{TPM Kitchen} Pink Ombre Pancakes

We all know the best pancakes are made at home!

You probably expect by now that we make our pancake mix from scratch. And you are right! It's the easiest thing to do. I can control how much sugar goes into them, and I don't have to worry about preservatives, too. Plus, I make them exactly how I want and my family can all be still be in our pajamas while we enjoy them. PLUS! If my girls feel like having PINK OMBRE pancakes, then I can definitely indulge them and be #thebestmomever in their eyes. Right?

Spinach Mushroom Dip Recipe

I am lucky that my kids are not picky eaters.  They eat almost everything. But even if I do not have any problems feeding them, I still want to make sure that they enjoy eating the food that I serve them.  One of the things that I seldom make for them is Spinach and Mushroom Dip.  I like making a big batch of this because I find it so versatile in the kitchen. 

When I make one batch, it usually lasts for about a week, and I serve it as a vegetable dip, a spread on toast, and even as a filling for chicken breast. 

Its versatility is as much loved as its ease of preparation. It's an extremely easy recipe - just combine and bake, and could easily be made ahead of time and placed into the oven just before you need it.

Spinach Mushroom Dip
*you can also just substitute the mushroom with artichoke to make Spinach & Artichoke Dip

1 cup thawed, chopped cooked spinach spinach, with the water squeezed out
11/2 cups chopped fresh white button mushroom, sauteed and cooled
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside half of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. In a large bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients, except the the red pepper flakes. Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Let cool.  Store in refrigerator, covered for about a week.

*I use my Lock & Lock Boroseal oven-proof container because it also comes with a cover.  It goes from the oven to the refrigerator, and vice versa.

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Spinach Quiche Muffins

We ate out too much sometime during one weekend the past few month that when I opened my crisper that day, there was an abundance of vegetables that were in danger of rotting if not cooked immediately.  I had broccoli, spinach, asparagus - all bought from the organic market.  Too expensive to throw out.

Bizu's Brie Flambee {Recipe-Hack}

I had brunch with a group of friends in the early days of October. The "ber" months only mean that there are many more get-togethers to follow. Afterall, the holidays is fast creeping up on us; and one of the things I love most about this season is that I get the chance to meet up with different groups of friends. Catching-up over brunch with long-time friends is definitely one of my favorite things to do.

This particular group of moms I’ve been with since about 8 years ago, when our kids were just about upto our waists. Now our girls are all taller than us.:) We’ve all seen our kids grow up, and have similar problems dealing with teenage daughters. But I still walk away from every get-together learning a lot from our shared parenting experiences.

Phenomenal Tip: DIY Cookie Cups

On days when I have my head in the clouds and I feel like I can stop time, I like to indulge in DIY's.  I know other people might scoff at the idea of DIY-ing, but I derive pleasure in the process.  The very idea of making time to create something is therapeutic for me. 

My daughter celebrated her birthday a few months ago, and we both decided to bake treats so she could share the happiness with all of her friends.  Hence, the cookie cup project. 

I started this post in July, and did not even realize that I had this on draft until I scrolled down my list of posts and found this still unfinished.  Nonetheless, Christmas will soon be upon as, and now is a good time as any to share how I made it.  This could be easily be under the best handmade gifts list for Christmas 2013! The biggest smiles will greet you as soon as you hand over a box of these goodies to the special people in your life!

Cookie cups are basically choco chip cookies that are baked to resemble mini-bowls.

Christmas Eve Dinner 2012

For the last several years, we have been out of the country during Christmas.  But since we stayed home this year, I was able to personally prepare our Christmas eve dinner.  

I remember a few years back we had a Christmas eve buffet dinner in Hong Kong, I didn't fully appreciate the food spread because of the limited time available.  Add to the fact the two younger ones were so much younger then, and needed more assistance.  Eating at home is so much more relaxed.  It is made more enjoyable if, like me, you also enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.

Since I decided that ALL the food are going to be home-made, I started prep work in the kitchen mid-afternoon to make sure that I won't be hurried.  I wanted to enjoy the process since I was going to make it for my family for Christmas Eve. after all.  

