Calamansi Muffins

The famous Calamansi Muffins made popular by a cafe in island resort Boracay has been in my list to bake all these years.

Thought it'd be a great idea to use up the last of my calamansi haul (for now) to bake into cup-size tart morsels. 

The recipe involves creaming the butter with sugar until light and fluffy which makes for a tender crumb. The liquid component uses freshly-squeezed calamansi juice with milk mixed in, which is almost like making buttermilk (soured milk) that gives the cake a light, soft mouthfeel. 

These really are more like cupcakes than muffins so couldn't resist an addition of icing like I did with the calamansi bundt cake I baked a few weeks ago. 

The calamansi flavor really shines through with every bite. I can't wait to bake again when I get ahold of more calamansi. 

Calamansi Muffins

recipe adapted from here
makes a dozen

120g (1/2 cup) freshly-squeezed calamansi juice

120g (1/2 cup) milk

180g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

5g (1 tsp) baking powder

2g (1/4 tsp) salt

112g (1/2 cup) butter, softened

200g (1 cup) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

for the glaze:

60g (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar

15g (1 TBSP) freshly-squeezed calamansi juice

finely grated calamansi zest

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking tray by greasing or using paper liners; set aside.

Place calamansi juice and milk in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a mixer, cream butter over medium-high speed, adding sugar a tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is added, keep mixing until it is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bottom of bowl.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with calamansi-milk mixture and beat until just combined.

Place batter into your prepared pan and bake until tester comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Transfer in rack to cool for 10 minutes then take out from pan and let cool completely.

To make the glaze, stir together the juice and confectioners' sugar. Spread about a teaspoon over tops. Grate calamansi if desired and let glaze dry.

Happy baking!

Calamansi Bundt Cake

Celebrating winter and it's citrus bounty with cake made from fruits native to my home country: calamansi. 

Even though I have a small tree that's been good to me, I still get a thrill when I come across them in the markets and try to hoard them. 

My family has been enjoying drinking calamansi juice and wanted to make something else different besides the usual curd and cookies. A Bundt cake is always impressive with it's size and curves without the need for frosting. 

The glaze gives it a boost of calamansi flavor and sealed in the moisture that it was even flavorful even after a couple days. The addition of sour cream made the cake tender and gave it tangy that complements the calamansi. 

The recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart. I used calamansi liqueur (calamansi that I have been steeping in vodka for a couple months) but other citrus liqueur (like limoncello) or more fresh juice can be added to substitute. 

Calamansi Bundt Cake

For the cake:

2 Tbsp. finely grated calamansi zest, from about 35 calamansi 

400g (2 cups) granulated sugar

225g (8 ounces/1 cup/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

360g (3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

5g (1 tsp) baking soda

5g (1 tsp) salt

6 large eggs

180g (3/4 cup) fresh calamansi juice, from about 35 calamansi

2 Tbsp. calamansi liqueur 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

180g (3/4 cup) sour cream, room temperature

For the glaze:

240g (2 cups) confectioners' sugar

1 Tbsp. finely grated calamansi zest

60g (1/4 cup) calamansi juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. 

2. Stir together calamansi zest and sugar in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. 

3. In a mixer in medium-high speed, cream butter with sugar-calamansi mixture until pale and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in juice and extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with sour cream and beat until just combined. 

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top and tap pan firmly on counter few times. Bake until tester comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack to cool completely. 

5. Make glaze by whisking together confectioners' sugar and calamansi juice until smooth. Pour glaze evenly over cake, letting it set before serving. Cake can be stored at room temperature under cake cover, up to 2 days. 

Coconut Pandan Chiffon Flan Bundt Cake

I've been thinking for weeks now of what bundt to bake to celebrate National Bundt Day with Mary, The Food Librarian. She has been posting a bundt every single day for thirty days leading up to this food holiday. I've even gone through her archives and round-up from the previous years. Last minute inspiration while thinking about my last year's Ube Chiffon Flan Bundt led me to bake a Coconut Pandan Chiffon Flan Bundt Cake.

