SWEET SUSHI

Kakanin is a collective term for rice based sweet Filipino snacks and cakes. The root word kanin simply means rice. These snacks lost their popularity when the Western fast food chains reached the Philippine shores and influenced the tastes of the mall going public. Their popularity has been revived in the recent years when they, too, were sold in malls and supermarkets.


I made this kakanin for fun. These are sticky rice rolls that look like Japanese sushi. The rice roll is sweet sticky rice  cooked in coconut milk and filled with a selection of Filipino favourite sweets such as halaya , sweet coconut and mango jam. You can ring the changes with any filling you like. The filled rice roll is lightly dredged in toasted dessicated coconut before being cut.

Ingredients:


2 c. short grain rice (pudding rice)
3 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. sugar
ube jam (halaya)
sweet coconut
mango jam
fresh or tinned mango slices
toasted dessicated coconut


Method:


Soak uncooked rice in water. Drain well. 


Combine rice, sugar and coconut milk in a pan and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer on very low heat, stirring occasionally until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Let the rice rest until cool enough to handle. 


Cover a sushi mat with cling film and lay a sheet of non-stick baking paper. Scoop out 1/3 of the cooked rice on top of the paper, cover with another sheet of baking paper, and lightly roll with a rolling pin to make a 1cm. thick sheet of rice. Take the top sheet of paper off. Put a long, log shape of filling in the middle of the rice and roll with the sushi mat. Roll in toasted dessicated coconut before cutting into pieces.

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SESAME AND CASHEW CHICKEN

This recipe is my take on the dish that's ever present in Chinese buffets: Sesame Chicken. It is a very close cousin of General Tso's Chicken and were it not for the sprinkling of sesame seeds, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. I added cashews for extra crunch and used honey instead of sugar for sweetness. I did not make it as sweet as the original because I wanted a balance of saltiness, sweetness and just a hint of tanginess. A few easy steps led to a more superior dish filled with home cooked goodness.

Ingredients:


6 chicken thighs, deboned and cut into 1" wide strips
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 c. cashews
2 tbsps. of chopped spring onions, green parts only
1 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
oil for deep frying


A. 
2 tbsps. light soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. corn flour 
1 egg white


B.
1/3 c. plain flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda


C.
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. honey
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tsp. corn flour
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. chilli oil (optional)


Method:


Mix all of ingredients A together and add in the chicken meat. Stir well and leave to marinade for half an hour. 


Heat up the cooking oil in a wok. Mix ingredients B and add to the marinated chicken. Blend well. Fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, on medium high heat until golden brown and crisp. Drain and set aside. 


Fry the cashew very briefly and drain. 


Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened. 


Heat up a clean wok and put 1 tbsp. of cooking oil (from the oil used for frying) and add the garlic. Stir fry on high heat for 2 seconds, then add the chicken pieces. Stir fry for a minute then add the sauce while stirring. Most of the sauce will evaporate and glaze the chicken. Take off the heat and add the cashew, spring onions and sesame seeds. Mix well, then transfer to a serving dish. Serve with steamed white rice.

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BUÑUELOS

Puffs of air rained with sweet sugar, a delight to make and a joy to eat_ this is what buñuelos is to me. We buy them in bakeshops and tea shops in Chinatown here in London where they make it extra large for maximum satisfaction. 

BAMBOO SHOOT LUMPIA IN CHIVE WRAPPER

Lumpiang sariwa is a fresh spring roll with a mixed vegetable filling and soft flour wrapper. It is of Chinese origin and is in fact very similar to the fried spring roll (lumpiang prito) that is very much loved in Asian countries and adopted by the West. It is fresh yet with the exciting accents of crushed peanuts and if wished, spiked with fresh garlic.

This is my take on lumpia. I have injected a few new twists on our old favourite. The filling is stir fried bamboo shoots, carrots  and black fungus (otherwise known as cloud ears or taingang daga in Tagalog). I have added the garlic in the cooking process because I don't like raw garlic taste. I have also added chopped chives in the wrapper batter to give added flavour as well as an interesting speckled look.

Ingredients for the filling:


2 c. carrots, julienned
2 c. cooked bamboo shoots or 552 gm. tin of winter bamboo shoots, julienned
1 c. black fungus, soaked trimmed and shredded
1 c. firm or pressed tofu, cut into strips
1/2 c. small prawns
2/3 c. spring onions, green and white parts separated, cut diagonally
2 tsps. light soy sauce
2 tbsps. oyster sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsps. cooking oil


Method:


Heat up a wok until very hot then add the oil. Add the carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots, prawns and the whites of the spring onions. Season with the oyster and light soy sauce. Stir fry for another two minutes. Add  the garlic, green parts of the spring onions, tofu and black pepper and stir fry for another minute. This is now done. Set aside and make the wrappers.