Pardon the photos since they were all just taken with my daughter's iPhone cam.  As you know, my hands are tied in the kitchen.... So anyway, here's what we had for our simple celebration:

Caprese Salad on Skewers.  Grape tomatoes, basil leaves, truffle noir cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, generous sprinkle of freshly ground peppercorns and sea salt.  This is a family staple, even on ordinary days as this is so easy to prepare, and the flavors just pop in one mouthful.

 

Baked Brie with Truffle Mushroom, topped with Roasted Honey Almonds. You cannot see it here but underneath those roasted almonds is a layer of crusted brown sugar.  This is hands down the favorite dish of the night.  So easy to prepare, but it made my family think the world of me.

Baked pears with caramelized balamic vinegar topped with crumbled stilton cheese and pistachios.  The kids usually refuse to eat any kind of blue cheese, but somehow this one was tolerated somewhat... or they were just being cooperative and grateful.

 

Roasted chicken with garlic and lemons.  This roasted chicken is another family favorite, and on the few occasions that there are leftovers, I find that they taste even better the next day.

And I just love the roasted garlic... I simply press at the ends and all the garlicky goodness slides out easily.  Mash and eat with the chicken.

 

Grilled rib-eye steak on a bed of arugula and strawberry salad, drizzled with balsamic vinegar dressing.  My carniverous family could not let a meal pass us without red meat, so I grilled a few slabs of rib-eye and placed them on top of the salad.  Hate to admit, but I prepared the salad to find a way to limit their consumption of red meat.

 

Linguinie with mushrooms and garilic with truffle cream sauce.  This is a special request from C, and I made sure to make the sauce generously cover the pasta as everyone loves the cream sauce... no fighting over food because it's Christmas Eve.:)

You might notice that I was very generous with using truffle oil, using it even in several dishes; and that is because I bought it at Bacchus Epicerie over at PowerPlant Mall the day before Christmas for 20% off.  I bought a small bottle of black truffle oil (about 25ml if I am not mistaken) from them about six months ago for P1,200.  And for this recent purchase, I just paid less than a thousand only.  

I did not prepare desserts anymore, but I want to share with you that the red velvet cake from Karen's Kitchen is such a stand out that it will soon be a staple on every celebration!  It's so good, so moist and just the right amount of sweet.  

That's about it.  Leaving you all as I celebrate the New Year with a staycation.  See you all 2013!



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Phenomenal Tip: DIY Tarte Flambées

Tarte Flambee seems to be on every foodies' lips nowadays. What's up with all the buzz? Despite its fancy and sophisticated French name, it is just simply a thin crust pizza. I enjoy the occasional date-night with the Phenomenal Papa, but I am not overly eager to order this on the menu. BUT, I am fervently dying to re-create it at home - in my own kitchen, with the kids... not to mention that it is so much cheaper!:)

We regularly have pizza nights at home, with the toppings all lined up so everyone can just make their own pizza by liberally piling on whatever they wish on the dough. So, last weekend when it was the designated pizza night, I told everyone that I am putting all the glitz for our weekend dinner for the spectacular "Tarte Flambée Nuits." Little do they know that is just a fancy renaming. Haha!


Allow me to share with you my version of an easy to do tarte flambee using my favorite store bought "pizza dough." It is not actually a pizza dough, but a tortilla. I have never been inclined to make my own dough, so when it is pizza night in my house, I always use Village Gourmet's tortilla. It always gives the same results: pizza that is ultra thin and crispy.

For this particular night, I prepared thin slivers of smoked salmon and maple-smoked bacon.

Since the tortilla is very thin, there are a few things to keep in mind when you want to get a crisp texture:

1st, pre-bake the tortilla;
2nd, put care when piling on the toppings... definitely do not overload with toppings;
3rd, have a light hand when using tomato sauce and/or creme faiche, as too much liquid will make the crust soggy.