Pandan is a tropical plant widely available and used in cooking in Southeast Asia. My Lola always told me to place a pandan leaf in the water when cooking rice to make it special; I would be the one told to cut a leaf off our plant in the backyard. I didn't mind since I know I'm in for something special - just the lovely scent that fills the house as it cook is just heavenly.

I have not had luck finding a pandan plant here in US but the leaves can be found in the frozen section of most Asian stores. Some stores will have fresh leaves once in a while so that's when I stock up. Pandan's flavor matches perfectly with coconut, a popular Filipino dessert is Coconut Pandan Gelatin with strips of young coconut and green cubes of pandan gelatin.

Taking those flavors and putting it in a cake form with added leche flan (and caramel) puts this cake over the top! The smooth, creamy coconut leche flan along with light and airy coconut pandan chiffon cake are like yin and yang textures but with both flavors in harmony.

There are plenty of steps in making the cake but don't let that deter you. I promise it's all worth it!

Coconut Pandan Chiffon Flan Bundt Cake

For Coconut Flan:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

7 egg yolks

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

For Coconut Pandan Chiffon Cake:

240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

300g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar

15g (1 TBSP) baking powder

5g (1 tsp) salt

7 pandan leaves, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil

7 large eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla extract

few drops pandan essence

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1. Make the caramel. Mix sugar and water together in a small saucepan and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to boil in medium-high heat until golden brown in color. Immediately pour into bundt pan, swirling caramel around until it covers the bottom and sides of pan. (Bundt pan will become hot from caramel, wear protective mitts!) Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring a pot full of water to boil needed for bain marie.
3. In a bowl, stir egg yolks. Add both milks and vanilla extract and salt. Stir to combine completely. Strain mixture to rid of yolk solids and set aside while you prepare the chiffon cake.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
5. Place pandan leaves and coconut milk in a blender and puree until all leaves are finely shredded and mixture looks green. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth, squeezing out all the liquid.
6. Add oil, egg yolks, vanilla and pandan essence to the pandan-coconut mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine. Add to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
7. In another large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold beaten egg whites into batter, a third at a time, just until incorporated. Set aside.
8. Pour leche flan mixture into the caramel-lined bundt pan.
9. Spoon the chiffon cake batter into the bundt pan. DON'T WORRY, THE CHIFFON CAKE BATTER WILL STAY FLOATING ON TOP OF LECHE FLAN. Fill only up to 2 inches from top of pan -- batter will rise as the cake bakes. *You will have leftover chiffon batter, enough to make 6 cupcakes; something to tie you over while your bundt cake chill overnight. :)
10. Pour boiling water into a bigger roasting pan - this is your bain marie. Place the bundt pan in and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check doneness of cake by inserting toothpick.
11. Take out of oven and let cool completely.
12. Cover top with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to chill at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
13. To serve, invert onto a plate and enjoy!

 

Calamansi Coconut Muffins

I had thought about sitting out on this week's Muffin Monday since I have already made plans to bake two birthday cakes this week. But when Anuradha sent us the challenge to bake Citrus Coconut Muffins, I immediately thought calamansi (kalamansi) so I knew I couldn't refuse baking these.

The original recipe asked for zest from lemons and oranges and I used calamansi all the way. I'm sure any citrus of your choice would work here. No other flavorings were needed so the flavor and lovely scent of calamansi came through with each bite. Calamansi peels are also great candied, Ive done some here; their peels tastes just like the ones from kumquats - delicious!

This recipe is also put together in an unusual way where it ask to "rub in" the butter, the way a biscuit or scone is done. I had actually ran out of milk so my usual homemade yogurt came to the rescue, which gave them a tang that complemented the calamansi. Then thought while mixing the batter if I could've used coconut milk as well; something I will try when I bake these muffins again.

I decided to make 12 mini muffins and 6 regular-sized. The smaller ones were topped with unsweetened dessicated coconut and used large coconut flakes (like the ones I used for Pinipig, Coconut and Chocolate Granola Muffins) for the regular ones. Both muffin pans were placed in the oven at the same time. Fifteen minutes passed and the minis were ready but noticed the large coconut flakes were already toasted even though they still had 10 minutes of baking to go! A quick tent with foil saved them (but then, they were devoured by the family before I can take any pictures). I would imagine sweetened coconut will toast quicker due to the sugar so make sure to keep checking those muffin tops when you bake these.

