Trail Mix

There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does. Skip the diet. Just eat healthy! ~Anonymous

It's been ages since I made a post here, Oh I miss blogging. Well you know, it's been a very busy year for me.. both kids go to school so it means lots of homeworks to do, lots of teaching and playing and cleaning and cooking! Hurrah for all the moms like me! Yey!!! Since I needed enough energy to do all the momsie-tasks, I made healthy snacks to fuel my day. So I'm going to share a full-pack energy boosting treat, it is one of my favorite "pick me up" snack because it is so easy to prepare and you can bring it wherever you go! You only need nuts and dried fruits for this yummy treat. Hmmm, do you have a guess what it is? Yes, it's a trail mix! (clap clap clap)

Some trail mix contains high cholesterol and calorie ingredients, salt and loads of sugar. So for me to control these "not so good things", I make it a point to make my own trail mix. This has no salt or added sugar. You'll only get the natural subtle sweetness from the raisins. Nuts and raisins goes well together. Although raisins are dried, it has this moisture (odd but true) that makes the nuts easy to chew and swallow and its sweetness really complemented the smoky taste of nuts. To make the mix more flavorful, I "dry roast" the nuts. Dry roasting means roasting without adding oil or fat. It gives your trail mix a deeper, bolder, smoky flavor. This is really a perfect treat for you especially when you're busy. Just munch a handful and you'll get enough energy to do your work. 

So here it is, my homemade trail mix!

INGREDIENTS:
Almonds, whole (raw)
Cashew Nuts, halved (raw)
Peanuts (raw)
Raisins

PROCEDURE:
1. Dry roast the nuts (almonds, cashew, and peanuts). You can roast it in the oven at 175C/350F for about 10-15 mins or until it gets the brownish color. Stir or shake the tray so it will be evenly cooked. You can also pan-roast the nuts, just what I did! Just heat the pan or skillet and put all the nuts. Stir or shake the pan occasionally. 
2, Let it cool for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the raisins. Mix.
4. Put it in a sealed container.
5. Grab a handful and enjoy!!!

QUICK NOTES:
1. If you want the nuts to cook evenly, bake it in the oven. I used the skillet to cook it that's why some parts are browned, some are not.
2. You can add chocolate chips to make it more enticing to eat especially for the kids. Use the dark one for a healthier choice.
3. Don't limit yourself on the kinds of nuts and dried fruits. You can use pecans, macadamia, walnuts, dried prunes, peaches, mango, etc. Mix 'n match! You can also add seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds on your mix.
4. Just a reminder, dried fruits are higher in calories than the fresh fruits because they are more concentrated once the water has been removed. So if you're a diabetic or watching your blood sugar, please limit yourself in eating dried fruits.
5. Store it in a sealed canister or container. It will last for a few months if properly stored.

Happy day always,

Rhea

Super Soft and Light Chocolate Cupcake

Good cake isn't cheap. Cheap cake isn't good. ~Anonymous

The cake stays true to its name... it's indeed super soft and light. Moist but not too moist that the cake will stick to your teeth. This is one of my favorite cake recipe, I liked it even without an icing. It's just that my kiddos want to have icing on their cuppies so I made chocolate ganache. I found the recipe in food network but I tweaked the recipe a bit.

The secret for a soft and light cake is using a "cake flour". For those who are not familiar with different types of flour, I'll give you a basic info about this. The common types are cake flour (CF), all-purpose flour (APF), and bread flour (BF). As the name implies, cake flour is used for cakes, it is made from soft wheat flour and has low protein content (gluten), this makes the cakes and other pastries delicate and soft. On the other hand, bread flour is commonly used for breads. It is made from hard wheat flour, it has high protein content (gluten) which is ideal for making yeast bread. All-purpose flour is made from a blend of soft and hard wheat flour. It contains medium protein content (gluten) which makes it to be the most widely used flour. You can make bread or cake by using APF.

I usually used cake flour for my cakes but sometimes I'm out of hand of CF so I used APF. Did you know that you can make your own cake flour by using your normal APF? Found this simple trick on melskitchencafe.com. This is how she makes homemade cake flour. Lightly measure 1 cup of flour, level it. Take out 2Tbsp of cake flour. Measure 2Tbsp cornstarch and add it to the flour. Sift it 2 times. 

Photo credit to Melskitchencafe

Another secret is "creaming" the butter. Creaming means mixing the butter until creamy. Take note, we do not add the sugar to the butter at once. First you have to beat the butter, which is slightly cold but softened (not gooey nor solid cold), for about 1-2 minutes and then slowly add the sugar. This way we incorporate air into the butter thus making cake softer and fluffier. 

