No to Food Waste! (Repurposing bread trimmings)

Growing up, one of the most valuable lessons my parents taught me was not to waste food.  Their most favorite line when we were seated at the dining table? "Finish your food".  They meant ALL of it, including each grain of rice.  Oh and it didn't stop there.  They end that statement with . . . "You are blessed because there are kids who don't have anything to eat".   I think this is why I didn't become a picky eater.  I wasn't picky AT ALL . . . that they had to control me, haha!

This morning, I didn't have the heart to throw the bread trimmings we got from the cookie cutter sandwiches I made for the Princess.

A sample of the bread trimmings (this one had Nutella in it so I ate it as it is)

I had some that didn't have any spread so I thought of turning them to croutons since we are having some Cream of Broccoli soup for lunch (NOT homemade, thank you Campbell's!).  I love putting croutons in creamy soups for that added crunch and texture.

So I made some using a non-stick pan and it is easy as 1-2-3.

1. Chop the bread into small pieces.

2. Coat your pan with butter and then put your bread cubes

3. Over medium heat, toss them frequently until they get toasted (the way you like them) and crunchy.  By the way, I seasoned them with a little bit of salt and garlic powder too for some flavor.

They are just what I need to make our bowl of soup, (though it was from a can) a little bit more special.  

Say NO to food waste!

Say Cheese! (A Pinoy Cheese Cupcake Recipe)

I am excited to share with you this new recipe which I tried yesterday!

I've been baking different cupcakes (banana, blueberry, carrot) but I haven't baked something which has that Filipino flavor.  So for a change, I thought of baking Filipino Cheese Cupcake!  I miss home and I have all the ingredients I need! Haha!  I have a big block (it's big that I still have some left after doing this recipe, haha) of cheddar cheese that was meant for the Mac and Cheese of the kids and a jar of condensed milk.  I think it's the condensed milk that makes this Cheese Cupcake truly Pinoy because we have a sweet tooth (not an expert answer, just an opinion haha!).  

Cheese and Condensed Milk?!  I am getting excited!  It's a good play of flavors right?

I got the recipe from Kawaling Pinoy (which has become one of my favorite sources for recipes). This cupcake recipe is easy to make and easy to follow that you can bake some for breakfast.  It has the right sweetness (for us) and a good balance of flavors from the cheese and condensed milk.  Definitely a keeper!  

Having one of this and coffee (or your favorite hot drink) . . . is pure joy. 

Hope you like it too =)

You get that golden brown crust on top

And a moist and fluffy cake inside with cheese bits!

This recipe is from Kawaling Pinoy.

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup quick-melt cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs.
3. Beginning and ending with flour mixture, add flour mixture in thirds and 1/2 of sweetened condensed milk in between. Beat at low speed with every addition.
4. Add quick-melt cheese and stir to combine.
5. Using a scoop or spoon, fill paper-lined muffin cups to 3/4 full. Top with cheddar cheese and bake in a 350 F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and top is golden. Allow to cool.

Easy Dessert Recipe: No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake

Food cravings come and go but my craving for blueberry hasn't stopped! (Not pregnant!)

Last week, I thought of making a No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake.  Actually, I prefer the baked kind. However, the No-Bake one holds a special place in my heart. The first time I ever had one was in high school when D (a very dear friend) made one for our get-together.  It was love at first bite!   (Back then, the only dessert for me would be anything that has chocolate in it, haha!)  I think this was how my romance with blueberries started. =)

So I googled, saw a lot of recipes, compared and finally. . . picked Mom-Friday's take on this no-bake cheesecake recipe.  

What do I like about it?  I like that it was her Mom's recipe.  There's something special about recipes which you learn from your parents. . . . and she used cinnamon for the crust, haha!  I'm glad I did! We love it! The recipe had the taste I was looking for.  While making and eating this cheesecake, a wave of nostalgia swept over me.  It brought me back to high school and to my childhood friends, our Christmas get-togethers with endless stories and laughter.

It is amazing how food fills our appetite and our hearts at the same time. =)

For the complete recipe, please click on this link which will bring you to My Mom Friday's recipe.   She has a detailed instructions and pictures for the recipe.

