Not a Chef, but I can Cook!

Blueberry-Lemon-Yogurt Cake Donut

2012-02-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

I was ecstatic when I got my donut cake mold from FG last weekend but was swamped so I didn’t get to try it then. Also I was trying to satisfy my mantou infatuation so I can finally move on to other things. And I finally got the chance today. I have fresh blueberries and lemons and some Greek yogurt to have my cake donut premiere. I wish I have another pan though because this one has six cavities only. That didn’t deter me from doubling my recipe because I know I need to double my production for my GP’s. Thankfully, it only takes 15-18 minutes to bake so wait is not that painful.

The donuts weren't big or dense because I only filled the cavities three quarters full. I should fill them to the brim next time so I'll get puffed ones like this and I was able to achieve this when I spooned the batter to the pan instead of using the ziploc bag.

These donuts are no way similar to the fried ones. The texture is muffin-like and it's just the shape that kind of remind you that it is a donut albeit baked- which is a plus. They came out just the way I imagined and I already have other flavors in mind for my future donuts. Hopefully I can get another pan so I could make more each batch.

Blueberry-Lemon-Yogurt Cake Donuts

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 extra large eggs
1 cup Fage regular Greek yogurt
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup 2% fat milk
zest of one lemon
i cup fresh blueberries sprinkled with 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
juice of one lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325º. Lightly grease donut pans with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, yogurt, oil, milk and lemon zest. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Fold in blueberries gently- avoid crushing so they won't bleed (You can also opt to just add the blueberries on top prior to baking and just push them down gently)
Fill each cavity of the donut pan with the batter using a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with cut out corner to make filling easier
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes in the pans.
Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a thin glaze.
Remove donuts from pans and drizzle glaze on warm donuts. Cool on a wire rack.

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

2012-02-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

I guess bread pudding is now a part of my monthly treat for my friends and co-workers. I got another batch of bread for that purpose and it doesn’t get tiring because there are so many ways and flavors you can make so the pudding comes out delicious and always exciting. It was a hit when I did a part 2 of my version of Mother’s Bread Pudding a couple of weeks ago. I should be able to lay a claim on making bread pudding and pardon my conceit but I see and I’ve seen how it constantly pleases the people I serve it to. That makes me really happy!

So this time I incorporated the caramel apple aspect to my pudding. I used organic gala apples (because that’s what I have in the fridge); 2% fat milk; light brown sugar, eggs, sourdough and wheat bread cubes and cinnamon flavored applesauce.

I didn’t know flavored applesauce is available in the market- must have been forever but I just didn't know. It really worked for me because then I didn’t have to add cinnamon or vanilla extract to the mix.

This pudding has easier and simpler steps:

First you need:
5 cups stale bread, cut into cubes (sourdough or wheat)
3 cups apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
6 extra large eggs
4 cups 2% fat milk
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
2 cups unsweetened applesauce (I used cinnamon flavored so I didn't have to add cinnamon or vanilla)
butter to grease the pan
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (if using regular applesauce)

Procedure:
* Cut the bread in small uniform cubes (so they absorb the custard mix evenly) and place in a big mixing bowl
* Prepare the custard mix (whisk together the eggs, applesauce, milk and brown sugar)
* Pour the custard mix over the bread cubes and with clean hands mix together. Make sure every piece is soaked in custard and discard tough pieces of bread.
* Peel, core and chop the apples in small pieces and fold into the pudding mix
* Let stand for an hour to allow the flavors to really meld together
* Bake in buttered pan or baking dish for 50 minutes to an hour (or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean) uncovered at 350 degrees F.
* Serve warm with caramel sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce on top

For the caramel sauce, I used store-bought dulce de leche- it is a time-saving alternative to the real deal and not lacking in taste.

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Mántóu (蠻頭): mission accomplished

2012-02-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

It is the day of realization of almost a week-long mántóu dream. The sudden interest came about when it was posted @SKitchen. Those are pretty green and white mantou rolls. So these are steamed rolls which can either be filled or just plain rolls to eat with savory dishes or dish. I planned on making mine with red bean filling and pandan as well. But when I was ready to try and make it, the site seemed to be down and I didn’t bookmark the poster’s blog site to check her recipe.

I had to search somewhere else and I found something that really made my mouth water. Just regular mántóu but fried right after steaming then dipped in condensed milk. OH EM GEE! I just have to make it. And I found another recipe which is very simple and promises mántóu that never goes hard or chewy even when cold. So all that’s left is to execute because I already found a recipe that will enable me to eat it soonest!

With no regard for the aesthetic, I just went about with the task like I was on a mission. I made unevenly shaped and cut mantou thinking I don’t need any fancy shapes; I just want texture and taste. I will delve into beauty and uniformity next time when I have calmed down and my sudden craving is sated.

And then came the tasting part. I was tingling with excitement as I broke one piece in half. Oh the texture is what I hoped it would be- so tender and when I dipped it in condensed milk- alleluia! My mouth was euphoric. I should just cut/make/shape them into small rectangular chunks next time so there will be no creases or folds when I eat them. But altogether, it is so delicious.

For the filled ones, I used the lechon meat we have from a birthday party which I just shredded and slathered with my special sauce. Lazy I just did three – no need to make so many buns because this is only experimental.

But wow! This is almost the same as the siopao I used to make but I have forgotten how to- I mean, the measurements of flour and yeast. So this will be my standard recipe for steamed buns from here on! Mántóu mission: accomplished!

I love weekends!

2012-02-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Weekends are awesome! I get to do more personal stuff especially in the kitchen. It is also when I discover new products when I do my grocery shopping.

Look what I found!

Just imagine creamy cheddar cheese with dark chocolate curls- I'm digging it! It's not like Nutella and cream cheese. It's a whole different concoction from Trader Joe's and I tried it with whole grain crackers- delicioso!

Just because they are cute .... and food related! Cool wind up toys in the clearance section at Joanne's- soda pop, milk, ice cream and a little crab.

Duff's lollipop sprinkles and cute cupcake liners

And the biggest surprise of all - one of my wishes is finally granted by another fairy godmother!

Cake donut mold! I know there are only six cavities and just one pan but I'm happy! That just made my weekend. Can't wait for our stash of baking ingredients in the mail. Me and K shopped online yesterday and went a little crazy. She actually uttered "there's no turning back" ha ha ha....

Chocolate Banana Birthday Cake

2012-01-31T21:39:00.000-08:00

It is the usual moist and scrumptious banana cake that I make whenever I'm so inclined or craving or begged but I made it for a co-worker's birthday- the first birthday cake I made for this year. The original plan is to make tres leches cake which is R's favorite but I was so busy with other things in the kitchen so I decided on plan B which is chocolate banana cake with cream cheese frosting. This has always been a crowd pleaser and one of my trusted go-to cakes especially when I'm swamped and .

Chocolate Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed
juice of 1 small lemon
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Frosting
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Garnish options:
chopped walnuts
grated dark chocolate
chocolate ganache drizzle
cocoa balls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275°F

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 pan

Sift together all the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and unsweetened cocoa powder- set aside

Next, add lemon juice to the bananas and mash. This prevents the bananas from browning.

Cream together sugar and butter

Add eggs one at a time

Stir in vanilla extract

Add flour mix in three additions

Alternating with buttermilk

Add mashed bananas and stir

Pour the batter into the prepared greased/buttered pan and spread evenly

Bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer straight to the freezer to chill for an hour before frosting. This will make the cake very moist and easier to frost. You can either release the cake from the pan to frost the sides as well or just the top like I normally do. That saves frosting and time of course.

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Add confectioner's sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
Spread on cooled cake.
You can either sprinkle chopped walnuts after frosting or sprinkle grated dark chocolate or drizzle with chocolate ganache.

Notes:

* I used leftover frosting from my matcha tea angel food cheesecake; leftover chocolate ganache and sprinkled Trader Joe's cocoa pearls on top

* I was not able to take pictures when the cake was served because it was gone too fast and all I was able to take is picture of the empty pan

Encore! Lettuce wraps...

2012-01-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

After the little break we had from fish and chicken with the beef and veggie lettuce wraps for dinner last night, we are back to the somewhat healthy track. Lettuce wraps again which turned into dinner instead of merely an appetizer. Don't you ever go through that phase after eating something really tasty? It feels like you want to eat the same thing again; try it in different ways until something new takes you to another food trip.

So we had an encore sort of tonight and this time, I used ground turkey. I made a couple of changes too like using jicama instead of water chestnuts. Well actually, it's because I'm out of water chestnuts. Jicama has become a semi-regular in our fruit basket (although it't not really a fruit) and solely for salad purposes. I love it with cucumber and chopped Romaine lettuce with my Dijon-lemon dressing. The perfect accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken breast. It will provide that crunch which is vital to the dish and I used chopped cilantro for good measure.

Whoa, it tastes even better than what we had last night. I always think of turkey as bland but with the right spices and herbs, it tastes so good and the cilantro gives that fresh taste that it's hard to stop eating wrap after wrap after wrap

This is the bomb! Still didn't have butter lettuce and used iceberg lettuce so there's more room for the filling. K asked me what we serve it with- and I told her nothing. It is already a whole meal for me.

Matcha Tea Angel Food Cheesecake with Red Bean Filling

2012-01-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

I wish I could have done this the proper way- complete step by step pictures and better presentation. But I must confess I wasn't thinking when I made it. It just happened! I suggested this to K as her new weekend project but I guess she's busy with something else and from out of the blue, I just felt like making it and I did. It caught some attention when I posted a couple of pictures @S and now I have to fulfill my commitment to post the recipe for the cake- all in one post.

This cake needs a little planning especially if you are making it for the first time. Such is the case when making layer cakes. Just reading the recipe would seem discouraging but trust me, if you make the cakes separately as well as the frosting and the red bean filling, you will realize it's not that difficult at all and the delicious end-result after all the hard work is priceless.

The cake is an assembly of half of the angel food cake at the bottom with sweet red beans spread over then topped with regular cheesecake then another layer of red beans before finally putting the other half of the angel food cake on top. Cream cheese frosting keeps/binds the scrumptious layers together. So that when it's ready for the taking and you take that first bite- you get matcha tea softness of the angel food cake then red beans followed by the creamy cheese cake then red beans again and ending with what you started with- matcha tea angel food cake. That is if you're good at it and able to taste all everything in one big bite.

So let's start with the sweet red bean filling. Left over can be stored in the fridge for future use (i.e. ice cream topping; dorayaki or taiyaki filling; shave ice ingredient, etc.)

Sweet Red Beans

Ingredients:
3 cups red beans
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Procedure:
Soak red beans in tap water overnight (I changed the water about four times)
Make sure the beans are fully covered with water about three inches on top
Boil in clean water over medium high heat
Add sugar when the beans are starting to soften
Lower the heat and stir every so often to make sure it's not sticking at the bottom
It should be done when the beans are tender and it has thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and cool completely before storing in the fridge

Time to make the cheesecake

Cheesecake

Ingredients:
3 8-oz pkgs cream cheese - room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla
3 extra large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream

Method:

Cream together cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch with mixer.
Add eggs and vanilla - beating until smooth.
Add cream & beat in just until combined - don’t overmix.
Pour into one of prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes - watching closely near end of baking time. Cool at room temperature, then place in refrigerator for about 2 hours. Run knife around outer edge, tapping pan to remove cheesecake onto the palm of your hand. Chill in refrigerator while making the angel food cake.

Matcha Tea Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup egg whites, room temp
1 cup cake flour
1 tbsp warm water
1 cup caster sugar, divided
1 tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp matcha (Japanese green tea) powder

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 325F.
In a small bowl, whisk and sift together (4 times) ½ cup caster sugar, matcha tea powder and the cake flour-set aside.
Beat egg whites until frothy, then add warm water, cream of tartar and salt.
Beat until fully incorporated then begin to add the remaining ½ cup of sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
Continue beating the egg whites to soft peaks (achieved when the egg whites look like soft waves and the peaks should drop back down into the batter when you lift the beaters. If the batter is falling in ribbons, it’s not ready. Do not beat all the way to stiff peaks though.
Add the vanilla extract and beat for a few seconds more till evenly distributed.
Sift the flour/matcha tea/sugar mixture over the rest of the egg whites in 6-8 additions and gently fold it in after each addition.
Transfer into an un-greased spring form pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Gently tap pan on the counter top to ensure that there are no large bubbles lurking beneath the surface.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Allow to cool completely and gently run a thin knife around the sides, then around the bottom, of the pan to release the cake.

Notes:

* Never open the oven door while baking the angel food cake- well, you can after 30 minutes when it's time to turn the pan around.

* I always put the cake in the freezer straight from the oven and let it cool there before releasing from the pan. It makes the cake more tender and makes it easier to slice.

* Freezing the cake prior to frosting also helps to achieve smoother and crumb-less icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz pkg cream cheese - softened
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add sugar and salt, then cream & vanilla. Continue to beat until smooth and it forms peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the cake:

First, divide the cake using a serrated knife. Place half of angel food cake onto a big plate and the other half in another- set aside. Spread red bean evenly on the bottom part. Carefully place the cheesecake on top; spread some more red beans top before placing the other half of the matcha tea angel food cake. Spread the cream cheese frosting on top and sides of the cake. Store in refrigerator until firm before serving.

Beef and Veggie Wrap

2012-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

This is one dish I didn't even plan to make today. I just opened the fridge and surveyed the contents trying to figure out what to make after a week of fish, pasta, chicken, salad and brown rice. I saw ground beef left over from the kimchi fried rice yesterday for a visiting friend. I can't think of anything else to make that requires vegetables but an Asian inspired wrap- quick and delicious.

