TOASTED TURKISH BREAD WITH SPINACH, FETA & CHEESE

This homemade creation was inspired by a Kebab shop in Carindale.  I love it so much that I replicated their Toasted Turkish Bread filled with Spinach, Feta & Cheese and has been a favourite merienda (snack) in the TRIBE household.

What’s so good about this Toasted Turkish Bread is that once the bread gets grilled to that golden brown stage, it has this nice crunch on top & bottom but have this pillowy texture bread inside.  Simple fillings but delicious combination and what’s not to love about melted mozzarella!  Another fantastic easy recipe for you to try at Busog! Sarap!

 

TOASTED TURKISH BREAD WITH SPINACH, FETA & CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbspn cooking oil

1/2 large onion, sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

125g frozen spinach

100g feta cheese

pinch of grounded black pepper

450g Turkish Bread

Garlic Avocado Oil or Garlic Infused Olive Oil

*used U.S Measuring Cups & Spoons

 

 

COOKING PROCEDURE:

~  Heat up your saucepan in medium-high heat.  Place butter and let it melt, add in your onions and cook till they have that golden brown edges.  Drop in your cubes of frozen spinach, lower your heat to medium and gently separate the spinach cubes.

~  Sprinkle some grounded pepper to the sautéed filling, cook until the mixture has no visible liquid.  Place your finished sautéed filling in a small bowl to completely cool down.

~ Crumble your feta and prepare your flat tray/grill plate for your Turkish bread.  It’s up to you if you want to line it with aluminium foil for easy cleaning.

~ As I bought a large long Turkish Bread, I’ve cut it in half before slicing its one side for the fillings.  Flip the bread so that the underside is face up and brush it with your avocado or olive oil.

~ Heat your griller around medium/high.  Place the bread under the griller and toast till golden brown.  Watch it, as it will toast quickly and you don’t want it burnt.

~ Take the flat tray out of the griller, flip the Turkish breads topside up and divide the spinach and feta, spread it equally inside each bread.

~ Put generous amount of shredded mozzarella on each bread.  Give each bread a good drizzle of your Avocado or Olive Oil and brush some on top.  Place the tray under the griller to finally toast the top and slightly melt  the cheese.

~ Like the underside, please do watch your Turkish Bread carefully while in the final stage as it will toast quickly under the griller.

~ Once the top achieved that delicious golden toasty brown colour, remove under the grill quickly and cut the breads into individual portions.  Serve immediately as this Toasted Turkish Bread is so wonderful to eat while piping hot!

 

BEST WITH: Your favourite hot beverage or ice cold drinks.

NOTES:

• You can use any kind of bread, even sliced bread and use a portable grill press or oven toaster.

• If you are going to use fresh spinach instead of the frozen type, (cooking stage) once the leaves becomes limp, soft and have that bright green colour, remove and drain it on a metal sieve.  Gently press the filling with the back of a spoon against the sieve to remove excess liquid.

• To make Garlic Infused Olive Oil, just crushed a large clove of garlic with the flat side of your knife (don’t use a garlic crusher tool) and soak it in 1/4 cup of Olive Oil.  Leave the crushed garlic soaking for good 10-15 minutes before using the Olive Oil.

• Don’t add additional salt as the Feta is already salty.

BELVITA BREAKFAST CRANBERRY BISCUITS

I got to try the new Belvita Breakfast Biscuit flavour via “Product Talk by Nuffnang” last week and my verdict is… the new flavour is very good!  When the Belvita Breakfast came out last year, I’ve purchased a couple of boxes because they were so cheap and was personally surprised that the biscuits are tasty and have that crispy/soft texture like oatmeal cookies have.  I personally love the Fruit & Fibre and the Cranberry version is not too far off from my favourite.  So, yes… I’ve tasted all the flavours and I’m not just saying that Cranberry is good because that’s the box they’ve sent me.

Breakfast is not really my highlight of the day…. *whispers* that’s why I love Brunches (cross between Breakfast/Lunch) meals.  There are days I prefer just a cup of coffee for Breakfast and Belvita Breakfast Biscuits are good paired with my hot beverage.

Belvita Breakfast Biscuits comes in a box of 6 individual packets with 4 biscuits each.  Easy to pop a packet inside your handbag to munch on while travelling to work or eat it with your hot cuppa while you’re trying to get the kids to get ready for school.  It comes in 5 tasty flavours, Cranberry, Honey & Nut with Chop Chip, Milk & Cereals, Crunchy Oats and Fruit & Fibre.

 

F.Y.I~ I’m not related or connected to this business.  Thanks to Kraft for the box of Belvita Breakfast Cranberry Biscuits.  This is not a paid review but under “Product Talk by Nuffnang”.

