A Light Mother's Day Menu

Yup, the official recognition of your and my Mom is just around the corner.  I'm sure though that many will opt to go treat one's Mom out for that day, but in case you prefer a simpler, laid back celebration, why not prepare a brunch for her?  

I am sharing my recipe for crustless quiche with leek and gruyere cheese.  I had this on offer for my friends and former officemates when I prepared their diet lunches before.  Without the crust, that would mean you get to enjoy a filling meal that will cost you only 260 calories, instead of 460.  

And for dessert, a recipe for cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.  This, however, is a regular recipe so it'll give one a whopping 335 calories for each medium-sized puff.  But you can lessen the guilt by using sugar-free vanilla ice cream for the filling, and there you have a compromise.  :-) Serve with a bottle of prosecco or your choice of bubbly, and you have quite an elegant spread that will make you and your Mom pampered.  

Profitez!

Crustless Quiche

3 medium stalks leeks
1 Tbsp. olive oil
   salt and pepper
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk 
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 deg. F/180 deg. C. Grease 10-inch quiche dish, if you have one, or a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.  Cut off roots and trim dark green tops from leeks.  Discard any tough outer leaves.  Cut each leek lengthwise in half, then cross-wise into 1/4-inch-wide slices.  Rinse leeks thoroughly in large bowl of cold water, making sure sand is removed.  Transfer leeks to colander to drain, leaving sand in the bottom of the bowl.  Repeat this process of cleaning the leeks until vegetable is completely free of sand.  Shake colander to remove excess water.

2.  In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil on medium heat for 1 minute.  Add leeks and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook 12-14 minutes or until leeks are tender and browned, stirring frequently.  Transfer leeks to prepared quiche dish or pie plate and spread evenly.

3.  Meanwhile, in a bowl using wire whisk, beat eggs, milk, cornstarch, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper until well-blended.

4.  Pour egg mixture over leeks in dish carefully so as not to displace the arrangement of leeks.  Sprinkle gruyere cheese.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.  Good for 6 to 8 people.

Serve with a salad of mixed greens, apple slices, walnuts and sliced parmesan cheese using a dressing made from a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey to taste.

Cream Puffs

For the choux pastry:
1 cup butter
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs

1 container vanilla ice cream

1.  In a medium-sized sauce pan, melt butter in water.

2.  Add salt and flour, and stir until a sticky batter is formed.

3.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until batter is smooth.

4.  Preheat oven to 400 deg. F/230 deg. C.  Grease two baking sheets.

5.  Spoon the prepared choux dough into 24 small rounds on each baking sheet, or 12 medium rounds for bigger puffs.  Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until each pastry puffs up and turns golden brown.

6.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire rack (around 20 minutes) before filling in with the vanilla ice cream.

7.  To fill the pastry, cut the puffs in half crosswise.  Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the bottom half secure the top half of the pastry on top of the ice cream.  Repeat with remaining pastry puffs.

8.  Place filled pastry in freezer for at least 3 hours.

For chocolate sauce:
3 squares or 1 oz. or less than 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted to free from lumps

1.  In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate pieces and the butter until they are completely melted.  

2. Remove from heat and, stirring constantly, add the all-purpose cream in a thin steady stream.  

3. When mixture is smooth, stir in the confectioners' sugar and beat vigorously. Stir in vanilla and let cool slightly to thicken a little.  Take out the cream puffs and pour the icing over each pastry.  Serve. 

** You can serve the extra chocolate sauce on the side, or use it for other confections later, just heat it up a little.  The sauce can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

   

Deliciously Simple

It’s been months! How time flies when one procrastinates. Which is not a really good habit by the way, but there you have it. However, considering that things are slowing down a bit for the business as the school year is ending, it is also the time that I can also sit still for an hour or so and finally share something here.