I prepared my onion, garlic and water chestnuts (so glad to find a can in the cabinet) while I brown the ground beef in the pan.

I just let the fat render as I brown and break the beef then discarded all the beef fats. Next I added the chopped onion and and sauteed until translucent; added soy sauce; followed by the rest of the ingredients: garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

I added a little water to add moisture before I added the water chestnusts and the carrots. Gently toss together with a tong or shake the pan and allow the steam to cook the veggies but only for a few minutes. Do not overcook- you don't want a veggie wrap with soggy veggies.

Add the chopped spring onion last and transfer to a serving bowl

You need butter lettuce or Boston Bibb to wrap the veggies but I only have hearts of Romaine which works as well.

The dipping sauce is a combination of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic-chili paste, sesame oil and chopped spring onion. As you can see, the Romaine lettuce is not as wide so it's more like beef and veggie folds ha ha ha

The taste of course is what makes it. I'll use ground chicken or turkey next time.

The search for the perfect brown rice

2012-01-28T16:20:00.000-08:00

It is officially over- today! Yes, I found the perfect short grain brown rice. It is chewy, it is nutty, just my kind of brown rice. I guess it is also partly because of the way I cooked it. Well, brown rice is not that easy to make if you don't have that special kind of rice cooker like K has. It has the tendency to become mushy because of prolonged cooking and it ends up bland and just not my type of rice. I came across a recipe in the internet which is very easy and foolproof. The trick is to cook it like pasta although it takes much longer. First step is to boil water in a non-stick pot; add the brown rice which is washed with tap water. Stir once then just allow it to cook for 30 minutes. Just be wary of the time; no need to stir it further if using non-stick pot. After that, pour the rice to a wire strainer to drain then put the rice back to the pot. Put the lid back and just allow the steam to finish the cooking process. Isn’t that easy?

The rice didn’t get mushy even as it mingled with the baby spinach salad on my plate. That was lunch by the way. I used up my left over grapes, fresh mozzarella, Panela cheese, Roma and mini heirloom tomatoes to build my salad with balsamic vinaigrette which I also made from scratch.

I made a marinade consisting of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper, garlic paste, red pepper flakes, chopped spring onions, chopped cilantro and rice wine vinegar. There bathed the beautiful salmon for an hour before I seared both sides in the pan. I then finished it off in the oven for ten minutes.

And here goes my my salmon and baby spinach and tomato salad- to match my perfect brown rice.

Fish tales

2012-01-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

It's all about fish fillet. For almost two weeks now, I've been having fish fillets in our menu. It is so versatile that you can do anything with it and to it. Grill, fry, poach, steam, bake- name it. And with it goes vegetables, pasta, rice, bread or by itself. It is quick-fix, no-fuss, easy to cook and yet you can also take it to another level by making fancy sauces to make it restaurant style. In fact, you can even do a better job in terms of taste and flavor even if plating and presentation is not that great. Hmmm seems like I'm justifying my lack of plating and presentation skills. Anyway, I'm leaning towards healthier ways to prepare food so out with rich sauces and just keep it simple with lots of vegetables if I could.

Monday dinner: Baked Catfish

First I cut each fillet in two then season with Creole seasoning (Zatarain’s)
Prepare the vegetables – button mushrooms, red and green bell peppers and sweet onion
Heat two rounds of canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the onions and allow to cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms and season with a little salt and pepper. Sauté until soft. Transfer to a baking dish and spread evenly.
Arrange catfish fillets on top, drizzle with a tablespoon of canola oil and cover with aluminum foil
Bake in the preheated oven 375 degrees F for 20 minutes
Meanwhile, sauté the bell peppers in the skillet used for sautéing the onions and mushrooms- just until it softens
Remove the baked catfish from the oven, take off the aluminum foil and spread the bell peppers on top. Return the fish into the oven uncovered and bake for an additional five minutes just to allow the bell pepper flavors to mingle with the fish.
Garnish with lemon slices and serve with brown rice

Tuesday dinner: Baked Tilapia

I seasoned the fillets with Lawry's seasoned salt; sautéed sliced onion until soft which served as the bedding for the fish in the baking pan
Then I blanched sliced carrots and haricot verts separately in salted water; drained all excess water then lightly season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Scatter over the fish, cover with aluminum foil and bake until fish becomes opaque and flaky for about 18-20 minutes. (It cooks faster when doing individual serving-takes longer when quantity is doubled or more)

I just love the crunch of the veggies and the flaky but moist fish. There's that certain sweetness when all the ingredients are fresh. Come to think of it, the flavors do come through because there is no rich sauce to overpower it.

Wednesday dinner: Mostaccioli and Roasted Asparagus with Grilled Salmon

It is my take on a recipe I found on the internet Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter but I used mostaccioli pasta. It is similar in cut to penne but it has a smooth surface. The recipe calls for sugar in the balsamic vinegar reduction but I figured it is already sweet even without sugar so I skipped that. I also used my TJ's garlic olive oil instead of butter.

This skinny bottle of goodness is my current favorite and it works wonders on veggies, pasta and you can even use this on bread.

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if preferred)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 lb mostaccioli pasta
garlic olive oil
grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer until it reduces to about 3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat.
Cook the pasta in salted water.
Drain the pasta and toss with the garlic olive oil, balsamic vinegar and asparagus Top with grated Parmesan cheese before serving

Gung Hay Fat Choy or Kung Hei Fat Choy

2012-01-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

Whatever it is- it's a favorite holiday of mine although I don't have a drop of Chinese blood flowing in my veins which means we don't really celebrate the occasion. But it doesn't mean I can't partake of some of the goodies they have- coz' I have connections ha ha ... so I get my yearly tikoy or rice cake fix. I was surprised with red bean rice cake last year by my Taiwanese co-worker/friend. Today, I got something really special from K who incidentally hails from Hong Kong. It belongs to the rice cake family but this one needs no frying.

K told me it's ready to eat but I can warm it up by steaming if I prefer. I was so excited to find out how it taste. I saw the top sort of cracked when I opened the lid and noticed the toppings. After a bite I started to decode what's in it and if I'm correct, it has chestnuts and red beans. It's perfectly sweet- which means my kind of sweet. Not too much which makes it dangerous because, had it been sweeter, I wouldn't get another slice. It is delicious and has that custard like taste but with rice cake texture of course which is good.

Now I have another reason for liking Chinese New Year and looking forward to it. And to make today even more special, our Kimchi Chronicles dvd finally came so I can watch it already and I know I'll get a lot of inspiration from it.

to be continued

Saturday baking plans fulfilled

2012-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

During the week I toyed with the idea of making a healthier version of baklava- prompted by the Mediterranean lunch we had at work. I liked it because it was perfectly flaky but could have loved it with less honey. I told myself I will make my version come Saturday.

I have a co-worker who brings bread from Panera whenever his friend who works there gives him unsold batch- and I mean enough to feed a battalion. But these are artisan breads that work not only for those who indulge but more so for the creative. This type is not for people who are used to soft and buttery rolls and tender loaves of bread. When this gourmet lot becomes kind of hard and you don’t know what to do to soften it, more often than not, it is left attended for the molds. And what a waste! I have an idea how to avoid that catastrophe and the result will be something my co-workers will truly enjoy. Bread pudding! And that will be my other project along with baklava.

So today my plans came to fruition and I'm just so happy to share what I made in the kitchen. I got sourdough and French baguettes which I cubed and lightly toasted before doing the whole bread pudding ritual. I did save the 3-cheese demi because the aroma didn’t seem to belong. It is best used for a sandwich.

And that was my lunch. Because it was so cold in the kitchen, it became even harder so I sliced the bread about half an inch thick, slathered both with my clarified butter (prepared for my baklava) then I assembled it into a sandwich with Romaine lettuce, mini yellow heirloom tomatoes-only because I ran out of Romas, rotisserie chicken and fresh mozzarella cheese. I also sprinkled the top with 21 seasoning salute. Who needs to go to Panera? It was so good and the bread really came to life with the clarified butter.

It is more inspiring to bake when you’re full and sated. Trust me!
So on to my bread pudding with my happy tummy.

Ingredients:
1 lb sourdough or wheat bread, cubed and lightly toasted
8 cups half and half
2 cups granulated sugar
a dozen eggs, beaten
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter
maple syrup for glazing
3 cups fruit cocktail, drained

Pour the beaten eggs over the cooled bread cubes

Then mix with your loving clean hands
Add the drained fruit cocktail and continue to gently mix with your hands

While doing that, simmer half and half- about 8 cups with 2 cups of sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 sticks of unsalted butter and two teaspoons of pure vanilla

Pour over the bread and egg mixture, gradually lest you turn it into French toast if you cook the eggs with sudden heat
Mix with your hands, gently so as not to mush the fruit cocktail. This is also the time to feel for still hard or tough bread pieces to soak more in the custard mix to soften. Let the mix sit for an hour or so before baking.

Proceed to the next task which is baklava
First, I pulsed walnuts and almonds together in a blender

Then mixed the nuts with a little brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg

Next, I made my simple syrup which is granulated sugar, water, just a tablespoon of honey and juice of one small lemon.

I wish I took a better picture of this. Here’s the result anyway

Earlier I clarified my butter which is what makes my baklava a little different and less sinful. Edit: I thought clarifying the butter makes the cholesterol go away- what a misconception! My dietitian gfs told me otherwise. But it still classifies as a healthy ingredient if used sparingly. Oh well... at least it was good on the sugar content.

Now everything’s ready and I have to prepare my Phyllo dough, I mean-take it out of the box. I am not that ambitious to make my own. Maybe I could if it’s to save the life of someone dear to me ha ha ha.

I didn’t realize how wide and long this Phyllo dough is till I took it out of the plastic bag. I had to cut it in two and used only half of it. I initially planned to do triangles but lazy me opted to do rolls when I saw that it still didn’t fit my pan. I had to cut the extra 1 ½ inch from each roll to make them fit so I have bite size rolls in the last row.

I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes then cut through the rolls with a serrated knife (four each row) while it is still hot. Then I poured my simple syrup over. Cutting the baklava before pouring the syrup so it will penetrate each slice but not necessarily drenching it which is what I want to avoid.
Let it sit and soak for a while before sampling.

Now it’s time to finish the bread pudding. I buttered my pans then ladled the mix about ¾ full then baked them for 50-80 minutes depending on the thickness of the pudding. When I made it for the first time, I made the maple sauce as substitute for the bourbon sauce but this time, I just brushed some on the top just to give it a maple-y, glossy finish.

Results:
I am not a big fan of baklava but I was able to accomplish my goal- to make it less sinful and sweet but not so sweet. And I got a thumbs-up from one of my cousins who is a baklava fan.

There’s no mystery to unravel in the bread pudding – I made it so many times in different ways and flavors. But as they say, the result of the pudding is in the eating so we’ll see on Monday.

Fish in a pouch

2012-01-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

"Filete Empapelote" or "fish in a pouch". Fish fillet the likes of tilapia, sea bass, swai or any firm white fish is seasoned then wrapped in aluminum foil or parchment paper then baked for 18-20 minutes or depending on the size and thickness of the fish. Onions, tomatoes, shallots, bell peppers or spring onion may be included in the pouch along with a creamy sauce with Cajun seasoning or just paprika, salt and pepper and lemon juice. The list of possibilities is endless- whatever your heart desires.

But in conjunction with my somewhat healthy eating mode, I didn't make any rich sauce for the swai fillets. Instead, I just whisked olive oil, parsley flakes, salt and pepper together to brush on each fillet then I sprinkled 21 seasoning salute on top.

Served with lime slices (I ran out of lemon) it was another guilt-free dinner with the veggie rotini (flavored with spinach, tomato and beet) I made. That also didn't have any sauce. Just tossed with heirloom tomatoes which I wilted in garlic olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes then topped with fresh mozza.

For my salad fix, I had grilled chicken salad for lunch from EPL which is basically a mix of shredded iceberg and Romaine lettuce, pico de gallo salsa, corn, cilantro, Cotija cheese, tortilla chips with creamy cilantro lime dressing. Their grilled chicken for their salad is too salty for my taste so I had to order an extra chicken breast for my meat. Nothing beats home made salad but... well.. can't have it all the time.

Fruity Baby Spinach Salad

2012-01-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

Salad everyday

That is the plan. So far I’ve been consistent in having it in my daily meals. Tonight is no different. I have baby spinach with strawberries, grapes and Roma tomatoes with raspberry vinaigrette for my fruity baby spinach salad topped with crumbled Panela cheese. Panela cheese is one of the most popular fresh cheeses in Mexico. I love it because it is mild, creamy and not as salty as feta cheese- perfect for salads.

Fruity Baby Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag pre-washed baby spinach
3 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
2 cups grapes, halved

For the dressing:

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp raspberry preserves, seeds removed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Whisk together in a glass bowl and pour over salad.
Store left over in the fridge for future use

Paired with my fresh and fruity salad is roasted Cornish hen- again. This is the second installment from the six-pack we got from Costco. They’re sitting in the fridge lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and just awaiting for further action. I could just grill or bake them and they pair well with any salad. Saturday was honey mustard and lemon juice marinade; this time it is balsamic-Dijon mustard marinade with a little soy sauce and red pepper flakes. I oven roasted the birds for an hour and a half on low so that the meat is really tender and juicy. If you noticed, my marinades can be used in fish as well and has that salad dressing aspect. I love balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard- I like mustard in any form, actually. For the marinade I used

1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup canola or olive oil

Make sure to pat dry the chicken
Whisk all the ingredients together, pour over chicken and marinade for two hours before roasting.

