Mabuhay, to our Filipino Food Recipes  Mabuhay (ma-boo-high) means welcome in Tagalog, the Filipino, or Pilipino language.

Throughout the centuries, Filipino cuisine has been a constantly evolving amalgamate of Oriental and Occidental influences. Chinese, Malay, Arab, Spanish, and American explorers and settlers have each contributed to the regions colorful culinary delights. Hence, the variety and difference in tastes - which makes it unique. One of Filipino cuisine's most dominant attributes comes from the Spaniards, whose cuisine is at the source of nearly 80% of all Filipino dishes.

Another, although less present influence is that of other South-East Asian countries who have contributed all but their love of hot spices to Filipino cooking. We have thought it best to add hot peppers to some of the sauces and dishes, simply because that is how some of us Filipinos best enjoy them (feel free to omit if you desire).

Below are some recipes that truly show the richness and simplicity of good "Filipino" food. Most of the dishes you can see here came from our "Family Recipe" the way my "Mama Anita" does them. And looking back right now I realized how these foods embrace me while growing up filled with fond memories I'll always cherish. A priceless legacy I'll surely pass on and share to generations. Feel free to enjoy!!!

Here are just some of the recipes that a typical Filipino serves on their dinner table. We have included a glossary of terms that will help you figure out what it all means, and make your trip to the grocery store easier.

Chicken Barbeque

Ingredients:

* 1 whole chicken
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 3 tablespoons of calamansi juice or lemon juice
* 1/2 cup of sprite, 7up or beer
* 2 cups of tanglad (lemon grass) for stuffing
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons of brown or white sugar

Instructions:

* Marinate the whole chicken in soy sauce, calamansi juice, minced garlic, chopped onions, soda or beer, sugar and pepper.
* Let stand marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
* Stuff the chicken cavity with tanglad (lemon grass).
* Cook chicken on grill or in oven until golden brown

Cooking Notes:
* For chicken leg barbeque, follow the same procedure above but omit stuffing the leg with lemon grass. Thread the chicken leg on a bamboo barbeque stick and grill on live charcoal until cooked.
* To check if the meat is cooked, slice a small piece of meat off and if there are no juice running off the meat and there no reddish (blood) areas on the inside of the meat, the chicken is cooked. Serve with plain rice or java rice.

Peanut sauce
As for the peanut sauce, again, I use some of the marinade and add the same things above (not so much ketchup, though) plus some peanut butter. I heat this to cook the marinade and make the mixture smooth. Serve peanut sauce with your chicken barbeque.

 

top

Chicken Potato Salad

Ingredients:

* 1 kilo potatoes
* 1 big chicken breast
* 3 pieces medium sized carrots
* 500 ml mayonnaise
* 1 can (836 g) pineapple tidbits or chunks
* 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
* 1 cup cheddar cheese, diced (optional)
* 3 tablespoons of chopped spring onions (optional)
* Iodized salt to taste (pepper, optional)

Instructions:

* In a big pot, boil potatoes and carrots (covered with water) for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cracks on the potato skin appears. (tip:
pierce a potato with a toothpick. If you can pierce it with little resistance and the toothpick comes out clean, the potatoes & carrots are
cooked).
* Drain potatoes and carrots, let cool.
* Once cooled, the skin can be easily be pealed by hand.
* Dice the potatoes and carrots (about 1x1 cm)
* Boil the chicken breast in water with some salt. Let cool, then shred the chicken meat in 1 inch lengths
* Drain pineapple chunks or tidbits.
* Combine all ingredients (potatoes, chicken meat, pineapple, carrots, pickle relish, mayonnaise...) in a big bowl and salt to taste. You may add pepper if you wish.
* Refrigerate before serving.

Potato Salad Cooking Tip:
* You may add the optional ingredients (diced cheese, chopped onions, spring onions) or a handful of raisins for added flavour.

 

top

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

* 2 kilo dressed chicken (broiler)
* 2 cups of lemon grass (tanlad)
* 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
* 2 tablespoons of salt

Instructions:

* Make sure the chicken is clean with no remaining small feathers and no insides.
* Wash thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel
* Rub the whole chicken with cooking oil as well as the inside cavity.
* Next apply salt all over, again, including the insides.
* Fill the cavity with lemon grass
* Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
* Place the chicken on an oven rotisserie.
* If you don't have a rotisserie put the chicken on an elevated rack on a baking pan - breast side up (so the bottom of the chicken does not touch the baking pan).
* Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is golden brown. When you prick between the chicken thigh and body and the juice runs clear (not bloody) the chicken is done.
* Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or corn on the side.

Roasted Chicken Cooking Tip:
* If baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the oven.

 

top

Pork Kilawin (version 1)

Ingredients:

* 1 kilo pork
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup Vinegar
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 4 cups of water
* 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

* In a casserole, put pork in water and some salt.
* Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pork is tender and the skin is soft.
* Remove pork from water.
* Slice the pork into bite sized pieces while still hot.
* Place in a bowl and add vinegar, soy sauce and chopped, uncooked onions.
* Serve immediately!
 

top

Pork Kilawin (version 2)

Pork Kilawin (Version 2)

Ingredients:
* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 tbsp. minced garlic
* 1/2 Sliced Onion
* 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
* 4 medium sized sirloin pork steak (with fat desirable)
* 1/3-1/2 cup of vinegar
* 3/4 Pound Raddish (optional)
* 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
* Ground Peppr
* Chinese Green Pepper, cut diagonally

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. add garlic and stir-fry until beginning to turn brown.
3. add onion and continue to saute until limp and translucent.
4. add tomatoes if using and cook, stirring frequently until tomatoes are cooked thoroughly.
5. add pork and vinegar and cook for 10 minutes decreasing heat to maintain simmer.
6. Add raddish and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until completely cooked through but not soggy.
7. Add brown sugar if using and season to taste with freshly ground pepper and stir. Cook for additional 5 minutes and serve hot with rice.

top

BBQ Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. of Pork Chops
1 Cup of soy sauce
1 Whole garlic peeled & smashed
1 Small onion minced
2 Lemons
½ Cup of 7UP
1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
5 Tbsp. Dark brown sugar
1 Cup of Banana sauce (ketchup)
1 Tsp. MSG

Directions:

In a large bowl combine soy sauce, garlic, onion, juice of 2 lemons, 7-UP, ground black pepper, dark brown sugar, banana ketchup, and msg. Using a whisk mix and dissolve ingredients really well and pour marinade mixture onto the pork. Cover and set in the fridge at least overnight. Barbecue over hot coals or gas grill until pork is done. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy your BBQ.
 

top

Lechon (Spit Roast)
 "PINAIKOT sa BAGA - LECHON FILIPINO STYLE"

"A Filipino fiesta is never complete without a lechon. It is always the centerpiece of the groaning dining table".

Lechón is an Hispanic-style cuisine. The word Lechón originated from the Spanish term, meaning roasted suckling pig. Lechón is a popular cuisine in the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and other Spanish-speaking nations in Latin America, and Spain. The dish features a whole roasted pig, cooked in charcoal. The term Lechón is also used for roasted chicken, and beef cuisines.

Lechón is often cooked during the festival season (known as fiestas), the holiday season, and other special occasions. The cuisine is made by placing the pig on a large stick, and cooking it on a pit filled with flamed charcoal. The meat is placed on top of the flamed charcoal, and roasted on all side for several hours. The meat's own fat is used as cooking ingredients by wiping the skin with a brush made out of leaves drenched in water. This makes the skin crunchy. Lechon is served with sauce, plum sauce, vinegar, and other food preparation.

Other types of cooked meat such as Lechón asado, and Adobo are also a popular dish. In the Philippines, the term Lechón is also used to refer to meat cooked on a pit such as Lechón baka (roast beef), and Lechón manok (roast chicken).

There is another Philippine version of Lechón, known as Lechón kawali, and Paksiw na Lechón. Lechón kawali involves boiling the processed meat, and then frying the pieces of pork into a frying pan. The Paksiw na Lechón involves cooking the left-overs of the main-course Lechón by boiling it in a vinegar making the meat moist, and then stir-frying it along with marinated ingredients.


Prepare:
1 whole pig (about 20 kilos)
Salt
Black pepper
Soy sauce

Lechon Stuffing:
5-10 bundles lemon grass (tanglad)
20pcs. Banana (saba variety), peeled then halved or
20pcs. Taro (gabi), peeled

Directions:

1. Clean and prepare the pig by removing innards, washing and scraping the body of bristles. Rinse and allow to drain a bit before stuffing
2. Rub with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. Rub soy sauce on the skin of the pig. This will make it nicely red when roasted.
4. Stuff the belly of the lechon with lemon grass along with saba and gabi. Sew to close.
5. Skewer the pig and split roast over live charcoal or traditionally, in some parts of Cebu, under live fire. Roast until crisp.
6. Serve with lechon sauce or alternative dipping sauce is - vinegar with scallions, pinch of sugar and pepper may be served along with it.

Tip: For the best lechon, it will be slowly roasted over hot coals for several hours. It has to be turned continuously in order for it to be cooked evenly. Several people will rotate in doing this tiring chore. All will be rewarded with so tasty eating when it's fully cooked.

Now, even Filipinos abroad/overseas can surprise their loved ones by preparing them this sumptuous meal for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, fiestas, graduation and etc. Surprises really matters!... enjoy.

 

top

Lechon (Oven-Roast Pork)

Ingredients:

3 to 4-pound pork shoulder, with skin
3 teaspoons salt
1 cup freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Season meat with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 F for about 2 hours or until skin is brown and crisp. Serve with Lechon Sauce.
 

top

Lechon kawali (Roast Pork)

Lechon kawali is pork belly cut into bite-sized cubes, which are then usually deep-fried. Lechon kawali is similar to the "roast pig" served in Cantonese noodle houses. I don't know if the preparation is the same (deep-frying). The skin of "roast pig" (not to be confused with BBQ pork) is usually more blistery than lechon kawali.

The important thing to both these dishes is the crispy, crispy skin which contrasts with the ultrasoft fat and the tender meat. It is a marvel to eat because one gets three different textures all once with a bite.

I searched for how to prepare "roast pig" at home and it seemed to be fairly straightforward. I knew we didn't want to be deep-frying, nor do we have a turbo convection oven to use for the bellies. So in this case, they would have to go into the oven.


The seasoning is five-spice powder and salt. I didn't want to experiment with the seasoning the first time we're doing the dish. In fact, my ratio for five-spice to salt was only 1 to 15. I knew from experience that five spice can be a little overwhelming and I wanted to err on the side of caution.



I rubbed the salt and five spice mixture all over the pork bellies and let them dry-brine in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Now that we have these metal skewers (bought for shish kebab), they're turning out to be extremely useful.

We used the metal skewers to suspend the bellies above the roasting pan. We figure that them hanging would be better, in that the dry oven heat can get under them and dry-cook them. We didn't want the bellies to be sitting in a pool of its own fat.

I started using two skewers per pork belly piece, but got lazy. I tried to save a skewer!



After the initial 30 minutes in the oven, the skin has turned a light butterscotch-y brown, with some blisters forming at the edges.

  

Look how they've shrunk!

To get more blisters, the skin would have to be poked a million times. We used a fork at first, then graduated to toothpicks to pierce the skin.

Notice how the skin had a matte finish pre-poking and how it glistened with its own fat post-poking.


poke, poke-poke-poke, poke, poke-poke, poke, poke, poke-poke-poke

Pre-poke:


Post-poke:


Into the oven for another 30 minutes. The skin was getting there, but some parts were still not crispy.

We poked some more and put it back into the oven for more time. At about 15 minutes more, we were afraid that the pork would start to burn. So, although a proportion (about 15%) of the skin surface was still not as crisp as we would like, we pulled out the pork bellies.


It has shrunk even more!

We made a chili-garlic-vinegar condiment to use as a dipping sauce for the pork belly. Served with a side of sauteed bok choy and over some steaming white rice, this was quite heavenly.

 



This is pretty much a set-it-and-forget-it meal, easy to do on a weeknight, but oh-so-satisfying.

Perhaps pork belly this way is also infinitely variable and I am looking forward to experimenting with different seasonings for the pork.



Recipe courtesy of eatingclub vancouver

top

Paksiw Na Lechon (Pork in Liver Sauce)

Ingredients:

2 pounds roast pork butt (leftover pork roast may be used), cut into cubes
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon peppercorns
2 cups Lechon Sauce (eg Mang Tomas)
1 teaspoon thyme
3 bay leaves
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon thyme
1 stick cinnamon
5 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large enamelware or nonaluminum pot. Broil and simmer for about 2 hours.
 

top

Pritong Talong (Fried Aubergines/ Eggplant)

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, sliced about 1 cm thick
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Yum Yum Yum. This turned out to be good. So quick and simple to prepare. Deep the sliced eggplants in soy sauce for a few minutes. Then fry them in a tablespoon of hot oil. Note: Don't pour in the rest of the soy sauce into the frying pan. It'll taste overly salty, trust me! When the eggplants look a bit soft, take 'em out of the pan and serve!

