Recipes

Quick Crispy Rice Chips

Quick Crispy Rice Chips

These chips are simply amazing that I can’t wait for all of you to try! I’d hate for you to miss out on this super easy to make recipe. For this recipe, less is more! I kept my flavors pretty simple by using a combo 

Caramel Apple Pastry (French-Style Tarte Tatin)

Caramel Apple Pastry (French-Style Tarte Tatin)

Voila to the New Year!! Caramel and apple combo is always a winner dessert for me. Adding the homemade rough puff pastry made it even worth all the time in the kitchen. I think it’s important for us bakers to know how to make our 

Turkey Scallopini -Your Juiciest Option #2 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Turkey Scallopini -Your Juiciest Option #2 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

The Juiciest Option #2 Thanksgiving 2020 Turkey Recipe:

Year 20-20 is almost over but before we say goodbye to this year which I know most of us are itching to do….we have holidays to celebrate like Thanksgiving Day in the US. For some, they refer this day as The Turkey Day. Traditions made it clear that other than being a joyous family gathering event, Thanksgiving is nothing without a giant bird waiting to be carved on a dining table. This year will be an option. 

Here comes option #2:

I would go over the history of why turkey is served during thanksgiving but you and I know would find it boring and redundant. For those who are curious, googling it might be my best advice. Anyway, I’ve spent over 20 years of Thanksgiving holidays in the US and what I’m about to suggest might be the best or possibly the only option for many of us (including me =). Not everyone will have the luxury of displaying a whole turkey, roasted, basted, and seasoned in perfection to celebrate Thanksgiving this year or even every year. So, I’m cooking some Turkey Scallopini for my husband and I as our main entree for the holiday and it’s totally fine with me, it’s still turkey after all. Just on a smaller and easier side of the traditional thanksgiving turkey. Wait until you taste the flavors of this dish, I’m sure you’ll love making this not only for Thanksgiving but any day you crave to make it. So, shall we?

My secret weapon(s):

Have you tried using mustard based dressing and plum sake when cooking? Well, that’s exactly we’re going to do. One of the best things living in Switzerland is you get to try these new products that will impressively take your cooking to the highest level with a little to no sweat at all. Grand-Mère sauce is my biggest discovery as of yet and it is a must-try when you’re in the best land-locked country in the world. If you can’t get your hands on this amazingly popular sauce in Switzerland, I highly suggest you substitute it with a type of dressing that is mustard based with a sweet note or simply use your favorite plain mustard and add a little bit of honey or sugar. For plum sake, you can substitute it with white cooking wine. Honestly, use any wine or alcohol you think that’ll go with your taste. You’re the boss!

Looks festive, doesn’t it?

Turkey Scallopini

No sweat, the juiciest option #2 for Thanksgiving Day. It's so simple you will make it any day you crave it.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Option 2 Thanksgiving Turkey, Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe, Turkey Scallopin
Servings: 2 people
Author: Dhin of gemframboise.com

Ingredients

  • 2 turkey cutlets
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 handful small tomatoes
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 1-2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2-3 tbsp grand-mère sauce or any sweet mustard dressing
  • 2-3 tbsp plum sake or white cooking wine
  • salt

Bamboo Steamed Green Beans

  • 2 cups green beans
  • water for steaming

Instructions

  • Dice medium onions.
  • Cut small tomatoes in halves.
  • Finely chop fresh parsley.
  • Salt and generously flour turkey cutlets.
  • Heat pan with olive oil.
  • Cook turkey 2-3 minutes or until slightly brown. Flip turkey cutlets.
  • Add butter.
  • Add onions and tomatoes. Stir.
  • Add grand-mère sauce and plum sake. Stir.
  • Add parsley.
  • Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes on med/low heat.

Bamboo Steamed Green Beans

  • For better steaming, wet bamboo steamer with some warm water.
  • Fill sauce pan with water and bring to boil.
  • Place bamboo steamer lined with parchment paper on top of sauce pan.
  • Add green beans and steam for 5 minutes.

Notes

Tips:
  1. Yes, you can use ground pepper to season your turkey cutlets. 
  2. My best grand-mère sauce substitution is to use a mustard based dressing or plain mustard with honey or sugar.
  3. Use white cooking wine or any cooking wine you prefer instead of plum sake. 
  4. Since, we're cooking with wine, cook in sophistication and in med/low heat.
  5. Avoid lifting the pan cover too many times. The sauce tends to evaporate quickly if you cook in high heat, uncover many times and will burn your dish. 
  6. In addition to tomatoes, you can also use different vegetables such as zucchini or bell pepper.
  7. If using bamboo steamer for green beans, wet bamboo steamer first before using to hold the moisture and for better steaming. 
  8. Finally, if you're a visual person like me, watch the step-by-step video tutorial on youtube. 

