Kulinarya April Challenge: Polvoron

Hurray for this month's Kulinarya challenge... Polvoron!!!

This sweet and uberly easy treat is very close to my heart as I have been making these since elementary school! I used to sell these together with other delightful Filipino goodies such as yema (dulce de leche), cheese sticks and ube(purple yam) candies. So when I knew that this will be for April's challenge, my first reaction was "oh yeah!!!

Now, Polvoron comes in many variations. The classic which doesn't have any add-ons and mainly consists of four ingredients- toasted flour, butter, sugar and powdered milk. Other flavored variations include cookies and cream, pinipig, cashew, chocolate and durian. Yes, durian polvoron which is obviously native here in Davao City as we have quiet an all-year round harvest of durian, geezzz you have to make durian flavored with just about anything ei! =)

I don't have any written recipe for this as it is super easy, even my toddler can do it, but of course I won't let him just yet as it involves some cooking in the stove.

My recipe is 1:1:.5:.5, super easy to remember right?

Some said it's better than Goldilocks, so try it yourself if you share the same verdict, and of course, don't forget to let me know. =)

Instead of using one type of powdered milk, I combined skim milk and buttermilk which made it more creamier.

Polvoron 1155

1 cup All Purpose Flour (APF)

1/2 or .5 cup butter non-salted

1 cup powdered milk (half skim milk and half of buttermilk)

1/2 or .5 cup white fine sugar

Add-ons: Optional

1 small pack Oreo Cookies (3 cookies)

1/4 cup cashew nuts chopped finely

1/4 cup pinipig

Procedure:

Turn heat to medium. Melt butter in a shallow pan.

Lower the heat, add APF, toast until light brown. Stir continously as flour tend to burn very easily.

Add powdered milk and sugar. Stir for the next 2 minutes to combine. Turn off the heat.

I divided this classic polvoron into three equal parts and placed in bowls and made a variation of cashew and cookies and cream and of course classic polvoron. Just stir in the add-on of your choice.

Mold using polvoron press and wrap individually with chinese paper. I "lost" my polvoron press and so I ended up using the measuring cups instead for the design in the picture. The 1/4 cup worked really well. Invert and just lightly tap the bottom of the cup and let the gravity do the rest.

Enjoy the buttery and milky goodness of Polvoron!

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Kulinarya: Empanada!

My first Kulinarya Challenge! yahoo!


This month's Kulinarya dish was hosted by Kath of A Cupcake or Two who chose Empanada, which I think is perfect as I have been wanting to make this stuffed pastry since high school!


I used to live with my aunt when I was still studying in Davao Oriental and Manang Inday, used to make these and sell it along our school entrance, and I was really proud of her because she absolutely made the best ever empanada of all time! Deliciously satisfying all-in-one meal! I actually asked her to give me a few as I'd be happy to help her sell it to my classmates, yes, I'm one of those students you see selling "kakanins" inside the classroom during recess and in my trusty bayong goody bag included yema, cheese sticks, kool-em mints, polvoron and ube! And I proudly made my own products, except for the candies, of course. =)

So, I went to look up for the perfect empanada dough recipe and I saw this empanada de kaliskis at Kusina ni Manang, which looked really challenging and I thought the kaliskis were really wonderful!

But, the kaliskis didn't seem to work well with me...I had a hard time with the oil dough and I thought maybe it was because of the quality of the shortening I used, however Manang used pork lard and it worked well, but one thing's for sure, these empanadas were very tasty! I'll be making these again using the traditional dough and maybe kaliskis using a different shortening. hmmm..

