My Kids Favorite Manicotti

1- Box of Manicotti(cooked in boiling water about 5-6 minutes until Al Dente)drained the water

1-8 oz thawed  chopped spinach, squeeze all the water(I used a clean cheesecloth and squeezed it).   

1/2 c. Shredded Mozzarella cheese
1c.Ricotta cheese or substitute cottage cheese
1t. Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese and pepper to taste
A jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1-beaten egg

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In  a bowl mix egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan and spinach,seasoning and pepper,set aside.

3.Fill the cooked and drained Manicotti carefully with cheese/spinach mixture, top with a little bit of sauce and some Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.I used a  quart size zip lock bag and pipe the filling inside the pasta for easy clean up. Just fill the bag and cut  one of the corner and fill the pasta.

4. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese are bubbly!Serve with garlic toast and fresh tossed salad.

Ube Macapuno Pie

This is my sister Cece recipe! Seriously delish! Try nyo!

1-9" prepared pie crust

1-12 oz  thawed frozen grated ube(found in the frozen section of the Asian store)

2 large eggs

1/2c. melted butter or margarine

1c. sugar

1T. flour

1c. whipped cream topping(1/2c.heavy cream beat untif stiff then add 1T. sugar)

1.Preheat oven to 350

2.Roll the crust to fit a pie pan.

3.Mix all remaining ingredients and bake for 45 minutes until firm to touch,let it cool.

4. Pipe the whipped cream on the side and top with macapuno. Chill and serve!

Fruit Smoothie

3c.  sliced Fresh Fruits  of your choice

(I used kiwi,peaches,blueberries,strawberries,cantaloupes)

1c. fat free yogurt(optional),sugar or Splenda(sugar substitute),crushed ice

-Just mix everything in a blender and serve! Adjust sugar to your liking. A very good fruits combo in my opinion are the following : watermelon,cantaloupes,bananas,all kinds of berries, mango and papayas, for minty hint flavor add 2  fresh mint leaves, no sugar needed and lotsa crushed ice. So healthy, delish and so very good for you.

Key Lime Pie

Refreshing Key Lime pie for a hot summer days! Oh, so delish!

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons white sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk and a pinch of salt
1 pinch cream of tartar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 lime, sliced

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press into 9 inch pie plate and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

2.Separate 2 of the eggs, placing the two egg whites into a mixing bowl. Reserve the yolks in another bowl.

3.To the yolks, add one whole egg, lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk until smooth. With clean mixer blades or a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry. Fold whites into filling mixture. Pour filling into partially baked crust.

4.Bake in preheated 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cool at room temperature, then freeze 4 hours to overnight. Just before serving, whip cream to form stiff peaks. Serve decorated with whipped cream and lime slices.

This recipe is from: http://www.allrecipes.com/

Egg White Omelet With Mango Tomato Salsa

4 egg whites and 1 whole egg beaten

a choice of your toppings(ham,spinach, cooked mushrooms,shredded cheese,tomatoes, onions etc..)

Use a non stick pan and spray pan with oil, heat it on medium heat pour the beaten eggs let the side cook a little before pushing the raw egg in the center of the pan, keep pushing it very gently until firm, gently flip it to cook the other side and start  putting your toppings at the other end of the omelet , flip the other half and cook for about 3 minutes. Done!  I serve this with salsa and toast. Serve 2 hungry kids! (I don't salt the eggs because cheese and ham are salty enough for our taste)

Cheese Quesadillas with Mango Tomato Salsa

Easy to make  kid friendly lunch and good for party finger foods!Eat it with  refreshing mango salsa   and corn chips and you are good to go!


Quesadillas:

8- Fajita size flour tortillas
1- 8 oz Mexican low fat shredded cheese or any cheese you like(mozzarella melt easily)

1.Use a non stick pan,heat in a low flame- put  one tortilla in a hot pan then sprinkle shredded cheese of your choice, put the other tortilla on top and cook 3 minutes on each side  until cheese are melted. Cut into quarters and serve with mango salsa and chips if you like.

 Mango Salsa:

1 mango cut into small diced
1 small red onions chopped
4 plum tomatoes cut into small pieces
1  freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt, pepper to taste
1- seeded and diced jalapenos and a sprig of cilantro chopped(optional)

1. just mix all ingredients and chill it for 10 minutes. done!

