Scrumptious Sunday #9 - Rice September 7, 2008

FILIPINO ARROZ VALENCIANA

Ingredients:
2 cups rice, cooked
2 cups malagkit (sticky rice), cooked
2 pcs chicken thighs and legs, chopped into small pieces
1/4 kilo pork, sliced into thin strips
1/2 kilo chicken liver and giblets, chopped
4 pcs frankfurters, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup green peas
2 pcs bell peppers (red and green), cut into thin strips
2 small cans of tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp patis
1 tbsp atchuete oil
2 tbsp margarine
salt to taste

For garnishing
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
spring onions chopped

Directions:

1. Flake rice and malagkit with fork while still hot. Set aside.
2. In a deepn pan, saute garlic in atchuete oil. Add onion.

3. Add pork, chicken and giblets. Season with patis, then cover. After 2 minutes, pour in 1/2 cup of water.
4. Cover and simmer until half done.

5. Add frankfurters, pepper, and tomato sauce. Season with salt to taste.
6. Boil for five minutes, then add rice, malagkit, margarin and peas.
7. Mix until well-blended. Reduce heat, then cover.
8. Garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs and chopped spring onions.

Scrumptious Sunday #8 - Appetizers August 24, 2008

Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients:
16 lettuce leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
chili pepper sauce (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons (dark) sesame oil

Directions:

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chili pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Scrumptious Sunday #7 - Fish August 10, 2008

Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish)

Ingredients:

1 big bangus (milkfish)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1 egg

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 tablespoons of cooking oil

ham, finely chopped

raisins

cooked peas

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Scale and remove the intestines of the bangus.
2. With a very sharp knife, slowly remove the meat of the fish from the skin through the opening cavity below the head. Remove the spine by snapping off the bone at the base of the tail and head. Use a long spoon to scrape all the meat from the skin.
3. Marinate the head and skin in lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper.
4. Boil in 1/2 cup of water the bangus meat with some salt for 5 minutes.
5. Sauté the garlic and onions until slightly brown then add the tomatoes and carrots until tender.
6. Add the chopped ham, cooked peas, raisins and the bangus meat to the mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add a beaten egg to the sauté and mix well.
8. Stuff the mixture inside the bangus skin and head. Sew the cavity if needed.
9. Fry in oil until golden brown.
10. slice slightly diagonal (1 1/2 inch thick) and serve.

Scrumptious Sunday #6 - Picnic July 26, 2008

Flip Style Picnic

This is how Filipinos do picnic - an abundance of food. You’ll think you’re going to a feast. There’s marinated pork, fish stuffed with diced onions and tomatoes, hotdogs, macaroni salad, roasted chicken and a lot more like this spread.

This was a long weekend in August of last year. Hopefully, we will have another picnic this year with the same group.

Flip style picnic is no fun without food!

Scrumptious Sunday #5 - Summer Salads July 20, 2008

Filipino Style Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

1 can (17 0z) fruit cocktail, drained

1 bottle (10 oz) sweetened kaong (sugar palm)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 can condensed milk

1 bottle young coconut

1 can (14 oz) pineapple chunks, drained

1 can (14 oz) lychees, drained

1 1/2 cups cubes apples (optional)

Directions:

1. Begin draining the fruit cocktail.

2. Mix the heavy cream and condensed milk.

3. Wash, dry, core, and dice the apples leaving the skin on. Add it into the mixture.
4. Add all ingredients and the fruit cocktail into the mixture being careful not to create extra juices while stirring. Stir only enough to coat the fruits with the cream and milk. (Extra liquid results in lumps and curdling)

5. Ready to serve, but best when chilled for about 30 minutes.

Scrumptious Sunday #4 - Ice Cream July 14, 2008

Banana Split Ice Cream

Ingredients:

hot fudge

Maraschino cherries

nuts

pineapple and strawberry syrup

strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream

whipped cream

bananas

Directions:

1. Peel a banana and cut it in half lengthwise.

2. Put the two halves in a long, skinny ice cream bowl.

3. Place three scoops of ice cream on top of the banana: one chocolate, one vanilla and one strawberry.

4. Pour hot fudge over the chocolate ice cream.

5. Pour pineapple syrup over the vanilla ice cream.

6. Pour strawberry syrup over the strawberry ice cream.

7. Top with whipped cream, a few cherries and nuts.

Scrumptious Sunday #3 - Blueberries July 6, 2008

Blueberry Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (replace half of this amount with honey if you want) sugar
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (in room temperature) butter
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
16 tbsp mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp or to taste (replace with honey if you want) icing sugar
1 cup frozen blueberries
1-2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and half a cup sugar together.

