Celebrated chef Sau del Rosario and nonprofit founder Juana Manahan Yupangco’s love of food enables them to create dishes that bring comfort and become a part of many fond memories.
In the cooking-slash-talk show on YouTube, Solane Kitchen Moments, the Le Petit Café Fleur chef and the Mesa ni Misis head share the secrets to their beloved recipes. For Chef Sau’s pandemic-born pastry Vuco Fye, it is using quality and fresh ingredients. Plant-based advocate Yupangco, on the other hand, only sources ingredients available in the country – as is what she does for her Upo Lasagna, which she makes using young upo (bottle gourd).
Chef Sau’s Vuco Fye
Ingredients:
For the crust
2 cups flour
½ cup butter, melted
2 tsp. salt
½ cup water
1 pc. egg, beaten
For the filling
1 cup coconut water
coconut meat slices
1 pc. egg, beaten
1 cup powdered milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups cornstarch
2 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
Procedure:
1. For the filling: Mix cornstarch, powdered milk, sugar, and salt in one bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut water, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until well incorporated.
2. For the crust: Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add in water and butter, mix thoroughly. Knead the dough, set aside and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
3. For the crust: Sprinkle some flour on a cold, flat surface. Divide the dough into two parts, one larger than the other – the larger one will be used as the base and the smaller as top crust. Roll both parts to about ¼-inch thick.
4. For the assembly: Grease a springform pan, take the base dough and use it to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Layer the coconut meat and custard mixture. Place the top crust dough and seal the sides with a French braid. Poke small holes on the top crust. Coat the top with egg wash before putting in the oven.
5. Bake at 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) for an hour. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Juana Yupangco’s Upo Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 whole upo
½ cup kangkong pesto
salt and pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce
8 pcs. tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
For the cashew cheese
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
½ cup almond milk
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
For the hummus
1 cup garbanzos, soaked and boiled
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
Procedure:
1. Peel the upo. Cut it in half, widthwise, then thinly slice it starting from the outermost part. This will serve as the lasagna substitute.
2. For the tomato sauce: Lay out tomatoes and garlic on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes in a pre-heated, 325-degree Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius) oven. After baking, blend in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
3. For the cashew cheese: Blend the soaked cashews and almond milk. Add the yeast then salt and pepper to taste.
4. For the hummus: Blend together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and garbanzo beans. Adjust the taste with salt.
5. For the assembly: Grease a baking container with olive oil. Lay down the first sheets of upo, covering the bottom of the pan. Layer with hummus, cashew cheese, pesto, and tomato sauce. Repeat. Finish the top layer with cashew cheese.
6. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes, add time if there’s still lots of liquid from the upo at the bottom of the pan. Serve.
