Sardine Pasta

Sardine is a common household item here in the Philippines.  We have all kinds, in tomato sauce, in water, in oil and all types of fish.  This is a very simple and budget-friendly recipe, so simple it only takes three steps to prepare, and all of the ingredients are already available in your pantry.  If you like sardines, the one in can with tomato sauce, then this dish is for you.  You can use any brand of sardines you would like.  I used a local brand here in the Philippines, in tomato sauce.  This dish I make almost once a week.  So, if you're in a hurry and want something tasty yet easy to prepare, why not try this dish and see for yourself.

Ingredients:
one 155 gram sardines in tomato sauce
one serving of cooked pasta, use any kind
1 medium size onion, chopped
2 bulbs of garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese

Procedure:
In a saucepan, melt butter.  Saute onion and garlic until the onion is lightly transparent.  Add the sardines and stir and cook for about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and toss in the cooked pasta.  Transfer on plate and top with grated cheese.

See, so simple.  Enjoy!

Puto

Puto is a classic Filipino snack that is usually paired with other Filipino snacks, like palabok, pansit and most commonly with dinuguan or pork blood stew.  This recipe is a variation of the usual puto that is made with rice flour, producing a more delicate and cupcake-like consistency.  Puto molds are sold at almost all baking supplies in the Philippines, but you can always use any mold you have, like muffin or cupcake trays.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp pandan flavoring
1/2 tsp ube flavoring
1/4 cup melted butter
1 medium size egg
Cheese, cut into strips

Procedure:
Put 2 cups water on steamer and set on medium high heat while you make the puto mixture.

Combine all dry ingredients - all purpose flour, baking powder and sugar.

Add the butter, evaporated milk, and egg.  Mix well.

At this point, pour half of the mixture in a separate bowl and add the pandan flavoring on one bowl.  Mix just until the color is distributed and do not over mix.  Then, add the ube flavoring on the remaining mixture.

Pour mixture on individual molds and top with cheese slices.  You may also top the others with slices of salted egg for variation.

Transfer molds on steamer and steam, covered, for 20, more or less depending on how big your molds are.  You will know that the puto are done when a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.  When the puto are cooked, transfer on wire rack and let cool completely.

Chopsuey

Chopsuey is a vegetable dish that is very common in the Philippines and it is believed to be one of Chinese influence.  It is a mix of different vegetables sauteed in garlic and onions.  Aside from vegetables, different meats are also added to the dish, which makes the dish festive.  The sauce is usually thickened with cornstarch, but in our family, we usually thicken it with cream of mushroom soup powder in sachet.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium size onion, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken breast, cubed
1/2 cup chicken liver, sliced
1/2 cup shrimp, shelled
1/2 cup squid rings
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cabbage head, cut in quarters
1 medium size carrot, sliced
1 medium size green bell pepper, sliced
1 medium size red bell pepper, sliced
1 small cauliflower head, cut into pieces
1 small broccoli head, cut into pieces
1 medium size sayote, sliced
1/2 cup cream of mushroom soup powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 cup water
1 tbsp oyster sauce
About 20 pieces quail eggs, boiled and peeled
1 small can button mushrooms cut in half
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
In a large heavy pot, saute garlic and onion in oil.  Add the chicken breast and cook for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in color.  Add in the squid rings, shrimp and chicken liver and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Add the oyster sauce and 1 cup water and mix well.  You can now add the vegetables one by one, starting with the carrots, sayote, snow peas, broccoli, mushrooms and cauliflower.  Mix well.  Cover and let it cook for a few minutes, about 5 minutes, or depending on how crunchy you still want your vegetables to be.

Next, add in the bell peppers and mix well.  Add the cabbage, quail eggs and cream of mushroom mixture and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and transfer on a serving plate.  Serve while hot, with plain steamed rice.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cashews or any nuts

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.  Line an 8 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and sugar.  Mix well.  Add in the flour mixture and mix just until combined.  Transfer mixture to the loaf and top with chopped cashew nuts.

Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

Chicken Fettuccine

A very festive dish.  This chicken fettuccine recipe is anything but simple.  My cousin, Jen, actually taught me this recipe, so thanks a lot cuz!  Love lots!  The recipe is good for 20 persons or more, so you can adjust the recipe for smaller group.

Ingredients:
1 kilo fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package direction
1 cup chicken hotdog, sliced
1 small can button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bacon, chopped
1 whole chicken breast
1/2 cup butter
1 can cream of condensed chicken
1 cup all purpose cream
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium size onion, chopped
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Procedure:
Boil and cook chicken breast in 2 cups of water.  Once cooked, remove from bone and cut into strips or bite size.  Reserve 1 cup of the chicken stock.

In a large saucepan with a little bit of oil, cook the bacon until lightly crispy.  Add in the butter and saute garlic and onion until translucent.  Add button mushrooms and let it cook for about a minute.  Put in the sliced hotdogs and cook for another minute.

Next, add the all purpose cream, cream of condensed chicken, evaporated milk, chicken strips and chicken stock.  Mix well and let it cook until it starts to boil.  Add in the cheddar cheese and Italian seasoning and continue to cook until the cheese has completely melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  When the mixture has thickened a little, remove from heat and top on your fettuccine pasta.  Serve and enjoy.

Easy Garlic Shrimp

A buttery, garlicky shrimp dish with subtle sweetness from the addition of drinking soda.  Very easy to prepare, just be careful not to overcook your shrimps or they will be rubbery.  You can tell the shrimps are done when they turn orange in color from being grey.  This recipe goes well with vinegar with lots of garlic, onion and chopped chili.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo raw shrimps
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Sprite or lemon soda
1/4 cup butter

Procedure:
Saute garlic in butter until slightly browned.  Add in the shrimps and mix well.  Add the drinking soda, mix well, and cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the shrimps are fully cooked.  Transfer on a serving plate and enjoy with you favorite dipping sauce or vinegar.

Buttercream cake with bear topper

Chocolate cake frosted with American buttercream.  Cake toppers are made out of sugar paste.  Visit my Facebook page Derek's Sweet World to order a cake and see other cake designs and baked products.

Tuna Carbonara

Carbonara is an Italian dish which consists of pasta, egg, bacon and cheese.  But here in the Philippines, any pasta dish that has a white sauce is called carbonara.  The sauce is this recipe is versatile in that you can use any kind of pasta.  In this dish I used spaghetti pasta.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo spaghetti pasta, cooked according to package direction
1 medium size onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped bacon
1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 can tuna flakes in oil
1 cup all purpose cream
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp minced parsley leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
In a saucepan, heat butter and cook bacon until crispy.  Scoop bacon out of the pan and set aside.  In the same pan, saute onion and garlic until onion is lightly translucent.  Add in the sliced mushrooms and cook for about a minute.  Add in the all purpose cream and evaporated milk.  Mix well and when the sauce starts to boil, add in the tuna flakes, oil included.  Mix and add in the cheddar cheese.  Add in about 3/4 of the cooked bacon and chopped parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  Continue cooking, mixing continuously, until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and top on cooked pasta.  Garnish with cooked bacon and chopped parsley.

Kwek-Kwek

Kwek-kwek is a deep fried hard boiled quail eggs covered in a colored batter, usually orange in color.  The orange color usually comes from the use of atsuete or anatto, but I colored mine pink just because.  I just half all purpose flour and half rice flour because I find that by using rice flour the batter is extra crispy and remains so for a longer time than using all plain flour.  This is a very popular street food in the Philippines and it has a cousin "tokneneng" which is a a similar version except it uses hard boiled chicken eggs instead of quail eggs.  Tokneneng is best paired with fish ball sauce or vinegar.

Ingredients"
Hard boiled quail eggs, around 20 pieces, peeled
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp anatto powder or 1/2 tsp food color
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Procedure:
Dredge hard boiled quail eggs in cornstarch.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine the flour, water, salt and pepper, and anatto powder or food color.  Mix well.  Dip each egg in the batter, and using a spoon, scoop one by one and deep fry in hot oil for a few minutes until crispy.  Make sure the oil is hot enough or your batter will just soak the oil and they will not be as crispy.  Drain in paper towel.  Serve while crispy.

