Wheat Noodles with Pork Balls

Source: Periplus Mini-Cookbook
Home Style Filipino Cooking

Ingredients:

• 500g minced pork
• 1 med carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 med onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp flour
• sant and pepper
• 2 ltrs (8cups) water
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 100g misua (wheat noodles)
• chopped spring onions, to garnish (optional)

1. Combine pork, carrot, onion, egg, and flour in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into meatballs and set aside.
2. In a deep saucepan or casserole, bring water to the boil. Drop in pork balls and simmer over medium heat until balls are fully cooked, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in stock cubes. When cubes are dissolved, add the misua. Season with patis. Simmer 2-3 minutes (misua cooks very quickly), garnish with spring onions, if desired, and serve.

Brownie Goody Bars

I was supposed to make brownie cheesecake but then I thought enough of the cheesecakes! I want to try real brownies! Darwin loves chocolates, he loves peanuts, and it's all in this recipe! It gave me one good reason to try this irresistible favorite! =)

It's quite easy to make because all you have to do is stir in the brownie mix in a bowl, mix it with all the other ingredients, then bake it. The tedious part is the melting of chocolate chips and peanut butter and the coating of rice crisps! You have to continuously stir it and make sure the rice crisps are evenly coated. But then that's the last part. And a single bite of the brownie will make you realize the work is all worth it!







Source: bettycrocker.com

• 1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix (substitute: fudgey brownie mix)
• water, vegetable oil and eggs called for in brownie mix box

(for the bettycrocker mix: 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 2 eggs)

• 1 container Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy or Betty Crocker Whipped Vanilla Frosting tip: If you can't find any of these in stores, you can make your own vanilla frosting. You can search it's recipe online.
• 3/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (available in baking supply stores)

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.)
2.	Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3.	Frost brownies with frosting. Sprinkle with peanuts; refrigerate while making cereal mixture.
4.	Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over cereal in bowl, stirring until evenly coated. Spread over frosted brownies. Cool completely before cutting, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions for 13x9-inch pan on brownie mix box.

Baking Guide:

• For 13"x9" pan, oven temp is 350 degree F and baking time is 28-30 minutes
• For 9"x9" pan, oven temp is 350 degree F and baking time is 35-40 minutes
• For 8"x8" pan, oven temp is 325 degree F and baking time is 50-55 minutes

Brownies covered with frosting and peanuts...




....then topped with rice crips coated with melted chocolate chips and peanut butter! yummy! =)

Vanilla Cupcake

Source: cupcake-creations.com

• 5 oz butter, softened
• 5 oz superfine (caster) sugar
• 6 oz self-raising flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

• 5 oz butter, softened
• 8oz confectioners (icing) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp hot water

1 Pre-heat oven to 180 oC
2 Line a 12 cupcake pan, with cupcake papers.
3 Crack eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
5 Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.
6 Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.
7 Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch.
8 Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
9 Allow to cool fully before icing.




For the Butter Cream Frosting

1 Beat together teh butter and sugar with an electric beater.
2 Once well combined, add vanilla and water. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Notes: makes 12 cupcakes


After baking the muffins yesterday I became so excited to try cupcakes next. I find it pretty easier to make than the muffins.

Darwin decided to have a day off today so I thought of giving him an afternoon treat-- vanilla cupcakes!

Preparing it was so easy it only took me five minutes to mix and put the batter on each muffin papers. I watched as it bakes, I was like a kid patiently waiting for an egg to hatch! hahhaha!!! I get amazed as it rises, I was like, "Oh geez, there it is! I'm really baking a cupcake!"

After the first batch of cupcakes were done, I excitedly brought one to Darwin even without the frosting on top!





Darwin's Verdict: 4 1/2 stars

Comment: "Hmm.. bango ah!" and after taking his first bite, "Masarap!"

My Verdict: I'm gonna bake more cupcakes! It's fun! Different flavors, different sprinkles! Oh I love the sprinkles! Will try the rice colors next time! =)

***Update: Friends/ Housemates loved it!!!! yey!!!

Banana Walnut Muffin

Source: Good Housekeeping Collector's Edition Volume 4

• 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 8pcs mashed lakatan bananas
• 1 cup walnuts

1 Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs and milk.
2 Combine flour and baking powder then stir into the mixture. Mix well.
3 Add the mashed lakatan bananas and blend well.
4 Pour into greased and floured muffin pan. Top with walnuts then bake for 30 minutes or until brown.


My second take at baking. They look lovely, don't they? And they look yummy too. But it's hiding a flaw inside. Ok, while preparing the ingredients for this I realized that it needs 8 pcs of lakatan bananas and I only have 4. So I had to adjust everything into half of what's stated on the recipe. I started baking it and God it smells sooo good! I'm crazy with banana cakes that's why I was so excited to try this. I baked it in 2 batches just in case I poured a little or too much batter on the first batch, I can adjust it on the next. After 30 minutes of baking and waiting (I took a chair from the dining and was in front of the oven the whole time, reading a book while waiting for it to bake!), I took it out and let it cool.. Ok I'm naturally impatient so I sliced some to taste. It tastes so good but the flaw's that the middle part is a little softer than it's supposed to be of muffins. I thought of putting it back in the oven but I think that'd be useless as I have realized what I did wrong.

You see, my recipe guide was a Filipino cookbook. Our lakatan bananas in Manila are just a little bigger than the ordinary bananas, so basically they made the proportion of this recipe basing from our local lakatan bananas in Manila, but here in Singapore lakatan bananas are much bigger! I was hesitant aleady if I should use all four as I have already realized the size difference even before I even mashed it. But then I didn't follow my instict. =(

Last night when Faye tried it, she said it's yummy. "Wag mo na lang sabihing muffin sya kase masarap naman e!" Then Darwin asked for it the following morning, and I said, "wag na baka di mo magustuhan!" Although I really want him to try it because he loves nuts so much, I thought he'll love it with bananas.

Darwin's Verdict: "Masarap sya lalo yung ibabaw (the part with walnuts). Actually kahit yung gitna masarap pa din kahit malambot."

My Verdict: That comment from Darwin was a surprise I didn't thought he'd like the middle part of the muffin at all, but he did! hahahah!!! Actually, if you've tried this 'flawed muffins' I baked, you wouldn't really care if they are muffins or whatever it's called because it tastes good. But I'll be trying this again, and definitely will adjust the proportion of the bananas. I hope I'll make it perfect the next time! =)

Mac and Cheese

Source: Yummy Magazine, May 2007 Issue

• 2-1/2 cups elbow macaroni
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 cup cooked vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)
• salt and pepper

1 Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions.
2 Meanwhile, melt 4 tbsp butter over low heat low heat in a saucepan.
3 Add 4 tbsp flour and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let cook for 1 minute.
4 Add 2 cups of milk and stir until thickened.
5 Over very low heat, add to cups shredded cheese and stir until smooth.
6 Drain the macaroni and toss in 1 cup cooked vegetables.
7 Pour the sauce over cooked and drained macaroni. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.



No ratings from Darwin, I made this just a while ago. It's pretty easy to prepare not to mention a healthy and yummy snack to be served.

Update: I wasn't expecting Maria Morisse until tomorrow, but she dropped by this afternoon and caught me in my "pangkatulong" mode. Anyway, I'm glad I have the mac and cheese ready (I was supposed to cook chicken pastel and beef stroganoff for her tomorrow).

Anyway, she liked the mac and cheese, I did too actually. =)

Tip: You may also add spam or ham for added taste.