Baked Sticky Chilli Pork Chops

If you're fond of chinese chops, this one is the recipe for you.  My husband said the mixed spice is a bit strong for him so you can probably lessen its amount if you want.

Ingredients
2 pork chops
1/4 c soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp chilli powder

Procedure
Mix soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, mixed spice and chilli powder in a bowl.
Marinate the pork chops for half an hour.
Place the pork chops in a baking dish lined with baking paper.
Bake in a 180C preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes (depending on size).  Brush the pork chops with the marinade 3x during the baking time. Turn the pork chops on the other side to make sure both sides are cooked.

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Chocolate Crinklers

I have always loved the yummy chocolatey chocolate crinklers that my students from years ago would give me every Christmas.  They are a bit crunchy on the outside and soft inside. 

I think you can also buy them from Goldilocks Bakeshoppe which I understand has international branches now.  My hubby and my daughters have grown to love this too and it is always on top of the list of request.

I remember too that when I brought this to the Catholic Church here in our place when the then Bishop of Toowoomba, Bishop William Morris visited our parish. The parishioners brought some food and goodies to be shared after the evening mass. Everyone was asking who made the chunkie but chewy chocolatey goodies. One of them asked me, and gee I felt flattered when I was told that it's really yummy! The bishop and our parish priest and some parishioners even asked if they could just bring the left over home. I didn't know how they managed to divide the crinklets but one thing good about it, the container is empty.

Ingredients
2 c all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla essence
125 g chocolate chips, melted
1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c confectioners sugar

Procedure

Cream the butter in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer
Whisk the granulated sugar in and continue mixing for 2 minutes

Add in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate then mix again for a minute

Put-in the eggs and vanilla essence then continue to mix until the texture becomes fluffy

Add-in the flour, salt, and baking powder then mix again until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours
Remove the cover and scoop the mixture using 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon

Form a ball of chocolate mixture and then roll onto the confectioners sugar.

Place balls in a baking paper lined cookie sheet.
Make sure that they have enough spaces in between.
Bake in a 175C preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

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Tin Pink Salmon Fish Balls with Herbs

Thinking of new ways to cook your tin tuna, sardines or salmon?  I was in the same situation this morning.  Feeling a bit lazy from the Easter break when take aways were just about a hand reach, I was in a dillema whether to serve a boring sauteed tin pink salmon or serve it as is.  I decided to do neither but made a yummy balls out of the tin pink salmon and concocted a mixture of herbs to make the taste better.

This is quite an easy dish as long as you have the herbs in your pantry.  You can either use the fresh ones or the dried ones.  In this recipe though I preferred to use the dried ones because it's easier...no chopping needed.

Ingredients
1 tin pink salmon
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c crumbed in one (white wings) + 1/2 c for dredging
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Remove liquid from the salmon. 
Using fork or your hands, shred the salmon meat.
Mix in the egg.
Mix in the 1/4 crumbs, coriander, parsley, garlic granules, salt and pepper with the salmon.
Form a ball from the mixture smaller than a golf ball.
Dredge into the crumbs and fry in a hot oil.
Cook until golden brown.

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Tokwa't Baboy

In the many karinderia or eatery in Hagonoy Town center, my favorite is the one located in the middle of the tricycle parking area (San Jose or Sto Rosario tricycles?).  My mother and I would always eat there after we attended the mass at the Santa Ana National Shrine.  We would always order goto and tokwa't baboy which are both fairly priced quite cheap but quite tasty.  Sometimes we would wait for a space to sit (narrow benches dearie) but it didn't matter to hungry tummies.  I have always enjoyed doing this and it doesn't matter if I wear formal clothes in the middle of the crowd and pollution hahah.

I've learned this recipe from my aunt.  Originally this is a recipe you use when you want lechong kawali liempo.  I just that thought that the ordinary tokwa't baboy would taste better if i use this recipe and it did!  Usually when you make tokwa't baboy you would use pig's ears and tofu or tokwa both cubed.  My father used to do yummy tokwa't baboy when he was still around.  He would meticulously clean the pig's ears making sure that they are ready.  In this recipe though, I am using pork chops which is more palatable probably to the eyes of my hubby hehehe.  I am also using an organic tofu.

Ingredients
4 pork chops
1 tofu
2 pcs bay leaf
1 tbsp pepper corn
1 tsp salt
1 tsbp garlic

Procedure
Boil water just enough to cover the chops.  Add in the bay leaf, pepper corn, salt and garlic. 
Remove the chops when a bit cooked and the ingredients are absorbed by the meat.
Heat a non stick pan with oil.
Fry the tofu until the outside is golden brown. Remove and cool first before cutting into cubes.
Fry the chops.  I want mine a bit crunchy outside and tender inside.
Slice the chops into cubes or strips.
Serve with your sauce.
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Leaf Waffle Dog

When we were kids, I remember walking with nanay and tatay at the Fiesta Carnival in Cubao, Quezon City.  We would just walk through this place because it's the shortest way going to EDSA where would wait for a bus going to Bulacan.  Back then, there were no Baliuag Bus Terminal yet in Cubao so we would just take the Victory Liner Bus en route to Apalit, Pampanga. Anyway, going back, we would go there not to take the rides but to just take a short cut.  Each time we went there, we would always ask tatay or nanay to buy us the waffle dogs.  They were so yummy!  I guess most of the kids there would buy them then since we would always end up waiting in line or worst there's none left for us.  This sudden rush of memories made me crave for waffle dogs but I have a slight problem though.  I do not have yet a waffle dog maker.  What I have in the kitchen are sandwich maker and omelette maker.  I decided to use the omelette make because there are molds in it which is good for the batter.  I ended up have a leaf shaped waffle dog instead.  The taste is soooo delicious, a real treat not only for kids but for kids at heart like me.

