Pork Siomai

Ingredients:

1/2 kg ground pork

1 egg

2 tablespoon flour

1 table spoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 knorr shrimp cube.

1kinchay or celery

1 pack of molo or siomai wrapper

water

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients and set aside for 3omins.

2. Place 1 teaspoon of the pork mixture in the middle of the siomai wrapper and fold to the center all sides.

3. to close the siomai wet the edges with water.

4.brush the steamer with oil

5. line it with kinchay/celery

6. arrange the siomai in the steamer

7. cook for 30 to 40mins.

pork adobo with tofu and black beans

This adobo has an oriental twist.

One of my personal favorites.

Ingredients:

1/2kl pork

4pcs tofu , cut into cubes

1can black beans, drained and rinsed once with water (unrinsed black beans is too salty)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup water

1/8 tsp pepper

1 large onion, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 pcs laurel leaves

1tsp sugar

Procedure.

1. Fry the tofu and set aside

2.Place in a thick saucepan all the ingredients

except for the black beans

3. let it boil to tenderize the pork for about 30-45 minutes.

4. once pork is already tender, add black beans

5. cook for additional 5 minutes

6.turn off the heat and mix the tofu.

7. serve with rice.

ham and tomato pasta

A fast to prepare dish for your pasta cravings.

One of my recipe ideas when I wanted a pasta but do not have the usual ingredients for the classic spaghetti.

Ingredients:

400grams pasta cooked as per package direction.

1 and 1/2 cup ham, cubed (you can put more if you like)

1can of diced and peeled tomatoes

1 small pack/can of tomato sauce (~1 cup)

3 table spoon olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

1 medium sized onion, diced

grated cheese

Directions:

1. saute onion and diced tomatoes in olive oil

2. add ham

3. add tomato sauce and dried basil

4. simmer for 5 minutes , stirring occasionally

serve over pasta.

Top with grated cheese.

You can opt to add mushroom .

spicy tuna carbonara

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 can tuna chunks in oil (regular), drained
1 can tuna chunks in oil (spicy), drained set aside 1/2 of the liquid content
1 can button mushrooms (sliced thinly)
1 pc. Large white onion (minced)
1 big can all purpose cream
1 big can cream of mushroom
3/4 cup water
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1//4 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper

400grams pack of pasta cooked as per package direction.

Directions.
1. place butter in a pan and saute onion.
2. add the flour and cook flour in butter (it will look have a gravy like consistency)
3. add the tuna with the 1/2 of the liquid content (for added tuna flavor)
4. add mushroom
5. add cream of mushroom, nestle all purpose cream, water and cheese
6. simmer over low heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
7. add dried basil
8. add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta and top with pamesan cheese.

For variation to have a seafood carbonara:

add crab meat, squid (cooked in oil/butter) and cooked mussels (meat only)

Leche flan (creme brulee filipino version)

A lot of people assume that this recipe is complicated.
But it uses very few ingredients, you just have to be very careful with the procedure.
I will try to add an image next time.

ingredients

caramel (at the bottom of the pan)
white sugar

if using the llanera ( oval shaped aluminum pan)use 2 tbsp sugar
if using round aluminum pan , 2 inches in diameter use 2 tsp sugar.


leche flan mixture

6 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1 can condensed milk (300ml/390grams)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz/ 354ml)
1 tbsp vanilla


Procedure:

for the caramel
1. place sugar (check measurement in the ingedients part) in the pan.
2. heat on top of a stove using very low heat.

The idea is to caramelize the sugar but not burn it. Too high heat will instantly turn your sugar to very dark brown or black which is very bitter.We do not want that.
Use pliers or thongs to hold the pan while caramelizing the sugar so you can even out the heat all thorough out the pan.
If you see the sugar boiling remove it from heat and swirl the sugar by moving the pan from side to side.
Once the sugar has liquefied already, no more solid sugar and has turned into golden brown,
remove it from the heat and set aside.

