Molten Chocolate Babycakes

It’s been a while since the last time I updated this blog. I have been pre-occupied with the arrival of my dad and a foreign guest. Ironic though, I have not been able to cook for our guest – we were always eating out. I missed my kitchen.


There is no better way to keep me going than a delightful dessert. I found a yummy recipe from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess, Molten Chocolate Cake, page 179. The picture was very sensual – it aroused my taste buds to bake it. The Molten Cake is best served when it’s hot but I couldn’t resist it so even if we just had desert, I decided to give it a GO!

Molten Chocolate Babycakes

Serves 6

50g soft unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

350g best dark chocolate

250 g caster sugar

4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

50 g plain or Italian 00 flour

6 individual pudding moulds, buttered baking parchment

(I used ramekins since I don’t have pudding moulds)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/gas mark 6, putting in a baking sheet at the same time.

Lay 3 of the moulds on a sheet of doubled baking parchment. Draw round them, remove,

and then cut out the discs as marked. Press them all into the base of the tins.

Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly. Cream together the butter and sugar,

and gradually beat in the eggs and salt, then the vanilla. Now add the flour,

and when all is smoothly combined scrape in the cooled chocolate,

blending it to a smooth batter.

Divide the batter between the 6 moulds, quickly whip the baking sheet out of the oven,

arrange the little tins on it and replace in the oven. Cook for 10-12 minutes

(the extra 2 minutes will be needed if the puddings are fridge-cold when you start)

and as soon as you take them out of the oven, tip out these luscious babycakes

onto small plates or shallow bowls. Serve these with whipped cream, the same

unwhipped in a jug, crème fraiche, crème anglaise, or ice cream.

The taste was heavenly…it was just what I expected. My hubby went crazy too! Easy way to his heart!

Belated Happy Valentines to all!

Pepperoni and Bacon Quiche

I  noticed in gatherings that pie is always a big hit. It doesn’t matter what kind of pie – apple, pecan, walnut, lemon, chicken, beef, tuna, etc. So, I decided to finally try baking a Quiche – a savory pie for our weekend family dinner. I am always drawn to the elegance and savory flavor of Quiche but I never had the guts to make it. Maybe it was because of the seemingly complexity of the recipe or the effort that goes into preparing it. Well, whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter. I decided to conquer my fear. No guts, no glory!

I used The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, The New Classics’ Tart Dough, page 586, a reference. I followed her Tart Dough recipe and I kinda improvised for the filling by adding additional flavorings.

Tart Dough

Makes one 11-inch

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp coarse salt

¼ cup coarsely chopped chives, rosemary, or thyme (optional)

9 Tbsp (1 1/8 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten

3 Tbsp ice water

Instructions:

A. Preparing the dough

Process the flour, salt, and herbs (if using) in a food processor until combined.

Add the butter, and process just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk together the egg mixture and the water in a small bowl.

With the processor running, pour in the egg mixture;

process until the dough starts to come together.

Shape the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

 

B. Rolling and Baking the dough (still from Martha)

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into ¼ inch thick. Cut out a 13-inch circle from the dough. Press the dough circle on the bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim the dough flush with the top edge of the pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze until firm about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line the tart shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to feel firm on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights; continue baking until the crust is pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

 

Filling

200 g bacon, diced

1 Pepperoni Sausage, diced

1 medium onion, diced

5 cloves of roasted garlic, diced

1 tsp of Italian seasoning

¼ cup Basil, chopped

2 Tbsp Spring onions, diced

Salt and pepper (to taste)

3 large eggs

1 cup cream

1 cup milk

Instructions:

Brown the bacon in a skillet under a medium heat. Remove from heat and dry the bacon with a paper towel.

Use the oil from the bacon to sauté the onions and garlic. Add the sausage and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat. Stir in the bacon, Italian seasoning, basil, spring onions, pepper, and salt.

On another bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and milk. Combine the meat mixture with the egg mixture until well combined.