Calamansi Coconut Muffins
makes 12 regular or 24 mini

150g (1 1/4 cup) white whole wheat flour
150g (1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
90g (6 1/2 TBSP) butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
180g (3/4 cup) whole milk yogurt, room temperature
zest from 12 calamansi, finely grated (I used a microplane)
unsweetened dessicated coconut, for topping

Preheat oven to 385F degrees. Prepare muffin pan by either greasing or using liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and work in with a pastry cutter.
In another bowl, combine eggs, yogurt and zest. Pour into the large bowl with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Place in the prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes (13-15 minutes for mini size) or until toothpick test is clear.
Remove and let cool slightly before taking out of pan. Serve warm.

My other calamansi recipes:
Calamansi Meltaway Cookies
Calamansi Curd on Coconut Meringues
Candied Calamansi Peels

 

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Salted Duck Egg and Tomato Salad

Itlog na Maalat (salted duck eggs) and kamatis (tomatoes): the quintessential Filipino side dish. Though labeled as a salad, it is not eaten before the main meal customary in Western dining. It's more considered a side dish to be eaten along with your ulam (viand) and of course, steamed rice.

A few months ago in Spring, the egg vendor at my farmers market was selling duck eggs so thought I'd give it a try making my own itlog na maalat. I went to research and found this great pictorial on the photo blog My SariSari Store about the process of making salted duck eggs in the Philippines (there are four parts).

Though chicken eggs may also be used, duck eggs are traditionally used for their bigger size and fatty yolks. Commercially-prepared salted eggs are also brined in mud! Dirt and water mixed along with salt are used to brine the duck eggs for about 3 weeks. Though my sons would gladly approve of any opportunity to "cook" in the mud I think it'll be one messy project!

Thank goodness there is another, less messy, way which is to just soak the eggs in saltwater. It would make sense to use sea salt and not the common table which has iodine. I ended up using two cups of salt dissolved in six cups of water. The porous eggs shells will absorb the salt from the water and flavor the eggs inside. Osmosis at work and my sons got a science lesson out of it. ;)

You also need a little bit of patience for they take about three to four weeks to cure. And since fresh eggs float in the water, you need something heavy on top to keep the eggs totally submerged in the saltwater. A plate or a sealed food-storage bag filled with water placed on top will work fine. Keep the container with your eggs and saltwater in a cool place, I kept mine at the bottom shelf in my pantry. I boiled one egg for ten minutes to test for my preferred saltiness. If you think the eggs achieved the right salty flavor, just boil the rest. If not, just keep soaking them for a few more days, for up to a week.

I was not able to take pictures in-process but I believe it's easy and straightforward. The last three eggs you see here are ones I made all the way back on Easter, enjoyed with the Summer's ripest tomatoes. So you can see, once you cooked them, they keep for a long time in the refrigerator. Now I want to make more.

I've actually been asking my egg vendor for more duck eggs. My egg vendor told me he had been collecting eggs from his ducks but was not comfortable selling them to me due to the summer heat. And now with Autumn's arrival, the ducks have slowed their egg production.

This is my entry for this month's Kulinarya, the challenge: red, white, blue and yellow -- colors of the Philippine flag.  So you thinking where's the blue: the egg shells of course!

Pinipig, Coconut & Chocolate Granola Muffins

This week's Muffin Monday recipe came courtesy of New York Times' Recipes for Health series. The muffin consists of granola baked along whole wheat flour, sweetened by raisins and a touch of honey. The healthiest muffin baked so far by the Muffin Monday bakers!

I had planned on making granola for this muffin recipe but weekend plans got the best of me so ended up using this organic granola. I followed the recipe only altering it by using whole wheat pastry flour but had to say the recipe gave me not-so-good results. The muffins came out with flat domes and burnt edges even after they've only baked for 15 minutes. Imagine if I waited to checked in 20 minutes like the recipe stated? Crunchy edges aside, I had to taste these muffins which were not at all bad (but not spectacular either). Not too sweet which I prefer but a bit one-note. My oldest son described it best when he said it tasted like raisin bran. My granola of choice might be the culprit since it was very plain. I realized then that the success of these muffins depend greatly on the granola used.