WATCH The Turkey Scallopini Step-By-Step Video Tutorial:

Thank You For Stopping By 💗
Hi and welcome to Gem Framboise!
My name is Dhin. I'm delighted that you are here to join me in cooking delicious food and baking adorable pastries. Working in the kitchen became my therapy when the pandemic struck all of us. Join me on my journey, one bite at a time.

Follow and Tag Me Here: I’m curious how well yours turned out.

Pumpkin Cakes with Caribbean Rum & Chantilly Cream

Pumpkin Cakes with Caribbean Rum & Chantilly Cream

The Perfect Fall Recipe: Amazing pumpkin cakes with caribbean rum and chantilly cream. Pumpkin season is really here! I’m so excited to see all the colorful pumpkins in my local supermarket today. So, I decided to hop on the pumpkin bandwagon. The aroma of fall 

Mochi Donuts with Unique  Plum Sake Cream Filling & Matcha Glaze

Mochi Donuts with Unique Plum Sake Cream Filling & Matcha Glaze

Lately, I’ve been getting youtube notifications about making homemade mochi donuts when suddenly, my inspiration light bulb turned on. (Ding!) What about if we make some mochi donuts with whipped cream filling and glaze with drippy matcha…..*thinking…*thinking….oooh, and flavor the cream filling with plum sake! 

The Epic Pink Pancit (Filipino Stir Fry Noodles -Pink Version)

The Epic Pink Pancit (Filipino Stir Fry Noodles -Pink Version)

Smile, you’re on TV. UPDATE (July.4.2021):

Exciting news everyone! The pink pancit was featured on IRL (In Real Life) episode hosted by Gabbi Garcia aired on July 1, 2021 via GMA TV, Philippine’s prime network. It happened so quick that I was not even aware when it was being shown locally in PH. Thanks to my cousin, Ate Ann, for alerting me and the whole family when she saw me on TV. Good catch Ate!!

Growing up in the Philippines, I’ve secretly fantasized of being on TV. But, because I was too shy and not an “artista” material, I buried that dream of mine so deep in the ground that I forgot about it. Plus, it was not easy growing up with  “kayumanggi” (brown skinned) complexion especially in the Philippines. The trend was and is…the more fair skinned you are, the more desirable you are, and therefore your chances becoming a celebrity just tripled. Yeah, I know, it may sound terrifying for some but this is the culture in the Philippines that I grew up with. I don’t think it will change anytime soon.

Anyhow, we’re not going to be all dramatic about my not so cool childhood experiences. Now, that I’ am filled with wisdom and have travelled all over the world, my perspective in life have changed tremendously. I can say I’m happy for who I’am and I’ve learned to accept all of my shortcomings. Just like the pink pancit, I shall focus on staying healthy and vibrant for a long and colorful life. I hope you do the same thing.

Again, from the bottom of my kapuso heart,  many thanks to GMA TV for feature. Ciao! 

WATCH The Epic Pink Pancit on GMA TV: Fast Forward to (10:16)

The Epic Pink Pancit

Would you believe me if I tell you that this is made of absolutely 100% all natural food coloring? Yes, it’s true! So, what’s the magic ingredient? Here’s a hint: it can also be added on a traditional pancit but not as often as its popular sister, green cabbage. Well, move over green cabbage because for this recipe, the star magic ingredient is no other than the amazing red cabbage.

What makes it pink?

If you like science, this is perfect for you because science has a lot to do with the pretty pink pancit. As a matter of fact, red cabbage experiment is popular in kids to learn about pH indicator. But, don’t worry I’m not going to go in details with that. I’m just going to grace the reasoning behind the pink color. Red cabbage is full of anthocyanin, a bioactive pigment molecule that gives natural color spectrum of purple to pinkish in acidic environment and blue, green to even yellow in alkaline environment. For this recipe, I used lemon as my acid to get the pinkish color. The lemon taste in the noodles is just perfect for this dish. 

Long Live The Pancit!

Did you know that there are over 30 varieties of how to make pancit? The one I’m familiar growing up in the Philippines is the pancit bihon, made with thin rice noodles and the ultimate birthday food staple. I was once told by my mother that it is served during birthdays because eating long food like pancit will bring long life to the celebrants. And yes, I’m like you, I roll my eyes every time I hear this. But, as funny as it sounds, I actually believed her and up to this very moment I unusually crave and look for pancit for special occasions especially birthdays!

Why use glass noodles?

Glass noodles a.k.a. cellophane noodles are a type of noodle that when cooked looks like clear glass. That’s fantastic! We can all relax, there’s no actual glass included! It is actually made of peas, mung beans, and water. I recommend using glass noodles on your first try as it holds the pretty pink color really well. It is also firmer and less prone from turning soggy than rice noodles when cooked and soaked in red cabbage juice. 

