EASY BANOFFEE CHEESECAKE

A simple meal is made complete and special by the sweet ending. I have no qualms about buying dessert when I have no time to make one. This dessert, though, takes no time nor effort to make. It is as easy as 1-2-3 and requires no baking.

This banoffee cheesecake with a biscuit base, fresh bananas, tinned caramel and a mixture of whipping cream and cream cheese. It takes just minutes to make and can be made the day before you are going to serve it. Even the kids can do it. 

I froze it for an hour before decorating it with cinder toffee (honeycomb) and chocolate shavings. The base crisped up, the bananas were nice and cold, the caramel still gooey and the cheesecake layer was velvety and light. A breeze to make and a delight to eat, just perfect.

Ingredients for the biscuit base:


1 1/2 c. of digestive biscuit or graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted


Mix all the ingredients together then press into the base of a lined springform pan.


Ingredients for the Filling:


4 medium sized bananas, sliced into thick diagonal pieces
1 can (397 gms.) of Carnation caramel or dulce de leche
300 mls. whipping cream
1 c. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar

Arrange the bananas on top of the biscuit base. 

Spread the caramel evenly on top of the bananas. 

Whip the cream until thick, then add the cream cheese and sugar. Whip until combined, then spread on top of the caramel. Chill until firm. 

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ROAST BELLY PORK WITH GARLIC, CHILLI AND FENNEL SEEDS

Roast dinners are always enjoyable both to eat and to cook. It is my "time off" from cooking because only a little time is spent actively cooking. When the joint is in the oven, I can relax for an hour or two doing something else or simply relaxing.

In my opinion, belly of pork is the most satisfying joint to roast. Its meat is always moist, sweet and juicy because of the layers of fat that self bastes the joint as it cooks. Keeping the bone in adds extra flavour. And of course the pièce de résistance is the bubbly, crispy crackling of a well cooked joint. The whole dish always guarantees enjoyment by all. 

This joint was roasted on a bed garlic, chilli and fennel seeds to help keep it moist during the cooking process and of course to flavour the meat. Towards the end, the skin is taken off and roasted in a separate pan to crisp and bubble up. The meat is anointed with the drippings and gets a final stint in the oven where it browns and caramelises. The meat that ends up succulent and intensely flavoured is served with the reduced spicy drippings as its sauce.

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 kg. belly of pork joint, bone in

2 tsps. sea salt

4 big cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 finger chilli, chopped
2 medium or 3 small red onions, chopped
2 tsps. ground fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsps. paprika
2 tbsps. brown sugar
1 tsps. salt

2 tbsps. light soy sauce
2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. dry sherry
1/2 c. water
3 tbsps. honey

Method:

Sprinkle the skin of the pork joint with 2 tsps. of salt. Leave on a tray. The salt will draw out the water from the pork skin, dry it out and make it crisp out when roasted. 

Pre-heat the oven to 400° F/ 200° C. Line a sturdy roasting tin with a large sheet of aluminum foil, big enough to wrap the whole joint. 

Combine the rest of the ingredients except for the water and honey and pour in the middle of the foil lined roasting tin. 

Wipe the moisture and excess salt off the skin of the pork and brush with oil.  Set the joint on top of the garlic and chilli mixture in the roasting tin. 

Roast at the pre-set oven temperature for 20 minutes. 

At the end of this time, wrap the foil around the pork and seal. Then lower the temperature to 350° F/ 180° C for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender when pinched. 

Take  the pan out of the oven and carefully pare the skin off with a sharp knife. Return the meat to the roasting tin and baste with the juices. Lay the skin on another baking pan and drizzle once more with oil.

Raise the oven temperature to 400° F/ 200° C. Put both pans in the oven, with the pork skin on a higher rack. Roast for another 30 minutes or until the pork skin is crisp and bubbly all over. Take out of the oven. Drizzle the pork meat with the 2 tbsps. of honey. 

Let rest before slicing. Chop up up the rind and serve with the meat and the sauce.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011 

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GRILLED MARINATED SQUID

I have never ventured to cook big squids, although we eat the small ones quite often. I always worry about them being tough. The fishmonger always announces his specials at first instance and today it was squids. I took one look and shook my head. They were a foot long! He was very convincing and assured me that it didn't take long to cook and wasn't tough at all. I chose two small ones (about 8" long). My husband and I once ate some delicious grilled marinated squid and although it was always brought up in our conversations I didn't think I would try to cook it. After cleaning the squid, I split it it on one side, and made slashes on the underside of the squid to form a crisscross pattern. This not only makes it tender but also traps the seasonings. It makes it so pretty, too. A brief stint on the barbeque produced the most delicious and tender squid I've ever eaten. I'm going to do this again.

