Eggplant Relleno

Grilled Asian eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables because of its smokey flavor. I usually prepare grilled eggplants and chopped tomato salad with ginger juice and sea salt dressing. It is also delicious simply dipped in beaten egg and pan-fried, Tortang Talong in Flipino. Yesterday I wanted to make egg plant relleno stuffed with vegetables and ground pork but the pork was frozen solid and I didn't want to wait for it to defrost so I used chopped puffed tofu. The result is a very yummy and healthier stuffed eggplants and I didn't notice the absence of pork. I think it tastes even better without because the smokiness of the eggplant is more pronounced. I love it.

Eggplant Relleno

3 Asian eggplants

3 tablespoons light olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped sweet red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

1 tomato, chopped

4 pieces puffed tofu squares, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

pinch of ground black pepper

2 eggs, well beaten and mixed with a pinch of sea salt

• Wash the eggplants, trim the top and leave stems on. Prick all over with the tip of a paring knife. Char the skin of the eggplants directly on the stove fire. Wrap in aluminum foil and leave to cool. When cooled, remove the skin and discard. Transfer eggplants into a plate and flatten. Set aside.
• Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a skillet and stir fry garlic and onion. Cook until onion is soft, add pepper and tomatoes, stir fry for 2 minutes. Add tofu, salt, and pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes. Transfer into a plate and divide into 3 portions. Wipe the skillet with a piece of paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil on medium heat. Place one tofu portion on the skillet, shape it into an oval the size of the eggplant, pour 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg all over the filling and top with one eggplant dipped in beaten egg. Fry for 2 minutes, flip and fry the other side for 1 minute or until light brown. Repeat with the remaining eggplants, adding more oil if necessary. 

Daring Cooks: Risotto

coconut milk and orange risotto pudding with kabocha squash

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto.

Knowing the only person in my house who will eat risotto is me, I had to prepare one that I will definitely want to eat and write about for my very first Daring Cooks challenge. Revisiting and being inspired by this yummy recipe I cooked a sweet risotto with just 6 ingredients added to the rice: coconut milk, milk, water, sugar, orange peels, and a pinch of salt. I like that it is easier to cook because the arborio rice is preboiled in plain water before adding both milk. The rice is tender and creamy but not mushy nor gummy and the flavor combination of coconut milk and orange essence is simply delightful. The kabocha squash which is boiled separately in coconut milk, water, and sugar is the 'icing' on the pudding. Each serving is drizzled with a little coconut milk and sprinkled with orange zest.

Coconut Risotto Pudding
a quarter of a kabocha squash
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons sugar
1 large orange
½ cup arborio rice
water
a pinch of sea salt

• Cut kabocha lengthwise into 1 inch thick pieces and cook gently with ¾ cup coconut milk and ½ cup water until fork tender, turning once, about 15 minutes. 
• Put 1¼ cups of water and the rice in a medium saucepan . With a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of half of the orange and add to the saucepan.Turn the heat on high and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 12 minutes or until rice is almost cooked. Add 1 cup coconut milk, milk, sugar, and salt and cook over medium heat while constantly stirring until the rice is tender, about 12 minutes. The pudding should be creamy and not soupy. Remove the orange zest and discard.
• Slice the cooked kabocha. Zest the remaining orange half with a zester. Spoon the risotto pudding into individual bowls, top with a few slices of kabocha. Sprinkle with orange zest and drizzle coconut milk on top. Serve with extra kabocha pieces on the side.

Milo Toast

 Milo and sweetened condensed milk on toasted bread

As a child [up to my 20s], my favorite breakfast drink was Milo malted chocolate powder mixed in ice cold milk. I started drinking coffee in my late twenties and haven't had Milo since. I occasionaly drink Nesquick hot chocolate and sometimes add a little in my coffee, not often because it makes my coffee sweet and I prefer unsweetened coffee.

I read in several Filipino blogs a restaurant in the Philippines that serves Milo Toast, a toasted brown bread topped with dry Milo and a drizzling of sweetened condensed milk. It's a popular breakfast food in Singapore and other Asian cities. I used to eat dry Milo or Ovaltine from a cup. I got the habit from my older sister who was a very picky eater. She was forced by my mother to eat dry Ovaltine because she couldn't stand the combination of Ovaltine/Milo and milk, it made her nauseous. While I didn't have problem with food of any kind, I followed my sister's lead and discovered eating dry Ovaltine or Milo was better as a snack than a drink.

I can't remember the last time we had Milo in the house, maybe more than 20 years ago. We always have Horlicks or Carnation malted milk and Nesquick which doesn't have malt. So I went to the grocery store and bought a small tin of Milo, toasted 2 slices of white bread, topped one with Nesquick and the other with Milo. The Milo won hands down because of two things, flavor and texture. Milo is malted and has granular consistency which is sort of crunchy and I love its tendency to stick to the roof of my mouth. I know I'm weird. And now I'm totally hooked. OMG! Very yummy. Very sweet. Very addicting.

To make Milo Toast: Toast slices of white or whole wheat bread, drizzle all over with sweetened condensed milk, spread Milo on toast, drizzle with more milk. You may also butter the bread before drizzling with milk but I prefer it without. Enjoy the toasts with sunny-side-up fried egg/s and a large mug of coffee or combination coffee and tea with sweetened condensed milk. 

Lasang Pinoy, Sundays: Seafood

LaPis Sundays, a gallery of food photography, Pinoy style, is hosted by SpiCes and Feisty Cook

I prepared the salmon a la Bistek Tagalog (beefsteak) seasoned with calamansi or lemon juice and soy sauce, and served on a bed of sauteed sweet onions

Fried Salmon Steaks and Onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced into rings
a large pinch of sea salt
2 pounds salmon steaks
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons calamansi or lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
ground black pepper, to taste

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook the onion over medium heat until soft and slightly browned. Transfer into a serving plate, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
• Pat dry the salmon and coat both sides of the steaks with a mixture of 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil and fry the salmon over medium-high heat until cooked. Spread the onion on the platter. Lay the cooked fish on top of the onion. Heat the remaining soy sauce and lemon juice in the same skillet and pour all over the fish. Serve immediately.