A blog for those who think food should be fun... for those who cook it and those who consume it. Tips, recipes, ideas and suggestions, links to the best ideas in food, best places to find food,and a place to find new ways to make memories with food whether you are a novice or an expert.
Mix together the shrimp, chicken, egg, and cornstarch.
Heat 3 cups of the oil in wok. When it is hot, add shrimp and chicken mixture. Cook for 1/2 minute and drain.
Place above mixture in pot with the broth, mushroom, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and green beans. Bring to a boil. Add salt and sherry. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 cup of oil until it is hot. Add rice and brown quickly.
Special Tikoy Recipe, Tikoy or Nián gāo is a Chinese rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and considered as a centerpiece during Chinese New Year in the Philippines.
Special Tikoy Ingredients:
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp. milk
3 ¼ cups or 400 grams glutinous rice flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
7 oz boiling water
½ cup Chinese dates, softened in water, cut in half, pits removed, or ½ cup other dried fruit or ¼ dates and ¼ cup nuts
Water, as needed
1 tbsp vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
Special Tikoy Cooking Instructions:
1. Prepare the wok for steaming.
2. In a bowl, mix the boiling water and the sugar. Stir constantly to dissolve. (If using peen tong, break the candy into several pieces, so that it will dissolve more easily in the boiling water.) Cool.
3. Soak the Chinese dates in hot water for at least 30 minutes to soften. Another way is to place them in a bowl with water and microwave on high heat for 30 seconds. Cut the dates in half and remove the pits.
4. Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle and add in the sugar and water mixture. Add the milk and begin shaping the dough. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the dough at a time, until you have a smooth dough with a satiny texture. Mix ½-¾ of the Chinese dates, nuts or other dried fruit as you are adding water and working with the dough.
5. Grease a 7 inch square cake pan with vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough in the cake pan and spread it out to the edges. Decorate with the remaining dates, lightly pushing them into the dough. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
6. Steam the cake over medium-high to high heat for 45 minutes or until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan. Remove the cake from the heat and cool.
7. Use a knife to loosen the edges, then remove the cake. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.
To serve :
Cut the cake into quarters and then into thin slices 2-3 inches long and ¼ inch wide.
There are Two ways to serve Tikoy…
1. You can serve the cake as is or reheat it in the microwave (the amount of time will depend on the size and power of your microwave-start with 10 seconds and then microwave an extra 5 seconds if needed) or re-steam it for 4-5 minutes.
2. Another way to serve is to pan-fry the cake, dipping the cake in an egg wash before frying. Use a small amount of oil so that the cake will not taste oily. Heat the oil on medium-high to high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and brown the cake slices briefly on both sides.
Tasty and easy Arabian gulf main dish - Quails with Spicy Red Sauce and Cumin Rice. Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 quails, washed and cut into halves lengthwise
For the rice:
2 tablespoons ghee
2 medium onions or 250 g, sliced
1 medium carrot or 150 g, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 cubes MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon
4½ cups water or 1125 ml
2½ cups basmati rice or 500 g
For the spicy red sauce:
2 medium tomatoes or 300 g, peeled and pureed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cube MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon
¼ teaspoon chili powder
Preparation
Heat oil in a large pan and fry quail pieces from both sides until they are golden brown in color from outside and cooked from inside (season quail with salt and black pepper before frying). Remove from oil and set aside.
Heat ghee in a pot and sauté onion slices until they become tender. Add carrot and cumin seeds and stir for seconds.
Add MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon cubes and water. Bring to boil with occasional stirring.
Add the rice and stir occasionally to boil again then cover and let it cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan, stir to boil then simmer over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickens. Add the fried quail to the sauce and simmer for few minutes.
Place rice in a serving plate and the quails with the sauce on top.
Kabsa is an Arabic favorite rice dish popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Because Kabsa is really delicious, it became famous dish in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. This is a meat (lamb) version of the Kabsa recipe.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 kg lamb, large cubes
4 cups basmati rice
1/2 kg carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 kg tomato, peeled and diced
1 kg finely chopped onion
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch ground coriander
salt and black pepper
butter or olive oil (for frying)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cups water
1 beef stock cube (Maggi)
1 large onion, finely chopped
14 ounces chopped tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup diced celery
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
Fry meat until browned on all sides. Add enough water to the pot so that it covers the meat by 1.5"-2", bring to a boil then cook gently over medium heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until tender. Reserve stock & set meat aside.
Soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain, rise under running water then drain well.
Add butter to a large stock pot or casserole, fry the onion, pepper, carrot & spices. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
Add rice to vegetables in the pot, cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add meat stock until stock covers rice (approx 1.5" above rice). Cover pot. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until tender - add a little more stock or water if rice seems to become dry.
Sauce:
Fry onion, garlic and tomato in the butter. Add tomato paste, celery, salt, cinnamon, water & stock cube. Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened and celery is tender.
