For Prince Aries Ceras Gastardo

My name is Prince Aries Ceras Gastardo. I was born on March 27, 2010. My mommy’s name is Sheryl Digamon Ceras and my daddy’s name is John Pet Gastardo. We live in Purok 6, Sta. Cruz Placer, and Surigao Del Norte, Philippines.

I was born with a birth defect called an Omphalocele - my intestine is sticking out below my belly bottom. I am in and out from the hospital. Right now, I am very sick and patiently waiting for the doctors to do the much needed surgery. But I need your help, compassion and understanding.

I don’t know if I can make it this time, we used all the means of survival and we have nothing left except hope. I will pray and knocked to your hearts for another chance to live. I need to live to experience how beautiful is life. My wish to live will come true with your kindness and generosity.

To all, I sincerely say my thanks. Please, let me live.

Chopsuey

"

I am supposed to make seafood Chopsuey for dinner the other night but I don’t have all the necessary ingredients. I was too lazy to drive down to the store so I decided to use what I have available in the fridge and this is what I came up with. It’s not what I want it to be but it was delicious.

I didn’t do anything special for this recipe. I just sauté all the vegetable until tender , added the cooked shrimps and add some salt and pepper to taste.Bwallaa...instant dinner!

Chocolate Cake

Not a very good pictures but do not judge the taste by its look. I made this cake for my youngest son during his kindergarten graduation last May. It’s one of the easiest cakes that you can prepare on any occasions. I am not going to make this entry any longer so here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:
Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix

Frosting:
1 container Betty Crocker chocolate frosting

Topping:
1 jar of maraschino cherries
2 dozens kit kat wafers

Filling:
1 cup whipped cream
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. sugar

Red ribbon

Preparation

1. Prepare the chocolate cake according to its package direction.
2. While the cake is baking, prepare the filling.
3. Mix all ingredients for filling and set aside inside the fridge.
4. Let the baked cake cool completely before filling and frosting.
5. Carefully cut the cake into two layers.
6. Place the filling on top of the first layer.
7. Place the second layer on top of the first layer cake with filling.
8. Now you can start frosting.
9. Slowly arrange the kit kat wafers around the frosted cake.
10. Tie the red ribbon around the cake to hold it.
11. Top the maraschino cherries and you’re done.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

I learned to make this recipe from my mother -in-law. Back in the Philippines, I only knew few recipes using sweet potato (boil, fry and grill). I am not a big fan of sweet potatoes until I have tried this one. It’s very simple and I am sure everyone in the family will enjoy this treat. You can only find this sweet especially during the holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. And of course, you can always make this one anytime you crave for some tubers.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

Ingredients

2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes (boiled or baked)
½ tsp. salt
1 can (8 oz.) evaporated milk
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 stick butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Toppings

½ cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecan nuts (or any nuts)
Marshmallows


Preparation

1. Boiled potatoes. Mash when cooked.
2. In mixing bowl. Add mashed potatoes, salt, milk, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Stir until combined.
3. Pour into a greased baking dish.
4. Cover with topping.
5. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Enjoy!

General Tso's Chicken

I made this recipe not long time ago I am still in the process of perfecting this Chinese goodies. It was good but not very good like I want it to taste. I will post the recipe as soon I get it right.

Yello Rice

If you like your rice yellow then this is for you. This recipe is very easy that you can even close your eyes while making it. It’s another way to make use of your left-over rice. I am not going to make this entry any longer so here is the recipe.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients

1 clove chopped garlic
1 small chopped onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups rice
½ tsp. turmeric powder (you can add more if you like)
Pepper and salt to taste
Rosemary, carrot bits and soy sauce for garnish


Preparation

1. In a medium pan with olive oil, Sautee garlic until slightly brown.

2. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender.
3. Add rice, stir until combined. If it’s too dry, you can add a little water or some broth.
4. Add turmeric. Stir
5. Add pepper and salt to taste. Enjoy!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

This is one of my favorite cookies but I don’t bake them very often though. I make a huge batch of these cookies during Christmas to giveaways together with other goodies. This recipe is very easy to make so anytime you have cravings with something sweet then try the chocolate crinkles.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

3 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. instant coffee
2 cups all-purpose flour
Sifted powdered sugar


Preparation

1. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, chocolate, oil,
baking powder and vanilla until combined.

