Bacon Obsession

As Chef Sharwin Tee of Lifestyle Network's Curiosity Got the Chef puts it, everything is better with bacon. I so agree!

Bacon is a regular pantry staple in our house and I buy at least a pack for 1 week. Ever since I tried the Lean and Mean variety of Purefoods, I was hooked. I never liked greasy bacon so the lean type is perfect for me. I'm not saying this because I'm trying to be health conscious but that's just me - I don't like greasy bacon.

So when I tried comparing the Lean and Mean variety with the regular kind of a different brand, I was shocked! Look at the price difference! Let's just say I'm not about to change my bacon preference anytime soon.

Purefoods Lean and Mean Bacon at P171.50
Regular bacon of another brand at P199.50 = price diff of P28.00
I'm sticking to this!

Mini Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Brunch heaven!

What to do with spinach? I have spinach that I need to use immediately! Then I have salami, also needs to be consumed asap. Then some mushrooms.

I had to think what food have I enjoyed that has spinach and mushrooms? Quiche of course!

Starbucks used to have spinach quiche that was just heavenly. Too bad, I think they discontinued this product. I don't see it in stores anymore :-(

Off I went to Food Network to get an easy recipe for quiche. I was imagining a dish of quiche then I saw this recipe for mini-quiches! So cute!!! Here is the link, Mini Spinach and Mushroom Quiche. Not all ingredients are readily available in our town or in Manila (Turkey Bacon? Fontina cheese?) so I had to substitute.

Here's my version:

Mini Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
Adapted from the Food Network

• olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 small can of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup spinach
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• 6 whole eggs
• pinch of nutmeg
• 5 slices of salami, chopped into squares
• cheddar cheese, grated or sliced

Heat a nonstick pan with a spray of olive oil. Add the minced shallot and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat and add the spinach. Stir just until the spinach is wilted.

In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray or brush your muffin pan with olive oil.

Pour the egg mixture into the muffin pan, filling about halfway.

Distribute the mushroom-spinach mixture evenly.

Top with salami.

Then the cheese.

Pour the rest of the egg mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the quiche has risen.

Serve hot or warm.



Pawis rating: 2 of 5 very easy!

Cinnamon Rolls

I have the scents of butter, cinnamon and sugar coming from my kitchen. All that's missing is a floral apron, some pearl earrings and a full skirt - the picture of a domestic goddess!

No, as usual, I'm in my tank top-boxer shorts-messy ponytail getup. But, I am at my happiest!

As I have clearly stated in my list, I've never had much luck in breadmaking. All that working with yeast is not at all good for me. Yeast has never been my friend and has failed me several times.

It is with fear then that I approach this project. But hunger always overcomes fear. Hunger, plus the cold weather, overcomes fear.

Let's get started in making heavenly cinnamon rolls! Pretty simple...only 1 hour, 30 minutes of waiting time for the dough to rise. Painful 30 minutes of kneading the dough!

This recipe is from Yummy magazine. Aileen Anastacio, you are one of my heroes.

Cinnamon Rolls by Aileen Anastacio
Yummy magazine, May 2010 issue

For the dough

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast - I used 1/2 tbsp instant dry yeast; 1 ounce = 2 tbsp
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp salt

For the filling

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsps cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed and softened

For the glaze - I didn't make this; let's cut some calories shall we?

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed and softened
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Leave for 5 minutes. - I did not do this because I'm using instant dry yeast. I warmed the milk but combined it immediately with the next set of ingredients. I combined the yeast with the flour mixture.
2. Add sugar, butter and eggs. Run the mixer on low speed to stir the mixture.
3. Gradually add bread flour and salt (and instant yeast, in my case), and knead until mixture forms a smooth elastic dough, about 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and leave in a warm place. Allow dough to rise until double in size; about 1 hour.
5. Punch dough then transfer to a work surface. Roll dough into a rectangle (24 inch long, 16 inch wide, about 1/4 inch thick).
6. Make the filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well.
7. Using a spatula, spread softened butter evenly over the dough then sprinkle the surface with the cinnamon-sugar filling.
8. Roll dough tightly into a log. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 2 inch slices. Place on a greased baking pan, 2 inches apart. Allow the dough to rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.
9. Bake the rolls in a preheated oven to 375F for about 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly.
10. Make the glaze: Cream butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add confectioners sugar then add vanilla
11. Spread some icing over the rolls and serve warm.

