Calamansi Muffins

Filipino Style Recipe: Calamansi Muffins is another thick, soft, and sour pastry made from flour, baking powder, milk, sugar, salt and calamansi juice. The muffins is ideal to serve with coffee or as meryenda (mid-afternoon snack).

Estimated time of preparation: 20 minutes
Estimated time of baking: 20 minutes(plus chilling time)

Good for 18 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 raw eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Wet Mixture:
¼ cup milk
¼ cup calamansi juice

Dry Mixture:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt then mix until well blended.
2. In a separate bowl, combine milk and calamansi juice then stir well.

Part 2
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until just blended.
2. Add egg one at a time then whisk well.
3. Add half of dry mixture and half of wet mixture then mix until blended.
4. Repeat the procedure until all the mixture are consumed.

Part 3
1. Prepare muffin pan by brushing with butter and sprinkling with flour.
2. Pour the filling into muffin pan then bake in a preheat oven over 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until center springs back when touched.
3. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.. Serve.

Banana-Choco Crepes

Filipino Style Recipe: Banana-Choco Crepes is a popular dessert made of very thin pancakes originated from France. It is consists of flour, eggs, milk, vanilla and salt whisk together then cooked and swirl in hot pan with butter until almost set. Crepes can be serve with different variety of fillings.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 5 minutes
Good for 6 crepes

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract(optional)
1 ripe plantain, sliced
chocolate ice cream
chocolate syrup
confectioner’s sugar

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine flour and eggs. Whisk well.
2. Add milk, vanilla extract, butter and salt. Mix until well combine.

Part 2
1. In a non-stick pan, melt butter then scoop and pour 1/4 cup of batter.
2. Swirl the batter then cook for 20 seconds or until almost set. Flip and cook the other side.
3. Transfer to serving plate then place the banana slices and a scoop of chocolate ice cream in the center.
4. Fold both side to form a triangle then pour chocolate syrup on top. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar then serve.

Carrot Cake

Filipino Style Recipe: Carrot Cake is a delicious pastry that has a moist, soft, and just the right sweetness. While frosting is sweet and creamy which makes the cakes look like from a gourmet bakery.

Ingredients:
3 cups grated carrots
4 raw eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 pack (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, white sugar, and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Combine flour mixture, egg mixture and grated carrots then mix until well blended.

Part 2
1. Pour the mixture into greased and floured 9×13 baking pan.
2. Cook into a preheated oven over 350 Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted on the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let it cool.

Part 3
1. For the frosting, combine the butter cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.
2. Frost the mixture into cooled cake and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Tips:
1. For grating the carrots, use the bigger side of the grater (the one usually used for the cheese).
2. Do not try to open the oven until it is almost done (around 3/4 of the cooking time).

Beef Picadillo

Filipino Style Recipe: Picadillo is a Spanish dish similar to Arroz Ala Cubana. The dish is consists of ground beef cooked in tomato paste, sweet peas, bell peppers and carrots then season with salt and pepper. This is another simple and easy to prepare recipe.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes.
Estimated time of cooking: 40 minutes.
Good for 3-4 persons.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo ground beef, pre-boiled
1 medium carrot, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup green peas, cooked
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 pieces bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons grams tomato paste
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Procedures:
1. In a casserole, heat oil then saute garlic, onion and bell pepper.
2. Add ground beef then continue cooking until light brown.
3. Add carrots, green peas, bay leaves, cumin, salt and pepper then mix well.
4. Add tomato paste, water and parsley then simmer for 8-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
5. Transfer to serving bowl then garnish with parsley. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Simple Sugar Cookies

Filipino Style Recipe: This is the simplest and easiest cookies I have baked so far and they are delicious. Buttery and creamy, soft and chewy, just my kind of cookies. The ingredients in the recipe are simple, you might already have them in your kitchen.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 raw egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
sugar to roll the batter

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. In another bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda.
3. Gradually blend dry mixture into the butter mixture.

Part 2
1. Scoop a teaspoon of the dough then form into ball and roll into sugar.
2. Place into ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat until all the mixture are consumed.
3. Bake into preheated oven over 350 Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 2 minutes before transferring them.

Tip:
1. The dough will expand and spread when baking so leave at least 2-3 inches in between.
2. If you want a thin cookie, you can press it a bit when putting into the cookie sheets.
3. The cookies might seem too soft when you take them out of the oven but they will firm up once they are cooled.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Frosting

Filipino Style Recipe: Red velvet cupcakes with Frosting is one of the most popular type of cupcake nowadays. This recipe has a nice dark red color and soft moist cupcakes topped with frosting.

Estimated time of preparation: 30 minutes
Estimated time of baking: 15 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoon red food color
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
200 grams cream cheese, softened
60 grams butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A dash of salt

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda and salt then mix well. Set aside.