For sauce suggestion - try soy sauce with vinegar in a separate sauce plate. Now wasn't that so easy?

 

top

Filipino Fried Rice

Ingredients:

8 cups steamed jasmine rice, cooled (day-old)
3 Eggs
1 Diced Lapchang sausage
4 tbsps Peanut oil
3 tbsps Minced garlic
2 tbsps Minced ginger
1/4 cup minced shallots (spring onions)
1 Bunch Chopped white scallions
3 tbsps Soy sauce
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp White pepper

Procedure:

Using a wok, soft scramble the eggs in 2 tbsps of oil, then remove them and place them in a separate dish. Add 2 more tbsps of oil, then stir
fry the garlic and ginger. Drop in your lapchang and white scallions, add the rice, and mix thoroughly, then add the eggs, soy sauce, salt, and
white pepper. You may replace the eggs and lapchang with tofu and add hot peppers if you are a vegetarian.
 

top

Filipino Bagoong Rice

Although this dish is inspired by a famous thai rice dish our local shrimp paste will bring out the best and the real Filipino taste in this food.

Ingredients:

2 bowls of steamed jasmine rice, cooled (day-old)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of shrimp paste, (Barrio Fiesta bagoong)
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of fish sauce

Procedure:

In wok brown the garlic and the onion. Add the shrimp paste and mix well. Put the cook rice and continue to mix. Season with fish sauce. You
can also add some chopped hot chili pepper (siling labuyo if you want a hotter version). Serve this with sliced green mango on the side and
some sliced tocino.

 

top

Filipino Garlic Rice

Filipinos eat large amounts of rice, with small servings of the main dish. Leftover rice then makes great garlic fried rice for breakfast. Serves one hungry person or two not-so-hungry people.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. cooking oil
5 cups of steamed jasmine rice, cooled (day-old)
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic (adjust to taste, may need more)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

Procedure:

1. Heat 3 tbsp. cooking oil in a wok or large pan on medium-high heat.
2. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Add the rice and toss frequently for 1 minute.
4. Add soy sauce
5. Add 1/4 cup minced shallots (spring onions)
6. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. salt.
7. Cook rice on low for about 5 to 10 minutes, and toss rice occasionally.
 

top

Crab Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/4 Kg frozen crabmeat, thawed and rinsed
3 cups steamed jasmine rice, cooled (day-old)
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a big frying pan. Saute the garlic, the onions, and the carrots until the onions are soft and transparent. Add the crabmeat.
Mix well. Add the rice and continue to saute until the vegetables are well distributed.
2. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, pepper, garlic powder and eggs. Add to the rice and mix until evenly distributed and egss are cooked. Add
the green onions. Mix well and turn off the heat.
 

top

Adobo Rice

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 pcs chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 laurel leaf
5 cups cooked rice
Seasoning Sauce


Procedure:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides then remove. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook until they soften and brown, about 6 minutes.
2. Pour in vinegar and soy sauce. Season with Seasoning sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and laurel leaf. Add the browned chicken, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Flake chicken.
3. Mix in with the cooked rice.
 

top

Java Rice

When a place is known for a particular item on the menu, you seldom find any other reason to try the rest. Such is the case with the famous "BBQ and Java Rice" in Manila. Because of its close affinity with Aristocrat, Alex III, and Serye also of Reyes fame, diners look forward to the ever popular Chicken Barbecue and Java Rice combo all the time. I remembered growing up in Manila with this dish. BBQ ribs or chicken will never be the same. With matching peanut sauce, atsara on the side, this Java rice will surely wet your appetite and send you back to memory lane.

I guess you could say that it's a Filipino-style recipe that pays homage to the super-sweet flavors of Indonesian and Malaysian rice dishes, using a clever shortcut: ketchup.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups steamed jasmine rice, cooled (day-old)
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
3 tablespoon vegetable oil for sautèing

Procedure :

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Sautè garlic, onions, and pepper.
2. Add cooked rice and mix well.
3. Pour in ketchup. Stir until well-blended.

Peanut sauce
As for the peanut sauce, again, I use some of the marinade from the Chicken barbeque and add the same things above (not so much ketchup, though) plus some peanut butter. I heat this to cook the marinade and make the mixture smooth. Serve peanut sauce with your chicken barbeque.
 

top

Nasi Goreng (fried rice)

Back in college, there was a restaurant in the Diliman area called Rasa Singapura. That was where I had my first taste of nasi goreng. It is tempting to categorize this entry under “Singaporean recipes” but nasi goreng more properly belongs to Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines. It is fried rice cooked in much the same way as any Chinese-style fried rice except that the most popular versions of this dish include a little bit of shrimp paste — belacan (sometimes, belachan) to Malaysians; bagoong to us Filipinos.

You will find many variations of nasi goreng. It is, after all, a dish that often makes use of leftover rice, meat, seafood and vegetables. The following recipe was adapted from Homestyle Malay Cooking, a part of the Periplus Mini Cookbooks series. Serves 4.

Ingredients :

4 cups of steamed jasmine rice, cooled (day-old)
12 medium-sized shrimps, shelled and veins removed
3 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
12 to 15 string beans (I used baguio beans)
half a head of garlic
2 finger chilis
1 onion
1 stalk of lemongrass (light portion only)
1/2 tsp. of shrimp paste (Barrio Fiesta Bagoong)
1 tsp. of salt (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper (optional but recommended for added aroma)
4-6 tbsps. of cooking oil

Procedure :

1. Slit the chilis lengthwise and scrape off the seeds. Chop.
2. Crush the garlic and discard the skins. Peel and chop the onion.
3. Peel the outer layers of the lemongrass, discard then thinly slice the tender portion.
4. Trim the ends and edges of the beans and cut into half-inch lengths.
5. Transfer the chilis, lemongrass, garlic and onion to a mortar, add a little oil, and grind with a pestle.
6. Alternatively, place in a blender, pour in the oil and pulse several times to form a paste.
7. Transfer the paste to a wok (or frying pan) and cook over medium heat until the oil separates from the semi-solids (or saute the paste in oil if you ground it in a mortar). Turn the heat to high, add the cubed chicken and cook, stirring, for about five minutes. Add the shrimps and cook for another minute. Add the beans. Season with salt, pepper and bagoong. Cook for an additional minute. Then add the rice, stir well, and cook until heated through.

top

Ginisang  Giniling

Ginisang Giniling (Ground PORK or BEEF)

I have my own simple version of Giniling Guisado which is actually my Mom’s old recipe that she cooked for us when I was a kid.

I have to admit she does not cook it often, but when she did it was a hit every time. This version of giniling is kind of colorful as well as a little bit fancy for the reason being I used more ingredients in this one. Like I said this is the Turo-Turo version so it will probably remind you of those mouth-watering days you had in the Philippines. So let’s do it.

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Ground beef (lean)
1 can quail eggs (itlog na pugo) - optional
1 Cup of diced potatoes
½ Cup diced carrots
½ Cup Frozen green peas
½ Red bell pepper diced
½ Yellow bell pepper diced
1 Small onion diced
1 Small tomato diced
4 Cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
½ Tsp. Ground black pepper
2 Tbs. Annatto seeds (atsuwete) or paprika
2 Tbs. Soy sauce
1 Tbs. Fish sauce (Rufina brand) Patis
Corn oil

Directions:

Prepare the Annatto seeds in a small pot by heating 2 Tbs. of corn oil and then adding 2 Tbs. of Annatto seeds until the oil turns dark red. Then remove it from the heat. Make sure that you do not burn the seed.

In a large pan brown ground beef and drain. Add garlic and let it sauté for about 3 minutes. Then add the quail eggs, onions, tomatoes, black pepper, and fish sauce (patis) and let it cook for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Add the potatoes, carrots, green peas, and soy sauce. Stir and cover. Let it simmer for 1 minute. Using a strainer add the colored corn oil from the annatto seeds into the pot and mix well. Replace cover and let it cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Then add the bell peppers. Stir well and adjust the taste by adding salt and pepper if needed. Cover and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with rice topped with Turo-Turo style Giniling. Enjoy!

top

Daing na Bangus (milkfish)

Daing na Bangus

This dish brings back a lot of memories from the Philippines. Bangus or Milkfish is a very popular fish in the Philippines and definitely a fish of choice for a lot of different dishes.

Fried Bangus

I have tasted both versions of this dish and they are both very delicious. This particular recipe is a mixture of my mom’s and my mother in-law’s. When my mom cooks it she uses soy sauce, but my mother in-law uses vinegar instead for hers. So what I did for mine was combine both recipes and use soy sauce and vinegar. So, here it is!

Ingredients:

1 Large bangus de-scaled, clean and butter-flied
1 Cup of soy sauce
3 Cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
¼ Cup of vinegar
½ Tbs. Fresh ground black pepper
Corn oil for frying

Directions:

In a large pan marinate fish with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place the Milkfish skin side up, cover, and set it in the fridge for an hour before cooking.

In a large frying pan heat oil about ¼ in deep and fry the fish skin side up first for 4 minutes. Then carefully turn the fish over and let it fry for 5 minutes. Next turn it back skin side up and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Serve with rice and slices of tomato and onions on the side. Enjoy!

top

Kinilaw (kilawin) Raw Tuna Salad

Kinilaw means to “cook” in vinegar. It’s not really cooking since there is no heat involved. But soaking fish or some other seafood in a strong vinegar solution turns the meat opaque and gives it a texture of having been cooked.

There are a variety of fish that can be used for making kinilaw. Tuna, tangigue or tanigue (sea bass), talakitok (cavalla) and lapu-lapu (grouper) are only some of them. I used yellow fin tuna for my kinilaw.

Heres a favorite delicacy served in the Southern parts of the Philippines. Each area however uses ingredients norrmally found exclusively in the area only. The preparation however remains the same and the ingredients listed here are the ones commonly used in most areas.

There’s really nothing complicated about making this wonderful Filipino dish. You season the cubed fish fillets with salt and pepper then soak them in strong vinegar. Of course, you add some spices to perk up your kinilaw.


Here is a simple recipe:

Ingredients:

1 kg Fresh tuna; cubed
1/2 cup Finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup Finely chopped onions
2 Lemons (use the sour ones)
1 cup Vinegar (use the one that is strong)
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 pieces siling mahaba chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
optional: add 1/2 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk


Instructions:

Rinse the fish with water once and with vinegar once but swiftly.
Put in a bowl. Sprinkle on top the ginger and the onions.
Squeeze out the juice of 2 lemons on the mixture.
Add the Vinegar, chillies, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix everything slowly so you dont crush the fish.
Refrigerate for about 30mins to an hour, then serve.

NOTE: In some parts of the country, they use the local coconut wine (tuba) instead of vinegar. If you use a strong vinegar it will cook the fish almost right away as soon as you pour it over the dish. The idea is not to cook the fish entirely. It should still be pinkish inside so as to keep it soft and tasty. In some parts of the country they add about 1/2 cup of coconut milk to remove the fishy taste of the fish. In other parts they add slices of cucumber to the dish. Some add slices of fresh tomatoes too.
 

top

Bistek (Beefsteak Tagalog)

INGREDIENTS

500 grams beef sirloin, cut in 6 slices
1 tbsp calamansi or lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsps oil
1 pc onion, sliced into rings

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Marinate the beef in calamansi or lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper. Heat the oil and pan-fry the beef until medium rare. Transfer to a plate. In the remaining oil, sauté the onion until tender. Garnish the beef with the remaining onion rings.

top

Beef Salpicao (stir-fried Garlic Beef)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of salt & pepper
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
# 250 grams beef tenderloin (cut into chunk cubes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

In a bowl marinate beef in salt & pepper, garlic, paprika and olive oil for a few minutes.
In a saute pan, heat oil in very high heat.
Put in beef and all marinade ingredients and toss very swiftly keeping the heat very high, until brown.
Add in the worcestershire sauce while tossing.
Finish with butter.
Serve with garlic rice.

top

Dinuguan or Pork Blood Stew

Dinuguan or Pork Blood Stew

There are only a few Filipino I have met that didn’t care for this particular dish. A lot of times people judge this dish before tasting it. The truth is for most people that do actually taste it, my American mother in-law for example, they actually like it.

The only problem she had was knowing what it is. Dinuguan or pork blood stew is a Filipino, savory stew of blood and meat simmered in a rich, spicy gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili’s, and vinegar. The term Dinuguan come from the word dugo which means “blood”. It is similar to a Singapore dish, pig’s organ soup. The only difference is it does not have vegetables in it. For western cultures this dish is considered as unusual or maybe an alarming dish even though it is similar to European-style blood sausage or British black pudding, but in a saucy, stew form. This dish is so popular in the Philippines that you will find it at just about any occasion, from simple family gatherings to weddings. For my kababayan who just recently moved here to the U.S., especially if you don’t live in the major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City, you can still find edible pork blood at just about any International grocery store in the frozen section. One of the most popular brands here is Orientex. They have beef blood also. Ok, so enough talking and let’s get down to the recipe.

