Plain Gourmet

Tropical Food for the Gods

2012-05-31T15:51:00.000-04:00

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Adapted from the traditional recipe of Otilia G.H. del Pilar-Caparas' Food for the Gods

These decadent tropical sweet squares evolved from the more traditional Food for the Gods, which requires dates and walnuts only.

The added pineapple and coconut gives it a more summery, tropical flair.

It's delicious with afternoon tea or for dessert with a cup of espresso!

Enjoy!

Seafood Pochero

2012-04-18T16:51:00.001-04:00

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Recipe courtesy of Otilia G.H. del Pilar-Caparas

Spring stormy weather = comfort food

Do you find yourself craving nice, hot comfort food when it's storming outside? Seafood Pochero will definitely fit the bill. Seafood Pochero is a Filipino stew and like most Filipino dishes, Pochero is usually made with beef, pork and/or chicken. However this recipe is tailored for the more health-conscious, without losing the delicious comforting flavor of this wonderful stew.

Pochero has a mildly sweet and delicate flavor, due to the plantain bananas and sweet potatoes that makes this dish an instant favorite.

Garlic Fried Rice is an excellent side dish for Pochero and this combo pairs well with a glass of fruity white wine like Pinot Grigio.

Enjoy!

Cake Pops with a Spring Theme

2012-03-30T13:24:00.000-04:00

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In the spirit of Easter, I am re-posting these fun Cake Pops with a Spring Theme!

Cake pops is the way to go to perk up your dining table or dessert corner at your next spring party. You can use your own cake recipe (from scratch) or a box of cake mix. Then add homemade icing or store bought frosting, some lollipop sticks and candy wafers... and you're all set to go!

I can tell you right now that making these things will take some trial and error on your part... In other words, patience. I will share some of my tips and tricks to help you along the way. So read this entire post before attempting to make these pops.

For the cake pops shown in this post, I used a box of yellow cake mix and vanilla frosting (as my son requested for his birthday party). You may substitute homemade recipes for these. It will take longer but the ingredients will be healthier overall... if you use the good stuff (real sugar instead of fake sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, etc.). Although "healthier" doesn't mean you should eat more. :)

So here we go...

Bake your cake in a 13x19 cake/brownie pan. You can use chocolate, white or yellow cake. Make sure that your cake is cooled completely before you put it in your food processor. Run the food processor for a few seconds until you get fine crumbs. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl. If you don't have a food processor, use your hands to crumble the cake in a large mixing bowl.

Then add about a cup and a half of frosting. Mix very well until you get a truffle-like consistency.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and find your small ice cream scoop and a dinner knife. Hmm... what's the dinner knife for? The dinner knife will help you come up with evenly portioned cake balls as shown on the left image below. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Chilling will make the cake scoops easier to roll into cake balls as shown on the image on the right below.

For this recipe, I used Make n' Mold candy wafers. And because I wanted a spring color theme, I used yellow, light blue, pink, white and purple candy wafers. These candy wafers come in many different colors and you can buy these at a craft store. When you make that trip out to the craft store, make sure you have the lollipop sticks and floral foam blocks on your list as well.

When the cake balls are chilled, take one of the lollipop sticks and dip it in the melted candy. Insert the stick in the middle of the cake balls about 3/4 of the way through. See below.

Once you have finished with this step, check the consistency of the melted candy. You might need to warm it up a bit at this point. Go back to the first cake pop with the lollipop stick and dip in the melted candy. Dip the cake pop at an angle then pull it right back up and out of the candy. Turn the stick around 90 degrees and dip again until the cake pop is completely covered. DO NOT twirl or swirl the cake pop while submerged in the melted candy (I made that mistake the first time!) as they are likely to fall off the lollipop stick!

When the cake pop is completely covered in the melted candy, gently tap the stick against the side of the bowl to let any excess candy drip back into the bowl. Before the candy layer hardens completely, sprinkle with edible decorations. You can also use sweetened coconut or chopped nuts.

When all that's done, stick the decorated cake pop in a floral foam block deep enough to ensure that your cake pop does not topple over! Now you have to repeat this process with the rest of the cake pops... yikes! Chill in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes or until the candy layer becomes nice and solid.