Busy, busy, busy……

Hello Busog! Sarap! folks…. I’ve been MIA (Missing In Action) for the past few weeks and this is due to my never ending cooking commitments plus running the TRIBE’s household everyday hustle and bustle.  In an ideal world, I would love to be a mother who can dress up and pretty myself up early in the morning and have “a by the hour” on time schedules for the whole day but this is the real world and nope…it will never happen!  This sadly to say also apply in regards to my writing Busog! Sarap! posts, even with just me and lil’ adorable monster at home there’s no peace and quiet really.  TRIBE’s youngest addition can now climb out of his cot, wiggle himself out of his high chair restraints and climb/balance himself on the top back edges of our sofas to drool over our glass windows.  At the moment I can only do some typing/writing 1-2 hours before I go to sleep at night while the rest of the TRIBE are fast asleep, that is the only timeslot that is quiet and peaceful enough for me to think and gather my leftover sanity.

You might be all wondering what I’ve been doing lately, so to give a few glimpse of what I have done last year and this year here are some pics:

CUSINERA’S PIRATE THEMED DESSERT TABLE

I got a special request early October last year for a little boy’s 1st birthday and this was my first full on Dessert Themed Table outside the TRIBE’s turf.  It was a success and everyone in the party totally loved it which was a big relief for me!

TRIBE’S HALLOWEEN PARTY 2012

I’ve celebrated my birthday last year with a Children Halloween Party at our “La Garage”.  The guests loved the whole setup and this time we also invited Grown Ups.  The TRIBE has done a Halloween Gig before which I have posted two years ago.  We recycled some of the decor and added few more quirky things. 

We had Mummies & Pumpkin Cake Pops, Frankenstein Vomit (Buko Pandan), Witches Fingers, Ogre’s Big Toes and Dirty Cotton Buds for dessert.

MISS M AND SAMBOY’S SUPER HEROES DESSERT TABLE

The TRIBE celebrated Miss M and Samboy’s  Birthday together last December and this is what Mr H and I came up with.  We just did a simple dessert table as we have to cook the rest of the Filipino Food for the buffet spread.

PURPLE THEMED DESSERT TABLE FOR AN 18TH BIRTHDAY

We got another special request to do some cooking for my Kumare’s lovely daughter's 18th Birthday this month and as a gift we set up a 18th Purple Dessert Table for her with some of her favourite sweets.

18TH BIRTHDAY FILIPINO BUFFET

It was a fantastic 18th Birthday Party, the family of the celebrant all did all the table layouts and decor of the place and it was a sight to behold…..I must say the best DIY I’ve been involved with.

As you can all see, I’m getting addicted to Themed Dessert Tables when time permits…. I have to blame the freaking Smurfs at Mr Adventurous 5th Birthday Smurfs Dessert Table.  I’ve also got a bit obsessed on making Cake Pops and Cake Shooters last year which I happily already added to my “I can do” talent…lol!  But dear friends even though my plate is already full of activities, I will never quit Busog! Sarap! after all, cooking is my passion and sharing is my goal.  I got so many recipes & stories to share ….my adventures on cooking Lechon Paksiw, Ensaymada Chronicles and my journey into the world of baking to name a few.  Thank you very much for following Busog! Sarap! and being so understanding!  Till next post…..   

FILIPINO MACARONI SALAD

When Mr. H and I dated in the Philippines, I always dragged him to Tropical Hut for Burgers and Macaroni Salad before watching a movie to take inside the cinema.  I love Tropical Hut’s little tubs of Macaroni Salad, it has this right melody of creaminess, sweetness and saltiness.  But my love for Filipino Macaroni Salad didn’t start there, I grew up with this pasta salad in the 70’s, 80’s and up until now am still fond of this cold pasta dish…. I can say we’re old BFF’s.

You can’t have a Filipino gathering or family outing without this pasta salad and it’s another easy dish to assemble.  Great for Christmas family parties and if you’re experiencing summer during Christmas like the TRIBE do, this Filipino Macaroni Salad goes great as a side dish for burgers or barbequed meats.

 

FILIPINO MACARONI SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices of pineapple rings, cut into small chunks

1/3 cup finely diced carrots

1 tbspn pickle relish

1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese, mini bite size pcs.

40g sultanas or raisins

470g mayonnaise

good pinch of salt & pepper

 

300g chicken breast

1 bay leaf

2-3 whole peppercorns

250g elbow pasta

*used U.S Measuring Cups & Spoons

 

COOKING & ASSEMBLING PROCEDURE:

~   In a small saucepan, place your chicken breast, bay leaf, peppercorns and cover with enough water.  Bring to boil and lower heat till the water is just simmering.  Let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes (pls. skim the accumulated scum on the surface of the simmering water).  When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from the pot and set it aside to completely cool.  Once it’s cool enough to touch, shred the chicken breast using your fingers by tearing the chicken meat following the grain to get that thin strips.  Place hand shredded chicken meat in a clean bowl, cover with cling wrap and store in the fridge while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

~  Get a medium size saucepan and fill it up with water until halfway.  Bring to boil the water before adding in your elbow pasta.  Lower heat until the water is just simmering and cook the pasta for 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta and quickly rinse with cold water under your tap while it’s still in the colander.  Set aside and let the cooked pasta completely cool.

