BAKED GINGER-PLUM CHICKEN

Asian cooking is often easy and uncomplicated, it's just a matter of proper management: heat, time, ingredients, texture and taste.  Baking is a no fuss cooking as long as you have the right temperature and timing.  It even gives you time to watch your favourite movie without fear of burning. ;-)  Just mix the ingredients, place it in a baking dish and voila!  

Tonight is a no fuss cooking, if laziness really kicked in but you have to prepare a meal, just clean and mix everything, toss into the dish and bake. Then you can sit and relax and let the oven call you when it's done. Ting!

BAKED GINGER-PLUM CHICKEN

Ingredients:

750 g chicken or one whole (1kg) spring chicken -quarterly cut

1 thumb ginger -grated

1 whole Garlic (one single clove garlic)-minced

1/3 c plum sauce

1/3 c Superior Light soya sauce

1/4 c water

Dash of salt and pepper to season the chicken before browning.

EVOO and half tablespoon unsalted butter

Spring onion for garnishing

Method:

Season chicken with salt and pepper

Place EVOO and butter in the pan.

Brown chicken on both sides.When done, transfer to the baking dish.

In the same pan, place the rest of the ingredients except spring onion.

Bring to a boil. When done, pour over the chicken in the baking dish.

Bake the chicken covered (you can use foil to cover) at 175 degrees for 45 minutes.

10 minutes before baking is done, open the oven remove the cover and baste the chicken with its own sauce and continue baking it uncovered.

When done, remove from the oven and sprinkle the spring onions before serving.

Serve hot with blanched greens and rice.

>> or you can just place the seasoned chicken into the baking dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients except spring onion and pour over the chicken. Cover the dish and bake.

PORK TONKATSU

Fried meat used to be less favored on our dining table. Most often it is left untouched because the kids dislike crunch and too much chewing. They preferred noodles for easy swallow, less effort to their jaws and teeth. But as they grew older and enjoyed watching food channels, the importance of food explorations become a reality.  My picky eaters slowly become food adventurers. Dish requests came pouring in and sometimes there's a need to negotiate for lack of ingredients. Too bad the market across our place made it impossible for me to compromise.😉

Pampering the kids to ease tiredness is their favorite--

Tonkatsu
Ingredients:
4 pork cutlets
1/2 c cornstarch or all-prupose flour whichever is available
1 large egg
Panko or Japanese bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Shredded lettuce (you can use cabbage but we prefer lettuce)-- for side
Oil for deep frying

Tonkatsu sauce of equal measurement, just mix and ready to use:
Tomato Ketchup 
Oyster Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce (Silver Swan Brand)
Worcestershire Sauce (Lea Perrin)
or
1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Oyster sauce


Method:
Wash cutlets then pat to dry.
Using a meat mallet, pound the cutlets.

Sprinkle salt and pepper.
Arrange the flour, egg and panko in order.
On a deep wok/pot, heat the oil, and when ready--
Dredge one cutlet on the flour, then egg and lastly on panko. Making sure the cutlet is properly covered. 
Then, slowly drop on the hot oil. Cook til color turns light brown.
When done, carefully flip the cutlet to cook the other side.
When cooked, remove from wok/pot.

Slice and serve over rice and shredded lettuce with tonkatsu sauce on the side.

BAKED CRUSTED SALMON

Kids fancied Salmon, thanks to the Japanese Restaurant which catered to their cravings of Salmon Teriyaki if not Ramen. Kids liking Salmon is admirable cause i can't eat fish dishes where i can still taste the fish😀! I'm more of a fried seafood kind of person so any other form is less appealing. Reason why i do admire people who eat sushi, sashimi and ceviché. Although i'm not an all-out fish consumer, Kids and Hubby are my reasons I am still preparing these dishes for them to enjoy while i watch them eat. Thanks to technology, variety of seafood dishes are explored to cater to the palate of seafood eater like me.😁

Tonight is powering up with Omega-3 and fibre with Salmon and Broccoli. Easy dinner while enjoying Harry Potter marathon with the kids courtesy of holiday treats. Placing everything in a baking dish, time it and wait.