This recipe yields 63-65 cake pops. That's a lot of chilling, melting and dipping! It's a lot of steps (work really!) but it'll be a great hit at your next spring party. Kids have fun making these cake pops, specially so, if you let them decorate... so recruit them for this project!

Have fun!

Fettuccine Tartufate

2012-02-02T18:54:00.000-05:00

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This sexy pasta dish was inspired by Lupa Italian Restaurant located in the heart of Noe Valley in San Francisco. Lupa is a beautifully designed restaurant, had a nice ambience and excellent service.

I had dinner with friends there last summer and I've been meaning to recreate this dish at home so I can share the recipe with you. Lupa's menu describes this dish to be "Homemade fettuccine with porcini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms in a black truffle sauce". However my version of this recipe is slightly different, where I used wood ear mushrooms, instead of porcini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms. You can use all of the above if you like... but what really makes this pasta dish unforgettable is the truffle oil!

The pungent truffle oil, wood ear mushrooms and garlic gave the pasta a decadent and sexy flavor.

It's something to think about making over Valentines Day!

When I shot the image above, I didn't plan to place the plate right next to that heart-- It must be a sign from Cupid!

Below is the recipe for this exotic pasta dish. Oh yeah, one more thing... To give it a little crunch and more texture, top it with toasted bread crumbs.

Enjoy with a glass of your favorite cabernet.

Hearty Cinnamon Orange French Toast

2012-01-29T06:50:00.000-05:00

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Good morning, readers! This is guaranteed to be a breakfast favorite... Hearty Cinnamon Orange French Toast.

Because Valentines Day is just a couple of weeks away, I used heart-shaped cookie cutters to get into the spirit. It's fun to use other shapes and sizes for different occasions-- stars for 4th of July, leaves for fall, snowflakes for winter. Use your imagination!

Garnish with sliced strawberries, bananas or kiwi. You can also apply a light dusting of confectioners sugar. And to mix it up a little bit, you can also use chocolate syrup instead of maple syrup!

Think my little guy is a happy camper?

Have a great Sunday!

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Garlic Prawns

2012-01-26T11:28:00.000-05:00

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My nickname for this recipe is Boracay Island Garlic Prawns. It is a simple, yet flavorful dish that my husband and I tasted for the first time when we went to Boracay in May of 2000.

Since I started this blog in January of 2011, my awareness-- of the taste, the look, the delicious and savory smell of different spices, was definitely more heightened compared to my other trips back home. And because we enjoyed ourselves immensely in Boracay in 2000, we just had to go back.

One of the things we enjoyed in Boracay, other than the spectacular White Beach and other surrounding beaches, is the seafood! The Talipapa, is the island's local market where you can buy the freshest seafood, produce, souvenirs, beachwear, and such. The fish and shellfish are so fresh and can be prepared as requested by customers at restaurants strategically located right next to the seafood stalls. It's less expensive than dining at a restaurant on the main strip of beach. When you dine beachside, you pay for the ambience. But when you're looking for great food at a lower price, the Talipapa is the way to go.

Here are some of my favorite sunset shots I've taken...

It was an idyllic place...

The photo below was my inspiration in recreating this Garlic Prawns recipe. I took this shot right before we hired a boat to take us to the best snorkelling spots around the island.

The recipe below calls for peeled and deveined prawns. However, if you prefer to have your prawns looking like the photo above, use prawns that are butterflied, with the shell and head on.

Garlic Prawns pictured below with Mung Bean Soup and Garlic Fried Rice.

When you plan a trip out to Asia, consider the Philippines' Boracay Island. Boracay was awarded in the Travelers Choice 2011 by TripAdvisor as the second best beach (out of 25) in the world.

Mung Bean Soup (Ginisang Mongo)

2012-01-25T13:22:00.001-05:00

Mung Bean Soup (also called Ginisang Mongo) is a comfort food that's perfect for the chilly winter weather we're having. This is a Filipino dish... with an American twist. My mother uses sliced bitter melon or bok choy to her recipe. I like bok choy but I'm not too fond of bitter melon, so instead I use spinach or arugula as my green vegetable to make the soup more healthful and to add color and contrast to the soup.

