Anyone Likes Ube or Purple Yam?

(This is my home-baked Ube Cake)

"That is a beautiful purple color! Does it use artificial coloring?" I often hear these comments (from people who don't know) when they see pastries made of ube. They are usually surprised when told that it is the inherent color of the tuberous root crop.

Ube or purple yam is a crop that is grown for its enlarged roots like potatoes. Ube is sometimes confused with the purple sweet potatoes but they are two different kinds. Ube has a darker brown and rougher peeling while the purple sweet potatoes has a lighter brown and smoother skin.

Purple yam is a common staple in the Philippines. Filipinos use it mostly for making tasty desserts. They use it as a jam, an ingredient for cakes, and other delicious pastries. You can also make it into ice cream. In every Filipino gathering, you will see one or more menu made of ube.

Ube is one of my favorite flavors. I've always loved ube ice creams, cakes, and anything with ube in it. In my opinion, its taste is a blend of vanilla and almond flavors, some say also vanilla and pistachio. I guess it depends on the palate, lol. Anyway, if you want to find out its taste, try it out!

Filipino Steamed Buns, "Siopao"

Last Friday, I made some Filipino steamed buns called siopao. I made two different kinds but on this post I will share about the siopao filled with meat and boiled eggs. Siopaos are made of dough bread, then you fill it inside with either meat or sweet fillings. It is similar to Chinese steamed buns. Instead of baking the bread in the oven, you cook it by steaming.

I was supposed to make a Pork Asado siopao but I mistakenly grab the frozen ground beef to thaw instead of the ground pork. So it became Beef Asado! I added some cut boiled eggs for the filling, too. Asado here is different from the Argentinian barbecue style, Filipino asado is a term we used for cooking our meat sweet and salty style. The meat is cooked with a mixture of oyster, soy, and hoisin sauces added with sugar and salt to taste. And what comes out is the asado meat filling, a combination of a little sweetness and saltiness. Oops, I'm drooling now. 

So basically you flatten the dough you made after proofing it. Then you put a spoonful or more of the asado filling and then the sliced egg and then seal the bun. Once all the buns are made you steam it for at least 30 minutes.

You can eat the steamed buns warm or cold. I prefer to eat it warm with catsup. You can have it for snacks or even for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It actually fills you up. It is just like eating bread and meat but all in one. 

I made more buns than we can consume for one time so I freeze the others. If I need to eat it, I will just put it in the microwave, cover it in wet paper towel and it will be warm. Or I can steam it again. It will taste like freshly made.

My kiddos loved it! So it was worth all the muscle exercise I did while kneading the dough, lol. But hubby still finds it exotic. Good for me, I will have more to eat, lol. If you like to make siopao, just google it and a lot of other great bloggers have great recipes for it. 

The siopao with the beef asado and boiled egg filling.

Special Turon (Ripe Banana Wrapped in Egg Roll Wraps)

I had some very ripe plantains at home today. I didn't know what to do with it. It is such a waste if I will throw it again, since a plantain is .75 cents per piece. I had three pieces left, so that would be $2.25. In this economy, we should try our best to save in any way we can.

So that made my brain worked, hehe. I looked in the freezer and found some egg roll wrappers. It made me think of turon. "Turon" is a favorite Filipino snack in the Philippines. It looks like egg rolls but instead of the meat or veggies inside, it has sweet banana and other sweet ingredients. It is more like a dessert type of food and also good by itself for snacks. Anyway, going back to this morning, I took out the wrappers to thaw and checked in the pantry for some jackfruit in a can and found one. Seems like I'm lucky today. I had a leftover purple sweet potato that I boiled in the morning for my breakfast, so I thought why not make use of it,too. Instead if using purple yam or ube, I used my sweet purple potato. It has the same color and texture.

So I got all my ingredients ready after my egg roll wrapper thawed. I had the wrappers, julienned jackfruit, mashed sweet potato with sugar, and the sliced plantains.

I just put all the ingredients together in the middle of the egg roll wrapper and then wrapped it burrito style but sealing it at the end with water.

Preheat a deep pan and some oil on it, enough to deep fry the turon. Fry it until the turon is golden brown. My kids enjoyed it!:)

Crispy Binagoongang Baboy

My Homebaked Ensaymada

I have been craving Filipino bread in a while. I've been missing that sweet, smooth, and tasty kind of bread we have in the Philippines. So I looked around online to search for a recipe for "Ensaymada".

Ensaymada is one of the popular breads in the Philippines preferred by most Filipinos besides pan de sal because of its sweet and cheesy flavor. It is a sweet bread filled with sweet butter and brushed with buttered sugar and sprinkled with grated cheese.