This is all you need.
This is what you get when you combine the ingredients. A little sticky so make sure you put some flour in your hands and a little on your work area. Found this nifty kneading board at Gourdo's for P600+. Very nice as it latches on the table and does not move when you put force when kneading. You might ask why I knead by hand? Because I don't have the expensive KitchenAid mixer (yet) and my humble hand/stand mixer cannot knead this much dough. I know, so poorita :-( Oh well, I need the exercise. Mind you, I used a kitchen timer to time my kneading.
After the most excruciating, arm-killing 30 minutes of your life, your dough will look like this. Place it inside a well-oiled bowl, cover in damp towel and keep in a warm place for about 1 hour. Because it's extraordinarily cold the past 2 days (blame it on the typhoons), it took me 2 1/2 hours to let this dough rise!
Roll into a rectangle, spread butter and the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Restrain yourself from eating the cinnamon-sugar mixture when doing this. I don't think it's safe for consumption at this stage (?). Oh, and don't be shy, sprinkle VERY generously :-) Don't be too obsessive-compulsive and refrain from cleaning up when you do this. This is the type of good mess you want in your life.
Cut, cut, cut.
Oooh...they look like siopaos :-)
Look at how tiny these rolls are...
Look at how huge they become after the rising and baking! I have to think of something to get those ends tucked so they don't look like inverted Gs.
Someday, when I'm famous, I would make a perfume line with a burnt brown sugar scent.
I love you.

I still have dreams that my arms are all tired and swollen after kneading that long. In my daydreams though, I have a red KitchenAid doing the kneading for me!

For more tips and info on how to substitute instant dry yeast for dry yeast and vice versa, read up here.

Pawis rating 5 of 5 because of all the kneading...but it's all worth it!

Onion Focaccia Bread

I'd love to have an iPhone. Not that I don't like my Blackberry anymore...ok, I hate it. I hate that it has very limited available applications. I hate that the screen is so small. I hate that I can't do much with it without an internet plan (and do you know how freakin' expensive internet plans are in this country???) Yup, I would love to have an iPhone right about now.

Why am I saying this? You know those fun applications in iPhone or iPod? Are you familiar with Whole Foods recipes? :-) That's where I got this latest recipe.

This recipe is for Onion Focaccia. But since I don't like onions and I'm the boss here (hehehe), I decided to skip that and just use parmesan cheese and dried rosemary.

This bread is a huge failure. I was very frustrated and felt that I'm really not meant to be a bread-maker (is there such a word?).

Apparently, I used the wrong yeast. The recipe called for active dry yeast but stupid me, used instant dry yeast. Stupid me again, googled AFTER cooking the bread and realized this huge mistake. A wiser me should google BEFORE starting to cook if anything in the recipe seems unfamiliar territory.

This is sad. I could tolerate bland food but not inedible food or should I say, thing? Aargh!

The only redeeming factor here is the kneading and the punching. I didn't know it was such a relaxing activity! I will do this again just to knead and punch dough.

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds sweet yellow onions, cut into eights, then thickly sliced

1. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup warm (105 to 115F) water with honey or maple syrup. Sprinkle with yeast and set aside to let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2. Stir in flour, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, olive oil, and 1 cup warm water, then transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.
3. Knead until smooth and elastic, then transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl, turning the dough to coat. Cover and let stand in a warm draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbs oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and remaining 1 tsp salt and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 hour or until onions are very soft and golden brown. Set aside to let cool.
5. Punch down dough, then transfer to a lightly oiled jelly roll pan or large baking sheet and pat dough out into a 15-inch X 11-inch rectangle. Cover and let stand 45 minutes or until puffed and well risen.
6. Spread onions over dough, then cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 425F. Uncover dough and bake on the lowest oven rack for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and crisp. Cut into pieces and serve.

I took the dough a few minutes before it is cooked and sprinkled parmesan cheese and rosemary all over. Returned this to the oven to cook through.

Does this look like a bread? It's more like cement, cement bread.

So not decent...very frustrating

Pawis rating: 5 or 5 this whole "letting the dough rise" is very depressing.