Simplest Banana Pancake

Today, I feel a bit lousy. Although It is Friday, but seems  my body is not resting well for the whole night. Past 2 nights in a row was quite a hard nights for me to sleep really tightly. I do not know why. Probably of overthinking. 

This would be my last weekend to rest and Monday I am going back to work. So, I made a morning routine with my children while they are still on winter vacation to make them good breakfast. 

Well, this works well for all of us for they are more excited to wake up and look forward to what I should serve them for breakfast. 

I love making breakfast and brunch especially on weekends.

Yesterday I made them a smile toast bread with prosciutto on top and sunny side up eggs. They love it! I posted a photo on my Instagram. 

For today, I made the simplest banana pancake. 

This is adapted from the blog of What Should I Eat for Breakfast. 

- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsps. of flour ( optional)
- any toppings you have in hand.


* Mashed two ripe bananas, add an egg or two. Add in 2 tablespoons of flour (*optional). Mix them all together.
Heat the pan with butter. Once butter is melted, add a scoop of your pancake batter. Flip it over slowly as this is such a delicate portioning. Once side is a bit brownish flip it and serve.
I sprinkled dark chocolates and powdered sugar on it and topped with fresh banana or any fresh fruits that you have.

Serve with a smile. Enjoy over your coffee, hot chocolates or your favourite tea.

I swear, I feel a lot better after eating this.


Happy Friday!


SMACZNEGO! (polish word which means 'enjoy your meal or bon appetite)

xo,
Ai

Puto Flan recipe

We made Puto Flan yesterday with my kids.

Puto flan is combining two of my favourite Filipino desserts, the leche flan ( that calls for another recipe to be shared here) and the puto into one delightful desserts. 

Sounds appetizing, isn't it? 

If you can see from the ingredients, the puto is only consist of the egg whites while the flan is with the yolks. You may beat the egg whites until into soft peaks before combining the rest of its ingredients or just simply add the egg whites. 

It was delish that we ate it all in one go. Oppps!

Alrighty, how to make this....well, read on.

For the flan ( yellow portion) we need:

- 5 egg yolks

- 3/4 cup (190g) condensed milk

* combine egg yolk and condensed milk. Mix them all together until incorporated. Sieve it then put into your puto moulders. About 1/4 portion of your moulder.

For the Puto:

- 1 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 tablespoon + 1 tsp. of baking powder

- 1/4 tsp. of salt  or pinch of salt

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1/2 cup evaporated milk ( you can add more up to 1/4 cup of your batter is too dry or too thick)

- 1 large egg white

- 2 tbsp. melted butter

* combine flour, baking power and salt in a sifter. Add sugar and mix. Slowly add the evaporated milk, melted butter and large egg whites. Or you may also beat the egg whites until foamy or reach it stiff peak. Combine into your flour mixture slowly until well mixed. Set aside.

To Steam:

Heat your steamer to medium-low heat. Then put the flan in your moulder. steam flan for 5 mins in medium-low heat. Pour batter and steam again fro another 10-12 minutes. Let them cool completely before removing from the moulder for the flan to set. 

Serve and enjoy over warm tea or coffee. 

Tips:
This is good homemade gifts to friends and special someone. 
Good desserts after a heavy meal.
Good small business if you are stay-at-home mum.
A good bonding activity with your children right at the comfort of your home.


As always,

SMACZNEGO! (polish word which means 'enjoy your meal or bon appetite)

xo
Ai

Puto Cheese

Hello there! I hope you are still there.

It's been awhile I know that I am not posting anything here.
Where I have been and what happened? Well, life happens! 

So you know.... tsk tsk tsk!

Let's get into the business anyways.

This week I have been into steaming and baking Filipino delicacies. I have this cravings and getting it anywhere, anytime you want here in Poland is impossible. The best solution is to make it yourself.

Today, I will be sharing a very simple Filipino delicacy named Puto Cheese.

This will be a series of Puto recipes, by the way. So bare with me.
If you ask Uncle Google what is puto, it is a Filipino steamed rice cakes or sometimes made of non rice flour. This recipe of puto cheese is one using only the normal cake or all purpose flour.

Mind you, this is an easy to make snack.


For this recipe we need:

 - 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
-  1/2 cup cake flour
- 2 tbsp. of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup white sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup grated or cut cheddar cheese 

How to:

1.  In a mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt three times. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon coloured. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in flour mixture alternately with water and milk. Add vanilla and then set aside.

3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup white sugar and continue beating until stiff. Fold in egg batter. Blend well and pour mixture in a greased cupcake moulder or silicon moulder.

4. Sprinkle grated or cut cheese on top. Cover with cheese cloth. Steam for 25-30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Serve and ready to enjoy!


* In case you don't have cupcake moulders, just use 9-inch cake pan and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

It looks so cheesy, right? ( insert your smile here)


SMACZNEGO! (polish word which means 'enjoy your meal or bon appetite)


Up next.... I will share my puto flan recipe. *wink

as always,
XO
Ai

Tinolang Tahong - Filipino Mussel soup

Hello there!