So off to bake again, this time using ingredients I would use to make my own granola: pinipig, coconut flakes and chocolate. Pinipig is glutinous sweet rice that was harvested while still young and pounded flat. Fresh pinipig is usually bright green but quickly loses it color as it dries. Puffed rice (Rice Krispies' Snap, Crackle & Pop) can not compare to pinipig in terms of flavor and crunch.(More information on pinipig from Market Manila here.) Toasting them before use makes it even better; the heat releases their light sweet rice fragrance.

So the second time around I can say is a success; the muffins came out with a light, fluffy texture with still-crunchy pinipig here and there. The coconut flakes throughout made for a satisfying chew while the tiny pieces of bittersweet chocolate added a little sweet bonus.

Pinipig, Coconut & Chocolate Granola Muffins

85g pinipig
140g (1 cup) whole wheat pastry flour
10g (2 tsp) baking powder
2g (1/4 tsp) salt
2 eggs
355ml coconut milk
60ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g coconut flakes
80g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

In a dry skillet, toast pinipig over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare muffin tins with pan spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs along with coconut milk, vegetable oil and vanilla.
Stir in the pinipig, coconut flakes, and chocolate into the wet mixture
Sift in the flour mixture and stir only until moistened.
Spoon into muffin tins, filling 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until it pass toothpick test.
Remove from oven. Let it cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from tin and enjoy.

A big "Thank You" goes to Anuradha for all the work she does week after week. Check out her Granola Muffins along with the links to all my fellow Monday Muffin bakers.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Shrimp Stuffed Squash Blossoms

It's Friday! The weekend's finally here. For me, that means going to the farmers market -- one of the things I look forward to all week.

Though, weekends are also lazy days at home so my family and I never get to the market as early as we would like. That means missing out on squash blossoms for these beautiful flowers always sell quickly. It seems like I've been on a hunt for squash blossoms all summer. I have already given up for the season but finally lucked out last Sunday.

Since I had to report to work in the afternoon (yeah, I'm working a little this month), I went earlier than my usual time. The market was already packed. I noticed one vendor had an unusually long line forming so nosy me had to see what the fuss was about. There on his stall was a small basket now only half-filled with squash blossoms. So I quickly went in line, wished while I waited that they'll still be some left when I get my turn. I got a dozen flowers and almost bought them all but I felt sorry for the people behind me so left the other dozen behind.

I had already planned on cooking Camaron Rebozado (Battered Shrimp) for lunch after our shopping that day. But my surprise ingredient changed my cooking plans, for the better. I remember reading Ellie's recipe for Prawn Mousse-Filled Zucchini Flower Tempura a few months back and made a mental note to make them when squash season starts. I added some scallions in there just because that's how I remembered my mother making Camaron Rebozado for me.



Shrimp Stuffed Squash Blossoms

12 squash blossoms
320 g (about 2/3 lb.) shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1 scallion, white part only finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame seed oil, optional
1 egg white, lightly beaten
oil, for frying

Frying Batter:
1 egg yolk, beaten
350 ml ice-cold water
200g flour

1. Prepare the blossoms. Swish them in a bowl of cold water, then shake them dry. Carefully snap the stamen off. Set the blossom aside.

2. Make the filling: Place shrimp, scallion, salt, pepper (and sesame oil, if using) in the food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. Add egg white and process until it comes together, about 20 seconds.

3. Spoon filling in a piping bag (I used a food storage bag with corner snipped off). Carefully pry open the flower petals and pipe about a tablespoon and a half of filling in each blossom.

4. Prepare the batter. In a bowl, combine egg yolk, water and flour. Do not over mix

5. Heat oil to 350C degrees. Holding the stems, quickly dip the blossoms in the batter and fry a few at a time for 2-4 minutes, or until it is golden brown and inside is cook through.

6. Continue frying until all are done. Serve immediately.

Notes: The batter makes plenty so we fried our other farmers market goodies as well: whole scallions, broccoli, green beans. Have fun and have a tempura party :)

These were a delicious way of enjoying squash blossoms. My sons wanted to eat more I wished I did buy all the squash blossoms. Hopefully this weekend luck is on my side again.