The recipe also calls for an ice cold water, this is not so popular ingredient in cake recipes but it makes wonders. I've read an article that cold water develops the gluten slower. Maybe it is also one of the reason why the cake is soft. 

Overall, we really really love the cupcakes. It is not too sweet and has the right amount of chocolaty-ness. The texture is light, crumbly, airy, and soft but please take note that the texture may change if you put the cupcake inside the refrigerator. It won't get hard though but it won't have the same texture when freshly baked. I suggest you leave it in room temp for a while before eating it. 

INGREDIENTS:
150 grams cake flour, sifted
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (high quality)
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick slightly cold but soft salted butter, cubed
170 grams washed sugar (you can also used white granulated sugar)
1 L egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup ice cold water

PROCEDURE:
1. Pre-heat oven to 175C. Line cupcake liners onto cupcake pans. In a bowl, beat the butter until creamy for about 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Slowly add the sugar. Mix it well until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.

4. In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Mix.

5. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture over the butter, mix it. Then add half of the ice cold water, mix again. Repeat the process until all the flour and water are mixed into the batter. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl when mixing.

6. Pour the mixture into the cupcake liners. Fill it 2/3 or 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the heat to 150C. Bake for another 5 minutes. Total baking time is 20 minutes. You may test the doneness of the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, it's done.

7. Cool the cupcakes and frost it with your favorite icing. I used chocolate ganache. The ratio of my ganache is 2 parts chocolate, 1 part whipping cream.

Yield: 16 cupcakes

QUICK NOTES:
1. The cupcakes will last for a week. Put it inside the ref.
2. If you'll be using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt into the flour mixture.
3. Best to eat with coffee or cold milk.
4. Another great frosting for the cupcake is sweetened whipped cream.


Print this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:
150 grams cake flour, sifted
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (high quality)
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick slightly cold but soft salted butter, cubed
170 grams washed sugar (you can also used white granulated sugar)
1 L egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup ice cold water

PROCEDURE:
1. Pre-heat oven to 175C. Line cupcake liners onto cupcake pans. In a bowl, beat the butter until creamy for about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add the sugar. Mix it well until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
4. In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Mix.
5. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture over the butter, mix it. Then add half of the ice cold water, mix again. Repeat the process until all the flour and water are mixed into the batter. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl when mixing.
6. Pour the mixture into the cupcake liners. Fill it 2/3 or 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the heat to 150C. Bake for another 5 minutes. Total baking time is 20 minutes. You may test the doneness of the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, it's done.
7. Cool the cupcakes and frost it with your favorite icing. I used chocolate ganache. The ratio of my chocolate ganache is 2 parts chocolate, 1 part whipping cream.


Happy baking,

Rhea

Tortang Dulong

I'm confused, oh wait, maybe I'm not! ~Anonymous

I'm very confused right now, i'm not so sure if the dulong is the famous "Pandaka Pygmaea". I've always thought they're the same not until today. I've checked the tagalog word of P. Pygmaea and google shows the word "bia". Bia or biya here in Rizal are not tiny-weeny small! Haha! I checked the net again and saw some posts referring dulong to silverfish. When I searched the "silverfish", I've found out that it is a fishmoth! Waaah! I'm mentally exhausted! Haha! J

This morning when I went to the market, I saw these little-bitty dulong in the "bilao". It's been ages since we had dulong on our table so I bought a quarter kilo and you know what! It only costs 30 Php (120/kg). Wow, I'm in a good mood again, if you know me and if you back read my previous entries here, you'll know why. *wink

There are different styles / technique of cooking the tortang dulong, but this is what my mom taught me. Super easy!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 kg dulong, washed and drained
1 big red onion, sliced
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
3 Tbsp water
fine salt and pepper
1/2 cup oil

Dipping sauce:
1/3 cup vinegar
2 pcs chopped garlic
2 chilies, chopped (I used green chili and chili flakes)
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste


PROCEDURE:
1. Combine dulong, red onion, rice flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix it gently. Add egg and water. Mix until combined.

2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. While you're waiting for the oil to be heated, put some of the mixture in a saucer or small plate, about 2 Tbsp.

3. Gently pour the mixture in the pan. You can also use laddle to pour the mixture. I have a small video clip on how I pour it on the pan.