If you're an island girl this kind of food really comforting to your heart, that even if it cost a lot in this side of the world, then you have to give in to your cravings to just feel the warmth of home. 

This is Tinolang Tahong, baby!

According to Uncle Wike, Tinola in Tagalog or Visayan, or la uya in Ilocano is a soup-based dish served as an appetizer or main entrée in the Philippines. Traditionally, this dish is cooked with chicken, wedges of green papaya, and leaves of the siling labuyo chili pepper in broth flavored with ginger, onions and fish sauce.

So basically, in the Philippines we can tinola almost everything from seafoods to meat seasoned with fresh vegetables and spices. The aroma of the broth gives you a divine kick and comfort in your stomach. I miss home obviously. At this weather in Poland - cold and grey who would not miss the tropics much more its fresh seafoods. While at the grocers store last weekend, I came by this fresh mussels vacuum packed in a kilo. Not minding of the price, grabbed one and excitedly went home to prepare the dish for lunch.

To make this dish, you need:

a kilo of mussels

a tbsp of oil - canola

ginger - thumb size - minced 

M size yellow onion

lemon grass ( in this meal - i run out of lemon grass - optional, but best if using)

6 cups of water 

1 bokchoy (chopped into half) or spinach 

salt and ground pepper

To cook: 

Heat oil, saute onion, add in water, pour in lemon grass, a kilo of mussels. Cover pot. Simmer for 1 mins until mussel shells opened.  Add bokchoy or spinach. Dash salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a bit for 2 mins. Serve warm and enjoy!

Basically, the recipe is so simple. Boil and add in all ingredients. Voila! I wanted to make one like Italian style simmered with white wine, but i needed warmer broth to fill in my hungry soul with a taste like home. 

Oh well, true to its taste. I ate mine with gusto and even looking forward to buy and cook such seafoods from now one. Maybe, Seafood Paella next? hmmm....yum! Now, I'm hungry.

Enjoy and 'till next time.

Smacznego!

xo,

Ai

Banana-yogurt cake

The sky is blue. The birds are chirping. Crisp morning wind and a wonderful sunshine greeted me with all its happy pleasure. I could smell you spring!

I feel rejuvenated, hopeful and inspired to start my day. Prepared myself , took children to school, and drop by the nearest bakeshop to pick up freshly baked bread.

Came home in an empty dining table...and thought of doing some quick baking. Then, I needed to eat something right the first hour of the day. So slowly prepared my breakfast...light but healthy. one that could give me energy to last half of my day. Made my usual sunny side up eggs...soft and runny. A cereal with dried fruits, Polish buttered crescent rolls bought in a nearby bakeshop, and a cup of black tea.  Perfect breakfast for me. That would gave me a kick to do something that would squeezed out the winter to spring blues away from me.  

3 overly riped bananas lying on top of the table needed prior attention, and that motivated me  to bake my all-time favourite banana bread.

There are lots of versions of banana bread circulating around the internet. But this one, I find it easy to prepare and deliver such wonderful texture to my tongue. I adapted this recipe from simplerecipes.com. However, I changed a bit of the ingredients. Instead of putting white sugar, I'm using brown sugar in this recipe. Since, I have an open packed of mąka krupczatka in Polish  coarse- grained flour so added it to give such healthier kick. It's a perfect blend of bitterness and sweetness of the bananas, brown sugar and flour. I'm content and satisfied with the outcome, that my children loves it to bits. They wanted it moreover for breakfast with warm milk and drops of honey or that with vanilla ice cream on top during their afternoon snack. 

Back in my home country - The Philippines, We've got variety of bananas. In all sizes, shapes and colours. And it differs as well as to how you're going to use it...for steamed bananas, we use the different variety and for banana bread we usually use the greeny bananas.  Anyhow, here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 

3 very ripe bananas - mashed
1 cup natural yogurt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten - room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
11/2 cups of coarse-grain flour / all purpose flour
handful of almond nuts, banana chips

How to: 

*Preheat oven for 10 minutes at 175 degrees Celcius and butter loaf pan. I usually use silicon loaf pan, but this time I am using my rectangular moulder for cakes.

You mix mashed banana, yogurt and melted butter.  Stir in the baking soda and salt.. Add in brown sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour, put almond nuts and banana chips on top. 

Pour in the prepared loaf pan. And, bake for  1 hour or until inserted toothpick tester comes out clean. 

Voila! banana-yogurt cake..

Cool in a wire rack before serving. 

Enjoy it with your family and friends over tea or coffee time. 

side note: You can add almond flour or that oatmeal flour if you are vegan or you want a healthy option than flour, omit the eggs - banana could substitute the egg. 

Don't forget to comment and let me know how it taste.

Smacznego! 

xxxoo,

Ai