Serve in a large dish or on a platter. Place the rice first, top with meat & garnish with pine nuts. Serve the sauce in a jug with a spoon. Saudies enjoy kabsa with a hot sauce called "shattah".
Muhammar is a sweet rice and it's one of the most famous Bahraini dishes. Muhammar is a must in the bahraini cuisine as a accompaniment to fish and only Fish. Let's try together this delicious Muhammar recipe.
Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice, washed
1/4 tsp saffron
2 table spoons rose water
3 cardamom pods, cracked
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup ghee or butter
1/2 cup sugar
Preparation:
Soak together saffron, cardamom, cloves, and rosewater; leave aside to steep.
Add rice to 6 cups of boiling water: boil to half cooked about 8 minutes; drain.
Stir sugar through the hot rice
Heat the ghee or butter in the same pan the rice was boiled and add the sweetened rice. Sprinkle the rose water mix on top
Cover the rim of pan with a cloth or paper towels and place lid on tightly
Cook over very low heat about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter.
Top with melted butter.
Best eaten with fried king fish or rabbit fish (safee)
Machboos is a dish of rice & meat, popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Here is a version of Machboos recipe.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups water
650 g basmati rice
3 tomatoes, quartered
1-1 1/2 kg chicken
3 onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 green hot pepper, as desired
2 black dried limes
2 teaspoons buharat spice mix
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 garlic cloves
1 slice ginger root, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons rose water
3 tablespoons oil
3 teaspoons salt
Preparation:
Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the spices (garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom) together and add to the mixture one teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the chicken halves.
Heat oil in a large cooking pan, fry the onions until golden brown, then add to the pepper and the black limes - you MUST make a hole in each limes.
Add the chicken to the onion mixture and turn it over a few times in the pan. Sprinkle on the chicken a teaspoon of cinnamon and the rest of the mixed spices. Turn the contents all together so the chicken is coated with the spices, cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, chopped ginger, and tomato cubes to the pan and turn the ingredients in the pan a few times. Cover again for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pour on it water while its still hot.Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the copped coriander 5 minutes before you remove the chicken from the stock in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.Remove the chicken from the pan and put on an oven tray, brush with some oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon powder and grill in the oven until the chicken is golden brown.Add the rice to the chicken stock, stir, then let it cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done.Sprinkle rose water and lemon juice over the rice and place the butter pieces on the top. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
Serve the rice on a large serving plate and place the grilled chicken halves on the top.
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Sumac kebabs on couscous tabouli Recipe. Enjoy the taste of Lebanese food and learn how to make quick and easy Sumac kebabs on couscous tabouli.
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 10 minutes
Equipment
You will need to soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes for this recipe.
Ingredients (serves 4)
6 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs sumac
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
1 cup (190g) couscous
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint
2 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
Greek yoghurt, to serve
Pita bread, to serve
Method
1. Combine the chicken, garlic, sumac, coriander and half the oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers.
2. Heat a char-grill pan or large frying pan over high heat. Add chicken skewers and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from heat. Set aside to rest.
3. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to the boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat, add the couscous and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff grains to separate. Transfer to a bowl. Add the parsley, mint, onion, tomatoes, lemon juice and remaining oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the couscous among serving plates. Top with kebabs. Serve immediately with Greek yoghurt and pita bread, if desired.
Notes
Try substituting couscous with burghul (cracked wheat). It takes a little longer to cook, but is traditionally used to make tabouli.
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Moroccan-style lamb with pistachio couscous Recipe. Enjoy Moroccan Food and learn how to make quick and easy Moroccan-style lamb with pistachio couscous.
1. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb with cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook for 4-5 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
2. Meanwhile, combine the water, orange juice and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Add the couscous while stirring with a fork. Cover with a lid and set aside for 5 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains.
3. Slice the lamb across the grain. Add the dates, apricot, pistachios, coriander and orange rind to the couscous and stir to combine. Divide among serving bowls. Top with lamb and serve with yoghurt, if desired.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 6:21 PM |
Filed Under: VEGETABLES
|
Steven is not the biggest fan of zucchinis but once they're stuffed with cheese and Italian sausage, even he can't resist them. I've converted him to a zucchini lover, albeit a meat-and-cheese stuffed zucchini lover. I've heard of stuffing bell peppers but stuffing zucchinis was a novel idea for me, one which I first saw on Elise's Simply Recipes. One of the great things about reading food blogs is seeing all the creative and delicious ideas bloggers come up with; it becomes addicting!