I didn't blog about dinner last night because I was busy watching my homeboys against the Mavs. I was so happy ugly as the game was. A win is a win no matter how ugly it is and it really made my Monday. It's the first time since the season started that I really sat down to watch the game. I guess part of it was because I wanted to see how the crowd will welcome LO at Staples in another uniform. It was so emotional. He was given a standing O which he deserves and I can't help but tear up. I know he was touched by the love- it was evident and so much more when DFish hugged him. And it was DFish's night again as he shot the winning three-pointer.

Oh and by the way, dinner last night was grilled salmon and some left over apple-broccoli slaw.

More dishes to close the weekend

2012-01-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

It really is a productive weekend for me as far as cooking is concerned. To recap, I started the day with vegetable frittata yesterday; followed by sweet and savory empanadas. Then in the evening, I roasted a cornish hen which I marinated in olive oil, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice and cracked black pepper.

I also made seared tilapia fillets seasoned with soy sauce, lemon juice, black pepper and tarragon.

Then today, I made spaghetti and roasted eggplant and chicken salad which is chicken breast meat, Fuji apples, sweet onion, celery and dried cranberries. My dressing is mayo, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, cracked black pepper, sugar and salt.

My sous chef peeled and cubed so much apples so I added some to my broccoli slaw. Now I pronounce it broccoli-apple slaw ha ha. It is a wonderful addition because it gave the slaw more flavor and zing.

And it paired beautifully with my last dish for the day and the weekend- baked sea bass in lemon-garlic and clarified butter sauce which I served with left over pasta from lunch.

Honestly, I didn't feel tired at all while I was at it- making all the dishes. But now, as the day ended, I suddenly am.... hmmm bad bad bad.... should look ahead to another week and start it with positive energy. It's back to work tomorrow. Thank God for a wonderful job that makes all my kitchen adventures possible.

Good night everyone!

Spaghetti with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

2012-01-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

I bought some beautiful eggplants yesterday and I was thinking of making eggplant parmigiana but decided against it because I want to make something I haven't done before. Something fresh and simple and I think roasting the eggplant and adding fresh tomatoes and herbs and spices will make it a nice spaghetti topping. See, meatless; cheese-less equals healthy.

Ingredients:
2 eggplants quartered then chopped into small pieces
3 large Roma tomatoes, diced
1 big sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 splashes of red wine vinegar
olive oil
kosher salt to taste
fresh basil, chopped
fresh flat top parsley, chopped
whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente

Procedure:

Drizzle olive oil on diced eggplant, toss

Spread in a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes or until soft over 400 degrees F. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a big pan or skillet and saute the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds

Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar and stir making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.

Dump the roasted eggplant into the pan with the diced tomato and chopped basil

Bring the mixture to a simmer while cooking the pasta.

So there, my spaghetti and roasted eggplant and tomatoes are ready for our hungry mouths. I can't believe how fast it disappeared. The eggplants are perfectly roasted and the red wine vinegar gave it that fresh and somewhat sweet lift which marries well with the red pepper flakes and fresh basil. It was a wise decision to go simple today. My family enjoyed the lunch immensely.

Vegetable Frittata and Empanadas

2012-01-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

Still on the somewhat healthy eating path so I started the day with a mug of cereal, milk and a banana. Hmmm.... I thought I haven't had this one. Should have chosen the pomegranate and blueberries. Not saying this one's bad- just not new to my taste.

Extending it further to somewhat healthy cooking path, I made vegetable frittata as in vegetable frittata. I even skipped the cheese and used just a splash of 2% fat milk. Frittata is basically omelet except that it is not folded and cooked really slow in an iron skillet if possible because the cooking normally ends in the oven. It is thick and loaded with vegetables, meat and cheese and sliced like quiche upon serving. It doesn't mean you cannot improvise in the absence of an iron skillet like in my case. Now it brings back memories of the one I bought which was mistakenly retired from the kitchen without ever being used- not even once. Going back to my frittata- I skipped the meat and the cheese and came up with a somewhat healthy but delicious version.

Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchini, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 large Hawaiian sweet onion, chopped
6 eggs, beaten and splashed with 2% fat milk and seasoned with a dash of salt and pepper
fresh curly parsley, chopped
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Canola oil

Heat 2-3 rounds of canola oil in a skillet (I used a non-stick pan)
Sauté onion and season with salt and pepper
Add the rest of the vegetables (except the parsley)when the onion becomes translucent
Toss together and adjust the seasoning if needed
Pour the beaten eggs on top and shake to let it seep all the way to the bottom
Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top
Make sure to turn down the heat and let it dry up and cook very slowly
Slide the frittata to a serving platter if using a non-stick pan like me, otherwise, finish cooking in the oven by turning on the broiler, just enough to fully cook the top and give it a light crust
Slice into wedges and serve with toast.

Sweet & Savory Empanadas

I want to share with you a healthier version of empanada dough and I swear to you, you will not think again of frying your empanadas. You will have flaky and not-oil laden empanadas with only a few ingredients and very simple steps.

For the dough

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
6 eggs

Method:
Sift together the dry ingredients, set aside
In a large bow, whisk together oil and eggs
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture
Stir together using a wooden spoon till it turns into a dough
The dough should be soft although a little bit sticky
Transfer the dough into a floured work surface
Knead the dough until it becomes soft and pliable
Easy on adding flour lest it becomes tough resulting in a hard crust
Poke the dough with your fingers, it should be done when your fingers come out clean and the dough springs back
Cut the dough into little balls and flatten with a rolling pin before filling

I used chicken with potatoes, raisins and green peas for the savory empanadas and peach and mango for the sweet ones.

Chicken Empanada

Ingredients:
one large chicken breast, boiled in seasoned water, shred into pieces
2 small pkg raisins
1 cup green peas
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup potatoes, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp canola oil

Method:
Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat
Saute the onion until translucent
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant
Add the potatoes and soy sauce and cook until tender, adding some of the chicken broth from boiling
Stir in chicken, raisins and green peas
Season with fresh cracked black pepper
Turn down the heat and just let it dry completely
Transfer to a plate and allow to cool

To make the empanada:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Flatten the dough with a rolling pin
Spoon chicken filling off center of the dough
Fold the other half of the dough over
Using a dough cutter or a knife, cut the sides and shape it into a half circle
Using the fork tines, press the edges gently to seal
Repeat the same to and arrange each empanada in a baking sheet lined with un-greased parchment paper, I made 9 for each tray
Brush the tops with egg wash (1 egg slightly beaten with 2 tbsp water)
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until light golden brown. I check the bottom if it's brown which also means it's done.

Mango-Peach Empanada

Ingredients:
2 ripe Indian mangoes, peeled and chopped into little pieces
1 can yellow cling peaches, chopped in the same size as the mangoes
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup water

Method:
In a saucepan over medium high heat, place the mangoes, peaches,brown sugar and water
Allow to simmer until the fruits are tender
Add the old fashioned oats and stir
Cook for another two minutes or until the oats softens
Transfer to a plate and allow to cool

Use the same method in filling and baking the chicken empanada. I opt to cut the dough into squares so I have rectangular empanadas just to distinguish one from the other.

I'm in the zone today I guess, I still have two items but that will be on another post. It's fun making food the somewhat healthy way :-)

The somewhat healthy eating phase

2012-01-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

It's not a New Year's resolution. Didn't I say I don't have any? It's a phase in a cycle of eating habits that goes from bad to good and back; from careless to healthy or should I say- somewhat healthy. Greens, grains, fibers, white meat, fish and fruits make up the whole repertoire. It doesn’t mean I’ll stop making stuff that titillates the mouth if only to satisfy the urge to cook or bake to share and to please.

So breakfast is back to three choices: oatmeal, cereal, fruit and yogurt when pressed for time. At home on weekends can be more creative- vegetable frittata or egg white omelet with tofu and fresh herbs. Salad is the star of the hour and can be at the center stage for lunch stretching till dinner.

I love pasta so I’m not totally avoiding it. In fact, for dinner I just made some but I made sure it’s whole wheat and it’s loaded with fresh vegetables. I added spicy chicken sausage slices and grated fresh Parmesan cheese for more flavors. I oven roasted zucchini, bell pepper, sweet onion, mini heirloom tomatoes and button mushrooms and just tossed them with the pasta with just the natural juices of the veggies and garlic olive oil giving moisture to the dish.

Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne

Ingredients:
1 large Hawaiian sweet onion, cut into wedges
6 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise then chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 pkg spicy chicken sausages, sliced
1 pkg whole-grain penne rigate, (make sure to reserve 1/2 cup pasta water)
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet or Pyrex dish and roast for about 30 minutes, occasionally tossing the vegetables. In another bowl, toss together the heirloom tomatoes, a little salt and black pepper and the remaining olive oil then add to the the rest of the vegetables halfway through roasting.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute until cooked through. Add the vegetables and the pasta and toss together. The vegetables should have juices in the pan which will moisten the pasta. Add the pasta water if needed. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

I'm bringing this pasta to work tomorrow with my broccoli slaw. Too bad I didn't take any picture. It's time to feed my GP's. Yesterday was Jen's turn with her vegetarian chili and cheesy sweet corn bread. Healthy or not, we share, we feed, we please!

Simple Salmon

2012-01-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

Just recently, I was asked what do with salmon fillets or how I want my salmon; what's my favorite salmon recipe? First off, it should be fresh so that even cooked in the simplest way; it is guaranteed to please even the pickiest palate. No one wants dry salmon. You can plate and garnish it beautifully but it will be revealed the moment you take your first bite if your fish is not done properly. I don't claim to cook the perfect salmon but so far, I've learned how to make it moist and delicious through simple steps and simple ingredients. Fresh is the word and with just one particular herb- I’m good to go with my quick and easy marinades which comes in three options.

Option 1
fresh lemon juice
Kikkoman soy sauce
fresh cracked black pepper
kosher salt
fresh rosemary

Method
Whisk together all the ingredients and marinate the fish before searing in the pan. The skin is crispy and the meat is so moist. I use non-stick pan and a mixture of canola and olive oil.

Option 2
balsamic vinegar
soy sauce
fresh cracked black pepper
kosher salt
fresh rosemary

Method
Whisk together all ingredients
Quick-marinate the fish in the mixture
Heat canola/olive oil mix in the pan
Sear the fish on both sides for two-five minutes depending on the thickness of the fish
Pour the marinade and just simmer the fish over medium low heat until cooked through

A dark crust will form outside the fish as the balsamic vinegar caramelizes but it's not bitter at all if you use a non-stick pan. It looks like blackened salmon but it's the balsamic vinegar that gives it a dark color. Inside is nothing short of moist deliciousness.

I was lucky to find beautiful salmon fillets on sale over the weekend but I only made it two-ways. Option 1 and 2. Funny but I forgot about option 3- I just remembered it now as I'm typing this ha ha. Kinda reminded me that I haven't had it forever. Now I feel like taking another trip to Vons to get more salmon.

Option 3
canola or olive oil
kosher salt
fresh Lemon juice
soy sauce
Dijon mustard

Method
Whisk together all ingredients then pour the mixture over the fish- either in a Ziploc bag or a bowl. Let it sit for half an hour then grill or bake or sear in the pan. Pour the marinade over the fish and let all flavors meld as it cooks. Serve with simple salad or pasta and enjoy!

Nutella Swirl Cheesecake

2012-01-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

Making it was so spur-of-the-moment. A request which can't be declined so I didn't even care to take pictures the normal way- you know, step by step so I could blog about it. I was thinking I'll just do it again and properly. But I got requests for the recipe so I have to post this.

The recipe is Nutella Cheesecake Squares but I didn't even get the chance to cut the cake. My friends at work are lucky I was able to save a couple of slices after teasing them with picture messages of the finished product. Here goes:

Nutella Swirl Cheesecake

2 cups Oreo crumbs (scrape off the cream filling before processing)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8×8 baking dish and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they become crumbs. Add in melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press Oreo mixture evenly into the bottom of your baking dish and bake until set, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Clean the food processor and add cream cheese, eggs, sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and vanilla. Pulse until smooth. Put 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture in a bowl and set aside. Add Nutella and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to the remaining 1/3 cream cheese mixture in the processor and continue pulsing until smooth.

To assemble, spread the plain cheesecake mixture over the cooled Oreo crust. Be careful of the crust. Pour the Nutella cheesecake next and spread evenly. With a sharp knife, swirl the mixture for a marble-like effect but make sure not to touch the crust. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the center jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

2012-01-08T21:29:00.001-08:00

I know it's not something new. You can even get the boxed mix from your favorite grocery stores. But not me. I chose to make them from scratch- like I always do. And I added a little twist. I filled some of the balls with pinches of cream cheese in my attempt to keep the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting tradition. The plain ones are okay but I'm a sucker for anything with cream cheese so I prefer adding that little surprise in the middle.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp red food coloring

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375°F.
Line 2 baking sheets parchment paper
Put the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and set aside.
Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt, set aside
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Then beat in the buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring.
Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic and refrigerate for an hour or until firm
Using clean hands, form dough into one inch balls and roll in confectioner's sugar
Arrange in baking sheet an inch or two apart from each other
Bake until cookies are puffed and cracked on tops- about 12-14 minutes- cookies will be soft but leave them in the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to cooling racks
Serve with cold milk
Enjoy!

For crinkles with cream cheese filling:
Slightly flatten a dough ball and push a pinch of cream cheese to the center before forming it into a ball again. Roll in confectioner's sugar before baking.

