Lumpia - Filipino Shanghai Style Eggroll

This is probably in the Top 5 most popular Filipino appetizers. You can't really go wrong with this dish. Almost everyone enjoys lumpia. Make it for movie night/tailgating or a potluck, it will be a sure hit! :o)

For this recipe, I stayed with a VERY basic version explained to me by my parents as this was more experimental/impulsive than anything. My brother doesn't eat seafood, so I omitted the ground shrimp.  This can be a little time consuming, yes, but can be prepared ahead of time for convenience. This is also a great dish to have your kids involved in the kitchen (and some extra sets of hands! hehe)

 

Shanghai Style Filipino - Lumpia

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 medium jicama chopped
• 4 carrot stalks chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 package spring roll wrappers (or wonton wrappers)
• 1 quart oil for frying
• optional: 1 lb shrimp ground
• optional:1 cup green onions chopped

Cooking Directions

1. Using a knife or food processor, mince carrots and jicama.
2. Combine with ground pork in a mixing bowl. Add seasonings. Combine thoroughly.
3. Assembling eggroll (refer to pictures below)
4. Deep fry 3 or 4 at a time in 350 degree F oil until golden brown on all sides (5 minutes)
5. Meat will still be slightly pink when ready. If too pink, double fry in lower heat.
6. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

The amount of filling is up to you and how big you like your egg roll.  (If unsure - the width of your thumb)

 I ended up cutting each wrapper in half, but the process is still the same. Use water to seal the egg roll.

I dusted the surface with a little bit of flour to prevent sticking while they wait to be fried.

Get Your Feast On!

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir & OOTD

A few days ago, my family and I visited a nearby BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. Although the Hindu temple was still under construction, the Haveli as well as the gardens around were open to the public. We even enjoyed an authentic Indian meal! I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to Indian culture, but I was extremely delighted to have this experience.

Welcome. As you drive passed the gates, you're greeted by a magnificent spectacle complete with a horse drawn carriage underneath majestic hand carved pillars, a gorgeous fountain, perfectly groomed topiaries at every turn, and a white picturesque temple of the same hand carvings straight out of a movie set.

Haveli. Open to the public at the time of our visit, we were asked to take off our shoes and a guide was able to tell us a bit more about the place. It was when he mentioned there was Indian food being served when I found myself getting antsy from excitement. Still shoeless, we entered an area where wraps were provided to cover the shoulders and legs. Fortunately for me, I anticipated this and dressed accordingly beforehand.

OOTD. I went with a long colorful skirt that covered my legs (Costco of all places haha), a black tank top, and my favorite hat (Forever 21). I also brought a long scarf (Wal-Mart) I'd use as a wrap for when I was inside the temple as I wasn't aware that the temple provided wraps for the visitors! Better prepared than sorry! :o)


Mandir. We descended a few flights of marble stairs into a long hallway filled with large posters about the contributions of Indian culture as well Hinduism to the world. At the end of the hallway was an area where we could make a wish and pour water over a golden statue, which I regret taking a pass on! Just before that, however, is another set of stairs that would take you up to the  Mandir. Lights illuminated and ricocheted off more hand carved ivory pillars creating a scene from a fairy. It was just beautiful.  If only I had photos to share as I know my description doesn't do it justice at all, but unfortunately it was prohibited.

Bhel Mix

Shayona.  Finally we made our way to the Shayona, an Indian vegetarian cafeteria/restaurant. I ordered the Bhel Mix which was quite delicious, but a little on the sweet side for me. My brother ordered the Samosas, which were too spicy for him so I devoured them. My parents ordered Thali, which was also very yummy and for dessert we all enjoyed a nice cold Lassi.

After a delicious meal we exited the back where we were pleasantly surprised by a pair of peacocks just casually roaming the property :o)

Overall, my experience at BAPS in Bartlett was amazing. I felt like I was in another country. I was even thrilled to get quick glimpses at what looked like a traditional Hindu wedding where all the men and women, whether they were part of the wedding or just guests, wore the most beautiful colorful traditional Indian dresses/suits. The people there including the volunteers were all so nice. A definite must-visit in Chicago.

Get Your Feast On!

Avocado 2-Ways: Sweet & Savory

Savory.

Zingy Guacamole

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 medium sized avocados (the more the merrier!)
• 1 or 2 medium sized tomatoes diced
• 1 small small onion diced & caramalized (or cooked through)
• 2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon Siracha (or to taste
• pinch of salt (or to taste)
• pinch of ground black pepper (or taste)
• optional: pinch of ginger

Cooking Directions

1. Simple gather ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Smash together until desired consistency.
3. Season and serve!

 Sweet. 

Chilled Avocado Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 medium sized avocado
• 1 banana
• 2 heaping teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• optional: milk (as much needed to reach desired consistency)

Cooking Directions

1. Gather ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth like pudding.
2. If it becomes too thick add a little milk to reach desired consistency.
3. Refrigerate until chilled and serve!

 Hope you enjoy!

Get Your Feast On!

Torta! Filipino Omelette

 I love this dish for many reasons. It's easy and quick to make. You can switch up the ingredients depending on what you like: meats, vegetables, cheese, spices, etc. (I guess you can do that with pretty much all dishes hehe), and it brings back memories everytime I eat it. Since I usually have a sweet breakfast palette i.e. cereal, cinnamon/vanilla oatmeal, fruits, yogurt, etc. I prefer eating this for lunch, brunch, or dinner.