~  Place your mayonnaise in a large bowl and season it with salt & pepper.  Mix it thoroughly to distribute the seasoning well.

~  Add in your pineapple chunks, shredded chicken, sultanas/raisins, diced carrots, diced cheddar cheese and pickle relish.  Incorporate well with the mayonnaise and then add in your cooked elbow pasta.  Mix it once more to blend everything well together.  Place your Filipino Macaroni Salad in another clean dry bowl, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.

BEST WITH: Bbq’s and Burgers.

NOTES:

• You can buy Pickle Relish in Yuen’s and Best Friends.  If you can’t find a jar of Pickle Relish, you can finely diced some drained pickled gherkins but keep in mind pickled gherkins are sourer then the Pickle Relish I’ve used.

• Don’t overcook your elbow pasta, your pasta should be springy to touch.  You don’t want overcook pasta as it breaks down easily and clumps together, the overall appearance of your dish will look unappetizing.

• When you season your mayonnaise, taste it first before placing the rest of the ingredients, adjust your seasoning according to your taste.

• It is highly recommended for this dish to be refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to develop.

• Other ingredients you can add:  Chopped boiled eggs and finely diced onion.

BUKO PANDAN SALAD (Filipino Shredded Young Coconut with Pandan Jelly Dessert)

One word to describe this Filipino dessert….REFRESHING!  With this Brisbane summer heat that we are having, this Buko Pandan Dessert will definitely lift your spirit up and cools you down.  A Filipino tropical chilled dessert, it is compose of cubes of Pandan Jelly, Buko (shredded young coconut) and mini Sago Pearls in a not too sweet cream sauce.

I’ve only started making Buko Pandan last Halloween and since then I been making this easy version multiple of times now.  The sweetness is just right and the balance of sauce/jelly/buko/tapioca ratio are good.  Some people tend to drown this dessert with too much cream sauce….if you do that then you shouldn’t call it Buko Pandan Salad, it should be called Buko Pandan Drink.  I used frozen/defrosted shredded Buko (shredded young coconut) and instant Pandan jelly as I don’t have the time yet to do certain things from scratch.  But rest assure, this is a wonderful dessert to make specially this coming Yuletide season….simple recipe but definitely a keeper!

 

BUKO PANDAN SALAD                                                                     (Filipino Shredded Young Coconut & Pandan Jelly Dessert)

INGREDIENTS:

200ml thickened cream

1 box (95g) Pandan Gulaman (Sweetened)

1 1/2 cup Buko (shredded young coconut)

1/2 cup + 2 tbspn condensed milk

1-2 tspn Pandan essence

 

1/4 cup uncooked mini Sago Pearls

3 cups water

*used U.S Measuring Cups & Spoons

 

COOKING & ASSEMBLING PROCEDURE:

~   In a small saucepan, bring your water to boil and pour in your uncooked mini Sago Pearls, simmer for 10 minutes.  Once the Sago Pearls are cooked, pour the contents of the saucepan through a sieve to strain out the hot water.  Place your sieve under your kitchen tap to lightly rinse the Sago Pearls with cold water then completely drain and let it cool off.

~  Cook your Pandan Gulaman/Jelly as instructed in the packet directions, let it cool/set completely before cutting the jelly into bite size cubes.

~  In a big mixing bowl, place your Buko (shredded young coconut) and cooked mini Sago Pearls then add in your thickened cream.

~  Pour in your condensed milk and Pandan essence.  Combine the mixture well by stirring it with a ladle a few times to make sure that the Pandan essence is well dispersed.  Into the bowl your cubed Pandan Gulaman/Jelly goes.

~  Stir your Buko Pandan Salad a couple of times to gently combine your Pandan Gulaman/Jelly.  Cover the bowl with a lid/clingwrap and refrigerate overnight.  Please serve this dessert chilled.

NOTES:

• I listed the Pandan essence as 1-2 tspn as different brand of essence have varying strength.  My advice is place 1 tspn first, give the mixture a good stirring, taste and see if you need that additional second tspn.

• I’ve used frozen shredded Buko for this recipe ~1x pkt (454g), once the packet has been defrosted, drain out the liquid.

• Pandan Gulaman/Jelly, mini Sago Pearls & frozen Buko are readily available in any Filipino Grocery Stores near you, give them a call first to make sure they stock these products.

• Shredded Buko (Young Coconut Meat) is totally different from Shredded Niyog/Coconut (Matured Coconut Meat).