The Epic Pink Pancit (Filipino Stir Fry Noodles -Pink Version)

It's 100% Natural Pink Pancit! Why settle for the ordinary pancit when you can make the most delicious epic pancit? It's easy, crowd-pleasing and transportable. Just perfect for a potluck party!
Prep Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: Pink Pancit
Servings: 2 people
Author: Dhin of gemframboise.com

Ingredients

Red Cabbage Food Color

  • 450 grams red cabbage
  • 2 3/4 cups water
  • 1/2 fresh lemon juice

Pancit

  • 100 grams glass noodles
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup carrots
  • 1/2 cup green beans
  • 1/2 cup yellow pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

Vegetable Broth Mixture

  • .5 grams all natural vegetable bouillon
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tsp tamari soy sauce

Crunchy Garlic

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

Garnish

  • green onions
  • soft boiled eggs

Instructions

  • Chop red cabbage into smaller pieces and separate them.
  • Bring water to boil.
  • Lower the heat and simmer the red cabbage for 15 minutes uncovered. Stirring occasionally.
  • Drain and let it cool.
  • Mince garlic, chop onions and vegetables as you like.
  • In a separate bowl, dissolve vegetable bouillon in hot water.
  • Add tamari soy sauce to the vegetable broth. Set aside.
  • Now, the fun part. Once the red cabbage juice is cool to touch, add in lemon juice and stir. Watch as the color change from dark purple to pink. Set aside.
  • Add boiling water to glass noodles and cook for 1 minute.
  • Drain noodles very well.
  • Soak cooked noodles in pink cabbage juice for 5 minutes.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • In a medium pan, cook half of the garlic with olive oil until light golden brown on medium heat.
  • Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Add more olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic.
  • Add carrots and green beans. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add yellow pepper. Cook for another minute.
  • Add 4-5 tsp. of broth mixture. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add pink noodles.
  • Add the rest of the broth mixture. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish

  • Chopped fresh green onions
  • Soft boiled eggs
  • Crunchy garlic

Notes

TIPS:
  • I recommend using glass noodles on your first try as it holds the pretty pink color really well. It is also firmer and less prone from turning soggy than rice noodles when cooked and soaked in red cabbage.  
  • To avoid over cooking glass noodles, soak it in cooled red cabbage juice. 
  • Use all-natural bouillon or vegetable stock. 
  • Try using Tamari instead of regular soy sauce. It's gluten free and milder in taste. 
  • Feel free to use other vegetables such as green cabbage and snap peas. 
  • Let your taste buds decide. You can add some salt if you desire. But, I honestly don't think you need it. It's flavorful enough, in my opinion. 
  • Do not over cook vegetables. It's better to have al-dente than soggy veggies on your epic pink pancit. 
  • Serve it warm with crunchy garlic, fresh green onions, and perfectly soft boiled eggs with creamy yolks. 
  • Crunchy garlic is highly recommended. 

WATCH The Epic Pink Pancit Step-By-Step Video Tutorial: 

Thank You For Stopping By 💗
Hi and welcome to Gem Framboise!
My name is Dhin. I'm delighted that you are here to join me in cooking delicious food and baking adorable pastries. Working in the kitchen became my therapy when the pandemic struck all of us. Join me on my journey, one bite at a time.

As Featured on

Gma TV Network, Philippines

Follow and Tag Me Here: I’m curious how well yours turned out.

Lava Soufflé Pancakes

Lava Soufflé Pancakes

Failing Soufflé Pancakes on your first try is very normal. Two years ago, youtube introduced me to the fluffiest, lightest and softest Japanese soufflé pancakes. The first time I ever laid my eyes on these pancakes, I became an instant fan!  And the first time 

Tuna Fishcakes with Garlic Aioli

Tuna Fishcakes with Garlic Aioli

Ever since I saw Gordon Ramsay, a notoriously outspoken TV chef, opened a can of tuna to make his tuna fishcakes, I became more friendly with canned tuna! Tuna fishcakes with garlic aioli recipe are simple to make especially with canned tuna. I made this 

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Calling all the cake Gods, I’m making my first birthday cake ever!

Cal (husband) and I have been celebrating his birthday together for over a decade now, and for the very first time, I finally made him a homemade birthday cake. A few weeks prior to his birthday, I asked him what kind of cake he would like for his birthday and I told him ahead of time that this year (2020) I’ll be winging a birthday cake for him! I showed him some cake pictures on social media to help him decide and I was so delighted that he chose a very elegant cake: a Japanese Strawberry Shortcake. It is the most loved cake in Japan. Expect to see this cake as the center of the attraction in Japanese homes during special occasions like Christmas and of course birthdays! 