Baked Crusted Salmon
Ingredients:

About 1 kl slab of Norwegian Salmon (debone)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1 head minced garlic
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp smokey monterey seasoning

2 pcs of broccoli cut the florets and blanch-- side dish 

Method:
Pre-heat oven at 180℃.
Wash the Salmon, debone and pat dry.
Place Salmon on a baking tray.
Mix all the ingredients to combine.
Press the ingredients mixture against the top side of the Salmon.
Bake Salmon for about 15 minutes or so until the top turns a little brown.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh finely chopped parsley and lemon wedges on the side.
Ready to serve with rice or mashed potato or with your favourite grilled vegetables.
Ours is blanched broccoli.

BRAISED BEEF

On school days especially when schedule is tight and time is racing for dinner, a one bowl meal is perfect for the hungry kids. Giving them variety is always a challenge, either your palate decide, your cravings dictate but most often it's the kids' requests lead the way.

Tonight's dish is served on a steaming Japanese Rice😋

Braised Beef

Ingredients:

EVOO or canola oil will do

About 1/2 kl Chuck tender  - sliced into cubes

and sprinkle with cornstach 

Garlic- minced

Onion- minced

Ginger — grate it from a small cube

Star anise about 3 pcs

Cloves about 3 pcs

Bay leaves

2-3 c water or more depends how tender your beef 

3-4 tbsp LKK Superior Light Soy Sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar 

Ground black pepper

Carrots sliced into cubes

1 tsp cornstarch  dissolve in 1/4 c water

Spring onion to garnish

Method

Sear beef cubes in oil. Remove set aside.

Using the same pan, sauté garlic, ginger and onion. Then return the beef into the pan. Season with a small amt of soy sauce and pepper, stir to combine.

Add water, remaining soy sauce,  star anise, cloves, bay leaves and brown sugar.

Simmer until beef is tender. Add water if the beef is not yet tender and continue cooking.

Reduce sauce to your desired amount then add carrots.  Simmer for 2-3 mins. Then pour dissolved cornstarch and stir. Let it simmer to thicken.

Finish by adjusting the taste to your pref.

When done, serve hot on steam rice. Then garnish with spring onion.

MOLO

Deciding to make soupy dish and should be a one meal dish to save time and less preparations. Suddenly, i thought of dumpling. Kids love dumpling and they are in for soup.

Tonight it's going to be a riceless, light dinner without compromising vegetables. What can be best but---

MOLO

makes 44 pcs wontons

For Wonton: you can do this ahead and freeze.

250 g minced pork

1 tsp LKK Superior Light Sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Dash of garlic powder

Dash of onion powder

1/2 pc minced carrots

white part of spring onions

1 pack wonton wrappers

For the soup:

1 head garlic minced

1 small onions minced

2 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1/2 julienne carrots

1 pork boullion

dash of black pepper

1 c of water

1 pack baby spinach

*** salt and fish sauce --optional

Toasted garlic and greens of spring onions for garnishing.

Method:

In a bowl, mix all  wonton ingredients.

Scoop about 1/2 tsp and place in a wonton skin and seal.

Place in a tray lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking of the wonton on the tray.

When everything is wrapped, RTU.

In a pot, place EVOO and toast half of the minced garlic. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot and oil, sauté garlic and onions. 

Add 5 cups of water and heat to a rolling boil.

Add bouillon, pepper, carrots. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding fish sauce or salt but this is not necessary as the broth is well seasoned with the pork bouillon.

Slowly Add wontons and simmer til all the wontons float. That means it's cooked.

Serve with toasted Garlic and spring onions.

NASI KUNING

My kids love “Indonesian Yellow Rice”  or Nasi Kuning.  Every time we visit an Indonesian Restaurant, my hubby and I will order the steamed rice while our kids prefer the yellow rice. It’s tasty and fragrant, reasons more appealing to the kids to go with their BBQ meat.

Nasi Kuning is an Indonesian Yellow Rice cooked in coconut milk and turmeric. It's very symbolic cause the yellow color look like a pile of gold which means good fortune, prosperity, wealth and dignity.  This symbolism made it a preferred dish for festivities, housewarming and weddings and a favorite rice for its soft texture, inviting colour, pleasing fragrance and very rich and flavourful taste.