Happy Weekend and Happy Baking . . . I mean, Happy No-Baking! =)

Spot On!

There is a saying which says "Patience is a virtue".  This was something which holds true to me. . . before the kids came, haha!

Parenthood is not a walk in the park.  I have to say that it brings out the best and the worst in me!  

There are days when I get heart melting moments.  Like when the other day, my Princess said:

"Mama look at the pink mirror (her toy), you're beautiful"  *Awwwww*

And then I imagine what my life will be without them!

And then there are days when I just want to scream and breakdown!  Sometimes I'm just too tired from doing household chores (and there are still so many things left to do) that I become impatient with the little ones.  And when this sets in, for sure, there is some yelling bound to happen (which breaks my heart).  Then, I feel I need a breather and I start to miss the life I had before I had them.

And then I imagine what my life will be without them!

But however hard it is, those precious moments are far greater than the ehrrrmm, let's just say, the "emotionally charged ones" haha!

And there is no imagining what my life will be without them because. . . I just can't. =)

To end this post, would just like to share with you an IG post shared by (working.mom.ksa) which is funny and true! =)

Spot on!  Haha! 

My Favorite Breaded Chicken Recipe

I have blogged about my favorite banana cupcake recipes in previous posts.  Today, I am going to share with you another recipe which I've tried , tested and loved!  It's a recipe which made me say. . . I should have cooked more!  Haha!  (I only tried it for a few pieces of chicken unfortunately.)

For dinner, we planned on having fried chicken marinated in soy sauce and lemon which we usually have.  So I thought of googling for other Filipino fried chicken recipes and came across Panlasang Pinoy's Garlic Fried Chicken.

When I try a recipe, I follow it and do a little bit of tweaking.  For this recipe, I did some prep work on the chicken.

I thought of marinading the chicken in Buttermilk because it has been said that it helps in tenderizing the chicken meat and it also helps the coating mixture to adhere when you fry it in oil.   

I didn't have buttermilk so I made a substitute.  For every cup of milk, put 1 tbsp of vinegar and let it rest for at least 10 mins.  If the milk is ready, put some garlic powder, salt and pepper in it.  And I marinated it for eight hours.  If you don't have time, I suggest you marinade the chicken for at least an hour or two.

After marinading the chicken meat, I just followed Panlasang Pinoy's Garlic Fried Chicken Recipe (shown below). 

The chicken was so moist and tender (I used the breast part), and garlicky!  We ate it with UFC Banana catsup and this reminded me of the fried chicken I've eaten in some Filipino gatherings.  It was everything I hoped for!  Hubby loved it too that I think we will have Fried Chicken again this week, haha!  

When you fry the chicken, use medium heat to make sure the meat is cooked and you get that golden color for your chicken.

Hope you like it as much as we do!

*This recipe is from Panlasang Pinoy.

Garlic Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 lb chicken, sliced into serving pieces
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 piece raw egg
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cups cooking oil

Cooking Procedure

1. Combine salt, ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Panko Bread crumbs, and all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. Combine the egg and milk in another bowl, and whisk. Set aside.
3. Dip the chicken slices in the egg and milk mixture, and then roll in the flour, bred crumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika mixture until all the sides are evenly coated.
4. Heat a deep cooking pot and pour-in the cooking oil.
5. When the oil becomes hot, deep-fry the coated chicken in medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the color turns golden brown. Note: Do not use high heat as it will cook the outer part of the chicken right away while leaving the inside uncooked.
6. Turn-off the heat, and then remove the garlic fried chicken from the pot. Let the excess oil drip.
7. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with KFC gravy.
8. Share and enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 3

Another Well-Loved Banana Recipe

I am a Leo and we are known to be fiercely loyal!   

qI've been loyal to my favorite banana cupcake recipe since I tried it for the first time.  (If you haven't read the post, please click here.) Since then, it has been my go-to (one and only) recipe and it has never failed me.  Just when I thought I found the One, here comes another recipe which I absolutely loved too!  You know, besides being loyal, Leos are also big-hearted!   I have so much love to give which means there is room for another recipe in my heart, haha!

