#317_Quinoa Biko

Quinoa Biko topped with homemade Mango preserves
Pronounced "keen-wah"

As I was doing a research on Quinoa on the net I found out that people in the Andes, South America have been cultivating it for thousands of years, but I just heard of it from a new-found friend last Spring. She told me how it has helped her with her diet being a diabetic. That prompted me to do some research and to my amazement I found some interesting information about it. It was truly amazing to know that this grain is a complete source of protein and high in Magnesium and fiber. If this is the case, pair this grain with Purslane, and who needs multi vitamin pills anymore?

Raw Quinoa Seeds or Grains

Here's a link where you can read about some
interesting facts about this grain, click here.

I cooked this batch of Quinoa in rice cooker and it turned out so nice and fluffy.

Quinoa Biko
(For complete recipe for the original biko using glutinous rice, click here.)

I prepared this Quinoa Biko style to give it a Filipino flair....

Mixed the cooked Quinoa with brown sugar, coconut cream, and vanilla extract then baked in oven for half an hour.
Quinoa is not like glutinous rice. So when you spoon it on a plate, the grains don't hold together well.
Concerning its taste, although it has a nice nutty flavor, in my opinion, you have to develop a liking for it.

How to cook Quinoa:
here's a couple of helpful links on how to prepare this grain:

http://www.cookingquinoa.net/how-to-cook-quinoa-perfectly

http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-Quinoa

#316_ Key Lime Pie

https://www.facebook.com/pages/PinoyAmericanFavoriteRecipes/102145934577?ref=nf

If someone gives you lemons, you should make some Lemonade;
if someone gives you Key Limes, make KeyLime Pie.

Key Limes

this pie only requires 3 ingredients to make:
egg yolks, condensed milk and of course Key Limes and pie crust.
Whipping cream is for topping.

Basically mix the lime juice, egg yolks and milk together.


Very easy Key Lime Pie
(adapted from Paula Deen)

1/2 cup key lime juice
3 egg yolks
1 can condensed milk
lime zest
Graham Cracker pie crust

Combine lime juice, egg yolks and lime zest; Blend in the condensed milk.
Pour filling into the pie crust
and bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes.

Let cool completely before serving.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Note from MaMely:
As I was making this pie I thought about my cousin when we were all back in the Philippines, she used to make Calamansi Pie. I thought that maybe in this recipe, you can substitute juice of calamansi if you have access to them.

#315_Paksiw na Lechon with Chicken Liver

A few weeks ago my friend Lisa threw a party at her house and as always she prepared so much Filipino dishes including a pork roast, which was so moist, tender and ohh, so flavorful. As usual, as guests, we got to take home whatever we want to take. For my "to go" plate, I just grabbed some of the roast pork to make some paksiw....and Paksiw I did!

On post #119 Lechon na Paksiw, (click here) I shared a recipe of the very first paksiw I ever made which was a little dry, but tasted good. This one I'm posting today has some livers and a bit saucy, which is allot better than the one on previous post. The addition of chicken livers made allot of difference in flavor...that is if you like liver.

The following ingredients are just approximate.

I usually eye ball everything when cooking dishes such as this because this is a very forgiving dish to cook and there is no right or wrong way to cook it either.....it is one of those "whatever" kind of cooking and will still comes out delicious.

2 Tb canola oil or olive oil
1 Tb minced garlic
1 med size onions, diced or sliced
3 lbs of roasted pork, shredded or cubed
1/3 cup liver paste, see recipe below
2 pieces bay leaves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 whole garlic, crushed
1 Tb whole black pepper
1cup all purpose sauce
2 cups water or broth,
(more or less liquid depending on how saucy you want your paksiw to be)
2-3 Tb patis or salt
2 Tb brown sugar

1) Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2) Saute minced garlic and onions for 1 minute then add the liver paste and roasted pork. You can throw in some bay leaves at this point. Saute for about 3 minutes or so.
3) Add the vinegar, crushed whole garlic, whole black pepper, all purpose sauce, water and patis. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
4) add brown sugar.
5) Simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with freshly cracked pepper.

How to make chicken liver paste:
Put some livers in a pot and cover with water; add garlic, sliced onions and salt. Bring to a boil, then bring it down to simmer; let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Take out the livers including the onions and garlic and transfer them to a food processor and process til mixture becomes smooth.

If you are pressed with time or if you don't have chicken livers,
you can also use the canned liver spread.

