Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups (Baked Bacon and Eggs)

My family loves breakfast. While we like cereals because of its convenience, we don't want to have it on a daily basis. It becomes boring that way. Also, we don't want to miss out on other breakfast goodies. So I cook breakfast as much as I can so we can try new dishes. 

Here's an easy but delicious breakfast that needs no big intro. If you love bacon and eggs, this is for you! It is also a Mexican-inspired dish - using Mexican cheese blend, a little cayenne pepper plus cilantro and tomatoes. Most of all, it's low carb and gluten-free!       I wish it's breakfast again!

I only made about 5 servings (5 pieces) for this recipe because I have a small family but you can easily double the recipe if you want to make more.

Have a lovely breakfast!

Ingredients

10 bacon strips 

5 eggs 

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican Taco Cheese Blend

A pinch or two of cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

A few tomatoes, chopped

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C.

In a large skillet or grill pan, cook bacon over medium heat for  3-4 minutes per side or until it begins to brown but is not yet crisp (still pliable).

While you are cooking the bacon, whisk the eggs until combined.

Stir in the shredded cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, if using.



Grease the muffin pan - I only used about 5 cups. For this I used the Demarle Flexipan so I did not need to grease the insides of the muffin pan but you may need to grease if you are using regular muffin tin.

Place and wrap two bacon strips around the side of each muffin cup.

Using a measuring cup, pour in the egg mixture in each prepared cup. Just divide it evenly among the cups.

 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until set.  Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. This is when the magic of a Flexipan comes through. See how easy it is for me to remove the baked egg cups. You can probably just push out the muffin too 'cause the muffin pan is so flexible. Here I used plastic utensils to help me scoop it out.

Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and have it with fresh chopped tomatoes. Low-carb, gluten-free and what a delicious breakfast!

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

Adapted from Taste of Home's - Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups.

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Pancit / Pansit (Philippine Noodle Dish)

If by any chance I am asked, what is the Filipino comfort food? I have only one answer: Pancit! Pancit is the generic term for noodles in the Philippines. Made of rice flour, it comes in different varieties and sizes. The most common version is Pancit Bihon as shown in the photo above.

I don't think you'll ever find a Filipino who doesn't love pancit. Come to any birthday party,  anniversary party, or whatever reason you may have to celebrate this dish is sure to be there. We eat it anytime of the day - lunch, dinner, snacks and, yes, even for breakfast. Well, at least I do! It's just my number one comfort food.

My mom makes the best pancit and am so proud to say it! Ask anyone from Gasan, Marinduque particularly those who have studied at Gasan Central School and they are sure to agree. So, everytime my mom visits me in the US, she is required to make this for us many times (at least once a week!) . The problem though is that my mother never uses any kind of measurement when she cooks. She just has the knack for it! She knows how much ingredient to put in to achieve the perfect balance of saltiness with a small hint of sweetness. I do miss her cooking when she's away!

I try my best to promote Filipino recipes whenever I can so when we have people over, I always have pancit on the menu. So far, no one has ever complained (or gotten sick!) and a few have even requested for the recipe. Also, it is gluten-free, no need to use wheat for this recipe.

Here's my attempt to do Pancit. I have specific measurements here to leave out any guesswork but let this serve as your guide and tweak it to your liking. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Shredded cooked (pre-boiled) chicken - (Use 1 breast or 2 thighs).
1 1/2 cups of any two of these veggies, chopped (except for snow peas): carrots, green beans, snow peas and cabbage (I prefer using carrots and green beans)
2 (8 oz) packs of Pansit Bihon  (Rice Noodles)- can be found  in Asian stores - look for the Philippine brand.

Note: If you do not have wheat or egg allergy try this 2 noodles combo - replace one pack of Bihon noodles with another 8 oz pack of Pansit Canton (Egg-Wheat Noodles) Philippine Brand. Of course, you can use other Asian brands but the Philippine brands I have tried and tested for this recipe. Other Asian brand of noodles (especially the Bihon variety) may take longer to cook and may have to be soaked in water first before using.

For the sauce:

5 Tbsp dark soy sauce (regular or wheat/gluten-free)
1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce (regular or gluten-free)
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Boil the chicken breast or thighs in just a little over 3 cups of water (or enough water to cover the meat). Cook until tender. Reserve about 3 cups of the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred them or chop into small pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in a big wok. Saute garlic and onion for a minute. Add the cooked chicken and season with a little salt and pepper.

Stir in the veggies and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until a little tender.

Pour about 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock into the wok. Season with the soy and oyster sauces and sugar. Bring to a boil.

When it begins to boil add the rice noodles. Stir to ensure it gets soaked in the sauce. When it starts to soften a bit stir in the egg/wheat noodles/Canton (if using). Continue to stir the noodles while trying to soak them in the sauce until all the liquid has dried up.