Check out Jun Belen's blog for the classic Camaron Rebozado recipe.

Another Filipino Squash Blossom recipe (filled with longanisa! Yum) by Marvin of Burnt Lumpia

Ellie, previously of Almost Bourdain is now Gourmand Recipes, please check her site.

Ginataang Bilo-Bilo for Kulinarya Cooking Club

This month's theme for Kulinarya is White to correspond for the wedding month of June chosen by Adora of Adora's Box and Diona of Tita Flips. 

I made Ginataang Bilo-Bilo, a snack or dessert that consists of tubers like sweet potatoes, yams and cassava plus tropical fruits like saba (or burro) bananas and jackfruit. It may also include sago (tapioca) pearls and all are simmered in sweetened coconut milk that produces a creamy sweet confection.

They are sometimes called Ginataang Halo-Halo due to similarities to the assorted ingredients you would find in the popular shaved ice treat. But once you put little chewy nuggets of glutinous rice, it somehow gets renamed Ginataang Bilo-Bilo to let you know you'll be getting something extra special.

My children all loved having these little rice balls, especially after I made Ube-Coconut Rice Balls. They especially liked forming them with their little hands, just like the way I remembered when they played with Play-Doh. And while we are cooking them, I especially never tire of watching their surprised faces once the balls float to the top of the boiling water.

I remember eating bowlfuls of this growing up. My family would always make them by the pot. We served ourselves, ladle them out into bowls to enjoy straight away. This way is especially good for warming up during the cold and rainy season. But during the humid, hot summers I would place my bowl and in the fridge (in the freezer if I'm being impatient) and wait a little while to enjoy and savor each spoonful. When eaten cold, the coconut milk thickens even more giving it an almost pudding-like consistency.

This treat is naturally gluten- and dairy-free and very easy to make. Glutinous rice flour is available in Asian markets and Asian aisle of major supermarkets. Do not let the term glutinous confuse you, it does not have gluten. This only means that the rice flour is made from a sticky type of sweet rice.


Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
serves about 6

1/2 cup dried sago pearls
1/2 light brown sugar
3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1/4 cup water (more, if needed)
2-13.5 fl. oz. cans coconut milk
1 small cassava/yucca, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
6 pods jackfruit, chopped
3 saba bananas, quartered lengthwise and chopped
1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste)


Prepare the sago pearls:
Place sago in a medium bowl and fill halfway with water. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking together. Strain the sago and rinse under cold water. Check for doneness. If still hard and chewy, repeat process or until the center of each pearl becomes translucent. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place sago back in pot with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 cups of water. Heat until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and let it cool. Set Aside.

Prepare the bilo-bilo:
In a small bowl place rice flour. Stir in water and mix thoroughly. If needed, add water a tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. Dough should be firm but pliable. Shape a piece into a log shape about 1/4 inch in diameter. Cut 1/4 inch piece off the log and shape into balls. Set aside.
Bring a pot filled halfway with water and let it boil. Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower heat to simmer and drop the rice balls, several at a time. Take them out as they float to the top. This takes about a minute to cook.

Prepare the Ginataan:
Place coconut milk and cassava into a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to low and let it simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Add the sweet potato and jackfruit. Stir in and let boil. Cover and let simmer 5 minutes.
Next to add is the bananas and sugar. Stir to combine and let it come to a boil another 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness, you may add more if you prefer it sweeter. Check for doneness of the cassava and potatoes and let it simmer until done. Do not let it boil over high heat, the potatoes may fall apart.
Add the sago (without the brown sugar syrup) and rice balls and simmer until heated through.

Enjoy right away warm. Any extra can be placed in the refrigerator and eaten cold.

Ube-Coconut Rice Balls

#TaytoRiCo.

Huh?

It's a Cooking Challenge concocted up right on Twitter by @jmfield, @DailySpud and @TangledNoodle to come up with a dish, sweet or savory, that consists of potato (Tayto), Rice (Ri) and Coconut (Co). I was definitely up for the challenge.