2. Slowly add the flour and beat.

3. Cover the mixture with cellophane wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour or two or until easy to handle.

4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

5. Roll balls in sifted powdered
sugar and coat generously.

6. Place balls one inch apart on an
ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or
until edges are set and top is cracked.
8. Let cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

Sweet Barbecue Pork Ribs

I made some sweet barbecue ribs not long time ago. It was so delicious that I can’t stop myself from eating. This recipe is very easy, the meat is tender and falls right off the bone, so if you’re hungry for real meat then grab your pen and notebook and writes the recipe down.

I used to add ginger ale or sprite (to soak meat) but not this time. These liquids are good meat tenderizer.



Sweet Barbecue Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

2 racks pork ribs (cut into 4 slices)
¾ cup water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worchester sauce
1 tbsp. hickory liquid smoke
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. Onion powder
Ground pepper and salt to taste


1 cup barbecue sauce (I prefer sweet baby rays brand)
1/8 cup catsup
1 tsp. Worchester sauce
3 drops of hickory liquid smoke
1 tbsp. white sugar (you can add more, if needed)

Preparation:

1. Place the ribs in the baking dish (9x13 inch).
2. Add water, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, hickory liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt to taste.
3. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in pre-hated oven 250 degrees F for about 2 to 3 hours or until tender.

5. In a bowl, mix barbecue sauce, catsup, Worcester sauce, hickory liquid smoke, and sugar.
6. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
7. Place baked ribs on grill; cook its side for 3 to 5 minutes, basting with barbecue sauce.


Enjoy.

Cinnamon Rolls

The boys love this sweet a lot. I don’t make them very often for some reasons. This recipe is probably the best one you will find online. It’s simply soft, moist and floppy almost like a cinnabon. It’s a lot of work but all the labor you will put into it is all worth it. I am lazy so I prepared my dough using a bread machine (dough cycle). The dough is going to be gooey and sticky once you take it out from the bread machine basket so always sprinkle it with some flour. DO NOT put too much flour, just enough to handle the dough.

If you’re using a bread machine, please follow the manual instructions. I like to proof my yeast for some reasons.


Soft Cinnamon Rolls


Ingredients:

A.
1 cup milk
1 pack active dry yeast
1 tbsp. white sugar

B.
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup softened butter
2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
½ cup white sugar
3 ¾ bread flour

C.
½ cup soften butter
¼ cup cinnamon powder
½ cup white sugar

D.
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 ½ cup powder sugar
1 tbsp. milk

Preparation:

A.
1. PROOF yeast - in a small bowl warm milk in the microwave for one minute.
2. Add sugar, then yeast.
3. Cover the bowl with clean cloth. Set aside for about 10 minutes.

B.
4. Pour the proofed yeast in the bread machine pan.
5. Add vanilla, softened butter, eggs, salt, white sugar and flour.
6. Turn the bread machine to dough cycle. (It will take around 1 hour to 30 minutes -according to my bread machine).
7. Once the dough has risen once, turn it out into a lightly floured surface.
8. Use the floured rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangular, approximately 12 inches wide by 20 inches long.
9. The dough might be sticky, so sprinkle some flour as necessary.


C.
10. Brush the softened butter over the surface of the dough.
11. Mix the sugar and cinnamon powder.
12. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the butter, spreading the mixture evenly across the whole sheet of dough.

13. Start at the left-hand corner of the edge closest to you. Working from left to right, tug the lip of the dough up and over the filling, keeping it tight. Roll up the dough, tightening the log as you go.

14. cut the dough (pastry cutter, serrated knife or whatever you have) into serving pieces.
15. Place the cut rolls on a buttered or greased baking pan an inch apart.
16. Cover the rolls with a clean cloth and let them rise until they nearly double in size, about 30 minutes (I always place mine inside the oven with lights on).
17. When the rolls have double in size, bake them in pre-heated oven 375 degrees F.
18. Bake the rolls for about 15 minutes or more or until the top turn golden brown.


