Almond Caramel Tarts (Boat Tarts if you have boat molds)

The boat tarts in Goldilocks is one of their best sellers.  The sweetness of the filling and the crunchiness of the cashew makes them really yummy.  When I was still single, I would always make them in our house in Sagrada and everyone loved the tarts.  I had this Maya Baking Book that I was using then but unfortunately someone borrowed it and had forgotten to return the book to me.

I have been trying to look for its recipe on the internet even at the aussie cookbooks I have here at home but there was not a single one that would really make the tarts taste like the one in the Maya cookbook.  What I did then is to just select and pick and revise all the recipes.  The tarts recipe I am sharing with you is the result.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did last night.

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 C of all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c butter
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water

Filling:
1/2 C condensed milk
1/2 C almond, chopped or almond flakes
2 egg yolks
1/2 sugar
1 stick butter

Meringue
2 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 C sugar

Procedure:

Crust
Sift sugar, salt and flour in a bowl.  Cut in the butter into the mixture.  Add eggs and water.  Knead a little just make sure that the dough is well blended.  Roll out the dough into a lightly floured surface.  Make it 1/4 - 1/8 " thick.  Cut with a cookie cutter in a size enough to cover your greased boat tart molds or small muffin pans.  Place cut doughs into the molds.  Set aside.

Filling
Use a whisk or electric in creaming the butter.  Put in all the other ingredients and mix.
Pour 1 tbsp of the mixture into the tart pastry.

Meringue
Beat the white eggs with the cream of tartar using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Add sugar little by little while mixing continuously.

Baking
Bake the caramel tarts in 175C preheated oven for 25 minutes.  Take them out at 20 minutes, put the meringue on top using a piping bag or spoon.

Note:  To cut in the butter, use fork or your hands if you don't have a pastry cutter.  You can also use any jar lid to cut the pastry.

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Nilagang Baka (Pinoy Beef Stew)

Who would not know how to cook nilaga in the Philippines?  Apart from the popular adobo and sinigang, nilagang baka is a popular dish that Filipinos cook for their loved ones.  It is especially a favourite when the weather is cool. but for some or most of the Filipinos, nilaga is cooked only on special days --- Sundays, Christmas or New Year.

 Beef is quite expensive in the Philippines. (I could not believe that beef is cheaper than pork here in Australia)  Beef rump per kilo is Php260-290 as of  December 2011.  There are cuts that are even more expensive that this. Comparing this price to the minimum wage that an ordinary Filipino receives if he works in the province, it is indeed expensive.   As of  January 2012, the National Capital Region's minimum wage is Php426 while in Region III of which Bulacan belongs to, the minimum wage is Php330.  This would even depend on which sector you belong to.  Agricultural and retail workers receive lesser salary.   A kilo of beef is almost Php300 and the minimum wage is just Php330 so everyday won't be a beef day for all Filipinos.  Based from experience, when I was a child, Sunday was the only beef day for us and some other special occasions.  I still remember my older cousins (Estong especially) going to our house upon hearing that we would be having nilagang baka for lunch. I remember that there were also some people , that would exclaim in a loud voice that they have baka (beef) for their meal  so it could be heard by the whole neighborhood (such funny memories).

Now that I am married I still cook the same dish and  I'm happy that my Aussie husband and our daughters love to eat nilaga.  They never get tired of it.  I think that's really good!

Ingredients:
1 K beef chuck or buto-buto
1 medium onions
green chilli peppers
1 medium cabbage
1 bunch of bok choi (pechay)
2 sweet potatoes or potatoes
4 pcs plantain bananas (saging na saba)
spring onions
salt and pepper (freshly crushed)

Procedure:
Tenderise the beef by using a pressure cooker.  If it is not available just boil it until the beef is tender to your liking.
Put in  the onions, spring onions and the veggies.  Add salt and pepper.  Simmer.

Note:  Sometimes I would also add corns.

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Know your pork cuts

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Sushi Rolls

I suddenly craved for sushi rolls or califonia maki when I saw the Nori Seaweed and wasabi at IGA.  When we got home I told my husband maybe I'll make some sushi rolls.  That would mean he had to go back and buy arborio rice and mangoes! 

I still have my crab meat in the freezer and rice wine vinegar in my pantry so that wouldn't be a problem anymore.  Making sushi rolls is not really that difficult.  I think it's the easiest dish I made so far.  Compared to the ready to eat ones that you can buy, I still prefer to make my own.  Here in Australia, there are a few of  fast food/resto that got fined because of contaminated sushi rolls.  So I would really opt to cook sushi rolls myself.