Mixed Chicken Sausage Paella

2012-01-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

The dish is actually included in our New Year's Eve menu but I had to set it aside because we just have so much food. I felt that with all the meat dishes we prepared, it is a little bit too much. I planned on making it last Thursday for my girlfriends at work but I got so busy during the evening and just couldn't. Anyway, today is perfect because I'm on cooking/baking mode.

I chose three types of chicken sausages instead of the usual seafood paella because I haven't done an all-meat paella. The procedure is pretty much the same but here's the recipe anyway.

Mixed Chicken Sausage Paella

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
3 rounds extra virgin olive oil
3 pcs Trader Joe's garlic herb sausage, sliced
3 pcs Trader Joe's chicken andouille sausage, sliced
1 Hillshire Farms smoked chicken sausage,sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika (I used smoked Hungarian paprika)
4 cups Calasparra rice or CalRose rice
1/2 cup diced tomato fresh or canned
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley.

1. Heat stock in a saucepan. Add saffron and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a 14-inch paella pan or cast-iron skillet. Add sausages and sauté on medium heat until lightly browned. Scoop out and set aside.
3. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to same pan. Sauté until soft. Stir in paprika and rice followed by diced tomato.
4. Add chicken stock and stir once to let it seep through the bottom of the pan. 5. Allow to cook uncovered occasionally shaking the pan for about 25 minutes.
6. Add the sausages and put the lid on or cover with aluminum foil. Turn the heat low and just let it cook some more or until rice is puffed and tender. Add the green peas and flat leaf parsley last.
7. Serve with crusty bits on top and lemon wedge (optional)

Free range chicken

2012-01-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

I was reunited with free range chicken last week- this time the yellow less meat kind but packed with real chicken flavor. I used to get the white, meatier variety and it's really good if you want more meat. But this one really made my mouth sing. I baked one which I massaged with a little safflower oil and seasoned with fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt. OMG! I had half of it for lunch with salad and the other half for dinner. I have to make it again because I did not take any picture of it- neither the simple salad I made which is chopped romaine hearts, jicama, cucumber and home made balsamic dressing. How healthy can you get? And thanks K for facilitating this "reunion" ha ha. I mentioned to her how I used to go to Chinatown just to get free range chicken and she told me I don't really have to go there. She will get it for me and she did!

I may have forgotten to take pictures of the baked chicken and salad but I have one chicken left so I made sure to take pictures. This type of chicken need not be cooked in rich sauces to be appreciated. It could stand out even in the simplest way it is cooked. Such as steaming it unseasoned. It is my first time to steam a chicken and I was not disappointed.

The recipe calls for a dipping sauce made of canola oil, kosher salt, minced ginger and chopped scallions but the chicken already taste great with just a drizzle of sesame oil and Kikkoman soy sauce.

Served with my favorite bokchoy with garlic and oyster sauce- it is the best thing I ever ate for the week!

Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 whole free range chicken cut into pieces
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Salt to taste
4 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:
1. Steam the chicken over simmering water for 45-55 minutes. I turned the pieces over after twenty five to make sure they are cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the ginger, canola oil, scallions, and salt in a bowl- set aside.
3. When the chicken is done, drizzle it with the soy sauce and sesame oil and serve with the scallion-ginger sauce.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T11:58:00.001-08:00

I did it again!

I know... late... but honestly, I wrote something on New Year's Eve which goes like this....

We'll soon bid 2011 adieu- in a few hours in fact and I'm so relieved that I'm done with my kitchen chores. I will post pictures later. For now I just want to reflect on what happened during the year. Still a good one despite some rough sails and if I am to think about other people who were victims of natural calamities which hit different places, ruined properties and claimed the lives of so many people- I am blessed!

We have a short NBA season- 66 games due to the lockout. I felt bad when LO was traded but I'm okay now. I have to get used to our new boys in the team but the good thing is they're starting to jell. Coach MB has his hands full and hopefully he could take my homeboys to the finals.

I have no resolutions for the New Year. Let me just say I hope to share more cooking and baking and be better and improve at it.

That was around ten o'clock, done while I was supposed to be resting after the flurry of activity in the kitchen. And then for some reason I stopped and thought about swinging by my favorite KDrama website. Just to check what's hot and stuff. I got curious with one and started it and as what happened before, got hooked until I came to episode 27 when it keeps buffering which I hate so much. It was probably an omen. Stop right there! So I snooped around the drama thread. Rants all over the place. I got some advice to stop. And I did. So I'm back here where at least- I have control :-) I don't know how else to put it. Suffice to say, I am boldly making a promise not to be lured again.... ha ha wonder until when? But for now, I have so much to share with you again.

Sweet gifts from abroad- I got a sizable bag of goodies for Christmas. A Toblerone, Milka in four flavors, Werther's Original milk chocolate bars, some cute little stuff from Korea and Nutella's answer to Yan-Yan.

Answered Christmas Wish List

I've been using the oven broiler for my crème brulee and it works but I still want the real deal. It has been on my wish list for a long time and getting it for Christmas is an answered prayer. The bestseller paperback "The Help" from C and the Zojirushi steel mug from K are welcome bonuses.

And the stuff I made for New Year

Beef Roulade Pinoy Style or Morcon

The taste is definitely there. Tender beef flank steak filled with bacon, sausage, boiled eggs, pickles, cheddar cheese and carrots then rolled and tied with a string to bind the roll together. I dredged the rolls in flour before browning them; poured beef stock with more carrots and celery sticks and into the oven they baked slowly for two hours. Then I made the sauce from the drippings and the stock by adding tomato sauce and just let it thicken with the rolls in a big wok. They should have been prettier but it was difficult trying to hold them together because the meat keeps tearing in the middle. But it was delicious!

I was surprised that my family wants ceviche for New Year's Eve but who am I to refuse when everything's ready, chopped and all? All I had to do is put everything together- chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, imitation crab meat, shrimp, cilantro, serrano chili and juices of limes, oranges and lemons topped with chopped avocados served with tortilla chips.

For the dessert, I made double chocolate bread pudding which is butter rolls soaked in chocolate custard, topped with dark chocolate chips and baked in a bain marie.

There was so much food in the table because until now we are in firm belief that it should be bountiful as we welcome the new year because it means bountiful blessing for the whole year.

Post Christmas goodies and this and that

2011-12-27T22:57:00.001-08:00

I’m finally done with my holiday goodies. It was like an uphill climb for me as I fight some issues with my oven in the beginning which sucked up the inspiration to bake; lack of time and just my tired body at the end of my working day so there…

But I’m glad I made it before the year ends although I missed sending some to friends from far away yet thankful that I was able to send someone who I haven’t seen for a long time. I don’t know if it’s just me but Christmas just went by and I didn’t take pictures of what I prepared at home and from our brunch at work. On both occasions I was just so engrossed in the whole kitchen activity that I totally forgot I’m supposed to document what was happening then.

Brunch at work was a success. It was a combined effort of me and my friends as usual. It has become a tradition actually and M fondly calls the exercise our “family gatherings” because we are like family. There’s joy in preparing our little feasts together and I guess I was so immersed in the moment that pictures were forgotten. I made the batter for red velvet and corn bread waffles; biscuits and gravy and the rest of the girls made eggs, cooked the bacon and sausages. We even have Italian soda courtesy of K, fresh fruit concoction from Jen and Teresa made her now famous espresso in her own machine.

Christmas dinner at home is more like homey dinner comprising of beef and chicken noodles. Hey, it's not just simple noodles. I had to make two pots of broth- one beef and another one for chicken. Family prefers that and I made shumai and some delicacies to complete the menu. I almost forgot I also made fruit salad just because I grew up having that for Christmas and New Year.

What's in my cookies?

I must say dark chocolate and nuts were at the center stage as I used the two for all my goodies. I made hazelnut-toffee crunch cookies, cocoa wedding cookies and banana crunch cake. The almond toffee crunch cookies I made last year should have been hazelnut toffee crunch cookies but I couldn’t find hazelnuts. This year with some stroke of luck, I found some on sale at Vons and they’re already chopped. My only regret is not buying more but it was enough for my huuge cookies. But don't get me wrong- almonds more than made up for hazelnuts. The cookies were a hit as well back then.

From hazelnuts, I switched to walnuts when I made my banana crunch cake

Banana Crunch Cake

For the cake batter:
1 cup oat flour or ground old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 extra large eggs, room temp
1 cup mashed banana (3 large ones and the riper the better)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup rough chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

Crunch topping:
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350F
Grease and flour a rectangular baking pan.
Whisk the flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.
Mix in half the dry ingredients until moistened, then add the bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the rest of the flour mixture, the nuts and chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula

To make the topping:
Combine the oats and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in the melted butter until the moisture forms large crumbs; stir in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle over the batter and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool before serving.

The final item is the cocoa wedding cookies which I call adult cookies because I used dark chocolates and I noticed that kids don't really like dark chocolate. I was like that when I was one but now dark chocolate has become my lover- or the other way around.

There goes my post Christmas goodies. No decorative bags and boxes but I'm glad I was able to share them with my friends and hopefully I could do more next Christmas.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

I just want to greet everyone a very Merry Christmas. I was so tired last night from all my kitchen activity with my family. Lunch at almost 4:00 pm and back to cooking so in the end, I didn't eat dinner and went to bed with a headache ha ha. I think I enjoy the food on the actual Christmas Day because by then I should be done with cooking.

I should just enjoy the rest of the day and prepare to root for my homeboys in today's game against the Bulls and I hope you all do the same- enjoy the rest of the day even if you don't have to root for my team :-)

Chicken Congee with Chinese Sausage

2011-12-24T13:35:00.001-08:00

I've posted one that I made from the left over turkey we had for Thanksgiving but this one uses chicken breast meat and Chinese sausage topping. We all love something hot and comforting this time of the year and congee just fits the bill. I'm just so happy that I can make it almost the same way my mom makes it- flavorful and filling and I can only think of one thing when I eat this- home!

Chicken Congee with Chinese Sausage

Ingredients:
1 bone in chicken breast
ginger - about 2 1/2 inches, sliced very thinly
3 cups CalRose rice
fresh cracked black pepper
salt to taste
3 pcs Chinese sausage sliced thinly
chopped spring onion

Procedure:
Cut chicken in quarters and and in a soup pot boil in water seasoned with salt and water
Skim off foam and any gray matter floating on top
Scoop chicken meat when tender, flake using two forks and set aside
Return the bone to the pot and add the ginger
Add three more cups water and allow to boil
Add the rice and stir. It will stop rolling so wait when it starts again and stir continuously
Taste if seasoning needs to be adjusted
Stir until rice is cooked through but make sure it is not too thick. A pot of boiling chicken broth or water on stand by is advisable just in case you need to add more liquid to the porridge
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet and place the sliced Chinese sausage
Let the fat render and allow the sausage pieces to be lightly toasted. set aside
Serve congee in a bowl with chopped spring onion and sliced sausages on top
Enjoy

Matcha Tea Dorayaki

2011-12-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

After making the panna cotta, I saw the almost empty tin of the green tea powder and asked myself why I didn't use everything for my panna cotta. What else can I make out of that very little amount? Then my mind just went to work and remember dorayaki! This is as simple as it gets. I could just make a sandwich and I'm done with it. I halved my taiyaki recipe instead of the one I used when I made dorayaki for the first time. I was a bit worried I wouldn't get the matcha tea taste so I steeped two green tea bags in warm milk and used it for the batter when it cooled down.

Spread with the sweet read beans I made then topped with another pancake, it was so delicious. I didn't quite get the green tea color but the flavor is definitely there.

Matcha Tea Dorayaki

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 large beaten egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
sweetened red beans

Directions:
Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl then add the wet ingredients.
Mix well till all lumps disappear.
Heat griddle over low heat
Spray griddle with cooking spray (done only once)
Pour 1/4 cup pancake batter
Flip when it turns bubbly after a minute or so
Cook the other side for another minute
Transfer the cooked pancake to a platter and repeat the same process
to the remaining batter.
Spread red beans on top of a pancake
Cover with another pancake
Enjoy

Back into circulation

2011-12-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't notice- I didn't post for days due to internet problem. I just had to change provider and hopefully this will be a lasting relationship. I really wanted do my updates but I can't do it using my Blackberry. Well, I could but it's going to be torture for my eyes. But I'm back ... just in time for the holidays. I have to do some sort of backtracking on my posts because internet may be down but it's business as usual in the kitchen. Stay tuned....

Matcha Tea Panna Cotta with Sweet Red Beans

2011-12-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

I made this on a Sunday but can't recall the date. For some reason, my panna cotta and creme brulee are somehow intertwined because when I make one I have to make the other as well- like when I made Thai tea creme brulee, it was followed by panna cotta. And since I already made matcha tea creme brulee, the panna cotta is in order. But I promised myself I will make it as soon as I have red beans for toppings which I have to make it myself- from scratch. Here's how:

Sweet Red Beans

Ingredients:
3 cups red beans
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Procedure:
Soak red beans in tap water overnight (I changed the water about four times)
Make sure the beans are fully covered with water about three inches on top
Boil in clean water over medium high heat
Add sugar when the beans are starting to soften
Lower the heat and stir every so often to make sure it's not sticking at the bottom
It should be done when the beans are tender and it has thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and cool completely before storing in the fridge

I don't know what makes the combination so good that I can't make one without the other- I mean, I can't think of anything else to serve with green tea panna cotta but sweet red beans. Initially, I thought of red bean sauce but changed my mind. I love biting into sweet bean bits then finishing it off with the luscious panna cotta. I've been using half and half but time I used a little heavy cream as well for a richer taste to complement the matcha tea flavor.

