Paella

Paella is one dish I make regularly and I'm sorry I can't post the recipe because I don't have one. I developed my own recipe from a variety of Filipino and Spanish cookbooks to suit our taste which may not appeal to others. I don't measure some of the ingredients, I add them as I cook, and I eyeball and taste it if it needs more liquid, salt, etc. The following recipe is not the one I use but it's close enough. This recipe from FAVORITE FILIPINO RECIPES by Pat Limjuco Dayrit is rich and elaborate with lots of seafood.

Paella2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 lbs chicken, cut into 1½ inch pieces
1 lb large prawns, shelled with tails intact and deveined
½ cups extra virgin olive oil plus extra for browning the chicken, pork and prawns
3 large crabs
2 cups clams

½ teaspoons Spanish pimenton (paprika)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Spanish chorizos, thinly sliced
3 cups rice
½ cup tomato sauce
6 cups clam broth
1 small bay leaf
salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon saffron mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup frozen peas
2 pieces pimento, cut into 1-inch squares
2 hard boiled eggs

• In a skillet, heat some oil and brown the chicken and pork pieces, set aside.
• Salt the prawns and brown in oil, set aside. Boil crabs and quarter. Boil clams and remove the empty top shells. Set both aside.
• In a paellera, heat olive oil, add chicken, pork, garlic, onion, paprika, green pepper and chorizo. Toss for a few minutes and add unwashed rice and stir until rice is slightly brown. Add tomato sauce, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir a few times then add prawns. Bring to a boil. Add saffron and water. Cover and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and arrange clams, crabs, frozen peas and pimento on top. Cover and bake another 5 minutes. Serve with sliced boiled eggs.

I prefer to have my paella with wedges of boiled eggs and lemon

I also made mango ice cream, so creamy, so good and refreshing after working in the garden for 3 hours

Coconut Leche Flan With Caramelized Macapuno Strings Topping

I was browsing the Filipino cookbook Memories of Philippine Kitchens and the leche flan with caramelized macapuno preserves caught my eye. I didn't follow the recipe because there's too much sugar in it. I used my own recipe and used both coconut milk and low fat milk. I also baked the leche flan with the macapuno already at the bottom of the molds. I think Romy Dorotan's idea of adding the macapuno topping after the leche flan has been unmolded is the better method, mainly for presentation.

Coconut Leche Flan
flan
1 can coconut milk
1½ cups milk
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (more if you like the flan sweeter)
4 egg yolks
4 whole eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

caramel
1 cup sugar for the caramel
Kayumanggi brand macapuno string preserves

• In a large bowl with a handle, heat the coconut milk in the microwave until lukewarm, about 40 seconds . Add the rest of ingredients except the 1 cup sugar for caramel and macapuno. Whisk until thoroughly combined, set aside.
• Prepare the pans.

• I used 4 ramekins and 1 oval leche flan mold. Spoon a layer of macapuno evenly on the bottom of the mold and ramekins.
• In a small skillet, heat ½ cup sugar until it caramelizes and color is golden brown. Pour into the four ramekins covering the macapuno completely. Wash the skillet and caramelize the other ½ cup of sugar and pour into the oval mold.
• Pour the egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the four ramekins, pour the rest in the oval mold. Arrange the ramekins in a square baking pan and the mold in another square baking pan. Pour hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins and mold. Bake in a 325°F oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Cool completely in the refrigerator before unmolding.

Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken with inasal seasoning is so delicious. The combination of spices and the addition of Star margarine give this dish a very tasty and distinct Filipino flavor. The slightly charred skin is to die for. Forget about dieting, this dish will make you eat like a Pinoy construction worker, with tons of garlic rice. :D

Grilled Chicken Inasal Style
1 whole chicken or chicken thigh/drumstick pieces
kosher salt water
3 stalks lemongrass, sliced into ½ inch pieces
¼ cup ginger, sliced
6 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons calamansi or lemon juice
1 tablespoon coconut vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup annatto seeds
¼ cup olive oil
Star margarine

• The day before, brine the chicken in 3 tablespoons kosher salt and enough water to cover, refrigerate overnight. The next day, rinse chicken slightly then butterfly, if whole or cut into serving pieces, set aside. In a small pan heat olive oil and annatto seeds. Turn off heat, set aside to color the oil. Combine lemongrass, ginger and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced. Add calamansi, vinegar and salt. Transfer mixture into a glass container. Strain the annatto-infused oil, discard seeds. Add to the lemongrass mixture and mix thoroughly. Marinate chicken in the mixture for 1 - 2 hours. Charcoal grill (or bake in 400°F oven) until skin is slightly charred, basting often with Star margarine. Serve with plenty of garlic rice and chili & vinegar dipping sauce.

malted milk ice cream with crushed malted milk balls for dessert, yummmm

Sunflower Tart

Since mangoes that taste and look a little bit like our Philippine variety started appearing in most groceries, including Costco, I make sure I have a box in the house until the season is over. I have made them into chutney and ice box cakes twice, had them with a variety of ice cream flavors and today I made Sunflower Tart, adapted from the cookbook DESSERT UNIVERSITY by Roland Mesnier. His recipe for the tart shell is so buttery rich and unhealthy I only used half a cup instead of 1 whole cup of butter. I also used reduced fat milk and custard powder in place of eggs for the pastry cream. I don't think the not-so-rich pastry and cream made a big difference in the tart's overall appeal and taste, the mangoes after all, is the star ingredient here.

Mango Tart
1 baked sweet tart shell
custard cream
thinly sliced mangoes
chocolate sprinkles
chopped nuts
¼ cup apricot jam mixed with 1 T water

tart shell
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2 cups flour

custard cream

¼ C custard powder
2 C milk
3 T sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

• Tart shell: Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until smooth. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Stir in the egg and water, then add flour until just combined.Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.Roll the chilled dough into a 13-inch round, transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Fold the extra dough into the pan and press firmly on the sides. Bake in a pre-heated 375°F oven until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
• Custard cream: In a small bowl, mix custard powder and sugar, then mix a small amount of milk to make a smooth paste. Heat the rest of the milk until almost boiling. Pour the milk into the custard paste, whisking continuously. Put back into the pan and cook until the mixture boils and thickens. Transfer into a clean container, cover the surface with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• To assemble: Spread the custard cream evenly on the tart shell. Place a 3-inch cookie cutter in the center of the cream. Arrange the mango slices on top of cream resembling sunflower petals. Boil the apricot and water in a saucepan, strain, then brush it lightly and evenly over the mangoes. Scatter the chocolate sprinkles in an even layer inside the biscuit cutter and carefully remove the cutter. Sprinkle chopped nuts on the outer edge of the tart. Remove tart from the ring and transfer to a serving platter.