 1 cup hot water. Stir until all of the gelatine is completely dissolved.
2. Add 1 cup water then cool mixture to room temperature.
3. Stir in milk, almond essence, and sugar. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Pour into a wide container or glass baking pan. (I used a glass 13 x 9-inch pan).
5. Cover container and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Cut the set gelatine into cubes - about 1/2-inch square.
7. Place in a big bowl and pour the fruit cocktail with the syrup on it. Mix gently and chill some more. Serve in bowls.

*Note: You may use any combination of canned fruits and/or fresh fruits as long as it is in a light syrup. For the first picture above I used a can of peaches in syrup mixed with sliced fresh grapes and strawberries.

SHF 8: Apricot Lime Cake

Almost didn't make it to this month's Sugar High Friday which is in its 8th edition. I had to email Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess and only found out last Wednesday that this is happening today 20th May and theme is Citrus hosted by Alice of Breadbox. Yikes! I got only 2 days to think of something to do. Good thing I bought the latest Delicious magazine June 2005 issue and there in the last few pages was a cake recipe that piqued my interest. I adapted the said recipe and voila! Here is my entry.

Actually, my previous post of Citrus Trifle would have been perfect. But, oh well, I already posted it here a month ago so had to find another. Since time was of the essence or rather not enough of it, a simple straightforward recipe would be the best answer. And this one did not disappoint at all despite its ease and simplicity of ingredients. Actually I was amazed with the aroma and marvellous blend of taste of the lime and the flour/oil/sugar/apricots. The cake was very moist and soft and sweetened just right with the sharp tang of the lime juice giving it a zing and fabulous whiff. That's why I love these blogging events. It gets me an excuse to try different flavours that I would have been too chicken to try under normal circumstances. I was aiming to use mango here but my local supermarket ran out of the dried stuff. Though, I think apricot did just fine and pineapple would have been great, too.


Apricot Lime Cake

125 g  [3/4 cup] chopped dried apricot or mango or pineapple (reserve a few pieces)
125 g  [1/2 cup] natural yoghurt or sour cream
1/2 cup sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
175 g  [1/2 + 1/3 cup] golden caster sugar (superfine)
175 g  [1 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp] plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs - beaten
zest and juice of 1 lime
100 g  [3/4 cup] icing sugar (confectioner's)
25 g  [1/3 cup] dessicated coconut (may be sweetened)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 2 lb (9 x 5-inch) loaf pan.
2. In a container, sift flour and baking powder. Combine well and set aside.
3. In a bowl, combine sunflower oil and sugar with a whisk.
4. Add in lime zest, lime juice, eggs, yoghurt and apricots. Mix well.
5. Stir in the flour mixture and beat until smooth.
6. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake in oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out in a rack and cool completely.

*For the icing and toppings:

1. Add just enough lime juice to the icing sugar to have a thick but slightly runny icing.
2. Spread on top of the cake and sprinkle dessicated coconut and reserved apricots.

Pork-Chicken Empanada

The last time I made these was about seven years ago. Too long ago that I almost forgot how to flute the edges of the pastry. Obviously this is Spanish in origin, although the Iberian version is more savoury usually with chorizos while this Filipino version is on the sweet side. Made with sweet raisins on the inside and the pastry added with some sugar.

I'd like to think these meat filled pastries are universal. Virtually every region in the world has a version of it. They vary in size and in fillings and obviously called different names but still is essentially the same 'ol thing. Called empanada in Spanish influenced countries and birdie in Scotland. Make them a bit bigger and they are called pasties in Cornwall.

I was supposed to do Stel's chicken empanada but I didn't make it to the supermarket to buy the all important asparagus soup. So I scrounged for a recipe where I had all the ingredients and found Carolina Acosta's handiwork in the Maya Cookfest 1 cookbook. Some things I have to change like omitting the hotdogs (I didn't have them) and increasing the pork and chicken. I did not precook the chicken just cooked them from raw. And as usual reduced the oil and butter. Turned out okay I thought, however, I surmised I should have stuffed more fillings in each parcel.