Stuffed Zucchinis with Cheese and Italian Sausage
Adapted from Elise's Simply Recipes
6 zucchinis
4 Italian sausages
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp white wine
1/4 tsp ground Italian herb
Optional: fresh basil or other herbs
1 egg
1/2 C grated mozzarella
1/4 C grated Parmesan
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Slice the zucchinis in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and scoop out the insides leaving the zucchinis about 1/4 in thick. Sprinkle the insides of the zucchinis with some salt to draw out excess moisture. Chop the scooped zucchini insides and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Brown the sausage and break it up into small pieces. Remove into a mixing bowl and set aside. Add the chopped zucchinis, drained tomatoes, garlic, white wine, dried Italian herb mix, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until all of the moisture has absorbed. Mix in the browned sausage and wait until the filling has cooled.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drain any moisture that may have come out of the filling before mixing in the cheese and egg. Also drain any moisture that has been drawn out of the zucchinis. Mix the egg and cheeses into the filling and scoop generously into the zucchinis. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the zucchinis have softened.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 6:19 PM |
Filed Under: U.S.,
VEGETABLES
|
Sometimes when I cook vegetables, I like to keep it simple, just a quick stir fry with a bit of salt. Nothing else, no garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, etc. etc. Just oil and salt. This way it keeps the flavors clean and refreshing. There are so many varieties of bok choy it's sometimes hard to keep them straight. The kind of bok choy I most often use is baby bok choy, the variety with light green instead of white stalks. When it comes to most Chinese vegetables, bigger isn’t always better, the smaller ones are sweeter and more tender. Even in the same plant, I find that the inner leaves are much sweeter and tastier than the outer ones.
There are also many ways to cut bok choy. Some prefer to chop the leaves and separate the greens from the stalks since the leaves cook faster. Others like to cut the entire bok choy in half lengthwise or in quarters and cook it in large segments. What I like to do is take each leaf and slice down lengthwise to get about 1/2 in strips, leaf intact. I think it’s prettier this way and it’s more manageable to eat than a huge quarter segment.
Stir fried Bok Choy
Bok choy (1 head per person)
Salt
1 tsp vegetable oil per 2 bunches bok choy
Wash each leaf to get rid of the dirt, especially in the spoon-like area in the bottom. Slice 2 or 3 times lengthwise down the leaf for strips.
Heat oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the bok choy and salt; cook stirring frequently. Cook until all the leaves are wilted then for another 1 minute and serve.
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Beef and pear tagine Recipe. Enjoy Moroccan Food and learn how to make Beef and pear tagine.
Invite your family and friends round for a Moroccan feast and serve them this delicious tagine. They're sure to be impressed!
Ingredients (serves 6)
2/3 cup honey
1 large lemon, juiced
2 firm pears, cores removed, cut into thick wedges
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2kg chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
2 brown onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
3 to 4 tablespoons Masterfoods Moroccan Spice Blend
20g butter
Method
1. Place 1 1/2 cups cold water, honey, 1/4 cup lemon juice, pears, cinnamon and allspice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until pears are tender. Allow to cool. Drain, reserving liquid. Set pears aside.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Cook steak, in batches, for 3 minutes or until browned, adding more oil as required. Transfer to a large plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, ginger and spice blend. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return steak to pan with 1 1/3 cups reserved pear syrup. Bring to the boil. Transfer tagine to an ovenproof casserole dish. Cover with a lid. Place in oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, heat butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add pears. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden. Remove tagine from oven and stir in pears. Return to oven and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until steak is tender. Serve with pumpkin and chickpea salad and Moroccan bread (see related recipes).
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Easy Moroccan lamb tagine Recipe. Enjoy Moroccan cooking and learn how to make Easy Moroccan lamb tagine.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg lamb leg or lamb rump steak, trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces
1 large brown onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 410g cans Ardmona Rich & Thick
Moroccan Style chopped tomatoes with ginger and coriander
600g kent pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 3cm pieces
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
200g green beans, trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces fresh coriander leaves, to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add one-quarter of the lamb. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to a bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and lamb, adding more oil if necessary.
2. Add onion to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and pumpkin. Return lamb to pan. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil.
3. Remove from heat. Cover and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Add chickpeas and beans. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with coriander. Serve.
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Lamb tagine Recipe. Enjoy Moroccan Food and learn how to make quick and easy Lamb tagine.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
1.2kg diced lamb
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup thick, Greek-style yoghurt
1/2 cup pistachio kernels, roughly chopped
couscous, to serve
Method
1. Combine spices and salt in a large bowl. Add oil, rind and half the juice and stir to form a paste. Add lamb and stir until well-coated in paste. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours if time permits.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Put lamb mixture into a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add stock and remaining lemon juice. Stir until well-combined.
3. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Stir in dried apricot and raisins. Cook, covered for a further 40 minutes or until lamb is tender. Serve immediately with a dollop of yoghurt, sprinkling of pistachio kernels and couscous on the side.
I prepare Embutido (otherwise known as Filipino style meatloaf) in large quantities. It’s the perfect Holiday dish to prepare for unexpected guests. One can easily freeze the embutido, slice it , heat it in the oven and serve. The embutido that I know is wrapped in sinsal (an internal pork entrail) which is ideal for steaming. Mom only prepared embutido on Christmas season. There are so many ingredients which need lots of preparation time but like I told you, once prepared, and cooked it’s perfect to store.
