Maman's Baked Mussels

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs grated matured coconut
• 2 kilos medium-size mussels (tahong)
• 12 oz clear soda
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 3 lightly crushed garlic with skin on
• a large chunk of pounded ginger
• 3 cloves finely pounded & minced garlic
• 1 large (50 grams) finely minced red onion
• 3/4-1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 3 pcs finger chilis, seeded & finely minced
• 3/4 cup grated quickmelt cheese
• finely minced fresh parsley (optional)

Procedure:

1. Make the vendor extract the coconut cream for you where you bought your coconuts. They have this manual jack-pump that does the job. That means less work in the kitchen.
   
2. Back to the recipe, wash and clean the mussels. Remove the beards by pulling it out.
3. Put the mussels in the wok. Add the next-four ingredients. Lid on. Place over medium-high fire. Bring to boil. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes or until all shells open up. Remove cooked mussels from the broth. Reserve and strain the mussel broth for your soup later. Disregard any mussel that didn't open. Lay on a baking sheet or porcelain plate (like I did!) half of the shell that has the mussel on it. Disregard the other half of the shell.
4. In a small non-stick pan, place over medium-high fire. Heat moderately. Put oil and garlic. Saute until golden brown. Follow with onion. Cook until soft. Add the white pepper and fish sauce. Cook for less than a minute or until fragrant. Pour in the pure coconut cream. Mix. Bring to boil. Then, decrease fire to low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stirring frequently to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the finger chilis. Mix. Cook for another 20 seconds. Remove from fire.
6. Pour a teaspoon of this cooked mixture over each mussel. Top with grated cheese. Sprinkle lightly with parsley if you have.
7. Bake at 475 fahrenheit until cheese melts and lightly brown.
8. Serve with steamed rice or crusty bread and don't forget the mussel broth. Reheat in the microwave before serving.

Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs hard-boiled eggs, shelled
• fine salt
• ground white pepper
• 1 pouch (80ml) mayonnaise
• 6 pcs thick sliced white bread

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, mash finely the eggs using a fork. Sprinkle with a little salt and white pepper. Add the mayonnaise. Mix until blended.
2. Use this as filling for your white bread.

Hearty Waffle Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 200 grams pack of pancake flour
• a piece of egg
• 2/3 cup fresh milk
• 2 tbsps melted butter
• a pack (220 grams) of bacon bits, lightly fried
• creamy cheese spread

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, beat the egg. Add the pancake flour, milk and melted butter. Mix lightly (the batter should still have little lumps of flour in it).
2. Heat a flower waffle maker if you have none, just use a pan and cook the batter as you would have cook a pancake. Pour 1/3 cup of batter to the heated waffle maker. Cook for several seconds until a little brown on the side. Do the same to the rest of batter.
3. Cut the flower waffle wedges, it will form a heart shape waffle. Spread heavily with creamy cheese spread. Sprinkle generously with lightly fried bacon bits. Top it off with another heart shape waffle.
4. For the pancakes, cut into four. Then, basically follow step 3.
5. Serve with coffee or hot choco.

Creamy Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of cream cheese, slightly thawed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose cream, chilled

Procedure:

1. Whip together the cream cheese and heavy cream until blended. Put in a glass container. Close tightly. Refrigerate.
2. You can also use this recipe for dips.

Bologna Triple Decker Sandwich

Ingredients:

• a tablespoon of cooking oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 pcs of white loaf bread
• mayonnaise
• a piece of cheese singles
• a piece of Bologna slice

Procedure:

1. Lightly fry the beaten egg on both sides. Set aside. If you want, like I do, fry in seconds only the bologna slice to get it warm. Drain in paper towel.
2. On one bread, spread with mayonnaise. Put the scrambled egg. Add bread, spread again with mayonnaise. Put the bologna slice. Add another bread, spread with mayonnaise. Add the cheese. Lastly, top with bread again. Slice diagonally.
3. Serve.

Ham-Burger with Cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 pcs of sweet or cooked ham slices, finely minced
• 100 grams lean ground pork
• 1 medium (35 grams) red onion, peeled & finely minced
• 40 grams carrot, grated
• 2 tbsps of finely minced green bell pepper
• 2 tbsps green peas
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsps worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsps Japanese or dry breadcrumbs
• 1 pc egg
• 3-4 tbsps cooking oil
• 8 thin slices of quickmelt cheese
• 8 slices of cucumber
• catsup
• mayonnaise8 pcs mini-burger buns

Procedure:

1. Combine in a bowl the first-eleven ingredients. Break the egg on top. Using your hand, mix until well-blended. Divide into eight or make a 2″inch diameter ball out of it. Then, press to form patties.
2. In a non-stick pan, heat oil over medium fire. Fry both sides until golden brown. Just before taking it off form the pan. Lay the cheese slices on top of each patty. To warm and melt it a little. Drain patties in paper towels.
3. Slice the burger bun. Spread mayonnaise and catsup. Add the cucumber slice. Put the burger patty with cheese. Finally top again with the bread.
4. Serve.

Sugary Crunchy Bites

Ingredients:

• one day old lumpia wrapper or excess wrapper (spring roll wrapper)
• cooking oil
• white sugar

Procedure:

1. Tear lumpia wrapper into different sizes, it's up to you how big or small you want it to be.
2. Deep fry in very hot oil until golden brown.
3. Sprinkle generously with sugar.

Boiled Peanuts

Ingredients:

• about 2 kilos of freshly picked peanuts
• water
• 2-3 tbsps rock salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Procedure:

1. Wash the peanuts several times under running water until all the dirt is gone.
2. In a large thick bottom casserole, put the peanuts. Add the salt and brown sugar. Level with water. Mix. Cover. Bring to boil. Then, decrease fire to low. Simmer for 35-45 minutes, depending on your desired tenderness.
   

Turon Triangles

Ingredients:

• 2 medium pcs of ripe plantain bananas (saging na saba)
• 1/2 cup of grated quickmelt cheese
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 24 pcs square wanton wrappers
• 1 pc egg white
• 2 cups of cooking oil for deep-frying

Procedure:

1. Slice into twelve each piece of banana. Lay a wanton wrapper on a flat surface. Brush all sides with egg white. Put a slice of banana at the center. Top with a teaspoon of grated cheese and half teaspoon of brown sugar. Form a triangle. Sealing all the sides. Do the same to the rest.
2. In a pan, over medium fire. Heat oil thoroughly but not smoking hot. Drop carefully each triangle. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook until light brown. Turn to have an even browning. This would only take a few seconds. Drain in a colander.
3. Serve.