Pininyahang Manok (Pineappled Chicken)

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"There are no accidents," says Uguay the tortoise in Kung Fu Panda...so it was as I was bloghopping yesterday, one mom featured Pininyahang Manok. I still have a whole chicken getting thawed so I thought Pininyahang Manok is the perfect dish for it. I searched online for a recipe and there were many versions. There are those who put evaporated milk instead of coconut milk. Some include tomatoes and lemongrass while others have carrots, potatoes and bell peppers as vegetable additions.

I was not so sure which would be the better recipe so I asked friends over at facebook "evap vs coconut." Just then, Ces sent a message for this week's Lasang Pinoy theme....coconut! So here goes my entry, a product of two coincidences...Since there are variations of this dish, I tweaked mine a bit.

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized chicken, cut up
1 can pineapple chunks
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup of coconut milk
salt/fish sauce and pepper to taste
strips of red bell pepper
cubed carrots & potatoes (optional)

Steps for Preparing Pineapple Chicken

-Separate pineapple juice from chunks.
-Marinate chicken pieces in the pineapple juice for five minutes or longer.
-Place the chicken and juice in a pot on medium heat. Wait for the liquid to evaporate abit so that the juice seeps in. Set aside.
-Saute garlic and onions in oil then add the chicken pieces, potatoes and carrots.
-After a few minutes, add the pineapple chunks and coconut milk. Wait for a few minutes before putting in the bell pepper.
-Simmer until the sauce is creamy. Season with salt or fish sauce and pepper. Serve over rice.

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Flour

Flour is perhaps one of the most important food component around the world. To many countries in Europe, North America, Middle East and North Africa, it is the defining ingredient in most of their different breads and pastries. Years ago, I've known flour in those forms (read: I don't know how to bake so I buy the finished product). I'm glad that I came to know flour in its "pristine" form. With the help of cookbooks, blogs and the kids, I've learned to bake bit by bit. I don't claim to be an expert in this department but I'd love to be! See below, the kids and I tried an eggless cake recipe for cupcakes and  they appear far from being perfect...

I got this recipe by googling "eggless cake with buttermilk" because our eggs hatched already and I only got buttermilk to substitute.

Ingredients:

* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 2 cups sugar (I used brown sugar)
* 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 cup margarine
* 3 tablespoons dark cocoa (it's better)
* 1 teaspoons cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 cups buttermilk
* Optional: Chopped Nuts

Directions

1. Combine sifted flour, sugar, margarine until fine crumbs appear.

2. Add baking soda, salt, and buttermilk; blend well.

3. Grease 9x9 inch pan. Spread mixture and bake at 170°C (340°F)  for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean

4. Cool. Serve as is or with your favorite frosting.

I don't know if they aren't supposed to puff much but these didn't. They were very soft though but I think they lack a tad sweetness. So I topped them carelessly (look at the messy photo) with chocolate buttermilk frosting.  Recipe for the frosting is below.

Chocolate Buttermilk icing (adapted from Ehow.com intended for cakes):

• 1/4 cup cocoa


• 1/2 cup butter


• 1/2 cup buttermilk


• 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. You will need a large saucepan. Combine the cocoa, butter, and buttermilk. Bring this mixture to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

2. Once you removed the pot from the heat, whisk in the sugar and vanilla.  Spread the icing mixture over the warm cake and then sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Then allow to cool on a wire rack until the cake is cool and then cut the cake.

P.S. The icing was good but reminds me much of Champorado...lol. Wanna cook that soon too! Happy weekend!

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For the theme, flour.

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Lachsrollen

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I was out the other day, it's not yet that spring feeling I've been waiting for but this weather is the most comfortable this week. On my way to meeting a friend, I happened to walk by a chinese streetjoint serving noodles, rice and toppings  plus maki and sushi.  And the salmon maki would undoubtedly be my choice!  I forgot if it's called "Happy Noodles" but I'm sure all the customers are always happy with their meal...the rice and noodle servings big enough for two costs roughly 5 euros. This six-set was 4.50, I'm tummy-happy! :D

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The joint is located just above a 2nd district train station, the famous Ringstraße circled by different tram lines. That one at the background is line 2, which I took afterwards.