Nutritional facts: Mung beans belong to the legume family. They are also a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals. A cup of mung bean soup with one cup of Garlic Fried Rice is quite substantial, rich in nutrients, and will satisfy your appetite.

Pictured below is a cup of Garlic Fried Rice topped with Garlic Prawns, surrounded by a cup of Mung Bean Soup. When you make this recipe, pre-soak the mung beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will reduce the cooking time. For our vegan readers, eliminate the prawn broth and increase the vegetable broth by 2 cups.

Garlic Fried Rice

2012-01-25T10:49:00.001-05:00

Here's a nice and simple side dish that is very easy to make...

Plantain Spring Rolls (Turon)

2012-01-19T11:36:00.001-05:00

It's good to be back from a month long vacation in the Philippines visiting family and friends! It's been 10 years since our last visit and it's also my son's first time to meet his aunts, uncles and cousins on my side of the family. At this last visit, we enjoyed lots of Filipino food and a few of them became fast family favorites, which I'll be sharing over the next few posts... beginning with...

Plantain Spring Rolls (called Turon in Filipino) is usually served in the late afternoon, also called merienda, as a deliciously sweet and crunchy snack. It is made with plantain bananas rolled in brown sugar and toasted sesame seeds, then wrapped in spring roll wrappers, and fried in vegetable or canola oil.

This has always been one of my favorite snacks growing up in the Philippines and it instantly became my husband's and son's favorite merienda snack.

This recipe is very simple and easy to make. Plantain bananas are usually fried or added in stews. Below you will find photos on how to roll these Plantain Spring Rolls.

You can buy packaged spring roll wrappers at your local grocery store or Asian stores. Moisten the wrapper around the edges with a pastry brush to soften it for easier handling and to seal the bananas properly.

Try this recipe! This will be an instant favorite among family, friends and coworkers.

Featured in Yummly!

2011-10-18T22:07:00.000-04:00

I was about to turn in for the night last night... decided to check on any other email that might have come in yesterday afternoon, when, to my surprise, I came across this email from one Shelley Adler of Yummly. Ms. Adler said that one of my posts was featured recently on Yummly's blog.

Yummly, thanks for selecting my recipe!
_____________________________

About Yummly

Founded in 2009 by foodies on a mission to invent a better way to find recipes, Yummly is the world’s first semantic recipe search and recommendation platform. Yummly enables you to find and customize recipes based on your personal taste, nutritional and dietary preferences. The site aggregates recipes from cooking websites, and is fully integrated with Facebook. Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, Yummly is backed by First Round Capital, Harrison Metal Capital, Intel Capital, and angel investors.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-10-13T12:58:00.001-04:00

The leaves are turning and soon enough, our surroundings will burst into lovely fall colors! To get in the spirit of Fall, I've been making all stuff pumpkin... like these Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. You will find this recipe at the bottom of this post.

The blend of cinnamon, ginger and cloves definitely brings about the essence of Fall flavors.

Add a few drops orange food coloring to the Cream Cheese Frosting to promote the pumpkin and Fall season.

Use Halloween themed cupcake liners--
kid-friendly idea!

This recipe works as a bundt cake as well.

Grease and flour a bundt pan, add batter, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn the bundt cake over on a fall themed cake platter and dust lightly with confectioners sugar. It makes for an attractive and tasty treat!

AND... you can also bake it in small loaf pans too. Great with afternoon tea or coffee!

Happy Fall and Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-10-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

Fresh Fig, Gruyere and Arugula Sandwich

2011-09-13T23:35:00.003-04:00

You know Fall is right around the corner when those mildly sweet and luscious figs start showing up at your local grocery store. I just craved for an open-faced fig, gruyere and arugula sandwich when I came across these lovely brown turkey figs at the store today!

The creamy saltiness of the gruyere, the mild sweetness of the fig and the slight bitterness of the arugula is such a delicious combo!! This is a wonderful open-faced sandwich-- a light and yet, tasty and satisfying, lunch.

The shot above was taken right before it went in the oven. See the gooey gruyere cheese nicely melted after it came out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Summer Berry Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

2011-06-27T23:34:00.008-04:00

Berries are in abundance this summer season! It's the perfect time to enjoy these wonderful berries in a delightful coffee cake with a nice cup of java!!

