67 days before Christmas and for those planning some hearty noche buena for your families, try this embutido recipe. I seldom cook embutido but I this one is really delicious!
Ingredients
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup (6 slices) finely chopped (sweet or cooked) ham
3 tbsp. minced green bell pepper
3 tbsp. minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup raisins
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
dash of liquid seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp. cornstarch
slices (wedges) of hard-cooked eggs (see recipe)
slices (wedges) of Vienna sausage
aluminum foil, 10″ x 12″ sizes
Procedures
1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until well blended.
2. Divide the mixture into 2 to 4 portions (depending on how many you want to make).
3. Spread and flatten the mixture onto the center of each foil.
4. Divide the slices of hard cook eggs and Vienna sausages and place each slices at the center of each mixture.
5. Hold the foil onto your hand and roll until the ends of the mixture covers the eggs and sausages. Alternately, by holding each ends of the foil, roll the mixture back and forth until it covers the slices of eggs and sausages in the center.
6. Finally, roll the aluminum foil into a tightly packed log about 1″ to 2″ in diameter, sealing on both ends. Repeat with the remaining pork mixture.
7. Place the embutido in a steamer and steam for an hour. If you don’t have a steamer, use an oven. Place embutido in a wire rack on a baking pan, half filled with hot water. Cover with aluminum foil (Be sure the steam will not escape). Steam-bake in the center of the oven for an hour.
8. Remove from the steamer or oven. Let it cool and slice into rings. Serve with your favorite catsup or sauces.
9. Refrigerate unused embutido.
Note:
You may use a steamer or an oven. If using a steamer, prepare it and set aside. If using an oven, prepare a baking pan and a wire rack and preheat oven to 350°F. Remember not to cut the embutido if it’s still hot. Your embutido will be disfigured and will crumble.
Tagged as:
meatloaf
Pinakbet is an Ilocano dish, but it’s popularity is countrywide. Many other regions have their own versions of the Pinakbet, but of course no one does pinakbet the best except the Ilokanos. This is a vegetarian dish perfect for some who are on diet!
Ingredients:
2 T bagoong
1/2 c water
1 med onions
6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 inch stem ginger, slivered or pounded
6 small eggplants, cut lengthwise
2 young, bitter melon fruits (do not choose large fruits with obvious ripeness)
20 small okra, cut through ends
1 bn sitaw or long beans cut stem ends and pinch to desired lengths
1 c green lima beans. (may substitute cooked, 1/4 dry beans)
Procedure
1. In a small pot, boil the bagoong in the water until it has dissolved.
2. In the pot where the pinakbet will be cooked, put the following vegetables in a layering order: minced onions, tomatoes, ginger, eggplants, string beans, and okra.
3. Then strain the boiled bagoong before pouring the broth on the vegetable pot. Discard the rest of the bagoong.
4. Cover the pot well.
5. Put the fire on high and when it starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer. Be careful not to burn the vegetables. This will take not more than 25 minutes.
6. Do not mix the vegetables with a spoon while simmering the dish. Why not? It’s a cooking secret!!!
7. Remember that the pinakbet is done when the vegetables appears “wrinkled”.
8. Serve hot with rice.
Tagged as:
mixed vegetables
I have a dear friend, Beth, who loves to cook, too. We worked in the same school for many years and lived together with our siblings in a house when we were young and unmarried. I remembered how she would cook on weekends.We would look forward to weekends because she’d be cooking for all of us.We specially liked her lumpia shanghai and gulaman flan. Now she’s residing in Ohio with her husband John and daughter, Lizzy. I missed her because we have shared many important events in our lives like my wedding, my first born’s baptism, her wedding, our common friend’s wedding, and many memories of our younger days as teachers back at Saint Joseph School. Though we were continents apart, I discovered that we still share the same passions, not only in teaching but also in cooking!
I am posting this recipe of steamed cake ( puto )for her. Beth, you may try Method #3. You won’t just be cooking steamed cake but also leche flan because you’ve got to use the egg yolks for the leche flan recipe.
METHOD #1
Ingredients
2 cups white rice
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Procedure
1. Soak the rice for at least 8 hours or overnight, then grind and mash it until it resembles batter. Mix with sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Pour into large muffin molds until the are 3/4 full, place them in a steamer for 1/2 hour.
3. Turn the molds over, and garnish with coconut.
METHOD #2
Ingredients
2 cups rice, soaked in 1 1/2 cups water, overnight
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1 1/2 cup white sugar
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar, for egg whites
coconut
Procedure
1. You may use long grain.
2. In a heavy duty blender, puree soaked rice in water until very fine.
3. Pour in a bowl; add sugar and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
4. Mix well and set aside.
5. Beat egg whites until stiff.
6. Add 2 tablespoons sugar to keep the air in the beaten egg whites.
7. Fold the egg whites into the beaten rice batter and pour into muffin pans.
8. Steam for about 20 minutes or until done. (Optional: Sprinkle a few anise seeds on top of the puto)
9. Serve with grated coconut.
( Note: You may use basket steamer in a wok half filled with water.)
