Grain-Free Experiments (Swiss Rosti and Brazilian Cheese Buns)

I have been browsing the net for grain-free recipes. I found 2 recipes and experimented.

The first experiment was Swiss Rosti. I have only eaten it once and I cannot recall how it tasted.

My first attempt was..... SCARY!!!!! Hahahahahaha

I wanted to perfect it.... I cooked another one after breakfast.

I used the bacon dripping this time.

Ohhh I love Swift Delicious bacon! So fatty and salty!

I was able to render about 1/3 C of bacon drippings from 3 slices only! ( I cut each strip in half so it would fit my frying pan.)

Wonderful!

My 3rd attempt was perfect, well.... Compared to my first 2 experiments.

Ohhhhh look at the bacon rosette! So pretty!

After grating the potato, I rinsed it in a colander until the water was clear.

Then I squeezed the grated potato until dry.

On a non-stick pan where I fried the bacon, I placed the potato pattie and cooked over low heat until golden brown.

Then flipped it over and cooked again until golden brown.

I did not add salt anymore.

My next experiment was Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Buns.

I used cassava starch which I bought in SM Makati.

I will experiment again. My taste testers, Tricia and Anna, said it needs more cheese and center was chewy.

Although in the website where I got the recipe, it said, the center should be moist and chewy.

I have something in mind I want to try and experiment using the same principle as Pao de Queijo.

It is very exciting because there are so many grain-free recipes out there!

Will just have to try it one at a time.

 

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Beef Bulgogi

I am starting my rice-free journey today. Tricia suggested I refrain from cooking Filipino food at the moment because I associate it with rice.

Adobo is best eaten with rice!!!

Filipino Bistek with rice!

Binagoongan Baboy with rice!!!

Can you see the pattern now?

Being rice-free will be extremely difficult for someone like me who loves Filipino food!

I just need to get over the withdrawal period.

I hope it only lasts for a few days, maximum is one week.

Rice-free menu tonight was Beef Bulgogi.

Beef Bulgogi (serves 2)

300 g. Sirloin, thinly sliced

1/4 C. Korean soy sauce

1/4 C. Brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 white onion, sliced

2 pcs. leeks, white part only sliced diagonally

1/4 t. Black pepper

1 t. Sesame oil

1 T. Toasted sesame seeds, crushed

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours (4-6 hours).

Heat a griddle or thick bottomed frying pan. Add a little oil then add the meat with the marinade.

Cook until the meat is not pink anymore.

(I added a cup of beansprouts because I needed a filler since I did not eat rice.)

Serve on top of lettuce leaves.

Add kimchi and a small dollop of Gochuang.

Roll and take a bite.

Dessert was just one square of dark chocolate!

 

 

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KST Batch 21 Graduation

It was graduation day for the 74 participants of the KST ( Kasambahay Sa Tahanan) program of Barangay Bel-Air.

The participants are domestic household helpers of Barangay Bel-Air and its neighboring communities.

It started last June 1 and its aim is to improve the spiritual, civic, social and personal awareness of every participant.

They attended 20 modules with different resource speakers.

They were also taught different basic skills to enhance their knowledge and creativity.

At the end of the program, I was very happy because my girls realized that being a domestic helper is not a "be all and end all".

They realized that they could reach their full potential with hard work, a belief in themselves and trust in God.

What more could a facilitator ask for?

The participants were so jubilant after the graduation ceremony.

You could feel the pride and joy emanating from each one of them.

I felt as though the KST Program has just given them the key to their future.

A future with hope and not just live day to day in quiet desperation.

 

 

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Bad Habit

One of the reasons why I cannot sleep at night is because I have a bad habit of browsing online for recipes.

Then..... I would get hungry and indulge in midnight snacks, literally at 12:00 am!

One of my midnight snacks was Candied Walnuts!

1 C. Walnuts

1/4 C. White sugar

1 T. Butter

Toast the walnuts in a frying pan. Add the sugar and butter. Toss with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar has melted and has caramelized.

Transfer onto a silicone mat or parchment paper. Separate pieces with a fork. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Last night, the midnight snack was leftover Daing na Bangus and Aligue rice.

That was why I slept at 6 :00 am!

I experimented on some of the recipes online but I did not eat them as midnight snacks.

Champorado from scratch was so easy to make!

Imagine, all my life... I have been eating White King Champorado mix!

Champorado

1/2 C. Malagkit rice, washed and drained

5 C. Water

4 pcs. Malagos Tablea diluted in 1/2 C. Hot water

1/2 C. White sugar

Evaporated milk

Boil water, add the washed malagkit rice. Stir ocassionally and cook until the rice is translucent.

Add the diluted Malagos Tablea and sugar.

Add more water if the Champorado becomes too thick.

Serve with evaporated milk and fried tuyo.

Experiment #2 was the Oyster Cake.

Oyster Cake

1/4 C. Cooking oil

1 C. Oysters, removed from shells

1/4 C. Green onions, cut into 1 inch length

1/2 C. Togue

1 t. Salt

1/2 t. White pepper

1 C. Cassava starch

2 eggs, beaten

Mix the oysters, togue, green onions, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Add the cassava starch.

