Bibingka

Philippine cuisine is very different from other countries. It has been influenced by Spain, China and other countries. But there are some food that are distinctly Filipino. One of them are the 'kakanins' or desserts made with rice or rice flour. Among the kakanin that is special and famous during Christmas season is bibingka. It is commonly sold by street vendors outside the church after  early morning mass or 'simbang gabi'. It is cooked over a charcoal, on a container lined with banana leaf, which gives it a distinct flavor.

Bibingka is originally from the Philippines.  Although historians claim that it has Chinese influence on it because of the word 'bi' which is Chinese for rice. There is another dessert from India, which is similar in name, called 'bebinca', although they are different since bebinca is a pudding and doesn't have rice on it.

I experimented on bibingka a long time ago. But instead of cooking it with pre-heated coals, I baked it instead. It didn't have the distinct taste of 'grilled' bibingka but it wasn't too bad. Below is my recipe for bibingka, or baked rice cake.

Ingredients

1          cup               rice flour
1          cup               sugar
1          cup               coconut milk
1/4       cup               2% milk
2 1/2    tsp                baking powder
1/4       cup               butter
3          pcs                brown eggs
1/8       tsp                 salt
1/2       cup               cheddar cheese
Banana leaf
Baking pan

Procedure

In a bowl, combine rice flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add in butter and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Add coconut milk and 2% milk. Wisk for a few minutes.

Pre heat oven to 350°F. Place banana leaf on the baking pan. Pour in the mixture. Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese in top. Bake for another 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Optional: you can add sliced salted egg on top. I didn't put one because I wasn't able to buy one from the store. Lol

Bibingka is another option whenever you want to make some Filipino dessert. Have fun experimenting on it!

Leche Flan

One of the desserts that my daughter and I never get tired of eating is leche flan. She would request for it every week. It is not a special dessert anymore, that I only make on holidays. It became a regular Filipino dessert that I make at least once or twice a month.

Making leche flan can be intimidating. People would say it is tedious to make. And that is the reason why I'm drawn to this dessert more, I want to prove that it is not that complicated, a simple recipe. And that it is so delicious to eat!! But first, I always wonder where leche flan came from. I know that Spaniards brought it to the Philippines. 

According to wikipedia, leche flan originated from Portugal. Some articles says it originates from borders near France and Spain. Last article I read says the first flan recipe came from ancient Rome. It claims the Romans are the first one that domesticated the chicken and came up with lots of egg recipes, like flan. And spread it throughout Europe. Spain made a variety of flan that is similar to our flan now, with caramel on top of it. Flan came from the old French word 'flaon'. It is also called créme caramel or caramel custard. some varieties are créme brulée and crema catalana. It is popular all over the world, cooked in different ways, depending on the country. In the Philippines, milk and egg are the main ingredients.

Here is my version of leche flan.

Ingredients


1       dozen          brown eggs
1       can              condensed milk
11/2 cup               2% milk
1       tsp               lemon juice
1/2    cup              brown sugar
1/2    cup              water
2       pcs               llanera or any baking pan

Procedure

Separate the yolk from the white.  Set aside and refrigerate the white of the egg. We will not be using it.

In a bowl, pour in the yolk. Add condensed milk. Mix. Then add the 2%milk and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Pour in the llanera with caramel. Cover with aluminum foil.

To make a caramel, mix the brown sugar and water, pour in the llanera and heat over a stove until golden brown and sticky. Set aside to cool.

Boil water in steamer pot. Add the llanera with milk and yolk mixture. Steam for 50 minutes.

If you don't have a big steamer that fits your flan pan, you can bake it at 375°F for 50 minutes.

Preparation time is only 15 minutes. And while it is steaming or baking for 50 minutes, you can do other stuff like reading, eating, watching TV, whatever. So very easy, and not complicated at all!

Fish Tausi

I have been thinking of a different kind of fish dish to cook for days now. I wanted something different, like always. Then I remember the fish tausi that my mother cooks once in a while. Usually she uses fried milkfish. But since I don't have milkfish, and even if I do, I wouldn't attempt to fry it because of all the 'tilamsik' I will get. So I bought pompano, which is my favorite fish these days.