4. Cook each side for about a minute or two or until crispy and golden brown in color. Cooked it over medium-high heat.

5. Remove from the pan and put in a metal mesh strainer to drain off the excess oil. Meanwhile, make your dipping sauce. Combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, chilies and garlic. Mix until sugar and salt dissolved completely.

6. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy.

Yield: 6-8 pcs

QUICK NOTES:
1. You can substitute rice flour with cornstarch or flour. My mom told me that using rice flour makes the deep fried food crispier.
2. Make sure the oil is hot enough when frying so that your food won't turn into a soggy mess.
3. You can also dip it in ketchup or sweet & sour sauce. 


Print this recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 kg dulong, washed and drained
1 big red onion, sliced
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
3 Tbsp water
fine salt and pepper
1/2 cup oil

Dipping sauce:
1/3 cup vinegar
2 pcs chopped garlic
2 chilies, chopped (I used green chili and chili flakes)
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:
1. Combine dulong, red onion, rice flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix it gently. Add egg and water. Mix until combined.
2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. While you're waiting for the oil to be heated, put some of the mixture in a saucer or small plate, about 2 Tbsp.
3. Gently pour the mixture in the pan. You can also use laddle to pour the mixture.
4. Cook each side for about a minute or two or until crispy and golden brown in color. Cooked it over medium-high heat.
5. Remove from the pan and let the excess oil drain using a metal mesh strainer. Meanwhile, make your dipping sauce. Combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, chilies and garlic. Mix until sugar and salt dissolved completely.
6. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy.


Happy day always,

Rhea

Ginataang Santol with Sardines

Be skeptical, but learn to listen. ~Miguel Angel Ruiz

If you think this dish is weird, better try it first. If you're like me who's so in love with coco cream, give it a try! For those who do not know, santol is a tropical fruit which has a bitter-tangy flesh and has sweet-slightly-sour seeds when ripe. Filipinos want their santol to be dipped in salt, we usually split the fruit in half and suck the seeds to get the sweet pulp and juice of the fruit.

My late bro-in-law used to make santol juice everytime the fruit was in season. At first, I found it strange because the flesh of santol was overly sour and making it as a juice was weird. But when I tasted it, that's all I wanted to drink. The feeling then is the same with this dish, at first I thought it's no-good. Since my mother insisted to make one, I cooked it though I'm a bit skeptical. And I'm glad that I listened to my mom. She's right, this is SO fab good! 

Would you believe that the cost of this dish is less 50 Php? And it can serve up to 4 person! No joke! That's why I'm so hooked on it. The secret ingredient here is the sardines. It just so happened that I forgot to buy the "tinapa" flakes so my mom told me to use sardines instead. Oh my, I just can't believe with the result, it's so delicious. Slightly sour and sweet, thick, creamy, simply yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
9 pcs santol, peeled and flesh chopped
1 cup coconut cream / gata (first extraction)
1 large red or white onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar *optional
1 small can sardines (with chili)
1-2 bird's eye chili (siling labuyo)
1 green chili (siling panigang)
1 Tbsp patis or fish sauce
canola oil or any vegetable oil
salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:
1. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoon(s) of salt on santol. Mix it generously and squeeze out the liquid.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Saute the onion and garlic.

3. Add in the chopped santol. Put the water. Let it boil until the water completely evaporates.

4. Add in the sardines, chilies, patis, and sugar (optional).

5. Add in the coconut cream. Season with pepper. Add salt if needed. Cook uncovered for 5 to 8mins.

6. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy!

QUICK NOTES:
1. If you don't like sardines, you may use other meat like pork or ground pork, seafoods like prawns, crabs, or smoked fish (tinapa). Experiment and explore, this dish is very versatile. You may also use spanish sardines.
2. Omit the chilies if you don't want spicy. 
3. If you're wondering why I put sugar, this is to balance the sourness of the santol, but you may also omit it. Taste it first, if you find the dish too sour, you may add sugar.
4. If you want the sauce to be dry and slightly oily (oil from the coconut), cook it for a longer period of time, about 10-12 mins. 


Print this recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
9 pcs santol, peeled and flesh chopped
1 cup coconut cream / gata (first extraction)
1 large red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp sugar *optional
1 small can sardines (with chili)
1-2 bird's eye chili (labuyo)
1 green chili (panigang)
1 Tbsp patis or fish sauce
canola oil or any vegetable oil
salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:
1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt on santol. Mix it generously and squeeze out the liquid.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Saute the onion and garlic.
3. Add in the chopped santol. Put the water. Let it boil until the water completely evaporates.
4. Add in the sardines, chilies, patis, and sugar (optional).
5. Add in the coconut cream. Season with pepper. Add salt if needed. Cook uncovered for 5 to 8mins, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy!