Ingredients:

1½ Lbs. of Pork belly (pork butt is fine)
10 oz. of Edible pork blood (Orientex)
2 Cups of Chicken stock (water is fine)
1 Cup of Vinegar (Datu-puti)
3 Tbs. Fish Sauce (Rufina)
4 Cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Medium onion sliced thinly
1 Bay leaf (Laurel leaf)
4 Pcs. Finger peppers
½ Tbs. Ground black pepper
½ Tbs. Kosher salt
Oil for sautéing

Directions:

Prepare pork blood by straining it and separating the blood that is in a jelly form in a separate bowl. Next add ¼ cup of water and break up the jellied blood with your hands and set aside. Slice pork into small bite sized pieces and set aside.

Using a casserole dish, heat 1 Tbs. of corn oil, add the pork, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish. Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for three minutes without stirring it. Remove cover, stir the pork, and drain the liquid accumulated. Add garlic and sauté for one minute, then add the onions, stir, and cover. Let it cook for another minute. Next add fish sauce and bay leaf and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add ½ cup of vinegar, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt and let it simmer for five minutes. Add the jelly formed pork blood first, stir for about a minute, then add the rest of the pork blood and the finger peppers. Continue to stir for about two minutes, cover, and let simmer for another five minutes. Add another ½ cup of vinegar. Again cover and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust the taste by adding salt & pepper if needed. That’s it, you’re done. Serve with white rice, or Puto (Filipino rice cake). Enjoy!

top

Adobong Sitaw

Adobo is a simple, classic dish and the most versatile when it comes to Philippine cuisine. In my humble opinion, you can make just about anything with this wonder dish from seafood, poultry, pork, and vegetables.

Adobong Sitaw

Adobong sitaw is one of the top choices when it comes to a vegetable and meat combination. String beans or Sitaw/Sitao is a very common type of bean in the Philippines. Unlike the green beans here in the U.S., these beans grow as long as 36 inches in length but, they are best when harvested at about 18 inches long. You will find string beans in all types of dishes from Pakbet, (mixed vegetable stew) to Sinigang, (sour soup) and with all sorts of stir-fried vegetables. Combine string beans and meat braised in soy sauce, vinegar, spices, and fat rendered from pork belly and you will have another mouth-watering Filipino dish.

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Pork belly cut in 1 in. cubes
½ Lb. String beans (sitaw) cut in 2 in. long pcs.
1 Medium sized onion, sliced crosswise
Soy sauce*
Vinegar*
3 Bay leafs
4 Cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
½ Tbs. Whole black peppercorns

Directions:

*1-Cup of liquid mixture:

Combine 1 ½ oz. soy sauce, ½ oz. vinegar, & 6 oz. water
Make 2 cups of this liquid mixture for this recipe…

Rinse cut string beans with cool water thoroughly and set aside.

In a casserole dish combine 2-cups of liquid mixture along with pork, garlic, ground black pepper, whole peppercorns, and bay leafs. Cover and let it simmer over medium high heat for 20 minutes or until 60 percent of the liquid has evaporated. Next add onions along with the string beans, cover, and let it simmer over low heat for 12 minutes or until string beans are tender. Adjust taste by adding salt & pepper if needed. Serve hot over rice. Enjoy!

Tip:

Remember! The key of making great tasting adobo is balancing the flavors of spices and liquid mixtures evenly without over powering one another, whether your choice is dry or adobo with gravy…

top

Paella

INGREDIENTS

20-25 pc mussels
1 c squid, sliced (or 5 pc medium squid)
2 pc crabs
1/2 c medium-size shrimps
1/2 kg chicken breast, leg, gizzard, and liver
3 tbsp chorizo fat
2 tbsp oil
1/4 kg pork cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c ham cut into 1-inch squares
1 pc chorizo de bilbao, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped fine
1 c tomato sauce
3 1/2 c chicken broth
2 c rice, washed
1 pc red pepper, in strips
10 pc string beans
1 tsp soy sauce or patis
2 tsp salt
1/4 c sweet peas
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cut parsley

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Steam mussels. Set aside 1 cup broth. Remove ink of squid. Slice and boil. Set aside. Boil crabs and shrimps together; set aside. Boil bony parts of chicken; set broth aside. Heat fat and oil in skillet. Fry chicken, pork, ham, and chorizo. Cook until half-done. Remove from skillet. Saute garlic, onion, and tomato sauce. Add chicken broth and rice. Mix well. When rice is half-done, add red pepper, string beans, mussels, squid, and other meats. Season with soy sauce, and salt. Cover tightly and cook without stirring until broth is absorbed. During last 5 minutes of cooking, put shrimps, crabs, and peas on top. Garnish with sliced eggs, strips of pepper, and parsley.

top

Diningding

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup bagoong isda
4 cups water
4 tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 thumb-sized ginger, crushed
1 cup squash, cubed
1 bundle sitaw, cut into 2-inch long pieces
5 pieces sigarilyas, cut into 1-inch long pieces
2 finger chilis (siling haba)
5 pieces okra, halved
1 ampalaya, halved and sliced
1 eggplant, cut into 2-inch long pieces
4 shrimps
1 whole tilapia or bangus, fried or grilled

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil, then sauté garlic and bagoong for 3 minutes. Strain. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the strained bagoong, tomatoes, onion, ginger and squash.

When squash is half-cooked, add the sitaw, sigarilyas, sili, okra, and ampalaya. Do not stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and shrimps. Cover and cook until done. Add the fish on top, and cook until heated through.

top

Pork Adobo

INGREDIENTS

1 kilo pork, cut into pieces about 2 inches long and 1-1/2 inches thick
1 head garlic, pounded
4 teaspoon salt or toyo to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups water
1/2 cup vinegar (native) 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place the pork in a saucepan. Add vinegar, garlic, pepper, salt or toyo (soy sauce) and water. Cover the saucepan and cook slowly until the meat is tender and most of the broth has evaporated and only 1/4 cup remains.

Drain, separate the pieces of garlic from the pork and fry in oil until brown. Add the pieces of pork and fry until brown. Add the broth and let simmer about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

COOKING TIME: 45 mins. to 1 hour

top

Pork Steak / Beef Steak Filipino Style Recipe (Bistek Tagalog)  

Estimated time to prepare and cook: 50 minutes
Ingredients:

* 3/4 kilo tender porkchops or beef steaks, sliced
* 1 tablespoon kalamansi or lemon juice
* 5 tablespoons soy sauce
* 3 cloves of garlic
* 1 small piece ginger, crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup onions, sliced in rings
* 4 tablespoons cooking oil

Pork / Beef Steak Cooking Instructions:

* Marinate the pork or beef steak in kalamansi (lemon) juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and pepper for 30 minutes.
* In a frying, add cooking oil. Add the marinated pork or beef steak and cook slow until done.
* Increase heat for a minute or two to brown steaks.
* Add the sliced onions and continue to cook for another minute.
* Serve on a platter including the oil and sauce.
* Best served with hot plain rice.
 

top

Embutido Recipe - Filipino style meatloaf 

Embutido is a Filipino style meatloaf. It is one of the most favorite filipino dish. Embutido can be served as cold cuts; lightly pan a sliced pieces or fried the whole then sliced. It is also best that you dip a slice of embutido with your favorite food sauce.

Estimated cooking time: 50 minutes
Embutido Ingredients:

* 1 lb. ground pork
* 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
* 1 cup (6 slices) finely chopped (sweet or cooked) ham
* 3 tbsp. minced green bell pepper
* 3 tbsp. minced red bell pepper
* 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 3 whole eggs
* 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
* dash of liquid seasoning
* salt & pepper, to taste
* 1 tbsp. cornstarch
* slices (wedges) of hard-cooked eggs
* slices (wedges) of Vienna sausage
* aluminum foil, 10″ x 12″ sizes

Embutido Cooking Instructions:

* Prepare a steamer and set aside. Alternatively, prepare a baking pan and a wire rack and preheat oven to 350°F.
* In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until well blended.
* Divide the mixture into 2 to 4 portions (depending on how many you want to make).
* Spread and flatten the mixture onto the center of each foil, divide the slices of hard cook eggs and Vienna sausages.
* Place each slices at the center of each mixture. Hold the foil onto your hand and roll until the ends of the mixture covers the eggs and sausages.
Alternatively, by holding each ends of the foil, roll the mixture back and forth until it covers the slices of eggs and sausages in the center.
* Finally, roll the aluminum foil into a tightly packed log about 1″ to 2″ in diameter, sealing on both ends. Repeat with the remaining pork mixture.
* Place the embutido in a steamer and steam for an hour. Alternatively, place embutido in a wire rack on a baking pan, half filled with hot water.
* Cover with aluminum foil (Be sure the steam will not escape). Steam-bake in the center of the oven for an hour.
* Remove from the oven. Let it cool and slice into rings. Serve with your favorite catsup or sauces.
* Refrigerate unused embutido.
 

top

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe   

* 1/2 kilo pork loin, sliced into pieces
* 1 small can pineapple chunks
* 1 large onion, quartered
* 1 red & 1 green bell peppers, sliced into strips
* 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons of peanut oil
* 4 tablespoons of cornstarch
* 3 tablespoons of ketchup
* 1 tablespoon of sugar
* 1 teaspoon of salt
* 3 cloves of minced garlic

Sweet and Sour Pork Cooking Instructions:

* In a pot, boil pork in 2 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt until tender, then drain (keep the pork stock for later).
* Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and soy sauce then coat the pork with the cornstarch mixture.
* Fry the pork in a skillet until golden brown, set aside.
* Dissolve the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch on 1/2 cup of pork stock - set aside.
* Sauté garlic and onions on oil, then add the bell peppers, pineapple chunks (including the syrup), ketchup, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the dissolved cornstarch. Stir until sauce thickens.
* Pour over fried pork then serve with rice.

 

top

Crispy Pata Recipe (deep fried pork leg)

* 1 Pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles)
* 1 bottle of soda (7Up or sprite)
* 1 tablespoon of salt
* 2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
* 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
* 4 tablespoons of flour
* Enough oil for deep frying
* Enough water for boiling

Crispy Pata Cooking Instructions:

* Clean the pork pata by removing all hairs and by scraping the skin with a knife. Wash thoroughly.
* Make four to five inch cuts on the sides of the pata.
* On a deep stock pot, place the pata in water with soda and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the baking soda and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
* Remove the pata from the pot and hang and allow to drip dry for 24 hours. An alternative to this is to thoroughly drain the pork pata and refrigerate for a few hours.
* After the above process, rub patis on the pata and sprinkle flour liberally.
* In a deep frying pot, heat cooking oil and deep fry the pork pata until golden brown.

Crispy Pata Dip Sauce:
Mix 3/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 head of diced onion and 1 hot pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.
 

top

Skinless Longganisa Recipe (Filipino Sausage) 

Makes 18-20 sausages
Preparation time: 30 mins + 2 hours chilling
Cooking time: 30 mins


Longganisa Ingredients:

* 500 g (1 lb) minced pork
* 200 g (1 cup) diced pork fat
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
* 1 tablespoon annatto seeds
* 60 ml (¼ to ½ cup) oil
* Spring onion, to garnish (optional)

Longganisa Cooking Instructions:

* In a mixing bowl, combine minced pork, pork fat, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic.
* In a small bowl, combine annatto seeds and vinegar.
* Press on the annatto seeds with the back of a spoon to extract the color.
* Strain vinegar into the pork mixture. Mix well by hand or with a wooden spoon.
* Shape into 8½-cm (4-in) sausages and roll in small pieces of wax paper.
* Chill for a few hours in the refrigerator.
* When ready to cook, heat oil in a wok or frying-pan.
* Unwrap the sausages and fry in batches in hot oil until fully cooked.
* Drain on paper towels.
* Garnish with spring onion, if desired, and served with rice and tomatoes or Garlic-Vinegar Dip.
* These sausages can also be frozen until needed.
 

top

Tokwa’t Baboy Recipe  

The “Tokwat Baboy” was made with braised tofu or bean curd, vinegar, soy sauce, and tender pieces of pork, from the pig’s ears. This was certainly an interesting way to meet my protein quota!