Here is my Embutido recipe.
Ingredients
2 pieces red pepper, minced finely
3 kilos ground lean pork
2 pieces carrot, grated finely
1 cup Chorizo de Bilbao, chopped finely (this is the one that gives the flavor)
6 eggs, beaten
200 grams raisins
300 grams pickle relish
3 onions, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 1/2 Tablespoons fine salt
7 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoon worcestershire saice
3/4 cup cornstarch
Procedure
1. Combine all the ingredients except the garnishings.
2. Blend thoroughly together. Before rolling , take a small meat portion and fry to make sure the flavors suit your taste.
3. Measure a 1 cup pork mixture. Spread pork mixture into 8″ x 10″ aluminum foil.
4. Make a rectangular well in the center.
4. Arrange slices of hard cooked eggs, Vienna sausage and hotdog. Roll until the ends of the pork mixture covers the eggs and sausages. Continue rolling the pork mixture back and forth until it covers the slices of eggs and sausages in the center.
6. The rolled mixture in the aluminum foil should reach around 1″ to 2″ in diameter.
7. Seal both ends. Repeat with the remaining pork mixture.
8. Steam bake in moderate oven over 350 F for 1 hour or steam for 30 minutes.
Beef tapa for breakfast is my all time favorite Filipino breakfast. Served with garlic rice, eggs and coffee is the ultimate breakfast. I often dip my tapa with vinegar before mixing it with my garlic rice. Through the years, I’ve developed my own recipe because it was getting more and more expensive to buy the pre-mixed tapa.
Here is my recipe which I have featured before but made it even tastier.
1 kilo beef sirloin
1 1/2 Tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt (fine salt)
7 Tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
Mix all ingredients.
Let stand for a few hours.
Store in the refrigerator for 24 hours or longer before storing in the freezer.
It’s best to marinate the beef overnight as the flavors seep in more.
Divide the 1 kilo marinated beef into separate plastic bags so you can just cook them per batch.
Now if you can’t wait to cook beef tapa, just hop along to the nearest Jollibee restaurant, Max Restaurant or any restaurant for that matter. Almost every restaurant serves beef tapa as their Filipino breakfast fare.
Buko Pandan is just a favorite dessert in most parties. The fragrant smell of pandan is soothing after a filling meal. Pandanus leaves are often soaked in water and boiled to extract both the green color, a natural food colorant, as well as the aroma which is a bit nutty and reminiscent of freshly-cooked jasmine rice. One can prepare Buko Pandan Jelly with or without pandan leaves. Of course you will need pandan essence that can be bought online (Check here). If there are no pandan leaves or pandan essence available (especially those based outside the Philippines), then one will just have to leave it out and pretend the flavor is there.
Ingredients
7 Pandan leaves (skip this if you have Pandan flavoring or Pandan essence )
5 Buko (young coconut) grated
Water from 5 Buko which is about 10 cups
2 bars of Green Gulaman
3 small cans of Nestle Cream
1 medium can of Condensed Milk
1 1/2 Cups Sugar (adjust to taste)
Directions
1. Boil buko water with the 7 pandan leaves. Twist each pandan leaf so juice can easily be extracted. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. When you smell the aromatic pandan , remove from fire. Discard leaves.
3. Check if the remaining coconut water is equal to 8 cups since 1 bar of gulaman is good for 4 cups of liquid.
4. Add gulaman to the remaining coconut water and stir well to dissolve the gulaman. Add sugar while mixing.
Continue doing so for at least 5 minutes.
5. Strain the mixture and place in cooling tray so gulaman mixture can cool and harden. When cool, refrigerate.
6. Mix the cream, sugar and condensed milk with the grated buko. Set aside.
7. Get chilled gulaman from the refrigerator nd cut into 1 cm cubes.
8. Mix well with buko mixture. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.
It’s that time of the year when I plan the baked goodies that I plan to give as gifts to my friends. Food for the Gods is such a delightful recipe to bake during the holidays when one doesn’t have the time to bake Fruit Cake. It entails less preparation and baking time. It’s the perfect dessert to prepare beforehand. Baked with a delightful blend of dates and walnuts, molasses, tinge of brandy and cinnamon, the taste is reminiscent of fruit cake sans the fruit glaze. You should try it. It’s simple to bake. Your kitchen will also emit holiday aroma that gives you more reason to keep baking and baking.
Here is my recipe to start you off baking a dessert fit even for gods.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons Brandy 1 cup dates, cut in strips 1 cup walnuts, chopped 1/3 cup butter 2 tablespoons molasses 1/4 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons Honey 2 eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Grease square pan
3. Combine dates. nuts, and 2 tablespoons brandy. Set aside.
(Dates and walnuts are blended with the 2 Tablespoons of brandy)
4. Cream butter until fluffy.
5. Add sugar, molasses, and honey gradually.
6. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating.
