Norman's Sugar Cookies

Father in law famous sugar cookie recipe. Very light buttery and easy to make.Good for holiday icing decorating .The recipe makes 6 dozens. We usually ice them,sprinkle,top them with nuts or drizzle with melted chocolates.

Crisp and buttery sugar cookies.

6 dozens of cookies cooling!

Mixing

Roll almond size dough in sugar.

Press the cookie dough lightly.

Flattened dough ready to bake.

Yummy!

1c. sugar

1c. powdered sugar

1c. butter

2 eggs

1c. oil(veg. or canola oil)

2t. real vanilla extract

5c. all purpose flour

1t. cream of tartar

1/4t. salt

1t. baking soda

Cream sugar and butter;add eggs. Blend oil and vanilla.Add the dry ingredients and mix well .Refrigerate for an hour.Roll into balls and flatten with a glass dipped in butter and sugar. Bake at 350 for 10 min. yields:6  doz.

Tostadong Tinapay/Biscocho

Buttery cinnamon tostadong tinapay

Sliced day old sweet Italian bread.

Melted butter.

Dredge both sides in cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Lay bread flat and bake for 15-30 minutes or until crisp!

Yummy snacks!

1-loaf  sliced  day old bread(sweet Italian bread/ Hawaiian bread/ French bread/pandesal/challah)look at the markdown rack at your grocery store.

melted butter

cinnamon /sugar

Set oven to 300F, adjust oven rack in the middle.Cover baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.Brush or dunk bread with melted butter and dredge into sugar / cinnamon mixture on both sides. Bake  for15-30 minutes or until crisp and toasted!

Cece's Custard Cake

Yummy dessert!

Baking cake gently using a water bath method.

Custard/Leche Flan on top  and soft mamon cake at the bottom

Baked cake!

Caramel:

1c. sugar

1/4c. water

Custard:

6 eggs at room temperature

1 can condensed milk(13-14 oz)

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 c. sugar

Cake:

6 egg yolks at room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1- 1/2 c. cake flour, sifted

1t. baking powder

1/2c. milk diluted(1/4c. milk mix with 1/4 c. water)

1t. finely grated lemon rind

Meringue:

6 egg whites at room temperature

1/2t. cream of tartar

1/2 c. white sugar

Caramel:

1. Preheat oven to 350F(180 C). prepare a 9 inch round pan.

2. In a heavy deep saucepan,combine water and sugar(don't stir) over a medium heat until dissolved. 

3. Brushing  down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in cold water.

4. Bring to boil over medium- high heat for 8-10 minutes or until dark amber.

5. Immediately pour onto prepared pan. Set aside.

Custard:

1. In a bowl,mix egg yolks and sugar, do not beat.

2. Stir to blend or until sugar dissolved.

3. Strain through a sieve into caramelized pan . Set aside.

Cake:

1. In a bowl, mix egg yolks and gradually add sugar beating the mixture until light and lemony  color.

2. Add flour alternately with diluted milk (beginning and ending with flour)

3. Add grated lemon zest.Beat until smooth  and no lumps, set aside.

Meringue:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until frothy, add cream of tartar beat until soft peaks forms.

2. Add sugar gradually beat until stiff and glossy.

3. Gently fold meringue to the cake mixture until well blended,scrape the bottom of the bowl as you fold.

4.Pour over custard. Do not stir!

5.Place cake pan in a roasting pan half filled with hot water.

6.Bake for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Transfer pan(roasting pan) to rack. Let cool until room temperature. Remove cake pan from water and let   

    it cool completely.

8. Run a knife around the edges of pan. Invert into serving platter. Chill before serving!

Easy Lemon Pound Cake

Yummy lemony moist cake!

Ready for icing.

Reliable cake mix,always Duncan Hines!

Adding lemon zest!

Incorporating eggs.

Ready for the oven.

Moist,lemony easy pound cake recipe that's right for my budget!

Preheat oven to 350 F,grease and flour 10"tube pan.

