Thanksgiving and Global Cuisine - Recipe Round-up

Frikadelles (South African Braised Meatballs)

    Yesterday we had a celebration in our Manila Spoon Facebook Page featuring Thanksgiving and International Recipes. What a happy day it was for we received so many lovely recipes! I love all the Thanksgiving dishes and the exotic and delicious global cuisine samples we got. I am sure that some of you would like to see these lovely recipes again, perhaps to try them yourselves or to use them as inspiration to create your own dish but it can be quite difficult to access them on the Facebook page itself. It's certainly not going to be much fun scrolling down the page just to find the recipes you want so I thought I'd make a post of all the recipes we received with their corresponding photos and the links to the blogs they came from. I have posted these recipes according to the order I have received them. Hope you find this post helpful and do check out these lovely blogs. Many thanks again to all of you for making our Foodie Party a success!

Please note: To get the recipe, find the photo below of the yummy sweet treat you are looking for and then click on the link underneath. That should lead you to the recipe. This is a collection of recipes from our blog and other amazing food bloggers. 

Chicken Satay by My Love for Cooking 

Crock Pot Apple Crisp by Michelle's Tasty Creations 

Vegetarian Taco Bowls by Tickling Palates

Mediterranean Burgers and Beans by The Food Geek Diary

Moussaka by Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Apple Sour Cream Cake by A'lil Country Sugar

Mushroom Bruschetta by Foodie Fitness

Creamed Spinach by Food Done Light

Bread Pudding with Egg Nog Spiced Glaze

Upside Down Apple Pie by What's Cooking Love?

Pear Charlotte by Crepes Suzette

Apricot and Amaretti Semifreddo by Jams N Pans

Pumpkin Crunch Cake by Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Spicy Sweet Chinese Chicken by Love Bakes Good Cakes

Ondeh-Ondeh by Roti N Rice

Harissa Beef Brisket by Ally's Kitchen

Chicken Cornbread Dressing by Once a Mom Always a Cook

Black Bean Lasagna by Citronlimette

Chicken Biryani by Cup Cake Luvs

Old Fashioned Corn Pudding by Nibbles by Nic

Pork Sausage Dressing by My Recipe Round Up

Deviled Eggs by Pantry Dreams

Nyama Fried Meat by Foodie in the Desert

Indian Roasted Vegetables over Lentils

Beef Rouladen by Bibi's Culinary Journey

Sesame Seed Flatbread by Life Currents

Japchae - Korean Noodles by Eat Love and Be Merry

Pindi Chana by Cooking Thumb

Peanut Butter Cups by Within the Kitchen

Cosmopolitan Cranberries by Chin Deep

Chicken Biryani by Kuk's Kitchen



Bobotie by Joure's Rustic Kitchen



Very Berry Cranberry Sauce by From Valerie's Kitchen



Lasagna with Artichokes by Sunday at the Giacometti's



Individual Sour Cream Apple Pies by Donna Sawyer



Green Beans and Caramelized Onions by Play with Your Food



Apple Pie Biscuits by Tara Cooks

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Lumpiang Pabo - Turkey Spring Rolls

Since Thanksgiving is getting nearer I thought I'd share my Filipino recipe for Turkey Spring Rolls. This is a wonderful dish if you wish to do something different with your left-over Turkey. You can opt to fry it, as we would normally do, but if you want a healthier, lower-fat version then you can bake them too! As long as it's crispy, it's good! Also, I added some vegetables with the turkey so it's not an all-meat variety, unless that's what you prefer.

Without much ado, here's - Lumpiang Pabo (Filipino) or in English - Turkey Spring Rolls.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cups cooked turkey, shredded

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium size onion, finely chopped

2 cups cabbage, chopped

1 cup carrots, finely chopped (Baby carrots are handy!)

1 cup bean sprouts

1 tub water chestnuts, chopped (optional)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

A few drops of Sesame oil (optional)
Lumpia Skin (Spring Roll Wrappers) - may be found at any Asian store (use the Filipino brand - the paper-thin variety, if you can find them)

For the Sauce to use for the Stir-Fry

Choices: Hoisin sauce (about 4 Tbsp or to taste), Soy Sauce (beging with 2 Tbsp), Oyster Sauce (begin with 1 Tbsp) or a Soy-Oyster combo. I usually eyeball the sauce so let this serve as a mere guide. Follow your taste buds!

I usually pre-cook all the ingredients before I fry or bake them but it’s not difficult to do so provided you’ve got all the ingredients ready.

Procedure

Heat the oil in a wok or a deep frying  pan in medium heat.

Season the oil by adding the garlic and frying it until aromatic, less than a minute. Add the onion and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Place the shredded turkey in the pan and stir-fry just until heated, 2 minutes more or less.

Raise the heat and add the vegetables and continue to stir-fry until tender, roughly 2-3 mins.

Add the sauce of your choice (I used the Hoisin sauce for this one because I wanted a sweeter flavor); stir until all the ingredients are glazed. Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste. Stir-fry until everything's coated and the sauce has dried up.

Once cooked, add a few drops of sesame oil (optional).


Set aside and cool down for a few minutes. Wait until it’s cool enough cause it will break the wrapper if it’s too hot. It should be pretty dry but if not, just drain. It shouldn't be wet.  


