Stuffed Baked Peppers

Ingredients:
1 can tuna
1 small white onion chopped
1/2 cup cooked white rice
bell peppers
spaghetti sauce
salt and pepper to taste
grated quickmelt cheese
breadcrumbs (optional)

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.ees C).
In a skillet over medium heat, saute onions and tuna. Set aside.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers.
Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward.
In a bowl, mix the tuna, cooked rice, spaghetti sauce, salt, and pepper.
Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake until the peppers are tender.

Lechon sa Oven

Home cooked version of the popular Pinoy Lechong Baboy in the oven.

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork belly roast

1 bundle spring onion, chopped/sliced

3 stalks lemongrass, chopped/sliced

1 small size onion, chopped

2-3 pcs. bay leaf

1/2 head garlic, crushed, chopped

1 small packet sampalok sinigang mix

1/4 cup butter, melted

soy sauce

salt and pepper

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 300°F to 350°F. In a roasting pan with the same size with the pork belly place and arrange to form a bed the spring onion, lemongrass, onion and garlic, keep aside. 

Pat dry the pork belly. 

Rub the inner side with the sampalok sinigang mix then with salt and pepper to taste. 

Place the seasoned pork belly in the roasting pan with the skin outside. Drizzle the pork belly skin with soy sauce and rub to evenly coat. 

Place the roasting pan in the pre-heated oven and roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Occasionally brush the skin with butter. Adjust, lower the temperature if the skin is drying or cooking to fast. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F to 450°F during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking or until reddish in color and the skin should be crisp at this stage. Remove from oven and cover the roasting pan with aluminium foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Cut into serving pieces and serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

Baked Macaroni

One of my family's all time favorite pasta dish which we learn from my tita who loves to baked.

Ingredients:

1 500 gram pack macaroni

1 bar quickmelt cheese, grated

Meat filling:

1/4 cup oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 kilo ground beef

1/4 kilo sausage or ham, sliced

1 500 ml Spaghetti Sauce Pinoy Style

2 pieces bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Béchamel Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 big can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Procedure:

Boil macaroni as directed in the package.

Drain then set aside.

Prepare Meat Filling:

In a skillet, heat oil. Saute garlic and onions.

Add pepper and cook until tender. Add ground beef and sausage. Cook until browned.

Add spaghetti sauce. Bring to a boil, lower heat then simmer for a few minutes.

Prepare Bechamel Sauce:

Melt butter then add flour. Stir to remove lumps. Add milk and chicken broth while stirring continuously. Add cream of mushroom soup and cook until smooth and thick.

To assemble:

Add half of meat filling in the cooked macaroni. Mix very well then transfer to baking pan or glass dish. Pour half of the meat filling on top then pour béchamel sauce evenly.

Top with some grated cheese then bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Baked Salmon

An expensive, healthy and yummy dish suited for the holidays.

Baked Salmon is a fish dish of salmon slab topped with cream cheese and more cheese then baked until crust turns lightly brown.

Ingredients:

1 salmon fillet

salt and pepper

juice of half a lemon

Cheese Garlic-Mayo topping:

½ block cream cheese - softened

3 tbsp mayo

1 to 1 1/2 tbsp garlic chopped finely (if you want it more garlicky, just add a bit more)

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup for the cream mixture and 1/4 for the topping)

Salt and pepper to taste

breadcrumbs (optional. I like it w/ breadcrumbs, but the one served at Conti's does not have this)

Garnish - Buttered Vegetables:

mixed vegetables

broccoli flowerets

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Rub salmon fillet with salt and pepper, then lemon juice for about 20 minutes

While salmon is marinating, mix thoroughly the cream cheese, mayo, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. set aside.

Pan fry salmon about 2 to 3 mins on both sides

Preheat toaster/turbo. Assemble the fried fish on baking tray, then top w/ cheese garlic mayo mixture, sprinkle w/ remaining parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, bake in toaster/turbo for about 10 to 15 mins at 175C.

Saute mixed vegetables w/ 2 tbsp butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Put out the baking tray and surround the baked salmon with butter vegetables. 

