Cappuccino Crinkles

I bought this special edition magazine of Better Homes and Gardens that contains 100 best cookies recipes. I've been into baking mood lately and all the recipes here are very easy to make. And most importantly the ingredients some require, I already have in my pantry. So here's the first recipe I tried - Cappuccino Crinkles. My hb and I both love to drink tea and these cookies will make a perfect pair with my fave green tea or hb's black tea. We could forget about how to lose belly fat for now while we indulge in this soft and chewy cookie.

CAPPUCCINO CRINKLES

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals (instant coffee)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee crystals, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping side of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg whites and yogurt until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
2. Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch bowl. Roll balls in a sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

Yield - 32 cookies

KITCHEN TIP#10

Using egg whites instead of whole eggs will make these cookies extra light and tender.

Tri-Color Ruffles Salad

Here's a very easy macaroni salad recipe that you can make for dinner. You can use any pasta available in your pantry like elbow macaroni. I used tri-color ruffles pasta just to add more color to the dish and for presentation.

TRI-COLOR RUFFLES SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 package Tri-Color Ruffles noodles
3 Roma tomatoes, remove seeds
1 small red onion
1/4 cup sweet relish
1 cup chopped black olives
6 hard boiled eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil pasta until soft, drain, rinse and let cool in refrigerator, while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Dice tomatoes; cut onions finely; and cube eggs. Mix together all ingredients. It is best if made the day before.

HOW TO HARD-BOIL EGGS:
1. Place the eggs gently in a pot and cover with tap water completely with about 1 inch of water over them.
2. Add enough salt to make it easier to peel later.
3. Bring the water to a boiling point on high heat. As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat; don't remove the lid; leave the eggs in hot water and start the timer for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, remove the eggs from hot water and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

KITCHEN TIP #8
Don't let the eggs linger in hot water for a long time,
otherwise the yoke will turn slight greenish color and will smell like sulfur.

Keeping Rugs Clean

Even if I will start the day wearing a pair of slippers, for some reasons I will end up walking around the house barefooted again. When I sit on the sofa or in a bar stool, I normally remove the slippers then I will forget to put them back on before I get up. I guess I'm more relaxed walking in the house barefooted except in the kitchen where we have cold terracota floor tiles.

It's good that I've got area rugs in every spot I frequent like the area of the sink, oven, fridge, dishwasher and the doors to the deck and garage; they keep my feet warm. Since the rugs get a lot of foot traffic I always keep them clean and allergen-free by vacuuming them daily. And also since my little tot would sometimes sit or play on the rugs too, unless there are spills that I need to address right away; I run them in the washer every two weeks and air dry them on the deck. I've got a lot of nice rugs with the skid-free rubber ruined in the dryer so as much as possible I refrain from drying them there.

Kitchen Surface Cleaning Tips

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, more than I spend in other parts of the house. It is also the place that I clean thoroughly every single day. The rest of the house I just do spot cleaning unless we have company coming. I am critical mostly in the kitchen sink area, counters and stove area as there may be an invisible enemy called bacteria crawling and ready to strike that may cause some illnesses. I'm glad to have replaced our kitchen sink with one of those undermount stainless steel sinks similar to zero radius sinks, mainly because it is easier to clean and also because of its functionality and sleek looks.

SURFACE CLEANING TIPS:

Use a mixture of one teaspoon liquid chlorine bleach per quart of water. The bleach solution can provide some added protection against bacteria on surfaces. Flood the surface with the bleach solution and allow it to stand for several minutes, then rinse and air dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels.

Fruit and Veggie Handling

It always pays to be safe than sorry. We should always wash our fruits and veggies to wash away bacteria that may cause illnesses. Here are simple tips on how to handle fresh produce.

PREP THE KITCHEN
Before preparing fruits and vegetables, wash your hands with warm water and soap and use hot soapy water to clean your cutting board, countertop and utensils.

USE WATER
Thoroughly rinse fresh produce under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Never use detergent or bleach to wash fresh fruits or vegetables. These products are not intended for consumption.

SCRUB THOROUGHLY
Rub firm skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean vegetable brush while rinsing with running tap water.

How to Toast Nuts and Skin Hazelnuts

There are some recipes that call for toasted nuts and usually store-bought toasted nuts are more expensive. So here are steps to toast nuts by yourself either in the oven or stovetop.

TOAST NUT IN THE OVEN:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
2. Place shelled nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pine nuts and hazelnuts, on a heavy baking sheet or in a pie tin.
3. Toast the nuts in the oven until they are fragrant and golden brown on the outside and pale golden throughout the inside stirring occasionally and watching closely to ensure they brown evenly and don't blacken.
4. Toast about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the nuts.

TOAST NUTS ON STOVETOP:
1. Preheat a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Place the nuts in the hot skillet and stir them until they become fragrant and golden brown on the outside and pale golden throughout the inside, about 5 minutes.