Today is a request for Pork BBQ, so I thought Nasi Kuning is the best pair to go with this, along with our available coconut vinegar (Tuba Vinegar).  Lunch will be served in Indo-fil inspired dish, satisfying cravings for the day!

Nasi Kuning  (Rice Cooker Version)

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 c Basmati rice

200 ml light coconut milk

200 ml water

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 pc bay leaf

1 stalk lemongrass-crushed

1 pc pandan leaf – knotted 

Pich of salt

Method:

Place rice in a rice cooker. Wash rice and drain.  Place all the ingredients and stir.

Cook rice in a rice cooker like cooking a regular rice.  When done, ready to serve.

Make sure to stir and mix the ingredients properly.

To go with your favorite meat dish. For us, serving its with Pork Belly Pinoy BBQ with soya sauce-kalamansi dip, blanched Baby French Beans and Unripe Mango with Bagoong (Shrimp paste).

Bibingka

In my quest to find the recipe that fits my "used to" bibingka sold in the dirty market in our home town: grainy yet soft when served hot,  sweet and with the aroma of burnt banana leaves, i've decided to make a hybrid version. More like soft, fluffy and a little grainy texture. Finally a little upgrade of what i used to have, not that i am saying what i used to have is not delicious, it's just like we can make something a little more palatable than what we used to have :-D.

Be warned that if you are immersed in a culturally diverse group of friends, always clarify what you refer because each region has its own version of bibingka, like the bibingka galapong i made or you ask for "puto" and you will be given "biko" instead. So here it is the quest for the authentic bibingka. 

I can't get that authentic burned banana leaves aroma since those were cooked in a traditional way of "oven" where batter was placed in a claypot lined with banana leaves and baked in a clay oven sandwich by charcoal, but this is the closest i can achieve, finally--


BIBINGKA
makes 1 7" pie pan and 1 mamon pan.

1 c rice flour
1/2 c light muscovado sugar ( or you can use 2/3 c regular brown sugar)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 c coconut milk
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven in 180 degrees.
In a bowl place flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix to combine.
In a mini blender, place egg, coconut milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine.
Then pour the batter into the prepared pan lined with banana leaf.
Bake for 30 minutes or less until the toothpick comes out clean when tested.
Remove from oven when done and top with grated coconut.
Serve warm with coffee and tea.

Awesome!!!

Fresh from the oven, see those signature cracks? 

This is the texture I am looking for --

Enjoy it with your favorite drink... serve warm with grated coconut or grated cheddar cheese.

Bibingka Galapong

Living in Manila for quite some time exposed and integrated me to various cultures, primarily language. If you're a pure Manileña, language barrier is your major concern cause your friends may talk behind your back  (mostly in a nice/ funny/ joking way). On the other hand, it will be a realization that similiraties abound these different cultures yet expressed in several ways and again language is evident.

The word of the day is Galapong. It is a tagalog word for milled glutinous rice. Some called it as rice flour others defined it as glutinous rice powder. In the province, we simply call it giniling na malagkit (glutinous rice) or giniling na bigas (for white rice flour). The common denominator is that-- it is from rice and in a powdered form.

Got cravings for another native delicacy and as i was researching for the recipe, i came across bibingka. I'm used to bibingka with grainy texture, sweet and cooked in banana leaves topped with shaved fresh coconut but sometimes food photo are looking appetizing that you may want to explore it. So today, i am trying this bibingka galapong made of rice but not regular white rice but glutinous rice, which made me thinking the texture could be different from the one's I am used to but let me give it a try. 

Indeed I was right,  this is more of a smooth sticky side than the grainy, soft bibingka. It's texture is a hybrid of maja blanca and cassava cake: smooth, sticky and soft.  But not bad to have though, here is the recipe i reinvented--


BIBINGKA GALAPONG
makes 2 round 7" pie pan

1 1/2 c glutinous rice powder
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
200 ml (1 packet) coconut cream
2 whole big eggs 
1/3 c caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh banana leaves ( cured by passing over an open flame) and cut about 9" in diameter so when lined on a pan should cover the whole pan with extra.