I haven't tried baking any kind of bread before, so this is sort of an experimental baking for me, since it will be my first time. I was expecting for the worse while baking because anything can turn out wrong since I don't have any experience in baking. But I still took all the courage I have just so I can taste a bread from home and hoped for the best.

After doing all the mixing,kneading,waiting, and baking, I have now the fruit of my labor or rather "bread" of my labor,lol! And to my surprise it came out pretty good for a first timer,lol!It cane out soft and tasty.It may not be as good as Goldilocks ensaymada but it wasn't that bad either. My husband and lids like it so I guess it is consummable,lol. Anyway, I am satisfied with my first homebaked bread. I know I still have a lot of learning to do in baking, in which I am now excited to study on it and experiment more, so I can perfect it.

So here's the photo of my first ever homebaked bread, the "Ensaymada".

Ginataang Hipon (Shrimp with Coconut Milk)

Puto Cheese for New Year!:)

Nilagang Baka (Beef Soup)

Fried Chicken Recipe

Who doesn't like to eat a crunchy, juicy, delectible chicken? When I was in the Philippines, kids there are telling their parents to go to the famous fast food chain, Jollibee. The famous jingle, "Isa pa, isa pang chicken joy"(one more, one more chicken joy) is stuck in my memory even until now. Chicken joy is one of the variety of menus from Jollibee which is a piece of crunchy and juicy fried chicken with rice. I for one is a fan of that meal. One of my favorite chicken recipe will be fried chicken. Here in the US if I crave for fried chicken we get it from KFC or Church's Chicken because we don't have Jollibee here unlike in California. But it's a bit pricy if you keep buying it, so I make it a point to cook it at home when I don't get lazy,lol.
Anyway, here's a simple recipe for fried chicken. The secret to this is to heat the oil at the right temperature. Try putting a wooden spoon or laddle into the heated oil and if bubbles form at the wooden spoon then the oil is perfect for frying already. Another way is to make your hand wet a little and sprinkle a little water to the heated oil and if it makes a bubble or oil starts bubbling then it's ready to fry (please don't put a lot of water or the oil will boil up and you will get burn, be careful).
You will need a deeper pan for deep frying, because when you cook chicken  dredged in flour the oil tends to boil.


Ingredients:
Cut-up pieces of chicken
Flour
Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Oil for frying

Procedure:

Preheat your oil in a deep frying pan.
Prepare the flour and egg mixture in separate containers. In one bowl, place the flour and season it with salt and pepper. In another bowl beat some eggs (estimate according to how many pieces of chicken you have) and season it with a little salt.
Once you've tested the oil's temperature and it is ready, start frying.
First dredge the chicken piece on the egg mixture, making sure the whole piece is coated.
Then, after dredging it in the egg mixture, dip it in the flour mixture and coat it very well. If you like your chicken to be crunchier do the dipping in the egg and flour mixture twice.
Once your done dredging the chicken put it in the fryer. Fry it well until golden brown.
Tip: Chicken pieces without bones in it tends to cook fast like the chicken breast so don't overcook it. The ones with bones like the chicken legs takes a little while.

HAPPY EATING! Wash those hands and dig in. Afterall this is a finger food:-)
Please check my other recipes. Post your comments and suggestions on the comment box,too:-)

Dinuldog or Ginataang Halu-halo Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk or about 2 cups(divide into two portions:the other half will be mixed with water)
1/2 cup sweet rice
Sliced,ripe bananas
Sliced, sweet potatoes or camote
Bilo-bilo or sweet rice balls
Shreds of langka or jackfruit
2 cups Water
About a cup or more of Brown Sugar

PROCEDURE:

Boil 2 cups of water and half of the coconut milk.

Add the sweet rice into the boiling water and stir to avoid forming lumps. Continue boiling for about 5 minutes until the rice is almost soft but not completely cooked.

Add the sugar, dissolve completely (add as much sugar you want). Then add the shreds of langka.If you are using the jackfruit in a can,you can add the syrup in it,too.

Next, put the sweet potatoes or camote, stir and simmer for at least 3 minutes.

Then, add the ripe bananas and then the bilo-bilo. stir again and let it simmer until the rice,bananas,camote, and bilo-bilo are cooked.You will know that the bilo-bilo's are cooked when it floats to the surface.Stir it from time to time to avoid scorching.

Lastly add the remaining coconut milk. Stir and let it boil.(If the consistency is too thick,add a bit of water)

Add a little salt to balance the sweetness.Just a pinch.

Serve.