Ingredients:


500 gms. or 2 pcs. of medium sized squid
juice of 1/2 lime
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. chopped red chillies
1 stalk of spring onion, chopped
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsps. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
peanuts, chopped
coriander leaves, chopped


Method:


Clean the squid: take the head off and make a cut above the eyes. Keep the tentacles but the rest can be discarded. Rub off the pink membrane from the body. Split one side of the quid and discard everything that's inside it. You are now left with one piece of the body and the tentacles. With a sharp knife, make shallow diagonal slashes on the inner side of the squid's body. Then make slashes going the opposite way to create a crisscross pattern. 


Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, except for the peanuts and coriander leaves, and add in the squid. Pre-heat the grill or barbecue. It should be really hot before you start cooking. Put the squid's body, uncut side down first. It only to takes 2-3 minutes to cook one side. The sweet marinade will caramelize and the squid will turn opaque. Turn it over and cook the other side. Turn the tentacles as well. 


Cut into portions before serving. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and chopped coriander leaves before serving.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011.

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BUCO (YOUNG COCONUT) MERINGUE PIE

The summer season in the Philippines culminates in the month of May. A lot of towns celebrate their town fiestas, most of which feature a religious pageant called the Flores de Mayo, which literally translates to flowers of May. The prettiest young ladies dressed up in formal evening finery join a procession around the town.


The Kulinarya Cooking Club's theme for the month is Flores de Mayo. The task is to create a dish inspired by the flowers of May. There is nothing floral about this buco meringue pie that I've made. Rather, I took inspiration from the pageantry of the Flores de Mayo processions, the splendour of the outfits, the flowers and the tiaras that all create a sense of grandeur. I chose to top the buco pie  with meringue to mimic the pomp of this procession.


Buco (young coconut) pie is a specialty of Laguna, a province in the Philippines that is famous for their picturesque views, natural hot springs, and their delicacies, most of which use local ingredients such as coconuts.  


We don't have fresh young coconuts here in the UK so I used the tinned ones in syrup. Young coconuts are very different from mature coconuts. They are gelatinous in texture and sweeter in taste. I used an all butter crust to hold an all-egg-yolk custard, then topped the whole concoction with meringue. This bedecked buco pie is my Kulinarya offering for the festive month of May.

Ingredients for the crust:

2 c. plain flour

1 tbsp. icing sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 c. butter, cut into cubes

2-3 tbsps. cold water

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F /180°C. Sift the flour, icing sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the water a little bit at a time while stirring with a fork. Moisten the flour just enough for it to be gathered into a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can use store bought pastry instead of this. Roll the dough on a floured board then use to line a 9" pie plate. Flute the rim decoratively. Prick the base and sides of the pastry with a fork . Line with foil and fill with baking beans (bake blind) and bake for ten minutes.Take the foil and beans off, brush the edge of the crust with an egg yolk (optional) then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to cool.


Ingredients for the filling:


1/4 c. corn flour
1/4 c. plain flour
1 c. buco juice or syrup from the tinned coconut
1 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. buco meat, shredded or two 440 gm. tins of young coconut
2 tbsps. butter
4 eggs, separated
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar


Method:


Mix the flour, corn flour and sugar together in a bowl. Add the buco juice while stirring. Then add the milk. Strain into a saucepan. Bring to a boil on low heat while constantly stirring. Cook until thick. Add the buco meat, followed by the egg yolks. Cook until the mixture begins to boil. Take off the heat and add in the butter. Set aside to cool. 


When both the pie crust and filling have cooled, prepare the meringue. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar continuously while whisking until the sugar dissolves and mixture is glossy.


To assemble the pie, put all of the filling in the pie shell. Pile on a mound of meringue in the middle of the pie and pipe the rest with a big star shaped nozzle. You can also just pile all of the meringue on top of the filling and peak decoratively with a spatula or knife. Make sure the meringue covers all of the filling. Bake in a preheated oven (350°F /180°C) for 10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned. Cool, then refrigerate. Serve chilled.

This post is  for the KULINARYA COOKING CLUB theme for May 2011: Flores de Mayo. 