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Tokwa’t Baboy Ingredients:

* 1/2 kilo pork (cut into chunk cubes)
* 5 pieces tokwa (bean curd or tofu)
* 2 heads garlic (minced)
* 1 cup vinegar

* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 3 small onions (diced)

Tokwa’t Baboy Cooking Instructions:

* In a casserole, boil pork in just enough water with salt, lower fire and let simmer until pork is tender.
* Take the pork out and set aside.
* Fry tokwa (bean curd) in hot oil until toasted and slice to the same size as the pork.
* In a saucepot, mix vinegar, soy sauce, salt garlic and onions and heat for just a few minutes.
* Pour in mixture over pork and tokwa.
* Serve hot.
 

top

Pork Menudo Recipe    

Estimated preparation & cooking time: 50 minutes


Menudo Ingredients:

* 1/2 kilo pork (cut into small chunks)
* 1/4 kilo pork liver (cut into small cubes)
* 5 pieces chorizo Bilbao (also cut in small pieces)
* 4 potatoes (peeled, cut in small cubes, fried)
* 1 green and 1 red bell pepper (diced)
* 1 cup chickpeas
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 cup pork or chicken stock
* 2 teaspoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 1 tablespoon atsuete oil (optional)
* 3 tomatoes (diced)
* 1 small head of garlic (minced)
* 1 medium size onion (diced)

Menudo Cooking Instructions:

* In a pan or wok, heat cooking oil and atsuete oil.
* Sauté garlic, onion. Then add the pork, liver, chorizo de Bilbao, tomatoes, bell pepper, paprika, patis and the stock.
* Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the pork is tender.
* Add the chickpeas, potatoes and raisins. Boil of another 2 minutes.
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* Serve hot with white rice.
 

top

Bagoong Guisado

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cups bagoong (shrimp paste)
2 tablespoons native vinegar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil. Add chopped garlic and fry until brown. Add bagoong and stir. Add vinegar and sugar and simmer until done.

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1/2 hour 

top

Caldereta 1

1 Kilo goats meat cut into pieces
1 cup fat or salad oil
5 segments garlic, crushed
6 potatoes, halved or quartered
1 large onions
Slices of hard boiled eggs
Meat stock or water
6 tomatoes sliced
Paprika, salt and pepper to taste
Liver mixture
1 cup sweet peas
Slice pimientos morones
1/2 cup chopped ham

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the fat, and brown the garlic. Remove the garlic and sauté the onion and tomatoes, then add the meat and seasonings.

When partly cooked transfer the mixture into a deeper pan, then add stock to cover the mixture. Cook until meat is almost tender.

Add the potatoes and continue cooking. When meat and vegetables are tender, add the liver mixture to thicken the gravy. Add pimientos, peas and ham. Serve hot and garnish top with slices of hard boiled eggs and chopped ham.1

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1/2 TO 2 

top

Caldereta 2

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 lb Lamb, beef or goat, cut into -1 1/2-inch cubes 
3 tbsp Distilled white vinegar 
1 1/4 tsp Salt 
Freshly ground black pepper 
4 tb Olive oil 
3 Whole dried hot red chilies 
5 Garlic cloves, peeled and -minced 
1 lg Onion, peeled and minced 
1 t Whole black peppercorns 
1 Two-inch cinnamon stick 
2 Bay leaves 
4 tsp Tomato paste 
2 midsize Potatoes 
1/2 lg Red bell pepper 
8 Whole stuffed green olives 

Directions
Put the cubed meat into a bowl and add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the meat, saving the liquid, and pat it dry. 
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the chilies. Stir for a few seconds or until they swell and darken. Remove chilies with a slotted spoon and set aside. Put as many cubes of meat into the pan as will fit without crowding. 

Brown the meat on all sides and repeat until all of the meat is browned. Remove meat from pan. 

Put the onion and garlic into the pan and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any pan juices. Put in the black peppercorns, cinnamon and bay leaves. Stir and cook another minute. Return the meat to the pan with its accumulated juices, the chilies, the reserved marinade and the tomato paste. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. When the meat has cooked for 15 minutes, add the potatoes. Cover and continue to cook for 45-60 minutes or until the meat is tender. Seed the bell pepper and cut it into 1/4-inch wide strips. When the meat is tender, put the peppers and olives into the stew. Stir and cook another 3-5 minutes.

top

Filipino Callos Recipe (Tripe and Sausage with Chickpeas)

Callos, a legacy from the Spanish colonial era, this savory stew of ox tripe and leg is flavored with spicy chorizo de bilbao and traditionally served with olives. What makes callos special? Why is it different from other beef stews? Chorizo de Bilbao is a major factor. Chorizo de Bilbao is a spicy sausage packed in paprika flavored lard.



Serves 8-10
Preparation time: 50 mins
Cooking time: 2½ hours


Filipino Callos Ingredients:

* Pinoy Callos500 g (1 lb) ox tripe
* 500 ml (2 cups) vinegar
* 7 liters (28 cups) water
* 750 g (1½ lb) ox hooves
* 2 tablespoons corn oil
* 2 chorizo bilbao sausages, sliced diagonally into 1-cm (½-in) pieces
* 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
* 1 small onion, diced
* 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
* 250 ml (1 cup) chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

* 375 ml (1½ cups) canned tomato sauce
* 1 medium red capsicum, cut into 2½-cm (1-in) squares
* 85 g (2/3 cup pitted green olives
* 100 g (¾ cup) chickpeas
* Salt and pepper
* Tabasco sauce (optional)

Filipino Callos Cooking Instructions:

* Wash ox trip in vinegar thoroughly. Rinse and brush to remove any dirt. Boil trip in 2 liters (8 cups) of the water for 10 minutes. Drain and discard water.
* Wash ox hooves well. Boil in 2 liters (8 cups) of the water for 10 minutes. Drain and discard water.
* In a stockpot, combine ox trip and ox hooves. Pour in remaining 3 liters (12 cups) water and bring to the boil, then simmer for about 2 hours or until meats are tender.
* Remove meats from broth and let cool. Reserve 375 ml (1½ cups) of the broth.
* Meanwhile, heat corn oil in a frying-pan and fry the chorizo pieces until firm, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
* Slice the trip into 2-cm (1-in) squares. Remove meat from the ox hooves and slice similarly. Set aside.
* Heat olive oil in a casserole and sauté until fragrant. Add the sliced meats and sauté until lightly brown.
* Pour in tomatoes, canned tomato sauce and the reserved broth. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
* Add the chorizo, capsicum, olives and chickpeas and season with salt, pepper and, if desired Tabasco. Simmer just enough for the vegetables to heat through.

top

Chicken Tinola

INGREDIENTS

1 chickens, cut into serving pieces
2 cups green papaya, cut into serving pieces
1 inch cube ginger, pounded
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed sili leaves
1 onion, sliced
Patis (fish sauce)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Fry the garlic, ginger, onion, the add the chicken. Mix well and when partly done add enough water to cook the chicken until tender. Add the papaya and cook until it is soft but not mushy. Seasons with patis. Add sili leaves before removing from fire.

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1 hour

top

Chicken with Sotanghon

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoon oil
1 small bunch green onion, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
1/2 cup diced, dried mushrooms
1/4 kilo sotanghon
Achuete coloring

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Boil the chicken until tender. Set broth aside. Remove all the bones from the boiled chicken and cut meat into pieces.

Sauté garlic and onion until brown. Add finely cut chicken broth and patis. Simmer for a while. Add Achuete coloring, chicken broth and let boil.

Add sotanghon which has been soaked in water and cut into desired lengths.

Add the mushrooms which have been soaked in water. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste and the green onions.

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1 hour 

top

Kare-Kareng Pata

(Kare-Kare is the Filipino equivalent of Satay Sauce)

INGREDIENTS

1 calf's pata (pork hocks), well-cleaned
3 bundles of sitaw (long beans) about 10 pieces each bundle, cut into 2 inches long\
1 banana heart (puso ng saging), sliced finely crosswise
5 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsps. seed of Achuete
4 regular-sized eggplants cut into 1" lengths
3 small radishes, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup toasted rice, powdered
1/2 cup toasted peanuts, ground (or peanut butter)
Salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Clean the calf's leg. Cut into desired pieces. Wash thoroughly, put in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil then simmer until tender. Set aside.

Sauté the garlic, onion and tender calf's leg. Pour the mixture in the saucepan adding salt to taste and water in which leg was cooked. Boil.

Add the sliced banana heart is almost tender, add the sitaw the eggplants and radish. Wash the seeds of Achuete and soak in one half cup of water. Add this colored water to the mixture. Add the powdered rice and peanuts stirring thoroughly to avoid sticking. Serve with bagoong (alamang) sautéed with pork.

Note: Remove fat from cooked calf's leg by cooling mixture and lifting off layer of fat that forms on surface before adding to sautéed mixture.

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1/2 to 2 hours

top

Lumpia (Fried) - 1

INGREDIENTS

1/2 kilo pork meat (ground)
1/2 kilo chopped shrimps
/4 cup chopped squid
1/4 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
3 egg yolks
soy sauce to taste
Lumpia wrappers

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Mix 1/2 kilo pork meat (ground), 1/2 kilo chopped shrimps, 1/4 cup chopped squid, 1/4 cup mushrooms, 1/2 cup chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste, 3 egg yolks and toyo to taste. Steam until meat is cooked. Wrap in Lumpia wrappers into very small rolls and fry in deep fat. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Lumpia sauce:

Mix vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to produce a sweet sour taste, Pour in a pan then add about one tablespoon catsup or tomato sauce. When boiling thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch dissolved in water. Add 1 small sliced hot pepper and a little chopped garlic.

top

Lumpia (Fried) - 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup chopped pork
1 cup chopped beef
1/2 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup boiled garbanzos or potatoes, cut into cubes
2 tomatoes (cut in to pieces)
1 onion (minced)
1/2 laurel leaf
3 cloves garlic (pounded)
2 eggs (hard boiled and cut into pieces)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pimiento
1 box raisins (small size)
Lumpia wrappers
Salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté garlic, onions, tomatoes. When light brown, add meat, lauel leaf, pimiento and water. Add salt to taste. Cover and simmer until meat is tender. When nearly cooked, add garbanzos and raisins. Before wrapping let it cool. Add hard-boiled eggs and wrap in Lumpia wrapper. Fold two ends well. Fry until golden brown. Serve with garlic, vinegar, pepper and salt.

Lumpia sauce:

Mix together 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1-1/2 cups water. Strain if lumpy. 1 head garlic 1 tbsp. oil

Fry until brown, segments of macerated garlic. Remove the garlic. Into the heated fat pour slowly the sauce batter, stirring constantly until mixture thickens Top with fried garlic.

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1 hour

top

Mechado 1 

(Filipino beef stew)

INGREDIENTS

1 kilo beef, lean
4 big onions, whole
1/2 cup vinegar
Strips of pork fat
1 can tomato sauce (small)
1 can tomatoes, cut in halves
1/2 laurel leaf
1 tsp. pimiento
Salt to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Insert fat strips lengthwise in beef. In a deep pot or pan, place the meat, laurel, tomato sauce, vinegar, salt to taste and water to cover. Cover and simmer until tender. Add potatoes, onions and pimiento and continue cooked, add the fat and stir well. Serve meat sliced crosswise.

top

Mechado 2

(Filipino beef stew)

Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
1 k. beef (cut into pieces)
cooking oil
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 onion (sliced)
2 . potatoes (quartered, fried)
1 carrot (cut round)
1/2 green bell pepper cut into strips
2 tbsps. lemon juice
2 tbsps. soy sauce, salt, peppercorn
1 cup tomato sauce
1 pc. Laurel
hot water

Directions
Brown meat in cooking oil. set aside. 
In same oil sauté garlic and onion. add lemon, soy sauce, peppercorn, tomato sauce, laurel and salt, simmer for a few minutes then add water. cover and simmer. 
Add potatoes and carrot when meat is tender 

top

Adobong Hipon sa Gata  

(Shrimp Adobo in Coconut Milk) 

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 cups sitaw (string beans) cut into 3-inch length
patis (fish sauce) or salt to taste
1 pound large fresh shrimps, unshelled
2 twelve-ounce cans coconut milk

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium-size stockpot, prepare the marinade (vinegar, water, pepper, garlic and patis or salt). Add shrimps and let stand for 1 hour. Cook in the same pot with the lid off, turning the shrimps often, until the pot is almost dry. Stir in the coconut milk and allow the sauce to thicken. This takes about 20 minutes.

Serves 2.

top

Russian (Shrimp Potato) Salad

Russian (Shrimp Potato) Salad

Ingredients

1/2 kilo Shrimps (boiled and shelled or --- buy the frozen cooked peeled prawns --- blanch with salt under running tap water )
6 cups cubed cooked potatoes (about 500 grams. I cooked them whole before cutting them into cubes)
1 cup carrots 1cm diced (boiled for 5 minutes)
1 small can beetroot 450 grams
2 eggs (hard boiled) and cut into pieces
1 small can pineapple pieces 425 grams (possibly use half of juice)
1 cup Real or S&W Mayonnaise ( or use Reduced Fat Mayo)
1-2 tablespoon Pure Prepared Brown or American Mustard
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 small apple diced in 1cm cubes (not too big)
1/4 cup (1 small) white onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely chopped
1/2 cup lychees finely chopped (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix mayo and mustard in large bowl.
2. Add potatoes, shrimps, celery, carrots, apple, cheese, beetroot, pineapple pieces, eggs and onions.
3. Mix lightly.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Potato salads taste better after it has been stored in the refrigerator overnight. The flavors seep in through the potato making it delicious to the core. You can add 1/2 cup celery diced if desired. And make it a chicken salad by interchanging with prawns / and interchange beetroot with carrots + peas or 1/2 cup green beans for chicken potato salad.
 

top

Guinataang Calabaza or Bicol Express (with pumpkin)

Bicolano’s have been well known for their fiery obsession for centuries. They often use scalding-hot peppers as a main ingredient in most if not all of their vegetable dishes especially in the first district of Albay. Bicol Express is a very popular dish originated from Bicol, but oddly enough in Bicol from what I read, they don’t even call it Bicol Express. So the dish itself did originate from Bicol, but not the name. They say that this dish evolved from another dish called “gulay na kalabasa.” I also read that the reason they call this Bicol Express is that it makes you run for water like an express train as soon as you put it in your mouth. Whether this is how they got the name or not, I don’t know.