Since I loved the Blueberry Muffin recipe of Sally's Baking Addiction (which I blogged about here), I thought of trying another recipe of hers. . . Banana Choco Chip Muffin with Cinnamon Streusel! Sounds yummy right?  Well, they are!  They are also moist (the yogurt does make a difference) and the crumble on top (made of choco chip, walnut and cinnamon sugar) just makes the muffin so good! 

Bananas, Choco chips, Cinnamon and Walnut are just perfect together!

It was another successful baking recipe!  I am actually getting convinced that any recipe which has ripe bananas is good!  Haha!  If you don't eat bananas as a fruit, you may want to try eating banana muffins =).

Hope you like them too!  Happy Baking!

This recipe is from the website of Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

MUFFINS

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 and 1/2 cup mashed bananas, very ripe (about 3 large ripe bananas)
• 3 Tablespoons yogurt (I used vanilla greek yogurt)

STREUSEL

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the streusel first by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the muffins: In a medium bowl, gently toss together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using an electric stand or hand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl until fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. On low speed, beat in the mashed bananas and yogurt. By hand, stir in the dry ingredients mixing until everything is *just* combined. Do not overmix.

Layer one scant Tablespoon of batter into the muffin cup. Sprinkle with streusel. Layer another spoonful on top and layer with more streusel. Continue to layer batter and streusel into each muffin tin.

Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425F degrees. Lower temperature dial down to 350F degrees and continue to bake for about 14 more minutes until the muffins are set and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tins and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

Corned Beef "Muffin"

I actually don't know what to call this breakfast dish I made, haha!  So I called it Corned Beef Muffin because I baked the corned beef with egg in a muffin pan, haha!

We have some corned beef that has been in the fridge for 5 days! If I was a corned beef lover, this won't be a problem at all, haha!  I eat corned beef but it is not something I would look or crave for. . . unless it's Delimondo's (one thing I really miss from home!).  I blogged about it here.   

So I've given this 5-day old corned beef a "makeover" and was inspired by an article I saw about cooking bacon and eggs which were cooked/baked in a muffin pan.

I just sauteed the corned beef again with white onion and green bell peppers (leftover) to add more flavor.  (Whenever I make breakfast, I try to look for leftovers and see if I can make something out of them.)

In a separate bowl, I mixed the eggs, salt, pepper and a little bit of milk (for fluffy eggs).

I sprayed the muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and then put a spoonful of corned beef in each muffin cup.  Then, I poured the egg mixture and baked them for 15 mins (pre-heated the oven at 350C).  At the tail end of it, I added shredded sharp cheddar cheese for added goodness!

Hubby loved them that he ate 4 in one sitting!  I will definitely be making these again (not only with corned beef)!

How it looks like at the bottom

But I have taken note to shorten the baking time and to put a spoonful of egg mixture before putting the corned beef to keep this from happening (in spite of using a non-stick spray!).  

It took me a couple of days to clean it, haha!

Happy Tummy!

Just A Hodge Podge of Photos

I read a quote (by Henry Ward Beecher) which says  . . . "The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things."

Nice ano?

Sometimes we don't see or we take for granted the beauty of little things and the happiness that they can bring.

So I would like to share with you some random photos of things that have put a smile on my face or have fascinated me in one way or the other. . . no matter how trivial or insignificant they may seem to be.

Here is something I saw at a playground.  I love that it displays basic Spanish phrases. =)

Habla Español?

I also find joy in small details!  

I love these hooks I saw in a fitting room. It makes fitting your items more organized and decision making a little bit easier! =)

I appreciate that some business establishments take an extra mile when they consider their customers' needs.  I found this toddler's seat in one of the cubicles in a restroom.  It is definitely one thing each Mom would love to have when they take their restroom break!

The next one is for the OC or germophobic in us, haha!  I am neither but I avoid touching the door handle of the restroom when I am on my way out since I already washed my hands.  Thank you to whoever came up with this!  You are simply clever. . . and cool!  Haha! (Aliw!) 