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

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FRESH RICE PAPER SPRING ROLLS

The British summer is so short. It is always gone before you even know that it's there. When the sun shines everyone scampers out of their houses and goes outdoors. There's a park behind our house and it just springs to life the very minute the sun shines. We are lucky to have a bit of garden where we can sit and bask in the sunshine and laze about while enjoying the plants and the trees. 

When everything is so fresh and the weather is warm , it is so nice to sit outside and just eat something light and refreshing. Scrounging in the fridge yielded some leftover roast pork and a few cooked prawns and crab sticks. I could just add rice noodles and some fresh ingredients and bundle them up in rice paper sheets as spring rolls.  Then I could sit outside and relax while popping tasty little spring roll morsels in my mouth. Lovely!

Ingredients for the spring rolls:


8 cooked king prawns, split in half sideways
8 crab sticks, split in half lengthwise
cooked chicken or pork
50 gms. rice noodles
1 small carrot, shredded finely
lettuce leaves
coriander leaves
mint leaves roughly chopped
8 rice paper sheets


Method:


Put the rice noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover. Leave for 20 minutes, then drain. Place one rice sheet (do this one at a time so they don't stick together) in a dish with warm water for 1 minute. Make sure both sides are wet. Take out of the water and lay on a board. Lay some lettuce leaves, then add 1/8 of the noodles, some coriander leaves, 2 pieces of the sliced crabsticks, some meat and lastly top with coriander and mint. Roll very tightly. Cut into four bite sized portions each. Repeat with the rest of the sheets. This recipe makes 8 rolls.


Ingredients for the sweet garlic and chilli dipping sauce:


2 tbsps. white wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red finger chilli, chopped
2 tbsps. of sugar
2 tbsps. fish sauce


Combine all the ingredients together and serve with the spring rolls.

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BONELESS BUFFALO CHICKEN

It's just me and the two kids at home and I wanted to make something fun to eat for dinner. I was thinking of buffalo chicken wings. What can be more fun than finger food. Then I realized that I did not have chicken wings. I do have chicken thighs in the freezer. I always stock up on that because I think that that is the best part of the chicken. It is meaty, tender and succulent. I just deboned and skinned the thighs and cooked them like buffalo wings. Less mess to eat. My son said that it tasted like the one in the restaurant. That's funny, I was trying to make it taste homemade.

Ingredients for the fried chicken:

6 chicken thighs, deboned, each piece cut into 4 strips

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder
cooking oil for frying

Method:

Marinate the chicken strips with the milk, lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes. Drain off the liquid. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add half to the chicken and stir. The mixture will be sticky. Add the rest of the flour mixture and stir to coat. Fry in hot oil for 5 minutes per batch until golden brown , crisp and cooked through.

Ingredients for the buffalo style glaze:

2 tbsps. butter

2 tbsps. catsup

1 to 2 tsps. hot sauce

1 tbsp. paprika

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsps. worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

Method:

Mix all ingredients together in a big pan. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the chicken and stir quickly to coat and glaze the pieces. The chicken should be nicely glazed and still crispy. Transfer to a serving dish.

Ingredients for the dip:

1/2 c. cream cheese

1/2 c. milk

1/2. tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. chopped chives

carrot and celery sticks for dipping

Method:

Gradually add the milk to the cream cheese while whisking. Add the seasonings and the chopped chives. Serve the dip with the vegetable sticks with the buffalo chicken.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011.

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SPAGHETTI WITH PRAWNS IN SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Pasta can make a hearty and delicious meal in no time. When I'm busy and pressed for time, pasta is my reprieve. I'm sure it is for a lot of people, too. 


I wanted to make something flavourful but light. After checking the ingredients I've got, I decide to make a cioppino type sauce with prawns. Celery, fennel and chilli are the main flavours of the tomato sauce that I served with spaghetti. A simple mixed leaf salad and breadsticks completed the scene.

Ingredients:


600 gms. whole shell-on medium prawns
2 tbsps. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 red finger chilli, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tbsp. ground fennel seeds
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tin of crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 c. sherry or marsala wine
1 tbsp. sugar
2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
1/2 sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. butter or butter flavoured alternative
450 gms. dried spaghetti


Method:


Saute the chopped onions in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, chilli, fennel seeds and paprika. Stir for a minute before adding the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the mixture thickens. Fill the tomato tin with water or fish stock. Add to the mixture together with the sherry or marsala and the sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes. 


Prepare the prawns. Trim the antennae and the sharp parts of the prawn head. Peel the body but leave the head and tail intact  (keep the prawn shells in the freezer for later use in stocks). Devein. 