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Posted for:

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Rolled and Seafood theme.

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Chocolate Muffin or Cupcake? ;)

Muffin or Cupcake?

I had this same question many posts ago. The most common answer would be cupcakes have icing/frosting while muffin could have fruits. There's also the consideration of when they are eaten, muffins are great for breakfasts and goes well with coffee while cupcakes are eaten as desserts and goes well with tea (but there's debate about that, depending on what one prefers to drink). There's consistency too, since they have different ingredients, cupcakes (cake-like) tend to crumble and are baked relatively smaller than muffins (breadlike) which being able to hold itself together can be baked bigger (makes you fuller than when eating cupcakes too). Per use of oil, butter and sugar...muffins are voted healthier for using oil and bits of fruits.

So according to Diana's Desserts: 'A basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tablespoons sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 egg, ¼ cup oil, shortening or butter and 1 cup milk. When the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level.

There you go.

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Browsing about, there's a joke that bakers and baking enthusiasts seem to enjoy;

"If you throw a cupcake against a wall you get a sound like "poof"; if you throw a muffin against a wall you get a sound like "thud" ! (Remember, Lucy Liu's in Charlie's Angels?)

The best answer I read though was this; A muffin is just a confused cupcake. ;D

What say you? I missed this meme. lol.

(P.S. Above is a muffin.)

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography.

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Gefüllte Rote Paprika

 

 

I was thrilled to see the orange paprika than the usual green in this tricolor vegetable pack. The kids prefer them raw but would pick them out when in a chopseuy dish and left uneaten.

So tonight I tried baking a paprika filled with sauteed ground beef combined with tomato, spices and mashed potatoes.

This is normally served with a sauce which I do not have a recipe of.  

 

 

 

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Wraps around the World

Though not all are to be seen here, I have compiled a few cuisines of anything wrapped.

Crepes, France; Palatschinken, Austria; Pfannkuchen, Germany

This treat has a different name depending on the region where it is eaten and on what is used as a filling. Above is Quark (curd cheese) wrapped in pancakes and served with vanilla sauce. Nutella-filled is also an all time kids' favorite! (But I just had to say I prefer our Pinas crepes...)

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Ground beef filled Canneloni, Italy

Technically, this dish is filled than wrapped. :D I cooked the canneloni tubes for four minutes on boiling water, they were not so easy to fill up as I have thought, some ripped a little in the process.

For the filling, use ground beef, garlic, onions combined with bechamel sauce, that of parmesan cheese, butter and milk (ricotta and spinach are a popular combination too). On baking dish, put some bechamel sauce and place the tubes, top again with sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 190°C.

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Temaki or hand rolls, Japan -

One of the easiest way to serve sushi rice, take half of a nori mat, place a spoonful of sushi rice then top with your favorite fish or veggies. Roll the nori into a cone and eat immediately so the nori would stay crisp (it tends to absorb the moisture of rice).

I only had spam and surimi and fried bangus flakes, I like this with shrimps and avocado.

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Dürüm Kebap, Turkey; Gyros, Greece; Shawarma, Arab

A foodie friend of mine once talked about her fondness for Dürüm Kebaps, I do not share the same thought but I had one for today's theme.

Dürüm (wrapper used) is like wheatflour tortilla (used for burritos). Slices of meat that are cooked via a turning roast (döner) are placed with lettuce, tomato, onions and yogurt sauce that has garlic, pepper, dill and olive oil and called Tzatziki in Greece. Also Gyros are placed on a pita bread like the usual Döner kebap of Turkey.

Shawarma, if I remember, usually has garlic sauce on it. (Please correct me if I'm wrong).

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Tortillas etc, Mexico

Thin, unleavened, flat bread made from cornflour, best with lettuce, flavored ground beef, salsa and cheese. Fajitas, Taquitos, Gorditas, Chilaquiles, Enchilada, Quesadilla and Tacos are some of the dishes that uses tortilla cornflour.