Ingredients for the wrapper:


2 eggs
1 c. corn flour
1 c. plain flour
2 c. water
1 tbsp. cooking oil
3 tbsps. of finely chopped chives


Method:

Whisk the flours and water together until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk again. 

Heat up a small non stick pan (medium heat). Put a few drops of oil and wipe with a paper towel. 

Pour 1/4 c. of batter into the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. When the batter sets and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, its done. 

Invert it onto a dish. Make the rest of the wrappers. This amount of batter makes about 14 wrappers, depending on the size of the pan you use.

Ingredients for the sauce:


1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. light soy sauce
2 c. water
2 tbsps. corn flour


Method:


Mix the corn flour with 1/4 c of the water. Caramelize the sugar in a pan. Add the rest of the water to the sugar when it becomes dark golden brown in color. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar melts. Add the corn flour slurry while stirring. When thickened, add the soy sauce. Serve with the lumpia.

To assemble, you will also need:

round/bibb/butterhead lettuce leaves or Tagalog lettuce

crushed peanuts (1/2 c. peanuts mixed with 1 tbsp. of demerara sugar)

crushed garlic

chilli sauce

Lay the wrapper on a plate, lay a lettuce leaf on top of it and scoop out 3 generous tbsps. of filling and wrap. Serve drizzled with the sauce and sprinkled with peanuts. Serve crushed garlic and chilli sauce on the side.

This post is  for the KULINARYA COOKING CLUB theme for March 2011: Filipino Vegetable Dishes.

See the posts of the other members by visiting their blogs.

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BAGNET (CRISPY FRIED PORK)

Filipinos eat pork more than any other meat. Although there are so many ways to cook it, the most popular recipes are the fried and roast dishes. A delicacy in the Ilocos region of the Philippines, bagnet is pork belly joint cut in big chunks, boiled with seasonings until tender then fried until the skin is very crispy. Although it is labeled as the chicharon (crispy pork rind) of Ilocos, it is more like lechon kawali (fried pork joint) but with crispier skin. It is readily available to buy, ready cooked in the region, and lately, the love for it spread to Manila where it is now served in restaurants. It is actually a good dish to make in quantities (if you love fried pork that much) because it can be pre-cooked, frozen and re-fried before serving. It would be a good party dish as well, as it can be cooked ahead. Leftovers are usually chopped and used in other recipes.

Ingredients:


1 pork belly joint (1.5-2.0 kg. in weight)
4 tbsps. of salt
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
2 tbsps. fennel seeds, cracked or 2 bay leaves
2 tbsps. vinegar
cooking oil for deep frying

Method:

Cut the pork into 2 " wide pieces. Put in a pot or pressure cooker together with the rest of the ingredients (except the cooking oil) and top up with water to cover. Boil until tender, 1 1/2-2 hours in an ordinary pot or 25 minutes in a pressure cooker. When done, transfer to a cooling rack and scrape clean. Sprinkle the pork skin with extra fine salt. Leave to cool completely, then refrigerate. This may be done a day in advance. 


The pork pieces should be very cold and the skin dry before frying. Sprinkle a small amount of corn flour on the meat part to prevent it from drying during the frying process. Heat up a good amount of oil in a wok or pot. Have a domed lid and a heavy bowl ready. When the oil is very hot, carefully slide a few pieces of pork in the oil, skin side down. Cover with the lid and weigh down with the inverted bowl. Fry in low heat for ten minutes until the pork is medium brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the other pieces. Cool completely. The pork pieces may be frozen at this stage for future use. 


To finish cooking, heat up the oil until very hot. Drop two pieces of pork, skin side down into the hot oil. Cover with the lid. Carefully tip the lid to open by a crack, facing away from you. Sprinkle 2 tbsps. of cold water and immediately put the lid back. This will help blister the pork skin. When the spattering subsides, take the lid off to let the steam evaporate. Fry until crisp on medium heat for about 10 minutes. 


Chop into bite sized pieces before serving with garlic, vinegar and chilli as dip or with a salsa of chopped tomatoes and onions seasoned with anchovy bagoong or anchovy essence.