Yield: 2 to 4 person


Happy day always,

Rhea

Ube Halaya or Halayang Ube

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." ~Thomas Merton

Isn't it crazy how we push ourselves to make food looks so darn good? Even I take 100 shots to finally say that "it's a good pic, I can use it on my blog". Heck! But why are some people just "naturally" good at things? It's like they don't exert effort but they do great. They pick up the skill as soon as they started trying. Hmmm, well, my hubby and his brothers are like that, they're so good in everything especially when it comes to art. See the pic above? Who would think that a simple ube halaya can be transformed to a minion creature. Wow, I'm amazed!

INGREDIENTS:
2 kg ube or purple yam, peeled, boiled and finely grated
2 3/4 cup coconut cream
2 1/2 cup brown sugar
300 ml + 1/2 cup condensed milk
2-4 Tbsp butter or margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup cheese, grated

PROCEDURE:
1. In a large pan, combine coconut cream and sugar. Cook it over medium-high heat (uncovered), stirring frequently. Once boiling, lower the heat into medium. Let it simmer (uncovered) for another 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. 

2. Once the size of the bubbles becomes big, add in the grated ube. Mix well.

3. Add in the condensed milk and butter/margarine. 

4. Add in the cheese.

5. Cook and stir it until the mixture becomes thick and sticky (about 30-40 minutes). The mixture won't fall when you lifted the laddle.

6. Put it in a plate and let your creative side do the wonders. Mold it to whatever shape you like.

ube halaya with leche flan

piggy halaya with angry birds stuffed toys

QUICK NOTES:
1. Put the left-over in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5-7 days. 
2. If you don't have coconut cream, you may use evaporated or fresh milk. But the taste will differ.
3. There are varieties of ube which are lighter in shade, you may use violet food coloring to make it darker.



Happy day always,

Rhea

Bistek / Bistek Tagalog

"The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking : love for those you are cooking for." ~Sophia Loren

Bistek or Bistek Tagalog is an authentic Filipino dish made of thinly sliced beef or beef strips marinated in calamansi and soy sauce. Sirloin is the best when making Bistek, the right amount of fat in the sirloin makes it the best choice. It makes the dish more flavorful and its tender at the same time.

I made the bistek last Sunday, Father's day. Just so you know, my mother-in-law makes the best bistek so I'm a bit nervous when I cooked it (not sure if hubby will like my cooking). I just breathed a sigh of relief when my hubby and son praised me. My eldest told me that this is best "adobo" he ever tasted. Adobo!??? LOL! Anyhow, my heart was very happy because they loved it! 

INGREDIENTS:
600 grams good quality beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce
juice of 10 calamansi
1 head garlic, minced and toasted
1 big onion, sliced into rings, reserve half for garnish
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp canola or any vegetable oil

PROCEDURE:
1. Combine the soy sauce, calamansi juice, sugar, and a dash of pepper in a large bowl. Whisk it until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add in the beef sirloin and marinate it for at least an hour.
2. Put the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet or pan. Cook half of the onion until translucent and slightly browned on the sides, remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan/skillet, pan-fry the sirloin over med-high heat, about 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Set aside.
3. In the same pan/skillet, add in the marinade and water. Once boiling, add the fried sirloin. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper if needed.
4. Before removing from heat, add the toasted garlic and the sauteed onions.
4. Serve it with fresh onion rings on top. Perfect with hot rice. Share and enjoy!

QUICK NOTES:
1. You may also use other cuts of beef like the tenderloin and round (top or bottom). 
2. If using "no fat" cuts of beef like tenderloin, make sure not to overcook the beef. Reduce the time of cooking.
3. You can also try using pork instead of beef. 
4. If calamansi is not available, use lime or lemon.

Happy day always, 

Rhea

Laguna Afritada

"Bill Gates is a very rich man today... and do you want to know why? The answer is one word: versions." ~Dave Barry

There are 2 versions of Filipino afritada, the white and the red. I'm more familiar with the red afritada which uses tomato sauce. Laguna afritada is a white version, it uses fresh tomatoes. I found the recipe from Food Magazine when I'm making my weekly menu list. I was so intrigued with the recipe because it uses leftover white adobo (adobo with no soy sauce). It's new to me, so I gave it a try. I must say, this recipe rocks! I'm so in love with it, the fresh tomatoes give the dish a mild wonderful flavor while the chicken is so savory. It has the right balance of flavors which is so hooking that you want to eat more. If you're on a diet, don't ever try this (just kidding). I will definitely cook this again. Give it a try too!