7. Blend in 2 tablespoons brandy. (Lauren wanted to add more brandy but it might make the batter too bitter.)
8. Sift together flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
9 Add to creamed mixture.
10. Fold in dates and nuts. Blend well.
11. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. (Bake only until a wooden toothpick inserted about one inch from side of pan comes out with a moist crumb. The center will often see, unbaked but it will be firm upon cooling.)
(Freshly baked food for the gods)
12. When cool, cut into bars 13. Wrap in cellophane.
Time was it was safe to buy Ice Scramble from vendors. Those were the days when water was much cleaner, without risk of Hepatitis A infection. These days, once can easily buy Ice Scramble at the Philippine malls but for those who reminisce this good ole street food treat, you can prepare one at home. One just needs to know the classic Ice Scramble base, and choose your favorite topping.
Classic Ice Scramble base:
1 cup Evaporated milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon banana flavoring (adjust to desired taste)
few drops of red liquid coloring to get the right shade of pink color
Mix the ingredients of the base and add on to crushed ice. The actual proportion of ice to the ice scramble base might vary so adjust as desired. Mix well and keep in an insulated container. Fill a cup with the mixed crushed ice base. Add milk powder and chocolate syrup and top with rice crispies or any desired topping.
There you go. Such a refreshing treat during warm weather. I think this is our very own version of the smoothie, our Pinoy Smoothie.
I saw another site that has an Ice Scramble recipe but it veers away from the old-school Iskrambol but you might also want to try it out
CHOCO ICE SCRAMBLE
Ingredients:
1 cup Alaska Evaporada
1/2 cup instant chocolate powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
1 pc banana, chopped (optional)
3 cups crushed ice
Procedure:
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Place in serving glasses and top with a swirl of Alaska Condensada if desired
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 6:04 PM |
Filed Under: PHILIPPINES,
SEAFOOD
|
Dagupan City once promoted 100 ways to cook Bangus but for me the best Bangus dish is still Rellenong Bangus (or Relyenong Bangus)> Here’s the recipe I use.
Ingredients
I medium sized Bangus (more or less 800 gramns) 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 3 teaspoons Calamansi juice 1/8 teaspoon Pepper Dash of Salt 1/4 cup water 2 Tablespoons cooking oil 2 cloves, crushed gralic 1 onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup tomatoes, finely chopped 1 teaspoon salt 18 teaspoon pepper 1 Tablespoon Butter 1/3 cup chopped raisins 1/3 cup peas, drained 1/4 cup carrots, diced finely 1 eggs, beaten 1/ cup flour 1/2 cup cooking oil
Procedure
1. Clean Fish. Pound to soften. 2. Slit back to open and remove backbone. Scrape meat with a spoon. Keep skin 1 piece. 3. Soak skin with calamansi juice, soy sauce and pepper. Set aside. 4. Boil bangus meat with ppinch of salt and 1/4 cup water, into color changes. Set Aside. Drain and remove bones. 5. Saute garlic, tomatoes and onions in hot oil. Add bangus meat and season. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from fire. 6. Add in butter, peas, raisins, carrots and eggs. Mix thoroughly/ 7. Stuff bangus skin with the mixture and sew opening. 8. Dredge in four and fry or bake until brown.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:59 PM |
Filed Under: SEAFOOD
|
Crab Omelet is one my favorite omelet dish. With crab meat available in the groceries, it’s easier to prepare now. My mom used to prepare this by boiling the crabs and flaking the crab meat. The top shell is saved for filling in the crab meat. Anyway, this recipe is just plain crab omelet or tortang alimasag. A very simple dish.
Ingredients
1 cup flaked crab meat (you can buy this at the frozen section of the grocery)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon constarch
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon refined salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup shredded onions
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 peeled potatoes, finely diced
1/4 cup shredded celery
5 eggs
Directions
1. Beat eggs slightly and season with salt and pepper.
2. Beat all ingredients together. Set aside.
4. Heat wok then add oil.
5. Fry potatoes and set aside.
6. Saute garlic until brown then add vegetables, then add crab meat, salt, soy sauce, pepper and cornstarch. Set Aside to cool.
8. Heat non-stock frying pan in preparation for the omelet.
9. Pour in beaten eggs and cook. You will know the egg has cooked enough to proceed when the egg whites have actually turned white, the bottom is set and the top is a bit creamy.
10. When the crispy transparent egg edges start to pull away from the pan, this is the time to add the crab mixture.
11. Put your crab mixture in the omelet on one side only, in a half moon shape so it is easy to fold. Leave a little space around the omelet so the crab mixture won’t spill out of the sides.