Add some more stock or water if the sauce dries up before the noodles are tender. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Don't forget the calamansi (or lemon/lime) - squeeze a few drops on your noodles for some tang! Enjoy! 

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Sautéed Ground Pork with Asian Long Beans and Potatoes (Ginisang Sitaw at Patatas)

 

 

Sautéed Ground Pork with Asian Long Beans and Potatoes...quite a mouthful, isn't it? I wish the English name of the recipe is as short as the Tagalog (Filipino) one. Oh well, we don't want to be lost in translation, right? J
Of late, I feel like I have been baking a lot (some of the recipes are still on the testing stage but hopefully will get uploaded later). That explains the few pounds I have gained this summer! So, I thought I better go back to my Filipino diet, mostly gluten-free of course, but unfortunately, involving lots of carbs. We do eat rice at least three times a day in the Philippines! And I have not included the rice snacks we have and an additional meal (yes, meal not snack) between lunch and dinner which, guess what, involves "cold" left-over rice  (sorry, the Tagalog name escapes me at the moment) paired with some meat-and-vegetable dish. Today, I wanted to have rice with my dinner. But what shall I have with it?

The other day I found some Asian Long Beans (also called "Snake Beans" - how scary!) or Sitaw (known as Kibal in my province) in the Asian store and, of course, I bought it. I only usually see this during summer so I took a bunch home to cook later. Not only did I find long beans, I even found the lovely purple ones! (Unfortunately, they lose their lovely color once cooked but the crunchy texture and delicious flavor are retained thankfully!)

Usually, I would pair this with my favorite veggie - the Squash! - but I didn't have any. The only vegetable left on my kitchen were a few pieces of red potatoes which really needed to be used right away. I thought it might be a weird combination for while we love potatoes and use them a lot in the Philippines, in my house we have never tried to combine it with Sitaw. Oh well, there's always a first time. And at least I'll finally know if they can go together. And they married perfectly in this dish! The starchy potatoes worked really well with the crunchy Sitaw. I loved the flavor combo and the texture which both veggies have imparted to the dish.

Of course, it won't be complete without the sautéed ground pork (Ginisang Giniling). The sautéed ground pork is always the base for many of our dishes especially in our household. I always combine it with veggies like squash, beans, cabbage, potatoes, etc. Here is a link for the Giniling recipe. 

Usually, I use about half of the Giniling recipe but feel free to use the entire one if you like. Just add more veggies!

Ingredients


Half the Giniling Recipe
1/2 to 1 whole bunch of Asian Long Beans (some bunches are bigger than others)
3-4 medium red potatoes
Extra soy sauce, salt or fish sauce to season the dish. Choose your fave seasoning!
Ground Pepper (may be added too)


Procedure

Rinse the beans and potatoes before using.

Snap the beans in 2-inch pieces by using your bare hands. They will naturally snap when you try to bend them. Easy! I also snap-off one of the ends of the beans (the rounded end not the tail).

Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.

If you have just cooked the Giniling (meat is already tender and flavorful), you can immediately add these veggies to the mix and then cover and cook until tender roughly 10-15 minutes.

If not, warm up the giniling recipe first (if it's been cooked beforehand).
Once it begins to simmer or is about to reach boiling point, add in the vegetables. Spread them in the pan to get an even cooking. Cover and simmer as above for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the beans fully cooked yet still retain some crunch.

If it dries up, add some water and adjust the seasoning with either salt, soy sauce or to impart more flavor - fish sauce (But it is rather smelly so don't cover the pan until the lovely aroma of the fish sauce has disappeared, just a few minutes. Trust me, it's worth it!). I add ground peppers too for more flavor!

Needless to say, it's perfect with rice! Enjoy!

Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

My favorite summer/American fruit has got to be blueberries. Not only is it delicious, it is also very nutritious! Full-packed with anti-oxidants and considered a super-food, it's got to be on the top of any must-eat-this list.

I love the fact that it is so easy to pick and eat as well. While other fruits can be cumbersome to peel and cut up, not with my fave berry - just wash them and they're good to go! I know it sounds lazy, but isn't that a good motivation to get some of your required daily 5 servings of fruits?

I may be biased but I think Michigan Blueberries are simply the best. I have tasted some blueberries from other state, especially during the off-season, and they're not as juicy and sweet as the Michigan ones. I don't know, I could be wrong but this is what my taste buds tell me. Blueberries from Michigan are reason enough for me to spend the summer in this lovely state. That's why when we get the chance and the tots are up to it, we go blueberry picking.

Blueberry Sour Cream Cake baked in a Demarle Sunflower Mold. 