Matcha Tea Panna Cotta

Ingredients:
4 cups half and half
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
6 tbsp water
3 heaping tbsp matcha tea powder

Procedure:
Over medium low heat, simmer together half and half, sugar and heavy cream
Stir constantly until sugar is fully dissolved
Remove from heat when it starts to boil
Add the matcha tea powder and stir well- set aside
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a bowl (which has enough room for the panna cotta mixture)and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Pour the matcha tea/milk mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Sieve the mixture using cheese cloth to get rid of the film on the surface of the panna cotta mixture.
Divide the panna cotta mixture into ramekin cups, then chill until firm or you can pour the whole thing in a glass dish
Another option is wine goblets or glasses so you don't have to unmold the panna cotta
Serve with sweet red bean topping

This is the way the cookies crumbled in my kitchen

2011-12-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

It's about cookies- literally... not some mishap or some sort of miscarried plan or a project gone haywire. I was so craving for chocolate chip cookies last night that I have to make some. My cookie dough was sitting in the fridge in half an hour- proof that everything seems so easy when you put your heart into something you want so much.

I love chocolate chip cookies that are buttery, chewy and fudgy in the middle and I don't like them flat. I want to see the nuts and the chips protruding invitingly from the cookie tops. The perfect one for me should have the perfect balance of sugar and butter so that after a few bites or finishing one, you don't have that heady feeling of sugar overload. Nothing but sheer happiness and knowing deep inside you that you will have to get another one.

And nothing beats a huge warm cookie loaded with gooey chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts with a cold glass of milk. It is the ultimate comfort combo.

Here's how to make these yummy cookies:

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 extra large eggs
2 sticks unsalted butter; softened
½ tsp kosher salt
2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt- set aside
Using a hand or stand up mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the white and brown sugars and continue beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated.
Fold in the chocolate chips and then the walnuts.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours before baking

Line a sheet pan with ungreased parchment paper, drop rounded scoops of dough two inches apart from each other. The cookies will double in size as they cook. I used a big ice cream scoop so it takes about 18 minutes to bake. Make sure to turn the pan half way through baking.
Remove cookies from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack
Store in an air tight container after the cookies have cooled completely for hours- about six hours (this helps prevent the cookies from softening and crumbling)
The best way to avoid this is to share the cookies with your friends and loved ones so you need not worry about storing ha ha (and they'll love you for that too)
Maybe microwaved for fifteen seconds if you want to serve warm
Enjoy with a glass of cold milk or vanilla ice cream

Lamingtons updated

2011-12-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

This is only the third time I made this delicacy and so far it tasted like the first time I made it. The update came about in simplifying the recipe which yielded the same result (thankfully!) anyway. The original recipe which I used required three types of flour and some grade A chocolate and cream for the ganache icing. This is how I updated it:

Lamingtons

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake
2 ¾ cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 ¼ cup caster sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt
4 extra large eggs
1 cup 2% fat milk
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut
strawberry jam or preserves

For the ganache icing
16 oz dark chocolate
½ cup 2% fat milk

Prcedure:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Line two rectangular pans with parchment paper. Brush the parchment paper with butter then set aside.
Pulse the desiccated coconut in a blender for smaller flakes
Sift together flour, baking powder and kosher salt (I did it twice)
Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sifted caster sugar
Add eggs one at a time followed by vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth
Add flour mixture alternating with milk in three additions
Continue beating until fully incorporated but do not overbeat
Divide the batter in the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the pan
Remove from pans transfer to cooling racks to cool completely before assembly

Ganache icing:
In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate which has been broken to pieces
Add the milk and stir continuously until creamy, set aside

To assemble the cake:
Remove parchment paper from the sponge cakes
Spread one cake with strawberry jam or preserve evenly
Top with the remaining sponge cake
Cut the sandwich cake evenly into squares or rectangles
Dip each piece into the chocolate ganache using two forks and roll into the prepared grated coconut so all sides are coated then transfer to the rack.
Repeat the same to the remaining cake sandwich pieces

Notes:
This is actually a tea cake but it’s not against the law to enjoy this cake with coffee as well so feel free to do so or with any other drink :-)
Refrigerate the cake first for better frosting
Lining up the sandwich cake pieces in a rack then pouring the chocolate ganache on top is also an option. Make sure you have a tray under the rack to catch the drippings

Thai tea two-ways

2011-12-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

This is the real deal! Trust K to move heaven and earth when in search for food or ingredient which is crucial to anything she wants to make … that I want to make as well- and vice versa. I could be like that if I'm not lazy; you know, more resourceful … if I don't lose focus and nothing else arouses my interest.

Truth to the matter is I had this bag of Thai tea for more than a week already. K sent me a message on a weekend to let me know she found it-where else but in an Asian market? I just haven't gotten around the crème brulee project because my broiler is still out of commission. But I made it yesterday anyway. The plan is just to bring the ramekins to work where she can just blow torch the tops.

The tea is in loose leaf form and K is thoughtful enough to give me little pouches /bags to put it in for steeping. Still I had to sieve the mixture using a strainer and a cheese cloth a number of times to make sure the tea custard mix is smooth and free of the tiniest speck of tea leaves. It required a little bit more patience but I know I will be rewarded in the end. You can just imagine the excitement I felt as the white creamy milk turned into the amber-orange color that screams Thai tea! And when I tasted it- it really is Thai tea ha ha.

While the ramekins are hanging out in the oven, I made my other favorite dessert- panna cotta. It is a two-layer goodness of Thai tea at the bottom then topped with almond cream which I made from half and half, almond extract, a little heavy cream, granulated sugar and Knox gelatin. The tea part is half and half, sugar, pure vanilla extract and 3 tea bags each one containing one level tablespoon of the tea leaves.

I divided the cream into two Pyrex loaf dish about an inch or so and left some for a dessert glass. For some reason the tea part in one didn’t turn out as firm as the rest. The tea flavor is very much there- just the firmness-which made me think I should use two packets of Knox instead of 1 ½. I love the almond part because the texture is perfect. The one I separated in a dessert glass is the best one of all I think. With a dollop of dulce de leche- why wouldn’t it be?

See how I devoured the whole thing.... down to the last spoonful...
Here's how I made it:

Going back to the crème brulee, this is the picture of "torched top" one courtesy of K. According to her, hubby finished it all which is tantamount to a good review- he liked it.

Kek Batik

2011-12-01T09:09:00.001-08:00

It is a no-bake cake which is basically Marie biscuits broken into quarters then folded into chocolate custard made from Milo chocolate drink powder, eggs, condensed milk and vanilla extract. It was introduced to me by a Malaysian friend from Soompi way back in 2007. She loves preparing this as a snack for her kids and she kind of mentioned it in one of our chats. I was right away intrigued and asked for the recipe. I had to go search every Asian store for Nestum breakfast cereal which is one of the ingredients.

Unfortunately, I lost the recipe she gave me then so I had to improvise and came up with this. I skipped Nestum and added special dark chocolate chips for a real chocolaty flavor. Dark is always my bet so sugar content is well controlled even as I used condensed milk. Lining up a greased loaf pan I used with parchment paper helped so it was easy releasing the cake. Result is a prettier and yummier version of the first one I made- more chocolaty than sweet; soft but not soggy and the little crunch here and there from the biscuits is a big bonus. This is how I made it:

Kek Batik
Ingredients:
½ cup Milo
¾ cup special dark chocolate chips
½ cup boiling water
1¼ stick unsalted butter cut into cubes + ¼ for melting the chocolate chips
½ can sweetened condensed milk
5 eggs; separated
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 pack Marie biscuits (200g)

Method:
Break each biscuits into quarters and set aside (I used a thin knife)
Line the base and sides of a greased loaf tin with parchment paper
Beat the egg whites separately until fluffy and lightly beat the egg yolks.
Melt ¼ stick of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Add the chocolate chips and stir continuously followed by Milo chocolate.
Slowly add boiling water into the mixture while stirring until smooth.
Add butter, condensed milk, sugar, egg whites, egg yolks and vanilla into the saucepan and stir until well incorporated.
Lower the heat and continue to cook until it becomes thick but still soft custard- about 12 minutes.
Turn off the heat and fold in Marie biscuit pieces- carefully so as not to break the pieces further.
Transfer the batter into the loaf tin and press down gently using the overlapping parchment paper to make sure there are no air pockets. This also helps to even the top.
Allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator for four hours or overnight before slicing with a serrated knife.
Enjoy

Turkey Congee with Roasted Garlic

2011-11-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

This is the final installment from the leftover turkey from Thursday. Not that there's a lot left. I just don't want to waste all the delicious flavors in the bones (with some meat left) and what is the best way to take advantage of the flavor wealth but to use the bones as soup base. I used half of it yesterday for noodle soup. I did not bother take pictures because I did the same soup last year. Today I made congee for breakfast. This is almost the same as the arroz con pollo that I normally make except that this one does not involve sautéing the ginger, scallions and garlic.

The first step is to boil the turkey bones in water (about four gallons) with thinly sliced ginger (about 3 inches) two teaspoons cracked black pepper and a little salt. I gradually added salt because the turkey is already well seasoned.Skim off the froth and discard.

Next step is to scoop the bones, allow to cool and remove the remaining meat using two forks if still hot to handle. Set aside the meat.

After simmering for about fifteen minutes on medium low heat, pour stock into a strainer into another pot or bowl to remove unwanted solids (I had chopped apple stuffing in the cavity and there are some left in the stock and tiny bones as well which I want to get rid of).

Pour the stock back to a clean pot including the bones and the ginger slices which I fished from the lot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare/wash the rice with tap water. I prefer Cal Rose medium grain rice because of its texture. Add the rice when the stock starts to boil and stir constantly. My mom said doing so makes congee more delicious. And always have boiling water or stock on stand-by in case the congee becomes too thick. Never ever add room temp water.

Add chopped scallions or spring onions when the rice is cooked.

Remove all the bones and taste if it needs more seasoning. Serve with roasted garlic and the reserved meat as toppings with a dash of sesame oil.
Enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T23:20:00.000-08:00

It was a case of oven versus me- and the winner is ...

Even with a defective oven, I simply refused to give up my little Thanksgiving menu and was able to serve a decent turkey dinner on the table. The oven door did jam many times while I was doing the turkey but I was able to nail it anyway. Brining overnight really brings the turkey to the highest level of deliciousness. I really don't mind preparing the brine- it's the easiest part anyway. While last year's brine solution involves a lot of ice cubes this one is different. It has a touch of Alton Brown and Pioneer Woman's recipes with a little touch of me. Just mix together apple cider vinegar, water, kosher salt, brown sugar, orange peel, orange juice, crushed garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme; bring to a boil and then cool completely before submerging the turkey in it and just let it chill in the fridge up to 16 hours. For the ingredients and exact measurements of the brine, I used the following:

3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 gallons cold water
5 cloves crushed garlic
1-1/2 cup kosher salt
2 cups light brown Sugar
3 tbsp black peppercorns
5 whole bay leaves
orange peel (from 3 large oranges) + the juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp fresh thyme
4 tbsp fresh rosemary

The next step is washing off the brine in preparation for roasting. I just put it in a colander, turned on the tap and just let the bird bathe in clean water. I made sure I rinsed the cavity as well.

Next step is preheating the oven to 500 degrees F while I chop an apple and onion which I nuked for five minutes with quarter of a cup of water, cinnamon stick, rosemary and thyme. The mixture is then stuffed into the cavity after the turkey is patted dry.

Then canola oil is rubbed generously over the whole turkey before it goes on to the roasting pan into the oven.

The 500 degrees F temperature is only for the first 30 minutes and then it is lowered to 350 until it's done which should be an additional two hours.

I made gravy and corn bread, which I unfortunately forgot to take pictures of. We don't really care that much for stuffing but corn bread is a must in our table. I guess, all the activity in the kitchen wore me down a little bit and I just wanted to sit down and enjoy our dinner. Also included in the menu are corn chowder, orange-spice pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted walnuts and sweet potatoes baked with brown sugar, unsalted butter and mini marshmallows. I've grown accustomed to sweet potatoes because I prefer its creamy texture. It gets even better with the marshmallows.

More than the sumptuous dinner and the fun in preparing it, there's so much to thank God for and for next year, here's hoping no more oven issues.

Look, my babies are home!

2011-11-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

After so many weeks under Jenn's care, my herb planters are home. I got my very much coveted thyme and mint with two types of basil, lemon verbena and lemon balm. Lemon balm and lemon verbena are new to me but judging from their aroma, I’m already excited to use them. I want to try using lemon verbena to perfume my sugar like vanilla bean does. It will be a nice topping for muffins and coffee cakes. I think the lemon balm will be a nice component in marinades because it is so lemony. They smell so incredibly fresh and delicious. But more than their value in the kitchen, I wanna try my hand in caring for them after my success with my basil. I will soon find out if it's just a fluke or maybe I'll get lucky again. That basil plant didn't make it home but it was put to good use and look at all these. They more than make up for my basil plant.

Next week, these babies will be joined by Thai basil and already, my mind is brimming with ideas for my upcoming menus. As usual, stay tuned.

Two more nights to Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

And the dinner feast is still on limbo...

Who would have thought it will all come down to this? I guess I was so presumptuous and thought service guy is coming fully equipped and will be able to fix our oven when he came yesterday. He ordered some parts and who knows when they'll get here. Sad sad sad ...

But we have to eat no matter what.