Right away I wanted to make Ginataang Bilo-Bilo (sometimes called Ginataang Halo-Halo) since all three are well represented in this dish: cubed ube (purple yam), or kamote (sweet potato) for Tayto part; bilo-bilo (balls made out of glutinous rice, same as mochi) for Ri part; and sweetened gata (coconut milk) for Co part.

I got called in to work this week so cooking for this challenge got sidetracked. The night before the challenge is due, I gathered all my ingredients and realized my husband had used the last of the canned coconut milk! The only other coconut in my pantry is dessicated coconut. So now this has become a real challenge, indeed.

Since I was pressed for time (this was all done yesterday morning, the day we post on the challenge), I ended up just roasting the ube. I mashed it up and used it to fill the bilo-bilo which are now the size of doughnut holes (double their usual size). They were cooked in simmering water. Once they floated up (a sign they are done), the balls were ladled out and rolled in dessicated coconut.

All this was done early in the morning for about an hour. While talking pictures, the boss called asking me to come in earlier. I left for work and didn't get back home until midnight last night. So my post is a day late but overall it was plenty of fun.

They came out better than I expected. The chewy rice balls gave way to a soft, creamy ube surprise. The dessicated coconut gave it a crunchy texture and the flavor went great with ube as they always do.  Next time though I would make it using sweetened coconut since it was not at all sweet, all the sweetness came from the roasted ube. The kids and I ended up dipping this in sugar in between bites.  Ube Halaya (a jam of sorts using purple yam) would also make a great filling. And probably the best would be to use freshly grated coconut mixed in with sugar and sesame seeds (just like palitaw).

Ube-Coconut Rice Balls
makes about 20

small purple sweet potato (about 6 ounces)
1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour
1/2 cup lukewarm water (or more as needed)
1 cup dessicated coconut
sugar to taste

1. Roast ube in preheated 425F degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until soft to touch. Let cool, scoop out of the skin and mash with fork.

2. In a medium saucepan, fill halfway with water and put to boil over high heat.

3. Meanwhile In a medium bowl, place rice flour. Stir in water and mix thoroughly. Add water a tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. Dough should be firm but pliable.

4. Pull one teaspoonful of dough, flatten into 3-inch circle and place about half a teaspoon of ube in center. Gather the edges onto itself to seal. Rub between the palms of your hands to make a ball.

5. Once water boil, lower heat to simmer and drop in rice balls a few at a time. Once it floats, ladle out and roll in coconut. Serve warm or room temperature with sugar for dipping.

Online Bake Sale for Japan

Today I am participating in an Online Bake Sale for Japan organized by Sabrina of Tomato Tart. 

I will be making Strawberry Polvoron and Green Tea Polvoron. I made them extra cute and shaped them into Hello Kitty, hoping they get lots of bids which means more money raised to give to Second Harvest Japan.

I made Strawberry Polvoron before here. I will be sending a dozen Strawberry and another dozen Matcha Green Tea to the highest bidder. Some will be shaped like Hello Kitty, covered in white candy melts. Also bow-shaped ones, just like the ones Hello Kitty wears. :)

I will also be making my Scrabble Cookies. Delicately crisp Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies cut to the size of Scrabble letter tiles. I will provide 100 "letter tile" cookies with the accurate letter distribution so you can actually play Scrabble with them, if you like.

Please make sure to check out and bid for Annapet of The Daily Palette Lenguas de Gato.
Also Tina of Pinay in Texas made Food of the Gods.
Jean of Lemons and Anchovies baked Chocolate Chili Bites.

Please log in to Twitter and follow #OnlineBake4Japan and please bid. Thank you.

UPDATE April 5, 2011: The Online Bake Sale raised $8269 -- three times the amount goal we set out! Thank you to everyone; I am very honored to be able to participate in this project. I am eagerly waiting for Sabrina to email me the person(s) that got the winning bid. If that's you, please leave me a comment, I am dying to find out.

Munggo Guisado for Kulinarya Cooking Club

Thank you to Erika of Ivory Hut for choosing vegetables for our Kulinary Cooking Club theme this month. Many choices came up and I wanted to cook them all, from the classic Pinakbet (Filipino Vegetable Stew) to Adobong Sitaw, my favorite way of preparing string beans to Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet), a simple two-ingredient dish that my kids adore.