12. Then fold the omelet in half. Use your spatula to left the omelet gently out of your pan and let it slide to a plate.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:55 PM |
Filed Under: SEAFOOD
|
How many of you have eaten the Maliputo fish? I thought I knew all the fish species in the country since I grew up in Cebu, where most of our dishes were seafood. The other night, my husband brought over Maliputo, since he came from Batangas. His staff gave him one whole fish.
My husband baked the Maliputo without adding salt , pepper , herbs and other spices. He just added chopped onions and tomatoes inside the fish. The taste is divine. It had a slight salty and sweet taste. I asked my husband “are you sure this is a fresh water fish and you didn’t place salt?” My husband said that Maliputo is a fresh water fish found only in Taal Lake.
I knew I was missing something. My husband showed me his book, “The Mysteries of Taal” by Thomas Hardgrove written in 1991.
In the book , it talks about Lake Taal’s fish including Maliputo.
….include the yellowfin jack, a “freshwater species of mackerel, locally called maliputo. One of maliputo’s scientific name is Carnax Ignobilis.
The maliputpo migrate from the lake via the Pansipit Rover to spawn, or lay eggs in the sea, then return to Taal. I have seen Maliputo almost 1 m long at restaurants along the Pansipit River.
Gourmets and Manila restaurants pay a high price for the tasty maliputo (US $10.00 per kilogram in early 1989).
Pauly does not consider maliputo a mackerel. “True mackerel belong like tina to the Scombridae family, ” he wrote. “They do not occur in fresh or even brackish, water…Maliputo corresponds to a fish of the family Carangidae, i.e. a horse mackerel, (not a a mackerel) , or jack, or cavalla or pampano.
The marine biologist thinks the early Spaniards confused carangids such as maliputo with tuna.:
So there goes the answer to my question on the salty taste of the Maliputo
Maliputo is comparable in taste and texture to other white-fleshed marine fish like lapu-lapu, pompano and maya-maya. This is usually served in high-brow restaurants and hotels steamed-cook and garnished with various herbs and spices. Caught alive, caranx are much sought after by the Japanese and Chinese restaurants here and abroad, making it another export winner for the country.
A major scientific breakthrough in aquaculture has been achieved here in the National Fisheries Biological Center (NFBC), a research and extension facility of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. They were able to develop a method of inducing natural spawning in the matured fish which are very difficult to handle owing to its sensitive nature. The lack of scales in the fish makes it very sensitive to hormonal injection and the slightest removal from the water may also cause sudden death.
Perhaps in the near future, we will be able to have plentiful supply of this tasty fish. The price of Maliputo is pegged at 500 pesos a kilo. Such a rare fish to have on our table. Be careful. Some people sell fake maliputo. The Talakitok is similar to the Maliputo except they are caught in marine waters.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:51 PM |
Filed Under: PHILIPPINES,
SEAFOOD
|
The lapu-lapu is always a special dish. Childhood memories of our family dinner involves a feast of lapu-lapu topped with sweet and sour sauce known escabeche. Escabeche has a slight ginger taste to it unlike the Chinese version of sweet and sour sauce. I am not sure if this is a Cebuano version of the sweet and sour sauce because I have not tasted it here in Manila.
Here is how I prepare it:
1. Clean the Lapu-lapu (around 1 kilo), slice diagonally along the fish, then rub salt on it and inside the fish cavity
2. Deep fat fry. (An alternative cooking method is to rub olive oil around the fish, then wrap with foil to grill it ) . Drain in paper towels. Set aside.
3. Prepare the sweet and sour sauce.
1 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
a slice of ginger, julienne
1/2 head garlic, minced
2 medium-sized onions, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
1 carrot, julienne
1 red pepper, julienne
4 green onions, sliced (leave some for garnishing)
2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 tablespoons cornstarch, diluted with 2-3 tablespoons water
1. Combine the first 6 ingredients.
2. Thicken with cornstarch mixture (2 tablespoons cornstarch, diluted with 2-3 tablespoons water)
3. Add tomatoes, onions, carrot, tomatoes, garlic, red pepper and the other ingredients. Place pineapple tidbits last
4. Boil once. Make sure the sauce is slightly thickened and not runny.
5. Pour the sauce on fried lapu-lapu (prepared in number 1) and serve immediately. Don’t pour the sauce on the fish if you are not ready to eat it. The crispiness of the fish will be gone. You can always set aside the sauce and serve it once everyone is ready to eat.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:49 PM |
Filed Under: SEAFOOD
|
There are many ways to cook Shrimps and the easiest is to saute the shrimps in garlic. This style of cooking is Gambas. Others add tomato sauce and other vegetables like carrots or red bell pepper. I prefer the toasted garlic taste on my shrimps.
Ingredients
500 grams medium-sized shrimps, in shell
2 tablespoons, rock salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Tabasco or hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 Sliced green chili
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
5 tablespoons olive oil
Procedure
1. Toss shrimps and rock salt together.
2. Heat heavy frying pan with 1/4 cup olive oil until hot. Sauté garlic until almost brown. Set aside one teaspoon toasted garlic for garnishing.