Tarte Flambee with smoked salmon, capers, fontina and 

gruyere cheese, creme fraiche  

tortilla bread
pre sliced smoked salmon
slices of fontina and gruyere
capers (you can also fry them to a crispy flower if desired)
creme fraiche, (I made my own, following the DIY recipe here)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brush surface of tortilla with a very light coating of olive oil and place on baking tray. Pre bake for about        3-5 minutes until warm and toasted, taking care not to leave it so long that it changes color.
3. Remove from oven and put desired toppings.
4. Return to oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until tortilla turns lightly golden.
5. Drizzle creme fraiche after final baking.
6. Slice with pizza slicer and serve with freshly cracked pepper and/or chili oil.

Tarte Flambee with maple-smoked bacon, balsamic caramelized onions, tomatoes, mozzarella, creme fraiche  

tortilla bread
Olive oil
bacon
caramelized onions (I used this well-loved, super-easy recipe right here)
chopped tomatoes: cut thinly and use just the meaty portion, and drain any juices
creme fraiche, (I made my own, following the DIY recipe here)
fresh herbs, you can use any. I used sage, basil and thyme because that's what was available from my potted herb garden.


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush surface of tortilla with a very light coating of olive oil and place on baking tray. Pre bake for about 3-5 minutes until warm and toasted, taking care not to leave it so long that it changes color.
2. Heat a medium pan over high heat. Chop the bacon into bite-size pieces, then add them to the hot pan. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove them to a bowl or plate, keeping about a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan.
3. Make the caramelized onions, following this recipe here.
4. Spread the creme fraiche, making sure to go lightly–too heavy a hand will make it soggy. Top it with the chopped tomatoes, caramelized onions, crispy bits of bacon, mozzarella and herbs.
5. Return base to oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until tortilla turns lightly golden.
6. Slice with pizza slicer and serve with freshly cracked pepper and/or chili oil.


I assure you, there will be plenty of compliments from some very pleased little diners about how a good cook you are.:)

Baked Eggs on Avocado

We just happen to be the very lucky recipients of a basketful of avocados harvested from the tree of C's aunt.  Wonderful, because avocados happen to be a favorite ingredient in my kitchen.  My kids wouldn't mind having this everyday.  They're delicious as a power-packed dessert smoothie - blended with milk and sugar; but, they are also a scrumptious vitamin-packed savory treat.  

Avocados have a lot of healthy fats, dietary fibers, and vitamins.  The avocados' high protein content also makes it a good meat substitute; and unlike animal fat, the fat of the avocado is not saturated.  And when you scoop out that buttery and creamy flesh, make sure to scoop out right to the skin because research has shown that the greatest concentration of carotenoids in avocado occurs in the dark green flesh that lies just beneath the skin.

I have shared with you in this previous post how I made yogurt and avocado iced-popsicles...

and in this previous post, I also shared with you my recipe for making home-made avocado ice cream.

But for now, let me tell you how I enjoy it as a heart-healthy and appetite-stoking breakfast provision.  This is a new and delicious way to enjoy avocados for breakfast. An easy-to-make,  protein and vitamin-packed breakfast treat that's filling enough to keep you going all morning!

Baked Eggs in Avocado 
ripe avocado, split in half
2 eggs
freshly cracked pepper
sea salt flakes
freshly grated cheese of your choice 

1. preheat oven to 175c/350f
2. with a small kitchen knife, slice avocado in half and take out the pit
3. take out some of the avocado flesh to make space for the egg, estimating how much to take out depending on how large your egg is.
4. crack egg open in small bowl, and carefully pour egg in the cavity.
5. put in a generous sprinkle of pepper and salt. Top with grated cheese.
6. place in pre-heated oven and cook till your eggs are done in the level you desire, 7-10 minutes, more if you want your yolk set.

I just also have to share how much I am loving Lock & Lock's new Boroseal line for its kitchen versatility.  This bakeware easily transitions to a serving plate.  No mittens needed to handle the hot plate; simply add/clip on the red silicone handle once you take the plate out of the oven.

Enjoy!