Combine cake mix,instant pudding, eggs,water,oil in a large bowl beat at medium speed with an electric mixer.Pour into a pan.Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Invert into heat resistant plate.Drizzle icing.Enjoy!

For the glaze icing: 1c. powdered sugar add a tablespoon at a time of milk,mix until thin enough to drizzle on a cake. 

WinningTurkey Chili

Chili cheese dogs!

Chili with Fritos,sour cream,cheese,onions and cilantro

Lean cooked ground turkey breast with a bay leaf.

Adding spices and canned beans.

Diced  canned  tomatoes,beans,spices.

My son's school had a chili cook off festival and their recipe won according to the judges which includes the principal, assistant principal, and the head of the custodian. So we decided to give it a try at home using low fat turkey breast and a little more spices and it was  delicious!


8 oz ground turkey breast or chicken breast
2 -13 oz canned beans
-drained and rinsed(we liked black beans and navy beans)
2-  cans tomato sauce
1-canned chili or diced  tomatoes
1/4 c. tomato ketchup
2  cans full of water
1-bay leaf
3T-chili powder
1 t. cumin powder
1T. garlic powder
1- small diced onion
1T. olive oil
salt,sugar,pepper to taste
a small bunch of cilantro chopped(optional)
sriracha hot chili sauce(opt.)

1. Add oil and cook meat until no longer pink, drain fat.
2.Add onions to the cooked meat and cook until transparent.
3.Add rinsed beans, tomato sauce,tomatoes, and the rest of the spices,using the empty bean can as measuring cup- add 2 can full of water.Put  the lid on and simmer in medium low heat about 30 minutes stirring it frequently.
4. Adjust spices and serve with Frito's,onions,cheese,sour cream,diced avocados or  chili hot dogs or by itself.

Kale Laing

Cooked laing kale leaves.

Chopped kale.

.

Simmering garlic,onions,coconut milk and ginger. 

Curly leaf kale.

Taro leaves, fresh or dried, are hard to find in my local Asian stores so I am replacing it with hearty, peppery flavor kale leaves. Add a mild fresh jalapeno pepper for heat, simmering the dish for an hour in a very low heat with a lid on. Resulting to a delicious  dish that is high in fiber and low in saturated fat. Kale leaves are high in calcium,lutein,vitamins C and a potent anti-cancer properties.Next time it will be baby spinach laing!



1- 13 oz  unsweetened coconut milk
2- bunches of kale leaves(remove stems,washed, and chopped )
2-cloves of garlic,chopped
1- small onions,chopped
1-thumb size ginger sliced thinly
2T.bagoong
a handful of shrimps
flaked boneless smoked tinapa
1-sliced jalapeno pepper
fish sauce to taste

Pour coconut milk in  heavy bottom soup pot,be sure to scrape the cream,add onions,garlic, and ginger simmer in a low heat for 5 minutes. Add chopped kale,bagoong,pepper,flaked tinapa.Do not add any water!Kale leaves give off a lot of water.Cover and cook for 45 minutes in a very low heat.Stir.When kale are tender, add shrimps.Turn off the stove.Serve with rice and fried fish.
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Belgian Waffles

I found this recipe from All recipes .com.The recipe uses yeast instead of baking powder and resulted to a soft dense and really good Belgian waffles that made a lot and freezes very well.This is so much better than
the one from the frozen section  of your grocery stores. Just pop it in a toaster no thawing required.


1(.25 oz.)active dry yeast
1/4c. warm milk(2 % or fat free)
3 egg yolks
2 3/4c. warm milk(110 F/ 45 C)
3/4c. butter melted and cooled or canola oil
1c. white sugar
1 1/2teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
4c. All purpose flour
3 egg whites

1. In a small bowl,dissolve yeast in 1/4c. warm milk. Let stand until creamy about 10 minutes.
2.In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks,1/4c. warm milk and oil or  melted cooled butter.Stir in the yeast mixture, sugar,salt and vanilla.Stir in remaining 2-1/2cups milk alternately with the flour,ending with flour. Beat egg whites until soft peak forms and fold into the batter.Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until double in size about an hour.

