Pastillas de Leche

Ingredients :

•3 cups fresh milk
•1/3 cup sugar
•2 tsp. butter
•2/3 cup powdered milk
•sugar, for rolling

Cooking Procedures :

1.Put milk and sugar in a thick pan over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until mixture thickened like a paste.
2.Add butter and powdered milk. Mix thoroughly until well blended. Remove from heat.
3.Rest pastillas until firm enough to handle. Divide into 40 desired pieces and roll, forming into small cylinders.
4.Roll pieces in sugar and then wrap in paper or colored cellophane.

Eggplant Dish

Ingredients:
4 large eggplants (the long Asian variety)
a potful of boiling dashi (make your own or use granules)

For the sauce:

3/4 c. of dashi
2 tbsps. soy sauce (I used dark; increase to 3 tbsps. if using light soy sauce like Kikkoman)
2 tbsps. of mirin
2 tbsps. of sake
1 to 2 tbsps. of brown sugar

To garnish:

a couple tablespoonfuls of toasted sesame seeds

Cut the eggplants into wedges. Cook in boiling dashi just until they soften (be careful not to allow them to turn mushy). Scoop out, dump in a bowl of iced water and allow to cool and refresh. Drain well. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl.

Stir together all the ingredients for the sauce. Pour into a pan and boil briskly for two minutes.

Pour the sauce over the eggplants. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds. Serve as an appetizer, a side dish or a light main dish.

Warm Salad Greens with Bacon

Here’s how to cook “Warm Salad Greens with Bacon”

Ingredients:

100 gms. spinach or choice of lettuce green, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup honeycured bacon, chopped
1/2 cup prepared herbed croutons
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. basil, chopped
1 tsp. parsley, chopped
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Pan-fry bacon until crisp. Drain and set aside.

Combine dressing ingredients in a saucepan. Let boil and turn off the heat. Add salad greens and toss to coat evenly with dressing.

Transfer to plates and garnish with bacon and crouttons. Makes 2 servings.

Chocolate Waffle

Here’s how to prepare “Chocolate Waffle”

Ingredients:

1 whole egg
2 tbsps. Vegetable oil
¼ cup water

1 (200 gms.) pack Maya Chocolate Hotcake Mix
prepared caramel filling or prepared butterscotch filling

Directions:

Beat eggs slightly in a bowl; add in oil, water and chocolate hotcake mix.

Stir in just blended.

Pour mixture in a waffle maker untilhalf filled.

Put caramel filling in the center and pour more mixture to cover filling.

Close waffle maker and cook waffle until done.

Repeat procedure with the remaining batter.

Garbanzo Salad

Here’s how to make “Garbanzo Salad”

Ingredients:

1 can Molinera natural chick pes (drained)
2/3 cup Carbonell pitted black olives
½ cup Capri sweet red pimientos (diced)
1/3 cup sliced green onion
2 tablespoons Carbonell extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons Capri red wine vinegar
1 hard-boiled egg (diced)
salt & pepper to taste
Optional:
2 cups fresh spinach

Directions:

1. In a large mixig bowl, combine Molinera chicken peas, Carbonell black olives, Capri red pimientos, and green onions.

2. Mix in Carbonell extra virgin olive oil and Capri red wine vinegar.

3. Gently toss in egg.

Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.

4. For those who prefer a leafy alternative, add 2 cups of fresh spinach to the mix.

Mix 4 servings (3/4 cup per serving)

Glass Noodle Salad

Here’s how to make a “Glass Noodle Salad”

Ingredients:

100 gms. sukiyaki cut
salt & pepper to taste
100 gms. sotanghon noodles, soaked & blanched
1/2 cup shrimps, shelled, deveined & blanced
1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms (black fungus), soaked in warm water
1/2 cup tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup shallots, sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1 pc. small carrot, julienned
cilantro leaves

Dressing:

1/2 cup calamansi juice
2 pcs. chili pepper, chopped
1/4 cup patis
2 tsps. garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Season sukiyaki cut with salt and pepper. Blanch in hot water. Set aside. Blanch sotanghon noodles, wood ear mushrooms and shrimps separately. Set aside. Mix dressing ingredients in a bowl. Combine blanched ingredients and vegetables in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss. garnish with cilantro leaves. makes 6 servings.