2. Combine salt, cinnamon and flour together and add the butter mixture. Mix completely until the dough forms.

3. Wrap the dough in plastic and leave in the fridge for an hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

5. Onto a lightly floured surface, transfer the dough and roll to the 1/8 inch thickness.

6. Cut 2-3 inches circles and press them into the small tart pans or cupcake pans.

7. Leave the pans in the fridge for 5 min.

8. Bake in the oven for 20 min or until brown. Let them cool down on a wire rack.

9. Meanwhile, into a pan add half a cup blueberry and 1-2 tbsp sugar. Cook on medium heat for 10 min or

until the juice starts to come out.

10. Transfer them into a strainer and force them through the strainer. Let the juice cool down for 15 min.

11. Add the rest of the berries to the juice and combine.

12. For the filling, mix the Mascarpone and icing sugar (or honey) to taste.

13. Fill the shells with Mascarpone filling and pour berries on top. Sprinkle icing sugar over tarts and serve.

Scrumptious Sunday #2 - Beef June 29, 2008

Ginger Beef

Ingredients:

1/2 cup/125 ml water

1 1/2 tsp/7 ml cornstarch

1/4 cup/60 ml liquid honey

1 1/2 tbsp/25 ml oyster sauce

1/2 tsp/2 ml dried crushed chilies

2 tsp./10 ml sesame oil

1/2 cup/125 ml cornstarch

2 large eggs

1 tbsp./15 ml soy sauce

1 tsp./5 ml sesame oil (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp./7 ml finely grated peeled gingerroot

1 1/4 lbs./560 g sirloin steak, cut across grain into 1/8 inch (3mm) thick slices

cooking oil, for deep-frying

2 tsp./10 ml cooking oil

2 green onions, cut julienne

2 medium carrots, cut julienne

1tbsp./15 ml finely chopped peeled gingerroot

Preparation:

Stir water into first amount of cornstarch in small bowl. Add next 4 ingredients. Stir. Set aside.

Beat next 6 ingredients with fork in medium bowl.

Cut beef slices into 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 12 mm) shreds. Add to egg mixture. Stir until coated. Mar

inate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Deep-fry beef, in several batches, in hot (375°F, 190°C) cooking oil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring an

d breaking pieces apart, until golden brown. Remove beef with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Keep warm.

Heat second amount of cooking oil in medium frying pan on medium-high until hot. Add green onion, c

arrot and second amount of ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until softened. Stir honey mixture. Stir into carrot mixture until boiling and slightly thickened. Pour over beef. Makes 6 cups (1.5 L). Serves 6.

Scrumptious Sunday #1 - Dairy June 22, 2008

Jumbo Shrimp Canapes with Chili Lime Cream

Ingredients:

2 lbs (1 kg) jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
1 cup (250 mL) 35% whipping cream

3/4 tsp (3 mL) chili powder

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) grated lime zest
1 tsp (5 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
Cucumber slices
Lime zest for garnish

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter over medium-high heat. Sauté shrimp, in batches, just

until pink, opaque and curled, about 4 min, adding more butter between batches. Transfer to a plate and

refrigerate until chilled.

In a chilled bowl, combine cream, chili powder, salt and lime zest. Whip just until soft peaks form. Stir in

lime juice. Chill for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours.

Place a small dollop of whipped cream on cucumber slices. Place one shrimp on each and garnish with lime

zest.

Servings: 40 to 48 pieces

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 to 16 minutes

Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes