Cheese Pimiento

Cheese + mayo + pimiento (roasted red peppers) + a secret ingredient = one of my favorite spreads in the world! Nothing brings back memories of afternoon meriendas like cheese pimiento sandwiches. I think this spread is best on simple white bread (none of this 7-grain, flax seed stuff) or Fita crackers (which I guess is the Filipino version of Ritz crackers).

To make this spread, I used one small block of Cracker Barrel extra old cheese, one jar of roasted red peppers (which contained about 8-9 whole peppers), Hellmans low fat mayo, and the secret ingredient....don't gasp....condensed milk(!!!)....yes, yes, it's unusual to say the least, but trust me on this.

This recipe couldn't be simpler:
1. Grate the cheese into a large bowl.
2. Mince the pimiento and drain very, very well. You may need to push the pimiento against your colander to get out as much liquid as possible. Add this to the cheese. The chopped pimiento, not the liquid, ok?
3. Add 6 heaping tablespoons of mayo.
4. Add 2-3 heaping teaspoons of condensed milk.
5. Mix well.

The intermingling of the saltiness of the cheese, the tangy creaminess of the mayo, the kick of the pimiento and the hint of sweetness from the condensed milk is truly addicting.

Black Bean Dip

As requested, A, here's the recipe for the black bean dip :-)

This dip was introduced to me be a Costa Rican friend and it has made many an appearance on our table. The original recipe she gave me called for canned refried beans but when I looked at the label on the can, I was shocked at how much fat and salt it had! So I now make this from plain, unsalted canned whole black beans and I save on all that fat, which I reserve for the chips. Hehe!

Because it's low-fat and healthy, it makes me feel less guilty about indulging in corn tortillas :-)

BLACK BEAN DIP

1 large can black beans, drained
2 tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. lizano sauce

1. Saute the onions in oil over medium high heat until slightly brown.
2. Add the chopped pepper and saute until peppers are also slightly brown.
3. Pour in beans and stir until combined.
4. Puree with a hand blender (or with a normal blender).
5. Season with lizano sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and sugar.
6. Serve with chips.

Lizano sauce or Salsa Lizano is like the ketchup of Costa Rica. It's a condiment made from vegetables and some people liken the taste to worcestershire. I kinda agree, but not quite. Lizano has a distinct latin flair to it that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe they roast some of the veggies before making the sauce because it has a smoky background that adds to the depth of flavor.

Salsa Lizano has become a mainstay in my pantry. I add it to store-bought salsa, beans and rice, chili, beef for my tacos, etc., etc. Such a great discovery!

Jam Bars

It's not I haven't been cooking. It's just that the past few months have been so hectic that I haven't been inspired...inspired to cook, inspired to write, inspired to create. BUT...I'm baaack! :-)

Why? Because procrastination(unemployment + major life-altering exam) = creativity. Do you still remember your algebra? Hehe!

So anyway, I made these jam bars for our Valentine's get-together and they were very well received. I personally favor fruit desserts over chocolate ones (gasp!) so these were right up my alley. Plus it allowed me to use up some 5-fruit jam that remained untouched in the fridge because it wasn't the "right brand."

Jam Bars

2 sticks cold salted butter, cut into pieces
1 3/4 cups ground almonds
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups jam of choice (the one I used was a combo of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and grape)

1. In a bowl, mix together almonds, flour, and sugar.
2. Using a pastry cutter (or your hands), cut butter into dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
3. Transfer half the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan. Press firmly into pan.
4. Bake in a 350 oven for about 15-18 minutes until lightly golden.
5. Remove crust from oven and cool for about 30 minutes.
6. Spread jam evenly over crust.
7. Scatter the rest of the crumb mixture over the jam.
8. Bake again for about 22 minutes.
9. Cool then cut into 2 inch bars.

Brown Butter Almond Shortbread Cookies

I love shortbread. And I'm always on the lookout for a good shortbread recipe. I think I can stop looking now because I've found what is possibly the best one.

Browning the butter gives the cookies a nice, rich, deep flavor and adds a nutty dimension to the recipe. You can use any nut you like. The original Bon Appetit recipe called for pecans. But I had almonds on hand so that's what I used.