The stove top works so it's business as usual at the roof top- at least! It would have been catastrophic if the stove is not working as well. I made Salisbury Steak with buttered corn and green beans on the side for lunch. My patties are really plump and well seasoned. They're supposed to resemble steaks right? Unlike the thin patties that we get in TV dinners. I was actually craving for it and I really made sure it will be Sunday's lunch.

But the real star of the weekend? Ginger Crème Brûlée that never was. I told K that it will be my next project. I just want to make it for her because she told me her attempt before was a failed one. I initially planned on just doing the flan and have her torch the top. But for some reason, I turned on the broiler and saw flame, I was encouraged and hopeful, I frantically sprinkled sugar on top of a ramekin and placed it under the flame, it was starting to melt, not yet caramelized though and then ppft it went... dead! I ended up eating it.

It was bursting with the freshness of ginger having used a big chunk which I sliced thinly. That's how I intended it to be. Even when I make my ginger tea, I don't scrimp on ginger. I don't like it subtle. I want it almost biting to match the creaminess of the custard. And the texture is perfectly smooth and creamy.

The result of straining it first thorough a wire sieve then twice using cheese cloth and I ended up with only five ramekins in the process.

I was able to save two- one for K and the other one for S, my other co-worker who's always nice to me. She would give me little gifts from her trips and I love giving her treats to return the favor. I was thinking I'll just take more pictures when K does the topping. Turns out she left her torch at home. Well she was raving right when it touched her mouth. She said it didn't need to be torched. She loved the flan. Yes it has been reduced to flan status but probably one of the best I made. Even S finished hers.

But no pictures were taken and to make matters worse, I accidentally deleted the prepping pictures from my camera. I have some on my phone which I took and sent K just to give her a preview of what I was making. But my phone died too. Murphy's law- whatever can go wrong will. Yes my new Torch died. Cause of death? Unknown. So I'm using my old Storm 2 and just realized how ancient and slow and inferior it is. Woe is me.

Edit: I asked K to send back the pics I sent her hence the inserts 11/23
Can't wait for my new phone and still keeping my hopes up that our oven will be fixed in time for Thanksgiving.

Matcha Tea Crème Brûlée

2011-11-19T06:47:00.001-08:00

I finally used some of the matcha tea K gave me. I was saving it for something special- another crème brûlée as a part of my tea series. There- honestly, I never thought of it as series till now. Because after this, I am going to try to make a ginger one for K.

So these are hanging out in the fridge since Wednesday evening when I found out that my oven is messed up. I brought the ramekins to work and it was K who actually torched the tops. That was neat but I also love doing it in the broiler. And the crème brûlée itself? K said it's like eating green tea ice cream and the rest of the girls? They really should post their comments ha ha ha.

Anyway, I used the same recipe with the addition of the matcha tea.

Matcha Tea Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half (you can use 4 cups half and half and just omit heavy cream)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar plus more for topping
6 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
2 tbsp match tea powder
2 quarts hot water

For the custard:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Bring cream (half and half and heavy cream) to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Ladle a cup of the cream mixture in a separate bowl and add the matcha tea powder. Whisk until incorporated before transferring it back to the saucepan with the rest of the cream mixture . Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Whisk in vanilla and then strain the mixture using a cheese cloth to ensure smooth texture. Divide custard among ramekins or custard cups equally. Arrange cups in a rotisserie pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake custards until gently set in center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cups from water and refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.

For the topping:
Preheat broiler. Place custards on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar onto each. Broil until sugar starts to bubble and color, moving the sheet around to prevent burning, just until sugar caramelizes. Chill until topping is hard and brittle, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Note: K used her torch for the tops because of my broiler problem

Something’s a-brewing but it’s not coffee

2011-11-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

Oh hell no! Just when TD’s a week away; it’s déjà vu all over again. Some years ago, I went through some oven problems and now it’s happening again. First the uneven temp and then the oven door which jams and after a couple of shakes opens up. The first casualty was the Bisquik bibingka last Saturday. It was as if it’s been baking forever but the middle was still jiggling even as it is past the required baking time. I should have smelled trouble then but maybe I was in denial.

Then came last night- I need the broiler but it just won’t turn on and then I got some crazy message about the oven door needing to be closed. What am I supposed to do with my crème brulee? I had to store them in the fridge and think of a solution.

Well, they're still edible-very much so because they're already cooked. But without the caramelized topping, they are reduced to a regular flan status. No longer the diva crème brulee. I mentioned my dilemma to the girls and right away, K volunteered to bring her torch. Problem solved! The dessert is meant for them anyway. So happy happy but back to the more serious problem and that is not having the oven fixed before Thanksgiving. I need some contingency measures. Steamed food for Thanksgiving? Grilled maybe? We’ll see but I can’t picture myself having store-bought food in the table. That is just preposterous! It's not because I'm being snobbish but more because I don't like the hassle of ordering food on a busy holiday. And most importantly, that sucks away the joy of preparing and cooking our little Thanksgiving feast. The Geek Squad said service is for Monday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed otherwise, I'm screwed.

Classic Victoria Sandwich Cake

2011-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

The best part of coming home (at last!)is reuniting with my desktop computer and watching my favorite cooking shows on the Food Network. I must confess I felt so silly because I was giddy with happiness as I was watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Come on, we all have our own idiosyncrasies and I didn't get to watch any cooking show for almost three months. Featured that night are dishes the chefs are thankful for and the one that registered to my mind is the English classic Victoria Sandwich Cake of Tea & Sympathy in New York. Robert Irvine looks so funny while he was munching on a big slice of the sponge cake which is filled with vanilla butter cream and raspberry jam; powdered sugar on his nose and all. He said that's the English way of eating it- not with a fork but holding the piece of cake as you bite into it. How cute!

So I made my very own version. The procedure is to just mix everything in a bowl but I did it the way I make my sponge cakes. I had to omit the butter cream filling and opted for a whipped cream filling with blackberry jam in place of raspberry- not but choice but because of availability. It was easier to make than my other sponge cakes and it cooks in about 22 minutes. It reminded me of the sponge cake I made from Bobby Flay's Ireland. This one uses a lot of butter though while Bobby's uses fresh berries and no butter or oil. I was happy with a slice of this one while Bobby's because it didn't have fat content but the egg yolks is evil because I almost didn't want to share it with anyone- I want it all for myself ha ha...

It's not perfectly filled and not evenly layered but Alton Brown said "don't sweat it, perfect is only for the factory". Here's how I made it

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake
1 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 cup caster sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp whole milk

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Butter and line with parchment paper two round baking pans, set aside
Cream butter and caster sugar
Add eggs one at a time and continue beating
Add flour, baking powder and milk still beating
Divide batter between the prepared pans
Smooth the top with a spatula
Bake for 22 minutes
Remove parchment paper and transfer to a cooling rack

For the whipped cream
1 cup heavy cream, well chilled
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Whip the heavy cream with sifted powdered sugar in a chilled bowl using a hand or stand up mixer
Add vanilla extract and continue whipping until it reaches a Cool Whip consistency

Spread evenly over one of the cakes
Top with the blueberry jam (may use other jams like strawberry or raspberry)
Place the other cake on top and dust with powdered sugar before slicing.
Enjoy!

Thai Tea Crème Brûlée

2011-11-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

But not quite?

It was more whimsical than craving-driven. I just want to make Thai tea crème brûlée period. But I didn't realize that finding Thai tea as in boxed tea labeled "Thai tea" will be so difficult. In fact I didn't find any. So I ended up using orange pekoe black tea. That would work, I thought. But I know I won't be able to achieve that amber colored crème brûlée. I guess that will be another crème brûlée escapade. I used my Torchless Crème Brûlée recipe and just substituted some of the ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half (you can use 4 cups half and half and just omit heavy cream)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar plus more for topping
6 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
6 orange pekoe black tea bags
2 quarts hot water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the half and half into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Transfer half of it to a bowl and place six tea bags and allow to steep for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the heavy cream to the sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid burning or overflowing. Remove the tea bags and pour the milk tea to the rest of the cream (half and half and heavy cream) in the sauce pan. Remove from heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continuously.

Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set. I normally remove the ramekins from the roasting pan while the custard centers are still jiggling but in this case, just turn off the oven but let the roasting pan with the ramekins inside the oven for about 12 minutes before taking out to cool. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the crème brûlée from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoon sugar evenly on top of each custard.

Preheat broiler and place custards on baking sheet. Broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, moving the baking sheet around for even browning. Serve immediately, or refrigerate custards until topping is cold and brittle, about 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

It's pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it and it's just so exciting and a lot of fun playing with different flavors.

Enjoy!

Baked Indian Butter Chicken

2011-11-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

It is the little twist that I made to the dish- baking the seasoned leg quarters low and slow in the oven for two hours and when they’re golden and done, it’s back to regular programming; sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil; add turmeric, coriander, red chili powder or chili flakes, salt and pepper and let them cook in oil to bring out all their flavors. Next is pouring the tomato paste diluted in water and allowing it to simmer a little before putting the chicken pieces to be enveloped with all the saucy goodness.

While at it, you have time to prepare your clarified butter which is simply melting the butter in a sauce pan over low fire. Let it foam on top and then skim off them foam which is the fats and transfer the clear butter in another bowl. There you have your clarified butter.

Set aside while you check the chicken. It should be time to add in heavy cream and yogurt and to check if seasoning needs to be adjusted. Lower the heat and add in the clarified butter and cilantro. Remove from heat and serve with steamed white rice of your preference.

If you noticed, I left the skins on the leg quarters to serve as shield and prevent drying while baking. It is actually up to you to consume it or push it aside. And why leg quarters instead of the breasts that I normally use? They’re 99 cents a pound at Fresh & Easy and that’s too good a deal to pass up on. You can check my recipe here.

Corn & Caramel Panna Cotta

2011-11-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

I just visited my neighbor’s blog and left with panna cotta thoughts on my mind. Well I was thinking of corn with caramel sauce before I even turned on my computer; smooth and velvety panna cotta with corn kernels and yummy caramel sauce.

I don't have all the fresh ingredients which means I have to cheat a little and make it semi home-made. I would love to use fresh corn on a cob but a bag of frozen sweet corn kernels is what I have. Making my own dulce de leche is out of the question because it takes three hours for the milk to cook so skip that and make use of the Ghirardelli caramel sauce I have. I certainly don’t have time when I’m craving so everything needs to be ready for eating asap even if I have to cheat a little. Okay-I don’t even have heavy cream but it’s worse not having Knox unflavored gelatin because that is what will give the cooked milk that wonderful texture. Luckily, I have Madagascar vanilla bean so that should make up for the frozen corn. Corn plus milk plus vanilla equals deliciousness. And trust me, I will make the more authentic version as soon as I can.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups corn
2 cups half and half
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 Madagascar vanilla bean (split open pod, scrape off the paste and save the pod)
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
6 ramekins
Ghirardelli caramel sauce

Preparation:
Bring milk, vanilla paste and sugar to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add corn kernels and simmer until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Strain milk into another saucepan and transfer the corn to another bowl- set aside. Add half and half and salt to the milk and bring to a slow simmer.

Meanwhile, place 3 tablespoons water in small cup. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens. Remove cream mixture from heat and add softened gelatin. Stir well making sure there are no lumps. Drizzle caramel sauce in the bottom of the ramekins and add a tablespoon of the corn kernels to each one. Divide the custard mixture equally among the ramekins. Refrigerate until set or at least four hours or overnight. With a thin knife, loosen the sides of the ramekin to release the panna cotta before inverting/transferring to a serving dish. Spoon some more caramel sauce and sprinkle a few more corn kernels before serving.

I had to make another batch because six cups is not going to last when we have guests in the house. And I ended up making my own dulce de leche which took three hours to cook on the stove top. But it's oh so worth it. Nothing beats the flavor of home-made dulce de leche. I think the second batch tasted even better even with frozen corn kernels. Wonder how fresh corn on a cob tastes? I kinda imagine and it won't be long before the actual tasting happens.

November 9: Rather than do a separate post on this, let this be my Panna Cotta Epilogue. I told you, it won't be long till the actual tasting happens. Fresh is of course always better although the frozen corn I used is delicious as well.

I used two and had some left over for toppings. I used my dulce de leche which I whisked with a little heavy cream just to loosen it and make it easier to drizzle. I just thought I should do an update but wish I have better pictures. The redeeming factor is the good reviews I received when I shared some with my friends at work.

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Pancakes

2011-11-04T11:59:00.001-07:00

My craving for blueberry-ricotta pancakes can't choose a better time for an attack. I don't have ricotta cheese and I have used my last bag of frozen blueberries when I made my coffee cake. So I opened the fridge hoping for the said ingredients to miraculously appear. They didn't... duh... but I have cream cheese and some blueberry preserves meant for waffle topping. Ha ha ha.... for the nth time, I will not be denied! I hardly cook breakfast here but since we are going home tomorrow, let this be my final or "goodbye, hotel life breakfast". I used my old blueberry-ricotta pancake recipe but here it goes anyway.

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/12 cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 jumbo eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
fresh blueberries
3/4 pkg cream cheese, room temperature

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream cheese until there are no cheese bits remaining, but making sure the batter does not become over liquefied.
Add the sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
Add to the egg mixture and stir until no lumps remain.
Separately, whip the egg whites for about 4 minutes or until stiff.
Fold the whites into the batter and stir gently until uniformly combined. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Preheat the griddle to medium heat. Using the half cup measuring cup, pour batter onto the lightly-greased griddle.
Add blueberries to each pancake and cook for roughly 2 minutes on each side, or until the pancakes are golden-brown and cooked through.
Re-grease the pan or griddle with canola oil before cooking each pancake.
Stack on a serving plate, garnish with blueberries and serve with butter and maple syrup.