Chili crab

This is a very straightforward dish.  It's sauteed crabs with the addition of crab paste, which gives the dish that distinct crab and very savory taste.  Crab paste is preserved crab meat, usually in sold in bottles, and is almost always available at the supermarkets in the Philippines.  The dish also calls for the addition of chili paste, but you can always omit it.

Ingredients:
10 medium-sized crabs
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup crab paste
1 tbsp chili paste

Procedure:
Saute garlic in butter until lightly browned.  Add in the crabs and stir.  Add about 1/4 cup water.  Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.  Open the lid and add in the crab paste and chili paste.  By this time the crabs should have turned into a pinkish, reddish color.  Season with salt and pepper as necessary.  Stir well and cover again and let the crabs cooks thoroughly for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Enjoy.

Yema Cake

This is a sponge cake frosted with yema.  Yema is a milk candy with eggyolks that is a common delicacy in the Philippines.  The combination of the sweet yema frosting together with the cheese topping makes a very interesting and yummy flavor.  Try it and tell me what you think.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
A
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt

B
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup vegetable oil, I used coconut oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon extract

C
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 tbsp granulated sugar

For the yema frosting:
1-1/2 cup condensed milk
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
Grated cheese for topping

Procedure:
Make the cake.  Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.  Line two 8-inch round baking pans with baking paper.

In a bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, 6 tbsp sugar and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl combine the egg yolks, vegetable oil, water and lemon extract.  Combine the flour mixture to the oil mixture and mix well, until no lumps are seen.

In a separate bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar.  Beat until frothy.  Add in 6 tbsp sugar gradually while continuing to beat until the egg whites form soft to medium peaks.

Fold in the egg white mixture to the flour mixture.  Be careful not to deflate the egg white mixture.

Pour on to your prepared pans and bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.  Let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare your yema frosting.  Combine the condensed milk and egg yolks and mix.  Over low heat, cook mixture until slightly thickened but of spreading consistency.  Remove from heat and add in vanilla and butter.  Mix well and let it cool completely before frosting the cake.

Place one cake on your cake rack and frost top with yema frosting.  Stack the other cake on top and frost completely.  Top with grated cheese.

Banana cake with chocolate ganache frosting

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1 cup mashed over ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil, I used coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 cup warm water
2 cups light brown sugar
1 and 3/4 cups cake flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

For the ganache:
8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line two 8-inch baking pans with baking paper.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well making sure all ingredients are well combined.  Set aside.

In another bowl, combine all 3 eggs together, lightly whisk.  Add in the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, vanilla, milk and warm water.  Mix in the dry ingredients mixture and stir just until combined.  Pour mixture into your prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs left.  Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare the ganache.  Heat the cream and butter just until the mixture starts to boil.  Immediately pour over the chocolate and stir until all chocolate pieces are completely melted.  Let it cool slightly and stack and cover your banana cake.

Thumbprint cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
chocolate buttons

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.  Line cookie tray with baking paper.

Cream butter and vanilla until smooth.  Add in the powdered sugar and salt and continue beating until soft and creamy.  Add the cornstarch and flour and beat until mixture is soft and fluffy.  Chill the mixture for about an hour.  When the mixture is firm enough, form into balls, about 1 to 1-1/2 inch size.  Line them on cookie sheet 1 inches apart.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove them from the oven and press down 1 chocolate button on each cookie and continue to bake for another 2 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer on a wire rack to completely cool.

Oreo cheesecake cookies

Ingredients:
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
About 10 Oreos cut into chunks

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add in flour and mix until just combined.  Add the Oreo chunks and mix well.  Chill the mixture for about an hour or until the mixture is firm enough.  Form into balls, depending on how big you want your cookies to be.  Line them on cookie tray lined with baking paper 1 inch apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are light brown and the center still a bit soft.  Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.  Makes about 25 medium-sized cookies.