What I can tell you for sure is that this stuff is very good and thanks to the Bicolano’s for coming up with it. Bicol Express nowadays has so many variations that just about everyone that has cooked this dish had modified it to their own personal preference. They have to accommodate their level of obsession when it comes to scalding-hot peppers. I have looked at several recipes online about Bicol Express before coming up with my own recipe. Even though this is not the authentic Bicol Express, it’s still very good and it will not put you in a coma, but in order for me to use the original name it does have to have a certain degree of hotness.

My version of Bicol Express does not use scalding-hot peppers as a main ingredient, instead I used it as a secondary ingredient. I love hot peppers, but unfortunately my obsession with hot peppers does not quite measure up to the Bicolano’s, so mine is a milder version. Now let’s take a look at the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 ½ Lbs. Pork belly cut in 1 in. cubes
1 Lb. Calabaza cut in 1 ½ in. cubes
1 Large ginger peeled & sliced thinly
2 Cans of Coconut milk 13.5 oz each
1 Large onion diced
4 Cloves of garlic peeled & smashed
1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
36 Pcs. Thai-peppers, stems removed
6 Finger peppers – Siling mahaba cut in ¼ in. pieces, discard stems
Corn oil for sautéing
Green Onions for garnish

Note: Thai, Birds Eye, and Siling Labuyo are the same

Directions:

In a large pot heat 1 Tbs. of corn oil and sauté garlic until golden brown. Next add pork belly, season it with salt, and sauté it for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add onions and ginger root and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, ground black pepper, finger peppers, and Thai-peppers. Stir well and let it simmer for 25 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Then add calabaza and let it cook for ten minutes or until calabaza is tender. Adjust taste by adding salt & pepper if needed! Serve rice topped with Bicol Express & garnish with green onions. Enjoy & Feel the Heat!..

Note:

On this particular recipe I have my ginger root sliced in larger pieces so I can remove them before serving. However if you want to serve yours with ginger root you may so by slicing it in smaller pieces (julliene).

My final thoughts:

This is truly a magnificent dish. One piece of advice though is to only use as many chili peppers as you can handle. You can gradually increase the amount of chili peppers later on as you get used to the heat. As they say eating is one of life’s pleasures, taste and flavor are just as important to make sure you enjoy the food. That is why it is important that you do not exceed your own limit with chili peppers. You want to enjoy your food and not put yourself in severe pain.

When eating Bicol Express with the right amount of hotness to your liking you can truly enjoy this wonderful dish. You will immediately feel the heat as soon as you introduce it to your taste buds. The capsaicin from the chili peppers will trigger your brain to release endorphins which are a natural pain killer the human body produces. That’s when you get to the zone of enjoying one of life’s pleasure. Eating!…

top

Guinataang Alimasag

(Crabs in Coconut Milk) 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 12-ounce cans coconut milk
1 pound pork spare ribs (cut into small pieces / boiled to tender / drain and set aside)
1 pound peeled pumpkin (sliced into cubes)
2 cups sitaw (string beans) cut into 3-inch length
6 whole blue or rock crabs, well cleaned or 1 pound crag legs
1 tablespoon bagoong - shrimp paste (Barrio Fiesta)
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths 

Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the garlic and ginger. 

Add the coconut milk, (Add the cubed pumpkin, pork pieces, and bagoong) bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. 

Add the crabs, salt and pepper to the pot and mix well. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sitaw / green onions and simmer for another 3 minutes or until the onions are just tender. 

Serve with hot rice. Makes 3-4 servings.
 

top

Oriental Barbecued Chicken

2 2-1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces each
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup sake (Japanese rice wine) or sherry
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/4 cups olive oil

Wash and dry the chicken pieces thoroughly and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Place in a bowl and set aside. 

For the marinade, combine all the rest of the ingredients, using only 1/4 cup of the oil, in a saucepan and cook over low heat for a few minutes. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate, covered, for 4-6 hours or overnight, turning the pieces occasionally for an even coating. 

Remove the chicken and brush the pieces with the remaining 1 cup of olive oil. 

To cook in an oven: Broil the chicken 6 inches from the heat for 15 minutes. Brush with more olive oil, turn the pieces and cook for another 10 minutes, or until done. 

To cook over charcoal: Grill the chicken pieces 4-6 inches over hot coals for 15 minutes. Baste with olive oil and cook the other side for 10 more minutes, or until done. Makes 4-5 servings.
 

top

Shanghai Fried Rice

(Philippine Shanghai-Style Fried Rice)

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
1/4 cup finely minced shallots
4 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
3 Chinese sausages, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
1/2 cup finely sliced pork loin
1/2 cup chopped fresh shrimps, shelled
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
5 cups cold cooked rice (refrigerated leftover rice), mashed lightly with 1 cup of cold water
1/4 cup scallions 

In a 10-inch frying pan, fry garlic and shallots in oil. Add sausages, pork, and shrimps. Season with soy sauce and parsley. Add rice. Continue frying and turning for 5 to 10 minutes, to blend all ingredients. When done, garnish with scallions. 

Serves 8.

 

top

Chicken and Pork Adobo

1 cup distilled white vinegar (or cider vinegar) 
1 cup water 
2 tablespoons peeled and crushed garlic 
2 teaspoons salt 
2 pieces of bay leaves 
h7alf teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces, Chinese style 
2 pounds pork butt, cut into cubes 
soy sauce 
oil 

Directions
Add vinegar, water, garlic, salt, bay leaves and pepper into a large casserole. Bring to a boil.
Add the meat, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle liberally with soy sauce and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove meat and reduce sauce.

Remove sauce to a bowl. Put oil into the casserole and brown cooked meat.
Drain oil from the casserole, and return the reduced sauce back with the meat. 
Serve with rice. 
 

top

Adobong Manok Sa Gata Recipe (Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk) 

The best Filipino dishes are the ones that do not have a written recipe other than the knowledge passed on from generation to another. This one is a great example and it is one of my all time favorite comfort food. It calls for free-range chicken which has a lot more flavour to it and it can also stand the long cooking time required for this recipe. Use the pepper of your choice. (We used siling labuyo, or bird’s eye chili originally, but I think jalapeno, serano or habanero are good candidates for substitute).

Estimated preparation and cooking time: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Adobong Manok Sa Gata Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 lbs free-range chicken, cut in 8 portions
* 2 stalks lemongrass, pounded
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 tablespoons julienned gingerroot
* 1 medium red onion, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 cup white vinegar
* salt & freshly ground black pepper

* 800 ml of thick coconut milk (unfortunately light coconut milk doesn’t work well with this recipe. You can add more coconut milk i)
* 1 chili (your choice)
* 1 lb papayas, peeled, seeds removed, properly cleaned and sliced to bite-sized pieces (proper cleaning of unripe papaya requires lightly squeezing the slices in salt to remove the bitterness)

Adobong Manok Sa Gata Cooking Instructions:

* In a large pot, sauté ginger, garlic, and lemon grass in oil.
* Add the chicken pieces, season with salt, vinegar and a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vinegar is completely absorbed by the chicken pieces.
* Add 400 ml of coconut milk. Stir constantly in the first 10 minutes to avoid curdling of the coconut milk.
* Then you can cover it and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until the coconut milk is half absorbed. Stir occasionally though to avoid burning it.
* Add the slices of green papaya and the chili. When the papaya is half done, add the remaining 400 ml of coconut milk, again stir in the first 10 minutes to avoid curdling.
* Simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until all the liquid is almost absorbed and the chicken pieces are falling off the bones.
* Serve with lots of steamed rice.

 

top

Hot and Sour Shrimp with Watercress (kangkong) And Walnuts

Ingredients
1 lb Large uncooked shrimp, -peeled, -deveined, -butterflied 
4 tb Dry Sherry 
1 tb Grated peeled fresh ginger 
1/2 c Chicken stock or canned -broth 
2 tb Soy sauce 
2 tbsp Catsup. [See note. S.C.] 
1 tbsp Cornstarch 
1 tbsp Rice vinegar or white wine -vinegar 
1 tbsp Sugar 
1 tsp Oriental sesame oil 
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper 
6 tbsp Peanut oil 
2 tbsp Chopped walnuts 
3 bn Watercress, trimmed (kangkong)
2 mid Bell peppers, cut into -1-inch squares 
2 Garlic cloves, minced 
8 Green onions, cut -diagonally into -1-inch-long pieces 

Directions
= A light marinade of Sherry and ginger flavors the shrimp, which are stir-fried with ted bell peppers and green onions. Watercress makes a colorful bed for the shrimp. 
= Combine shrimp, 2 tablespoons Sherry and grated ginger in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons Sherry, chicken stock, soy sauce, catsup, cornstarch, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and cayenne pepper in small bowl. 

Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in wok or heavy large skillet over high heat. Add walnuts and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer walnuts to plate using slotted spoon. Add watercress to wok and stir-fry until just wilted, about 1 minute. Divide watercress among plates. Add 2 teaspoons peanut oil, bell peppers and garlic to wok and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add remaining 2 teaspoons peanut oil, shrimp mixture and onions and stir- fry for 1 minute. Stir stock mixture, add to wok and cook sauce until clear and thick, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. 

Spoon sauce and shrimp over watercress. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve. 

NOTE: You can use Jufran sauce rather than catsup. Jufran is a Filipino sauce that's looks and tastes much like catsup. It's made from bananas and other stuff, however and has a more complex and interesting taste. It comes in both mild and hot forms. The mild is not too hot somewhat like a spicy catsup. The hot stuff is much hotter, although not intolerably so. If you use this, be prudent about how much cayenne you use, at least the first time until you can see how they balance out. 

Makes four servings; about 265 calories per serving.
 

top

Chicken and Pork Apretada

Ingredients
2.2 lbs. chicken cut in pieces 
1 lb. pork cut in 1 1/2 inch squares 
salt and pepper to taste 
flour 
cooking oil 
4 cloves crushed garlic 
1 medium sized onion, chopped 
1 medium sized tomato, chopped 
4 oz. can of tomato sauce 
2 cups water 
1 small bayleaf 
1 sprig oregano 
1 bell pepper cut into 1 inch squares 
4 medium sized potatoes cut into 2 inch pieces 
1/2 cup frozen peas 
3.5 oz pimento cut into 1 inch squares 

Directions
Dust chicken and pork pieces in flour, salt and pepper. Brown quickly in hot oil. Sauté garlic, onions, tomatoes and tomato sauce in separate pot. Pour 2 cups water and let boil. Add browned chicken, pork, bayleaf, oregano and bell pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Add salt and pepper according to taste. You may thicken the sauce by adding flour dissolved in water into the pot. Finally, add peas and pimento and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve with rice.
 

top

Pork Binagoongan

Ingredients
1 lb. pork, cut into pieces 
1/4 cup oil 
1/2 head garlic, crushed 
1 onion, sliced thinly 
1 large tomato, sliced 
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup bagoong alamang 
1/2 cup vinegar 
2 cups water 

Directions
Fry pork pieces in hot oil. Sauté garlic, onions and tomatoes after pork has browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer until pork is tender. If desired, let water reduce. Serve with rice. 
 

top

Oxtail Kare-kare

Ingredients
1 oxtail (3-5 lbs.) 
5 tbsps, oil 
5 cloves garlic, crushed 
1 medium sized onion, sliced 
water from 1/4 cup achuete, soaked 
1 banana heart, sliced crosswise 
2 bundles Chinese long bean (sitaw), cut into 2-inch pieces 
4 eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch slices 
1/3 cup rice, toasted brown in a pan and ground to a powder 
1/2 cup peanut butter 
salt and pepper to taste 

Directions
Cut oxtail into 3 inch pieces. Boil once and discard water. Boil again until tender. Saute garlic and onion in oil. Add achuete water, sautéed garlic and onions to meat and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and enough water to make a sauce. Add the powdered rice and peanut butter dissolved in 3/4 cup water into the meat. Season with salt, and pepper. Serve with Bagoong Alamang on the side.
 

top

Bagoong Alamang

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic crushed 
1 small onion sliced 
1 small tomato sliced 
4 tbsps. alamang 

Directions
Saute garlic, onions and tomato in a little oil. Add alamang. Saute for another minute. 
 

top

Laing

Ingredients
40 taro root leaves (dahon ng gabi), chopped 
1/2 lb. pork, chopped 
1/2 lb. shrimp, chopped 
1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped 
siling labuyo according to taste (whole chili peppers) 
2 tbsp. bagoong according to taste 
3 cups coconut milk 
1/2 cup water 

Directions
Place gabi on the bottom of cooking pot. Put the pork, shrimp, ginger, coconutmilk and water on top and let boil until pork is tender. Add bagoong and siling labuyo, stir well. Note: To make the dish spicier, crush siling labuyo. Let cook for another 5 minutes.
 

top

Lumpiang Sariwa

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
2 tbsps. cooking oil 
1/2 lb. cooked pork, diced 
1/2 cup chopped shrimp 
1/2 cup cooked garbanzo (chick peas) beans 
1/4 cup cooked ham, chopped 
2 cups julienned carrots 
1/2 cup green beans, sliced thinly, french style 
2 cups shredded cabbage 
18 egg roll wrappers 
lettuce leaves 

Directions
Cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add pork, shrimp, garbanzo beans and ham. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add carrots, green beans and water. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add cabbage and salt, stir until cabbage is done. When all of the vegetables are cooked, let the dish cool. To prepare egg roll wrappers, cook one side only on a lightly greased skillet until wrappers are slightly brown. Cook one side only. 
To assemble, place an eggroll skin unbrowned side up on one corner facing you. Top with a lettuce leaf and 1/3 cup cooled vegetable mixture. Roll up, folding in one end of eggroll wrapper and leaving other end open. Serve immediately with Brown Sauce. 