Pinoy Bistek

I haven't had bistek in a long time. Bistek is the Filipino beef steak version. These are thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce and kalamansi or vinegar, and then cooked and garnished with sauteed onion rings. Since I haven't eaten it in a long time since I left the Philippines, I tried to cook it. Actually, maybe a year or two ago I tried cooking it but it didn't come out so well. I guess, I marinated it too long that it was too sour or maybe I just put too much kalamansi. Well, I guess you learn along the way. I was still learning how to cook then, haha. Anyway, I tried making it again yesterday and it came out pretty well. My husband said it was perfect. Well, I guess because he hasn't tried other Bistek recipes, haha!So he can't really compare it. But I am also a hard critic of myself and this time I know it did come out good. I used a recipe I found online. I forgot the site but I'm gonna tell you about it next time because it's too late already to do research again, haha. Here is the photo of my very own Bistek.

Pancit Canton with Shrimp and Fish Balls

I am cooking some pansit today! What is pansit? Pansit is a Filipino stir-fried noodle. I had some fish balls that I bought from last week's grocery shopping and some frozen shrimps which will go well with the noodles.I  will add some veggies like green peppers, carrots, and mongo sprouts. Green onions would have been great with it but I don't have it. So let us stick with what we have. And finally, here is the photo of my homemade Pansit with lemon wedges on the side.

Adobong Pusit (Squid Cooked in Soy Sauce and Vinegar)

My husband and I love squid. It is one of our favorite food. So whenever we get a chance to go to the Asian store, we usually get some squid. Then I make it into adobo. Adobo is a Filipino style of cooking using vinegar and soy sauce. Since my husband likes to have more sauce when he eats because he mixes it with the white rice, my recipe uses more soy sauce, vinegar, and water. But if you don't want a lot of sauce on it, you can just lessen the amount of those three ingredients.


Ingredients:
2 lbs. Squid,cleaned
1 medium onion,chopped
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 bay leaf
Small slice of ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vetsin(optional)
2 tbsp. Cooking oil


Heat oil in the skillet. Then add the onions and garlic and saute it until onion gets transparent.
Add the ginger and then the bay leaf.
Next, add the squid. Stir and saute it for at least 3 minutes. Sprinkle with a little freshly ground pepper.
Then add the soy sauce and vinegar. Let it boil. Then add the water.
Let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Season with a little salt if needed.
Serve.

Mesquite-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs

I like the Smokey Mesquite seasoning because of its natural smoky flavor, saltiness, a little spiciness from the chili and red pepper but not to overwhelming, and a little hint of sweetness. I always use this when we grill, bake or even pan-fry some meat. Yesterday, I tried using it on some baby back ribs. My plan supposed to be was to make the Sweet Baby Back Ribs but then I ran out of time to marinate it, so I looked around in our pantry and there I saw the Smokey Mesquite Seasoning. So I experimented a bit because I haven't tried using it on ribs yet. And sure enough it came out pretty good. You can add or glaze it with your favorite barbecue sauce if you want or a drizzle of honey after, but in this recipe I opted not to put anything and it still came out good. Anyway here it is, have fun biting the ribs!!!:)

SIOMAI OR STEAMED PORK DUMPLINGS

Siomai is a steamed dumpling filled with either ground pork, ground beef, or shrimp and wrapped in wonton wrapper. In the Philippines, it usually dipped in soy sauce with calamansi or calamondin with oily garlicky or ginger flavor.

I love siomai. It is one of my favorite appetizers. I never get tired of eating it. When I came here in the US, this is one of the foods that I missed from the Philippines. So I researched on some recipes and get some ideas how it was made. I vary the ingredients according to my taste.

Most recipes use sesame oil to be mix in the filling, but since I'm not such a fan for sesame oil, I omitted it. But if you like it, you can add it to the ingredients.

Sotanghon Soup Recipe

The other day, I had my mother in-law and my husband's grandparents over for dinner. I made some sotanghon soup and some lumpia and Biko for dessert. I wanted them to have a taste of some Filipino foods. The most popular is our egg roll or lumpia so I decided to make some. At first I wanted to make pansit bihon but then I thought, lumpia and bihon are both dry. So I looked around in my pantry and I found some bean thread noodles, so I decided to make Sotanghon soup.



I remember my mom's sotanghon soup in the Philippines but I haven't tried making it yet. So I'm hoping against hope that I will make the soup good since it will be my first time to make it. I've seen my Mom do it before and I can still remember the taste of it. I know it's just chicken soup and then added with some sotanghon or bean thread noodles.

The secret of this recipe, that makes it smell and taste good is the ginger and the tanglad or lemon grass stalk. The lemon grass gives that subtle lemony taste and also the aroma. In the Philippines, we usually use this when we cook soups like chicken, beef soup or nilagang baka, in curry chicken, or when cooking chicken with coconut milk. It just taste different when cooking these dishes without the lemongrass. With it, it makes the dish more aromatic.