They're fluffy and light with a lot of lift coming from the egg whites which were whipped till stiff before folding with the batter. I didn't have fresh berries for topping but the pancakes did taste of blueberries and cream cheese is a welcome substitute to ricotta cheese. And of course, never to forget good old maple syrup. I don't think I'd eat pancakes without it.

Chocolate Lava Cake

2011-11-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

This is my take on the French classic Moelleux au Chocolat. I prefer making it using dark chocolate now although a year or two years ago I would use semi-sweet chocolate until I developed a strong affinity with dark chocolate. This dessert is the perfect way to end a meal and it only takes ten minutes to bake and some to melt the butter and chocolate, beat the eggs and sift the flour and sugar. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients (serves 4 people):

6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate or 72% dark chocolate bar
1 stick unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
3 eggs
1/2 cup baker’s sugar or sifted granulated sugar
1/3 cup sifted self-rising flour
more butter for the ramekins
How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 425°F
1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler
2. Stir in cubed butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then fold in the sifted flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Serving suggestions:
With a generous shower of sifted powdered sugar and fresh berries
With crème anglaise or anglaise sauce
You can also opt to serve them in the ramekins with powdered sugar dusting

Berries and chocolate do match but the hardcore chocolate lovers will love this dessert any way it is served and who wouldn’t with its melt-in your mouth goodness?

Spring Rolls: Vietnamese Style

2011-10-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

What’s not to like in this appetizer/dish? There’s no cooking required, just fresh vegetables and herbs wrapped in thin rice paper and you can just get rotisserie chicken and cooked shrimps from your favorite market- should you decide or prefer not to go veggie all the way. Oh well, assembling the roll if you’re aiming for uniformity in the size takes patience and by now you should know it’s not a strong suit of mine. I probably can when I have time and when I’m not hungry.

It was Teresa’s idea for us to have Vietnamese style fresh spring rolls last week. They went shopping for all the ingredients and seriously, all I did was sit and assemble my roll after roll after roll and that's where the fun is; assembling your own so you have complete control of the filling although the small rice paper can only hold so much. We ended up with skinny little rolls but who knows how many skinny little rolls each of us consumed? I can’t remember how many I ate, I kind of lost count and the great thing about it is there was no bloated feeling that we normally feel after a meal. Oh yeah, that’s our excuse… or my excuse, it became the main meal instead of just an appetizer.

So we feasted on these rolls for two days and I thought I had enough but no, we had it for lunch at home today. It was fun shopping for the ingredients and I found out too that there are bigger sizes of the rice paper so I bought the medium ones. They are easier to use because I can fill it up more without worrying that I can’t fold the sides. They’re still not the prettiest but I can work on that with practice. Oh and my carrots and cucumbers are and not julienned – that’s the way we had them at work and I find it easier and less time consuming in terms of preparation. I guess the only thing we missed is that extra crunch but I’ll work on that the next time we’ll have it on our menu.

For the peanut-hoisin dipping sauce, I used:

1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup water
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
1 tsp red pepper flakes or hot sauce (optional)

Pulse together in a blender until well incorporated and smooth. Taste if seasoning needs to be adjusted. In lieu of a blender, you can whisk everything together (vigorously).

Oven Baked Pork with Potatoes & Asparagus

2011-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

This was dinner two weeks ago but I just didn't have time to blog. I just thought I must- even a late post because this is such a delicious dish and I just want to share it with you. Pork in my mind is not getting the credit it truly deserve and that is just sad because pork is delicious, even when you try to cook the not too sinful part which is the white meat. With the right seasoning and herbs, and when cooked to its perfect tenderness, it is a winner and this recipe is one I am truly proud of.

Ingredients:
2 lbs sliced pork butt, no fat
2 lbs potato medley (red, yellow and purple potatoes)
1 bunch of asparagus
fresh rosemary
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt

For the pork marinade:
juice of two large lemons
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp 21 seasoning salute (optional)

Procedure:
Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the ends and peeling tough part with vegetable peeler.
Blanch in salted water then rinse with iced water. Transfer to a colander to dry and set aside
Slice the potatoes and toss in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, two tbsp fresh rosemary and 2 tsp salt
Transfer to a baking dish
Bake at 375 degrees F till fork tender
Add the asparagus spears and toss to coat with oil and seasoning and cook till lightly toasted

Marinate the meat in lemon juice, salt, pepper and thyme overnight or at least 2-3 hours before cooking
Heat two rounds canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat
Brown both sides of each piece of meat just for a nice golden color
Transfer to a baking dish and pour the marinade on the meat
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for fifty minutes
Remove foil and cook for ten minutes more. The meat should be half swimming in its natural juices. Scoop the pieces of meat and transfer to another platter
Pour the drippings into a sauce pan making sure to scrape the bottom with a spatula.

For the sauce:
Add half a stick of unsalted butter; a cup of chicken broth or water and juice of a big lemon
Season with pepper (I also used 21-seasoning salute)
Add two tablespoons capers and simmer until it thickens a little
Pour over meat and serve with potatoes and asparagus

Serve with steamed white rice or dinner rolls
Enjoy!

Cake Flans & Cream Cheese Zeppole

2011-10-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've been craving for zeppoles for almost a week. They're so easy to make, just like pancakes or waffles but I had to wait till weekend because I had to make other stuff for my friends at work first- I mean during the week. I made lemon cake flan last Wednesday- lemon sponge cake topped with cheesecake flan. I don't have a rectangular platter so it kind of cracked in the middle when I flipped/transferred it to a round platter as big as it is or so I thought :-(

For Thursday is the supposedly original chocolate version but I had a little booboo so it turned out as something else and I just named it "accidental chocolate cake pudding". Just imagine my cake flan with the flan failing to separate from the sponge cake so it was a moist sponge cake tasting like flan at the same time with a bread pudding consistency. But it was delicious. And that's another way to make chocolate cake pudding :-)- one more recipe to my collection.

With the cake flans out of the way, I could hardly wait to get home so I can make my zeppoles. If I can only mentally will the cream cheese and eggs to get out of the fridge on to the table so they'll be at room temp by the time I get home was my silly wish while driving ha ha.

Anyway, it wasn't that hard to cheat a little to speed things up. I dipped the eggs in warm water for a couple of minutes before cracking them up and I used soft cream cheese instead of the Philly one.

I was working like a mad woman with mad craving I had to sink my teeth into those soft and cheesy balls of goodness a.s.a.p. I heated my oil on medium low heat so as not to burn it while I'm working on my dough which didn't take long. Frying can't the rushed or risk these babies burnt on the outside and still gooey inside.

What a difference an ice cream scoop makes on the shape of the zeppole. They were ugly when I first made them at work when I just dropped them in oil using a plastic spoon. Now they're round as balls should be. The next step is draining them in paper towels then check if they're cooked through.

And for the final act - plating and sampling. I have three ways to serve them and I tried each one.

With cinnamon sugar

Just a shower of granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon

With vanilla sugar

It is simply Madagascar vanilla bean pod which I saved after the paste is scraped off, put in a jar with granulated sugar. I wish I used a better camera to capture the little specks of vanilla in the sugar. It is so fragrant and delicious.

And the last one and my favorite- with blackberry sauce

On the sauce I cheated too and used TJ's blackberry preserves which I just whisked with a fork- no need to nuke it and voila ... blackberry sauce! Need I tell you how my zeppole tasted?

Welcome Fall!

2011-10-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

Fall officially came last month but we didn’t really feel its presence till October came. It means longer nights and a significant change in the temperature so it will be cold and so we find comfort in warm or hot food like soups, casseroles, pies and the likes. My welcome tribute to fall should be Crispy Oven Baked Chicken, Meatballs and Conchiglie Soup and Blueberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping & Pecans. Actually, they just happened to be because they’re easy to prepare. I am now doing a summary of what I made the last couple of days when cooking is a must but blogging is bust.

I have a tray of chicken thighs and legs which I marinated overnight in lemon juice, salt and pepper and my 21 seasoning salute.

Then I baked it for about 40 minutes until the skins are golden and crispy. I know it's sinful to eat the skin but at least it's oven baked not fried lol. The meat is perfectly seasoned and succulent inside.

For a change I didn't use chicken for my soup but used beef meatballs which I browned first then I added onion, celery, carrots and chicken broth. I have a box of conchiglie- a little break from the elbow macaroni I normally use I make pasta soup. It was delicious in its simple clear state but used half and half in the end. I guess I'm so used to pasta soups with milk.

Coffee cake! It’s the best time of the year to make them. It’s not written in stone that it has to be eaten with coffee- it’s yummy with tea as well. It’s been a while since I last made coffee cake and I was curious for a while. .. how it will turn out. I have quite a lot of good memories with my blueberry coffee cake and how it never fail to please. It disappeared fast so I guess it was okay.

My old reliable quick fix

2011-10-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Today I can honestly say Thank God it's Friday and really feel and mean it. It's been a busy and chaotic week for me and I know I will still feel the effects of what transpired during the week but life is good, God is good. I may be talking in riddles but let's leave it at that.

I couldn't wait to get "home" to finally put my feet up and relax before I start mulling over what to do next. Well relaxing could have been great if I knew there's food in the kitchen. I don't really like room service and delivery takes forever. So the quickly fixed dinner is thin spaghetti with chicken spinach and feta cheese sausages, mini heirloom tomatoes, herbs and fresh mozza in evoo.

I should really label everything I have in the fridge so I’ll know which ones need immediate attention--- let me rephrase that – I should stick post-it notes on the ref door to be reminded of what I have inside which needs immediate attention. I forgot about the sausages and could have paid dearly if they expired on me. I swear I heard someone said yeah right, you’ve been saying that all your life- or I think it’s just my subconscious mind reacting to what I just wrote ha ha. And the pasta is really good. I am repetitive but it can be done many ways and same ways with just a little twist here and there and I will never get tired of it.

Cheering friends up the chocolate cake way

2011-10-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

There's something comforting about chocolate. I know so because at some point when we're feeling low in spirit and just not in our best element, we turn to chocolate whether in candy form or something baked like a cake or cookie; something cold like ice cream or a thick chocolate shake or a frothy hot cocoa drink. Hence I know exactly what to prepare for my girlfriends at work. It is my way of cheering them up because we've been through a lot of stress lately coping with the demands of our respective tasks. It is also a makeup effort because I haven't done my share for our "Favorite Soup of the Day" theme where each one of us will bring soup for lunch on a scheduled day. I will talk about it in another post.

Anyway, I made chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache frosting for the girls. I know they'll be thrilled to have it for dessert tomorrow. Isn't it an awesome way to start the week? A wise man said "Sometimes your joy is the source of our smile but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. I say,a beautiful smile chocolate cake can't hide, especially when it's yummy and made with love -by me ha ha ha.. and that is the ultimate source of joy :-)

A weekend of food and fun

2011-10-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

While I complain about a smaller kitchen and using a laptop where I am right now- it has its good side which I'm going to miss terribly when we finally move back to our house. Nothing beats daily cleaning service and best of all the pool which has become my relaxation area at night after a busy day.

So yesterday is bonding time with family so we had guests who came for the pool and of course we had to feed ourselves. What is a party without food? We had the usual menu that we prepare when family and friends get together. Chicken and pork barbecue in my special marinade, shrimp and crab boil and I made corn cake which disappeared before we even set the table properly. I could have baked an extra cake for dessert but again- too little space for me. We decided on just a couple of seafoods because we didn't have a bigger vessel for boiling. It was indeed a challenge and I had to boil everything by batch but it was done. I got a big wok for the final stage where I bathe the seafoods in butter, garlic and my home made Cajun seasoning. We also had grilled tilapia stuffed with tomato and onion salsa and golden pompano cooked in spicy and sour broth. Pardon the crappy pictures-it is more convenient for me to use my camera phone (ha ha not that my pictures are that great even with a regular camera).

We had so much fun that I honestly do not fret too much about staying here and wouldn't if renovation extends a little longer than the target date of completion.

The Best Thing I Ever Made and Adobo Fried Rice

2011-10-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Me and my best friend were just hanging out one Sunday afternoon talking about food as always when from out of the blue, he asked me what dish or cake of my creation am I most proud of. And how funny and coincidental that while I was trying to think of an answer, there goes on Food Network- an announcement of their upcoming show entitled "The Best Thing I Ever Made"! I'm pretty sure it will be as exciting as "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" which remains one of my favorites.

So my best asked me what is it- just pretend I am a part of the show and I have to sell my best creation. Honestly, I think it should come from the people who have tasted my food- and it's really difficult to name just one. I have quite a few that I can serve with confidence any time of day. Don't we have at least one dish that we own? Something we figuratively claim we can cook even with our eyes closed? Or it could be something that came out as a surprise hit or a dish that resulted from an accident hence it is called an accidental dish which turns out to be the best thing you ever made.

I have to think back. Incidentally, the show premieres today. Sadly though, where I'm at right now don't have Food Network on their channel listing.

By the way, breakfast is Chicken Adobo Fried Rice. Nope, it's not the best thing I ever made but it's delicious. Adobo is a dish that becomes even more flavorful as it sits and gets old in the fridge. Add it to your fried rice with lots of garlic and it's even more money! Here's how to make it:

Adobo Fried Rice

Ingredients:
left over adobo
4 cloves crushed garlic
3 cups steamed white rice
salt to taste
2 rounds canola oil or just to coat the pan

Procedure:
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat
Add the crushed garlic and sautee until fragrant,not burnt
Add the adobo (I sliced the meat into small pieces)and the sauce
Allow to simmer just for a minute
Add the rice and mix with a spatula
Keep turning and tossing over till the rice is coated with the sauce and the garlicky aroma is all over your kitchen
Add a little salt if needed or according to taste
Serve with fried eggs and your favorite beverage for a yummy breakfast or anytime of day- or night

Easy Shrimp in Spicy Sauce

2011-10-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, fourteen days of silence and it really pains me that I am neglecting my baby so here I am again trying to explain why and what kept me away and from blogging. First, our renovation situation which thankfully is making progress; second- I have browser issues in the laptop which I am using while my desktop is still out of commission. Hence, I’m not digging the way it’s not that user-friendly; it just fails to inspire.