Let cool. It will look like hard candy coating the bottom of your pan.
The candy like coating will have a tendency to crack once cooled; its normal.

for the leche flan

1. place egg yolks, whole egg in a bowl and whisk
2. combine the condensed and evaporated milk with the whisked egg.
3. mix.
4. remove lumps of eggs (it's normal to have some egg lumps in the mixture, but make sure to remove them).
5. strain the mixture in a cheesecloth (katsa) or a very fine strainer.
6. fill the pans (the once prepared with caramel already )) 3/4 full. with the mixture.

Cooking directions
using a stove top steamer
1. Cook in a steamer for 30-40 minutes or until firm.

1.Place filled pans on a larger pan with water (water height should be half of your leche flan pan) in an oven pre-heated with 350F temp.
2. Cook for 1hour or until firm.

Tip: Do not fully close the steamer or cover of the pan. It will cause the leche flan mixture to boil and will not turn out smooth.
Boiling of the mixture will result to scrambled egg-like consisitency.

Ginataang suso (Escargot)

One of the Filipino Dishes my husband loves and can devour in 1 sitting except the shells ofcourse hihihi...

Ingredients

500 grams suso ( black shell, found in rivers)
saluyot (jute leaves)
okra (5 pieces), sliced
coconut milk ( extracted from 1 coconut)
2 medium onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pc chili (green or siling haba)

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-cooking Procedure

1. Extract coconut milk from its meat twice. Separate the first extract into a container from the second.

2. Slice all vegetables

3. clean suso in water to remove the residues and crack a small opening on the closed end of the snail.

Make sure for the crack not to be too big or else you won't be able to suck out the meat once cooked due to the big air passage created.

Cooking Procedure

1. Bring to boil coconut milk (second extract) with garlic and onions, until it becomes thick.

3. Add suso shells , bring to boil.

5.. Add saluyot and okra, bring to boil or until tender

6. Add the first coconut milk (first extract).

7.Add chili, bring to boil

7. Add salt and pepper to taste

* if you opt to use the coconut milk in can skip step # 6.

Foor for the Gods

I will definitely try this recipe. I have seen this in one of the food magazines and am inspired by it.

Ingredients:
1 14/ cups all purpose white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease and flour and 8 x 12 inch pan. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
Add the white and brown sugar and mix until well combined.
Remove from heat.
4. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir using a wire whisk.
Make sure egg is mixed in completely before adding the next.
5. Add the dates and walnuts. Mix well.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to combine then add to the date mixture. Do not overbeat.
7. Pour in an 8 x 12 inch pan.
Bake in the oven at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean but not dry.
8. Cool completely before slicing. Slice by 1 1/2 x 2 inch then wrap with foil and colored cellophane.

The Charlie Chan Challenge

I am a huge fan of Yellow Cab's Charlie Chan Pasta. But it is always a 45 minute drive from where I leave. With that , in one of my Charlie Chan moment's I really, truly scrutinized the taste, texture and over-all appeal of the pasta to be able to come up with my version which is close to the real thing.
So here it goes. All you Charlie Chan lovers out there... Enjoy!

2 tbsp choppped garlic
1/2 cup cooking oil
250g chicken breast (strips)


3/4 cup oyster sauce ( imported brand are more salty than local; please omit the soy sauce if using imported oyster sauce)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup water with 1 tsp cornstarch
2 tablespoon soy sauce.
1 tbsp peanut butter

1 1/2 cup Shitake Mushrooms ( if using dried - soak in water for 30minutes then drain) this will take 5-8 minutes to cook; if using fresh, it will be the last to be placed in the sause and simmer only for 2 -3 minutes
1 cup roasted nuts
2 tbsp chopped siling labuyo (the red ones - seeds taken out, please!)

1/2 kg cooked pasta.


Directions
1. Sauté garlic in oil.
2. Cook chicken until brown.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredient.
4. Add liquid mixture to chicken (do not remove the oil) and simmer for a few minutes.