Note from MaMely:
Let me share with you how my friend, Lisa makes her Oven-Roasted Pork which was so moist and so flavorful.....
First, boil the meat in a large pot. (pork picnic or pork butts usually weigh about 6-9 lbs. so you really need a big pot) Put enough water to cover the whole meat. Put some crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves and sliced onions in with the meat. Bring to a boil taking out the scums that floats on top, then bring it down to simmer. Let it simmer for about 1 hour with lid on. Add some salt after 1 hour of simmering, then continue to simmer for another hour or so. Take the meat out onto a heavy roasting pan and roast it in a 325 degrees pre-heated oven for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. (base roasting time on 25 minutes per pound. Normally, 30 minutes per pound if meat isn't boiled first).
If you have fresh celery you can throw a couple of celery ribs in while simmering the meat. OR...you can use celery salt and omit the regular salt.
For Lechon Kawali style, after the meat has been roasted in the oven, put it under the broiler for a few minutes until the pork skin becomes crisp.

#314_Saluyot for Health and Beauty

"Saluyot" in Northern Luzon, "Tugabang" in the Visayans,
"Jute Leaves" in English

The Power of Saluyot....

As I was browsing around the net to find out the health benefits of Saluyot, I stumbled upon this link below which has a very interesting infos on this vegetable. I was so amazed to find out that Saluyot has, among other things, "anti aging" properties. It's incredible!! I better start eating Saluyot regularly from now on to be wrinkle-free in my old age...(wink, wink).

http://www.antiaginghacks.com/cleopatra%E2%80%99s-secret-wrinkle-buster/

Move over Botox...here comes Saluyot!

How I cook Saluyot:

Just like Peas and Carrots, Labong and Saluyot are best friends.

When cooking dinengdeng such as this, I let my measuring utensils take a rest because I just eyeball everything, or I just measure with my hands...a handful or a pinch of this and a handful or a pinch of that.

My recipe here starts by sauteeing minced garlic and chopped onions in a little canola oil. Add a can of labong, (drained) and continue to saute. If using fresh whole shrimps, rinse and blanch them first, then flash saute in butter (not over cooked).

To the sauteed labong, add some rice water or meat broth. bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, then add some patis, the shrimps or fried fish. Continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, then add the Saluyot leaves. Check the saltiness, cook until leaves are wilted but not over cooked. DONE! Mangan tayon!!

This is a very simple everyday viand and very nutritious.

I would have preferred shrimps in this dinengdeng,
but because I'm allergic to shrimps now a days,
I just used some fried salmon fillet.


I discovered that you can also add fresh corn kernels in this dish.
Saute corn with labong.

ENJOY!!

#313_Cookie Balls

If you like Cake Balls, you'll definitely love these
Cookie Balls.

Cake Balls (recipe#86, click here) are made of cake and frosting
then dipped in chocolate.

Cookie Balls on the other hand are made of sandwich cookies such as
Oreos or any cream-filled cookies.

Oreo cookies are so expensive, but I found these generic kind sold at Smith's (Kroger) for only $1.99 for a 2-pound pack. They come in different flavors such as peanut butter, lemon, chocolate and vanilla.

Here's how to make the Cookie Balls....

For 1 lb. cookies you'll need 6 oz. of cream cheese,
softened at room temperature
(or use the whole brick of 8 oz)

Break the cookies up then crush them with a rolling pin or process in a food processor.
Mix the crumbs and cream cheese together

Form the mixture into 3/4 inch to 1 inch balls.
Freeze for at least 3 hours before dipping in Chocolate.

To see how to dip the balls in chocolate, click on the link below.
http://pinoyamericanrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/03/cakeballs-and-cakesicle.html

My Reply to Anonymous' Comment on Recipe#86

Anonymous,
I wish I can post my response on the comment box. I don't know what's wrong with blogger.com, but its not allowing me to post on there.
Re: recipe #86...if you have trouble melting the chocolate using the double boiler, try the microwave. Follow the instructions on the back of the package.

My Apology....

To all of my Awesome Readers of this blog who had left wonderful
and uplifting comments on some of the posts here:

For some reason blogger.com is not allowing me to post my replies
to your comments.
I tried so many times to post, but to no avail.
My huge apology to you!!!

Please visit my page on FaceBook...
I'd to love hear from you and interact with you!!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/PinoyAmericanFavoriteRecipes/102145934577?ref=nf

#312_Mercedez-Pavlova Pie

Mercedez-Pavlova Pie
This is what happens when Pavlova crosses the path of (Brazo ni) Mecedez...

For those who are not familiar with Pavlova and Brazo de Mercedez,
let me give you a little background of each....

Pavlova: from what I understand, this is a very popular dessert in Australia and New Zealand and is the latter's national dessert. It has a meringue for the base which is crusty on the outside and marshmallow-y inside due to the addition of cornstarch in the egg white mixture. It is baked in a low temp oven for almost 1 hour which makes the top of the meringue dry and crispy. The meringue is then filled with sweetened whipped cream and topped with fresh fruits. (See more on Wikipedia, click here).

Brazo de Mercedez: is an all-time Filipino favorite dessert inspired by the Spanish cuisine. "Brazo" meaning arm, Brazo de Mercedez is literally translated as arm of Mercedez... or in other words, an arm of a lady named Mercedez.