Makizushi are sushi rolls. Sushi rice and various ingredients are rolled in nori (dried seaweed) as maki means rolling in Japanese. Since makizushi are wrapped by nori, they are also called nori-maki. There are many kinds of sushi rolls. Popular sushi rolls in Japan are tekka-maki (tuna sashimi rolls), kappa-maki (cucumber rolls), and more. Makizushi are good finger food.

Ingredients:1 C arborio rice
1 1/2 C water
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C crab meat (sticks)
1/2 C mango, sliced lengthwise
1/4 C soy sauce
1 tsp wasabi
3 pcs nori seaweed

Procedure:

1. Use the rice cooker for the rice.
2. Add a little of salt to the beaten egg and fry.  Shred after.
3. Mix rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.  Make sure that sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Mix the rice vinegar mixture with the rice thoroughly.
5. Put the nori seaweed in the preheated oven (150C) for 2 minutes.
6. Make sure that your hands are wet when you place the nori seaweed in the bamboo roller (shiny side facing the roller). 
7. Divide rice into 3.  Place each 1/3 amount of rice into the seaweed making sure that the rice sticks together.  Pat the rice.  Arrange the crab meat, egg and mangoes in the middle of the rice.
8. Roll the sushi making sure that it's tight and compact. 
9. Slice the rolls into 6. 
10. Mix the soy sauce and wasabi for the dip.
11. Serve.

Note:  If you do not have sushi bamboo roller, you can use foil and follow what you usually do with embutido.  You can replace the meat and fruits....be adventurous.  It would be best to eat the sushi rolls within 2 days. 

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Selling Hopia atbp

I love eating hopyang munggo when I was a kid.  I still love them.  When we visited the Philippines last year, I made sure I got a pack of hopiang baboy at the Hagonoy Market (at the old palengke or market).
I don't know why it was a bit difficult to find them then.  Do people still eat them?  Well anyway, my husband was wondering why there's this sense of urgency for me to buy hopia.  Hmmm maybe he forgot that the woman with her who had this huge tummy was pregnant at that time?  He ended up eating a couple of hopias and he seemed to like them but I did not share the rest of the hopias with him anymore...haha!

There had been this bakeshop in Malolos, just along the way going into Malolos town proper which use to sell yummy hopia -- munggo, baboy, hapon and ube.  If you're coming from Hagonoy, Bulacan, it's used to be on the right side of the road.  Sadly, it's not there anymore.  Maybe it has moved to another place? or closed?  I guess the kids now prefers eating Jollibee and Mcdo's burgers etc.  =(

Going back to the bakeshop in Malolos...it holds a special memory for me.  That's where I used to go to to buy hopia which I would sell to my classmates in High School and this continued even when I was in College.  I did earn a bit from them.  I did find enjoyment in selling goodies.  Maybe, that's my past calling? =)
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Seafood Marinara Spaghetti

My husband bought a mixed seafood packet in a box the other day.  I was wondering what am I going to do with it because the prawns and squids in the mix were quite small.  I would not buy them if we have fresh ones here.  How I miss the fresh seafood in Hagonoy! 

Because of their sizes, I can only use them as panghalo or just a flavouring for my dishes.  Then I remember the seafood spaghetti that I have had before in the Philippines.  I've looked for recipes on the internet and I did  find some but most are complicated.  I did not have much time to cook yesterday since I felt so tired...not much sleep because of my 8 month old baby girl, and my 21 month old toddler.  So, anyway, after reading those recipes, I'd decided to make my own recipe of Seafood Marinara Spaghetti.  Marinara sauce is actually tomato based sauce so don't be surprised if the taste has a bit strong tomato taste.

Ingredients:
500 g spaghetti (cooked to package instruction)
500 g seafood marinara mix (or fresh seafood, get adventurous)
1 275 g tin of peeled, crushed tomatoes
3 medium size, fresh tomatoes (boiled and crushed)
1 C tomato sauce  (or 1/4 C tomato paste dissolved in 3/4 c water + 1 tsp sugar)
2 tbsp, garlic, minced
1 medium size, onion, minced
1/4 C olive oil or 50 g butter
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley (or fresh ones, minced)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp flaked chillis (or fresh ones)
1/3 C heavy cream
1/2 C parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Sautee onions, garlic.  Add fresh tomatoes, tin tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Cook until a bit thick.  Put in all the herbs including the cheese.
2. Put in the marinara mix. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Pour the cream and add salt and pepper.  Simmer.
4. Serve hot.

Note:  See the ingredients for the other tips.  You can play with the amount of herbs that you would like to add.  Sometimes I would add more depending on the amount of sauce I am making.  If the sauce is a bit strong for you because of the tomatoes, just add sugar.

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Sinulog 2012

Sinulog Festival, Cebu (Photos contributed by Lilia Visande)
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Pinoy BBQ Kids

My niece and nephew enjoying grilling the pork bbq.

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