Then, pour into the tart shell. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 40 minutes before serving.

There were some leftover filling so I baked them in ramekins and served them as breakfast the next morning. I recommend that for just the right amount of filling, reduce the sausage and bacon into half.

The effort and time I exerted for this dish was worth it. The flavor was what I expected – flavorful and distinct. Next time, I will lessen the salt because the Pepperoni Sausage is tasty already and will add more herbs like parsley and thyme.

Pasta Primavera

One of my goals is to eat more vegetables and fruits for health reasons. Approaching 30-ish is a wake call that I am maturing (in all aspects especially physically) faster than I thought. How I wish I can age like wine – the older the better.

Going back to food, I went to the supermarket the other day and packed my grocery cart with loads of vegetables. For tonight, I decided to try Pasta Primavera which I saw once in a cooking show. I cooked it artfully – in short – by “eyeballing” (without measuring).

Pasta Primavera

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini

(remove seeds and cut into strips)

1 small squash

(remove seeds and cut into strips)

1 medium red bell pepper

(remove seeds and cut into strips)

Extra Olive oil

Salt and pepper

400 g Penne Pasta (cooked)

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees F. Cut all the vegetables into strips with equal thickness so they will cook at the same time. Transfer them to a baking sheet. Put salt and pepper. Pour about 2 tbsp of extra olive oil and mix them by hand so that all the vegetables will be covered by oil. Bake for 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are soft).

Mix the vegetables with the pasta. Top it with parmesan cheese (optional).

It was tasty but guilt free :) I'll continue to search for more recipes like this.
 
Yummy!

Pizza Rustica

I borrowed Nigella Lawson’s Domestic Goddess book from a good friend. Since then, I've been itching to try recipes from her book. Her writing style is so encouraging for home cooks like me because of the simplicity of the recipes, very easy to follow instructions, and elegant presentation of each dish.


For me, Pizza Rustica is like a big Calzone but with a thinner crust.

I followed the book’s recipe for the pastry but I improvised for the filling.

Pizza Rustica

Serves: 8-10

For the Pastry: (Domestic Goddess, page 86 Pies)

Please note that my comments are in parenthesis after some of the ingredients.

250 g plain flour, preferably Italian 00 (I used all purpose flour)

125 g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm cubes

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp iced water (but you can add a little more if the dough is dry)

1 heaped tsp salt

1 Tbsp caster sugar (I used brown sugar and it worked well too)

22 cm, Springform tin, buttered

Instructions:

Put the flour and butter in a dish, and put this dish in the deep freeze for 10 minutes. Stir together the yolks, water and salt in a cup, and put this cup in the fridge. Then, when time’s up, tip the flour and butter into the bowl of the processor, add the sugar and pulse to combine: you want a soft crumbly mass, somewhere between sand and porridge oats. Bind with the egg yolks, water and salt, and when it looks like it’s on the verge of coming together (you have to stop slightly short of this actual happening), tip the pastry out and wodge (Mitch's note: wodge means to lump) it together with your hands. Don’t worry though, if the pastry is a little too damp: I find one of the miracles of this pre-freezing pastry technique is that it makes it more foolproof on every level. It always seems to roll out well.

Divide into two discs, one somewhat larger than the other, and put both into the fridge to rest wrapped in clingfilm.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/gas mark 6, put in a baking sheet, and get on with the filling.

For Filling: (This is now my own recipe using ingredients on hand).

1 Tbsp Olive oil

½ Kilo ground chicken (you can also ground beef or pork)

250 g minced bacon

1 medium sized minced onion

2 Tbsp red wine (optional)

5 cloves of roasted garlic (I love garlic so you might find five too

much and you can use less to suit your taste)

3 medium sized minced tomatoes (seeds removed)

3 Tbsp chopped basil

1/3 Cup minced mushrooms

½ Cup mild Cheddar cheese

½ Cup Quick melt cheese

¼ Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Fry the ground chicken and bacon in the oil for 6 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, tomato and mushroom. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Let it cool then add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly.