Pork Tenderloin Empanada

Kaliskis Dough
Recipe from Kusina Ni Manang

Water Dough:

200 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp white vinegar
50 gm pork lard (or shortening)
30 gm sugar100 gm water

Oil Dough:

180 gm all purpose flour
100 gm pork lard (or shortening)


Procedure:

1. For water dough, mix water, sugar, and vinegar. Mix in flour then add pork lard (or shortening). Knead to a soft dough. Wrap in plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
2. For oil dough, use a food processor to blend well (use short bursts to make it crumb-looking).
3. Use a rolling pin to flatten water dough. Distribute oil dough on half of water dough. Cover the oil dough with the other half of water dough so the water dough completely envelopes oil dough. Leave as little of the water dough at the edges just so you can seal water dough nicely all around oil dough.
4. Flatten and pop any bubble, but seal tightly so oil dough does not leak out.
5. Fold into thirds (the ends of the long rectangle) then fold in two so you end up with a squarish form. Flatten again to make it rectangular then fold in two again to make it square.
6. Flatten again to make it rectangular, about 9x13, then roll like jelly roll to form a log using the longer side.
7. Tap the ends of the log to make them flatter before starting to slice.
8. Slice every 3/4" to 1 inch (or slice and fill one at a time).
9. Use your palm to initially flatten, then use the rolling pin. Flatten the edges more since those are going to be crimped/pleated (and therefore, if you make it thick at the start, pleating will make it thicker). The middle should be thick enough so it does not break open when you put the filling in.
10. Place about 1 tbsp of filling. Pinch the edges and pleat/crimp.
11. Deep fry in 375 deg F oil for about 2 minutes, then drain on paper.

For step by step pictures, please go to Kusina ni Manang here.

Empanada Filling

1/4 kilo Pork tenderloin diced
1 onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 carrot diced
1 large potato diced
3 tsbp raisins
2 tsbp black olives sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup pork stock with 1 tsp cornstarch

Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, saute onion and garlic until translucent and lightly browned.
2. Add pork, sweat for 3 minutes.
3. Then add carrot, potato, raisins, black olives, pork stock-cornstarch slurry and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until veggies are cooked but still firm.

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What's for dinner? Easy Sesame and Tamarind Pork Stir-Fry

So, the dreaded question...

What's for dinner tonight?

When I am confronted with such dilemma, I usually bounce back and ask..what would you like to have for dinner? Meat or vegetables?

and the usual answer?? Meat with vegetables!

..uhmm..ok.

Right.

Meat with vegetables, it is!

me-Looking at the pantry. Sesame oil, mushrooms, sauces, tamarind paste (unopened),hmm..interesting. There's not much in the pantry. Great.

oh well!

I just can't be bothered with thinking, trying to squeeze the heck out of my neurons to work. I just have to cook up something fast, easy, yummy and "kid-friendly". You see, I have two toddlers/picky-eaters at home. One is 3 years old, the other is 23. I am not pressured at all.

So what did I come up?

Deliciousness! Not to mention fast, easy, yummy and kid-friendly....did I mention that again?

Yay!

It just means I am summoning you to try this out! It can save your life.

Easy Sesame and Tamarind Pork Stir-Fry

• 500g pork slice thinly against the grain
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsbp oil

Marinade:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsbp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1.5 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (I used Kikkoman, but you can use any brand you like)
• 2 tsbp dark soy sauce (I used Silver Swan)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Garnish:

• 2 tsps sesame seeds toasted
• chopped spring onions/scallions
• steamed green vegetables- broccoli asparagus bok choy petchay chinese cabbage - or any veggies you like!
• Pork cracklings- yes, eating cholesterol from time to time is good when it's pork cracklings..go for it..=P

Procedure

• Combine pork with garlic powder, sesame oil, oyster sauce, tamarind paste, water, light and dark soy sauce, sugar, salt and cornstarch. Marinate for 15 minutes (If you have 30minutes, better! An hour? Perfection!)
• Heat oil in wok, over medium heat, saute garlic until lightly browned.
• Add the pork and marinade. Stir-fry over high heat for 3-5 minutes, just until the meat lose it's pink color.
• Top with toasted sesame seeds, pork cracklings (hmmm, orgasmic!) and chopped spring onions.
• Serve hot with rice and steamed vegetables.