Pork Sinigang

 Sinigang is a sour soup that is very popular in the Philippines.  It is a main dish and usually paired with rice.  Soup is usually made sour with the addition of tamarind or kamias, although sour mix are now readily available in the supermarkets for convenience.  The dish is very versatile that you can use any kind of meat, from pork, beef, fish or even chicken and can add almost any vegetables.  Eat it with plain rice and paired with fish sauce and chili and it's a sure hit.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork belly cut into small squares
2 cups raw unripe tamarind or you can use 1 sachet sinigang mix depending on how sour you want the soup to be
3 gabi (taro roots) cut into 1-inch thickness

1 labanos (radish) cut into 1-inch thickness
A bunch of sitaw (string beans) cut 3-inch long

A bunch of kangkong (swamp gabbage)
1 tbsp salt

Procedure:
Wash pork and cut into small squares.  Put it in a pan with about 4 cups water.  Add salt and boil until pork is tender.  Add more water as necessary.  Add the gabi (taro roots) and raw tamarind and cover to boil until the tamarind floats (this may take about 5 minutes or so).  Remove the tamarind from the pan and mash.  Strain and reserve the soup of the tamarind.  Meanwhile, add the sitaw (string beans) and labanos (radish) to the pork pot.  Continue to boil until the vegetables are cooked.  Finally, add the tamarind soup or sinigang mix and season with salt as necessary.  Continue to boil for a minute and then add the kang-kong (swamp cabbage) and remove from heat.  Serve hot.

Roasted baby back ribs

This barbecue baby back ribs was cooked in a turbo broiler.  It is best paired with mashed potatoes,  but Filipinos love rice, and it certainly goes well with steamed rice.  The recipe involves letting the ribs marinate overnight so that all the flavors of the marinade will be absorbed well.  The ribs has a subtle barbecue flavor in it because of the barbecue marinade, but if you want a distinct smokey flavor you can also cook on your charcoal grill.

Ingredients:
1 kilo baby backribs
1 cup barbecue marinade
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp calamansi juice or lemon juice
1/4 cup banana ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper

Procedure:
Rinse ribs and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine minced garlic, calamansi juice, barbecue marinade, banana ketchup, brown sugar, and oyster sauce and mix well.  Put in the ribs on the marinade mixture and cover and marinate inside the chiller for a few hours, overnight is better.  After marinating, cook the ribs in a turbo broiler, set at 150 degrees C, for 1 and 1/2 hours.  A few minutes before time, baste it with the basting sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.  Best served hot.

Banana Upside down Cake

Banana upside down cake is similar to pineapple upside down cake, in that it uses sliced bananas instead of pineapples.  The sliced bananas are placed at the bottom of the pan together with the sugar syrup and topped with the batter.  As it bakes, the syrup will caramelized and absorbed by the batter, giving it the sugary, caramely taste.  I also added mashed bananas into the batter to make the banana flavor more distinct but you also omit it if you prefer a milder flavor.

Ingredients:
For the topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup light brown sugar
Bananas, about 3 pieces, cut into 1/4 inch thickness

For the cake:
1 cup mashed over ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil, I used coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 cup warm water
2 cups light brown sugar
1 and 3/4 cups cake flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter 10-inch baking pan.

Make the topping by putting the butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan under low fire.  Let it cook until sugar has completely dissolved.  Whirl the pan occasionally to distribute the sugar.  Once the sugar is completely melted and bubbles start to appear, remove from heat and transfer on your prepared baking pan.  Arrange the sliced bananas so that the bottom of the pan is completely covered.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well making sure all ingredients are well combined.  Set aside.

In another bowl, combine all 3 eggs together, lightly whisk.  Add in the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, vanilla, milk and warm water.  Mix in the dry ingredients mixture and stir just until combined.  Pour mixture into your prepared pan with the topping.


Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs in it.  Remove from oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.  Transfer on a serving plate inverted.

Cookies and cream blondies

Blondies are brownies that are white.  I love them because there are so many possibilities and potentials with this recipe.  It involves making the basic blondie batter and then just adding any mix-ins to your heart's desire.  You can add in chocolate chips, nutella, peanutbutter, nuts, ohh so many possibilities.  I added mine with simple Oreo cookies.  Just make sure that you do not over bake these.  I actually under bake mine a bit because I like them still gooey at the center.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Any mix-ins you like (I used about 9 coarsely chopped Oreo cookies)

Procedure:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line 8 x 7 baking pan with wax paper or brush it with melted butter and lightly flour the bottom.