My cake came out (thankfully! thank you cake Gods!) light, fluffy, topped with fresh cream and strawberries with fancy sprinkles of silver dragées. ( Dragées, if you’re not familiar with the term, are sprinkles usually made of sugar and coated with thin layer of silver coloring). Not bad at all for a first timer. Going through all my cake pictures, I feel specially proud for tackling this cake. When I would start feeling overwhelmed during the process, I would just close my eyes, take mini breaks in between and think about my husband. He deserves to have a nice elegant birthday cake. The elegance comes from the fresh and sweet strawberries, heavenly light whipped cream frosting, and super fluffy sponge cake. If you have doubts making this cake, I’m here to assure you that you can ABSOLUTELY make this yourself at home. You don’t have to be an expert baker to make it. You just need, of course, the proper baking tools, fresh ingredients, time, and patience! Then, you’re all set! 

There’s nothing more special than a delicious homemade birthday cake. It beats all the material gifts you can buy. And, I have to tell you the taste of a homemade cake is something you cannot buy in stores. Simply, because you made it. Japanese cakes are specially light and a feel good cake. We love them so much! Every bite of this cake is a treat. I hope you’ll enjoy it too. I’m sure whatever cake you make will be forever cherished and adored! So, are you ready to make your loved ones extra special today?

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Conquer your fear of making homemade birthday cakes with this fresh and creamy Japanese Strawberry Shortcake! Celebrate and enjoy this cake straight from own oven!
Prep Time20 mins
Total Time1 hr 25 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Birthday cake, Japanese Cake, Strawberry shortcake

Ingredients

Sponge Cake ( I used 18 cm mold)

  • 4 Eggs
  • 115 g Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
  • 3 Tbsp. Butter
  • 7 Tbsp. Milk
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract I used bourbon vanilla
  • 100 g Cake Flour
  • 1 tsp. Baking Powder

Whipped Cream Frosting/Decoration

  • 500 g Heavy Cream Cold Pls.
  • 75 g Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract I used bourbon vanilla
  • Fresh Strawberries

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a small bowl placed on top of a saucepan filled with hot water half way.
  • Add milk. Mix. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, separate egg yolks and egg whites.
  • Add lemon juice to egg whites.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat eggs until soapy bubbles appear.
  • Gradually, add sugar. Continue to beat eggs until sugar are well dissolved.
  • Look for soft peaks. Set meringue aside.
  • Add egg yolks to the cooled milk mixture.
  • Gradually, add cake flour. Whisk well.
  • Add vanilla extract. Whisk.
  • Gently fold yolk mixture to meringue.
  • Add baking powder. Fold mixture again.
  • Pour cake batter into a mold lined with parchment paper.
  • Drop cake mold twice to remove air bubbles.
  • Bake at 320 F ( 160 C) for 45min-1 Hr.
  • Insert toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done baking.
  • Let sponge cake cool completely before decorating.
  • For filling, remove and cut strawberry stems. Slice strawberries in half. For top decoration, leave stems on and use whole strawberries.
  • Prepare a bowl of ice water. Place a chilled mixing bowl on top.
  • Pour in cold heavy cream. Whip cream using an electric mixer.
  • Gradually, add sugar.
  • Add vanilla extract.
  • Whip cream until medium stiff peaks are achieved.
  • Carefully, slice cooled cake in half.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread whipped cream on sponge cake. Add fresh strawberries. Add more cream.
  • Place the other half of the sponge cake on top.
  • Cover the entire cake with whipped cream and decorate as you like.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

TIPS
1. Eggs should be room temperature.
2.  The great flavor of bourbon vanilla suits really well with the fresh cream and strawberries. 
3. Let sponge cake cool completely before decorating so frosting doesn't melt. 
4. Mixing bowl and heavy cream should be chilled when making whipped cream frosting.
5. For a more elegant look, buy a cake cardboard. 
6. I didn't have the proper cake turntable, I used this small rotating table but still worked. 
7. Using an offset spatula will make cake decorating easier. 
8. Check strawberries for freshness. 

WATCH The Japanese Strawberry Shortcake Step-By-Step Video Tutorial: 

Thank You For Stopping By 💗
Hi and welcome to Gem Framboise!
My name is Dhin. I'm delighted that you are here to join me in cooking delicious food and baking adorable pastries. Working in the kitchen became my therapy when the pandemic struck all of us. Join me on my journey, one bite at a time.

Follow and Tag Me Here: I’m curious how well yours turned out.

3 Ingredients No Bake Mini Cheesecakes

3 Ingredients No Bake Mini Cheesecakes

Six amazing flavors, mini no bake cheesecakes! I couldn’t decide which flavor to make so, I ended up making 6 different flavors! 6 is better than 1! I used roasted pistachios, candied pineapples, sprinkles, biscoff cookies, blanched almond flour, and of course Oreo cookies, can’t