Heat a non-stick frying pan with oil. Put the oyster mixture in the pan, spreading it evenly.

Pour beaten eggs.

When it starts to set, flip the cake over and cook until the egg is not runny anymore.

Transfer onto a plate.

Garnish with wansuy leaves and serve with Sriracha sauce.

Experiment #3

Ginataang Lanka

1 K. Langka

Garlic, crushed

Onion, sliced

Ginger, thumb-sized, pounded

2 siling haba

4 C. Coconut milk

3 T. Patis

1 C. Coconut cream

12 pcs. Shrimps

Put the Langka, garlic, onions, luya and coconut milk in a pot or wok-like pan.

When the coconut milk boils, lower heat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes over low-medium heat.

Season with patis.

Add the shrimps and coconut cream.

Cook until the shrimps change its color.

Experiment #4

Pinangat na Sapsap sa Calamansi

1/2 K. Sapsap

3 T. Calamansi juice

1 t. Salt

1 T. Cooking oil.

Place the fish in a pan. Add calamansi, salt and cooking oil.

Cover and cook for 7 minutes.

Transfer onto a serving dish.

I ate it with garlic rice...

And dipped the fish in bagoong isda sauted in oil with browned garlic.

Experiment #5

Poached Egg

Strain the egg whites using a mesh strainer.

Slowly drop into simmering water. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on a kitchen towel.

Experiment #6

Honey Mustard Dressing - 1 serving

1 t. Olive oil

1 t. Honey vinegar

1 t. Honey

1/2 t. Spicy brown mustard.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over salad greens.

I ate it with Hungarian Sausage with Cheese and I also cooked home-made fries.

I really should kick off the bad habit of browsing recipes online before going to bed but..... I learned so much from researching at night!

Maybe I can browse at midnight but I should not eat anymore!!!!

That's an idea!

 

 

 

 

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Fresh Chinese Lumpia

Today's experiment was the Fresh Chinese Lumpia with homemade wrapper.

I served it on the "Lumpia Bar".

How to assemble a Lumpia.....

Lay the egg wrapper on a plate.

Put 1-2 lettuce leaves on the center of the wrapper.

Add 2 T. Peanut/ Sugar

Put 1/2 C. of the filling on the lettuce leaf.

Sprinkle with fried Bihon and chopped nori.

Fold the 2 sides toward the center.

Ladle sauce over it, sprinkle more peanuts/sugar and chopped garlic.

Lumpia Filling

1/4 C. cooking oil

1 head garlic, chopped - divided into 2 portions (one for sautéing and one for garnishing)

1 onion, sliced

1/4 K. ground pork

250 g. carrots, cut into strips

500 g. Singkamas, cut into strips

2 squares Tokwa, cut into strips

250 g. Cabbage, shredded

2 t. Knorr Chicken Powder

Pepper

1/4 shrimp juice or water

50 g. Bihon, deep fried and drained

2 T. Chopped nori leaves

Green ice lettuce

1/2 C. crushed peanuts

1/2 C. white sugar

(Combine sugar and peanuts in a bowl.)

Saute garlic and onions in cooking oil until wilted over low fire.

Add the ground pork and cook until the pork is no longer pink.

Add the carrots followed by the singkamas.

Add the tokwa, Knorr Chicken powder and shrimp juice or water.

Season with pepper.

Lastly, add the cabbage and cook until crisp tender.

Lumpia Wrapper

1 C. Cornstarch

1 C. Water

1 egg, beaten

1 t. cooking oil

1-2 drops of yellow food coloring (optional)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Grease and heat a non stick pan.

Pour 1/3 C. of the lumpia batter and swirl around the pan.

When the edges start to lift from the pan,slowly lift the wrapper and transfer onto a plate. Put a piece of wax paper in between layers.

Another way would be to put the wax paper on the top of the wrapper while still in the pan then flip over a plate. This method works best for me.

Lumpia Sauce

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. soy sauce

1 C. water

2-3 T. cornstarch dissolved in 3 T. water.

Boil sugar, soysauce and water in a sauce pan.

Add the cornstarch slurry when the brown sugar has been dissolved.

Let it boil until thick but pourable.

I love experimenting when I have willing guinea pigs.

Thank Goodness, Jing, Sherman and Mona were here for lunch.

Sherman is an expert at grilling pork liempo.

I loved the marinade of their liempo.

Mona cooked the steamed shrimps.

Soooooo fresh and I sucked the juice from the head!!!!

She also bought my favorite ice cream, Magnolia's Best, Coffee Crumble.

I was really very full from lunch!

When Sherman and Jing left, I switched on my ice cold air conditioner in my room, turned off the lights and slept so deeply I did not even hear the phone and viber messages I received while I was snoring the afternoon away!

I rarely take mid-day naps except when I am sick.

So, I am still wondering up to now why I felt so sleepy!

I am used to taking high dosage of antihistamines but I was not knocked out cold after taking them.

Unlike today.... Literally... Lights Out!

 

 

 

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