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.

Sweet Corn and Ampalaya leaves

Sweet Corn and Ampalaya leaves

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet corn, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup pork meat, cooked until tender
1 cup ampalaya/bitter gourd leaves
 2 cups pork stock
salt and pepper to taste

     






     To remove corn from the cob, slice corn thinly.  Lightly scrape the cob using the back of your knife to get the rest of the corn.

     I put in the recipe a cup of bitter gourd leaves.  The leaves are really bitter, most of you might not like too much of it so just put in few leaves if you want.

    You will notice in the picture that I put in about 4 cups of leaves, I love the combination of corn and bitter gourd so I always put a lot of it. 




















 How to Cook: 
1.  Saute garlic until light brown, add in onions and cook until soft.  Saute in pork for a few minutes.

2.  Add in stock and let it boil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Add in corn and cook for another 15 minutes.

4.  Add in ampalaya or bitter gourd leaves.

 

 5.  Cook for 5 minutes more or until the leaves are tender.  Serve hot.

Pansit Bihon

Pansit Bihon
(noodles in filipino cuisine)

     Noodles from chinese recipes have been adapted to Philippine local cuisine.  If you love international food, you will love this recipe. Every time I cook pancit, I always cook pork and chicken in already seasoned boiling water(with soy sauce, ground black pepper and salt).

 Ingredients:
 250 grams liempo/pork belly, cooked until tender 
          and cut into strips
 250 grams chicken breast, flaked

 250 grams chicken liver
 5 cloves galic, minced
 1 large onion
2 medium sized carrots, cut into julienne strips
200 grams baguio beans
1/8 cup minced kinchay/celery
1/2 kilo pansit bihon, soaked in water for 10 min and
2-3 liters of stock
1 medium sized cabbage cut into strips


Procedure:
1.  Soak pansit bihon in water for 10 minutes, drain and set aside.

2.  In a pan, put a little oil and saute garlic.

3.  Add in onion and saute until soft.

4.  Add in chicken liver and saute until lightly cooked.

5.  Add in carrots and baguio beans and saute for another 3 minutes. 

6.  Add in pork and chicken.  Season with a little salt and pepper

7.  Add cabbage and kinchay/parsley cook for another 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Set aside.

8.  In a large pan, put stock of pork and chicken until it boils (2 liters in every 1/2 kilo of pancit bihon). The stock is already seasoned with soy sauce, a little salt and pepper. Add in pancit bihon and cook until tender.  (If bihon is still not tender, add more).  Mix in meat and vegetable.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Cake

 Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium sized eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Ganache Recipe:

3/4 cup cream

dark chocolate (227 grams)

2 tbsp. butter 

How to Prepare:
1.  Sift first six ingredients in a bowl.

 2.  Add milk.

3.  Add eggs and vegetable oil.

4.  Add vanilla.

 5.  Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.

6.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

7.  Pour into baking pans (lined with wax paper).  Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

8.  Put chopped dark chocolates in a heat proof bowl.  Put cream and butter in a small pan.  Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes.  Stir gently (as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a spoon or whisk until smooth.
 
9.  Cover cake with this ganache recipe. I put cream at the top of the cake and swirl it with the ganache using a skewer a few times to create a marble effect.

Simple Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Moose
Ingredients:
1st mixture:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp water
dark chocolate (120 grams)



2nd mixture:
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp granulated sugar





3rd mixture:
1 cup whipped cream
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Procedure:
1.  Put butter, water and chocolate in a double boiler.  The consistency of the chocolate mixture should not be too thick but not too thin.  Set aside.

2.  Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy, add sugar a little at a time and beat for 3 minutes more.

3.  Put a little of the first mixture to 2nd mixture to temper the egg mixture.  Mix well. 

4.  Continue putting a little at a time of the 1st mixture to the 2nd mixture until both mixture is combined.  Mix well.

 5.  Whip cream until stiff peaks form, add sugar a little at a time and beat again for another 3 minutes.

6.  Fold half of the chocolate mixture to whipped cream mixture, then fold in the rest of the chocolate mixture. 

7.  Put in ramekins and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours.  Top with shaved chocolate and whipped cream.

     Every time I make chocolate moose, I make Special Puto so I could use the egg whites left in making this recipe. It's good for breakfast with your coffee.