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PARMA HAM AND CLAM CARBONARA

It was one of those busy days when I just can't think of anything to cook and it was nearly dinner time. Rummaging through the fridge and the cupboards usually gives me some inspiration. 

I always have pasta as it is very quick to cook and versatile. When there's nothing else to cook, there's always pasta. I can whip something up in no time without much thinking. I found some parma ham in the fridge and some tinned clams from the depths of the cupboard. This spurred an invention out of desperation. I gave the good old carbonara a twist by adding parma ham instead of bacon and injecting some subtle seafood taste with baby clams. I used cream cheese instead of cream because it was what I had. And of course, we always have eggs and cheese. It was good and was well appreciated. 

Ingredients: 

225 gms. of spaghetti
100 gms. parma ham, keep 4 slices whole and chop the rest
1/2 c. cooked clam meat
2 large eggs plus two egg yolks
1/3 c. Pecorino Romano or any sharp cheese, grated
1/3 c. cream cheese
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
2 poached eggs for topping


Method:


Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. While it is cooking, prepare the sauce ingredients. 


Dry fry the four whole slices of parma ham on medium heat until crisp. Set aside. 


In the same pan, add 1 tbsp. of butter and saute the chopped parma ham until crisp. Turn the heat off and set aside. 


In a mixing bowl, add one egg to the cream cheese and whisk until well blended then add the rest of the eggs and mix. Add the grated cheese. When the spaghetti is done, drain, but leave a bit of moisture in. Add to the parma ham in the pan, then add the clams and egg mixture. Give it a good stir. Add the parsley and a good grinding of black pepper. You don't need to add salt as the ham and cheese are both salty. Mix, then transfer to a serving dish or individual plates. 


This would make two generous main meal portions. Top with the crisp parma ham slices, one poached per serving and extra cheese if wished. All you need is bread or fresh salad to go with it.

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CALAMARES FRITOS (FRIED SQUID)

Fried squid is a very popular starter/appetizer and is a breeze to make. Squid cooks very quickly and toughens when overdone. Unlike the usual heavily battered versions, this fried squid has a light coating of flour and corn flour; the squid, and not just the batter, is fried. It is seasoned with salt as well as sugar and is flavoured with lemon and garlic, resulting in a balance of saltiness, sweetness and tang.

PAN DE SAL

Pan de sal simply means "bread of salt". It is the staple bread eaten at breakfast in the Philippines. Believe it or not, in the Philippines where rice is the staple food, there are panaderias (bakeries) in every corner selling freshly baked pan de sal from dawn until the late hours. 

When I was little, pan de sal used to be delivered to the house each morning. We had a rattan basket hanging from a hook, high up where the neighbour's cat can't reach. This practice became obsolete and it became the househelp's first duty of the day to walk to the local bakery.

Pan de sal is something that the Filipino expatriates miss most. It might not strike non-Filipinos as a unique bread. The mixture is very similar to a basic white yeast dough but sweeter. The difference is that the dough is rolled in breadcrumbs prior to the second rising resulting in a crisp crust and fluffy, soft dough. It goes with any filling but I like it simply with butter so that I can taste the real flavour of the bread.

I miss old fashioned pan de sal. It was crusty, fluffy on the inside and flavoured with the smoke of the wood burning oven. No one seems to make it like they used to. The last time I went home, the pan de sal was from a French bakery. 

When I have time or when I have something that tastes best in pan de sal, I make some. This version is enriched with butter, milk and eggs. It really comes out tasting like it came from the panaderia.

Yield: 24 pieces

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. of active dry yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. fresh milk
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/4 c. melted butter or margarine or cooking oil
4 to 4 1/2 c. plain flour
2 eggs

Method:

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients, except for the flour, together in a mixing bowl. Add the 3 1/2 c. of the flour and the yeast mixture and mix. Add more flour as needed to make a soft dough. You may not need all of the flour. 

Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a mixer fitted with a dough hook. It is ready when it is smooth and elastic and bounces back into shape when pressed. 

Put a few drops of oil in a clean bowl. Gather the dough into a ball, roll in the oil in the clean bowl. 

Let rest in a warm place, covered with cling film until double in size. 

Preheat oven to 350° F/ 180° C

Punch the dough down to release excess air. Cut the dough in half then roll into two logs. Cut each log crosswise into 12 pieces and roll in breadcrumbs. 

Arrange in baking trays, cut side down, cover with cling film and let rise until again until double in size. 

Bake in a preheated oven for 340° F/ 170° C for 15 minutes or until browned.

