Strawberry Tiramisu Cake

Here's a pretty and summery tweak on the classic Italian dessert. It's a caffeine-free recipe but nonetheless yummy. Another option: Substitute ladyfingers for sponge cake.

Yield one 9-inch cake

Ingredients:

1 pack ladyfingers

1/2 kilo strawberries, sliced 

      (set aside some for decoration)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup mascarpone cheese

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1  Place a 9-inch cake ring on top of a baking sheet. Line the bottom of the cake ring with a round piece of foil. Arrange ladyfingers on the bottom. Set aside.

2  Over low heat, cook sliced strawberries with sugar and water until syrupy.

3  Pour the syrup on the ladyfingers. Purée the softened strawberries with a hand blender. Set aside.

4  Beat the egg yolks and sugar over simmering water until warm. Add the mascarpone cheese and continue mixing until smooth. Add the puréed strawberries.

5  In a metal bowl, whisk heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks. Set aside.

6  In another bowl, beat egg whites with sugar until soft peaks form.

7  Fold whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the egg white mixture until smooth. Pour mixture over the ladyfingers; smoothen the top with a spatula. Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours or until set. Decorate with more strawberries.

Fish Congee

Cooking congee in the rice cooker frees you up for other chores, making this the perfect breakfast option for those busy mornings. 

Serves 2 to 3
Prep Time 10 minutes,
      plus marinating time
Cooking Time 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

For the marinade  

1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

white pepper, to taste

300 grams white fish fillet, sliced into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup jasmine rice, washed
1/4 cup glutinous rice (malagkit), washed
4 cups water 
      (vegetable or chicken stock can also be used)
1 (1/2-cm) piece ginger, grated
salt, to taste

chopped green onions, fried wanton strips, 

      fried sliced shallots, and ginger strips, for topping

soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1  Make the marinade: mix together all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

2  Add fish and marinate for 10 minutes.

3  Place rice, water or stock, ginger, and salt in the rice cooker. Set to cook. Stir it once or twice.

4  After 10 minutes, add fish fillets. Let it cook until the rice cooker switches to the warm setting.

5  Divide congee among bowls. Sprinkle green onions, fried wonton strips, fried shallots, and ginger strips on top. Adjust seasoning by adding soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Seafood Pizza

For hearty slices, take your favorite seafood and place them right smack on top of the dough.

Ingredients:

100 grams clams, 

      in their shells

100 grams mussels, 

     in their shells

50 grams squid, 

     cut into thin strips

1 1/4 cups water, for cooking

1 pizza dough recipe

3/4 cup whole canned tomatoes,

    crushed by hand and 

    drained thoroughly in a colander

1/2 teaspoon ground chili pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

a handful of chopped fresh flat parsley

50 grams peeled and cooked prawns, 

      preferably with the shell left on the tails 

      if you wish to eat with your hands

6 to 7 pieces unpeeled cooked prawns

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1  Rinse the clams and mussels carefully under running water to remove any sand. Remove any clams or mussels with broken shells and check that they are all closed. Tap gently on the sink any clams or mussels that are not closed—if they close up, they can be used. Scrape the shells of the mussels clean with a small knife and remove any beards.

2  Quickly boil the clams, mussels, and squid in water, with a pinch of salt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Throw away any clams, mussels, and squid that do not open. Drain.

3  Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle or any desired shape. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the dough, leaving the edge (about 3/4-inch) free of toppings. Sprinkle the chili pepper, chopped garlic, and half the parsley over the tomatoes. Then spread the clams, mussels, squid, and both the peeled and unpeeled prawns. Sprinkle over the rest of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

4  Bake in the center of the oven (preheated at 5ooºF for 30 minutes before baking) for 10 to 15 minutes, or just until crispy.