One thing I love is Family Restrooms because they are super convenient for the whole family.   There is something for the parents and the kids.  Big and small toilets . . . 

and kiddie sinks too!  The Princess loved her sink she wanted to wash her hands over and over, haha!  (Anak, please conserve water)

When we had lunch at Chili's, we saw a tablet at our table which enables the customers to order drinks and appetizers (order for main meals are still being taken by waiters) and play games (for 99 cents).  What I love about it is you can pay your bill through this tablet and they would send a copy of it to you by email.  No more looking, asking and waiting for your waiter =)  (How to prevent people from leaving without paying?  I am sure Chili's has thought of that and has come up with something to address that concern, haha!) 

This is where we hit two birds with one stone --- grocery shopping for me and play time for the Princess!  Nice ride she got there. . . ehrrm I mean, nice cart!

I love these cute takeout bags from a French bakery (L' Amande)

There are also a couple of things which spelled ingenuity!

I am sure that Moms with baby boys have been peed on at least once in their Mommy life! So this baby product from Munchkin is a saver!  Haha!    

Spotted at a mall on a Sunday . . . a sundae made of canned products. . . literally.

And to end this post, here is something which really made me laugh!  

Naked Salad is a direct translation for "Lumpiang Hubad" (a Filipino vegetable dish).  Lumpiang Hubad is a vegetable spring roll minus the egg roll wrap, which makes it hubad (naked). =)

But if we translate it directly, that would make Lumpiang Hubad. . . a Naked Spring Roll?!

But Naked Salad definitely sounds fancier! Haha!

Will be sharing some more in future posts =)

Happy Weekend and Have Fun!

Have you heard of Sipo Egg?

I hope you don't mind if you've been reading mostly about food and my kitchen adventures recently. Since we moved to LA last May, I've been cooking and baking and cooking (and washing the dishes).  There are two reasons why:  First, because we had to, haha!  Second, because I love being in the kitchen.  Thanks to my Mom who forced  . . . I mean, encouraged me to help in the kitchen every Saturday morning when I was growing up.  I guess being a Kapampangan (proud to be one) plays a role too.  We are known to be one of the best cooks in our country! =)  But I am far from being one, haha!  Let's just say I can find my way in the kitchen . =)  

I am following a few cooking blogs and one of them is Panlasang Pinoy.  The most recent recipe he posted was "Sipo Egg" which he says is a Kapampangan dish!  And to this I say. . . Shame on ME!!!!  I actually didn't know this and that the dish I've been eating during fiesta and other special occasions is called "Sipo Egg".  I just call it. . . Green Peas!  Haha!  I am not sure what sets it apart from the standard Shrimp with Green Peas and Quail Eggs dish we know.  But I guess it is because of the creamy white sauce this dish has.  

It is such a quick and easy recipe to do!  Succulent shrimps that are bathe in a creamy sauce and add to that some sweetness from the peas and crunch from the water chestnut?  Definitely a crowd pleaser!  

From the original recipe, I did a little tweaking.  I added a teaspoon of of fish sauce when I was sauteeing the dish and a little bit of lemon juice (because the dish might be too "shrimpy" for me).  I also used chicken stock instead of shrimp juice (did I say "shrimpy"? Haha) and added some red bell peppers (just because I have some leftovers in the fridge).

So as a homage to my roots and my beloved Pampanga (my province),  I made this dish for lunch today.   

Homesickness is kicking in. . . . *sigh*

Happy Weekend everyone!

The recipe posted below is the original recipe from Panlasang Pinoy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. large shrimp, head and shell removed and deveiened
• 20 pieces boiled quail eggs
• 1 small yellow onion minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1½ cups frozen green peas
• 1 medium carrot, cubed
• ¾ cup water
• 4 ounces ham, minced (optional)
• 1 can (10 oz.) cream of mushroom
• ¾ cup water chestnut or singkamas, cubed
• ½ cup table cream or heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a cooking pan.
2. Add the cooking oil.
3. Once the mixture becomes hot, saute the shrimp for a minute per side.
4. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic.
6. Put-in the carrot and green peas. Add the ham (this is an optional ingredient).Cook for 3 minutes.
7. Pour-in the water (I used water with shrimp juice in the video).Let it boil. Cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the quail eggs and shrimp.Stir.
9. Pour-in the cream of mushroom and table cream. Stir once more until the ingredients are well distributed.
10. Add water chestnuts, salt and pepper.
11. Transfer to a serving bowl.
12. Serve. Share and enjoy!