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LAMB CALDERETA

Caldereta simply means stewed in a pot, from the root word caldera which means cooking pot. Although the word is very generic, it always refers to a particular Filipino dish which is a tomato based stew, not unlike other tomato based Filipino stews but with liver spread (or liver paté in this recipe) added to enrich the sauce. Goat meat was used for this dish originally because the bold flavours counteracts the gaminess of the meat. Nowadays, people are more creative and just use any meat they like. I've used lamb leg steaks for this recipe but beef, pork or chicken may be substituted for it.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of lamb leg steaks (bone in)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. brandy
2 tbsp. lemon juice
cooking oil
2 tbsps. butter + 1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. liver paté
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. chilli powder or 1 tsp. Tabasco
2 c. water
1 small sweet red pepper cut into 1"x1" cubes

Method:

Mix the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brandy, lemon juice, half of the onion and half of the garlic in a bowl or dish. Add the lamb, coat it with the marinade and set aside for at least 1 hour. 


Scrape off the bits of garlic and onions from the lamb and pan fry on medium high heat until browned. Take off the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the water. 


In a clean pan, sauté the garlic until light brown. Add the onions and cooked until softened and translucent. Add the liver paté and stir for 3 minutes. Add the fried lamb steaks and the rest of the ingredients, except for the sweet peppers. Simmer until nearly tender, about 45 minutes. Add the peppers. Check the seasonings. It's done when the lamb is tender.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011

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PANDAN MACAPUNO CAKE

My husband's birthday is between the 28th of February and the 1st of March this year. He is one of those unfortunately born on the 29th day of February, so his birthday is not an annual thing. He is not big on celebrations and would probably just forget his birthday if not reminded. I make it a point to mark his day, in any simple way I can, just so we can add a notch to his counter. Also, I thought it would come as strange to our children that their Dad does not have a birthday. I do not want them to come up with their own conclusions on the origins of his being. 


Every year, he gets his favourite treat for his birthday : cake! This year I decided to make him a pandan (screwpine leaves) flavoured cake with macapuno (a mutant form of the coconut; gelatinous in texture with a tastier flavour)  filling and frosting. Pandan and macapuno are two of the Asian flavours he just loves and I thought he would be delighted if I combine the two. I was so right. Just a whiff of the brewing pandan leaves got him excited already. I don't think I need to tell you how he reacted to the finished birthday cake.

Ingredients for the cake:

2 pandan leaves
1 c. water
1 c. plain flour
2 tbsps. corn flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. of sugar
1/4 c. oil
4 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Method:

Wash the pandan leaves and snip into 1/2" widths. Place in a saucepan, add the water and simmer for 15 minutes to make pandan essence. Strain and leave to cool. 


Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C. Line two 9" baking pans with baking paper. Sift the flour, corn flour, salt, 6 tbsps. of sugar and baking powder together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Add in the egg yolks, oil and 6 tbsps. of the pandan essence. You may add a few drops of green and yellow food colouring to the mixture to make the cake a pale green colour. With a wooden spoon, start mixing from the middle of the bowl and slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry until all mixed. Do not overmix. 


Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the rest of the sugar gradually until the mixture is stiff but not dry. With a big metal spoon, add a dollop of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and blend to slacken the mixture. Fold this mixture into the egg whites until thoroughly blended. 


Divide the mixture equally between the two prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or when a cake tester comes out clean. Invert into cooling racks until completely cooled. Take out of the pans. Prepare the frosting as the cake cools.

Frosting ingredients:

1 bottle of macapuno strings in syrup, drain and reserve syrup
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsps. water
1/4 c. reserved macapuno syrup
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. (1 block butter), cut into cubes

Method:

Mix the sugar, water, macapuno syrup and cream of tartar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer on low heat without stirring, until thick and syrupy. Keep the heat on low. The syrup must stay white. 


While the syrup is simmering, whisk the egg whites until stiff. When, the syrup is ready, pour while hot in a slow steady stream onto the egg whites while continuously beating until the mixture is thick and glossy. 


Add the butter cubes, one at a time, incorporating well at each addition. Beat until light and fluffy. Colour 1/2 c. of frosting green for decoration.

To assemble the cake :

Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate. Save 1/2 c. of the macapuno strings for the cake topping. Spread the rest on the first cake layer. Spread some icing on top of it, then cover with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides with the rest of the white frosting. Mound the reserved macapuno strings in the middle of the cake. Pat it gently to spread it without disturbing the frosting. Pipe the green icing into your desired pattern around the macapuno. 


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