Pork-Chicken Empanada

*Filling:
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion - chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bacon
1 cup minced pork
1 cup chopped chicken meat
1 cup peeled and diced potato
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup raisins - chopped
2 hardboiled eggs - sliced
chicken stock

*Pastry:
2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
5-6 Tbsp cold water

*For filling:

1. Saute garlic and onion in oil.
2. Stir in the bacon and fry for a few minutes.
3. Add pork, cook in medium heat for about 15 minutes. Mash from time to time to break up meat. Add chicken stock 1-2 Tbsp at a time if the pork is getting too dry.
4. Add seasonings - Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt and pepper.
5. Add chicken, cook in medium heat for a further 10 minutes or until chicken meat is opaque and cooked thru. Again add chicken stock a little at a time if it's getting too dry.
6. Add potatoes, peas, and raisins. Cook until peas and potatoes are cooked through (about 5 minutes). Blend in the butter.
7. Remove from heat and cool.

*For the pastry:

1. Combine well the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter to the flour mixture with pastry cutter or two butter knives until particles are pea-sized.
3. Add water a tablespoon at a time while tossing the flour mixture with a fork until all the flour is moistened and can be formed into a ball. Press the dough ball while turning a few times to incorporate all the flour in.
4. Wrap in plastic cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

*To assemble:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
2. Remove cling film from the dough and flatten with a rolling pin on a floured table or surface and shape into a log. (I usually use greased paper at the bottom and plastic cling film on top)
3. Cut a piece and form into a ball about the size of a golf ball (1-inch in diameter).
4. Flatten on the surface and roll out thinly into more or less a round shape.
5. Put a heaping tablespoon of the filling mixture on the rolled out dough and top with a slice of hard-boiled egg.
6. Pull one end or half of the dough over the other forming a half-circle shape.
7. Seal edges by pinching by hand or with the tines of fork while cutting excess dough in the process. Repeat with the rest of the dough and fillings.
8. Arrange empanadas on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush tops with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tsp milk).
9. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and serve warm or cold.

*Note: You may also deep-fry the empanadas instead of baking.

London Food Bloggers' EB

In case you don't know, EB stands for eyeballing, which means a meeting - you know meeting eye to eye. I got that from other blogging friends who were great bonuses with this obsession called blogging.

Last Saturday, I had a wonderful chance of finally meeting some of these 'bonuses' - 6 foodie bloggers from the London area (well all over UK actually). Johanna of The Passionate Cook was kind enough to provide her kitchen and her house for our gathering. I certainly enjoyed the company, the conversation and of course the food. Not to mention the choice wines which were provided by our lone male member, Andrew of Spitoon. He was gracious enough to educate us on the fine points of wine drinking even of the origins, nuances, and type of food that goes with them. Very educational, indeed. A favourite by everyone was the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. While I also loved the Cava and the sweet dessert wines Johanna provided. For the complete list of what wines we imbibed, please see Andrew's blog.

On to the food, the theme was tapas and antipasti for ease of serving and minimum prep time. In the picture above from upper left to right, top to bottom:

• shaved courgettes antipasti - brought by Jeanne of Cook Sister (I forgot to take a picture of her mushroom ones). They were very nice and refreshing to eat on that sunny day.
• goat's cheese torta - by moi
• chocolate mousse with praline - one of the 3 gorgeous desserts from Keiko of Nordljus
• creme brulee - from Keiko which is probably the best I have ever tasted. It had that right balance of eggyness, creaminess, and sweetness. Truly heavenly.
• cherry tomatoes and mushrooms - by Johanna; great salads on sticks
• pork-chicken emapanada - from me again (will post recipe later)
• tuna-chickpea salad - by Jenny of Pertelote; really yummy one with that great smoky tinge from the paprika
• asparagus wrapped in parma ham with parmesan - from Johanna as well; delightful combination of flavours
• tiramisu - from Keiko again. Love that creamy confection with the Kahlua soaked sponge layer instead of the usual lady fingers

Our food diva from Dublin, Meg of Though Small, It Is Tasty, (since she was just visiting) supplied us with an array of carefully selected breads.

We were quite a varied lot, me from the Philippines, Johanna from Austria, Jeanne from South Africa, Keiko from Japan, Andrew and Jenny the natives :), and Meg from Australia (or is it New Zealand?). I must say I did enjoy meeting them all and (for most of them) being able to put faces to the blogs I read. Thank you all for the food and company and special thank you again to Johanna and her family for putting up with us. As we were leaving there were talks of having another EB this time a picnic probably in the Henley area - Andrew's turf.