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees.
1. In a big bowl, put rice and baking powder. Using a whisk, mix to combine.
2. Add water and coconut milk. Mix to combine.
3. In a mini blender, add eggs and blend or whisk then slowly add sugar, pulse to mix and then add butter. This process is to get a frothy texture of egg mixture.
4. Pour this frothy mixture  into the bowl of rice.
5. Add in vanilla.
6. Lined the pie pan with banana leaf and brush with melted butter.

7. Pour the mixture into the pan until a little less full.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 mins. 
9. When tested and toothpick comes out clean, it's done.
10. Remove from oven brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle it with cheese.
11. Serve hot with coffee or tea.

Maja Blanca (Mixed Coconut Pudding )

Hubby saw my panna cotta photo and suddenly craved for Maja Blanca.

I warned him not to browse my photo files but he would not listen. :-D 

Begging to gather the ingredients so i can cook it for him yesterday but the rain saved me, hehehehe. But i could not bear his plea, so here is his maja blanca. He just requested for the classic (plain) one but since I am clearing my shelf for the next set of supplies, I might as well go the extra mile to give it a twist (hopefully) with the ube halaya. Unfortunately, purple yam is not in season at this time so i have to content myself with OTC flavouring-- UBE flavour.

Maja Blanca (2 tone)

Ingredients:
makes about 8 slices of 2"x3"
pan size is about 9"x6.5"

for Classic Maja Blanca

1 pack -200 ml coconut cream

1/2 c + 3 tbsp fresh milk

150 ml condensed milk (or you can use half the can of 

               small condensed milk about 370-392g) 

1/3 c cornstarch dissolved in 100 ml water, then set aside

1/2 of fresh boiled corn on a cob, cut the kernels from the cob

for Ube Maja Blanca

1 pack -200 ml coconut cream

1/2 c + 3 tbsp fresh milk

150 ml condensed milk (or you can use half the can of 

               small condensed milk about 370-392g) 

1 tsp ube flavour (McCormick)

1/3 c cornstarch dissolved in 100 ml water, then set aside

1/2 of fresh boiled corn on a cob, cut the kernels from the cob

Topping:
Toasted shaved fresh coconuts.
Just place the shaved (shredded) coconut in a pan, use medium heat and with constant mixing toast the coconut until dry and slightly brown.

 

Procedure:

Procedures for both ingredients is the same except that you have to add the ube flavour on the Ube Maja Blanca.

1. First pour the coconut cream, fresh milk and condensed milk, stir to combine.

2. Bring to boil for about 3-5 minutes on a medium heat.

3. Add the Ube flavour at this time and stir.

4. Slowly drop the corn and stir after which add the dissolved cornstarch.

5. Keep stirring about 2-3 minutes until you reach the paste-like texture. It is done when everything can be scooped up by a laddle

6. Pour over a greased container and cool under room temeprature.

7. You can chill for about an hour before serving.

8. Top with toasted coconuts shavings or roasted nuts or kernels.

Notes:
This is a less sweet maja blanca and a sturdy one (holds its shape)
1. If you want it sweeter, add condensed milk.
2. If you want it creamier, lessen the cornstarch and don't overcook. Once the mixture holds its shape, cooking is done.
3. You have the option to toast a coconut or chopped roasted peanuts or simply garnish with kernels.
4. You can make classic (plain) or flavoured maja blanca.

Lotus Glutinous Rice (Lo Mai Gai)

My kids love the movie Coco that after watching it they've been singing "Remember Me" at any time. They specifically mentioned Nov 2 as the feast of 'Dia de Muertos" a holiday in Mexico celebrating the "Day of the Dead." Although they have no cravings on the mexican tamales, or calavares de azucal nor calabaza en dulce, we have customized the food in commemorating our loved ones -- thru something sticky, savoury, symbolic and cold. Which is why we had glutinous rice, dumpling and mango lemonade. Sticky, colourful deli and delicious. And becuase it was the kids special requests... they have to share the effort.  Paige is the chef and Kai is the moral support this time... So let me share this sticky rice made simple and easy as compared to the real tedious preparations--