Where I’m at allows me to cook and bake but I don’t enjoy the same freedom I have in the comfort of our own home. So everything is quick and easy like this Easy Shrimp in Spicy Sauce. Initially, I wanted to keep the heads as well but failed in some. I guess that's the only challenging aspect of the dish. Everything else is easy. Let me point out too that I gave the shrimps a generous shower of the 21 seasoning salute. I mentioned that I will give an update when I try it on another dish. Here goes:

Ingredients:

1 lb large shirmps
1 tsp sea salt (after watching Alton on FN and saying salt comes from the sea so salt is definitely sea salt I can't help but laugh ha ha ha....)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger sliced thinly
2 tbsp ketchup
chopped spring onion
2 tbsp all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp 21-seasoning salute (optional)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 rounds of canola oil just to coat the pan
1 1/2 cup water

Procedure:

Wash, shell and devein shrimps but leave the tails and heads if you want for better presentation. I used my kitchen shears to do this. Keep the shrimps in a strainer to remove excess water from washing
Whisk together sea salt, ground pepper and the flour mixture and sprinkle over shrimps making sure each piece is coated
Heat canola oil in a pan over medium high heat
Fry the shrimps about a minute on each side or when they start to turn pink and plump
Scoop the cooked shrimps and transfer into a bowl
To the same pan, add a chug of canola oil and saute the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes for about a minute
Add the hoisin sauce, water and stir
Add ketchup and allow to boil
Add the shrimps when the sauce starts to slightly thicken
Cook for another two minutes then add the sesame oil and spring onion
Serve hot with rice

Notes:

You can thicken the sauce some more if it's still a little bit runny for your taste by using cornstarch- about a level tablespoon and two tablespoons water
Feel free to add some more red pepper flakes for a stronger kick
Do not overcook the shrimps or they will become hard and rubbery.
I used my 21 seasoning salute as well when seasoning the shrimps prior to dredging with flour so I got a major flavor explosion. My pictures didn't give the dish justice :-(

Herb Day

2011-09-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

I was having breakfast with Lola when Jen called to meet her at the parking lot coz she has something for me and needs help. I was so excited to know what it was and my excitement was justified because she had two herb planters for me. Spearmint and rosemary- two of my most coveted herbs and the funny thing is, she got the spearmint from Lola's garden. Yes, clueless Lola had the precious herb in her garden without her knowledge. Anyway, my dream of having a little ensemble of herb planters is slowly becoming a reality- thanks to Jen!

And since we're on the subject of herbs, my organic basil is still growing and right now it has a lot of flowers. I will be really sad when it finally say goodbye in a a month or so. Jen told me herbs don't last that long. Still, I will remember it for all the pesto it gave me and a lot of beautiful leaves to garnish my pasta.

The kitchen is closed ... for tonight

2011-09-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

I had it planned that there'll be no late kitchen activity today so I can spend some time blogging. I know, the posts were slow in coming and I feel bad about it- just let me make up a little bit...

First, I finished my online traffic class, passed the test and just waiting for my ticket to be cleared. Second, there seems to be some clarity about the state of our little renovation at home. I still don’t like the finish date but hoping it will be earlier than that.

And just some more rambling ... just to let you know I haven't been idle in the kitchen. It's just the sharing that I didn't have much time for. So this is basically just a recollection of what I did and postponed posting.

Summer just went by and didn’t notice the changing of the season. Fall officially came last 23rd.

I’m in love with Fage yogurt! Now it’s the only brand you’ll see in our fridge. I even went on a yogurt shopping spree last weekend. It didn’t make any difference coz’ there’s not much left in there.

I’m so proud of my little cooking student K – I love her enthusiasm and the way she really enjoys cooking and baking. She would BBM me with pictures of her creations from my recipes.

I sometimes get lucky and get a sampling too! That's a slice of her Japanese cheesecake with fig jam topping which came out really good. I got a really emotional BBM from her thanking me because she was never successful in all her past cheesecake tries until this one.

I didn’t share with you that someone gave me a pineapple from her trip to Hawaii. I know how sweet it is but I felt like making a cake. And when you say pineapple, upside-down cake immediately comes to mind. It was January when I first made it for a birthday or birthdays?

I was lucky to find nice blue crabs one weekend so I cooked it in coconut milk, green beans and squash. Surprisingly, Manang, another blogger I'm following made the same dish that day although a different variety of crab.

I love crabs cooked in many ways and when I cook them in coconut milk it has to be thick with a kick. I wish I took more pictures and plated some properly. I have the recipe somewhere in a previous post.

Hopefully I can update my blog with fresh creations but it all depends on our renovation issue. But thanks everyone for checking this blog for new updates.

Simplified Honey Toast

2011-09-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

Whoever invented the fridge deserves/gets my endless thanks because without it, I could/would have wasted the un-cut bread Karen gave me. So finally, I was able to make my simplified version of Honey Toast. I guess it was meant to be so- no frills and fuss because I also ran out of ice cream and didn’t have any other baked goodies to pretty-up my creation even in the most remote Dazzling Cafe fashion.

It helped that it was sitting in the coldest part of the fridge so it was well-preserved; not in the freezer so there was no thawing involved; just a little rest outside before I started to work on it. Taking out the interior was a breeze because it was still a little firm. I cubed it as much as I could although the rest were just little shapeless pieces.

Because it is called Honey Toast I have to flavor the bread with honey albeit not as sweet. I whisked honey with soft unsalted butter and generously brushed the walls and bottom of the bread as well as the cubed part. Then in the oven it went to toast at 375 degrees F for ten minutes. I waited for the bread to lightly toast before I took out the tray and fill the cavity with the cubes and return to it to the oven to bake for another five minutes. You don’t want to overdo it and turn it into biscotti. Next step is allowing it to cool a little while I whisk heavy cream and powdered sugar with a little cream cheese. That served as my frosting before I topped it with fresh berries. A dusting of powdered sugar and a sprig of mint leaves completed the process and I didn’t even bother transfer it to a serving plate. I have a GP on stand -by eagerly waiting to sample it and I was just as eager. It was delicious although I’m sure it would taste just as heavenly with ice cream on top. The good thing is- it was almost guilt-free eating the whole thing because it was shared and because it was as simple as it could be.

Next time the toast will be dressed to the nines!

21 Seasoning Salute

2011-09-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how long they’ve been selling it at Trader Joe’s but I just found it at the store’s spice shelf last weekend. Was it happenstance that I came from Vons before going there and bought some nice sirloin top steaks? Steaks seasoned with my latest grocery find --- even in my humble "culinary world", things do happen for a reason lol…

Ingredients: Onion, Spices(Black Pepper, Celery Seed, Cayenne Pepper, Parsley, Basil, Marjoram, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Thyme Savory, Rosemary, Cumin, Mustard, Garlic, Carrot, Orange peel, Tomato Granules, Lemon Juice Powder, Oil of Lemon, Citric Acid

As the description says, it has everything but olive oil which is the only thing I added when I marinated my steaks. OMG! The aroma coming from the bottle as you open it is just incredible. I just knew my steaks are going to be super! Too bad I didn’t take any pictures when my steak is done (again!) but I so swear, you can’t go wrong with this seasoning. And true to the product description at the back no salt ingredient which works in my favor. This is a keeper and should please those who get confused with so many spices. This almost has it all! I’ll post updates when I get to try it with other dishes.

Crêpes

2011-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I planned to make crêpes many times after watching Alton Brown in an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Under Wraps. I even bought the pears for the sweet one and mushrooms for the savory version. Obviously, it was just a dream and remained just a plan. I’ve used the mushrooms to make another dish and the pears enjoyed in its purest and simplest form. Now the inspiration was sort of rekindled via a request from one of my readers. The timing is right because I got some nice berries from Fresh & Easy and I still have dark chocolate glaze sitting in the fridge. Nutella of course is ever present even in my car for quick and easy access.

The success of the crêpe depends on the pan and the batter itself. Thanks to Alton Brown for his recipe which I always use and so far, I never had any issue with my crêpes. I did a couple of very minor tweaks and now I am sharing my basic crêpe recipe which can be used for both sweet and savory- whatever your preference is.

Crêpe Batter

Ingredients:
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

Directions:
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Refrigerate the batter for an hour before using. Alton Brown said that the process allows the bubbles to subside so the crêpes will be less likely to tear during cooking. I see bubbles when I cook the crêpes but he is right, I hardly had a tearing incident with the crêpes.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Brush with butter to coat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip to cook the other side for another 10 seconds. Transfer to a platter or cutting board to cool down. Repeat the process till batter is gone. You can store the crêpes the refrigerator for future use in a ziploc bag.

I used Nutella but ricotta cheese blended with sugar and vanilla is also an option. Of course Nutella pairs beautifully with berries, banana and other fruits. Spread about a heaping tablespoon in the middle of the crêpe, arrange the fruits on top, fold the sides on top of each other to form a triangle then sprinkle with powdered sugar. I have dark chocolate glaze in the fridge so I used it too. By the way, I did not use sugar in the batter so the sweetness comes from the Nutella and the fruits.

Isn't that the easiest breakfast to make? You can make the batter at night so it will be perfect next day. It doesn't matter what time of day you want it- I made these crêpes late last night and just an FYI, the batter can be stored in the fridge for 48 hours.

Beautiful Sunday, perfect weather

2011-09-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

But why am I lazy?

I went out and looked at the skies- they were blue with not a single cloud- at least not close by. I could see them from afar. I'm so thankful for the nice weather- not humid or hot; not cold. It's cool. But it made me lazy so into the freezer went my uncut bread till inspiration hits me. I have no one to share it with right now and I don't feel like eating anything sweet.

I made myself a glass of milk with Michelle's soybean powder with mugwort. I thought of just editing/updating my post about her gifts but I thought I'd just blog about it separately. I'm too lazy to do anything in the kitchen anyway. For the drink, I used super cold milk, a tablespoon of the powder and just a little sugar with lots of ice. I don't know if I did it the right way; if I put too much of the powder because I saw the powder settled at the bottom when I almost finished the drink. It was refreshing and the taste reminded me of mung beans toasted in the pan then crushed and mixed with sweet rice and coconut milk. The effect is no different from chai tea or matcha tea with cream although of course they're different from each other.

Ah this gentle breeze from my window is making me sleepy. Waiting for that surge of inspiration to bake a cake for my friends at work. I really want Karen to sample my Pandan Angel Food Cake but I have a feeling she's trying to make one today with the pandan flavoring I gave her.

Maybe another glass of soybean milk will help ha ha ...

update:

No such luck on the inspiration department. In fact, I had the weirdest craving for sweet potato fries and that's dinner for me tonight.

It's amusing how something so simple can taste so heavenly when you're craving for it. These fries tasted like such even with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

edit:

Instead of replying to K's comment- I'll just update this post with a picture of the big slice of Pandan Angel Food Cake she gave me today 9/12. So I was right, she did make it! Her cake came out in baby or pastel green and even her toasted coconut came out really light. There was a little mishap I think that she had to toast another batch.

She asked me to taste it right there and then but I just had breakfast and so I just took a little bite and it was good. I said I'd save it for lunch but actually took it home so I can really savor it.

The verdict? I love it! It is so soft and tender the way I want it, the coconut flavor is fighting with the pandan flavor so K, take note, maybe a drop more of the pandan flavoring but everything else is excellent. I know I didn't tell you I'd post pictures of your cake but well, it's here already. Good job!

Bread- the uncut version and more rambling

2011-09-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

Karen texted me last Wednesday to tell me she got me uncut bread for my honey toast. And that is after showing me the site of Dazzling Cafe in Taiwan where it is very popular. I saw it first on Food Network as Morimoto's creation albeit not as fabulous because it was not made as a dessert then. Anyway, so now I have this half a loaf of uncut bread which will be the base of the monster dessert I'm making tomorrow. Someone has to be here to share the feast with me.

I thought of making it today but I had to bake the last installment of the dough I have in the fridge. I thought that it was the easiest thing I ever baked. From the fridge comes out the bowl with the dough; I let it cool down for a bit and then shaped it into a log and it goes to the greased loaf pan.

Somehow I had a feeling that something's missing or I may have forgotten something. Alas, the pan is in the oven and then it struck me after it's been baking for a good ten minutes already. I forgot about the fig jam Michelle sent me which I planned to mix with cream cheese and use as my filling. Soon the bread is ready so I sliced it right away and prepared for plan B.

Nothing tastes better than fresh and warm bread with butter and jam. So I slathered a piece with it and on top, Michelle's fig jam. I can't tell you how it really tastes but I'll just sum it up as delicious and it's not sweet at all!

But I have to do one final test and that should really make the verdict final. Cream cheese.... didn't I initially plan to mix it with the jam and use it as filling for the bread?

Oh, I was right! It tastes awesome. But really, cream cheese goes well with jam or jelly- the mingling of the tart and sweet and the creamy and tangy. Is it too much to want a lot of flavors?

I hope the weather stays friendly till tomorrow and the coming week.