Cook the spaghetti until al dente. When the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add the celery and sweet pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes before adding the prawns then simmering for another 2 minutes. Serve over the cooked spaghetti.


This recipe will make 4-6 portions.



All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

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CREMA DE FRUTA GATEAU

 We celebrated Mothering Sunday here in the UK on April 3. This cake is for all mothers being honoured on Mother's Day on May 8. Happy Mother's Day!


Crema de fruta ( meaning cream of fruit) is a Filipino trifle consisting of a sponge cake base, custard , fruits and gelatine. I converted it into a gateau because it makes a nicer presentation. This is my favourite cake and is the cake I most often make when there's an occasion. It is not too rich and actually is quite refreshing because of the fruit and the jelly. 


Filipino desserts are sometimes too sweet or all sweet. Adding fruit gives a welcome tangy twist. I used tinned peaches, bananas and strawberries but any fruit of your choice will do. The juice of the tinned fruit is used for making the jelly. The amount is more than the usual jelly glaze. If you use fresh fruits, just substitute that with any fruit juice and add sugar to taste. Give the gelatine time to set properly. I usually make the cake a day ahead and frost it on the day I'm going to serve it. 

Ingredients for the cake:


1 c. plain flour
2 tbsps. corn flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
4 eggs, separated
1/4 c. water
2 tbsps. lemon juice
1/4tsp. cream of tartar


Pre-heat the oven to 350°F /180°C. Line the bottom of three 9" diameter cake pans with baking paper. Set aside. 


Sift the flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt and 6 tbsps. of the sugar in a mixing bowl. 

Make a well in the center and to it add the egg yolks, oil, water and lemon juice. Gently mix with a whisk, beginning from the center and slowly incorporating the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and well blended.


Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the rest of the sugar gradually, while beating, until the mixture is stiff but not dry. 


Add of dollop egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture and blend. This will slacken the egg yolk mixture and will make it easier to combine the two mixtures. 

Add all of the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the egg white mixture and fold gently until well combined. 

Divide the mixture into the 3 prepared baking pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.


Invert into baking racks and cool in the pans.


Ingredients for the custard:


1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 c. milk
1 can of condensed milk
5 egg yolks
2 tbsps. butter
1 tsp. rum flavouring or vanilla extract


Mix the sugar and flour in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the milk while whisking. Add the condensed milk and egg yolks. 

Cook on low heat until thick. 

Take off the heat and add the butter and the flavouring. 

Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with a disc of baking paper to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate when cooled.


Ingredients for the fruit and jelly topping:


1 tin of peach halves or slices, drain and reserve the juice
about 8 strawberries
2 bananas
1 tbsp. lemon juice plus 1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. unflavoured gelatin
1/4 c. water
2 tbsps. sugar
1 c. reserved peach juice or any juice


Cut up three strawberries and half of a peach  into cubes. Slice the bananas and mix with the lemon juice and sugar mixture to prevent it from browning.


Slice the rest of the strawberries  and peaches for the topping.


Set aside 3 tbsps. of the peach juice for brushing the cake layers.


Put the gelatine in a small bowl and add 2 tbsps. of the water to make it swell. 

Mix the rest of the water (2tbsps.) with the sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. 

Take off the heat and add the gelatine. Stir until the gelatine is fully dissolved then add the juice. Leave to cool and thicken slightly (consistency should be like that of an egg white). Ice cubes could be added to the juice to make the 1 c. needed to quicken this process.


To assemble the cake:


All the ingredients must be cooled before you assemble. 

Brush the cakes with the reserved 2 tbsps. of peach juice. Spread one half of the custard on the bottom cake layer and add half of the cubed peaches and strawberries and a few slices of the banana. 

Top with another cake and do the same, using up the rest of the custard filling. Top with the last cake layer. 

Arrange the fruits decoratively  on top of the cake. Make sure the cake surface is completely covered with fruits so that the jelly is not absorbed into the cake. 

Wrap foil  around the cake and fasten with sticky tape or use a cake ring. This will hold everything in place as the jelly sets. Pour the cooled and slightly thick gelatine gently over the arranged fruits. Prick any bubbles with a toothpick. 

Refrigerate until set. 

This can be done a day ahead.


To finish the cake:


Whip 300 mls. (about 1 1/4 c.) of thick (double) cream and 1/2 c. icing sugar together until thick and fluffy. Ice the cake part of the gateau but leave the fruit topping bare. You can add more fruits on top for decoration. Enjoy.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

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