3. Drop the shrimps and continue stirring to keep from sticking to the pan.
4. Cook 1 minute then add 4 tablespoons olive oil.
5. Cook 3 more minutes. Season with tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Set Aside.
6. Mix parsley and sliced green chili with 1 tablespoon olive oil
6. Transfer to a platter. Serve with Shrimp with the oil from kawali. Sprinkle with toasted garlic and green sili.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:46 PM |
Filed Under: SEAFOOD
|
Tomorrow is Chinese New Year. Will you cook? I am busy preparing for a special dish and after learning “Crab with Chlorophyll’s Shirataki Noodles” at a cooking demo in the Maya Kitchen, I decided to give it a try for tomorrow’s dinner.
What is unique about this dish is the use of Shirataki noodles instead of the usual “sotanghon” noodles.
Shirataki noodles provide an alternative to traditional pasta, delivering a similar taste and texture to standard noodles with only a fraction of the carbs and calories. Shirataki noodles, made primarily of yam flour, also grant some additional health benefits. According to a University of Connecticut study, published in October 2008 in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” researchers found that glucomannan helps lower bad LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting blood sugar, while also aiding in weight loss.
This is the perfect noodle for me instead of the high carbs pasta.
Here is how to prepare.
Ingredients (the quantities is based on taste preference and so these are just merely a guide)
1 kilo to 5 kilos crabs
salt
pepper
Leeks
ginger juice (you can make ginger by following these instructions)
ginger
onions
Oyster sauce
water
Chinese rice wine
coconut oil
sesame oil
On Shirataki noodles
Shirataki noodles (Can be bought at Salcedo market in Manila at 100 pesos/roughly 200 grams or at Japanese grocery stores)
Once removed from their packaging, shirataki noodles may have a slimy texture and a strong, beany even fishy odor. Washing the noodles in cold running water helps remove the smell. After rinsing, dry the noodles thoroughly with paper towels. To further improve the texture, heat the noodles in the microwave for one minute and then dry them once again with paper towels. Taking the time to eliminate the extra moisture will greatly improve the noodles’ texture.
Procedure
1. You can choose to buy the crabs live and quietly put it to sleep or have it done at the market.
2. Season and marinade with salt and pepper, ginger juice, rice wine.
3. Prepare a wok. Heat it up.
4. Add oil.
5. Saute ginger, onions , leeks.
6. Add in the crab and cover it.
7. When crab is half cooked, take it out of the wok and set aside.
8. Add in boiled shirataki noodles.
9. Cook the shirataki and then put inside a hot pot.
10. Saute the crabs and add hot sesame oil.
The quality of the crab will determine the success of the dish.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:40 PM |
Filed Under: SEAFOOD
|
For most Catholics, the Lent seafood diet is strictly observed. Some kids will find seafood dishes unpalatable so I will be sharing some seafood meal ideas from the Maya Kitchen (where I attend monthly demos) who invited experts from Mida Food Distributors Inc., The Seafood Specialist. They shared their knowledge on the proper way to select, clean, store and cook fish, squids, crabs and shellfish. Most often, when I shop at the groceries, I see frozen seafoods but never know how to cook them. One of my favorite is crab meat. I usually prepare it ala Tortang Alimango. This time, there is a variation called the Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce.
Ingredients: 2 eggs Fresh Parsley Worcestershire Sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 piece lemon & zest salt & pepper 1 lb Blue Swimming Crab Lump Meat ½ cup normal breadcrumbs 2 cups panko breadcrumbs half stick butter
for Aioli:
1 piece garlic clove Sea salt Black Pepper 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard around 600 ml extra virgin olive oil Lemon Juice & zest Fresh Dill
Method: 1. Beat eggs in a bowl and add parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning. Mix well. 2. Gently fold in crabmeat and normal breadcrumbs until mixture is no longer moist. 3. Gently make 6-8 balls out of the mixture then flatten into thick patties. 4. Lightly coat the patties in panko breadcrumbs and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 5. Fry in butter until golden brown. Squeeze lemon when done. For Aioli: 1. Smash garlic and salt in a large bowl (or pestle and mortar). 2. Combine with egg yolk and mustard. Mix together. 3. Start adding the olive oil little by little, whisking continuously. 4. Add the lemon juice/zest, and dill. 5. Season to taste.
Author: JOHN REY
| Posted at: 5:34 PM |
Filed Under: SOUP,
U.S.
|
I know some of you miss Chicharon or Pork Cracklings. Here is a recipe from Chef Jill Sandique where she featured a soup recipe using lentils and pork cracklings. This recipe is not about pork cracklings though. The US Dry Bean Council (DBC) and USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council (DPLC) wants to change the way people see the humble peas and beans as just side dishes or add-sons. Peas and beans can actually be healthy main ingredients of yummy dishes. It is one reasons that the DBC and DPLC partnered with Chef Sandique.