*Brown Sauce In a saucepan, mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Stir 1 cup chicken broth and 2 tbsps. soy sauce. Cook and stir until mixture bubbles, lower heat and add 1 clove finely chopped garlic. Cook until thickened.

 

top

Menudo

Ingredients
1 lb. pork, cubed 
1 cup liver, cubed 
1 tbsp. oil 
2 tsps. achuete seeds 
1 tbsp. garlic, minced 
1/3 cup onions, chopped 
1/2 cup tomatoes, sliced 
2 medium sized potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
2 tsps. salt 
1/8 tsp. pepper 

Directions
Get color from achuete seeds (Place seeds in 1/3 cup water and stir around. Water should turn red.) then discard when done. Saute garlic, onions and tomatoes; add pork and cook until done. Add potatoes and water, if the dish is a little dry. Add liver when potatoes are done. Season as desired and bring to a boil. Serve hot with rice.
 

top

Crispy Pata

Ingredients
4 pig's trotters 
1 tsp. salt 
1/2 tsp. white pepper 
1/4 tsp. MSG (optional) 
oil for deep frying 

Directions
Wash the pig's trotters under running water and place in a large pan. Cover completely with cold water. Bring to a boil and season with salt, pepper and MSG. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, lower the heat and simmer gently until meat is cooked. Drain meat. Heat the oil in another large pan until it is almost smoking. Deep fry trotters for a few minutes until the skin is golden and crispy.
 

top

Ukoy

Ingredients
1 cup flour 
1 egg 
1 clove garlic minced 
1 tsp. salt 
2 cups mung bean (mungo) sprouts 
1 tsp. baking powder 
1 2/3 cups shrimp juice (do this by taking the heads out and crushing it in 1 2/3 cups water) 
2 green onions 
12 shrimp 

Directions
Mix flour, egg, shrimp juice, baking powder, garlic and salt. Blanch the mung bean sprouts and shrimp. Finely cut green onions and mix all ingredients together. Heat oil for frying. When oil is hot enough, take the mixture and fry it in the shape of pancakes. The ukoy will be done when the outside is brown and crispy. Serve with a sauce made with vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic.

top

Pancit Canton

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, hacked into pieces, boiled in a big casserole with one medium sized onion, 2 sticks of celery and pepper corns. Cover chicken with enough water. Remove meat from bone and don't forget to save the stock! 
1 lb pork, sliced into thin strips 
1 cup shrimp, cooked, deveined and unshelled 
1 can straw mushrooms 
1 can water chestnuts 
1/2 head of bok choy (pechay) or 1/2 head cabbage, sliced into julien (sp) strips 
1 piece of carrot, julienned a few pieces of snow pea pods 
1/2 lb mussels or scallops (optional) 
soy sauce to taste 
patis to taste 
salt to taste 
2 cloves of garlic, crushed 
1 medium sized onion, sliced ground black pepper, fresh if you can 
oil for frying 
1 or 2 packages of pancit canton or a package of vermicelli or angel hair pasta. If you really can't find pancit, try egg noodles - although they may be soft, or spaghetti if you're that desperate 
4 or 5 green onions 
1 lemon 

Directions
Heat oil in a pan (or wok if possible). Sautee garlic and onion slices until the onion is transparent. Add chicken and pork. Cook until pork is brown. Add half of the chicken stock. Boil for about three minutes. Add salt, soy sauce or patis to taste. Also sprinkle some ground black pepper. Simmer for about another three minutes. Add shrimps, mushrooms, carrots and other ingredients except the noodles itself. Simmer for another 3 minutes or so (covered). Add the remaining stock. Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, patis and soy sauce. Add the noodles. Mix thoroughly until noodles are soft. 
Garnish with sliced green onions and sliced lemon. Serve with lemon juice.

top

Pancit  Palabok

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork or beef or chicken
1/2 lb shrimps blenderize 1/4 lb bigger shrimps for topping cook
patis to taste
3 tbsp of tinapa flakes slightly toasted
1 pack mama cita palabok mix
1 pack atsuete powdered
pepper to taste optional
spring onion
8 boiled eggs 4 eggs blenderize 4 eggs for topping
2 bags palabok noodle 500gm each
2 garlic head
1 big onion
4 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
4 cans of chicken broth or 4cups beef broth
1/2c flour

Directions:
Boil 4 cups water,add a little salt. cook noodles for 15 to 20 mins or just half cooked then drain set aside

saute the ground pork with garlic and onion .add atsuete ,tinapa flakes,pepper,Add 3 cans or 3 cups of chicken broth when boiling add mama cita palabok mix with flour and 1can cold chicken broth ,pouring slowly until it's thicken .Add patis to taste.

on a separate wok pour half of sauce, when its boiling add the noodles for 10 or 15 min or until its cooked add more of sauce if needed garnish with sliced eggs and cooked shrimps and chopped spring onion.
 

top

Pancit  Bihon Guisado

Ingredients
3 tbsp. oil
4 cloves garlic, pounded
1/4 cup onions, sliced
1 cup pork meat, boiled and cut into strips
1/2 cup liver and gizzard, cut into strips
1/2 cup shrimps, peeled and sliced lenghtwise
1/2 cup beans, sliced thinly
1/4 cup carrots, cut into strips
1 cup cabbage, cut into strips
1 cup chinese pechay, cut into strips
1/4 cup celery, cut into strips
2 tbsp. soy sauce
salt, pepper, vetsin to taste
1 1/2 cups soup stock
250 grams bijon special, soaked in water and drained

Directions
Saute garlic and onions in oil. Add pork, chicken liver and gizzard and shrimps. Add soy sauce and continue to simmer. Add rest of vegetables in the same order and cook until crisp tender. Adjust seasoning. Remove half of mixture and set aside. Add soup stock to remaining mixture and add bijon. Toss mixture to mix and cook until bijon is done. Place mixture in serving dish. Top with reserve meat mixture. Serve with calamansi halves and soy sauce.

top

Filipino Style Spaghetti Recipe   

Estimated & preparation & cooking time: 40 minutes.


Spaghetti Ingredients:

* 1 kg. spaghetti noodles
* 1/2 kg. ground beef (premium)
* 1/2 kg. ground pork (premium)
* 1/4 kg. hotdogs, diagonally sliced
* 1 kg. tomato sauce
* 3 pieces laurel leaves (bay leaves)
* 1/4 cup brown or white sugar
* 2 green bell peppers, diced
* 2 onions, chopped
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
* 1 cup of water
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup grated cheese

Spaghetti Cooking Instructions:

* Cook spaghetti noodles according to package instructions.
* In a sauce pan or wok, sauté garlic and onions in cooking oil.
* Add ground beef, ground pork, laurel leaves, bell pepper and a cup of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
* Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste then let simmer for another 10 minutes
* Add brown sugar and hotdogs. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
* Serve with the cooked spaghetti noodles and grated cheese on top.
 

top

Mussel Soup

Ingredients
2 lb mussels, still in shell 
medium sized piece of ginger root, peeled and sliced into julienne strips 
1 medium sized onion, sliced 
several spinach leaves 
freshly ground pepper 
salt to taste 

Directions
Boil mussels in water just enough to cover them. Add ginger and onions. Once the shells are opened, add spinach leaves. Simmer for about two minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot.

top

Adobong Antigo

Ingredients
1 kilo (2.2 lbs) chicken or pork, cut in serving pieces 
1/4 cup vino blanco or five-year-old rum 
4 tsp. soy sauce 
5 cloves garlic 
2 tsp salt 
1 cup vinegar 
1 cup buko juice (coconut water) 
1 small head garlic, crushed 

Directions
1. Marinate the meat in the vino blanco or rum, soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar, for at least two hours. Drain. 
2. Fry meat till golden, pour off excess oil and add buko juice. Simmer till tender and adobo begins to give off oil. Fry the extra garlic and sprinkle on the adobo before serving. 

(5 portions)

top

Filipino Shrimp and Pork Siomai Recipe   

Siomai is a dimsum of Chinese origin which is loved by many Filipinos. One can order different kinds of siomai but the base is always pork. The ground meat should have some fat otherwise the cooked siomai will be too tough. Prawns or shrimps can be substituted for part of the pork if desired.

Estimated cooking time: 50 minutes

Shrimp and Pork Siomai Ingredients:

* 1 kg ground pork (suggested proportion of fat to lean meat is 1:3) or 1 kg Prawn (shrimp) peeled
* 1/3 cup chopped water chestnuts or turnips (singkamas)
* 1/3 cup chopped carrots
* 2 medium or 1 large minced onion(s)
* bunch of spring onions or leeks
* 1 egg
* 5 tablespoons sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

* 1 teaspoon salt
* 50 pcs. large or 100 pcs. small wanton or siomai wrapper
* soy sauce, calamansi (lemon or kumquats), sesame oil and chili paste (for the sauce)

Wrapper:

* 1/4 cup water
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Chilli Paste:

* 1/8 kilo Chilies (Siling Labuyo)
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Siomai Cooking Instructions:

* Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.
* Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper. Fold and seal.
* Meanwhile, boil water and brush steamer with oil.
* When the water gets to a rolling boil, arrange the siomai in the steamer and let stand for 15-20 minutes, longer for larger pieces.
* Serve with soy sauce, calamansi and sesame oil. Chili paste is optional.

Wrapper:
* Beat egg and mix with flour till free of lumps.
* Bring water, cooking oil and salt to a boil, then pour in flour.
* Remove from heat and beat until mixture forms a ball.
* Divide the dough into 1 1/4 -inch balls.
* Roll each ball on a floured board until paper thin. Set aside.
* Simplest version of chili sauce would be to chop chilies well and fry them in oil, sesame or vegetable oil, never olive oil if you want it to have a Filipino taste.

Chilli Paste:

Combine chopped chilies and minced garlic then simmer for around 20 minutes or till most of the water has evaporated. Add oil, simmer and stir well.

top

Shrimp & Shiitake Mushroom Lumpia with Orange Chili Mint

Yield: 24 servings
Lumpia Ingredients
2 lb Diced Peeled Fresh Shrimp 
2 c Chopped Shiitake Mushrooms 
1/2 c Thin grated Carrot 
2 oz Bean Sprouts 
2 oz Shredded Kai -Choy Chinese Mustard 
2 oz Shredded Won Bok Cabbage 
1/2 oz Garlic Chopped 
1/2 oz Chopped Lemongrass 
4 ea Kaffir Lime Leaves 
4 oz Cooked Long Rice Noodles 
2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Mint 
2 oz Chopped Fresh Cilantro 
1/2 oz Nam Pla Fish Sauce 
1 oz Oyster Sauce 
1 tbsp Hot Chili Paste 
Sesame Oil 
Soybean Oil 
24 Lumpia Wrappers 
Sauce Ingredients
3 Oranges 
2 c Rice Wine 
1/2 c Rice Vinegar 
1/2 Bottle Lingham Chili Sauce 
Fresh Picked Mint Leaves 

Directions
Lumpia:
Stir fry at high heat in a equal parts sesame-soybean oil blend, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, carrot, cabbage, mustard, mushrooms, bean sprouts. Add the lime leaves, cilantro & mint and season with the oyster sauce, fish, soy and chili paste to taste, keeping the vegetables crisp. Set aside to cool. Fold in the cooked rice noodles with the vegetable mixture. 