Adding yeast to warm milk,let it stand until creamy.

After an hour of rising, the batter will look like this, thick and bubbly!!

Be sure to grease the waffle iron before the batter.

Cooked just right!

My family favorite sausages.

Cool completely before freezing.

3. Preheat waffle iron, spray or brush with oil and spoon 1/2c. of the batter onto the center of iron. Close the lid and bake until stops steaming and waffle is golden brown. Serve immediately  or keep warm in 200 degree oven. Cool completely and separate waffles before freezing.

Amazing Pavlova

Egg whites should be like shaving cream consistency.

Baked Meringue

Add berries or any fruits you  like!

Adding my Oz food finds, canned passion fruits on top of lightly sweetened whipped cream!

So light and heavenly and less guilt. Its just wonderful!

Favorites fruits on top!

F

A layer of  slightly sweetened fresh whipped cream for the first layer!

The family took a recent trip to Australia and sampled the national dessert dedicated to the Russian ballet dancer, Ana Pavlova, inspired me to create this dessert at home. I brought home one of my Australian food finds, canned passion fruits in syrup. Any fruits in season would make a good topping for this dessert as well. For example, you could use pomegranates and cranberries for a Thanksgiving/Christmas dessert. The cake is very light and refreshing, but not too eggy for my taste buds. The combination of the sourness of the passion fruit and lightly sweetened whipped cream makes this a hit!

6 egg whites (no specks of yolks at room temperature)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream,chilled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar
Any seasonal fruit
1 small can of passion fruit in syrup or any canned fruits

1. Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Grease interior of 8" spring form pan and dust lightly with cornstarch.
2. Beat egg whites using a glass or ceramic bowl, until stiff and glossy. Make sure egg whites have absolutely no contact with grease or even a speck of egg yolks. Combine cream of tartar, white sugar, and cornstarch and gradually beat into egg whites. Sprinkle vinegar over egg white mixture and fold in very gently.
3. Pile meringue into prepared pan. Spread to all sides leaving a slight depression in the center. Place in preheated oven. Close the oven door and immediately turn oven down to 250 degrees F(120C). Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. Open oven door, but leave the meringue in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove meringue in a draft free spot. Very carefully remove the rim of spring form pan and a allow meringue to cool completely. There might be a slight sinking in the center. Carefully remove meringue from the base pan and place on the  serving platter.
4. Whip cream with vanilla extract and confectioners sugar until thick and firm. Gently spread over meringue.

5. Spread canned passion fruits on top of the whipped cream and arrange sliced fruits in the design of your choice. Chill until ready to serve.

-For this recipe, I am using a cheesecake pan to achieve a tall meringue shell and ease of removing it from the pan.

Sole Mauniere

 

This is a classic French dish and very easy to prepare .

4 skinless,boneless white fish (sole,tilapia,cod,catfish)

4T. melted butter

1/3c. all purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 small lemon juice,chopped parsley (opt.),zest of one lemon

Using a paper towels pat fish to dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.Dredge fish in flour and allow to rest on a plate for 5-6  minutes.Add the melted butter on a non stick frying pan until the butter start to brown, lower heat to medium low and fry fish 2 minutes on both sides. Add lemon juice and lemon zest and chopped parsley to finish the dish.

Tortilla Turnover

 

*Created and Typed by my Son*

First you get a tortilla.Then you you get any kind of

meat.It can be taco meat or turkey or ham.Then

you get shredded cheese.Then you get a side.

Its like mayo or ketchup or mustard.Then you

make it.First you put any meat on the tortilla.

Then you put the cheese.Then you put the

side.Then you warm it up for a few seconds.

Then you turn it over.That's how you make a

Tortilla Sandwich Turnover!!!!!!!!!!!