From November last year until February this year, everything just came whizzing by me that all I could do was just pick up and run after whatever it is. I keep telling myself, ˝Tomorrow I’ll write˝ or ˝Hey, this is a good dish. Will share this later.˝ But never got around to doing it. But it was a very fulfilling Christmas season, and start of the New Year.



For my friends out there who know more than most people about what’s going on with me, they knew that Heaven’s Country Kitchen was invited to become a full time concessionaire at this school where we are operating. Hence, aside from my usual brunch offerings (pancakes, waffles, french toasts), we are offering lunch, sandwiches and pasta dishes. I’m very thankful that the students welcomed our entry by patronizing us often, and it’s been quite thrilling for me to plan the weekly menu that is not the usual thing you get from your school canteen. So far, the students’ favorites have been my standby as with other clients and friends: the Korean Beef Stew, the Beef Salpicado, the Pasta Carbonara, the Crispy Pork Chops or Chicken Fillets with Cranberry or Cheese Sauce. And, there are a few discoveries too like the Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Pomodoro made from molo wrappers, the sticky barbeque chicken wings served with baked mushroom rice, and the Pizzas Margherita or 2 Cheese & Garlic made from 10 inch flour tortillas that come out of the oven flavorful and crispy, much like the Roman pizzas we enjoy in the Eternal City.

Not that I am not advocating love and enjoyment of Filipino food, I just noticed that the food offerings there lacked variety. And so what I offered was really just alternatives, and healthier alternatives at that. When budget allows, I would use corn or olive oil, or insert vegetable ingredients here and there without hiding them. And surprisingly, when we offered green salads, students would prefer it for their snacks or as sides to their lunch plates, whether they brought their own or bought it from either concessionaire.

Nothing beats the feeling I get when I make people happy with the food I prepare or cook for them, because I enjoy making or conceptualizing those dishes too.

In the spirit of simplicity, I recently introduced home made cream puffs into the mix of products I offer the students. I had to sell them at P20/piece which is 50% more expensive than what the other concessionaire was selling, but this is justified because my batch is home made and authentic due to the cream patissiere. The P10–cream puffs do not have a filling (which would probably shock the French – cream puffs with no cream?!)

One good thing about this divine pastry is that you dont need any special equipment to be able to make them, just a cookie sheet and an oven. The choux pastry is also versatile as this is the same recipe you use for making Spanish churros and dip in thick, hot chocolate or profiteroles.



Choux Pastry

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs

Creme Patissiere (Cream Filling)

1 can evaporated milk or fresh milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Sugar Syrup

1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar

Procedure:
1. Make Choux Pastry: Heat water and sugar in a casserole until you reach a rolling boil. Add flour and mix it in immediately with a wooden spoon until it forms into a ball.
2. Take the pot out of the heat and beat in eggs one at a time until each egg is fully incorporated into the batter.
3. Spoon the batter into balls and place in ungreased cookie sheet. Place the choux pastry in the oven which has been preheated to 350 degrees or gas mark 6. Bake for 40 minutes or until pastry is cooked and golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, slice into the pastry half way through the middle and set aside.
4. Make the Cream Filling: Boil milk and sugar in a pot over low heat while stirring constantly.
5. Once sugar is mixed well, add the flour and continue to stir allowing the mixture to boil, and thickened slightly into a cream consistency. Remove from heat.
6. Add half the cream mixture into the beaten egg yolks until mixed together, then pour the egg mixture back into the remaining cream mixture in the pot and put back into a low fire, stirring constantly, until it reaches to a boil once more.
7. Remove from heat and add vanilla flavoring. Set aside to cool.
8. Make the sugar syrup: Melt sugar in a separate pot over low fire until it turns brown.
9. Slowly pour the hot water while stirring constantly and continue to cook in low fire until thickened. Set aside.
10. Assembly: Fill the cream filling into the middle part of the choux pastry, as in a sandwich, and repeat with remaining pastry. Line them up on top of wax paper sheets. Pour the sugar syrup over each cream puffs and serve.

This recipe makes 1 dozen cream puffs.