METHOD #3
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups flour
3 cups milk
3 1/2 tbsps. baking powder
4 egg whites
2 1/4 cups sugar (get 2 tbsp to be added to the eggwhite while beating it)
3 tsps. vanilla
Procedure
1. Sift and mix the flour, baking powder and sugar together.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff. Remember to beat in one direction only so you won’t lose the consistency of the eggwhite. ( Note: You’d know when the beaten egg whites is okay it is stiff that when you lift the beaters (or wire whisk), stiff peaks are formed on the surface of the egg whites. That’s when the tips do not bow down. ) Put the remaining two tablespoonfuls of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
3. Then add the milk and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the mixture until it becomes nice and smooth.
5. Pour into small non-stick muffin tins about 3/4 full.
6. Steam for about 10 minutes until the toothpick inserted comes out clear.
7. Add some grated or strip of cheese on top.
8. Cover it again for about 1 minute until the cheese becomes melted. Serve it while it is nice and hot!
METHOD #4
Ingredients
1 c. rice flour
1 stick butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. Bisquick
1 (19 oz.) can coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Procedure
1. Mix all the ingredients to form a batter and pour in a deep baking pan (round) 2/3 full and cook in a steamer for 45 minutes.
METHOD #5
Ingredients
2 c. Bisquick mix
2 eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. melted butter
Grated coconut
Procedure
1. Blend all ingredients; stir until smooth. Fill muffins pans 2/3 full with mixture.
2. Steam for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the puto comes out clean. Serve with grated coconut.
Cooking time: 30 minutes. Makes 18 medium-sized puto.
SPECIAL BONUS RECIPE: Puto (Rice Cakes) with Itlog na Maalat (Salted Duck Egg)
Ingredients
1/4 c. of butter or margarine, softened (not melted)
1 c. all purpose flour
1 teaspoonful of baking powder
5 rounded tablespoonfuls of sugar
3/4 c. of milk
4 egg whites
slices of any quickmelting cheese (you can also use slices of salted eggs or kesong puti)
Procedure
1. In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter (or margarine) with three tablespoonfuls of sugar. To cream is to beat until light in texture.
3. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately into the butter-sugar mixture mixing as you add.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
5. Fold the egg whites into the flour-milk mixture. When you beat the egg whites, the volume triples because of air bubbles which will make the steamed cake light and soft so you do not want to break them.
6. Fill the puto molds (you can use muffin pans) until about 3/4 full. Top with cheese slices.
7. Steam the puto for about 20 minutes. If you’re using a metal steamer, you may have to place a towel or muslin (katsa) between the pan and the cover. The cloth will catch the steam and prevent the condensation from falling into the puto which will prevent them from rising properly.
8. Cook the puto after 20 minutes in the steamer. Cool before removing from the molds.
(Note: Never attempt to remove the puto from the molds while they’re still hot. It will disfigure them. )
You may try experimenting with the recipe using cake flour, too. When I did, I discovered the puto to be finer and smoother, but not heavy on the tummy. Also don’t be mistaken in using baking soda instead of baking powder. Use baking powder as the recipe requires.
Tagged as:
muffins,
rice
Lechon Paksiw is usually cooked a day or two after the big feast. It’s a pork recipe and the main ingredient is the head of a roasted suckling pig (lechon) or what was left of it, usually the meaty part of the lechon plus its skin that isn’t crispy anymore. However you can also buy cooked lechon downtown if you want to cook this dish even without any special occasion or celebration. This recipe is easy to cook, and once you’ve tasted it, you’ll go for another serving!
Ingredients
1 kilo cooked lechon
1 cup ready-mixed sauce (Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce) or 1 can liver spread
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar (pack)
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. peppercorn (whole)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon vetsin
2-3 pieces laurel leaves
1 cup water
1/2 cup dried oregano (optional)
Procedure:
Chop lechon into small serving pieces. Put in pan and add all the ingredients. Boil. Lower heat and simmer until lechon skin becomes very soft and sauce thickens.
Tagged as:
roast pork,
stew
Milk and eggs combined makes a delicious dessert for the children. This leche flan recipe is really yummy!
Ingredients
10 egg yolks
1 can (390g) condensed milk
1 can (390g) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence
For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
Procedure
1. Cook the caramel first by combining the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize in a saucepan.
2. While still hot, dispense the caramelized sugar into aluminum molds or llanera (you can use any shape: oval, round or square). Spread the caramel on the bottom of the molds.
3. In a mixing bowl, blend well the following ingredients: evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla (or lemon extract) by hand or blender.
4. Soothingly dispense the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum molds. Load the molds or llanera to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick.
5. Cover molds individually with aluminum foil.
6. Steam for about 20 minutes.
OR
7. Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the molds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.
8. Let cool then refrigerate.
9. To serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the molds to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the molds and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.
Cooking Tips
- If you want a deliciously ” melts-in-the-mouth” leche flan, be sure to strain the mixture in a fine strainer or clean thin cloth once or twice.
- For a successful steaming, put the molds or llanera with the mixture while water is boiling. Make sure the fire is in constant level while steaming the leche flan. Don’t attempt to lower the the heat while the steaming process is in progress. This will affect the consistency of the leche flan. If it’s overdone, it may appear whitish and lo! instead of a leche flan, it will taste like scrambled eggs in molds.
- You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a toothpick or knife while steaming it. If it comes out clean, it is cooked.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Estimated cooking time: 1 hour
Tagged as:
milkflan