Combine butter and sugar together.  Mix well.  I just mix mine with a spatula.  Add in the egg and vanilla and mix again until all ingredients are well combined.  Combine together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Mix it to the butter mixture and stir just until combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  Next, fold in your mix-ins.  Transfer the mixture to your baking pan and bake it in the oven 20-25 minutes.  I baked mine just 20 minutes.  Just make sure the center is set.  Remove from oven and cool in a wire rack.  After it is completely cooled, cut it into squares and serve.  Store in a tightly sealed contained and it will last for about a week in the refrigerator, although mine never lasts that long.  Happy baking!

Christening Cake

A 2-tier Christening chocolate cake covered with fondant.  The baby shoes topper are made of sugar paste.  The rosary was made out of gold edible pearls.  To order this or your own customized cake, visit and like my Facebook page Derek's Sweet World.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cake and cupcakes

A simple buttercream teenage mutant ninja turtles cake with gumpaste toppers and cupcakes with fondant toppers.

Easy chicken parmesan

A lot of people may think that chicken parmesan is a complicated dish because it does involve cooking the sauce and chicken separately and then baking it.  Boneless chicken breasts are used and then lightly pounded to flatten it and make it more tender.  And then making the marinara sauce is another step.  I used a store-bought marinara sauce, but you can always make your own by sauteing garlic, onion and carrots in olive oil and then adding whole peeled tomatoes, lightly mashing, and continue cooking until the tomatoes are fully cooked.

I love this because of the contrast of the crispy chicken breast with the gooey cheeses together with the sauce.  Try this chicken parmesan and let me know how it goes.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken breast, filleted into 3 pieces, lightly pounded
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
vegetable oil for frying

Procedure:
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and garlic powder.  Dredge it in flour, and then egg, and then the panko breadcrumbs.  Set aside.  Heat your frying pan together with the vegetable oil.  When the oil is hot enough, fry seasoned chicken breasts until almost done, not cooked all the way through because we also have to bake them and we don't want overcooked chicken breasts.  Set aside.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a separate pan, heat your marinara sauce, if using store bought.  Season it with salt and pepper as desired.

In a baking dish, layer a small amount of sauce at the bottom, then arrange your cooked chicken breasts and then top with another layer of marinara sauce.  Top with mozarella, parmesan and cheddar cheese and bake for about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Best served while it's hot.

Steamed fish fillet

Ingredients:
1 fish fillet, you can use any fish fillet you like.  I used tilapia fillet
1 onion, sliced into rings
1 tomato, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
Minced cilantro

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.  Rinse and pat dry fish fillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put it in a foil.  Brush butter on top.  Top it with the onion rings and tomato rings.  Sprinkle minced cilantro.  Tightly cover foil and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, oven foil and bake for another 10 minutes.  Transfer on a serving dish and serve.

Pork and mushrooms in oyster sauce

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork, you can use shoulder or butt part
3 cups water
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup cream of mushroom
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp sliced onion
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Cut pork into cubes and boil in 3 cups of water, oyster sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until tender.  Add water as necessary while it is boiling.  When the pork is tender, remove from heat and let it cool.  Once cooled, slice pork in about 1/3 inch thickness, set aside.  Reserve the sauce where the pork was boiled.  Saute garlic and onion in butter.  Add in the mushrooms.  After a few minutes, when the mushroom is cooked, add in the cooked pork and reserved sauce.  Stir and let boil for a few minutes.  Add in the cream of mushroom.  Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until pork is very tender and sauce has thickened.  Best served with rice.

Sweet and Spicy tofu

Ingredients:
1 block raw firm tofu
1 medium sized red bell pepper, diced
1 medium sized green bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 4 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 red eye chili, diced
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil for frying

Procedure:
Cut tofu into bite-sized squares and deep fry until lightly brown.  Set aside.  In the same pan, remove some of the oil and saute onion and garlic.  Add in the red and green bell peppers.  When the bell peppers are cooked, add in the vinegar, ketchup and sugar.  Continue stirring and add in the cornstarch mixture and red eye chili.  Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until thick.  Serve and enjoy!