Part 2
1. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (around 5 minutes).
2. Beat in eggs one at a time then mix in the sour cream, food color, and vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture gradually until just blended. (Do not overbeat as this will make the cupcake dry and hard.)

Part 3
1. In a muffin pan, line muffin cups then fill-in batter up to 2/3 of the muffin cup.
2. Bake in preheated oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until done. (Cupcakes is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.). Let it cool.

Part 4
1. In a electric mixer, whip butter on medium speed for 5 minutes or until becomes creamy.
2. Add cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and salt then keep mixing for another 5 minutes or until becomes light and fluffy.
3. Add sugar then beat until smooth.
4. Scoop and spread the frosting on top of cupcakes. Refrigerate before serving.

Pansit Bihon Canton Guisado

Filipino Style Recipe: Pansit bihon canton guisado is a popular noodle dish that is consists of a mixed of rice noodles and flour noodles. This dish was originated from Chinese and become very popular in Filipino cuisine. Pansit bihon canton guisado is similar to other pansit dish that is commonly served in different occasions.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 40-60 minutes
Good for 8-10 persons

Ingredients:
300 grams rice noodles(bihon), I used HOBE Special Bihon
200 grams flour noodles(canton)
200 grams pork, sliced in small pieces
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
4 cups chicken broth from chicken breast
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 kilo snow peas(sitsaro)
2 cups cabbage, sliced into strips
1 carrot, julienned
1 cup celery(kintsay), sliced
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
10 pieces calamansi
100 grams pork or chicken liver(optional)
100 grams shrimps, shelled and deveined(optional)
1 chicken cube(bouillon cube)(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a big bowl with water, soak bihon and canton noodles until soft. Drain and set aside.

Part 2
1. In a wok, saute the garlic and onions.
2. Add pork and liver, then cooked until color turns to brown.
3. Add broth, soy sauce, and bouillon cube then simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add vegetables and the remaining ingredients then season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes or until half cooked.
5. Remove and set aside all the ingredients except for the liquid.(Make sure the liquid is enough for the noodles to cook and absorb).
6. Add bihon and canton noodles then toss until the the liquid absorb.
7. Put back all the ingredients then cooked 2 minutes. Mix well.
8. Adjust seasoning according to taste then remove from heat. Serve hot with calamansi.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Filipino Style Recipe: Banana Crumb Muffins is another delicious pastry similar to banana bread. Mainly made up of bananas mixed together with muffin mixture, topped with crumb. This muffin has a very delicious and good smell while the crumb gives a crunchy texture.

Estimated time of preparation: 20 minutes
Estimated time of baking: 20 minutes
Yield: 10 muffins

Ingredients:
Banana Mixture:
4 medium overripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Flour Mixture:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb Mixture:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon until well blended.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the bananas, white sugar, vanilla, and egg until well blended.
3. Combine the banana mixture with the flour mixture until just blended or sticky. Set aside.

Part 2
1. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and sugar until it they form small crumbs.
2. In a muffin pan lined with muffin cups, spoon the banana-flour batter until almost full.
3. Sprinkle the crumbs on top then bake in preheated oven over 350 Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
4. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Binagoongan with Gata

Filipino Style Recipe: Chicken Binagoongan with Gata or Chicken sauteed in shrimp paste with coconut milk is almost similar to binagoongang baboy. Normally the chicken sauteed until light brown then cooked in shrimp paste and chili. Add coconut milk for more flavorful and creamy taste.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes(plus marinating time)
Estimated time of cooking: 20-25 minutes

Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons bagoong alamang (pre-sauteed salted shrimp paste)
1 cup coconut cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 pieces tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 pieces bird’s eye chili(siling labuyo), chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 pieces calamansi, juice
1 teaspoon dried rosemary(optional)
chopped spring onion for garnishing(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, marinate chicken in calamansi juice and dried rosemary for 15 minutes.

Part 2
1. In the pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion and tomatoes until soft.
2. Add marinated chicken and continue sauteing until color turns to light brown.
3. Pour water and shrimp paste then simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Add more water if necessary.
4. Add brown sugar, chili, ground pepper then continue cooking for another 3 minutes in low fire.
5. Add coconut cream then simmer until thickens. Keep stirring.
6. Transfer to serving plate then sprinkle with spring onion. Serve with steamed rice.

Pork Guisantes

Filipino Style Recipe: Pork Guisantes is a simple yet delicious tomato-based pork dish cooked in tomato sauce together with green peas. This dish can be served together with steamed rice during lunch time.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 30-40 minutes
Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
500 grams pork, cut into serving pieces
1 small pack tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons green peas
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:
1. In a pan, heat oil then saute garlic and onion until translucent.
2. Add pork then continue sauteing until light brown.
3. Add fish sauce, bay leaves, water and tomato sauce then simmer in a low heat for 20 minutes or until tender.
4. Add green peas, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer to serving plate then serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!