THE COOKING BLOG

Featured Recipe

Shortcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter, melted and softened

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk eggs until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually whisk-in sugar and vanilla.
4. Sift dry ingredients together, then gradually fold into egg mixture.
5. Fold in melted butter.
6. Pour into paper-lined muffin (about 3/4 filled).
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve warm.

(Yields 15-18 pieces.)

Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
1/2 kg boneless chicken breast
salt and pepper
cooking oil (for deep frying)

Batter:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vinegar

Procedure:
1. Cut chicken into 1-1/2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To make the batter: sift dry ingredients into a bowl, then whisk-in water and vinegar. Dip chicken pieces into batter. Then deep fry until golden brown.
3. Serve with your favorite sauce (ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc.).

(Makes 4-6 servings.)

Short Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups cornstarch
1-1/2 cups butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt

Procedure:
1. Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes, then rub into dry ingredients to make semi-stiff dough.
3. Roll out into squares about 1/3-inch thick.
4. Freeze until firm.
5. Cut out dough with a cookie cutter.
6. Bake on cookie sheet (380 degrees Fahrenheit) for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

(Makes 3-dozen pieces)

French Toast

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bread (sliced)
3/4 cup condensed filled milk
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 tsp mace or nutmeg
sliced cheese
butter

Procedure:
Beat eggs. Add condensed filled milk, water and mace or nutmeg. Sandwich cheese between 2 slices of bread. Dip the sandwich in the egg-milk mixture. Fry in butter in a skillet. Turn and brown both sides.

Creamy Cheese Grits

Ingredients:
Grits, American Cheese, Whole Milk, Butter, Salt and Pepper.
Cook grits according to package instructions on stove top. Stir in milk, several slices of cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
If grits are still lumpy after following directions on package, add a little more milk and continue to stir until smooth.
Serve with sunny side up eggs and bacon.

Tasty Bran Cereal Treat

Ingredients:
Bran Buds or Flakes, Almond Milk and Unsalted Trail Mix (nuts and raisins)
Mix bran flakes or buds, trail mix in bowl. Add chilled almond milk for a delicious healthy breakfast.

Vita-Omelette

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp margarine
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup ground beef
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup ham, cubed
1/4 cup celery
1/2 cup potatoes, diced and fried
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsps banana ketchup
6 pcs eggs, beaten
6 tbsps milk, evaporated
1/3 bottle banana ketchup

Garnishing: tomato slices or cucumber slices

Procedure:

1. Saute onion.
2. Add ground beef and saute until brown.
3. Add water and simmer until dry.
4. Stir in ham, celery and potatoes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Stir in 3 tbsps banana ketchup. Set aside.
7. Divide this filling into 6 portions.
8. Beat one egg and one tablespoon milk.
9. Pour into lightly greased pan.
10. Cook over medium heat until egg begins to set.
11. Do the same with the rest of the eggs and milk.
12. Spread one portion of the filling over egg.
13. Cook one more minute.
14. Fold over sides of omelette and lift into a plate.
15. Do the same with the rest of the eggs.
16. Garnish with tomato and cucumber slices.
17. Serve with banana ketchup.

Perfect Fried Egg

Fried Egg

1 fresh large egg*
3/4 tablespoon of butter
Salt and pepper

* Use the freshest and best eggs you can find.

Place a small non-stick frying pan over the lowest possible heat on your stove (if using gas, you should barely see the blue flame.)

Add the butter and let slowly melt, making sure it doesn’t foam and is not sizzling.

When all the butter has melted, crack the egg into a small bowl, dish, or saucer (taking care not to break the yolk and to remove any shell fragments).

Gently slide the egg off the dish into the frying pan and cover with a lid.

Continue cooking approximately 5 minutes until the egg white solidifies from transparency into snow-white cream; the yolk will thicken slightly as it heats. How quickly the egg cooks is dependent on how low you have the heat.