CUSTARD CAKE

Ingredients:
For the custard:
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp lemon rind

For the cake:
A
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup fresh milk
1/4 tsp lemon rind
B
3 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar for caramel topping

Procedure:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan.  To make the caramel topping, in a heavy saucepan, put 1/2 cup sugar under low fire until it's completely melted.  When it's completely melted and light brown in color, transfer it to your cake pan, making sure that the bottom of your pan is completely covered.  Set aside and let it cool.

To make the custard, combine all eggs and whisk lightly.  Add the condensed milk, fresh milk, sugar, lemon rind and mix until well combined.  Strain and transfer it to your pan with the caramel topping, which should have hardened by now.

To make the cake, sift cake flour and baking powder together.  Combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until light.  Add cake flour mixture and mix well.  Add the milk and mix again.  Finally, add the other half of the cake flour and lemon rind and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, beat your egg whites until frothy.  Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks.  Fold your egg whites to the cake mixture, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.  Transfer mixture to your cake pan where the custard mixture is.  The cake mixture would float on top and the custard mixture at the bottom.

Put the cake pan in a larger baking dish with hot water at the bottom and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let it cool completely.  The cake would deflate a little, this is normal.  Transfer it on a serving plate upside down.

Sofia the first cake

Sofia the first fondant cake.  To order your own personalized cake, visit my Facebook page Derek's Sweet World.

Wedding Cake

A 3-tier wedding cake.  Bottom cake size is 10 inches, middle cake size 8 inches and top tier 6 inches.  To order this or your own customized cake and other baked products, visit my Facebook page Derek's Sweet World.

Christening cake

A 2-tier Christening cake.  It's chocolate cake inside with caramel filling and chocolate chips.

Beer mug cake

Beer mug cake for hubby's birthday.  To order this or your own customized cake, visit my Facebook page Derek's Sweet World.

Vanilla Latte Cupcake

This cupcake is one of my favorites.  It has a very distinct coffee flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.  The cupcake itself is soft because of the use of cake flour.  You can also use all purpose flour if you prefer a denser cupcake.

Ingredients:

For the cupcake:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature, I used salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cup cake flour or all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup fresh milk + 1 tsp coffee powder
About 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, measured and sifted
1 tbsp fresh milk + 1 tsp coffee powder

Yield:  About 12 cupcakes

Steps:
Cupcake:
1.  Sift flour and baking powder together.
2.  Cream butter until light, about 1-2 minutes.  Add in sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy.
3.  Add eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
4.  Alternately add the flour and milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
5.  Add in the vanilla and chocolate chips and mix well.
6.  Line your cupcake pans and transfer the mixture.
7.  Bake at 350 degrees Celsius for about 15-20 minutes.  Note that each oven is different, so make sure to check a few minutes before the timer and it's done if a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean or just a few crumbs in it.
8.  Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1.  Beat butter until light and fluffy.
2.  Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
3.  Add the milk and coffee mixture and continue beating until light and fluffy.  Frost your cooled cupcake and top with your favorite toppings.  I topped mine with dark chocolate chips and jimmies.

No churn ice cream

This is a recipe for a no-churn ice cream.  I've always wanted to make my own ice cream and finally I did, and OMG! I wish I had tried it sooner.  The steps and ingredients are so simple you can make it in a few minutes and then all you have to do is wait for it to chill.

Ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 cup condensed milk

Your choice of add-ins (I used Oreo cookies and white chocolate chips)

Steps:

Chill whipping cream and evaporated milk for a few hours.  When the cream is well chilled, whip it until soft peaks.  Add your evaporated milk and continue whipping for about 3 minutes or so.  Add in the condensed milk and stir well.  This will be your basic ice cream in which you can add your choice add-ins for any flavor you want.  I added crushed Oreos, about 10, which I crushed, and then about 5 Oreos which I had broken into chunks.  I also added white chocolate chips.  Put it in the freezer for about 4 hours or overnight, and that's it!  You'll have your homemade ice cream that's creamy and so yummy!  Enjoy!