Assembling the pie:

Egg wash: 1 egg white, 1 Tbsp milk, and pinch of salt (mix them together)

Roll out the larger disc of dough and put it inside the springform to cover the bottom and sides, allow the dough to overhang. Sprinkle evenly the bread crumbs on the bottom of the pasty-lined pan then, fill it up with the filling.

Roll out the smaller disc of dough and place it on top of the filled pie, turn over the edges of the overhang bottom dough to form a border.

Before baking, brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and make steam holes by poking the pie with the prongs of a fork.

Put the pie on the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for ten minutes at 200 degrees C/gas mark 6, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4, and bake for another 35-45 minutes.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  

It was a big hit! Pizza Rustica is now officially part of my must-cook recipes. My husband and I finished 2/3 of the pie in just a day.

Kain na! (Bon Appetit in Tagalog)

Pan Grilled Rib-eye Steak

We went out for our family lunch date. It has been our tradition to go out for a date as a family (my husband, my son and I) once a week. We expected that traffic was heavy due to an on-going road construction, surpisingly the traffic was light so we arrived at the mall early (too early for lunch). We ended up going to the supermarket to kill time which was a bad idea because we went out there with three bags of nice to have things such as Rib-eye steak. Now I proved the saying that one should never do groceries with an empty stomach.

Pan Grilled Rib-eye Steak

Serves: 2-3

½ kilo of Rib-eye Steak (2-3 pieces around 1-inch thick each)

Salt and pepper

1-2 Tbsp gourmet mustard or honey mustard

Directions:

1. Rub the steak with salt and pepper then generously spread the mustard on each side of the meat.

2. Place the meat inside the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to allow the flavoring to get through the meat.

3. Preheat the pan (a sturdy one) over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. The pan must be really hot. Grill each side for about 3 minutes for medium rare) and around 4-5 minutes for well-done.

For the side dish, I served the leftover Mango Salsa which I liked but my husband was not so crazy about it. I think next time I will serve my usual complementary dish like Mashed Potato, Sautéed Mixed Vegetables, or Sautéed Mushrooms.

Learning for the day, fresh and quality ingredients are critical to great cooking. Bon appétit!

Mango Salsa

My helper, Manilyn, cooked Chicken Adobo Flakes and Garlic Fried Rice for dinner. As yummy as it was, I wanted to balance our meals by preparing a side dish with vegetables. Upon inspection of what ingredients I had on hand, I prepared Mango Salsa with the hope that it would go well with the Adobo.

Mango Salsa

Serves: 4-5

1 large cubed ripe mango

1 small diced onion

2 small diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp minced wan soy (cilantro)

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Vinaigrette

2-3 Tbsp of white vinegar (you can also use red vinegar, sherry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar)

2-3 Tsp sugar

Whisk together in a small bowl until sugar melts. Pour into the salsa.

It was such a simple recipe but it made a lot of difference in terms of flavor and nutrition intake for the family. We had a simple but enjoyable family dinner.

No Bake Cheesecake

One of my good friends gave me a box of cream cheese which I was saving for a special occasion until I read that it was about to expire in a few days. I panicked because I was not prepared to cook or bake anything on that day- it was my family-bonding day, Sunday.

Of course, I don't have the heart to waste food- its cream cheese! And besides, I don't get to eat it everyday.

After doing my routine research, I decided to try two separate recipes (Thanks to Martha Stewart and Paula Deen) for the crust and filling. 

Graham-nut Crust

From The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook The New Classics, page 476

(Makes 12 ½ x 141/4-inch crust)

Ingredients:

¼ cup Pecans

10 Graham Crackers (5 ounces)

3 Tbsp sugar (I used light brown sugar)

¼ Salt

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350^oF. Place the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until they are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool.

Place the graham crackers in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the sugar, salt, and pecans; pulse to combine. Add the butter; pulse until fine crumbs form.

Transfer to a 13 ½ x 4 ½ -inch tart pan (I used spring form pan since I made Cheesecake) and pat evenly into the bottom and up the sides.