How to make the roll:

Completely thaw the lumpia wrappers before using. Note that the wrapper has the tendency to dry out so to avoid this, place a clean damp dish towel on top of the wrappers after thawing. Just lift up the towel everytime you get a new wrapper for rolling and then put it back in place to keep some moisture in.



Have a bowl of water ready. You will use it to seal the edges of the wrapper together.

Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the turkey filling on one of the corners of the wrapper as shown. Spread the filling to make it easier to roll them.

Start to roll, tucking the sides inward as you go.

Put a little water to seal the edges securely.





You may cook this right away or leave in the fridge and cook it the next day. You can even freeze these.

Now, you can either deep-fry it (recommended) but if you’re health conscious you may  bake it, too (which I tried to know if it would work). I must admit, the deep-fried ones taste better though baking is a good alternative.

Deep-fry in hot oil (about 350 F) until golden brown. Oil should just about cover the rolls. If the oil is hot enough it should not take long. Cook the lumpia in batches. Allow enough room for each to roll in the oil for an even browning.

Use tongs to lift the cooked lumpia and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil or place them in a sieve or strainer lined with paper towels too.     I normally line the rolls straight (vertically) on the strainer to allow the oil to drain better.  Below are the rolls after they've been cooked and drained. Don't they look gorgeously golden?

Alternatively, you can bake it in a 375F degree oven and bake until golden brown. Remember, it's already cooked, you just need to brown the skin or wrapper.  Don't forget to brush a little oil on the spring rolls before you bake them.

Of course, it’s not complete without the sauce or dip – choose either the sweet chili sauce or do your own Filipino sauce by combining vinegar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dip the rolls in the sauce! Yum!

Wonderful as appetizer or even as a main dish eaten with hot rice!

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print-friendly icon at the end of the post. Click on the "remove images" box for easy and convenient printing.

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Giant Oreo Cookie Cake

Since we are having a little celebration at home for my kids' birthdays (William - Oct. 28 and Sophie - Oct. 25), I thought I'd make a quick post of one of their favorite cakes. I normally like to bake from scratch but this cute cake is a great exception to the general rule. I like to make it once in awhile 'cause it's so easy and has always received rave reviews whenever and wherever served. That explains why it has been pinned on Pinterest for over 470K already!

Without much ado, it being one of the most popular cakes on the web - here's the Kraft Chocolate-Covered Oreo Cake, aka - The Giant Oreo Cake!

I followed the recipe to the letter pretty much though I note the particular brand that I use when I make this. Yummmmy!




Ingredients

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix (Duncan Hines)

4 squares Baking Chocolate, Semi-Sweet (Ghirardelli)
1/4 cup butter                                                                                                         
1 pkg (8 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Topping

12 Oreo Cookies, coarsely crushed

Procedure

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter and bake in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP and crushed cookies.

PLACE 1 cake layer on plate, spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand 10 min. or until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Here's the link to the original recipe from Kraft - Chocolate-Covered Oreo Cookie Cake.

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Thai Green Chicken Curry

Filipino food is not generally spicy. There's only a certain region in the Philippines which feature a spicy cuisine. So while we do have our own version of chicken curry (at least my family does!), it was never really spicy but relied more on either turmeric or ginger for flavor rather than curry powder or paste.

Baked Pumpkin Pancakes

As I have noted in previous posts, my hubby is trying a grain-free diet. Because of this, I am always on the look-out for new recipes that  are gluten-free, preferably, grain-free that I can try and, hopefully, something he would enjoy too. Sometime, last week I was browsing my Manila Spoon news feed when lo, and behold, this yummy recipe for Baked Pumpkin Pancake caught my eye! I was not about to forget this link so I made sure I pinned it to my Favorite's Bar so I can go back to it when I am ready to make it.

So I finally tried the recipe and what a rave review it received from my honey and, needless to say, from me! I made very minor modifications - only because I did not have the exact ingredients as stated in the original recipe. Regardless, it is such an awesome dish that whatever nutty butter or sweetener you use, it's sure to come out good. Also, just to experiment I added some choco chips and raisins on top of the pumpkin batter just before I baked them. They came out great. Mark especially loved the ones with choco chips, who wouldn't? At any rate, with or without toppings these pumpkin pancakes are great for my tummy!

I am so indebted to Ann of "The Fountain Avenue Kitchen" for this amazing recipe. Click on this link for the original recipe and while you're there do check out her blog. She is one amazing cook and has loads of recipes which are definite gustatory delights.

Also, please pardon if the pictures don't do justice to these lovely pancakes. Don't let the not-so-perfect-shots turn you off.  My usual camera is having some issues so I had to rely on the IPhone for these shots. If you ask me though, the phone has done a decent job! Don't you think?

So, what are you waiting for? Try this great pancake recipe which is truly perfect for Fall. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup crunchy Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter)

1 Tablespoon  Agave Nectar (or Honey / Maple Syrup)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Gluten-free baking powder

A few pieces of Gluten-free Chocolate chips or Raisins for topping (optional)

Maple syrup or preferred sweetener for serving, if desired

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I used my silpat so the parchment was unnecessary.

In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat the eggs. A Pyrex measuring cup, as suggested in the original recipe, makes it easy to pour the batter. Quite handy, indeed.  Stir in the pumpkin and the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the pancakes are just cooked through and fluffy. I placed some choco chips and raisins on some pancakes before I baked them.

Serve with maple syrup or sweetener of your choice, if desired. Yummylicious!

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This recipe is featured at Wednesday Extravaganza.