Chicken in Lemongrass

Description:
My mother-in-law likes this dish very much, which is a great deal for me because she is such a good cook. This recipe is from "Cooking with Love" by Annie Pascual Guerrero which is a wonderful cookbook; all the recipes I've tried are great so far. Please check http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Prepare-Lemongrass-297706941 for instructions on how to prepare lemongrass. .

Ingredients:
Marinade:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 thumb-size ginger, juice extracted by grating
salt, pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric (I used McCormick)
2 stalks lemongrass
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup shallots, chopped (or regular white or red onion)

1.5 kilos cut-up chicken
1 cup tomatoes, chopped (I didn't bother blanching or peeling.)
1 cup coconut milk (The recipe called for the addition of 1/4 cup coconut cream, which I omitted already, since I used Kara coconut milk in a carton which is quite thick already.)

Directions:
Process all ingredients for the marinade (using a blender or food processor) and pour over chicken, marinating for about 30 minutes.
Place chicken, tomatoes and coconut milk in a pot and simmer until tender, adding more coconut milk as needed. If sauce is too thin, thicken with cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water.)

*For those who prefer a hot version of this dish, you may add sliced chili peppers when you cook the chicken.

Golden Breaded Porkchop

Description:
I got this recipe from Del Monte Kitchenomics and it was simply called PorkChop "Pambaon" which for me is too plain a name for a dish that's so good and wonderful. The porkchops are flavorful because of the marinade and they are crunchy and delightful because of the breading, I am sure this will be a hit.

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork chops
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs (I used the Japanese style breadcrumbs.)

Marinade:
1/2 cup Del Monte Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp. cane vinegar
2 tsp. rock salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and marinate pork chops for at least two hours (I did it overnight) in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Place pork chops including the marinade in a wok or stock pan. Cover and let simmer until dry, being careful not to burn the chops.
Dip each piece in egg, then roll in bread crumbs.
Pan-fry until both sides of pork chops are golden brown.

Sunday Mind-boggler

This Sunday morning, Trixie came up to me and asked, "Who made God?"  I answered, "Hmm... I don't know..."  She then answered, "I think God made God, diba?"  Then she smiled.

Later at noon, while in the car, Trixie asked me the same question about who made God.  Then she said, "Can I ask God?"  Then she put her hands together, closed her eyes and prayed, "God, did God make God?"

Brenzie in school

It is Brenzie's daily routine to accompany Trixie to Little Sandbox. He joins Trixie's class, then joins the Discoverers' class, then he is off to the playground. Clearly, Brenzie is ready for school and no longer a baby... sign... the inevitable drama of motherhood.

Honey Wheat Rolls

Description:
This is my second bread project for the week and it just keeps getting better. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com a long time ago and I just kept it in my binder for future use, and now, it will always be in my bread repertoire. It's always so comforting to use honey in any baked treat more so in breads, so I'm deeply concerned about the colony collapse disorder happening to bees all over the world, but that's another story. But you may learn more about it at http://www.e-changesolutions.com/Beebook/index.html; I got this link from Ilog Maria who sells really, really good virgin honey.

Ingredients:
A.
355 ml (1.5 cups) warm water (110 F)
1 .25oz envelope active dry yeast
40 ml honey
342.5 g (2.5 cups) unbleached bread flour

B.
22.5 g (1.5 tablespoons) melted butter
40 ml honey
10 g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
200-300 g of whole wheat flour, depending on dough

Directions:
A. Mix in warm water, yeast and honey. Add in the white flour and set aside for 30 minutes until bubbly.

B. Add in melted butter, honey and salt. Then add in whole wheat flour little by little while kneading the dough, until the dough pulls away from the but is still sticky to the touch.
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the top, then cover with cling wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, flatten, and make into a roll.
Divide into 24 pieces and make into rounds or balls.
Place in a greased sheet or rectangular pan, and set aside to proof for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Lightly brush the tops with melted butter as soon as the rolls come out of the oven.

Yogurt Rolls

Description:
Just baked dinner rolls (in preparation for breakfast tomorrow) and they came out wonderful; I got the recipe from cupcakeproject.com. The rolls were soft and chewy, reminiscent of pugon pan de sal but not sweet, and since the recipe calls for yogurt, there was a slight tang in the taste (as if a sourdough starter was used). I also love the fact that this bread recipe is quite healthy, using honey as sweetener and olive oil as fat. We will surely have a delightful breakfast tomorrow.

Ingredients:
3-4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (You may use a blend of whole wheat and white flours)
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
3 Tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water (105-115F)
1 cup yogurt (I used Greek yogurt from Rizal Dairy Farms)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup flour, yeast, honey and warm water.
Stir well and let stand for 10 minutes until bubbly.
Stir in yogurt, oil, salt and two more cups of flour. Combine using a spatula or a wooden spoon. Gradually add in the remaining flour. Using the hook attachment of the mixer, knead the dough, adding in more flour little by little if the dough is too sticky. Finish kneading the dough by hand on a floured work surface, until dough is quite elastic and smooth.
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap. Let rise for about 1 hour, until double in size.
Grease a rectangular pan (I always use stainless steel pans) with olive oil then set aside.
Place the dough on a work surface and degas by pressing down with your fingers. Spread the dough using your hands until it becomes flat, then make a long roll. Cut dough into about 18 pieces, then make into balls. (Kids helped me here, and they had loads of fun.)
Place each piece unto the pan, making sure to leave spaces in between.
Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let rise for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 375F.
Bake the bread for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

Description:
This ganache recipe (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World) goes perfectly well with vegan chocolate cupcakes (obviously) but this chocolate frosting is good whether or not you have dietary preferences. A note though, this vegan ganache is a bit runny and it doesn't set like the regular ganache (the one made with cream) so better let it sit at room temperature until a little thick and of more spreadable consistency. If you can't wait, then use it as a sauce instead!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Directions:
Place chopped chocolate and maple syrup in a heat-proof bowl.
Heat soy milk to a gentle boil then pour over the chocolate.
Combine using a spatula until chocolate is melted.