Raspberries are a great source of antioxidants, Vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber. Contents of B vitamins 1-3, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron are considerable in raspberries as well. Click here to read more on these berries.

Just like rasberries, blueberries are rich in Vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber. Blueberries contain anthocyanins, other antioxidants and other phytochemicals. Read more on the nutritional benefits of blueberries.

This coffee cake was inspired by my first dining experience at the original Hobee's in Mountain View, California in the early 90's. They make the best breakfast dishes ever! Although I have to admit that once they expanded and became a chain, their coffee cake recipe was not quite the same as the first time I tried it.

So here's my version of the coffee cake that I have fond memories of...

Cinnamon Streusel

2011-06-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

Homemade Strawberry Jam

2011-04-18T10:00:00.009-04:00

There is no better way to start the morning than with a nice strong cup of hot java and toast with Homemade Strawberry Jam. We are in the midst of the spring harvest of strawberries... so you will find an abundance of these beautiful berries at your local grocery store. It's hard to resist these berries so I always think of fun recipes to take advantage of fruit that are in season... and I started off with this Homemade Strawberry Jam.

What's wonderful about this jam is it contains 3 simple ingredients... strawberries, raw sugar and vanilla. When you go to the PB&J aisle of your grocery store, take a moment to look at the ingredients of the jams and jellies there. Most of them contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and pectin. You want to avoid the ones that contain HFCS because of the harmful enzymes that are used in the refining process. Read more about the harmful effects of HFCS. Here's another article about a study performed on lab rats by Princeton University researchers.

Pectin, on the other hand, while it is not a harmful ingredient, it is used primarily as a natural thickening agent in jams and jellies. Strawberries are already naturally high in pectin so there is no need for this ingredient to thicken your jam.

I encourage you to make your own homemade jams and jellies. This way, you have peace of mind knowing what's really in the food you and your family are eating.

As a side note... here is a short clip on how to hull strawberries. You can also make this as a topping for vanilla ice cream to make a strawberry parfait or smoothie!-- Reduce the cooking time to 25-30 minutes to get more of a syrup consistency.

Enjoy!

Twirly Pasta with Spinach and Queso Manchego

2011-04-15T22:26:00.003-04:00

Spinach is a one of the healthiest vegetables and is referred to as a super food. It's low in calories and yet high in vitamins. It's an excellent source of Vitamins A and K, calcium and folate, among many other vitamins and minerals.

Cooking spinach is... well, you really shouldn't cook spinach. Or if you ever need to cook spinach, toss it in during the last 10 seconds of cooking. Any longer than that, your spinach will turn mushy and unappetizing.

When you make this pasta, toss in the spinach at the very end. It will wilt ever so slightly and will turn into this lovely dark emerald color. This is a light yet filling dish... and healthy. I suppose you can call this a warm pasta salad because of the dressing (as opposed to sauce). The recipe below calls for half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. If you enjoy pasta with a kick, double up on the red pepper flakes!

Did you know... Queso Manchego (or Manchego cheese) originated from Spain and it is made from sheep's milk. It has a delicious creamy, salty, buttery flavor that tastes great with this pasta dish. A great alternative to Queso Manchego is Smoked Gouda!

Enjoy! Comments/feedback are welcome.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

2011-04-04T22:43:00.010-04:00

My son is turning 9 this month and his birthday party is fast approaching. As you can imagine, I'm trying to plan a fun menu for the kids (other than the usual pizza and birthday cake). I want to incorporate the colors of spring into the menu so lately I've been experimenting with a couple of treats. One of them being homemade oreo cookies with colorful fillings!

I researched a few different recipes out there and I put my twist on it (less sugar, less sodium, less saturated fat, no trans fat, etc.). So here we go...

As a creature of habit, I always lay a paper towel on the kitchen counter to catch all the used measuring cups and spoons, and mixing utensils. It makes clean-up a lot easier.

This recipe has a lot of steps but it's fun to make. The raw sugar gives the cookie dough more texture, which I like. However you can substitute white granulated sugar if you prefer a smoother texture.