Lotus Glutinous Rice
makes 3 parcels

Rice
2 c Glutinous Rice, washed and soaked  in plain water for at least 20-30 mins., then set aside. You do this first before you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

1 tbsp tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Light Soy sauce

1/2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 head (single head) or about 1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp Olive Oil

200 ml water

Chicken Marinade

1 pc boneless chicken breast (about 200g), small cubes sliced

1 pc lean pork (about 200 g), thinly sliced

1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1/2 tbsp Dark  Soya Sauce

 tbsp Shao xing wine (chinese wine)

1 tbsp  Corn Starch

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

***Slice the meat as directed and place in a bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken while you continue to prepare the other ingredients.

For Sautéing

2 tbsp Olive oil

I single head Garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp Dried shrimps (if you don't have this it's ok)

1 1/2 tbsp Fried shallots ( if you don't have this its' still ok)

Slices of mushroom ( your preferential amount) if you are using whole shitake mushroom, then 3 pcs of shitake- one pc for each parcel.

>>> Other ingredients that you can add which i didn't as per request of kids not to include these..

3 half inch slices of chinese sausage

3 pcs of whole salted egg yolks

3 cubes of turnips

Wrapping:

3 pcs of lotus leaf (thoroughy washed, and rinsed with warm water), set side

How to do it?--

Place oil in the wok over a medium heat, when hot enough add garlic and stir fry.

Add marinated meat and stir fry.

Add dried shrimps and mushrooms. This time you can add the other ingredients >>.

Stir fry for few minutes.

Remove from heat  and transfer in a bowl and set aside.

In the same wok, without cleaning this up, add the oil.

When hot, add garlic and stir fry until slightly brown.

Then add  glutinous rice and stir.

Add the sauces and lastly add water.

Sauté until the rice absorbed all the water.

When done, remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly:

Divide your cooked glutinous rice into 3 and each part divide into half.

Open 1 pc of lotus leaf, cut if you need to, just make 1 sheet out of it.

Then brush the center of the leaf with oil the, where you will place the rice.

Place 1/6 of cooked glutinous rice on the center of the leaf.

Then top it with 1/3 of the cooked meat.

Then cover it with 1/6 of the cooked glutinous rice.

Fold the right leaf over your rice. Followed by the left leaf.

Then fold the leaf in front of you over the rice and finished it up with folding the back leaf

over the rice towards you....Your finish product is a wrap that looks like a parcel.

Secure with kitchen twine and ready to steam.

Steam for one and a half hour (1 1/2 hr). 

I used the electric steamer for less monitoring.

(You can use the traditional bamboo steamer to make it authentic)

Serve steaming hot with caution.

 

Almond Caramel Popcorn

The corn that popped--- popcorn!

It's an all time fave especially for movies and parties, and since the festive season just started with the Trick or Treats, I have decided to share a simple remedy to an instant,  not too exciting microwaveable popcorns. You may want to try this, so simple with just few steps that are not that complicated, but this will need an oven to make it more exciting so here we go--


Almond Caramel Popcorn

What you need...

1 bag (150g) Almonds (ready to eat  baked or roasted almonds)
1 bag of microwaveable popcorn (microwave as directed)
When done  spread on a baking tray lined with parchment for easy cleaning and spread the almonds on the popcorn.
Then set aside.

Caramel

100 g unsalted butter

1 c brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking soda

On medium heat, place butter, sugar and salt in a pan and let the butter melt.

Then add sugar and salt mix until well dissolved. 

Let it boil until no sugar granules are seen. 

Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla.

Mixture will create a bubbling light brown solution.

Continue mixing for about a minute then RTU.

Assembling:

Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees.

Pour (in a stream) the caramel over the popcorn and almonds.

Then mix to cover the popcorn and almonds with caramel.

Place the tray with popcorn and almonds inside the oven and bake for 15 minutes ( 3 times) every interval, take it out and mix for an even baking of caramel.

When done, transfer on a serving bowl and serve with caution.

Note: You can use any nuts you like and colour or flavour your caramel at your preference.

Sit down, relax, see a movie and pop these corns in your mouth!