HOW TO SKIN HAZELNUTS:
To remove the dark brown skins on hazelnuts, rub a small handful of cooled toasted hazelnuts at a time briskly between your palms, allowing the skins to fall from your hands and onto a work surface. Don't worry if a few specks of skin remain on the hazelnuts.

(Source: Giada's Family Dinner book)

Ham & Potato Casserole

I like easy dishes that I can prepare in advance and this is one of them. For a stay-at-home mom like myself, it is always impossible to do anything in the kitchen continuously especially when my little tot is awake. So I prepared this Ham and Potato Casserole while my son was napping; kept it in the fridge and just popped it in the oven just before dinner.

HAM & POTATO CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb left-over ham, cubed
3-4 thinly sliced, peeled potato, parboiled
1 cup shredded carrots
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp chopped onions
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 Tbsp melted margarine
1/8 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Place half of the potato and half of the carrots in a Pam-sprayed 2 quarts casserole dish.
2. Combine ham, soup, half of cheese, milk, onions and pepper. Pour half of the mixture over the potatoes and carrots. Repeat layers.
3. Combine crumbs, remaining cheese and melted margarine. Sprinkle over the casserole.
4. Bake until heated through approximately 45 minutes.

KITCHEN TIP #7:
PARBOIL means to cook partially by boiling for a brief period.
The length of time in parboiling potatoes really depends on the size
but the rule of thumb is:
5-6 minutes for small potatoes;
6-7 minutes for medium potatoes;
and 8-9 minutes for large potatoes.

Food Friday - Roasted Winter Vegetables

This dish is a perfect partner to my Broiled Salmon with Pesto Mayonnaise. Don't worry if you don't have every vegetables listed here. You can substitute your favorite vegetables if you want. I actually added red, yellow and orange bell peppers for added colors. You can't resist this dish, your kitchen will be filled with inviting aroma from the rosemary while roasting.

ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS:
2 potatoes
2 sweet potatoes

2 parsnips
2 turnips
4 carrots
2 stalks celery
2 red onions
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Peel the potatoes and turnips, scrape the parsnips and carrots, and cut all the vegetables into 2-inch chunks. Cut the onions into quarters or sixths.
2. Put all the vegetables in a large roasting pan and rub all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and half the rosemary.
3. An hour before dinner, put the pan into a 450 deg. F oven and roast, tossing the vegetable every now and then, for 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are browned and tender.
4. Take out of the oven and pour on the vinegar and toss rapidly to glaze. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons rosemary needles.

Kitchen Tip #6

High-heat roasting works magic on most vegetables.

Drool over other dishes by visiting here:

Buttered Spring Vegetables

Another yummy side dish at the Thanksgiving dinner table that I made was a mixture of spring veggies that I blanched then mixed with sauteed shallots and butter. I substituted some veggies to some that I couldn't find in my local grocery, the dish was crunchy and tasty nevertheless.

BUTTERED SPRING VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 lb French string beans (haricots verts), ends removed
Kosher salt
1/4 lb sugar snap peas, ends removed
1/2 lb broccolini, ends removed (I used the big broccoli because I couldn't find broccolini in my grocery)
2 Tbsps good olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
1/2 tsps freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Blanch the sting beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute only. Lift the beans with a slotted spoon or sieve and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Add snap peas to the same boiling water and cook for 1 minute, until al dente, adding them to the ice water and the beans. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths diagonally and cook in the boiling water for 2 minutes, and add to teh ice water. Cut the broccolini in half, boil for 1 minutes, and add to the ice water.
2. When all the veggies in the water are cold, drain well.
3. When ready to serve, heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan or large pot. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until light browned.
4. Add the drained veggies to the shallots with 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper and toss.
5. Cook just until the vegetables are heated through. Serve hot.

KITCHEN TIP #5
Putting blanched vegetables in a bowl of ice cold water will prevent them from further cooking therefore preserving the crunchy bite to the veggies

Chicken BBQ for Cookout

Hi friends, how did your 4th of July celebration go? We had a cookout in my house yesterday and of course my hb, the master chef was so busy manning the grill. Nobody touches the grill except the man ;-). We had the usual hamburger, hotdogs, back ribs and chicken barbeque on the hot grill. I want to share this very easy and no-brainer chicken bbq recipe. For the marinade - whatever you have in the pantry that you think will make the marinade tasty and juicy just throw them in. That's what I did and it turned out great. These are some of what was left from the cookout and I paired the chicken bbq with hot steamed white rice and vinegar with hot green pepper on the side, yummy!

CHICKEN BARBEQUE

INGREDIENTS
Boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite pieces

MARINADE
Toyomansi (Soy Sauce with Calamansi)
Vinegar with Hot Pepper
Ginger Ale
Teriyaki Sauce
Hot Chili Sauce
Sweet Chili Sauce
Ketchup
Sesame Oil
Oyster Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic Powder with Parsley
White Ground Pepper

PROCEDURE
1. Just mix all the marinade ingredients together and soak the chicken there overnight.
2. Thread the chicken in skewers and discard the marinade.