I used a small ice creams scoop to make uniform size dough balls, which I placed in row about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then I tried using the palm of my hand to flatten the dough balls but it left little indents on the dough. So I reached for one of the measuring cups I used earlier and gently pressed down on the ball. This worked perfectly because it created a flatter and more even surface.

Now comes the fun part... the assembly of the cookies! I used a small ice cream scoop to make uniform portions. I found that gently pressing the top cookie in a twisting motion worked best because if you press down and too hard, the top cookie can break in half.

To make the 3 colors, I divided the filling and placed them in 2 bowls. I put a few drops of blue in one bowl and red in the other. Add a few drops of color at a time until you see the color you want your filling to be.

To make the pale purple color, I added a couple of drops of blue to the red, and red to the blue filling left over... and I got pale purple! See below.

This batch yields 12 large oreo cookies, which I found to be quite large for individual portions. Next time I make this, I'll use a mini ice cream scoop... which will be perfect portions for the kids and it's a much healthier size for the parents as well!

Spring Strawberry Milkshake

2011-04-01T09:36:00.004-04:00

So glad the sun's finally decided to come out. Nice break from all the recent thunderstorms! Cool sunshiney weather is most welcome right now.

I'm gearing up for the Dunwoody Arts Festival and I'm excited to do this art festival again. The event planners do a fabulous job with organizing and marketing the event.

But with the weather so pretty this morning, I was inspired to take some photos of this strawberry milkshake before my 9-year-old gets home from school and gobbles it up!

Happy Spring!

What's for Dinner Tonight? Salmon Teriyaki with Citrus Sesame Noodles

2011-03-06T18:02:00.007-05:00

Salmon is an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and proteins... and it is one flavorful fish! In this article, I'll be sharing Helen Donovan's (my mother-in-law) homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe. It's very simple. You can make it ahead of time... and on fish and shellfish, you only need to marinate for about 10 minutes. Marinate longer than that and you will find your cooked fish a little too salty (because of the soy sauce)!

A great side dish for this Salmon Teriyaki is the Citrus Sesame Noodles. Place the salmon right on top of the noodles, and you will have a very attractive dish right in front of you.

Mom, thanks for sharing your wonderful Teriyaki Sauce!

Citrus Sesame Noodles

2011-03-06T17:55:00.002-05:00

This noodle dish is delicious with grilled shrimp, scallops or Salmon Teriyaki (pictured above). The citrus sesame flavor sets off the salty sweetness of fish and shellfish.

And if you are vegan/vegetarian, this dish is wonderful all by itself. It's packed with flavor and healthy ingredients.

Are those strawberries looking a little too perfect?

2011-02-27T11:33:00.017-05:00

I went to Publix earlier this week and found these beautiful red strawberries grown in Florida. It drew me right toward the stand because they looked so perfect. I wouldn't normally go for these berries unless the label shows organic. I went ahead and got one container... well, because the price was right and I also got one container of the organic ones.

The organic ones didn't quite look as perfect and brilliantly red. HOWEVER, they were much sweeter than the Florida grown perfect-looking strawberries. And don't let me get started on GMO versus organic!!!

Have a great week!

Tamarind Soup (Sinigang) with Tilapia

2011-02-23T13:48:00.004-05:00

Tamarind Soup, aka, Sinigang, is a flavorful, sour soup made with vegetables and meat or seafood. There are several versions of Sinigang out there. But this recipe is from a good friend of mine who lives in NYC, Sid Garabato.

Sid, thanks for sharing your recipe!

What's for Dinner Tonight? Mexican?

2011-02-18T10:18:00.004-05:00

My mother always used to tell me that fish is good for the brain... that it promotes brain health. You will find many articles on the internet to support this. However, as a child, I detested the smell of fish cooking... except for some of the milder fish like Tilapia.

Because Tilapia is a mild-tasting, flakey fish, kids will love it and it's a healthier alternative to the more mainstream beef tacos. So I'm sharing this recipe with you to enjoy with your family.

Mexican Rice

2011-02-18T10:18:00.003-05:00

Here's a a simple side dish that is delicious and easy to make.

It pairs well with fish tacos, stir fried vegetables or with a light tossed green salad.