Burritos, Chimichanga, and Pitas on the other hand uses wheatflour. Roti (India and neighbouring lands), Blintz (Russia and lands upnorth), Baleadas (Honduras) are other variety of thin breads based on wheatflour

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Chun juan, China; Runbing, Taiwan; Cha gio, Vietnam; Lumpia, Philippines
Simply---Spring Rolls

Though the name spring has nothing to do with the dish, this finger food is popular not only in Asia but around the world too. There are vegetable and meat, uncooked and deep fried varieties. Other versions in different asian regions as well as Europe are enjoyed.

My favorite would be lumpiang sariwa topped with the peanut sauce my mom makes perfectly.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - I ♥ FOOD!

Breaded Camembert...a hearty breakfast served with salad, veggies and lingonberry jam. Though we do not celebrate heart's day the kids find these heart-shaped treats (and chocolates) cute! They eat with much gusto finishing 2 pieces each.

Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography.

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Layer (eat) up!

(For my foodie friend Joy)

I had always wanted to try this, (German-original) Schwarz-Wälder-Kirsch Torte or Black Forest Cherry Cake. I wanted to because all those ready made I buy costs 12Euros (15$) which I find sour compared to the variation I always enjoyed at Red Ribbon. Second reason; since the theme over at LaPiS is layered, I thought this is my best chance to challenge myself in baking. Of course, cherries are red, perfect for Ruby Tuesday!

I had planned to bake last Saturday, unfortunately in between the excitement I forgot to buy eggs! Since Sunday is closed all the stores day, I waited for today and here, baked my very first successful cake! I followed the recipe here.

INGREDIENTS

* 265 g all-purpose flour
* 400 g white sugar
* 65 g unsweetened cocoa powder
* 7 g baking powder
* 3 g baking soda
* 5 g salt
* 3 eggs
* 235 ml milk
* 120 ml vegetable oil
* 15 ml vanilla extract
* 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
* 200 g white sugar
* 30 g cornstarch
* 5 ml vanilla extract
* 710 ml heavy whipping cream
* 40 g confectioners' sugar



Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper. (I used an 11 inch pan so I didn't divide the cake later).

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.

4. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.

5. Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.

6. With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half (if you used 9 inch pans). Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate.

Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

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I deliberately topped half of the cake with cherries while the other has icing on it only because the bigger boy doesn't want lots of them. That's his slice on the first photo. Enjoy!

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Steamed

Following my last post of another Salmon dish you might think that we always have salmon on our table. Well, I am a self-confessed salmon freak anyway :) but this dish was from last week when I thought that the theme then was 'steamed.' :D

What you will need for this dish:
Salmon fillets
Lemon juice
Dill (fresh or dried)
Salt
Pepper
Water/Fish stock
White Wine
Lettuce leaves
Steamer

Lay lettuce leaves on top of your steamer.

Place salmon fillets on lettuce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place some sprigs of dill on top of salmon or sprinkle with dried dill weed.

Pour in the fish stock, white wine and juice of half the lemon in the bottom pot. Add the dill sprigs (reserving a few) or 1 tblsp. of dried dill weed. Bring this to a simmer.

Place the top rack of steamer on the simmering liquid and cover. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes or until the salmon turns a very light (whitish) pink. Remove from heat and let cool covered.

Serve with rice (steamed too!) and steamed veggies.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography. If you want to join this meme, please click the button.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Eye Candy

'Hustenbonbons'

I am posting literal candies today. I chose these candies as they are perfect for winter, helps relieve coughs in this cold season! (pardon the partial translation)

White round candies: Traubenzucker (peach flavor)
Yellow candy: orange flavored
White oval candy: eucalyptus flavored

Hustenbonbons oder auch Halsbonbons sind in vielen Fällen hilfreiche Medizin bei Hals- und Rachenproblemen wie Halsschmerzen. Zwar gehören die Bonbons zu der Kategorie Süßware, unterscheiden sie sich jedoch von anderen Bonbons durch ihre Rezeptur.

Hustenbonbons sollen abschwellend und schleimlösend wirken und die Atemwege befreien. Je nach Rezeptur wird auch eine lokale Schmerzbetäubung angestrebt. Dies wird erreicht durch Verwendung ätherischer Öle wie dem des Eukalyptus oder der Minze oder aber durch Zugabe von Menthol. Des Weiteren kommen Extrakte aus anderen Heilkräutern wie zum Beispiel Salbei zum Einsatz.

