Apple, Baby Brie, and Turkey Panini

Here's another sandwich offering for y'all....

Actually the plan was just to make a grilled sandwich but when I finished assembling it was a little thick and kinda hard to handle without the filling falling out from the bread so I decided to make a panini instead.

The inspiration for this panini came from a panini that I had from The French Crepe Company in Third and Fairfax.  The combination of creamy brie, tangy-sweet apple, and savory smoked turkey really works well together.  The result is a nice combination of flavor in one tasty panini...yum...yum...yum

I served the sandwich with a side of frisee, figs, and pine nut salad as well as a fresh mixed fruits and greek yogurt parfait. The combination makes it a full meal which is not only easy to make and assemble but also requires minimal cooking.  That last bit of information is important especially during the summer months when  the heat is unbearable and any cooking can turn up the heat inside the house...hehehe. 

This meal can be served as a quick lunch or merienda (snack) for Filipinos. I say merienda for Filipinos because most (especially those who were born, raised, and living in the Philippines) do not consider anything that's served without rice a meal...everything else falls under the category of a snack if it does not come with rice :) 

Speaking of Filipino diet, here's an interesting fact:  Filipinos typically eat three full meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) that is composed of rice and meat or seafood dish.  Aside from the three full meals, some Filipinos also eat snack in between those meals.  Snacks are typically served midway between the meals - in between breakfast and lunch, in between lunch and dinner, and a few hours after dinner and before going to bed (midnight snack).  So it  is not uncommon to see Filipinos eat at least 5 to 6 times a day (counting all the regular meals and snacks) :)  That's a lot of meals to prepare for a typical Filipino wife, don't you think? Of course most (even those who are not considered rich) have household help...

2 slices of sourdough bread (or your preference of bread)

2 slices of smoked turkey breast (from the deli)

1/2 an apple (granny smith or your preference), sliced thinly

thin slices of baby brie

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush both bread slices with olive oil

2. Arrange a thin layer of baby brie on both sides of the bread then lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper according to taste

3. Place a slice of turkey breast on each of the bread slices

4. Arrange slices of apple on one side of the bread.

5. Use the other bread to cover the other slice then set aside.

6. Heat panini maker or stovetop grill then lightly brush with leftover olive oil

7. Place the sandwich on the grill.  If using stovetop grill, place a layer of aluminum wrap on top of the bread then place a heat proof weight over it to weigh it down.

8. When one side is done, turn the panini over and grill the other side until done.

9. Slice in half and serve warm.

Mixed Fresh Fruits and Greek Yogurt Parfait

The weather's been too warm these past few days which makes me too lazy to cook.  Cooking means having to open all the windows and doors to let out the heat but it also means that I have to turn off the air conditioner.  Too much hassle so I tend to avoid cooking during the day when it tends to be the hottest and reserve cooking at night when the temperature is a little cooler.  Or, opt to make dishes that does not require any cooking and minimal preparation.  This dish is one such dish as it uses fresh fruits and yogurt so no cooking is needed.

I used several fruits and berries that are in season so they can be easily substituted when the season changes.  In this particular parfait, I used blackberries, raspberries, granny smith apple, and fresh turkey figs.  Instead of regular yogurt, I used Greek yogurt which is a lot thicker in consistency.  I also topped the parfait with dehydrated lentil flakes which I purchased from Dragunara at the farmer's market in Fairfax and Third.  The dehydrated lentils provided some crunch to the parfait but it can be easily substituted with granola, if you prefer. If you prefer the parfait to be sweet, you can add a little bit of honey or sugar.

The fresh turkey figs that I used in this dish came from Costco.  At $5.99 per tray of about 18 or more figs, it was a huge bargain compared to the one sold at WholeFoods.  Figs are are just plain ugly on the outside but the insides are so pretty when you slice it.  It has this pinkish and while color which is so attractive when you add to salads or as garnish. And don't even get me started on the taste as they are very tasty and delicious when they ripen. I usually do not peel it but I do wash it really well to remove the fuzzy exterior before slicing or eating it on its own.