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Recipe courtesy of Chestopher (Cece) From  Australia


450 g. plain flour
160g butter
Pinch of salt
300ml thickened cream
1 tbs caster sugar( or use regular white granulated sugar process a little in the food processor)
1 pint raspberries
160ml cream
40g butter
180g dark chocolate, finely chopped
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Step 1: Place the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1-2 teaspoons cold water and blend again until the dough just comes together. Tip out onto a lightly floured board or clean bench and form dough into a disc, enclose in cling film and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
Step 2: Roll pastry out to 3-5mm thick, then use to line four 10cm loose-bottomed tart tins. Prick the base with a fork, then place back in the fridge to rest for about 20 minutes.
Step 3: To make the ganache, place the cream and butter in a pan and stir over medium heat until butter has melted. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour over the warm cream, then stir until the chocolate has melted.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the pastry case with baking paper and pastry beads or uncooked rice. Blind-bake for 7-10 minutes, then remove baking paper and beads and bake for another 5-10 minutes until just golden. Press down any bubbles that have risen up and allow to cool. Remove from tart cases and place on a serving plate or clean board.
Step 5: Meanwhile, whip thickened cream with sugar until soft peaks, then stir through lavender flowers. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed.
Step 6: Pour the chocolate ganache into the tart shells. Spread evenly with the back of a spoon or palette knife.
Step 7: Top tarts with lavender cream and decorate with raspberries. Decorate tarts with extra lavender flowers.

My sister Cece Cashew Chicken

1 boneless & skinless chicken breast, about 10 oz. (cut into small cubes)

1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 small green bell pepper, about 4 oz. (cut into small square pieces)
5 slices ginger
1/4 onion (cut into small square pieces)



Marinate:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon rice wine



Sauce:

1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste



Method:

1. Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15-20 minutes and then rinse the chicken thoroughly. (Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.)
2. Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels and then marinate with the rest of the ingredients for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the sauce together and set aside.
4. Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.
5. Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger slices, bell peppers and onions.
6. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers and add the chicken meat back in.
7. Add in the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs.
8. Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt to taste, dish out and serve the Cashew Chicken hot with steamed white rice.

Banana Caramel Pie

This recipe is courtesy of my sister Cece from Sydney!



1c.APF(all purpose flour)

100g cold butter

1 yolk

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 tsp cold water

sliced bananas

filling;

400 g condensed milk

1/4 brown sugar

50 g butter

-grease a round 22cm loose pan

process flour and butter til crumbly. add egg yolk,vanilla and enough water to make the ingredients cling together shape into round ball

roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of wax paper until large enough to line the prepared tin

lift the pastry into the tin and trim the edges, refrigerate for 30 Min's.cover pastry with wax paper and fill with beans or rice blind bake for 190 c for 10 mins.remove the beans and paper and cook for another 10 minutes until brown.
Filling: combine all ingredients in a small pan over heat till sugar and butter is dissolved. Cool slightly.

Pour filling into pastry and cook in oven at 180 C until it is set and cool.  Just before serving, decorate with sliced bananas and whipped cream

serves 6

Favorite Spaghetti with Garlic Bread

This is my family absolute favorite sauce for spaghetti, or lasagna, manicotti  or any pasta  you like. This sauce makes enough for another dinner so, I freeze half of it for future use.


1 lb.low fat ground meat (I used low fat ground turkey or chicken)
1/2 small onions minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2  can of tomato paste
2- 14.5 oz tomato sauce
1- bay leaf
1- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
1-  sweet red  bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. sugar
1T. dried Italian herbs mix
salt and pepper to taste,grated cheese,parmesan cheese
1- box of spaghetti (follow direction on the box) cooked

1. Brown  ground meat until no longer pink,add onions,garlic until fragrant, drain the fat.
2. Add sliced mushrooms saute it for about 2minutes(you want to drain the cooked meat before adding the    mushrooms because  the mushrooms will absorb most of  the oil)add the paste ,tomato sauce and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer in a low heat for 30-45 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust your seasoning.

3. Cook your favorite pasta. I myself just add a pinch of salt in a boiling water then add my spaghetti noodles and cook it until al dente texture(firm but not hard) not mushy about 7 minutes only, I dont add oil so the sauce adhere with the cooked noodles.


Garlic Bread

1-sturdy bread -french, Italian bread  (I used  a markdown Artisan Italian Bread )sliced
3- cloves garlic minced
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1t. Italian seasoning herbs

1.melt butter and add garlic  until light brown set aside to infuse the garlic flavor.
2.preheat a skillet to medium heat
3. brush bread with melted butter and garlic and add italian herbs and optional shredded cheese and grill for about 3 minutes on each side.