While my first option when blueberries abound is to just eat them on their own - oftentimes, I  like to use them for baking (if we have left-overs, that is!). This blueberry sour cream cake is now one of our summer favorites. I made it for the first time this summer and, though it was a first attempt, I thought it was pretty good. It was moist and yet light. And when you bite into those berries, the experience is complete. Besides, any cake with sour cream in it has got to be good, right? 

Try this light but tasty blueberry cake this summer. Have it for dessert or with your coffee and if you're Brit, like my hubby, have it with cream too. For him, everything tastes even better with cream! I must agree!

Ingredients

2 cups flour plus 2 Tbsp extra (separated)
1 1/2 cups sugar*
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup / 8 oz sour cream (you may sub plain or Greek (plain) yogurt)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup olive oil (light or the fruity version)*
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups fresh blueberries (rolled into the 2 tbsp flour)

*You can lessen the sugar and make it to 1/4 cup less especially if you are adding a Lemon glaze otherwise the regular measurement is fine.

*You can sub with regular vegetable oil if you don't have Olive Oil.

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly grease a bundt pan.

In a large mixing bowl,combine all the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Roll the blueberries in the 2 tbsp flour until coated.

In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sour cream just until combined. Pour in the oil and the vanilla and mix.

Mix the wet ingredients with the dry. It will be a thick batter.

Fold in the berries.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean or with only a few crumbs clinging to it.

Let it cool in the pan for at least half an hour before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if you like. Enjoy your delicious blueberry cake! If you fancy doing a bit more to it - why not drizzle some Lemon-Glaze on top to provide extra tang and yumminess! Just lessen the sugar in the batter by 1/4 cup if you decide to add the glaze and it's the perfect combination of sweet and tang or if you prefer just make it as usual. Either way it's fantastic! 

For the Lemon-Glaze

1 cup, confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
2-3 Tablespoons Lemon juice (depending on the tartness and thickness of the glaze that
 you prefer so feel free to adjust).

Place the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Beat until it reaches a smooth and pourable consistency. Easy! Let the cake cool completely before you add the glaze. 


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"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by." Psalm 57:1

Pizza Calabaza (Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza)

If you ask me what my favorite vegetable is ---- squash is my one and only answer! Much like in Africa, where squash reign supreme, in the Philippines you'll often find cooked kalabasa/calabaza on any given day at any family's table. Sauteed pork with squash would be a cafeteria favorite and, in our house, we have this at least once a week. Sometimes, when we feel like it, we add some coconut milk and some chili peppers to the mix and you have the best viand that's perfect for a hot bowl of rice.

But in this post, I give a different treatment to the humble squash. Instead of cooking it with meat and other veggies, I thought why not try it as a pizza topping? I love vegetarian pizzas so I thought I'd give it a try. I had to think of what would possibly complement the sweet butternut squash and the first thing that came into my mind was pesto. For the cheese, I used some mozarella and then added a few tablespoons of feta cheese since I had them on hand. If you don't have feta cheese don't despair, it's fine without it and since mozarella is quite expensive in the Philippines, am sure you can do a Greenwich style pizza and use cheddar cheese instead. Experiment and see what you can come up with!

My first attempt though wasn't a resounding success BUT only because I used the wrong pizza dough. I used a flavored (Italian) one and that made the dish a little too salty and spicy for our liking.

However,  I wasn't about to give up on this idea so I tried again with plain white pizza dough, and it was so much better. Really good! You taste the sweetness of the roasted butternut and then the saltiness of the pesto. Just a wonderful sweet-salty combo which my family enjoyed!

So, I do suggest just using plain pizza dough for this and yes, I used a store-bought one.    I don't have the energy nor the inclination to make my own. :-( Perhaps in the near future I will attempt but until then, am happy with what I have!

Ingredients

• 1 Pizza dough (homemade or store-bought, pref. plain/unflavored)
• 2 cups  butternut squash, peeled and cut into thin slices about 1 inch in length
• 1 Tbsp pesto
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
• 1/4  cup crumbled Feta cheese (optional)
• Olive oil (1-2 Tbsp)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the butternut squash slices in a  baking tray. Toss with a little olive oil until coated. You may lightly season it with salt and pepper but that's entirely up to you. Roast the squash for about 12-15 minutes or until it is tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

Adjust the oven temperature as stated on the pizza manufacturer's instruction (usually between 400F-450F).

In the meantime, prepare the pizza dough by spreading the pesto all over it. 

Sprinkle the cheese/s on top leaving about a 1 inch border.

Top with the roasted butternut squash.

Cook according to the pizza manufacturer's instruction.

Enjoy with some salad on the side. Perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

This recipe is featured on Walking On Sunshine and Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party.

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