Speaking of Dragunara, it is a gem of a spice store located within the farmer's market at Fairfax and Third in Los Angeles.  My friend and I found this little spice haven by accident when we took a different route than we normally take to get to La Surla Table.  Ahh...so happy that we found this place because they sell a lot of spices that are not normally found in regular stores or even WholeFoods, such as dried lavender flowers, dried hibiscus flowers, Szechuan peppercorns, all colors of lentils, different types of salts, etc.  I came out of the store bearing a huge shopping bag full of different spices...ahhh, the place is like an oasis for cooks and food fanatics...

Ingredients:

Brown turkey figs

blackberries

raspberries

granny smith apple or any apple you prefer

2 Tbsp of dehydrated lentil flakes or granola

Greek yogurt

honey, optional

1. Wash, dry and slice fruits.

2. Place a layer Greek yogurt in a container

3. Top with fresh fruit slices.

4. Sprinkle dehydrated lentil flakes or granola on top.

5. Sweeten with honey, if you prefer.

NOTE:  There is really no exact measurements in this dish so you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want.

Wild Arugula, Glazed Walnuts, and Apple Salad

I was over at Whole Foods today and they had really fresh greens which were begging me to take them home...really, they were, I swear :0 ...

 They had good looking wild arugula and basil which I bought and took home. I was thinking of using the basil for pesto since it has been a while since I've made some but the wild arugula is intended for a salad so I picked up other ingredients like glazed walnuts (they're great as they help to cut down cooking and prep time)as well as lemons and pine nuts (for the pesto). The only thing I forgot was to buy some pears which I only remembered when I was already halfway home. I could have stopped at another supermarket but the temperature was getting warm so I was really itching to get home as fast as I can. So instead of using pear, I used some gala apple instead which I already have in my refrigerator.

Arugula has a peppery, nutty taste to it. It is sold at the supermarket as either baby or mature leaves. Cultivated baby arugula are usually rounder in shape and often resemble the shape of a spinach only smaller. Will arugula, on the other hand has a stronger and more pronounced peppery, nutty taste to it. The shaped of the leaves are also slightly different in the sense that lobes and smaller in size. It is an annual plant that is rich in vitamin C and potassium. They were once considered aphrodisiac. It is great as a salad but it can also be used in pasta or pizza.

Ingredients:

5 oz wild arugula

1 apple or pear, cored and sliced thinly

1/4 cup store bought glazed walnuts

shaved parmigiano reggiano

salt and pepper, to taste


 1. Toss the first three ingredients together.

 2. season with salt and pepper according to taste

 3. top with shaved parmigiano reggiano

 4. Drizzle with dressing (see below)

Dressing:

10 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

5 Tbsp lemon juice salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine and whisk EVOO and lemon in a small container.

2. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

 ***left over dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Just make sure to let it thaw and shake well prior to use.

Apple-Cinnamon Pancake with Butter and Maple Syrup

This day started out all wrong. I was awoken by a phone call at a little past 8 am which was way too early for me to wake since I hardly had any sleep the night before and was tossing and turning. I think it was partly due to the pain on my left elbow and partly due to the fact that I took a nap late afternoon the day before. By the time I hang up the phone, I was wide awake and couldn't go back to sleep so I finally dragged myself out of bed, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and went to the kitchen to brew some coffee. I do not know if it was because I was still sleepy or maybe it was just the fact that I wasn't thinking straight but I forgot to place the coffee filter holder before putting the coffee filter and ground coffee on the coffee maker. I went to the living room to turn on the television and watch Gin Tama (Japanese anime series that I am currently watching)while I was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. When I went back to the kitchen a few minutes later, I had a mess on the counter with brewed coffee and coffee granules splattered all over. Ughhh...not good way to start my day, indeed. Luckily, the mess was nothing that a roll of paper and a little elbow grease was able to take care of.