INGREDIENTS:
(adapted from Food Magazine)
1 whole chicken, at least 1.5 kg or use leftover white adobo*
1 Tbsp cooking oil
half a head of native garlic, crushed
2 medium tomatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp patis (fish sauce)
peppercorns
2 potatoes, quartered or cut into small wedges and fried
1 carrot, quartered or cut into chunks
2 tsp evaporated milk
2 bell peppers (green/red), deseeded then cut into strips or quartered

PROCEDURE:
*1. If using fresh chicken, clean and cut the chicken into serving pieces and marinate overnight in 1/3 cup vinegar, 3 cloves of garlic (crushed), 2 dried bay leaves or laurel, and salt. Put it in a pot or pan then add 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat into low-medium and simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. 
2. Drain adobo, but reserve the liquid. Remove the bay leaves and garlic.
3. In a pot, heat oil then saute the garlic, tomatoes, and onion.
4. Add the chicken, carrot, patis, and peppercorns. Cover to seal flavors.
5. Pour in the reserved adobo liquid and let it boil.
6. Add the potatoes, then the milk.
7. Let it simmer then add the bell peppers.
8. Cook for about 2 minutes more.
9. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy!

Serving: Makes 4 (500 ml) container

QUICK NOTES:
1. You may also use pork instead of chicken.
2. Since the dish has milk, refrigerate if it will not be served immediately.
3.  You may omit the carrot if you don't like it. It's not included on the original recipe, I just want to have it on my afritada.
4. Add chilies for spicier version.

Happy day always,

Rhea

Crunchy Pinipig Polvoron

Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate. ~Anonymous

We made this last Friday. My son skipped his "siesta" (short nap taken in the early afternoon), so I asked him to help me in the kitchen. I introduced him my favorite childhood snack - polvoron. He kept on asking questions while we're making the merienda, like why just mix it all and not cook it, or what's the use of the mold, and why do we have to wrap it individually in cellophane. I really enjoyed our little bonding time because of the conversation we have had! I'm very pleased with my son especially when he said that I'm so slow in wrapping the polvoron. Hahaha! Wow, he's a quick learner! I only told him once the process and he did it very well. Very good job anak!

Pinoy version of polvoron or pulboron (as what we call it) is basically made with toasted flour, powdered milk, sugar, and melted butter or margarine. You can add ground peanuts or cashew nuts, oreos, graham crackers, or in my case pinipig. Explore and experiment! The variations are endless!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine, salted
3/4 cup pinipig or roasted rice puff, toasted

MATERIALS:
cellophane or papel de hapon (japanese paper), cut into 5x5 inches*
polvoron molds (mine is a small round mold)

*Adjust the size of the wrapper if you have bigger molds

PROCEDURE:
1. Toast the all-purpose flour over medium heat until lightly brown. Stir frequently for even toasting and to avoid burning. You may cook this for about 15-20 minutes.

2. Toast the pinipig until crispy and lightly brown. (sorry, no picture)

3. Combine the toasted flour, pinipig, powdered milk, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Start with 1/2 cup sugar.

4. Using a whisk or your hand (make sure you use disposable gloves), combine the mixture well. Taste test it, add more sugar if needed. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It is easier to wrap the polvoron if it's chilled.

this is my son, he's the one in-charge of mixing and molding

5. Put some mixture in a plate or flat tray. Press your polvoron molder into the mixture then place it in your pre-cut wrapper. 

6. Individually wrap them. Have a gentle hands when wrapping or else your your polvoron will break or crumble.

6. Store in the refrigerator. It will last up to couple of weeks.

Yield: 47 pieces
Note: if you have bigger polvoron molds, you will produce less.

QUICK NOTES:
1. You can also try pounding the pinipig, it's also good.
2. For a more festive look, use different colored wrapper.
3. If you want to make the basic polvoron, just omit the pinipig.
4. If butter or margarine is not available, you may use shortening. I've heard that you can also use vegetable oil, but I haven't tried it yet.
5. If you don't have polvoron molds, you can use your cookie cutter. You have to press the mixture firmly so that the it is packed together. Gently push it so that the polvoron won't break. You may also use mini cupcake or tart mold.

Happy day always,

Rhea