In a hot saute pan stir fry the chopped shrimp in sesame-soybean oil with chopped ginger & garlic, finishing with the same seasonings of fish soy, oyster sauce & chili paste. Combine the shrimp with the vegetable/noodle mixture. 

Assemble:
On a lumpia wrapper, place a mound of the shrimp vegetable mix, brush the edges lightly with egg, then roll the mixture up folding in the edges to close the ends. Pan fry in soy bean oil til golden brown & crispy and drain well on paper towels. Place the orange chili sauce on a plate and slice the rolls at an angle, arrange on the sauce & garnish with a spoonful of the diced fruit salsa, mint, cilantro and black seeds. 

Sauce:
In a sauce pan, add the wine, vinegar, oranges cut in half and squeezed (include rind & skin). Bring to a boil. Add the lingham chili sauce, simmer for about 5 minutes, and strain. Set aside warm. 

Serve immediately.

top

Lumpia with Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 c Pork, finely cubed 
6 tbsp Lard 
3 Cloves garlic, minced 
1 midsize Onion sliced 
1/2 c Diced bean curd 
1 c Raw shelled deveined shrimp 
1 c String beans, cut into 1" -pieces 
1 c Cabbage, cut into 1" squares 
1 c Cubed sweet potatoes 
Salt to taste 
1 Stalk celery, finely chopped 
20 Lumpia wrappers (recipe -below) 
Lumpia sauce (recipe below) 
----------------------LUMPIA WRAPPERS---------------------------
3 c Flour 
1 tb Salt 
5 c Water 
Pork fat 
------------------------LUMPIA SAUCE-----------------------------
6 tbsp Cornstarch 
1 c Water 
1/2 c Soy sauce 
1/2 c Brown sugar 

Directions
Boil the pork in a pot until tender and the fat comes out. Remove the pork from the pot and drain. Put the lard in a large skillet and saute the pork, garlic, onion and bean curd. Add the shrimp, string beans, cabbage, sweet potatoes and a little water. Season with the salt and cook over medium heat until tender. Set aside on a platter to cool, add the celery on top. 

LUMPIA WRAPPERS
Sift the flour into a bowl. In another bowl, mix the salt with the water. Add 1 cup of salted water to the flour to make a stiff dough. Beat the dough hard against the sides of the mixing bowl to soften and make it elastic. Add more of the water to soften the dough. Continue beating and adding water until the mixture becomes very elastic and has a consistency of heavy cream. Use only enough water to achieve this consistency. Heat a frying pan greased with pork fat and pour in about 2 tablespoons of the thin batter, tilting the pan to spread the batter as thin as possible. Turn the wrapper when it can be freed from the frying pan And fry quickly on the other side. Remove from pan. Do the same with the rest of the batter. 

To serve, put 2 tablespoons of lumpia mixture in each wrapper and fold into a tight roll. Serve with lumpia sauce. 

LUMPIA SAUCE Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool.
 

top

Arrozcaldo   

1. 1 big onion chopped into pieces (very fine)
2. ginger 4-5 inches chopped into fine pcs.
3. 1 garlic (medium) chopped into fine pcs.
4. 1 Kilo chicken wings
5. 1 cup or ¾ cup glutinous rice
6. 3-4 tall glasses of H20 or maybe more …. Depending on amount …

Directions:
1. boil chicken - 1st pakulo throw away … 2nd one set aside for stock
2. combine 1/2/3/5 - sauté in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil then put glutinous rice (mix for 5 min.)
3. then put 3-4 tall glasses of H2O (or more) - put fish sauce to taste (5tbspns. Or more)
4. when almost done put chicken - low heat for 30min. or until done.
5. sprinkle with finely chopped spring onions and fried minced garlic.

top

Longganisa

(Filipino-style sausages)

Yield: 1 Servings
Ingredients
Mixture of 30% ground beef And 70% ground pork For every 2.2 pounds (1 kilo Mixture add: 
2 1/2 tbsp Salt 
1 1/2 tbsp Sugar 
1 1/2 tbsp Soy sauce 
2 tbsp Vinegar 
2 tbsp Wine 
1/8 tsp Saltpeter; (salitre) 
1 tsp Ground pepper 
2 tsp Chopped garlic 
Sausage casings--Available any butcher shop 

Directions
Mix all ingredients together and cure mixture for 5-6 days in the refrigerator and stuff into casings. This kind of sausage should be stored in a cooler, ready for use.

To cook:

Place a small amount of water in a skillet. Place sausages and let boil in water for about 10 minutes. With a fork, pierce casings. The Longganisa will be ready when juices flow out and turn a dark caramel color. The sausages should also turn the same color and some oil should leak out.

Suggestions: You can eat the Longganisa and tapa with pieces of lightly salted tomatoes. This will make a perfect compliment to the sinangag (Filipino garlic rice).  
 

top

Pinakbet 

* 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into small pieces
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 1 1/2 cup water
* 2 medium ampalaya, cut into serving pieces
* 2 medium eggplants, cut into serving pieces
* 1/4 medium squash, cut into serving pieces
* 5 pieces string beans, cut into serving pieces
* 6 pieces okra, halved
* 6 pieces tomatoes, sliced
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 big onion, diced
* 1 small ginger, julienned
* 4 tablespoons sautéed shrimp bagoong
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper


Directions:
1. In a skillet, sauté the pork in oil until lightly browned, set aside.
2. Sauté ginger, garlic, onion, and tomatoes in the skillet and mix in the pork.
3. Add the water and shrimp bagoong and let boil.
4. Add the ampalaya, eggplant, okra, squash, and string beans and simmer until cooked.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 

top

Pork Barbecue (BBQ) simple version 

* 1 kilo pork belly (liempo), sliced to desired size
* 1 cup 7-UP
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup vinegar
* 1/4 cup banana ketchup
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon pepper, ground

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and marinate for at least 1-2 days.
2. Use barbecue sticks to skewer the meat or you may grill the meat as it is, if the pork slices are big.
3. Grill the meat until well cooked.
4. Enjoy with or without rice.
 

top

Pinoy Pork Barbecue (BBQ) popular version 

Here it is, the Pinoy version of pork BBQ. This appetizer food is very popular in the Philippines. You will find this at just about every entrance in the middle class subdivisions and especially on the market sidewalks. A favorite among most Filipinos.

Filipino’s eat this BBQ as an appetizer, meal, or a snack. This particular recipe has been a tradition for Filipino’s when it comes to street barbecuing. It inspired me to post this recipe to give our craving kababayan’s (fellow pinoys) that have been away from the Philippines a little trip down memory lane where street food is just a couple of steps away. This is fairly simple to make, but it does take a little bit of time to marinate. Just remember, the longer you let it marinate the better the taste (you have to marinate if for at least one day but no more than three days). So be patient when it comes to preparing these mouth-watering street delights. Now, on to what you’re waiting for, the recipe.



Ingredients:

2 Lbs. of Pork butt or belly (if using pork belly remove the skin)
1 Cup of soy sauce
1 Whole garlic peeled & smashed
1 Small onion minced
2 Lemons
½ Cup of 7UP
1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
5 Tbsp. Dark brown sugar
1 Cup of Banana sauce (ketchup)
1 Tsp. MSG

Directions:

Soak bamboo skewers in water overnight to avoid splitting and burning before using. Cut pork into ½ thick x 1” inch wide x 1 ½ ” inch long pieces. Slide pork onto skewers and set aside.

In a large bowl combine soy sauce, garlic, onion, juice of 2 lemons, 7-UP, ground black pepper, dark brown sugar, banana ketchup, and msg. Using a whisk mix and dissolve ingredients really well and pour marinade mixture onto the pork. Cover and set in the fridge at least overnight or up to 2 days. Barbecue over hot coals or gas grill until pork is done. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy your BBQ.

Tip:

Baste the pork with the remaining marinade to further enhance the flavor while barbecuing. Basting the meat will also help to keep it moist through the entire cooking process. Make sure you allow the marinade to cook when using it for basting, remember this is a left over marinade.

I also used the marinade sauce on porkchops but instead of marinating it, I cooked the prokchops first and then brushed it with the marinade sauce I used in the Pork barbecue a few minutes before it’s fully cooked.. It tasted great as well.. I did this because I was afraid to leave black burnt marinade on the pork chops since it’s thicker than the kebabs on the sticks...

I don’t know what kind of bbq grill you have, but if it does have a lid on it, try this cooking method. Set one side of it really hot by pushing most the charcoal on one side, and a little bit on the other side, then sear your Pork Chops on the hot side, once you get the sear mark on your Chops then you can transfer it on the other side with a lot less heat. Put the lid back on the grill and finish cooking your Pork Chops. Enjoy!
 

top

Pinoy Pork Barbecue (BBQ) "Holy Grail" version

This is our Holy Grail of recipes... this is the BEST recipe in the whole wide world! ;)

This is a Filipino recipe, which is different from American barbecue as you shall see. I treat this recipe with respect and always speak of it in hushed tones.

Except, of course, when I have to shout, "This is the BEST RECIPE in the WORLD!" ;)

We were a little hesitant to post this recipe at first, because this recipe is very close to our hearts. We are not alone in this: talk to anybody who grew up in Manila and nothing evokes that childhood more than marinated pork on skewers, "barbecued" or grilled over charcoal.


You may say, "What's so hard about skewering some meat onto sticks?!" I'll tell you why!

First of all, the pork is not cut into cubes. Skewering cubes is easy. The pork in this case, however, is sliced thinly, and somehow, not in regular shapes. That is, they're not all the same size and in perfect rectangles. So maneuvering them onto the sticks and making them look pretty takes some effort.

Second, when we make pork BBQ, we can't just buy 1 or 2 pounds of pork and call it a day. That amount won't even last until the start of dinner! Those skewers disappear fast during the walk from the grill outside to the dining table inside. There is quite a number of us in the household, after all.

Besides, we are ones who, for some reason, cannot control ourselves. Must've been raised that way. Whereas other people would be satisfied with 2 or 3 skewers, we prefer to GORGE ourselves. In fact, if for some reason each of us only gets 2 skewers, whines and complaints would ensue.

"Is that everything?"
(Yun lang?! Wala na ba?!!?!)

"How come there's no more?!!"
(Bakit wala na?!)

"Why did you make so little?!! Why even bother making any!"
(Bakit ang konti-konti?!?! Gumawa ka pa! Bitin naman, e! 'Kakainis.)

Usually, we also invite some people over when making this. Hence, 2 pounds of pork will never cut it. We buy 15 to 20 pounds of pork. Imagine the labor!

Why are we going on and on about Pork BBQ when the title clearly says chicken?

Well, here's the twist.

We're doing "Chicken Barbeque" instead. Chicken is much easier to skewer. Although, we bypass that whole step and don't even skewer the chicken pieces anymore.




This recipe is reminiscent of Aristocrat's chicken barbecue, the famous restaurant in Manila for it's "BBQ with Java rice".

A note regarding Aristocrat
http://www.aristocrat.com.ph/

Aristocrat is a very famous restaurant in the Philippines, famous for its chicken barbecue plate, served with pieces of chicken, a bowl of "Java" rice, and a small mound of atsara (pickled green papaya). The chicken is also served with a peanut sauce.

In the land where delicious chicken dishes abound, Aristocrat's chicken barbecue is ranked as one of the top -- if not the top -- chicken recipes throughout.

At least, this is how I remember it, from the vantage of having grown up during Aristocrat's heyday, when they had just that one big restaurant along Roxas Boulevard, along Manila Bay.

The restaurant is still standing, with numerous branches across the country, but I cannot vouch for the quality of the food now, not having eaten there for a long, long time, close to 15 years.

On the Aristocrat website, it states: "The insatiable craving for Manila's famous Chicken Barbecue sends regular patrons in droves." Haha. Insatiable! In droves! =D Although, from what I remember, although it was so long ago, that statement is not hyperbole.

So, finally, we get to the dish itself.

The marinade
As with most of the recipes we know, this one starts with the marinade. Yes, 7-up!!

 

The marinade includes garlic (the massive amount you see), soy sauce, sugar, kalamansi juice, 7-Up or Sprite, salt and a generous amount of black pepper. For so long, we've been living without kalamansi, so we've always used lemon instead. Limes would work as well.



I taste the marinade as I add ingredients, adjusting it as I go. When it is acceptable, the pork slices go in. In this case, the chicken parts went in.

Please, the meat should marinate at least overnight or marinate chicken for 2 days and 2 nights for tastier result.

Then, off to the grill! Of course, charcoal is best or grill.

"Barbeque" sauce
To make the basting sauce (the "barbeque" sauce), I use some of the marinade and add ketchup, worcestershire sauce, a touch of oil, and adjust the sugar and soy sauce levels. I heat the sauce until "cooked."

Baste, baste, baste(!) with the barbeque sauce while the meat is cooking.