Kitchen Tip #4
If possible, I use kitchen shear instead of knife to cut the chicken or other meat and
cut them up in the sink. That way, I won't use chopping board anymore and
therefore only have few utensils to wash and
won't make the kitchen counter messy too.

Maja Blanco - A Very Easy Dessert

Another dessert that I brought once in a potluck get-together is Maja Blanco. I'm sure all Filipinos out there will agree with me that this is the easiest dessert there is.

MAJA BLANCO
(Corn Starch Pudding with Caramelized Coconut Milk Topping or Latik)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 can Corn Cream Style

LATIK TOPPINGS
1 can coconut milk

PROCEDURE FOR THE MAJA:

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients - sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, boil coconut milk and evaporated milk until bubbly. Then lower heat and add the mixture in #1 above. Stir constantly until smooth and pasty.
3. When already smooth and pasty, stir in the corn cream style until well incorporated.
4. Pour into a dish to mold then add the toppings.

PROCEDURE FOR TOPPINGS:
Pour the coconut milk in a pan and cook until bubbly then lower heat and stir constantly until reduced and caramelized and crunchy. Be careful not to burn. Remove from heat then put on top of the maja.

KITCHEN TIP #3
Maja Blanco is already good as it is, but putting Latik on top makes it yummier.
However, making Latik is time consuming since
you need to be in front of the stove stirring it all the time.
To save time, you can cook the toppings in advance and
just keep it in the freezer until you need it.
When the need comes, just thaw it in the microwave and
presto you have instant Latik in no time.

Penne In Italian Sausage Sauce

Sorry for not posting any recipes here in a while. It's not that I was not cooking. My kitchen was actually very busy the past weeks when my FIL was here. It's just that before I can even post them here I need to of course have an accompanying picture to make it more enticing and appetizing to my readers. Well the cooking; making presentations; taking pictures; downloading and cropping of pics before I can post my recipe seem to slowdown the process. Ok enough of the excuses, the important thing is My Kitchen Table is back on business, LOL.

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One of the favorite ingredients that I always use in my kitchen is pasta. I have different kinds in my pantry. Here's one very easy and quick pasta dish that I know you will enjoy to try.

PENNE IN ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
1 lb of Penne cooked according to package
Sweet and Hot Italian Sausage Sauce
Parmesan Cheese Topping

SAUCE
1 pack of Sweet Italian Sausage (6 links)
1 pack of Hot Italian Sausage (6 links)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of 16 oz. Tomato Sauce
2 cans of 16 oz. Diced Tomatoes
1/2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 tbsp Parsley Flakes
1/2 tbsp dried Sweet Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Olive oil

PROCEDURE:
1. In medium heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil for about 3 minutes or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, remove the skin of the sausage links and slice them in 1 inch thick pieces, just so it is easier to move them around the pan. But you can also drop them straight to the pan and just break them with your cooking spatula.
3. Mix in the sausage in the pan and stir until opaque.
4. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and herbs. Adjust the heat to low and simmer for about an hour, stirring every now and then. Slow cooking makes the sausage really tender and yummy.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

KITCHEN TIP #2:

I usually make more sauce than what the recipe calls for and just keep the rest in a vacuum sealed canister for later use. So next time I crave for another pasta dish, I will have an instant sauce to use.

Freeze Those Lemons and Limes

In the Philippines we use a lot of calamansi to flavor our dishes. Calamansi is an everyday all around fruit that is commonly used in cooking and just about anything. We use it to make sauces or condiments; to add citrus flavor to marinades; to drizzle on raw food like oysters; or just make a cool and refreshing juice to quench the thirst. The fruit of calamansi or calamodin resembles a small, round lime, usually bigger than the size of a thumbnail, 25-35 mm in diameter, sometimes 45 mm. It has very thin green or orange colored peel and sour taste but inviting odor. Like other citrus fruits, calamansi is also high in vitamin C.

Now that I'm based in US, I always crave for calamansi especially to make condiment for my Pancit Bihon. Calamansi mixed with soy sauce and drizzled on a freshly cooked Pancit Bihon really makes my mouth waters, yummy. I can only buy frozen pure calamansi in an Oriental store in Cranston, RI and it costs almost $3 a pack of 12 small packets and a pack doesn't last long. If I can't drive to Cranston I just find alternate ways to still enjoy and add flavor to food by using lemon or limes. Lemon and limes can be pricey at times so I buy them in bulk and then squeeze and freeze them. I freeze them in ice trays so that when I need them I just conveniently pop them out with each cube approximately measures a tablespoon.

KITCHEN TIP #1 :
I buy lemons and limes in bulk and
then squeeze and freeze them in ice trays for later use