This dessert, like the Pavlova, has a meringue base, but it is rolled like a Swiss Roll. However, unlike the Pavlova, the meringue for the Brazo de Mercedez is soft so it can be rolled up. It has a custard filling usually made of egg yolks and condensed milk.

Hybrid
A cross between Pavlova and Brazo de Mercedez.

This is what I came up with after deconstructing both desserts and put their elements together plus my own version of the pastry cream added some pizzazz to the finished product.

Now we have this dessert that is somewhat Pavlova with custard filling instead of whipped cream. It is a flat version of Brazo de Mercedez with fresh fruits and with Coconut Custard Cream Filling, instead of the traditional egg yolk-condensed milk filling. Anyway, here's how I did it....

Meringue:
6 egg whites (room temp)
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 3/4 cup white sugar

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form..
Gradually beat in sugar.
Continue beating until stiff and glossy.

For a personal size pie...
1) Line a large baking sheet with a parchment paper.
2) Draw two 9" circles on the parchment paper, then flip the paper so the pencil mark is facing down.
3) Spoon meringue into the circles drawn on parchment paper.

Bake meringue in a pre-heated 300 degrees for about 35 minutes. Let cool.
(I like mine baked longer as I don't want an egg-y tasting meringue)


Coconut Custard Cream Filling:
(from recipe #160, click here)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup fresh milk
1 cup coconut
cream 6 egg yolks, slightly beaten

In a sauce pan, combine the sugar and flour and pour in the milk and the coconut cream and stir until the flour is totally dissolved. Turn stove on medium and cook the mixture until it becomes bubbly, stirring constantly, then turn the heat down to medium low and continue to stir. (I didn't have to cook this in a double boiler). Actually this is the only hard part of making this dessert.... constantly stirring the mixture, but in a way, this makes a good work out for the arm!

Take the pan off the heat and, pour in the egg yolks little by little, continuously stirring the mixture. Make sure not to get impatient and pour in the yolks more than a tablespoon at a time, otherwise you'll end up with scrambled eggs.

When all the yolk is added in to the mixture, return the pan to the stove and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens but spreadable like the consistency of mayonnaise.

Spread cream filling on baked meringue.

Top with your favorite fruit combo

Mango Coconut Custard Tart...
http://pinoyamericanrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/160incredible-mango-custard-tart.html
another way to top the meringue.

I baked the meringue in a pie pan and filled with the
Coconut Custard Cream Filling mixed with cubed mangoes
then topped with thin slices of mangoes.
Mmmmmm, irresistibly delish!!

ENJOY!!!

#311_Edible Dessert Cups

Cups you can eat
yes, they're absolutely edible!

These tiny dessert cups can be filled with fruits,
then topped with whipped cream
or filled with Cream Cheese Filling (recipe#40, click here)
then topped with fruit preserves or jams or what not.
They are made of melting chocolates
for dipping Cake Balls, see recipe #86, click here.

The bottom measures 1 inch and a little bit more than an inch tall.

Cupped version of Cake Balls

Instead of forming the cake into little balls
and dipping them into melted chocolate like the CakeBalls,
I filled each chocolate cup with cake (or brownies too).

I then frosted them with Cream Cheese Frosting
then garnished with raspberries.

These are filled with Cream Cheese Filling then topped
with apricot jam and fresh raspberries.

Here's the link where I got the idea on how to make the dessert cups..
http://www.wilton.com/technique/Shells-and-Cordial-Cups

I made mine without using a brush, instead,
just turned and twirled the cups
until all the sides are well coated.
Btw, I cut the molds into individual cups to be able to do that.

#310_Palmiers or Elephant Ears

Palmiers: (Pam-Yays)
Sweet and Flaky Pastries

"Also called palm leaves, Palmier are small pastries made from sugar-encrusted puff pastry. The sides of a rectangle of puff pastry are folded into the center, then folded over to make four layers, and cut across the width into thin strips. These are laid on their sides on a baking sheet and they fan out as they bake to resemble the leaves of palm trees. Palmiers are baked until they are crisp and the sugar caramelizes to a rich golden brown. They are served with tea or coffee or as an accompaniment to ice cream and other desserts. France."
(The International Dictionary of Desserts, Pastries and Confections, Carole Bloom [Hearst Books:New York ] 1995 (p. 210)

I don't really see a resemblance between these cookies and the palm trees. Do you? Sometimes things get their names from how we would describe them. So these sweet and flaky cookies are also called Elephant Ears, Butterfly Pastries or Angel Wings, etc.

You can make your own puff pastry to make this or if you're like me,
I like to make my life easier so I just use the store-bought Puff Pastry.

Here's a link where I adapted my recipe from:
http://frenchfood.about.com/od/cookies/r/cinpalmier.htm