Brown Butter Almond Shortbread Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature (1 cup, divided)
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup almonds, processed until texture is like coarse cornmeal

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, melt one stick of butter over low-medium fire and cook until amber in color. It will take about 6-8 minutes. Make sure butter doesn't burn.
2. Strain butter and cool in fridge until semi-solid.
3. Meanwhile sift flour and salt together. Set aside.
4. Cream butters and sugar until fluffy.
5. Add vanilla and nuts.
6. Add flour and mix just until incorporated.
7. Form one inch balls with your hands and place on a cookie sheet.
8. Flatten balls slightly with your palm and bake in a 300 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack.

Toffee bars

This has got to be the easiest toffee bar recipe ever. Prep time is maybe ten minutes max. And the results...excellent. Chewy and sticky, with just the right crunch from the nuts. Yum!

Toffee Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup toffee chips (I used Nestle Skor chips)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped almonds (or whatever nut you like)

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and butter until well blended.
3. Press firmly into a lined 9x9 pan (I used parchment to line it).
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Pour condensed milk on top of crumb mixture.
6. Sprinkle toffee chips, chocolate chips and nuts evenly .
7. Press down with spatula (or the back of a large spoon) until the "solids" have "embedded" into the condensed milk.
8. Bake for 40 minutes.
9. Cool completely.
10. Put in fridge for 30 minutes, remove from pan and cut into desired slices.

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

I used to not like coconut in my baked goods. But ever since I left the Philippines, I've been craving all things coconut...coconut scented soaps (like the one by my kitchen sink), coconut flavored ice cream (Ben and Jerry's is THE BEST!), and now coconut baked goods. I saw Anna Olson's show which showcased this recipe and I just had to try it.

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 + 1/4 cup coconut milk
2 eggs, separated
2 1/4 cups pastry flour
1 + 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

1. Toast coconut flakes in a 350 oven for 3-4 minutes, just until the edges turn light brown. Set aside and increase oven temp to 375.
2. Mix egg yolks, oil and 1 cup of the coconut milk. Set aside.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of the sugar.
4. Mix dry ingredients into the wet and stir in 1 1/3 cups of the toasted coconut.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar until soft peaks form.
6. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
7. Pour batter into 16 muffin cups (or 1 8x8 pan).
8. Bake for 20-22 minutes (or 25-30 minutes for square cake).
9. Cool cupcakes.
10. Brush tops with remaining coconut milk and dip into the coconut flakes.

The cupcakes were very good! Light and coconutty. I think next time I'm going to try filling them with pineapple curd, maybe with a hint of rum. Kind of like a pinacolada cupcake :-)

Green Tea Sugar Cookies

I found pictures of the first version of green tea cookies I made a few months ago. This version is more crisp than the version I posted a while ago made with cream cheese. This recipe also makes a firmer dough which lends itself well to being rolled and cut with cute cookie cutters, which is what I did here :-)

Green Tea Sugar Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2-3 tsp green tea powder

1. Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy.

2. Add egg, vanilla and milk.

3. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add to butter/egg mixture in 2-3 batches until you get a soft dough.

4. Form dough into disk and refrigerate for a few hours until firm.

5. Roll dough 1/4-1/3 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters.

6. Chill cookie pieces. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350.

7. Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes until the bottom is slightly brown.

8. Cool on wire racks.

Matcha Cream Cheese Cookies

I had made green tea cookies before and, inspired by this amazing blogger, I decided I was going to make some this weekend. I normally just modify a sugar cookie or shortbread recipe to make the green tea ones but I inspected my fridge and I found a bar of cream cheese lying around, 2 weeks shy of its expiration date. So, off to google I went and found several recipes for cream cheese cookies. I chose one and modified it a bit, ending up with half a batch of plain vanilla cookies and half a batch of green tea or matcha flavored ones.

Cream Cheese Cookies (basic recipe)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 3 oz (or about 85 grams) cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 1/4 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cream butter, cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla and egg yolk until light and fluffy.

3. Add flour in 3 batches, mixing after each addition.

4. Form dough into 1 inch balls with your hands.

5. Take a glass, grease the bottom and dip in sugar. Use glass to flatten dough balls, dipping in sugar after each use.

6. Bake for 12 minutes until bottom is slightly brown.

7. Cool on cookie rack.

For the matcha version, I added 3 tsp. of matcha powder to half the batter. I also used black sesame seeds to top the cookies, more for decoration than anything else. Very zen looking, don't you think?

Cornmeal Almond Biscotti

Perfect with a cup of coffee or even as a small mid-afternoon snack on its own, this biscotti was inspired by a Judy Rogers recipe from Zuni cafe.