Ingredients
1 c plain flour
1 c evaporated milk or fresh milk, warm
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
60 g butter, melted

Procedure
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients on another bowl.
Whisk them together thoroughly.
Butter both sides of the omelette or waffle dog maker.  Warm it a bit before pouring the batter in.
Pour batter just half of one mold, then put the hotdog, and top with batter again.
Remove from waffle or omelette maker when the waffle becomes a bit brown on top.

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Sophie's Herb Breadsticks

This bread is so easy to make.  We will have pasta today and what's the best partner for it but the bread sticks with parmesan and herbs.  There are a lot of copycat recipes of the Pizza hut bread stick recipes over the net.  I chose to do a twist in making this one though.  Instead of just using plain flour, I decided to use a cup of breadflour to make the dough more elastic and heavier when baked.  Instead of adding 2 tbsp of yeast I only used 1 packet which is 7 g and almost a tbsp.  I also added more toppings to it.  The top of the bread was crispy and you can really taste the parmesan and the herbs in each bite you take. 

Ingredients
2 c plain flour
1 c bread flour
1 1/2 c hot water
1/2 powdered milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
7 g yeast (1 packet)
80 g butter, melted
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp season all
1 garlic granules
1/3 c parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Dissolve powdered milk, 1/2 tsp salt and sugar in the hot water. 

Stir in 1 c of flour.  Make sure that everything is well blended.
When the temperature of the mixture is tepid, stir in the yeast until you see frothy thing on top of the mixture.
Put in the rest of the flour.  Mix thoroughly.  I used the paddle attachments of the electric handmixer for this. 
Knead until smooth.
Put half of the melted butter onto a square pan and make sure that you also grease the sides. 
Pour the batter onto the pan. Use a spatula to level it. 

Cut the batter using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.

Brush with the remainder of the butter.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, oregano, garlic granules, season all mix, and parmesan.
Let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake in 175C preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a bit brown.

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Spinach Fetuccini w/ Meatballs & Bolognese Sauce

I still have half of the uncooked spinach fetuccini from the last time I cooked a pasta.  This time I decided to use it for a meatball - bolognese sauce pasta. 

Normally, it is better to make your own chunky tomato sauce instead of using the ones in the tin but I did not have much time to spare this time so I decided to just use the one in tin.

One more thing that I have changed in the recipe is the all spice ingredient.  Since I do not have it, I used the mixed herbs instead.  The zuchinni is really yummy in a bolognese sauce, it adds a little bit of sweet taste to it.  I also did not add much red wine on it since I am not really a big fan of this type of wine.  I only added half a cup just to give a bit kick to it.  I used the dried basil instead of the fresh one since it's what's available in my pantry but if you want fresh ones, might be better.  Only remember one thing though, if you decide to use dried herbs instead of the fresh ones, make sure that you lessen a third of the original amount that you will be adding to the dish since dried ones are more concentrated.

Ingredients
meatballs or 500 g beef minced
1 onion, minced
1 tbsp garlic,minced
425g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
2 tbsp mixed spice
1/2 c red wine
1/3 c fresh basil, chopped ( I used the dried ones)

Procedure
Sautee onions and garlic.  Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, zucchini, mixed spice and wine.
Put in salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Put in the meatballs.
Reduce heat and simmer until the fresh tomatoes are soft and the the sauce becomes thick.
Put in the basil and simmer for a few minutes.

Spinach Fetuccini
500 g
Cook according to packet instruction.

Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

Note: If you are using the dried basil, add 1/4 c or a bit less.

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Herbed Meatballs

I have been doing meatballs for years now since I arrived in Australia.  My mum-in- law makes wonderful and yummy meatballs which she would usually add to a sweet and sour sauce mixture.  I have always loved them. 

Another meatballs that I so love is that big one you get when you order the Spaghetti and Meatballs at Yellow Cab.  I tried to search about it and I've found out that that is the Swedish Meatballs.  I wanted to make that this time but when I checked the fridge, my hubby had used up all the cream!  So no choice for me but to do my own recipe of meatballs.  I chose which herbs to include in the mixture and lazy as I am in measuring, I decided to just 1 tsp for most of them and use the ever dependable crumb in one mix (white wings).

The result was really yummy and in fact my picky eater daughter had 4 meatballs while watching Barney.

Ingredients
500 g beef, minced
1 egg
1/3 c evaporated milk
1/3 c crumb in one mix (White Wings)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper, ground
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp chives
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp garlic granules
2 medium onions, minced
2 tbsp olive oil

Procedure
Mix all dry ingredients and milk in a small bowl.
Place the beef minced in a bigger bowl.
Add in the dry ingredients-milk mixture to the meat. Add one egg and mix thoroughly with your hands.
Form golf ball size meatballs and deep fry until golden brown. Set aside.

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