Fish tausi is a Chinese dish. The fish, which can be steamed or fried, is cooked again with sauteed black bean sauce. Black beans or tausi, is a fermented and salted black soybean. It is the oldest known food made from soybean, which can be dated as far as 165 BC. In China, it is called douchi. It is not only used to cook with fish, but also with vegetables and meat.

It is not only popular in China and Philippines. Other Asian countries like Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Cambodia and Indonesia are also using tausi in their dishes. Some parts of Latin America also uses tausi.

Below is my recipe for fish tausi (Fish with salted black bean sauce)

Ingredients

1       whole        pompano, or any fish of your preference,
                            cut in 3 pieces
1       can             tausi or salted black beans, drained
1       medium    tomato, diced
1       medium    onion, diced
2       cloves        garlic, minced
1       tbsp            ginger, julienned
3       tsp              vinegar
2       tbsp            vegetable oil
1       stalk           green onion, diced

Procedure

Clean the fish and cut to serving pieces. Usually, the fish is deep fried for tausi. But I preferred it broiled at 425°F for 30 minutes. Set aside.

In a pan, heat the vegetable oil, saute the ginger, onion and garlic. Next add the tomato. Saute for a couple of minutes.  Add the black beans and vinegar, let boil for a few minutes. Then add the fish.

Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with green onion as toppings. Serve with rice.

This is the first time I cooked this dish.  It turned out good. It was delicious. I will definitely cook this dish again.

Fish Tacos

There are days when I don't feel like cooking. Surprising, right? I have always mentioned about my love for cooking, but there are times when I don't know what to cook. I'm sure a lot of people can identify with me. But with a growing child, I still have to make something, even if it doesn't involve a stove.

My daughter just love tacos. She could eat it everyday.  We used to go to a Mexican fastfood once or twice a week so she could order the taco salad, burrito and most epecially the crunchy taco. But I want her to eat healthier, and not go to fastfood all the time. I thought of experimenting on crunchy taco that she so love.  All my ingredients are store bought. And since it is Lenten season, I thought my recipe is timely and very simple to make. No cooking required.

Ingredients

1      box       crunchy taco shells
1      can       chunk tuna in water, drained
1      pack     garden salad
1      jar         salsa verde (green sauce)
1      pack     Mexican sour cream
1      pack     shredded cheese, Mexican or cheddar cheese

Procedure

This is very easy to make.  We just assemble all the ingredients.  In a plate, place 2 or 3 taco shells, depending on how many you can eat. (My daughter can finished at least 4 tacos!!). Layer the following ingredients. At the bottom of the shell, add the drained tuna chunk. Next is the garden salad. Then sprinkle the cheese on top. Add a teaspoon of sour cream. And lastly, the salsa verde.

Enjoy your no-cook, healthy, and crunchy fish taco!!

French toast cheese sandwich

Sophie just love French toast and grilled cheese sandwich. As in, she can't get enough of it. For breakfast or snack. Sometimes even for lunch or dinner.  There are days when she can't decide which one to eat, French toast or grilled cheese sandwich. So one day I told her, why not combine the two? I can make her French toast grilled cheese sandwich. She loved the idea. And from then on, she would request it. And since it is not 'grilled', anymore, but French toasted, we called it 'French toast cheese sandwich'...

Here is the recipe of my version of French toast cheese sandwich. The recipe makes 4 sandwiches. If you want to make more, just double the ingredients.

Ingredients

8        pcs              white or wheat bread
4        pcs              American cheese
2        pcs              brown eggs
1        cup             2% milk
1/2     tsp              cinnamon powder
1        stick           butter

Decorations

Fruits like strawberries, banana
Rice crispies
Maple syrup

Procedure

1.  Mix eggs and milk in a bowl, sprinkle the cinnamon powder. Mix thoroughly.

2. Place American cheese in between two bread. Soak for a fee seconds on the egg and milk mixture.

3. Heat pan, add a teaspoon of butter, melt, then toast the sandwich until golden brown.

4. Decorate your sandwich with syrup, fruits and rice crispies. Widen your imagination. Have fun making the sandwich..