Pastel de Lengua experiment

I was able to buy in Rustan's a small ox tongue a few weeks ago. It was just sitting in my freezer. I really wanted to experiment and cook Pastel de Lengua. I have eaten it in parties but never made my own. When I learned that Jon, Mayette's husband, likes lengua, I asked them over for dinner! I also invited the rest of her family.

I researched in the internet, read several cookbooks, consulted with friends and relatives and eventually, came up with my own version. Quite simple and easy to make. Hehehe Sorry if I always say that. I really find cooking so easy, sometimes my Tita would say, it seemed like when I'm cooking... I'm just playing!

The Pastel de Lengua experiment was a success! The meat was tender and the crust was buttery/flaky. MMMMMmmm!!! hahahaha I wish I can add an emoticon where it shows the character is licking his lips because the food was so good!

Pastel de Lengua

1 K. ox tongue (bought mine from Rustan's, very clean already)

3 C. water

1 1/2 t. fine salt

1/4 t. white pepper

1 white onion, sliced

1 bay leaf

Put all the ingredients in the pressure cooker and tenderize for 1 hour. Cool the tongue in the broth and remove the outer tough white covering by peeling away from the meat. Cut the ox tongue in 1 x1 square.

1/2 C. butter

1 white onion, sliced

1 small can whole button mushrooms

250 gr. potatoes, cubed 1 x1

250 gr. carrots, cubed 1x 1

1 can Purefoods Vienna Sausage, each sausage sliced into 3

1 Knorr beef cube

1 T. flour diluted in 1/4 C. water

Saute the onions in butter, add the cubed tongue then the mushrooms. After a few minutes pour the broth, add beef cube, carrots and potatoes. When the vegetables are tender, add the Vienna sausage. Thicken with the flour mixture. Transfer into an 8 x8 heatproof baking dish and let cool.

Pie Crust

1 1/4 C. flour

1/3 C. Butter

2 T. cold water

Cut the butter into the flour. When it resembles like cornmeal, add the cold water, mix with fork. NO need to knead the dough. The less you handle, the flakier it will be. Wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put in between 2 pieces of wax paper and flatten using a rolling pin. Cover the heatproof dish with the crust. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, put slits all over the crust so the steam will escape. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350C or until light brown in color.

I also cooked Paella. (For the recipe, please go to the April 17 - Lia's Simple Paella post.) I have already perfected the proportion of the seasonings. I don't use saffron because it is quite expensive but just add paprika and tumeric.

While waiting for the other guests to arrive, Mayette and I were reading back issues of FOOD magazine when we saw a different kind of fruit salad. I told her I have all the ingredients in the fridge! Plus, Tita Baby is on a lacto-vegetarian diet, she couldn't eat my food. I can't remember the name of the salad but these are the ingredients:

2 C. lansones, peeled and each segment separated

1/2 C. coarsely chopped pecans (the recipe calls for walnuts but I don't have)

1/2 C. raisins

1 C. apple, cubed

80 ml. mayonaise

2 T. Mayo Magic