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Cookie Craving

Summer means the kids are going to be home a lot more; for me, this also simply means that they are going to be asking for food a lot more.  Summertime in my house is about ALL things indulgent!  Most especially when it comes to sweet treats!  This is because for the rest of the year my kids' intake of sweets and cold treats are limited due to the threat of a sore throat.  Like me, they easily suffer from a sore throat after an indulgent snacking gone overboard.  

Like I said, it being summer, I have stocked my pantry full, my fruit basket is filled to overflowing, my freezer is also full of icy treats. We have a baking day every Saturday, and they get to choose what sweet treats they would like to make.

One of their favorite things to munch on is choco chip cookies.  And so I figured I could save myself some time by making this one VERY HUGE batch to last them the entire summer!  Yes!

And so we dumped in roasted almond, pistachios, dark choco chips, bittersweet choco chips, milk choco chips, white choco chips, sprinkles.... anything that is a delight to our hearts!

 

 

 
I simply just scooped the cookie dough onto a tray.

 And stored batches of them in several plastic containers. 

 Ready to be popped into the oven anytime the craving starts.

For a complete step-by-step on how to freeze cookie dough for future use, read this earlier post.

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Carrot Cupcakes + Goji Berries

Carrot cupcakes are the most requested cupcake flavor in my house for birthdays.  And surely, it was on top of B's birthday wish list for her recent birthday party, along with dark chocolate cupcakes.

 I have a lot of carrot cake recipes... some made tropical with grated coconut and pineapples, others made sweeter with the addition of raisins and choco chips, still others are studded with walnuts.  But for this cupcake variety, I made it unadulterated... this one is all about the carrots - finely grated carrots.  It is simplicity at its best.  

The only thing I added were goji berries, a staple in my pantry for making Chinese tonic soups.  My thoughtful and generous mother-in-law, who frequently sends over Chinese herbs and condiments, is a believer in the nutritional benefits of this small and red superfood.  

 

In recent years, the goji berry has gained popularity in Western health food stores.  But this nutritionally-rich and naturally sweet fruit has long been used in Chinese cuisine to make congee, tonic soups and herbal teas.

Fresh, sweet carrots and bright, pretty goji berries make for a wonderful combination... a delicious, moist, fluffy cupcake combined with a superfood ingredient.

 

Allow the dried goji berries to sit in warm water just a couple of minutes to soften, until they are nice and plump. 

 

Look at how the bright goji berries pop-out wonderfully in the batter.

Carrot Cupcake Recipe

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1/2 cup dried goji berries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line cupcake molds with papers.  I sued 3 ozs paper liners.
3. Hydrate goji berries in warm water for 10-15 mintues, or until soft and plump.
4. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots and goji berries, if using them. Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling 3/4 of each.
5. Bake cupcakes 18-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing.

Cream Cheese  Frosting

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly.
2. Divide equally into three small bowls and add food color, adding different amount of the food color if you want to make an ombre effect.  

The different soft shades of gradient pink make for a lovely display...

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One Carnivorous Feast { A Porchetta and Lechon Picnic}

I edited this post on 12/26/2014 to embed a video I posted on Instagram.  Click on the video to hear proof of that crackling, crunchy, crispy skin! :)

Can you hear that CRUNCH??? Made my Crispy, Crackling Oven Roasted Lechon for dinner.

A video posted by The Phenomenal Mama | Tina Ong (@thephenomenalmama) on Aug 8, 2014 at 4:06am PDT

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Original post:

Today all the kids went back to school. The house is quiet again mid-morning, allowing me to take pleasure in all things good that the sound of silence brings. The melodious chirping of birds and the gentle swishing of tree branches are beautiful breaks from the stillness and quiet. I remember when my kids were younger and I would want to keep them peaceful and quiet for a few minutes, I would ask them to go with me for a listening walk. With their innocent and child-like sense of wonder, they would be amazed at the many unexpected sounds they hear when they choose to keep silent.