Chef Jill believes that US dry peas, lentils and chickpeas are protein-rich and packed with fiber and carry antioxidants and high amounts of folate.
Chef Jill shows one way of preparing US Lentils as a main ingredient:
Ingredients
1/2 cup bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil, optional
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
100 grams pork, cubed
100 grams shrimp, peeled and chopped
pork, chicken or shrimp stock (water may do) as needed
1 pack U. S. lentils, about 400 grams
2 to 4 cups spinach, washed and trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
To serve
Pork Cracklings
olive oil
red wine vinegar
Method
1. In a pot, cook bacon until slightly golden. Add oil if necessary.
2. Add the garlic, onion and tomato. Saute well. Add pork then shrimps.
3. Pour in stock or water. Bring in to boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the lentils. Cook until done. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a service.
5. Serve hot with pork cracklings, olive and red wine vinegar.
The original leche flan recipe was from my Mom but my sister Lorna reconfigured it to fit her tastes.
The perfect flan is such that when you slice through it, it barely quivers like jello. There is very little syneresis, that is, no weeping (or lots of holes in it!). I am sharing this precious recipe so you may prepare it for your family.
5 eggyolks
2 eggs
1 can condensed milk
1 can water (use the condensed milk’s can for measuring)
1 tbsp. vanilla to add to the mixture
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup sugar for caramelization
Get a pyrex loaf dish (or equivalent oval, square, or round dish).
Caramelize 1/3 cup sugar in it. Use your oven. When the sugar is starting to melt, make sure that you watch carefully. You don’t want the caramel to be too dark or it will taste burnt. Manipulate the dish until you are sure that the caramel is evenly placed on the bottom of the pan. Let the pan rest on the stove top.
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
These are the cooking times:
For the first 45 minutes: 325 degrees Fahrenheit
For the next 20 to 25 minutes, until the toothpick test shows that the flan is done: 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Procedure:
1. Separate 5 eggyolks when the eggs are cold. It’s easier to get the whites and the yolks separated. Set the whites aside to use for Flan de Huevos Blancos or Angel Cake.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the eggyolks, eggs, condensed milk, water, and vanilla until well-blended. Set aside for a few minutes so that the mixture reaches room temperature. Do not beat up the mixture to form bubbles. Just try to make sure that the eggwhites are blended in.
3. While waiting for the mixture to reach room temperature, prepare your baine marie (bano maria).
Get a rectangular roasting pan that is slightly taller than the baking pan that you are using for your flan. Put this roasting pan inside your pre-heated oven. Add water to the pan, about mid-way. Be careful that you don’t splash water around as you heat this pan of water.
4. Get a small rounded double-meshed metal strainer, as finely-meshed as you can find them (similar to the strainer that comes with a wok). This is the secret of the recipe.
5. Get a bowl and put the strainer over it. Spoon (with a 1/4 cup measuring cup) the mixture over the metal strainer. With a rubber scraper, smoothen any eggwhites through the strainer. Using a wooden spoon (or other mixing spoon), blend the smooth mixture.
6. When you have finishing straining the mixture, blend the muixture with your wooden spoon one last time. Try not to produce any bubbles while doing this.
7. Pour the mixture on your prepared caramelized pan. It should have a thick, liquid “feel” to it.
8. Open your oven and pull out the rack with the roasting pan (that has hot water on it).
Position the Leche Flan’s pan into the center of the roasting pan.
9. Bend a little and check the height of the water around the Leche Flan’s pan. You might need to add more water (using your measuring cup) so that the water outside the pan reaches the height of the leche flan. This is the secret to having very little syneresis (or “weeping”).
10. Remember:
For the first 45 minutes: 325 degrees Fahrenheit
For the next 20 to 25 minutes, until the toothpick test shows that the flan is done: 350 degrees Fahrenheit
11. When you take out the cooked Leche Flan from the baine marie, be careful not to splash water around. Set the pan on top of the stove or counter to cool down.
12. Taking the Leche Flan out of its pan:
Many a Leche Flan is destroyed by the baker not knowing how to take it out of its pan.
Refrigerate the cooled-down leche flan until you’re ready to unmold it.
Unmolding the Leche Flan: Run a straight-edged (non-serrated) knife on the sides of the Leche Flan. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the Leche Flan and press down ever-so-gently on the surface of the flan. Let the caramel from the bottom of the pan run through the sides of the pan. Get a pan of hot water and let the leche flan’s pan rest gently on this water bath for a few minutes. The rest of the mixture is cold and only the bottom is hot. This is done so that the unmolding is faster — and smoother. Take out the plastic wrap. Take your serving platter and place over the Leche Flan. Invert the mixture in one quick move.
13. You can garnish the Leche Flan with some macapuno strings or langka strips (preserved jackfruit) if you like.
Hoping you all are successful in making Leche Flan.
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3 ounces baby shrimp