Meanwhile, let me post the bread spread I brought. This was an oft requested recipe in the rec.food.cooking usenet group way back when I was a lurker years ago. My interest was piqued enough for me to try it. It was a doddle to make for a really tasty treat for breads and biscuits. Unfortunately, the talented lady who thought up this recipe died a few years ago. Wherever you are Susan Hattie Steinsapir, thank you for sharing this. You have made a lot of people happy and full. :)


Goat Cheese Torta

170 g  goat cheese
115 g  cream cheese
2 Tbsp minced or mashed garlic (at least)
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup finely chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper [optional]

1. Remove rind of goat cheese and mash it. Mix well with cream cheese and garlic. Taste and add salt and ground pepper if preferred.
2. Line a small rounded bowl (about 2-3 cups size) with plastic cling film. Put about 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture into the bowl, pat level.
3. Tip the pesto on top, pat level.
4. Put another 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture on top of the pesto, try to pat level as best you can without mixing it in with the pesto.
5. Put the sundried tomato on top of this, spread evenly.
6. Finally top with the last 1/3 of the goat cheese mixture and pat level again.
7. Cover with another piece of cling film. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
8. To serve, remove the cling film on top and invert onto a serving platter. Carefully remove the other cling film lining its bottom. Decorate with herbs and serve with sliced baguettes or other breads.

Hoisin Chicken

I enjoyed this dish though I can't say the same with my children. You know how children turn up their noses with new flavours. So I had to eat this alone (husby was out of the country) for 3 dinners! If I wasn't careful I'd be crowing already like a rooster!

If you notice, the sauces' measurements all had 1/2 Tbsp with it. It's because I got this from the Australian Women's Weekly's Chinese Cooking Class cookbook. In case you don't know, Aussie tablespoon measurement is 20 ml (4 teaspoons) as opposed to the 15 ml (3 teaspoons) for the US and UK. So it was either I keep the measurements and reduce the water or convert it to the US/UK equivalent and keep the water level the same. I chose the latter because I need enough moisture to cook the broccoli which refuses to cook evenly unless I cover the pan and let it simmer through.


Hoisin Chicken

1 kg  chicken - cut into serving pieces
cornflour
oil for deep frying
2 Tbsp oil
1 inch piece of ginger - peeled and grated
1 medium onion
250gm broccoli - washed and cut into small flowerets
1 red bell pepper - deseeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 x 425 g  can straw mushrooms
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp cooking wine
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup water
2 chicken stock cubes
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp cornflour
2 Tbsp water extra
salt

1. Dissolve 1 Tbsp cornflour in the 2 Tbsp water.
2. Dissolve stock cubes in the water (I use hot water then let it cool down). Add in all ingredients for the sauce - soy sauce, hoisin sauce, wine, vinegar, sesame oil.
3. Dredge chicken in cornflour. Deep fry until golden brown, drain.
4. In a wok, heat 2 Tbsp oil with ginger gently. Once hot and sizzling, add onion; saute for 1-2 minutes.
5. Tip in broccoli, pepper and mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add sauce and cover and simmer until broccoli is cooked through.
7. Mix in the cornflour-water mixture and boil until thick.
8. Add the fried chicken and cook for 2 minutes more. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve.

Orange-Glazed Kamote

Kamote is the Tagalog word for sweet potato. I was thinking of submitting this in the last IMBB where the theme was orange coloured food. This is certainly looks orange, isn't it? Kamote is often served in the Phils. either boiled, fried (with sugar), or sweetened. Here is an orange twist to the usual Matamis na Kamote (sweetened sweet potato) - gee, that sounds really sugary. I found this in my old Kain Na! cookbook by the Maya Kitchen from the Phils. I have to reduce the butter and orange juice 'coz it made the syrup too thin. Really thick syrup does goes well with this one. The procedure also required blanching the kamote which I have no clue why. But I did follow it and discovered that you don't leave them lying around for long after blanching otherwise they will turn black!