Anyway, here in the US, you can buy this at Asian stores. They are usually found at the fresh produce section. Just be sure to buy fresh ones, not old ones. When I say fresh, the stalk should be firm, and not pliable when you bend it. the bottom part should be off white in color or light yellow and the top part green. Don't buy those withered ones already or turning brown as these doesn't give off any aroma anymore. You can also order it on Amazon.com. When you don't use it, you can just freeze it, to prolong the freshness. Just wrap it in a plastic cover or aluminum foil. Then take it out before cooking.

Anyway, going back to the dinner, I was so glad they liked the Sotanghon Soup and also the lumpia and biko. Since they liked it, I am sharing this recipe with you. My mother in-law wants it, too and also my husband's grandma, so what better way than to write it here in my foodblog and share it with everybody in just one click rather than writing it one by one in an email, LOL!

SOTANGHON SOUP

Ingredients:

for the broth:
4 pcs. Chicken breasts, with skin and bones on
10 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of lemon grass, pounded on the base
A small slice of ginger, pounded
2-3 tbsps. Chicken bouillon

Additional ingredients:
2 tbsps. Cooking oil
Vermicelli bean thread noodles
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
One whole carrot, julienned
2 tbsps. Soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Green onions, chopped (for garnish)

PROCEDURE:

Make the chicken broth.
-Boil the 10 cups of water.
-Then put the onions, ginger, and the lemon grass. Simmer for 2 minutes.
-Next, add the chicken breast.
-Season with the chicken bouillon, a little salt and pepper.
-Simmer and cooked until the chiken gets tender or the meat separates from the bones. At least an hour.,
-Once the chicekn is cooked, take out the meat and put it on a plate to cool down a little. When the meat is cool, take out the skin and the bones. And then cut the chicken meat into strips.
-Reserve the broth, it will be used in making the soup. set aside the chicken meat, too.

Cooking the Sotanghon Soup:
-Heat oil in a deep cooking pot.
-Put the garlic and saute it until it becomes golden brown, add the onions and the carrots and saute.
-Then add the chicken strips. Mix well with the veggies.
-Season it with the soy sauce. Mix well and then simmer for a minute.
-Add all the chicken broth that you made.
-Let it boil. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
-Add the dry sotanghon or bean thread noodles. Let the broth soak it in. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the noodle is cooked.
-Serve right away because if it takes long for you to serve it, the noodle will soak up all the broth. Garnish with chopped fresh green onions on top.

TIP:
You can put the noodles when it's almost serving time, so it wouldn't soak up all the broth. You can make the broth ahead and then just heat it up again when it's almost eating time, and then you can add the noodles. The noodles will just cook right away, anyway. Have fun eating! This soupmis especially good during colder months:-)

If you have questions or suggestions, please write it in the comment area, thanks!:-)

Egg Sandwhich

HAM AND CHEESE SANDWHICH

Ingredients:

2 pcs. Sliced bread
sliced ham
American cheese singles
lettuce leaf
tbsp. of mayonnaise
tbsp. of catsup


PROCEDURE:

Mix mayonnaise and catsup in a small bowl.
Put the ham on one of the sliced bread and then the cheese on the other sliced bread.
Then put it in the toaster oven and toast it  for about a minute.
Take it out from the toaster and then add the lettuce.
Next, spread the mayonnaise and catsup mixture on the toasted bread.
Then put the sliced bread together.
Slice it diagonally in half. Serve.

CHICKEN CURRY

Philippines has some Indian cuisine influence, this is visible in some of the Filipino dishes which include a curry seasoning. Curry is sometimes used in dishes with chicken, beef, pork and vegetables cooked like a stew. Here is a chicken recipe with curry seasoning and added with coconut milk to make it creamy.

ATSARANG PAPAYA

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 cups grated papaya
1/4 cup salt
Vinegar
Water
Brown sugar
Red or green bell pepper, julienne
Carrots, cut into flowers or julienne
Onion, julienne
Garlic, julienne
Ginger, julienne
Salt to taste

PROCEDURE:

Put salt on the grated papaya and toss it. Let it stand for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Afterward, rinse the papaya with water and drain.
Put the washed papaya on a cheesecloth and squeeze all the liquid from it.

Meanwhile, on a big pot, put the vinegar and water.
Let it boil and then put the sugar and salt. Dissolve the sugar well. Continue boiling for at least 5 minutes.

Then put the onions, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, and carrots. Simmer for two minutes.

Lastly, add the grated papaya. Mix it well with the other ingredients. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Turn off the stove and let it cool down before putting it in a container.

TERM:

julienne- cutting the vegetables (ex: bell pepper) into thin, long strips

You can use a grater for the papaya or if you have a food processor it will be faster.