Ahhh... I am not much of a coffee drinker these days and have, for a few years now, been a tea drinker but every now and then I do reach for the coffee mug and trade my tea collection for a cuppa coffee. I think I should just stay on drinking green tea which is a far better choice than coffee...hehehe. Anyway, that incident set me back time-wise so instead of making homemade pesto for my intended chicken pesto panini, I reached for a package of pancake mix to save some time. Store-bought pancake mixes are great to use when you are crunched for time since they only need water addition and ready for cooking. I did, however, added a few key ingredients to make it taste homemade rather than generic. With the addition of grated apple and cinnamon, the taste improved significantly. I drizzled maple syrup with butter and arrange a few slices of apple on top...sinfully yummylicious!!

Ingredients:

2 cups pancake mix
1 1/2 cups cold water (per pancake mix manufacturer's recommendation)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (less if you prefer)
1 apple, cored and then grated oil for cooking

1. In a bowl, add pancake mix and cinnamon powder. Stir until well combined.

 2. Add cold water and mix to moisten ingredients. The batter may still be a little lumpy but try not to overmix.

 3. Stir in grated apple and mix until combined.

 4. Heat a griddle (or skillet) over medium heat.

 5. Grease the entire surface of the griddle or skillet with oil. Do not put too much oil though but just enough to cook the pancake.

 6. When the griddle and oil is hot, add about a quarter or half a cup of the batter into the griddle.

 7. Cook until you see some bubbles on the surface of the batter.

 8. Using a non-stick spatula or turner, carefully loosen the bottom of the pancake and then turn over to cook the other side.

 9. Cook until done which would probably take about a minute to a minute and a half.

 10. Continue cooking until you've used up all the batter. Add oil as needed to prevent the pancake from sticking to the pan.

 11. Serve warm with a few sliced apple arranged on top and drizzled with butter and maple syrup mixture.

Butter and maple syrup compound

Ingredients: 1 (240 ml) bottle of maple syrup

1/2 a block of butter

 1. Cut butter into an inch thickness.

 2. In a small sauce pan, add maple syrup and butter.

 3. Heat over medium to low heat and cook until butter melts.

 4. Stir until well incorporated.

 5. remove from heat and keep warm.

 6. Use this to drizzle over your pancakes or waffles.

Cinnamon Fruit Pouch with Warm Cinnamon sauce

This is a variation of the spinach pouch that I posted a couple of days ago. This one is a sweet version which can either be served as a snack or dessert. I used apple, pear, and peach for this recipe which I sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar then wrapped in a wonton wrapper.

The fruits will produce liquid when sprinkled with sugar and makes it a little harder to wrap in wonton wrapper as it will tear easily. The trick that I used is to let the fruit and sugar/cinnamon mixture stand for about 15 to 20 minutes then I drained and discarded the liquid. Even after I drained the liquid, I noticed that the bottom of my pouches was becoming soaked with the liquid so I wrapped the pouches again in another wonton wrapper which seemed to do the trick. I also placed the pouches in the freezer for about 20 minutes just to harden any fluid that may have formed.


When frying these pouches, the temperature of the oil is very important. It has to be hot enough that the frying and browning of the wonton wrapper will only take a short time as this will help harden and make the wrapper crispy. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan so as not to lower the oil's temperature Be careful though when frying in hot oil as it may splatter and burn you. As always, use splatter guard to prevent the oil from splattering all over you and your kitchen.

Although the wonton wrapper stays crisp for a while once fried, it is better to serve these warm as the taste is not as good when it has cooled. The possibility of the bottom turning soggy is also higher the longer the pouches sits after it has been fried. I served these with warm cinnamon sauce. Too bad I did not have any vanilla ice cream...I think this would also go well with it.