Anyhow, to celebrate the end of the school break, I threw a picnic for the kids on our rooftop. Their joy could not be contained, as even the weather cooperated... The high and feathery cirrus clouds covered the sun like a sheer curtain. The gentle breeze of the wind is enough to keep us cool; the occasional gusts blow our hair to our faces, gloriously reminding us that we are outdoors... that life is good, and there are many things to be thankful for.... Greasy smiles as wide as their bellies, oil-slicked hands busy with snatching each newly-sliced porchetta/lechon crust. I guess crispy, crackly, crunchy skin make table manners fly out the door!:)

The carnivorous feast of a picnic, in reality, was actually to kitchen-test several pork recipes I have accumulated in the past month. Porchetta, bagnet, lechon ... whatever you call it, they are all the same to me. Slabs of porcine heaven that tugs on the pit of my slightly bulging mummy-tummy. :)

To be able to make a comparison on which recipe is better, I decided to do a side by side comparison between the Italian porchetta and the Filipino lechon. The goal was to prepare and cook them in identical ways, seasoning with different herbs. Here is what I did:

First, I started with two identical slabs of porkloin with ribs removed and skin intact. Score the skin lightly, making sure to not cut through the meat. I find that this makes for easy and uniform slicing. But if you want a shiny and even skin on your pork, then skip scoring the skin. Makes no difference on the taste. Place them skin side down on a large baking pan and prepare the herbs.

For the porchetta, I placed onions and garlic, added a generous sprinkle of pan-roasted fennel seeds, added some dried bay-leaf, a couple of fresh sprigs of thyme. Throw in a liberal dash of salt and pepper and roll up the meat and secure it with kitchen twine.

For the lechon, I also started with the same amount of onions and garlic, and then added about 6 stalks of lemongrass with the bulb pounded, scattered 5 calamansi, sliced into two. The same liberal dash of salt and pepper. Roll the meat and secure with kitchen twine.

Put the pork slabs skin side up in the large baking pan rub with some salt and olive oil. Place in a preheated oven. Cook at 400 degrees F for the first 30 minutes and then lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F for about 3 more hours.

Get out of the kitchen. Now would be a very good time to do your nails, read a book, take a long nap. By the time you are done with all of those, you will come in to your kitchen, the heady smell of herbs and spices so fragrant and wonderfully comforting. You will open your oven door to find pork so tender that you can practically pull the meat off without cutting. And the skin? Hmmmm... a deep-golden caramel color that is crunchy, crackly, crispy, heavenly!

We ate them with pita bread and ciabatta. I placed sidings of with mustard greens, arugula, cheese slices and balsamic caramelized onions.

For the recipes:

Porchetta/Lechon (to make one)
whole slab of 1 to 1-1/2 kilo porkloin or pork belly, skin intact
1 onion, sliced
1/2 head of garlic, pounded, skin-on
salt and pepper

porchetta herbs:
1 tablespoon pan-roasted fennel seeds
2-3 dried bay-leaf
3-5 sprigs of thyme

lechon herbs:
4-6 stalks of lemon grass, bulb pounded
5 calamansi, sliced into 2

1. Score the skin lightly, making sure to not cut through the meat. I find that this makes for easy and uniform slicing. But if you want a shiny and even skin on your pork, then skip scoring the skin. Makes no difference on the taste. Place them skin side down on a large baking pan and prepare the herbs.
2. For the porchetta: place onions and garlic, fennel seeds, dried bay-leaf, thyme on the meat side of the meat. Throw in a liberal dash of salt and pepper and roll up the meat and secure it with kitchen twine.

For the lechon: place onions and garlic, lemon grass, calamansi on the meat side of the meat. Throw in a liberal dash of salt and pepper and roll up the meat and secure it with kitchen twine.

3. Put the pork slabs skin side up in the large baking pan rub with some salt and olive oil. Place in a preheated oven. Cook at 400 degrees F for the first 30 minutes and then lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F for about 3 more hours.

caramelized onion recipe:
2 onions, julienned
1/4 cup good quality baslamic vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 T fresh thyme leaves, (removed from the sprig)
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper

1. Heat a pan with a bit of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until they just begin to color, tossing frequently. 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Toss to combine. Cover, reduce the heat, and let cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until the onions have cooked down and caramelized deeply.
4. Take off heat. Add the thyme and toss to combine. Serve.

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