1 1/4 c. whole almonds
1/2 c. cold butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toast almonds x 10-12 minutes then cool. Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Stir until dough comes together. Mix in almonds until evenly distributed. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment, form dough into 2 "logs" about 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

When the biscotti logs are cool enough to handle, slice diagonally into 1/2 inch thich slices. Return to cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake another 6-8 minutes.

Many biscotti recipes will say that you must use a serrated knife to slice the cookie. I actually find that with this recipe and the whole nuts (which I LOVE), it's easier to use a very sharp chef's knife. I use a firm, almost chopping motion straight down, rather than a sawing, back and forth motion. I've never had a problem with crumbling using this method.

First attemts: sisig, cupcakes, and pad thai

Wanting to expand my present culinary repertoire, I've been experimenting on new dishes for the past week or so. Some were successful (sisig and cupcakes) and some, well, not so much (pad thai).

I found pigs ears at the chinese grocery 2 weeks ago, which became my inspiration to finally attempt sisig for the first time. So I pressure cooked the ears with whole peppercorns, garlic, onion, salt, a slice of ginger and a couple of bay leaves and chopped them up once they were soft.

Then, I pureed liver in a food processor and proceeded to saute that with onion and chili flakes (subbing for sili). Once the liver was no longer pink, I put in the chopped ears along with some beef broth, knorr, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. I simmered the entire thing until almost dry.

I then heated my cast iron skillet, poured in the entire mixture, topped it with crumbled chicharon and more chopped onion. I served it with more knorr, lemon (how I wish we had calamansi) and tabasco. Yum!!!


After such a yummy meal, I thought...ok, let's bake something. And because cupcakes have been en vogue recently, I decided to try that. I used a vanilla cupcake recipe with vanilla buttercream icing, which I tinted pink. And here's a picture of the final product...

It was ok. Not mind-blowing. But good. I made a second batch using mini cupcake containers and used a recipe for sour cream pound cake topped with 7-minute frosting, which I again tinted pink. It was MUCH better. Son #2's comment: It's really good, mom. But does it always have to be pink?

My third experiment was Pad Thai. I'd had success with yellow curry and green curry before, so I thought, why not? I followed Beth Romualdez's recipe from her cookbook. The boys weren't impressed. :-P

Looked ok to me, and I thought is was passable. But Son #1 and Son #2 didn't. In fact, after "dinner " Son #1 had a ham sandwich on rye and Son #2 had pate on toast. I guess Pad Thai won't be making a come back in our household menu.

Oh well...

Sour Cream Pound Cake

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. lemon extract or lemon zest

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs. Mix in baking soda with flour. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the extracts.

At this point you could bake the cake in a 9x5 inch cake pan or in cupcake containers. You could also double the recipe and bake in a tube/bundt pan. For the cake, bake at 350 degrees x 40-45 minutes or 1 hour if doubling the recipe. For cupcakes, bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is very slightly golden on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

This cake freezes extremely well!

Liege waffles

My parents-in-law fell in love and got married in a small chapel in Louvain, Belgium. They often spoke of waffles that were sold in street stands and were eaten as midday snacks. Starbucks in Manila sells these sweet treats as Belgian Pegi Waffles and I loved having them with my coffee back home.

I searched Toronto high and low but alas could not find these slightly crunchy, slightly chewy, slightly sweet, and oh so delicious little morsels of waffle heaven. So, I decided to make my own...

Belgian/Liege Waffles

Batter 1:

4 tsp. instant dry yeast

1/4 cup water

1 cup all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup warm milk

Batter 2:

8 tbsp. butter, room temp

6 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup pearl sugar

Make batter 1.

1. Dissolve yeast in water, 1 tbsp of flour and sugar.

2. Let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Make well in remaining flour, add in yeast mix, egg and milk.

4. Mix and let rise until double or triple in volume.

Meanwhile, make batter 2.

Mix butter, flour, salt, vanilla, baking powder and sugars.

Mix batter 1 and 2.

Heat Belgian waffle maker until good and hot. I use a Cuisinart 4-waffle Belgian waffle maker (mine is an older model though) and I put about 1/4 cup of batter per square. The waffles come out roundish, which is how they're supposed to look anyway. For my waffle maker, I cook each batch at power number 4 for 4 minutes.

The waffles taste best on the day they're made but keep for a day at room temperature. They may also be frozen and reheated in a toaster.