'Pepero' Cookie Sticks

Today is Pepero Day in South Korea.

Pepero Day is like Valentine’s Day or White Day. It is celebrated every November 11^th (11/11), since the date resembles four pepero cookie sticks.

On pepero day, youngsters and couples exchange boxes of pepero sticks as gifts to show their affection.

Let your special someone know that you care. Give him/her some pepero today.

Store-bought pepero is great, but homemade is better, don’t you agree?! Why not give a box of homemade pepero, instead of buying. Imagine how delighted your loved ones will be when they receive delicious choco-dipped biscuits made by you.

'Pepero' Cookie Sticks

Ingredients:
Cookie Sticks:

155 g All-purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

28 g Refined Sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp Butter

80 g Low-fat Milk

Coating:
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Morsels, melted
Colorful Sprinkles for deco

Instructions:

Preheat regular or convection oven at 176°C.

In a medium bowl, sift-in the flour and baking powder. Then, add-in sugar and salt.

Mix thoroughly to combine.

Add-in butter and blend well (until it resembles coarse corn meal).

Pour-in milk gradually, until dough is firm.

Pat the dough into a square and wrap in a plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Slice and roll dough into thin strips, and cut into desired length. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer baked cookies onto a rack to cool completely.

Coat with chocolate and decorate:

Microwave dark chocolate morsels in a bowl for 2 minutes in 30-second interval while stirring with a spoon until completely melted.

(*It is possible to melt the chocolate over a stove. Use low heat, and stir frequently.)

Remove from microwave, continue stirring until well combined and smooth.

Dip the cookie sticks into the melted dark chocolate and decorate with sprinkles.

Chill in the refrigerator until chocolate has firmly set.

Once the chocolate has hardened, you can now package them in neat and perfectly sized packaging bags and give them away to your loved ones!

Note:

Alternative coating for the cookie sticks can be white chocolate or milk chocolate, and sprinkled with finely chopped nuts, or sweetened toasted coconut.
These are good for presents too! Place them in a fancy box then tie with a nice ribbon and you have the perfect gift.^^

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)

Ingredients:

4 pcs medium Eggplant

2 pcs Eggs

1 tsp Salt

4 tbsp Cooking Oil

Instructions:

Grill the eggplants until the color of skin turns almost black.

Place the eggplants on a wire rack, and let them cool for a while before peeling off the skin. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, crack-in the eggs, and season with salt.

Lightly beat the eggs. Set aside.

Place the eggplants on a plate and flatten with a fork.

Dip each eggplant into the beaten egg mixture; coat well.

In a well-heated pan on medium heat, pour-in the cooking oil.

Fry the eggplants. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Serve and Enjoy!!

Arroz a la Valenciana

Arroz a la Valenciana is a typical Latin American dish, and sometimes used in Filipino cuisine.

Arroz a la Valenciana

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Sweet Rice (Glutinous Rice)
1/2 cup White Rice
4 cups Water
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Yellow Onion, sliced
2 Tomatoes, sliced
250 g Chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
250 g Pork loin, cut into bite-sized pieces
180 g Pork Liver, sliced
180 g Shrimps, shelled
2 pcs Chorizo Bilbao, sliced thinly
2 tsp Salt
1 dried Bay Leaf
1/2 cup Green Peas
1 red Bell Pepper, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup Raisins
1 cup Chick Peas (Garbanzos)
2 oz sliced Pimentos
2 hard-boiled Eggs, sliced (optional) – for garnish
2 Green Onions, sliced – for garnish

Instructions:
Boil the sweet rice and white rice with 3 1/2 cups water and turmeric powder, stirring once in a while to prevent burning. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until tender.

In a small heated pan with oil, lightly fry the chorizo bilbao, and set aside;
Then on the same oil, fry the pork liver, and set aside.

Heat oil and sauté garlic and onion in a big pan or skillet.
Stir-in tomatoes.
Then, add-in the chicken, pork, shrimp, remaining 1/2 cup water, salt, and bay leaf.
Cover and simmer until chicken and pork are tender.

Add-in green peas, bell pepper, raisins, garbanzos, and pimentos.

Stir-in boiled rice, blend well and combine lightly. Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Arrange on a platter, and garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs and green onions.
Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!!

Pinakbet (Filipino Mixed Vegetable Stew with Shrimp Paste)

Pinakbet (Filipino Mixed Vegetable Stew with Shrimp Paste)

Ingredients:
250 g Pork with fat, cut into bite-size pieces
125 g Shrimps, shelled
1/2 medium Pumpkin (Kalabasa), cut into chunks
1 Bitter Melon (Ampalaya ), sliced to bite-size pieces
1 Eggplant, sliced to bite-size pieces
2 pcs Okra, sliced
20 stalks Petite Green Beans, cut into half
2 pcs Tomato, sliced
1 Onion, diced
3~4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb Ginger, crushed and sliced
4 tbsp Shrimp Paste (Bagoong Alamang)
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 1/2 cup Water
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a cooking pan, heat cooking oil and fry the pork until no longer pink; then remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
On the same heated pan, add-in garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Sautè until onions become translucent. Set aside.

In a casserole, Pour-in water and add-in the shrimp paste. Bring to a boil.
Then, add-in the pork and shrimps in the casserole; and mix-in the sautèd garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil again, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Add in all the vegetables and cook until all the vegetables are done, but not overcooked.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Turn off heat, and Serve hot with plain rice.

Enjoy!!