Spanish Bread (Pinoy version)

dough:

1 to 1 1/2 packets of yeast
1/4 c warm water
1/2 c milk
1/2 c melted butter
1/3 c sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 c all purpose flour


filling:
3/4 c breadcrumbs
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
extra breadcrumbs


dissolve yeast in warm water. in a bowl, combine milk, butter, sugar, egg yolks and salt. blend well then add the yeast mixture and enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough. transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk.punch down dough then divide into equal pieces. combine all the ingredients for the filling. roll out each dough into a small rectangle. brush with butter then spread with some of the filling (or you can just sprinkle a little sugar on the butter or omit this step). roll up, then cover in breadcrumbs. place seam side down on greased baking sheets. let rise until doubled in bulk again then bake in a preheated 325˚F oven for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Ensaymada

3 1/2 to 4 teaspoonfuls of yeast

1/3 cup of lukewarm water

1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of white sugar

1/2 cup diluted evaporated milk or undiluted whole milk

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

3 egg yolks

2 1/2 to 3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour (after measuring sift flour)

grated mild white or yellow cheese

white sugar, softened butter for top or filling

dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and 1 1/2 teaspoonful of white sugar. mix, then set aside until bubbly. mix everything together until well incorporated and smooth. transfer dough into a greased bowl, let rise for one hour, then form into a log, flatten out and fill with cheese and butter (optional), or just coil into a snail shape in a greased pan. if you are making individual cakes, divide the dough in equal pieces, roll into logs and coil or knot and place in greased muffin tins. let rise for another hour, then brush with butter and bake in a preheated 300˚F oven for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. cool completely, slather with butter, dust with sugar and top with grated cheese, if desired.

Pan De Sal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons softened butter
1 to 2 tablespoon oil
4 cups flour
3 teaspoons dry yeast
breadcrumbs

Direction:

Combine water, evaporated milk and milk and heat in the microwave for 35 seconds. Take note: *The liquid mixture must be lukewarm only and not hot. Besides, you also have to use dry yeast and not the fresh one or else your Pandesal will get that sour smell.*

Run tap water over the egg for 30 seconds to warm it. In a bowl, pour lukewarm liquid mixture and add all ingredients (except the bread crumbs) according to list order as suggested by the manufacturer. Mix well with a dough mixer. If you don’t have one…you may use a heavy wooden mixing spoon (Holzlöffel). Mixing the dough manually is quiet a hard task, but never mind, this is a good exercise for your bicepts. Mix around 15 to 20 minute.
Knead the dough!

After you have thoroughly mixed the ingredients, you’re ready for some real fun. Now, sprinkle a little flour on your clean kitchen counter or table. Keep a little extra flour on the side to use as you work the dough. Turn the dough out onto the table. Knead the dough with your hands by folding it then pushing it with the base of your palm. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and just a bit sticky. Dust with more flour as you knead if necessary. The dough is supposed to be somewhat sticky. So be careful not to add to much flour.
Give it a rest…

Put dough back into the mixing bowl. Cover the top loosely with a damp, clean cloth or plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Set the dough in a warm, draft-free place. Or in a 50°C (122°F) pre-heated oven. Keep dough covered until it doubles in size.

When the dough is ready, scoop out a small amount (about the size of an ice-cream scoop).

Spray two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray; preheat oven to 190°C or 375°F.
Roll in bread crumbs in an oval shape; place on baking sheet.Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled.Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Bitter Melon Omelette

1-1/2 cups ampalaya, sliced thin crosswise
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomatoes, sliced
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste

Sauté garlic and onion in 2 tablespoons of shortening or oil. Add tomatoes and water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add sliced ampalaya, cover and cook for 3 more minutes. Season with salt.
Add the beaten eggs spreading all over the vegetables. Cook over slow heat until the eggs are slightly firm. Add an extra 2 tablespoons of oil if necessary to keep the eggs from sticking.
Avoid stirring the vegetables as it squeezes more of the bitter flavor of the vegetables and makes the dish unpalatable. Yield: 4 servings.