Orange-Glazed Kamote

1 kg  kamote (sweet potato) - peeled and sliced into 3/4-inch thickness
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/3 cup orange juice
grated orange zest (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C/fan 140°C/Gas Mark 3. Butter an oven proof baking dish.
2. Boil water and sugar in a saucepan until thick and golden.
3. Stir in butter, orange juice, and orange zest. Bring to boil, remove from heat and set aside.
4. Blanch kamote with boiling water for a few seconds. Drain.
5. Arrange kamote in the buttered baking dish. Pour syrup over them.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until kamote is fork tender while basting with syrup from time to time.

Banana Teabread

Bear with me, I have to include all the recipes I have for using up overripe bananas. Here is another loaf-shaped bread to have with your afternoon tea. It was firm and thus deserve its name 'teabread'. Not too sweet plus the wholesome goodness of wholemeal flour and oatmeal were included. The latter two made it quite filling after only a few slices. I adapted this from my latest cookbook love - the BBC Goodfood Magazine's 101 Cakes and Bakes.


Banana Teabread

175 g  (1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp) plain wholemeal flour
50 g  (1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp) medium oatmeal
100 g  butter - softened
100 g  (1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp) dark muscovado sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 eggs - beaten
100 g  chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Butter the bottom of a 1kg/2lb (9 x 5-inch) loaf pan.
2. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, oatmeal, baking powder, and cinnamon) in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, cream/beat butter and muscovado sugar. Add the eggs and continue beating. Add the mashed banana, mix.
4. Add in the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
5. Stir in the walnuts.
6. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. You may cover the cake with foil halfway through the baking to avoid burning the top.
7. Allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Turn out and cool completely in wire rack.

Sweet and Sour Fish

Now where could the fish be in that picture? You see it? I almost didn't. :lol: It's like a case of 'Where is Wally?'. I had to wade through loads of carrots, bell peppers, and onions to get to the fish. Whichever way it looked, it was good. Though I've heard a chef friend calling this fish (or chicken or pork) marmalade. Whoa! I'm hurt! ;) I still think it is great as long as it's not sickly sweet. This is also called Escabecheng Isda in the Phils.

I spied a couple of fresh looking breams at the Chinese grocery the other day. There and then I decided to make this. Almost any type of white-fleshed fish can be used here: lapu-lapu (grouper), tilapia, pomfret, red snapper, etc. The vegs are really optional, you can have this without the accompanying palaver. The weather was warm enough for me to fry the fish outside in the back garden. I wouldn't dare do it again in the kitchen or else the whole house will stink even with the extractor on. Or maybe I need a more powerful extractor?


Sweet and Sour Fish

1 kg  whole white-fleshed fish - gutted and cleaned
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion - sliced
3 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms [optional]
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup julienned red or green bell pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp salt
oil for frying
extra salt for the fish

1. Make 2 or 3 even spaced slits on the flesh of both sides of the fish. Sprinkle salt all over and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. If using dried mushrooms, soak these in warm water for about 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze water by hand from the mushrooms. Cut off stems and discard. Shred or slice the mushrooms thinly. Set aside.
3. Combine ketchup, vinegar, sugar, water, 1 tsp salt, and cornflour in a bowl, set aside.
4. Heat wok or pan with about 1/2 inch of oil. Pan fry fish in medium heat on both sides until thoroughly cooked and a little crispy. The time for this will vary on how big or thick your fish is. Generally it's about 6-7 minutes each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Arrange on a serving plate and set aside.
5. While your fish is frying, saute the garlic and onion in a separate wok or saucepan until onion is translucent and soft.
6. Add in carrots, bell pepper, and mushrooms (if using). Stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the vinegar mixture and bring to boil. Cook for another minute. Remove from heat and pour on top of the fried fish. Serve warm.

*Variations: Add pineapple chunks or sprinkle some shredded green onions on top.

New Fangled Nutty Loves

'Been very busy man, very busy. But still I gotta blog. And blog I do with these new loves of my snacks. I lurve nuts of almost any kind. I haven't met a nut (the real kind) I didn't like. These new roasted peanuts from KP got me hmmmming while scoffing them down. One is tomato flavoured while the other has cracked black peppers on it. I actually liked the tomato thingie better. Its got this tangy-soury spice that mingles well with the nuttiness of the peanuts as you chomp on it. Have a go. Try it at your nearest supermarkets and groceries.