So cook I did but one major problem: no pictures! One dish was eaten up right away so there were no leftovers for a pictorial. For the other dish, I made sure to make plenty and had set it aside but come to find out the camera had no battery! By the time I got around to getting batteries, sadly the dish was all eaten. The last dish I just completely forgot to take pictures. I know, bad food blogger! ;)

So down the wire, last night I thought of something simple I can prepare today. Luckily, I have most of the ingredients I needed, plus I got to cook something perfect on this cold, rainy day: Munggo Guisado, a soup made of mung beans. This dish comes about fairly quick since the beans are so small, they only take minutes to boil. A quick saute of garlic, onions and tomatoes (the trinity of Filipino cooking) along with shrimp makes this a quick meal.

I remember having to pick malunggay (moringa) leaves off one by one and adding them at the end of cooking. I have not seen any but found spinach as a good substitute. Now thinking arugula would be great as well.

I've also topped my dish with chicharon (pork cracklings) which my family always does when we eat Munggo Guisado. When I mentioned this to my husband, he went out in the rain to get some. :)  This is totally optional and usually omitted during Lent when we served this on meatless Fridays. Tinapa (smoked fish), or even just fried fish goes great with this. Also, Paksiw na Bangus (Milkfish stewed in Vinegar) is my parent's favorite to eat with this. I have not eaten that in years so of course, now I'm craving it! :)


Munggo Guisado
(makes 6-8 servings)

2 cups dried mung beans
1 lb. shrimp (with heads) peeled & deveined, (head & peels reserved)
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 TBSP bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)
1 bunch spinach (or arugula)
chicharon (optional)

Pick through the mung beans for debris, rinse in water and place in pot. Fill to about an inch of water and let it boil over high heat. Once it boils, lower heat and let it simmer until beans are tender, 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally and add water as needed.

Once beans are boiling, make shrimp stock. Place reserved shrimp trimmings in small pot and add 2 cups of water. Let it boil then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and reserve broth.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook quickly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onions and cook 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent, do not brown. Add tomatoes and continue to cook, smashing them to give off the juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Add the bagoong and stir a few seconds until it is fragrant ;) Then add the shrimp, stirring to get the shrimp coated with the tomato mixture. A soon as the shrimp is starting to turn pink and opaque, pour in the boiled mung beans and shrimp stock. Turn heat up high and let it boil quickly.

Once it boil, turn off heat and add the spinach and stir. There will be enough heat to wilt spinach (also prevents  overcooking). Serve hot.

Please visit my fellow Kulinarya members for their Vegetables creations:

Kath - http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Trisha - http://sugarlace.com/
Trissa - http://trissalicious.com/
Olive - http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Ninette - http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/
Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/
Asha - http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/
Malou - http://www.skiptomalou.net/
Cherrie - http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/
Acdee - http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie - http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Sheryl - http://crispywaffle.com/
Divina - http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna - http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/
Dahlia - http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy - http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/
Maribel - http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Tressa
Jen - http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/
Pia - http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/
Malaka - http://thegrandinternational.com/.
Mimi - http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com/
Erika - http://ivoryhut.com/
Kat - http://www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk/default.aspx
Lala - http://thislittlepiggywenttothemarket.blogspot.com/
Selfie - http://eats.sefiebee.com/
Connie Veneracion - http://homecookingrocks.com/
Oggi - http://oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com/
Katrina Kostik - http://lardonmyfrench.blogspot.com/
Rochelle Ryan - http://www.whydiss.blogspot.com/
Marica - http://cuppycreme.blogspot.com/
Diona - http://titaflips.blogspot.com/
Rowena - http://saraplicious.blogspot.com/

Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish) for Kulinarya Cooking Club

This month marks the first year anniversary of Kulinarya Cooking Club. Thanks to Kath, Trish and Trissa, all the way across the globe in Australia, for starting a group that highlights our colorful Filipino cuisine. To mark this special occasion, Anna and Dahlia chose a festive theme to celebrate: Relleno, a term for stuffed food like chicken, fish, crab or vegetables.