Ingredients:

1 apple - peeled, cored, and diced finely
1 peach - peeled,cored, and diced finely
1 pear - peeled, cored, and diced finely
2 Tbsp brown sugar (adjust according to desired sweetness)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
wonton wrappers
oil for frying

1. 1 a large bowl, mix apple, peach, pear, cinnamon and sugar. Let is stand for 15 to 20 minutes
2. Drain any fluid that has accumulated.
3. Take a tablespoon full of filling and place in the middle of a large wonton wrapper. Gather the edges to form a pouch then twist slightly adn pinch to seal.
4. Take another wonton wrapper and repeat the same procedure. Use small strip of wonton wrapper to tie and secure.
5. To fry: Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry 3-4 at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden in color.
6. Drain excess oil in a paper towel lined plate.
7. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with warm cinnamon sauce.


Warm Cinnamon Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

1. Heat saucepan over medium low heat. Combine sugar, flour, water, and lemon juice. Mix until sugar and flour is dissolved.
2. Continue stirring and cook until it thickens.
3. Add butter, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix until dissolved and well incormporated.
4. Strain mixture to remove undissolved particles.
5. Serve warm



Sauce recipe adapted from here

Cinnamon Apple Streusel Muffin

I dreamt last night that I made some muffin and surprisingly (or, not surprisingly), I woke up hungry. My sight was set on some piping hot muffins and tea so I baked up a bunch. I think I made a little too much (a dozen) so I gave my next-door neighbor half a dozen which. The muffins were good and easy to make that it can be made in less thanan hour including the preparation.

The mistake that a lot of people make when making muffins is that they overmix the ingredients which results in a dry and hard muffin. To make sure that it remains moist and not dry, you only need to mix it just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Otherwise, you may have to dump that batch into the garbage. I know because I have made that same mistake in the past many times than I care to count on my fingers and toes.

Today I made cinnamon apple streusel muffins because I bought tons of apple from whenI went to the farmer's market the other day. I love gala apple so that's what I used for this recipe. I think gala is the best tasting apple there is and beats red delicious in the taste and appearance.


Ingredients:

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 stick of butter, softened

1. Mix all ingredients for streusel using a fork until it resembles a cornmeal consistency. Set aside.

Muffin:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 cup peeled and diced apple
2 tsp powdered cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In a small container, mix apple with 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes.
3. Microwave butter until melted. Let it cool.
4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. In another large bowl, combine beaten egg, sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
6. Slowly drizzle butter and mix well.
7. Fold in the apple mixture and mix well.
8. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Note: It will be visible lumpy but it is okay.
9. Pour into paper lined muffin pans, top with streusel mixture, and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven, let it cool slightly and serve.

Apple and Raspberry Smoothie

This was part of my very fruity breakfast today. Hmmm...2 more and I would reach my 5 fruits a day quota...hahaha. THis is a nice refreshing drink albiet needs a little bit more work than my usual shake recipe. I had to strain myapple raspberry mixture after I pureed them to get rid of the raspberry seeds and apple skin. The resulting mixture looks like an apple-raspberry sauce. I had to rinse my blender before I returned the strain mixture and finish the shake. The overall taste and outcome though was quiet nice. The shake might be a little too early for breakfast but who cares? certainly not I...hehehe...besides I really needed it since it was already too warm outside by the time I went out. This is the only way that I would be able to "drink" my juice since I am not a big juice drinker :)



Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and chopped roughly
1/2 cup raspberrries
sugar according to taste
100 ml water
ice cubes

1. Place chopped apple and raspberry in a blender.
2.Add about 50 ml water and puree.
3. Strain mixture in a bowl and rinse blender. Discard what is left on the strainer.
4. Return apple raspberry mixture to the blender.
5. Add sugar ( according to desired sweetness) and the rest of the water and blend until sugar is dissolved.
6. Add crushed ice and blend until smooth.
7 Adjust sweetness , if needed
8. Transfer to glass and serve.