Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet)

June 3: National Egg Day

Islander’s Daddy grows eggplants in the backyard of their house in Hawaii and then sometimes Mommy makes them into omelets. Tortang talong is a simple Filipino dish that Islander’s family ate most often during Lent Fridays when abstaining from meat. Islander also makes these omelets for an easy meal occasionally when she can find the specific type of eggplants at a few mainland grocery stores.

The eggplants used for tortang talong are the long, slender Asian style vegetables (although they really are classified as fruits/berries) and not the rounder, plump variety. Combining eggplants with eggs double the deliciousness of this dish, especially on National Egg Day!

Recipe

(From Mommy and Daddy)

Ingredients

• eggplants (long, Asian style)
• eggs (2 eggs per eggplant)
• salt and pepper to taste
• vegetable oil or cooking spray

Directions

Wash and dry the eggplants. Pierce the eggplants all over with the tines of a fork.  Grill or broil the eggplants until lightly charred and soft (at least 15 minutes).

Cool before peeling off the skins of the cooked eggplants, leaving the stems intact. Spread out on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Pour over the eggplant.

Heat a pan with oil or cooking spray. Carefully place the soaked eggplant in the pan, spreading it out, and pour the beaten eggs over it. Cook over medium-high heat until the sides of the omelet begin to solidify. Use a spatula to turn the eggplant omelet over and continue cooking until brown. Cook the other omelets, adding a little more oil or cooking spray as necessary.  Transfer the eggplant omelets to a plate. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

• Egg substitutes (such as Egg Beaters brand) may replace real eggs in this recipe.
• Salamat (thanks) to Daddy for being our guest chef for this eggplant omelet blog post.
• May is also National Egg Month. Search our blog for more egg recipes.

English Queen Cakes

June 2: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953)

Long live the Queen! Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England and the Commonwealth, following more than a year-long mourning period of the death of  the preceding sovereign. Her father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952, and the royal heiress ascended the throne.

A grand coronation ceremony took place on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Year-long celebrations are taking place worldwide for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Have an at-home royal watch party (when the media cover the various Diamond Jubilee events) and include English Queen Cakes for a majestic menu. These individual, simply sweet sponge cakes are tasty as a tea time treat and are appropriate for commemorating the coronation of an English queen!

Recipe

(Adapted from Cook It Simply)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup golden raisins (sultanas)

Directions

Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers (we used gold colored liners). In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. In a cup, beat the eggs. Pour the beaten eggs into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture into the butter-sugar-egg mix. Blend well until the batter is smooth.

Fold in the raisins. Scoop into cupcake liners no more than half full. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 6-8 cupcakes or 12-16 mini-muffins.

Notes

• Try other royal-inspired recipes that we posted on our blog, such as coronation chicken tea sandwiches, royal scones and chocolate biscuit cake (Prince William’s Groom’s Cake), which we posted on April 29, 2011 (the royal wedding of  Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton).
• Learn more about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at the official website at http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/.

Pastel de Tres Leches

(3 Milks Cake)

June: National Dairy Month

A popular cake flavor around South Texas where we live is tres leches (3 milks). This is a favorite of Islander’s brother that he regularly requests it for his birthday and on special occasions.

The cake is soaked in three milks—sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and table cream (like a half-and-half milk and cream)—hence, the cake’s name. Then it is frosted in whipped cream mixed with cream cheese! The result is a dense, moist cake with a custard-like texture. Dairy lovers will delight in this cake but, unfortunately, for Islander and others who are intolerant or sensitive to all that dairy will have to long for other lactose-free cakes.

Prepare pastel de tres leches (3 milks cake) for special occasions and during National Dairy Month.

Recipe
(From Señora Eva G.)

For the cake

• 1 box French vanilla cake mix (we recommend Duncan Hines brand)
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil

Directions

Prepare the cake mix following the directions on the box. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix with the eggs, water and oil. Blend until smooth.

Pour into greased cake pans (we used two 8-inch rounds). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and cool the cakes completely.  Invert the cakes onto a lipped plate (or cake stand with a lip) to catch any leakage. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with the tines of a fork. Set aside to pour the 3 milks mixture.

For the 3 milks (tres leches) mixture

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 7.5-ounce table cream (we used Nestle brand media crema)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla (we used Mexican vainilla)

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, table cream and vanilla. Stir until smooth. On each cake, spoon the milk mixture over the surface and allow it to seep into the cake. This is a gradual process so be patient. Continue until almost all of the milk mixture is used up. Refrigerate to set for at least half an hour before assembling and frosting the cake.

For the frosting

• 2 8-ounce tubs of Cool Whip
• 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, mix the cheese with the sugar until creamy. Fold in the Cool Whip and blend until smooth and spreadable.

Frost the bottom layer of the cake by generously spreading frosting on the top of it, allowing some of the frosting to overflow to the sides. Carefully place the top layer of the cake on the frosting. Continue to frost the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it out with a spatula.

For the decorations

• Kiwi fruit, sliced
• Strawberries, sliced
• Pineapples, sliced
• Pecan nuts, chopped

Directions

Slice the fruits and chop the nuts. Stud the sides of the cake with the pecan pieces. Decorate the top of the cake with the fruits.

Pipe borders on the top and bottom edges of the cake with extra frosting. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Notes

• Muchas gracias to Señora Eva G. for sharing her family’s recipe with us for our blog. Also thanks to Islander’s brother, Kahuna, for being the guest chef and preparing pastel de tres leches for this post.
• From-scratch white cakes may be used instead of one made from a box mix. Avoid “soft” cakes like angel food. Instead choose one that is sturdy enough to be able to absorb the milk mixture.
• Search our blog for more cake recipes.