Let's pig out! =) Boink! boink!

acdee

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Lapu-Lapu Escabeche

Back in the UK, I never get to cook Lapu-Lapu or Grouper as much as I do since it was expensive and can be difficult to find. However, I have managed to cook the same dish using other types of white fish I can find in the market such as cod or haddock and it worked well, but I would always prefer making sweet and sour with grouper. It's more Asian-ish in taste. =)

We found this one tiny Filipino/Indian store, sitting in a very unsuspecting street, where you can find almost any ingredients you need if you want to cook up some authentic Filipino food. Papaitan pack, tilapia, lapu-lapu, nilagang saging (boiled bananas), ube, makapuno, top-notched Filipino brand cooking sauces and spices, malagkit (sticky) rice, different kinds of asian noodles (canton, sotanghon, bihon etc) and so much more. I was like a kid in a candy store. =)

So when I came back home, I made a dish that has always been a staple in our home using Lapu-Lapu.

Lapu-Lapu Escabeche

• *1 Headless Lapu-Lapu/Grouper (weighs about 3/4kilo) - of course you can retain the head if you prefer. With me, I usually use the fish head for soup with vegetables (Tinolang Isda) , makes absolutely delicious fish stock! =)
• 1 stalk tied lemongrass
• Garlic salt or garlic powder and salt
• Vegetable Oil for deep-frying
  

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

• 2 tsbp vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 medium sized onion minced
• 1 large red tomato diced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger julliened
• 1 medium carrot julliened
• 1.5 cups fish stock/water
• 3 tsbps tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tsbp white vinegar
• 1 tsbp brown sugar
• 1 small green bell pepper julliened
• 1 small red bell pepper julliened
• cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch+ 1 tsbp water)
• chopped spring onions/chives
  

Procedure:

1. Season fish with garlic salt or salt and garlic powder inside and out. Insert tied lemongrass inside the fish.
2. Heat oil and deep fry fish until golden brown on both sides.
3. Drain fish on paper towels for a few minutes. Transfer on serving dish and set aside.
   

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1. Heat 2 tbsps of vegetable oil in a separate pan.
2. Sauté onion and garlic until tansluscent and light browned.
3. Add ginger, diced red tomato, carrots, tomato paste and sauté
   for another 3 minutes.
4. Pour in fish stock, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar and green
   and red bell peppers. Bring to a boil and then add cornstarch slurry to thicken. Simmer for another minute while stirring. Remove from heat.

Pour sweet and sour sauce over fish and top with chopped spring onions or chives.

Serve while hot with rice.

Let's eat-a-eat-a! =)

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Chicken Tocino

Talk about comfort food..this is absolutely one of them! 100% pure Filipino food and an all-time breakfast regular..TOCINO!

This is often made using thinly cut pork loin, cured for days and the outcome is that tart, sweet and delicious soft meat that will totally make you fall in love with (excuse, for vegetarians).

Big thanks to Manang Kim of At my Tabletop for the recipe. I am so excited as I have never been able to make home-made tocino. I have a few tocino mix packs but never made this delicious breakfast goody from scratch. So here it is..=)

Chicken Tocino

2 chicken breast meat thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp iodized salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1/2 c 7 Up/Sprite

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lemon rind
1 tbsp brown sugar

Mixed the ingredients together and marinate for 4 days in the fridge (not the freezer) in a ziplock bag.

Tilt the bag each day so as to keep the meat evenly coated with the marinade.

Heat a little bit of oil and fry each side until brown and caramelized.

Ate this topped with chilli oil sauce with soy sauce and served with rice and sun-dried tomatoes.

Breakfast po tayo! (Let's have breakfast!)

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Papaitan for Pinoy Dinner

Pinoy Dinner is a food gathering of all Pinoys and non-Pinoys who love Filipino cooking which happens usually at the end of every month if not the first week. The idea came up when me and Ate Beth were talking about who has the highest work hours for the month of January 2009 . We are, mind you, very obsessed with our work hours because that will ultimately determine our pay slips! (alam ng mga Pinoy ‘to, aminin!)

In short, we, Filipinos, are very very hardworking individuals. =) That's how I put it. =)

So, I came up with the idea that whoever gets the highest hours worked- and of course-it follows- the highest paycheck, he/she will host a “Pinoy Dinner”.