D.
19. Mix powder sugar, lemon juice and milk.
10. Immediately glaze or spread the mixture into the cinnamon rolls.


Enjoy.

( click to enlarge)

Sesame Chicken

Sesame chicken is always been my one Chinese food favorites. I felt a little bit disappointed though because I cannot find a sesame chicken as good as in the Chinese restaurants in the Philippines. We went to a Chinese restaurant in the city for Mother’s Day celebration because I was craving for some but to my dismayed the sesame chicken I ordered tasted like sweet and sour chicken. It was lacking of something, it was gooey (too much cornstarch “I guess”), no sesame taste at all. Oh well, I wish we can find a decent Chinese place in this area who cook authentic Chinese food.

Anyway, I just need to learn how to make it so I can enjoy this delicacy with pleasure. I have been surfing online for the recipe and even tried couple of them. But this recipe (captbunzo -opensourcefood.com) is so far one of the best out there. I made some changes of course to cater my taste bud. I hope you will try this sometimes. It’s a very tricky recipe, so be cautious when adding vinegar and sugar. You can add them slowly until you achieve the desire taste.


Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

3- 4 boneless chicken breasts cut into serving size.

Marinade

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 drops sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda


Sauce

1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 rice wine vinegar (you can add more or less, it should not be too sour)
1 cup sugar (you can add more or less, balance the taste. It should not be too sweet)
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (or more)
1 garlic clove (minced)


Cooking Oil for deep frying
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp. cooking oil
1 stalk green scallion, chopped


Preparation:


1. Wash, pat dry and cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients.
3. Marinate the chicken for 20-39 minutes.

4. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce

- In a medium bowl. Mix together all of the sauce ingredients “EXCEPT THE VINEGAR AND SUGAR).
- “This is the tricky part”. Using a spoon, slowly adding the vinegar and sugar mix until you achieve the desire taste. Remember! You can always add or cut down.
- Set aside when you achieved the taste.


5. Deep fry the marinated chicken cubes a few at a time until golden brown.
6. Drain on paper towels. You can cover the fried chicken with aluminum foil or place it on the warm oven while continue frying.

7. Last, get a wok (if you have any) or deep frying pan.
8. Heat 1 tbsp. cooking oil
9. Sautee garlic until golden brown.
10. Add the sauce, cook, until slightly thicken. If you think your sauce is too runny then you can always add more cornstarch by diluting it first with water.
11. Add the fried chicken. Stir.
12. Add toasted sesame.
13. Sprinkle the green scallion.

Enjoy it with steamed or fried rice !

Kielbasa Sausage Fried Rice

I love kielbasa sausage and I used them very often in my cooking. The grocery down the street had a huge sale of it the other day and I bought a bunch to be frozen. I wish I have all the seafood for a ‘low country boil’ for dinner tonight. Anyway, I made this fried rice three days ago and it was different and delicious. It’s a very simple and easy recipe; you can even close your eyes while cooking this one. Enjoy!

Kielbasa Sausage Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 medium bowl of cooked rice
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
2 tsp. onion, chopped
1 small tomato, diced
1 small carrot, diced
3 small mushrooms, diced
½ cup green peas
1 cup kielbasa sausage, diced (you can put more or less, depends with your taste)
1 stalk green scallion, chopped
1 tbsp. cooking oil
Pepper and salt to taste



Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan/wok or whatever you have available.
2. Sautee’ garlic until golden brown.
3. Add onion, tomato, carrot, mushroom and cook until tender.
4. Add kielbasa sausage then rice. Stir to combine (about 2 minutes).
5 Add green peas. Cook for another minutes.
6. Add green scallion and sprinkle pepper and salt to taste.

Optional: Sweet basil or any other herbs for garnish .You can add soy sauce if you like. I sometimes add sesame oil too.

Have Fun cooking

(click to enlarge)

I AM OFFICIALLY BACK TO COOKING

I am back ‘finally’! I am so sorry for a very long absent. Life was crazy and my interest to cooking and baking subsided a bit. I will try to update this blog as often as I can. So relax and check me out very often for new and exciting recipes.

Please excuse me

My sister and nephew from Canada are here for a week vacation. I will be back posting new recipes soon. Thanks