** to remove bittery taste of the ampalaya rub ampalaya with salt and let stand for a minute or two and squeeze-out the juices after.

Pork Leg Vermicelli

300-400g dried rice vermicelli or green bean thread

8-10 dried Chinese mushrooms

1 1/2 cups shredded carrot1

1/2 cabbage

2 cans 14 oz stewed pork chops or pork leg

1 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce

Soak the vermicelli or bean thread in water until soft then drain. Soak the mushrooms in about 1 cup of water for a couple of hours until soft then remove the stalks and slice up. Save the mushroom liquid for the noodles if it gets too dried out when frying. After opening the cans of stewed pork, spoon out the fat for frying, pour out the rest onto a shallow bowl. Remove the bones and mash up the the meat so that there are no big chunks.In a wok or large frying pan, saute the vegetables in a bit of vegetable oil or the fat from the stewed pork. When half-cooked, add in the stewed pork and turn down the heat while mixing the ingredients together. Toss in the noodles and turn up the heat, pushing it into the sauce at the bottom of the pan to soak up the flavour as it cooks. Continue stir frying until the noodles are cooked and all the ingredients are well combined. Add in fish sauce or soy sauce to taste.Serve with cut red chilli or pickled green chilli and dig in!

Chicken In Mushroom Sauce

1 5-pound roasting chicken, cut into serving pieces

Flour

salt and pepper

1 cup oil / canola oil

Butter

1/4 cup rich chicken broth

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Put a cup of flour, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper in a brown paper bag. Piece by piece, put a piece of chicken in the bag and shake to coat the chicken with flour mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. On the stovetop, in a large frying pan, heat oil to medium high heat. Place the chicken pieces in the pan. Watch the oil carefully, you don't want the oil to be so hot as to burn the chicken, you just want to lightly brown it. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, turning when necessary.

Butter a roasting pan generously. Arrange the chicken pieces in it, pour broth over it, and bake at 350°F until the chicken is tender and cooked, about 40-50 minutes for pieces from a 5-pound chicken. You know that the chicken is done by poking a thigh with a meat fork (the thigh meat is dark meat and takes longer to cook than white breast meat). If pink or red juice runs out of the hole made by the fork, the chicken is not done. If only clear juice runs out, the chicken is done.

Mushroom Cheeseburger

Ingredients:

Burger Patty:

500g mince meat

1/2 onion chopped finely

1/4 c chopped parsley

3 tablespoons of a bbq sauce

1 crushed garlic clove

2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

1 egg

salt and pepper

blue cheese or cheddar cheese

Burger Buns

1/2 c mushrooms, chopped

onion, sliced into rings

lettuce, chopped

tomato, sliced into rings

French Fries

Simply combine all the ingredients together for your burger patty and fry for about 10-15 minutes on each side, depending on how well cooked you like your burger. Place the cheese about 5 minutes prior to turning off heat.On the side, cook the onions first for about 5 minutes and then add your musrooms for a few more minutes.Grill your Burger Buns 5 minutes prior to burgers being ready.Serve with French fries or Salad.Undo the top button of your jeans and Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Burger

1 pound ground beef (16-20%)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves minced garlic
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

1 egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put ground beef, mustard, garlic, onions, blue cheese, and egg into a large bowl. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Shape into patties, about 1/2 inch thick and larger than your bun. Chill until you are ready to cook.

Prepare charcoal or gas grill for cooking over high direct heat. Using tongs and a folded up paper towel dipped in vegetable oil, oil the grill grates. Make sure grill is hot and well oiled before laying down the patties. Season patties with salt and pepper. Place the patties on the clean, well-oiled grill grate. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side. Do not press down on the burgers while cooking.
If you don't have a grill, you can use a grill pan or a cast iron frying pan for the burgers.
Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce and mayonnaise.
Makes 4 burgers.