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 with Pandan Jelly Dessert)

ALMOND BREAD (BISCOTTI)

LUCKY CHRISTMAS GIFT PACK

Christmas is a couple of days away now and everyone knows that this is the time of the year that home bakers are busy baking cookies, brownies, puddings and other diet busting baking treats.  Nuts are one of the main ingredients in baking these delectable morsels and what better timing when Nuffnang announce that one of their “Product Talk by Nuffnang” was Lucky Nuts Products.  Of course I volunteered to review the products, I use this brand anyway so why not =)

Did you know that the Almonds that Lucky use are Australian grown, in their very own orchards in the Sunraysia and Riverina districts.  Included in the Gift Pack was Lucky’s two newly released products… Lucky Easy Chef Oven Roasted Almond Meal and Lucky Easy Chef Almond Crumble.  I’m so happy with my pack (so much nuts!), they even included a booklet of recipes =)

When I looked at my Lucky Nuts packets and saw Blanched Almonds, I know right away what I want to bake for my Busog! Sarap! followers….. Almond Biscotti!  This Almond Bread (Biscotti) Recipe has been in my private personal cookbook for years now, so it has been tried and tested so many times.  Let me tell you some great things about this recipe; it’s easy to do, fantastic Christmas giveaways for your family & friends, you can put your leftover eggwhites into good use and this baked biscotti are so addictive that you can’t stop on munching just one.  Its crunchy, not cloying sweet and a good match with your cup of coffee.  So I hope you enjoy this Almond Bread (Biscotti) Recipe =)

ALMOND BREAD (BISCOTTI)

BANANA BREAD

Who can’t resist the smell of freshly baked Banana Bread?  If you’re the type of person who can’t say no to Banana Bread, you belong to my Banana Bread kinfolks.  I love spreading good butter on my slices of Banana Bread, accompanied with a good cup of coffee…heaven on earth moment!  Honestly would trade a bar of chocolate for a loaf of Banana Bread but then if its Fruit & Nuts Choc Bar that’s another story…

BANANA BREAD

KWEK KWEK & TOKNENENG (Filipino Orange Tinged Battered Chicken & Quail Eggs)

TOKNENENG & KWEK KWEK WITH PIPINO DIPPING SAUCE

The names sounds funny I admit but I love these gorgeous Filipino Orange Tinged Battered Chicken & Quail Eggs.  Who ever thought about how to concoct this Filipino snack is heaven sent from above.  You see, it starts with a boiled egg and then it gets coated with an orangey batter then deep fried….teamed up with a fantastic vinegary or sweet based sauce and you got a winner!  Out in the streets in the Philippines, Kwek Kwek and Tokneneng are served as a quick street snack.

KWEK KWEK & TOKNENENG (Filipino Orange Tinged Battered Chicken & Quail Eggs)

CARDILLONG ISDA (Fish Cardillo)

First of all lets make it clear, Sarciadong Isda (Fish Sarciado) is compose of Fried Fish topped with Sautéed Garlic/Onion/Tomatoes Sauce but if you add beaten eggs to the sauce it will morph into Cardillong Isda (Fish Cardillo).  You might ask what’s the big deal?  Well, in my opinion if a dish has a proper name…as Filipinos, we better start using right terminology if we want to spread Filipino Cuisine to other nationalities, don’t you agree?

CARDILLONG ISDA (Fish Cardillo)

GISING! GISING! (Sigarilyas/Winged Bean Version)

I have done the Seafood and Kangkong versions of Gising! Gising! and now I present you with another one…..a Sigarilyas (Winged Bean) edition!  Some of you will say, somebody already have posted a Sigarilyas Gising! Gising! before so what’s so special with this one?  Well, to answer that question….in my opinion, this is the tastiest version I ever created so far in the Gising! Gising! department.  This one is definitely a keeper and if you’re a regular Busog! Sarap! reader, you know what I mean!

GISING! GISING! (Sigarilyas/Winged Bean Version)

GINISANG CORNED BEEF (Sautéed Canned Corned Beef)

Filipinos have this love affair with certain canned goods.  A sure sign that you’re in a Filipino household is when you take a peek inside the pantry cupboard you will see, Ligo (canned sardines in tomato sauce), SPAM (America’s influence during the war) and the ever trusty canned Corned Beef!  The reason why this canned goods are always present is that, they are convenient to stockpile and grab when there is a power outage, flood/typhoon/cyclone, end of the world (just kidding!) or merely too lazy/tired to whip a dish for your next meal.

GINISANG CORNED BEEF (Sautéed Canned Corned Beef)

MINH TAN BAKERY, INALA TOWN CENTRE

If you live in Brisbane and haven’t tried Minh Tan Bakery’s Toasted Vietnamese Rolls, you’re missing a lot big time!  Local Asians knows that they serves the best Vietnamese Rolls (Bánh mì) in town.

MINH TAN BAKERY, INALA TOWN CENTRE

VAN LONG FRUIT & VEG - INALA TOWN CENTRE

VAN LONG FRUIT & VEG

I definitely found a gem inside Inala Town Centre and it’s Van Long Fruit & Veg.  Located opposite the Newsagency and next to the Food Court, it provides lots of space to move to leisurely shop to your heart’s desires.  I use to pass this shop without any interest at all on my way to buy the TRIBE’s Vietnamese Pork Rolls. It was an old tired looking Fruit & Veg Shop before but since the refurbishment or takeover it called my attention to browse inside and boy, I was not disappointed!

VAN LONG FRUIT & VEG - INALA TOWN CENTRE