Do not flip the eggs but leave the egg sunny side up and natural.

When your egg is done, slide cooked egg onto a serving plate; sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper, salt, and serve.

Easy Crepes

1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 pinch salt
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients until will blended and smooth.

In a large, lightly-greased frying pan over medium-high heat, dollop the batter in 1/3 cup portions. Tilt the pan in circular motion to spread the batter.

Cook until bottom is lightly browned. Flip and cook the other site.

Fill them with whatever you want. I usually use fresh ripe mangoes and banana drizzled with chocolate syrup and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Best Cornmeal Pancakes Ever

1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water
1 and 1/3 cups of milk (or buttermilk)
2 eggs
1 tbp pure vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbp oil

In a medium bowl mix cornmeal, sugar and salt; add water and let it sit for 10 minutes. When the cornmeal has absorbed the water and thickened, mix the milk in and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Next are the eggs and vanilla extract which should be throughly mixed with the cornmeal. In a separate bowl, measure and mix the flour and baking powder and then combine it with the cornmeal mixture. Preheat a skillet and spread a little bit of oil on it before every pancake is cooked.

Section #1

FIESTA FRUIT VEGETABLE SALAD

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 can or 439 grams fruit cocktail, drained (reserve syrup)
1 large or 300 grams sayote (chayote)
30 pcs or 200 grams baguio beans
1/2 or 150 grams chicken breast

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp fruit cocktail syrup
1/4 cup all-purpose cream
1 tsp calamansi juice
1/4 tsp paprika (optional)
3/4 tsp iodized salt

Procedure:
1. Cook chicken, sayote and baguio beans in fruit cocktail syrup with 1 cup water. Remove vegetables when tender. Continue cooking until tender.
2. Pare and core sayote, then cut into tidbits. Cut baguio beans 1″ long, and flake chicken meat. Mix with fruit coctail.
3. Combine all ingredients for dressing. Mix well. Add to the fruit-vegetable mixture. Blend well.
4. Chill until ready to serve.

Note: Vegetables serve as extenders.

Section #2

Use Olive Oil

If you don’t use olive oil to cook with, then you should probably reconsider. The benefits associated with olive oil keep coming over and over. As far as we know, olive oil helps prevent heart disease, it lowers cholestrol, it lessens the risk of the development of gallstones, and it has been proven to decrease the risks of colon cancer. Plus, if you use extra vergion olive oil, then you’re using a version that has more anti-oxidants. This version of olive oil has been processed the least, so it still contains a good supply of Vitamin E and phenol, two especially helpful anti-oxidants.

Plus, in addition to the health benefits, olive oil gives food great flavor. I keep a jar beside my stove and add olive oil to vegetables, rice, and even potatoes. Olive oil is oil- which means it does contain fat, but you’ve got to keep in mind that it’s the good fat. In other words, it’s a monosaturated omega 9-oil. In laymen’s terms, that means it’s the good fat, and believe it or not, it’s important to get some fat in your diet.

Section #3

Use Olive Oil

If you don’t use olive oil to cook with, then you should probably reconsider. The benefits associated with olive oil keep coming over and over. As far as we know, olive oil helps prevent heart disease, it lowers cholestrol, it lessens the risk of the development of gallstones, and it has been proven to decrease the risks of colon cancer. Plus, if you use extra vergion olive oil, then you’re using a version that has more anti-oxidants. This version of olive oil has been processed the least, so it still contains a good supply of Vitamin E and phenol, two especially helpful anti-oxidants.

Plus, in addition to the health benefits, olive oil gives food great flavor. I keep a jar beside my stove and add olive oil to vegetables, rice, and even potatoes. Olive oil is oil- which means it does contain fat, but you’ve got to keep in mind that it’s the good fat. In other words, it’s a monosaturated omega 9-oil. In laymen’s terms, that means it’s the good fat, and believe it or not, it’s important to get some fat in your diet.