Pizza

Ingredients:

Dough:

4-5 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Toppings:
ham, cut into small squares
red and green bellpeppers
black pitted olives
pizza sauce, italian style
white onions
button mushrooms
pineapple tidbits
parmesan cheese
cheddar cheese
quickmelt cheese


     I always make pizza putting all the toppings I want on the other half and just pineapples, ham and cheese on the other side.  Every batch I put in the oven, there will always be a slice for me and my husband and for my son. I don't have mozzarella cheese then, if you have just sprinkle it on top.

Procedure:
1.  Proof the yeast:  Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until bubbles appear at the top of the mixture.

 2.  Combine bread flour, salt and olive oil. Add in yeast mixture and mix well. Knead into a floured surface until soft.

3.  Grease a big pan with olive oil to rise the dough with.  Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 2 hours or until it doubles it size.

4.  Punch down to release air and divide into 4 and form into a ball and let rise again for the second time for 45 minutes or until it doubles its size.  You can make 4 medium sized pizza, if you want a bigger one, divide dough into three.

5.  Get one dough and flatten on your preferred pan. I want a not too thick crust, depends on what you like.   Put slices of cheddar cheese at the end of the dough and tuck it in.  This will also create a more prominent edges on your pizza to make it look better.

6.  Spread just a right amount of pizza sauce over dough... don't put too much so you will not have a soggy pizza at the middle.

7.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese over pizza sauce.  Preheat oven at 200C.

8.  Put the toppings you want.  You can put all toppings evenly, I just prefer mine this way the other half for my husband and the other for my son.

9. Sprinkle pizza with quickmelt cheese... most of the time I prefer quickmelt cheesse as it is a lot cheaper than mozerella, but if you have one available, just sprinkle it on top.

10.  Bake pizza for 35-45 minutes or until the dough is cooked.  I put it in the lower part of the oven.  Just check it every once in a while.  If the cheese on top already melts and beginning to brown, turn off the heat above the oven and leave the bottom on in a medium heat to cook the dough further.

Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
2 medium sized eggs
1/2 bup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 ripe bananas (preferably lacatan), mashed
brown sugar

Procedure:
1.  In a medium sized bowl, put together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder.

2.  Using a wire whisk, mix dry ingredients well.  Set aside.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, mashed bananas, vanilla and eggs.

4.  Fold dry ingredients to wet mixture just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (Do not over mix the batter to achieve a soft texture muffins.  Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery muffins.).

5.  Preheat oven to 180C. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pans with cupcake cups.  Top with brown sugar. 

6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooded toothpick inserted at the middle of the muffin comes out clean.  Cool muffins in a wire rock.

Pasta in White Sauce

Ingredients:
400 grams pasta, cooked according to package direction

1 tsp oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion, minced
250 grams ham, cut into small squares
1 cup mushroom, sliced thinly
1 cup all purpose cream
1 cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. cornstarch diluted in 3 tbsp. water


Procedure:
1.  Set stove to medium heat, put a pan and put oil and butter.

2.  Saute in garlic, onion and ham for a few minutes.

3.  Add in mushroom, season with salt and pepper to taste and saute until cooked.

4.  Add in all purpose cream and simmer.

 5.  Add in milk and simmer for 2 minutes.

6.  Add in cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce.  Add in right amount of pasta.  Mixture shouldn't be too dry.  Top with grated parmesan cheese.

    The only pasta available in my cupboard is the shell one, would be better to use spaghetti pasta.

Oriental Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cleaned and dried with a paper towel

4  tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp finely ground pepper
4 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. garlic powder
lemon grass



Procedure:
     These are the ingredients I used in the recipe.  You can add a little hoisin sauce if you want it a little sweeter or pepper,garlic powder, hot sauce if you want it a little spicy and flavorful.

1.  Prepare the marinade:  In a small bowl, melt butter.

 3.  Put the rest of the ingredients except lemon grass and mix well.

2.  Clean and rub chicken with salt.  Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.  Set aside.  Take 4 tbsp. of marinade and put it in the fridge (for basting).  Put marinade sauce in chicken and inside the cavities.  Put lemon grass inside the chicken.  Put the marinated chicken in the fridge and cover, marinate overnight.

3.  Preheat oven at 200C.  Prepare chicken in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove aluminum foil and brush with the remaining sauce.

 4.  Lower heat to 130-C and cook until chicken turns brown (about 40-50 minutes).

Basic Bread

Ingredients:

6 cups bread flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar (you can add more if you want it a little sweet)
1 tbsp. salt 1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp. dry active yeast
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 cups warm water
2 egg yolks
Eggwash:
1 eggwhite and 1 tbsp water


Procedure:
1.  Mix well:  Bread flour, granulated 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a large bowl.


2.. Proof yeast:  In a small bowl put warm water, add in yeast and 1 tsp sugar, mix well.  Wait 5-10 minutes until bubbles appear on top of the mixture.

2.  Put yeast mixture into flour mixture.

]3.  Add in the eggyolks and vegetable oil.  Mix well. 

4.  Put mixture in a lightly floured surface and knead until soft.

5.  Get a large bowl and grease with a little vegetable oil.  Put dough in the bowl.  Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 2 hours or until in doubles in size. 

   

6.  Punch down a couple of times to release air from the dough.  This is the basic bread recipe, you can divide it into two to make 2 medium sized loaf.  You can form a long log and cut it into an inch and stuff cheese inside to make bread sticks or you can sprinkle cheese on top.  Rise it for another 45 minutes before baking, for the bread loaf, put slits and brush with eggwash.  Preheat oven for 160C and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Lumpiang Sariwa

Lumpiang Sariwa
(Fresh Spring Roll)


Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion, minced
200 grams ground pork
2 cups turnips, sliced thinly
1 cup sweet potato, sliced thinly
1/2 cup carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup sayote, sliced thinly
 2 tbsp parsley, minced
1/2 cup water
few pieces of lettuce
salt and pepper to taste

 Crepe:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 pieces raw eggs
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/4 tsp salt
1½ water

Sauce:
1 tbsp. soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups water
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
3 tbsp. corn starch (diluted in 5 tbsp water)
1/4 cup ground peanuts
2 tsp. garlic powder


Procedure:

     I have a vegetable garden on my rooftop.  I have there lettuce so I always have fresh greens whenever I need it.  I just cut the mature leaves.

1.  Saute garlic in oil until light brown, add in onions and cook until soft, add in ground pork and saute until light brown.  Add 1/2 cup of water and simmer until water evaporates, saute for another few minutes.

2.  Add in sweet potatoes and saute for 3 minutes.

3.  Add in carrots.

4.  Add in turnips, sayote and parsley and saute until vegetables are half cooked.  Set aside, uncovered. 

5.  Make the sauce:  Put all sauce ingredients in a bowl and cook until thick.

6.  Make the crepes:  Put all ingredients in a bowl and use a wire whisk to mix well until no lumps are visible.

7.   Turn the stove on to medium heat and put a non-stick pan, put 1/2 cup of the mixture to make a crepe, tilt the pan to distribute the liquid evenly.  When top part turns dry, use a spatula to turn it to other side and cook for a few seconds.

8.  Arrange Lumpia by putting lettuce in the upper part of the crepe and add the vegetables in the center.  Close the wrapper by folding the lower part first then roll the sides until the filling is sealed.

9. Pour the sauce over the Lumpia and garnish with crushed peanuts.