I placed my ready crust inside the refrigerator to allow it to settle.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie (I omitted the Cherry pie filling)

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I reduced it to ¼ cup based on the reviews that I read)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust (I used the one I prepared above)

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, chilled (I omitted)

Instructions:

In either a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment or using a hand held electric mixer, cream the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Slowly add the milk mixing on low speed until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla and pour into the crust*.

Place the pie into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight, until well chilled and set.

*Please note that I added in the mixture one (1) envelope (10 grams) of unflavored gelatin which I melted in 3 Tbsp of hot water before pouring it into the pie crust. I learned this technique when I first attempted to make a Key Lime Cheesecake (no bake too) and my filling never reached its desired firmness. 

My husband likes it so much that we decided to privately share (just myself and him) the whole pie.

Cannelloni with Ground Beef Filling

While watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, our taste buds were aroused by the Cannoli of Marie (the mom of Raymond). Funny thing we thought Marie said the dish was Cannelloni. To satisfy our hunger, we decided to give it a go – Cannelloni for our family dinner. A totally new recipe for me.

As described by Wikipedia, Cannelloni are rectangular are rectangular pasta sheets that are rolled into a cylindrical shape encompassing a filling
I looked at my cookbooks but unfortunately, I didn't find any Cannelloni recipe. So, I looked for different filling recipes for fresh pasta. Walaah! I found the recipe that I believed suited my needs from How to Cook Everything of Matt Bittman. I modified it according to my palette and available ingredients. Here’s my own take:

Cannelloni Meat Filling

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 minced medium onions

½ kilo Ground lean beef (sirloin)

1 cup red wine (I used my left over wine from Christmas)

Salt and ground pepper to taste

5 cloves of roasted garlic*

¼ cup minced parsley (better if you use flat leaf parsley)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (preferably freshly grated)

1 egg

¼ cup bread crumbs (preferably homemade)

Pasta Sauce

2 cups Italian Spaghetti sauce

2 cups béchamel sauce

Instructions:

Pour the olive oil in a medium, deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until it is translucent (around 2 minutes). Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any lumps.

Add the wine with salt and pepper then turn the heat to very low. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened.

Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Cool thoroughly, and then stir in the parsley, parmesan, egg, and bread crumbs.

Fill the Cannelloni pasta immediately and arrange it on a single file on a baking dish.

Pour the Italian Spaghetti sauce then béchamel sauce. Cover the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375F (please follow the cooking instructions at the back of the Cannelloni package).

* I decided to use 5 cloves of roasted garlic because I love the sweetness and unique taste of garlic once it’s roasted. (I learned this from Martha Stewart, one of the people I admire).

The package of the Cannelloni recommended baking the dish for 20 minutes, however, after trying one pasta tube I found it a little hard so I cooked it again for another 7 minutes.

At first, I thought I overcooked my beloved Cannelloni. As dinner started, I looked at each one on the table as they passed around my Cannelloni. I felt like I didn't blink an eye until Tomas, my brother-in-law, gave his verdict, "umm, yummy".  And everyone gave their yummy-proval. Yeheey!

For tonight, I think I made it. Goodnight for now!

Cook, eat, celebrate, and love!!!

How It Started

As I watched the Julie and Julia Movie, I was inspired by the courage of Julie Powell to take her passion for cooking to a new level - to cook and to write about it.

I am a wife, a mother to my wonderful son, a homeschooler, and a part-time sales/hr person. Among my roles, I love being a wife and mom for these allow me to take care of my loved ones by cooking for them. Similar to Julie, at the end of each day (especially the bad hair days), I am comforted by the thought that I can cook and pour out my creative enery into something enjoyable and fun.

I always have this urge to cook, cook, and cook. I devote long hours thinking about a recipe that I learn. Parties and gatherings are welcome treats to serve food to family and friends.

I look forward to sharing my passion with you. Cook, eat, celebrate, and love!

Mitch