A First - Pancakes from Scratch!

I've blogged about our favorite pancake mix in an earlier post.  But after having a filling and satisfying breakfast at The Original Pancake House (blogged about it here), I was inspired to try making pancakes from scratch for a change! Haha =)

So for the past two weeks, I have been googling for pancake recipes and to date, I have tried three recipes!  I know, I was on a roll! Haha =)  

The first one I tried was from Pioneer Woman (love her and her show at Food Network).  The only problem was I didn't have cake flour (her recipe's essential ingredient).  So I just googled for alternatives and stumbled upon the post of Joy the Baker which gives instructions on how to make a cake flour substitute.  So after reading two (very helpful!) blog posts . . . . 

TADAHHHH!!!!

My first Pancake from scratch!

I was actually satisfied how it turned out.  I plan to do this recipe again and add a little bit more of sugar in it.  This is a good basic pancake recipe where you can add your favorite ingredients like blueberry, choco chip, etc.  

The other day, I had some overripe bananas so I thought why not do banana pancakes!  Banana Pancakes are one of my faves.

The first banana pancake recipe I made was from All Recipes.  I used only one banana (recipe says two) since some of the reviews for this recipe suggested using one banana only.  The batter was actually runny that I wasn't surprised that the pancakes turned out thin, a little thin for my liking. Hubby didn't mind this though.  I wanted fluffier pancakes.  However, one thing I like about this recipe was you can taste the banana.  

    

The second recipe I tried was from Kitchen Treaty.  

The recipe requires buttermilk.  If you don't have buttermilk (like I did), don't worry!  Because you can create a substitute for it.  

How?  

Just add one tablespoon of acid ( like lemon or vinegar) for every one cup of milk and let it sit for 5-10 mins =).

I followed the recipe as it is. . . plus a dash of cinnamon powder (because I think bananas and cinnamon go well together).

This batch of pancakes turned out better (they're fluffy) and prettier, haha!  And they taste good too!  

Hubby agrees. =) 

As they say, "Third time is a charm".  I'm glad I found one recipe I can go back to for some homemade, old-fashioned pancakes!  

Banana Pancakes with --- Syrup, Nutella or Peanut Butter?! 

Filipino Chicken Curry

Sometimes, I get sudden cravings for curry.  And when this strikes, I just cook Chicken Curry (Filipino Style).  I have to put Filipino style because there are also curry dishes in Indian, Japanese, Thai cuisine.  I am not a food expert so I can't answer what makes Filipino chicken curry. . . well Filipino, haha!  But if my taste buds serve me right, I think the Filipino style is milder in taste.

Here is an easy and "tried and tested" Filipino Chicken Curry recipe from Panlasang Pinoy. 

I hope you like it as much as I do. =)

Happy Cooking!

WARNING:  If you are in a "no carb, no rice diet", this recipe is not for you, haha!  Because I can't imagine eating this WITHOUT any carbs! 

And for those who are not on diet, you may need more than one cup of rice! =)

Personal recipe Notes:
- Before I fried the chicken pieces, I rubbed some salt on them.
- Instead of using 1 cup of water, I used 1 cup of canned chicken stock and 1/2 cup of water
- I added some green peas because I have some sitting in the fridge (you can add your favorite veggies too) 


Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 big potato, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 2 inches length
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 thumb ginger, cut into strips
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Pan-fry the potato and set aside
2. Pan-fry the chicken and set aside
3. In the pan where the chicken was pan-fried, sauté the garlic, onion and ginger
4. Add the pan-fried chicken, fish sauce, and curry powder
5. Add water and simmer until the chicken is tender
6. Put-in the red bell pepper, celery, and pan fried-potato then simmer for 5 minutes
7. Add the coconut milk and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes