Japanese Coffee Jelly

Japanese Coffee Jelly is one of those things that just takes me back directly to my childhood. Growing up in Japan, this was a "staple" and then when I went to visit Japan again when my sister lived there when I was in my twenties, I made sure I had some of these. Coffee Jelly, you say? Yes! It's coffee in jelly form. Some Japanese (not just Asian) markets carry them, but since the closest one is several miles away from home, I decided to make my own:

Needed:

2 cups room temp water

3 cups boiling water

2 envelopes of Knox unflavored gelatin powder

12 T white granulated sugar

4 T instant regular coffee

1 T Kahlua coffee liqueur (Optional)

Half and half or unwhipped cream

1. Start by boiling the 3 cups water. While waiting to boil, dissolve the 2 envelopes of gelatin in the 2 cups room temp water. This step is important because you must create the gelatin granules first to ensure a nice set texture for the product. You will get a texture like cold semi-soft jelly. Add the 3 cups boiling water and dissolve.

2. Add the coffee and the sugar. Dissolve well. Then add the Kahlua, if using.

3. Transfer the liquid into individual ramekins and take care not to fill to the brim. 

4. Let set overnight.

5. To serve, pour a little (or a lot) of half and half or cream over the jelly.

6. To eat, you can cube the jelly (like I usually do) or merely scoop the jelly with cream on your spoon. Enjoy!!

Notes: This recipe yielded approximately 12 servings in small ramekins above. The number of servings will depend on the size of the ramekins, but best to keep small as this is coffee.

French Toast Casserole

On special occasions (like my wedding day) and on holidays, our someone in our home makes it a point to make a special breakfast. Mommy made this one many Christmases ago and it just reminds me that the holidays are here. This Thanksgiving, I gave it a go and it was simple! I found the recipe here. We love Paula Dean here at home and we hope you will like this recipe, too.

So delicious! If you don't finish all for breakfast (like we never do), it's still good quickly re-heated up in the microwave to go with that afternoon coffee.

Buko Pandan Salad

Buck Pandan Salad is a type of fruit salad not typically made with canned fruit cocktail but of "buko" meaning young coconut in Tagalog, and "pandan" an aromatic leaf used in Filipino cooking. It mimics the holiday fruit salad with the use of cream and condensed milk.

Having had some recently at a friend's house, I was again intrigued on how to make this dessert salad and finally gave it a go. After researching on the internet on ways to make it, I've put my own spin on it. In a good way. I tried it with tapioca pearls and "kaong" and while it is really a personal preference, it does not change the end result much.

The main requirement for this recipe is an Asian grocery store for most of the ingredients (with the exception of Knox) can be found in the Asian grocery store.

There are several ways to make it, but I've found the following works best for me:

Needed:

1 box of Knox gelatin (you will use all 4 small envelopes in the box)

3 c water, room temperature

1 c boiling water

1 1/2 t pandan flavoring (can be found in your local Asian grocery store or Amazon!)

8 drops green food coloring

1 large can Nestle table cream (approximately 13 oz)

1 can condensed milk (approximately 13 oz also)

1 bag shredded buko or young coconut (frozen from the Asian market)

1 c cooked small tapioca pearls, optional

1 large bottle kaong, optional (see link above; also found in your Asian market)

1. Make the gelatin. Place the contents of the 4 small envelopes into a bowl and mix with the 3 cups of room temp water. Mix until you start to form a soft gelatin. Then, pour in the 1 cup of boiling water and mix thoroughly.

2. Add the pandan flavoring and stir. Add the food coloring and add more, if needed, to suit your liking of green-ness.

3. Refrigerate overnight for best results. I found that it is not enough to just wait until the gelatin hardens. It's best if it's hardened overnight because the mixing of the other ingredients will make a soft gelatin break.

4. While waiting for the gelatin to harden, drain the buko from the packaging. Also, if using kaong, drain from the bottle. Mix the kaong occasionally to ensure most of the syrup is drained. If using tapioca, cook according to package instructions and drain.

4. Once the gelatin has hardened, cut into small squares. I like my squares about 1/4 inch square. Transfer the cut up green gelatin squares into a large bowl.

5. Add the table cream and condensed milk to the gelatin squares. Also add the drained buko and if using, the tapioca pearls and kaong. Mix thoroughly.

6. Let chill in the refrigerator and then enjoy!

Homemade Hamburger and Melon Ball Juice

Fourth of July suggestion! Juicy hamburger and refreshing melon ball juice!

We tried this combo a few weekends ago when we just wanted to lay back and relax. It was wonderful. As a matter-of-fact, I believe it was last holiday--Memorial Day Weekend!

The hamburger is 80/20 ground meat because we like it juicy like that. Just a few minutes before cooking, I salted and peppered the ground meat taking care not to over knead. Then, I grabbed a handful for the patty, but without forgetting to put a thin slice of butter in the middle of the patty. Grilled up on the stove then placed on a toasted bun. Housemates got to put whatever condiments (mayo, garlic aioli, lettuce, cheese, lettuce) they preferred. It was a hit!

For drinks, we had Melon Ball Juice. To make it, I got:

1 bottle of 25.4 oz sparkling white grape juice (near the Martinelli's sparkling apple cider at the grocery store)
4 cups regular Sprite
3 cups lemonade, not the powder, but already the juice in the bottle
4 cups each of balled watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe
few sprigs of mint leaves
slices lime, optional

The original recipe was from Divas Can Cook, but I tweaked it to my liking because I felt that the original recipe yielded too little. You can actually customize this to your liking as I did, adjusting the Sprite and lemonade to taste. The sparkling juice provides a great bubbly feel as did the Sprite.

To make, mix all the liquid ingredients together, then the secret is to let the melons infuse in the refrigerator to chill. The longer the chill and infusion, the better. Add the mint leaves and lime upon serving. Why? Because I found that the mint and lime give it a sour taste and not too appealing.

You can also chill a small portion of the melons to act as ice and keep the drinks cool. You've got your drink and fruit serving all in one!

Delicious!

Imitation Crab Salad

So yummy inside a buttery croissant or on a lettuce leaf, this one is just perfect for a quick Summertime meal or any season meal. LOL! Very easy to make, I made this in less than 15 minutes.

You will need:
1 lb imitation crab (approximate)
2 stalks celery
1/2 onion
3 sprigs dill
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 T milk
1/2 of a lemon's juice
2 T white sugar
salt and pepper to taste

How to make:
1. Coarsely chop the crab into 1/4 inch cubes. Put in a large bowl.

2. Cube celery and onion, small enough to provide crunch, but not too small that it disintegrates. Add to crab in bowl. Chop dill and also add to crab in bowl.

3. In a separate smaller bowl, prepare the dressing. Mix together the mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, sugar until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste according to liking. Adjust with sugar, if preferred to be more sweet. (I like my dressing to be on the sweeter side and brings out the flavor in the artificial crab.)

4. Pour the dressing over the crab mixture in the large bowl. Toss but do not over mix that the crab breaks up.

5. Place in a sliced croissant or eat with lettuce. Yum. You can wait to chill in the fridge as it is best served chilled, but I did not/could not wait.

Not the best photo, but it's delicious, so what are you waiting for?

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Not too long ago, I had a delicious chicken salad sandwich near work. The salad was tasty, seasoned well, with just the right amount of dressing. Plus, the roll bread was oh-so-soft. I had the same sandwich another time and was disappointed because the chicken was dry and the bread was stale. I was not going back to pay $10.

I was on the prowl again for another chicken salad sandwich and the third one was worse at another place. I was not particularly fond of the cranberries and walnuts in the salad. And I barely tasted the chicken.

After about one month, I searched again for "the" chicken sandwich, only to put my order in at the third place and was instead given chicken of the sea.

My disappointments led to my creating my own chicken salad sandwich. I was determined to make it taste as good (if not better) than the first one I had. I searched for inspiration on many sites online but eventually ended up being inspired by The Pioneer Woman's recipe which I tweaked to make my own.

The result? It was delish! Moist, chunky chicken pieces in mayo dressing with a hint of dill was to die for.

You will need:

3 pieces boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2 stalks celery
2 stalks green onion
2 stems fresh dill
1 cup real mayonnaise (don't use Miracle Whip as the result will greatly vary)
1/2 cream or half and half
1 T white OR brown sugar
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Here's how to make:
1. Boil chicken until no longer pink. This should take about 20 minutes depending on your heat. Check for done-ness. When cooked, drain for about 30 minutes then slice into 1/4 inch cubes. You want to make sure that the chicken is well drained so that your salad does not become watery. Set in a bowl.

2. Slice celery and green onions like relish. Small enough, but not finely chopped. You want to be able to chew and crunch on them in the salad. Place in the same bowl as the chicken.

3. Mince dill and add to chicken bowl. Dill adds a pickle flavor to the salad, as if you've put pickle relish in it when you really haven't!

4. In a separate bowl, make the dressing by whisking the mayonnaise, cream (or half and half), sugar, and lemon juice together. Whisk well until thoroughly blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the chicken was not seasoned, so season well. Add more sugar, salt, or pepper to your liking. Some people also add tarragon for extra flavor and you may wish to do so. I just did not have any on-hand, so it's not essential for me.

5. Pour the dressing over the chicken and other ingredients. Fold the dressing in gently and care not to over mix. As soon as the chicken and other vegetables are coated, stop mixing. As you can see in the photo below, you can tell the celery and green onions in the mix.

6. Best to chill overnight and serve with lettuce and/or in your favorite bread. I used a croissant because it's light and can still hold the salad.

Bacon tips:
I have heard some people eat chicken salad sandwich with strips of bacon. Sounds devilish and so worth a try!

Others, too, have added crumbled bacon for extra crunch. As they say, bacon makes anything better.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did! No more $10 sandwiches for me!

Albondigas Soup / Mexican Meatball Soup

I've been meaning to try this for a while now and in keeping up with our Soup Saturdays, I finally had the chance! I paired this soup with cheese quesadilla and it was perfect for a light Saturday night dinner.

Here's what you'll need to make the soup:
1 lb ground pork
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 T peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
1 egg
1 cup white bread crumbs, plain (like panko)
1 T cooking oil
1 box chicken broth
1 cube chicken bouillon
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small jalapeño, diced and removed of the seeds
1 small can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste

How to make:
1. In order to make a less than lumpy meatball, place half the 1/2 bunch of cilantro, 1/2 the onions, and garlic in a blender and pulsed until finely chopped. Then, transfer to a medium sized bowl, add the ground pork and add the egg and slowly add bread crumbs. The mixture should not be sticky nor too dry so you may not use all the bread crumbs. When you've successfully caught all the pork from the sides of the bowl, you have the right consistency. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper to taste.

2. Heat a large pot (where you will eventually cook all the soup) and drizzle the oil. When hot, form meatballs about 1 inch wide and pre-cook in the oil. You don't have to cook through, just brown all sides. You may not be able to fit in all the meatballs in one batch, so once browned on all sides, transfer to a plate.

3. Once all meatballs are browned and on a plate, saute the rest of the onions and scrape off the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, jalapeño, and celery.  Cook until tender - about 7 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and the cilantro. Continue to cook about 5 minutes.

4. Add the chicken broth and bouillon cube. Add water, if needed, to make more soup, if preferred. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs to cook through, depending on size of the meatballs. Then add the potatoes. Keep on medium heat. Don't let the potatoes get overcooked as this tastes better with crunchy vegetables.

5. Make sure it's seasoned according to taste by adding more salt and pepper, as desired. Optional: sprinkle with cheese on top prior to serving.

We served this with cheese quesadilla which was very easy to make. Simply heat butter in a pan, and lay one tortilla to heat through. Add shredded cheese (any kind of cheese would do, depending on preference). Fold the tortilla in half and allow the cheese to melt. Serve hot.

Italian Chicken Soup - courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Absolutely loved, loved this soup that I made a few weeks ago for our new tradition of Soup Saturdays.

It was hearty, creamy, loaded, and all else. Just plain great comfort food. It's a great make-ahead recipe also. Here's the recipe that I followed and the only variation I did was to not include the cream in the pot of soup, but let each person serve their own bowl and swirl in the cream and add the cheese according to their preference.

Click here for the yummy recipe.

And who doesn't love The Pioneer Woman? :)

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Bread Pudding ala Mode

When you find yourself with more bread that you need or want, what is there to do? Make bread pudding! This can be a make ahead recipe to do when you have free time and eat it warm later. I make my bread pudding with raisins because that's how my mother made them when we were kids. Instructions below!

Needed:
10 slices of bread. I used slices approximately 5 in x 5 in
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 small box raisins, optional
4 eggs, beaten
2 c milk
3/4 white sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1 capful vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Pour half of the melted butter into the loaf pan making all sides are coated. This lets the pudding bake well without sticking on the sides.

3. Tear bread onto small pieces and place directly into a loaf pan. Drizzle remaining melted butter over the bread then scatter the raisins over the bread/butter mix.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over the bread in the loaf pan and make sure the bread is well soaked.

5. At this point, you can either put in the fridge overnight with a plastic wrap covering it and bake in the morning for approximately 45 minutes.  Or you can bake directly for 45 minutes.

6. Let cool slightly to be able to slice to serve.

Best eaten warm with a scoop of ice cream--ala mode!!

Italian Wedding Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I based the soup recipe on Ina Garten's version and modified it to my liking. The result? Delicious alternative to a rice-laden dinner! Hope you enjoy making and eating it as much as I did:

Below are the steps for making the soup.

Italian Wedding Soup
Needed for the meatballs:
1lb ground pork
1/2 lb pork sausage, country style, no casings
2 T garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 c bread crumbs (I used Panko)
3 T parsley, finely chopped
1/2 c grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, or a blend of both
1/8 c milk
1 egg
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Needed for the soup:
2 T olive oil
1 c onion, finely chopped
3 pcs carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
10 c chicken broth (store bought)
1/2 c white wine
1 c small pasta
3 T dill, finely chopped
1 bag baby spinach, washed and ready to use

How to make:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl until well blended. You can (should) use your hands to mash them all together. The consistency should be that it forms into a large ball without much residue on your hands or the sides of the bowl. If you are left with egg or milk or other liquids, your consistency is too watery, add bread crumbs sparingly. This is because the consistency of the pork or anything else may be too liquid-y and you want almost like a clay-like form so that it will ball well and not disintegrate when cooking.

3. Form the meatballs into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until cooked in the center and slightly browned on the outside.

4. While the meatballs are cooking, make the soup.

5. Drizzle the olive oil in a large soup pot and when warm, add the onions, celery and carrots and let cook with lid until soft. This will take about 7 minutes. Add the wine and let sizzle. Then add the soup stock until boiling. Add the pasta to cook until al dente. Add the dill, then the meatballs. Allow to cook some more. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook no more than until wilted.

6. To serve, ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with extra cheese, if desired. Enjoy with a breadstick or a grilled sandwich below.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Making a grilled cheese sandwich is so easy to make. Take two slices of bread and butter the inside with margarine. Layer with cheese--any cheese and as much as you would like. The more cheese, the cheesier! Each end should have a slice of bread. Melt butter in a pan and "fry" the sandwich. Each side should take about 90 seconds until golden brown. Repeat for the other side of the sandwich, starting with melting more butter in the pan. Enjoy!