Hot and Spicy Eggplant Omelette

Eggplant omelette or tortang talong is yummy specially if it is hot and spicy.

Ingredients:
1 big eggplant ( boiled and skin removed)
1 tablespoon flour
1 beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 onion (minced)
a pinch of chili powder
salt to taste

Procedure:
1. Combine the egg, flour, ground pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper, mix well until fully combined and smooth.
2. Put the eggplant then flatten it,  coat well with the batter and fry both sides until fully cooked.
3. Sprinkle with sliced spring onion then serve.

Puto Pao

This delicious Filipino dainty  uses the batter of puto and a filling of siopao that is why it is called Puto Pao. Easier to make than siopao but the same delicious taste. I made this as simple as it can be so that all my friends can follow easily, I hope you will try this and let me know.

Ingredients for 15 big puto pao:

For the Batter:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup fresh milk ( add if needed) batter should be like the one in the picture
some slices of salted egg

For the Filling: You can use any meat that you like and cook it the way you want it.
1/4 kilo lean pork ( boiled and diced or shredded it's up to you)
1 teaspoon calamansi juice
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon tomato sauce
2 clovess garlic
1 small onion ( minced)
ground pepper to taste

Procedure for the filling: You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste.
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the pork and simmer for a minute
2. Add all the ingredients, simmer and stir until the flavors are well blended, turn off the heat and let cool.

Procedure for the Puto Pao
1.Combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder then sift it.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together the sifted ingredients and milk then mix very well until the batter is smooth in texture.

3. Fill the puto molder with the batter only 1/4 parts of it then put the filling in the middle and add more batter to cover the filling, top with salted egg.

4. Boil the water in the steamer, then steam the puto pao for 10 minutes or until done ( you know it is done when you insert a toothpick in it and the toothpick comes out clean.)

5. Let cool for few minutes, scrape the sides then unmold the puto and serve with a big smile :-).

Deviled Egg Boat

A cute appetizer that will surely capture the eyes of your guests or loved ones during family gatherings.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
4 hard boiled eggs
1 can sardines in tomato sauce ( drained) - This can be replaced with tuna, meat, etc
1 tablespoon mayonaise
2 slices from loaf bread ( formed into triangles)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Cut the eggs into halves, then remove the egg yolk.
2. Mix the yolks, sardines, mayonaise, salt and pepper, then put the mixture into the hard boiled egg whites. Insert a toothpick in the bread slices then put it on the deviled eggs to serve as a sail.
3. Serve with a smile :-).

Contributed by: Mr Ron Del Rosario

How to Make a Perfect Caramel for Leche Flan

This is the Mely's kitchen way of making a perfect caramel for leche flan, I always do like this and the result is always perfect!

Either you are using the oval leche flan molder or this one with a hole in the middle, do the same procedure.

1.Put the sugar in the molder.

2. Melt over medium heat. Sometimes the other side of the burner is too hot making that side of the sugar melt quickly while the other side is still not melted, if this happen, you can change the position of the molder, to melt the sugar evenly.

3. When it is melted, it is up to you if you want it light colored remove from the heat, or if you want darker caramel, let it continue to melt until the desired color of the caramel is reached. Let cool.

light colored

dark colored

The results:

Light caramel

Dark Caramel

Note: If you will caramelized with water, just put the water and sugar together then do the same procedure.