I made Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish), one of my favorite dishes growing up. This type of fish is perfect for stuffing due to the thicker skin (just like salmon skin) but the drawback is that milkfish has more bones. Besides the vertebral spine, there are teeny tiny bones along the lateral and ventral sides. This is the reason Rellenong Bangus is a dish considered by many as a "special occasion" dish due to the laborious preparation that goes into the dish. When I say laborious, I only meant one thing: picking out the fish bones! I know this from experience because I was always the one who had to help pick them out. I didn't mind because my Mom would reward me with the best slice: the one with the fish belly, yum! :)

I decided to try something different in preparing my family's Rellenong Bangus recipe by starting with a boneless milkfish; a short-cut to avoid the dreaded bone picking. Most Asian markets now offer boneless milkfish (usually found in the frozen aisle), just make sure to buy ones that has not been marinated. A minor drawback is the fish still have their scales on but given the choice between bones or scales, it is easier to scale the milkfish (just takes minutes) than picking out the bones (may take hours).

Then it is just a matter of scraping out the meat. Setting aside the fish bodies to marinate in some soy sauce and kalamansi (or lemon). Saute the fish meat with onions, garlic, carrots, red bell pepper, raisins and seasoned with some soy sauce. Remove from heat and let it cool. (The cooling process is usually when you would go over the mixture to pick out the bones which can take hours.) I put the mixture in the freezer for about half an hour to speed the process. Once cool, mix in eggs and bread crumbs to help bind together when you put it back in the fish cavity.
 

Look no fish bones! :)

Then it is just a matter of frying or baking the fish until the skin is cooked through. This way of making Rellenong Bangus has been so easy that I won't need a special occasion to make my favorite dish. :)



Rellenong Bangus

2 milkfish, preferably deboned, thawed
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP freshly-squeezed kalamansi juice (or lemon)

1 medium onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely minced
1/2 cup green peas, thawed
1/3 cup raisins
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil, for frying

Prepare fish. Scale and rinse, pat dry. With a spoon, scrape meat off the skin, leaving belly intact. Put fish meat in a bowl, season with salt and set aside.

Place fish bodies in bowl along with soy sauce and kalamansi juice. Place in refrigerator to chill while you cook the fish meat.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, saute until translucent, do not let it brown. Add carrots and cook for about 2 minutes until soft. Add the fish meat and saute until meat become opaque, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add bell pepper, peas and raisins until heated though (the raisins would have soak some of the liquid the fish gave out). Take from heat, transfer to a bowl and let mixture cool.


Spoon the fish mixture into the fish and close it back. The seams were sewn together by using a regular needle and cotton thread. Lightly dredge the whole fish in cornstarch before frying it in a wok-ful of hot oil (350F). Fry until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes on each side.

Alternatively, you may bake the rellenong bangus in a 350F degree oven. Wrap the fish with a greased tinfoil, for about 40-45 minutes. Unwrap and broil to get some color in the skin. Though you won't get the crunchy skin when fried.

Please visit my fellow Kulinarya members for their Relleno creations:

Kath - http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Trisha - http://sugarlace.com/
Trissa - http://trissalicious.com/
Olive - http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Ninette - http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/
Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/
Asha - http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/
Malou - http://www.skiptomalou.net/
Cherrie - http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/
Acdee - http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie - http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Sheryl - http://crispywaffle.com/
Divina - http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna - http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/
Dahlia - http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy - http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/
Maribel - http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Tressa
Jen - http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/
Pia - http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/
Malaka - http://thegrandinternational.com/.
Mimi - http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com/
Erika - http://ivoryhut.com/
Kat - http://www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk/default.aspx
Lala - http://thislittlepiggywenttothemarket.blogspot.com/
Selfie - http://eats.sefiebee.com/
Connie Veneracion - http://homecookingrocks.com/
Oggi - http://oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com/
Katrina Kostik - http://lardonmyfrench.blogspot.com/
Rochelle Ryan - http://www.whydiss.blogspot.com/
Marica - http://cuppycreme.blogspot.com/
Diona - http://titaflips.blogspot.com/
Rowena - http://saraplicious.blogspot.com/