Baked Tahong

One of my all time favorite ways to cook and eat tahong.

Ingredients:
Fresh tahong/mussels
handful of garlic, minced
oil
butter
quickmelt cheese

Procedure:
Wash tahong and clean all dirt. Place it in a pan and steam until all shells are almost open (do not overcook) Remove and discard the top shell. Arrange shells with tahong meat in a baking dish. Saute garlic until brown. On each tahong meat place garlic, a dash of butter and quickmelt cheese.

Baked in the oven until cheese is melted. Serve.

Cannelloni

Cannelloni are a cylindrical type of pasta generally served baked with a filling and covered by a sauce in Italian cuisine. This is our version at home using chicken.

Ingredients:

1 box Cannelloni pasta (any brand)
1 bar Magnolia Quickmelt Cheese

Filling:
6-8 pcs chicken breast, boiled and flaked(set aside chicken broth)
250 grams sweet ham, chopped finely
2 tbsp or more liver spread
1/2 cup butter
1 small head garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper

Bechamel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 onion, chopped
About 2 cups chicken broth

Procedure:
Melt butter in pan. Add garlic and cook until light brown. Add onion and cook until transparent. Add chicken meat, ham and liver spread. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt butter in low heat in another pan. Cook onions until transparent. Add flour and mix well until free from lumps. Slowly add broth and milk. Cook until thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Add some béchamel sauce to the filling mixture. Mix well.


To assemble:

Grease baking dish with butter then pour Bechamel sauce to cover the bottom. Add filling into the cannelloni pasta one by one then line them up in the baking dish until it is filled. Pour sauce just enough to cover the pasta. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 450 F for 20- 30 minutes.

Cassava Cake

Cassava Cake is a classic Filipino dessert made of freshly grated cassava, eggs, coconut milk and sugar.



Ingredients:

2 packs grated cassava (about 2 lbs total weight)

1 can coconut milk

½ can evaporated milk

2 pieces raw egg

¼ cup butter, melted

6 tbsp cheese, grated

½ cup condensed milk

14 tbsp sugar

Topping:

1 can coconut milk

2 tbsp sugar

½ cup condensed milk

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp cheese, grated

Procedure:

1. Combine the grated cassava, butter, condensed milk, evaporated milk, cheese, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly

2. Add the coconut milk in the mixing bowl where the mixed ingredients are. Mix again.

3. Grease the baking tray then pour-in the batter.

4. Pre -heat oven for 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes then put-in the baking tray with batter and bake between 40 minutes to 1 hour until done.

Toppings:

1. Combine the sugar and flour and put-in the heated saucepan.

2. Pour-in the condensed milk then mix thoroughly.

3. Add the cheese while stirring constantly.

4. Pour the coconut milk and stir constantly for 10 minutes

5. Pour the topping over the cassava cake and spread evenly.

6. Broil the Cassava cake until color turns light brown.

7. Share and enjoy!

Double Baked Potatoes

My latest new year baked recipe experiment - yummy double baked potato. Perfect as side dish.

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
bacon bits
green onions, sliced

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook until brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins.

Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and green onions to the potato flesh. Mix until well blended and creamy. Spoon mixture into the potato skins.

 Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pack lasagna, cooked per package direction
1 can spinach, drained
1/2 kilo ground beef
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, diced
1 big can Spaghetti sauce (Hunts)
1 can tomato paste(optional)
¼ cup butter
flour and water
1 can evaporated milk (Alpine)
500g quickmelt cheese
1 tablespoon thyme (McCormick)
1 bouillon cube
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Red Sauce
Saute and garlic and onion. Add ground beef and cooked until brown.
Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme leaves.
Add tomato sauce and tomato paste.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool.

White Sauce
Melt butter under low heat
Add evaporated milk and bouillon cube.
Pour dissolved flour to thicken the sauce.
Set aside.

To assemble:
In a baking dish, layer lasagna noodles, then red sauce, then spinach leaves then white sauce and then the grated cheese. Follow the sequence of first layer to do the second layer.

Bake for 20-30 minutes in 300 degrees F until topped cheese has turned into golden brown.