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Coughing drops/candies are in many cases a helpful "medicine" for throat (and neck) problems. They can be considered as sweets, but differs too because of their prescription.

Cough drops help removes swelling and loosens pleghm as well as free the respiratory system (air passage) from any blockage. Depending upon prescription it can also be locally concocted by the use of ethereal oils like that of Eucalyptus or Mint or by addition of Menthol. Some extracts from other herbs could be made into ointment.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography. If you want to join this meme, please click the button.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Sip it Hot!

Umeshu or plum wine, can be taken after a full course meal (digestif) although it is also drank as aperetif on the rocks...This always gives me a feeling of comfort and removes the guilt of overindulging on rice and fatty food. :D It's supposed to aid digestion too!

Now that its winter, I prefer it a little hot, though when lukewarm, it would equally soothe down the throat and leaves a warmish feeling too.

Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography. If you want to join this meme, please click the button.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Leftovers

Having lived with Hubby's lola, I learned that she is one thrifty and resourceful cook, she would scavenge for leftovers (cooked) from the kitchen and make them into an all new dish, tasty and very different from what it was. :D In a way, its nice, she doesn't waste food but on the other hand, like hubby puts it...too much.

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Today's theme is leftovers, so I looked at what we have in the fridge and I concocted my own okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake). Literally it means: to cook what you like, in my case I cooked anything I have. :D

I found a small container of mixed seafoods: shrimp, baby octopus and squid, had them thawed and boiled a little. I chopped some green onions, I used the batter of a ready to cook pancake! Works fine too as the mixture of flour, egg, cabbage and water. Have them all mixed and pan-grilled.

I then topped my easy morning breakfast meal with tonkatsu sauce, mayonnaise, katsuoboshi (fish flakes)...the black flakes you see on top are nori bits because I do not have aonori (seaweed flakes) that time. This was really a fun concoction, though the Japanese would say 'boroboro' to refer to tattered or broken stuff, this is the food version of that! So, tabemashou!

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography. If you want to join this meme, please click the button.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Kitchen Gadgets

Welcome to the Maus' Kitchen! This is how the kitchen looks when I am not devastating it, lol.

Among the many things in the kitchen, I find this thong helpful...you can use it to grip, flip, mix and serve food. Not just for hotdogs, deep fried chicken, grilled pork barbecue, boiled corncobs, you can even use it for stirring....also serving pasta. Just make sure, it gets cleaned in between! =)

Baking won't be complete without this digital weighing scale...I am admittedly not good with baking, so to follow recipes with precision is a must! This gadget helps me a lot!

Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography. If you want to join this meme, please click the button.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Silog

Lasang Pinoy Sundays is a weekly GALLERY of the FILIPINO TASTE focusing on Food Photography. If you want to join this meme, please click the button.

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Filipinos have a (genius) knack for shortening phrases by picking out syllables from the words thus resulting in an all new term that comprises everyday 'Pinoy' vocabulary. A good example of this is SILOG, which is derived from SInangag (Fried Rice) and itLOG (egg). The filipino table during breakfast is not a feast of light meals but like lunch and dinner, rice is a present everyday treat.

Normally SILOG would be the last and second to the last syllables of this breakfast combo. Take BaconSiLog. ´Bacon-Sinangag-Itlog, this is hubby's favorite, forget the calories as I serve this only on Sundays, except for today (Saturday) to use for the La.Pi.S. theme. =D

SILOGs are best served with coffee or chocolate.For more silog combination, visit Ces' page.

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Lasang Pinoy Sundays - Green!

Today's theme is Green.

What I could think of for the theme are fruits or veggies, desserts such as buko pandan or green gelatine would be nice too. Unfortunately I have never done buko pandan or gelatine so this is what I found in my archives, taken early this year, when we didn't know yet that my daughter has kiwi allergy. :-D

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Most green fruits are good sources of Vitamin C...and more. The kiwifruit is an exceptionally rich source of vitamin C - a medium sized fruit has 74 mg, but a kiwifruit that has been coolstored for a while has a vitamin C content of 57 mgs.

Cantaloupes, on the other hand, are fat and cholesterol free, contains very low sodium. Are high in vitamins A and C and also a good source of folate.

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