I first tasted this as a child when my parents would make them for us kids. They usually make this with onions and tomatoes, potatoes, or with eggplant. My favorite is Talong (the eggplant version), but I still have to learn how to make it as good as they do. I will share with you my parents recipe maybe in the future :)

In this version, I used tomatoes, potatoes, kale, topped off with mozzarella and basil. I also added some turmeric for color and flavor as well as its healthy benefits and cayenne pepper for some heat because I love spicy foods. Torta is delicious on its own or as a side.

Since I was young, I love to eat torta with banana ketchup. It tastes especially good with the potatoes. It gives it that extra punch of flavor.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe and try it sometime! If you do try it, please let me know!

Tortang Kamatis, Patatas, at Kale (Filipino Omelette)

Ingredients

• 6 medium/large eggs
• 2 tbsp water or milk
• 1 cup (roughly 3 medium sized) tomatoes diced
• 1 1/2 cup (roughly 6 or 7 medium sized) red potatoes diced
• 1 cup (roughly 1/2 a bundle) fresh kale chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 pinch salt (or to taste)
• 1 pinch black pepper (or to taste)
• handful grated mozzarella cheese
• handful fresh basil leaves 

Cooking Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk together egg and water. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a frying pan or skillet over medium-high flame, heat up a few tablespoons of cooking oil or butter.
3. Saute potatoes and kale until tender. Add tomatoes last and cook until softened. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and turmeric.
4. Place vegetables in center of the pan and poor whisked eggs over top.
5. With spatula/wooden spoon, slowly shift vegetables from center outwards, evenly spreading vegetables throughout egg as it solidifies.
6. When veggies are all spread out, leave it alone until bottom is completely cooked.
7. Cover skillet or pan and let top cook through over medium flame. Add cheese and basil and continue to cook. (You can also speed this up by placing underneath broiler. Just make sure your pan has metal handle if not wrap it in foil)
8. Top should be golden brown.

Get Your Feast On!

Filipino Dessert: Cassava Cake

This is by far my favorite Filipino dessert EVER. Even though it's called a "cake", texturally it's nothing like a cakel. It's more starchy and comparable to eating sticky rice type dessert. Cassava or Yuca (different from Yucca) is a root crop native to South America, but very widely used in the Philippines and other tropical regions. This dessert is very popular in my culture and for good reason! It's so delicious and quite easy to make.

As exotic as this dessert is, all the ingredients I used can be found at the grocery store. The grated cassava and young coconut are probably the 2 that will be harder to find. An Asian Supermarket or Filipino Store are your best bets, BUT they also sell them at Garden Fresh here in Illinois, if you have one nearby.

Cassava Cake

Cake

• 2 packages grated cassava
• 1 package shredded coconut drained
• 3 eggs
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Thaw grated cassava and young shredded coconut.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk in eggs and condensed milk with the cassava.
4. Add coconut milk,sugar, and shredded coconut. Whisk.
5. Add butter and vanilla extract. Mix well. Final batter will be thin and liquidy.
6. Line baking dish with parchment paper or grease with butter.
7. Whisk together topping ingredients until smooth and light in color. Set aside.
8. Bake for 40 minutes or until top has just start to set. Cake will still be pale. Brush thick layer of topping mixture, then continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until top is golden or until toothpick inserted comes out clean

batter will be liqidy with some lumps

Get Your Feast On!

Failed Success

Preface. I originally had intended on making authentic Filipino Empanadas as requested by my mom. Running low on vegetable oil, I decided to replace some of the all-purpose flour in the recipe with corn flour since I knew it would cook faster and react better to shallow oil. Plus, I figured it wouldn't be too noticeable *facepalm*. 

Fail. They don't really taste or look like Filipino Empanadas rendering my original plan as pending (Maybe I should've titled this post, "Pending Success" lol). 

Success.They tasted delicious! Even though there was a dominant taste of the masa harina more reminiscent of a Latin style empanada, the sweetness of the sugar in the dough and raisins in the filling gave it that Filipino flair that's still hard to miss :)


If you're still interested in how I made these,

Homemade Potstickers!!

Recently I just had a sudden craving for some wontons. You'd think since I'm Asian, I wouldn't have cravings for such Asiany delights because I'd be eating them often, but believe it or not in this household we don't. Every night is something different. We try to all be together during dinner, but that isn't always the case here, so we all make our own meals whether it's cereal/breakfast food for some...or for others a protein shake or something super light. We usually only eat altogether every other weekend, so in between then, I like to experiment.....but anyways, that's besides the point hehe.

If I'm not eating out, I normally just eat the wontons that you can get frozen from Costco or something (don't judge me! hehe), but I figured, why not just try to make it myself...since ya know, I have all this time to myself now!! :( ;) It's been a while since I posted anything on this blog, so I took advantage!

My first time making these from scratch and they came out great!!! I don't think I could ever buy the pre-packaged ones again hehe. I cooked mine potsticker style in a pan instead of fully steaming them, so the outside is slightly crunchy and I made a sweet, salty, spicy, tart dipping sauce to go with it!

If you're interested in the recipe

Polish chocolate goodness

My mom came home from work with these amazing Polish chocolates. I don't know how popular or if they're even considered good chocolates over there, but when I tasted them I almost died haha. So delicious. They come in these cute colorful sachets and each chocolate has a different filling: caramel (advokat k, I don't know what that means, but that's what that was labeled), pistachio, hazelnut, and coconut. My favorite was the pistachio and hazelnut. I couldnt' stop eating them haha.

I forgot what this one was, but it had little crispies inside in a creamy chocolate ganache.

Yum.

peace&love,

Andrea