I brought the idea when we were all present. Some questions were raised such as “what if I get to have the highest hours worked for two or three consecutive months? Of course, the answer is simple, then, you will be the host for those months! =) Follow-up question was, isn’t it unfair? Answer: No, you got the highest pay so consider it as sharing your blessings…hehehe. Don’t you want to share your blessings to the less fortunate ones? =P

So, all agreed, at gunpoint! Kidding!

The Criteria are simple.

1. Highest Hours Worked
2. Pinoy Dinner not less than 10GBP (don’t feed us with egg and hotdogs! =P )
3. Schedule it where most of Pinoys are not on duty.
4. No ready meals. (pre-packed) You have to cook at least 1 viand and 1 dessert. (simple!)
5. Of course, Filipino Food or Asian cuisine.

There are 7 of us Filipinos and we all live in one house and we also work in the same company, however, we don’t have much time to sit down and talk to each other because of our conflicting work schedules.

Pinoy Dinner is a perfect opportunity to gather around. We get to enjoy each and everyone, talk about our family, our dreams, our plans, joke about each other, laugh and just bond. We get to know each other more .We always have the company of our non-Filipino friends, Marek (Slovakian) and Babitha (Indian) who have learn to love Filipino cooking and have learned one or two of how “kalog” Filipinos can get!

If my memory serves me right, the first Pinoy Dinner was hosted by Floro, on January 2009. He didn’t however cook the pork adobo himself, but, left me with the ingredients ready and asked me to cook for him. Then he left, leaving me to “host” because he was on graveyard shift. He was the only one absent in his Pinoy Dinner!

Then the next host was Cyde, my sister, then Ate Rose, the ultimate top grosser who hosted two consecutive months!

And then..tantararataaaanannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ME!weeeeeee


So what did I cook?

Papaitan and Ginagmay and fruit salad for dessert!!!

For this post, I will share the Papaitan Recipe.

Papaitan/Papait (in Bisaya) is a bitter, spicy and peppery, offal stew- a famous native dish from the Philippines. It is usually made using goat’s tripe and innards or offal (kidneys, heart, liver) and then flavored with bile thus the name “papaitan” from the word “pait”which means bitter.

There are so many versions of Papaitan, but whether it is made of goat, pork, or ox, it always uses the animal’s tripe, innards and of course bile.

I was so excited to have found an Ox Papaitan pack at a Filipino/Indian store downtown. A set consists of tripe, kidney, heart, liver and a small packet of diluted bile. Goldmine! Yahooooo!

My mom, of course, taught me how to cook this one. I called her up before I started cooking and although most Papaitan versions look like stew/soup, our version is less of a soup, but definitely not less of the taste!

Try it for yourself. =)

Caution: For non-Filipinos, a well-trained palate is a must and you must embrace the thought of eating tripe and offal. =)

Papaitan

1 Ox Papaitan Pack (tripe, kidney, liver, heart, and bile) cut in strips
5 cloves chopped garlic
¼ c chopped garlic
1 c chopped onion
1 c julienne (strips) ginger
2 red hot chillis chopped
1 small sweet red pepper julienne
1 small green bell pepper julienne
Salt and pepper
Spring onions for garnish

Directions

Wash ox tripe thoroughly. Cut into strips, add 3 cloves chopped garlic, ¼ c ginger, salt and pepper, 1 cup water and simmer gently until tender adding water as needed.

Halfway thru the process, in a separate pan, combine ox kidney, heart, liver, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 cup water, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer on a dish. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over moderate high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent and slightly browned. Then add ginger and hot chillis, sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add cooked innards and tripe including its broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Pour in bile little at a time until desired bitterness is achieved. Then simmer for another 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add sweet and green bell pepper and cover for 5 minutes while you prepare the table =P.

Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with rice.

Best paired with a mug of beer! (we didn’t, instead we had ice cold cola! wholesome kami! nyehehehe)

Kainan na!!!!!! (Let's eat!)

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