Peanut sauce
As for the peanut sauce, again, I use some of the marinade and add the same things above (not so much ketchup, though) plus some peanut butter. I heat this to cook the marinade and make the mixture smooth. Serve peanut sauce with your chicken barbeque. It is heavenly on it!

If you're iffy about using the used marinade for the barbeque sauce and peanut sauce, simply make a new mixture with the marinade ingredients and use that as your base.

There you go! Some chicken barbeque!



Now we'll just have to work on getting that Java rice correctly. ;)



"Holy Grail" Barbequed Pork recipe

1- big head garlic, crushed
2- tsp. salt
1- tsp. black pepper
4- Tbsp. soy sauce
4- Tbsp sugar
1- can 7-up or Sprite
10- pcs. calamansi
1- kg. pork, sliced thin into 1-1/2" pcs. (We get shoulder butt.)

Procedure
Mix all ingredients together including the pork. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

The sauce is the marinade itself, just add catsup, Lea & Perrins, 2 tbsp. oil, sugar. For chicken barbeque, the marinade is the same as barbeque pork, but without the catsup, and you have to marinate the chicken for 2 days and 2 nights, ok

Recipe courtesy of eatingclub vancouver

top

Bicol Express 

* 1 kilo pork, cubed
* 1/4 cup shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)
* 8 pieces red chili pepper (siling labuyo), whole
* 10 pieces green jalapeno pepper (siling berde), chopped
* 3 cups coconut milk
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 big onion, chopped
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:

1. In a frying pan heat the oil until hot.
2. Sauté garlic, onion, and shrimp paste.
3. Add the pork and half of the coconut milk.
4. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
5. Put in the remaining coconut milk, chili pepper, and green pepper.
6. Cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Serve with rice.
 

top

Beef Tapa (tapsilog) 

* 1 kilo beef loin, very thinly sliced
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 3/4 cup cane vinegar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 tablespoon black pepper, ground

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and let it stand in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
2. Spread the pieces of meat in a tray and let it dry overnight.
3. Sun dry a couple of hours before cooking in smoker to medium or medium well.
3. OR Serve fried with garlic rice and fried egg (tapsilog).

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with a salsa of chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, grated radish, chopped fresh cilantro, oriental fish sauce (or salt) to taste, crushed hot chilies, and a little vinegar (or lemon juice). For heavy eaters, chop meat into small pieces and serve sprinkled over a mound of garlic fried rice and fried eggs.
 

top

Adobong Pusit 

1 1/8 lb Small fresh squids
1/2 c Native vinegar
10 Cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Medium-sized onion, sliced
1/4 cup spring onions
2 Medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:

1) Wash the squids very well. Remove the long thin membrane in the head and slit the eyes to bring out the ink.
2) Place the squids in a saucepan with vinegar, 6 cloves garlic crushed, salt and pepper.
3) Cover and cook slowly until the squids are tender.
4) Cut cooked squids into 1/2 inch slices crosswise.
5) Crush remaining garlic and sauté in a little lard in another pan.
6) Add the onion and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are very soft.
7) Add the squids and the liquid in which they were boiled.
8) Simmer for 7 minutes. Season with salt, and pepper.
 

top

Baked Tahong (mussels)

1 kilo tahong, boiled with ginger
1 cup cheese, grated
2 tbsp. garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. butter, softened dash
1 tbsp. bagoong (Barrio Fiesta "spicy")
Worcestershire sauce
dash of liquid seasoning
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1) Open the boiled tahong.
2) Lay out on trays for baking.
3) Mix all the ingredients to together except breadcrumbs.
4) Make a paste. Spoon and spread on tahong.
5) Sprinkle with breadcrumbs on top.
6) Bake at 170 °C until breadcrumbs turn brown.
7) Serve immediately.

 

top

Ginisang Munggo

* 1 cup munggo, washed
* 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into small pieces
* 5 cups water
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 small onion, minced
* 4 pieces tomatoes, sliced
* 1 cup malunggay leaves
* 1 Knorr pork cube
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 tablespoon cooking oil

Directions:

1. In a casserole, put water, munggo, and Knorr pork cube.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the munggo is cooked.
3. In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the garlic, onion, and tomatoes.
4. Add the pork and sauté until lightly browned.
5. Add in the munggo and stock.
6. Season with pepper and add the malunggay leaves.

 

top

Nilagang Baka

(Boiled Beef)

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. beef cut into 2x2 inch pieces 
2 cubes beef bouillon or beef stock (plain water would suffice) 
1 tsp. peppercorns 
1 small onion chopped 
2 medium-sized carrots cut into quarters lengthwise 
3 medium-sized potatoes cut into quarters 
1 small head of bok choy (pechay) (optional if not available) 
1 small head of cabbage cut into quarters 
salt and pepper to taste 

Directions
= Boil beef, peppercorns and onions in a pot with enough beef stock to cover the meat. Place lid on pot and simmer over medium heat. If you want more stock (sabaw), add more.
= After 30 minutes of boiling, or if the meat is very tender, add carrots and potatoes. Boil for another 10-15 minutes.
= When vegetables are done, add the rest of the ingredients and seasoning. Boil for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Serves 6 people 

 

top

Sinigang na Sugpo

Serves: 8
Ingredients
10 cups water 
2 pieces onion quartered 
4 pieces tomatoes, seeded and quartered 
2 pieces daikon (peeled and sliced diagonally into discs) 
12 pieces long beans (sitaw), cut into 2-inch lengths 
4 pieces green chili peppers (sili) 
35 ounces prawns or shrimps, trimmed 
14 ounces spinach or Asian watercress (kangkong) 

Directions
Bring water to a boil. Add onions and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add daikon, long beans, chili pepper, fish sauce, and Mama Sita's Sinigang mix. Continue to simmer for three minutes, uncovered. Add the shrimps and simmer for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the spinach or kangkong. Cover to steam-cook the vegetables. Serve with fish sauce. 
 

top

Lengua

Serves: 4 - 5
Ingredients
1 piece ox-tongue, thoroughly cleaned. 
Lea and Perrins sauce 
salt and pepper 
10 pieces calamansi 
3 cloves garlic, crushed 
2 medium onion, sliced 
1 can (12 ounces) Cream of Mushroom soup (Campbells)
button mushrooms 
button olives 
4 tablespoons butter 
1/4 cup grated cheese 

Directions
Boil until fork tender and peel skin. Fry whole tongue until golden brown turning occasionally. Then thinly slice.
Marinade ox-tongue in Lea and Perrins sauce, calamansi, salt and pepper for an hour. Fry tongue pieces and when browned, braise for 30 minutes. Sauté garlic and onions in butter. Add Cream of Mushroom soup. Garnish with mushrooms, olives and grated cheese. And bake in oven for further 20 minutes at 400° F (degrees Fahrenheit) or 200° C (degrees Centigrade).

top

 Igado  

Ingredients
1/4 pound each pork tenderloin, liver, heart and kidney 
2 tablespoons green peas 
salt to taste 
1/2 cup ilocos vinegar 
1/2 cup soy sauce 
1/4 cup bell pepper 
1 tablespoon garlic 

Directions
Soak pork liver in vinegar. Sauté garlic and pork tenderloin in cooking oil until golden brown. Add pork heart, pork kidney and soaked pork liver. Add soy sauce. Simmer until all meats are tender and sauce is thick enough. Add green peas and bell pepper.   

top

Beef Pochero 

Ingredients
2 lbs Beef, cut into small cubes
1 oz Chorizo
4 Chopped green onions
1 Celery stalk
1 head Cabbage
2 Potatoes, cut into small cubes
1/4 lb Green string beans
1 Chopped green pepper
2 tbsps Peanut oil
2 cloves Crushed garlic
1/2 cup Tomato sauce
1 cup Garbanzo beans
2 tbsps Salt


Preparation:

Put your meat in a large pot filled with boiling water. Reduce heat and steep for at least two hours so the meat can achieve the right tenderness. Remove the meat from the pot and add green beans, potatoes, and cabbage.

Saute your celery, green pepper, onions and garlic in oil using a medium saucepan, add tomato sauce, then simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can mix. Add some pork broth from the previous pot, and the chickpeas.

Serve in deep dishes, on steamed rice, and garnish with Chorizo. Pour the tomato sauce over the meat and vegetables.
Servings: 8

 

top

Nilagang Baka Recipe (Beef Stew)  

Estimated Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours


Beef Stew Ingredients:

* 1 kilo beef, cut into 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ cubes
* 8 potatoes cut the same size as the beef
* 1 bundle Pechay (Bok choy) cut into 2 pieces
* 1 small cabbage, quartered
* 5 onions, diced
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 4 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
* 10 corns of black pepper
* 1 liter of water
* Salt and pepper to taste

Beef Stew Cooking Instructions:

* In a big casserole, heat oil and sauté the garlic and onions.
* Add water, the beef, black pepper and patis. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour or until the beef is tender.
* Add the potatoes. Continue to simmer until potatoes are cooked.
* Add the cabbage then the pechay. Do not over cook the vegetables.
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* Serve steaming hot in a bowl and plain white rice.

Cooking Tips:

You can substitute the beef with chicken (chicken stew) or pork (pork stew) for variety.

 

top

Kalderetang Baka Recipe (Beef Kaldereta) 

Estimated cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Beef Kaldereta Ingredients:

* 1 kilo beef, cut into chunks
* 1 big can (350g) liver spread or ground liver
* 5 onions, minced
* 3 mid-size potatoes guartered
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 6 tomatoes, sliced
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* 3 green peppers, diced
* 3 red peppers, diced
* 4 pieces hot chilli peppers, minced
* 3/4 cup grated cheese
* 2 cups beef stock or water
* 1/4 cup cooking or olive oil

Kaldereta Cooking Instructions:

* In a casserole, sauté: garlic and onions in oil. Then add tomatoes, potatoes, red & green pepper and chilli peppers.
* Add in the beef, tomato sauce, liver spread and water or stock. Salt to taste and let simmer for at least 1 hour or until the beef is tender.
* Add cheese and olives (optional) and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.
* Serve with plain rice

Cooking Tips:

* Instead of beef, goat’s meat (kambing) can be used. If goat’s meat is used, marinate the meat in vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper for at least 15 minutes.
* For a special kaldereta, do not use water or beef stock. Use an equivalent weight of onions to the beef (1 kg of onions : 1 kg of beef). The onions will serve as water to the dish.

 

Kalderetang Kambing

Kaldereta is one of the meat dishes everyone has come to love. You can always find it in the menus of authentic Pilipino restaurant or even in "turo-turo" type restaurant. On every celebrations, on ordinary occasions or get together party kaldereta will most likely be on the table. There is the kalderetang baka, manok or even pork and the most favorite amongst all is the kalderetang kambing.

Yes it’s the same kambing that you see in the provinces and barrios of the Philippines. Fresh young goat meat is preferable. The meat is not that pungent, usually from a year old goat so it doesn’t require the pressure cooker, just simmer it for approximately 30 minutes and its just tender so be careful not to over boil it.

Ingredients:

1 k. goat meat
2 medium size green/red bell pepper, cut into 1” square
2 medium size potato, quartered
1 medium size carrots, cut same size as potato
1 can button mushroom, cut into halves
2 medium size onion, chopped
1/2 head garlic, chopped
1 can liver spread
1 cup tomato sauce
1 pkt. kaldereta mix
5-8 peppercorns, crushed
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. vinegar
3 siling labuyo or hot chili peppers
3 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Cooking procedure:

Marinate goat meat with vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper for 5-10 minutes. Drain marinate and stir fry meat until color changes to light brown, keep aside. In a casserole pan, sauté garlic and onion, add meat and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce, tomato sauce and liver spread, stir cook for 3-5 minutes. Add 3-4 cups of water, crushed pepper corns and bay leaf simmer for 30 minutes or until meat are tender. Add potato, carrots, mushroom siling labuyo and kaldereta mix diluted in 1/2 cup of water, simmer for another 10 minutes or until vegetable are cooked and sauce thickens. Add bell pepper, season with salt and cook for another 30 seconds, serve hot.

top

Chicken Apritada    

1 2-3 lb. chicken, in serving pieces
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1 can (6 oz) tomato sauce
1 x Bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1/4 cup Water
2 med Potatoes, cubed
1 jar (4 oz) pimentos

Method :

* Simmer chicken for about 15 minutes in garlic, onions, tomato sauce, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, pepper and water. Add cubed potatoes and pimento.
* Continue to cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
* ** I used 5 boneless chicken thighs and a one pint of whole chopped tomatoes as that was all I had. Loved it. Original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of
peppercorns. We had to pick those out. If you wish it more spicy, add more pepper or even a dash of hot sauce.

top

Chicken Puchero (Pochero) Recipe (chicken, and pork or beef)   

Filipino Puchero or Pochero is a delicious stew made from chicken, pork or beef. Here’s how to prepare Puchero or Pochero the Filipino way.

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Makes 6 Servings

Pochero Ingredients:

* 1 cup dried chickpeas
* 1 (3 lb) chicken, cut in serving size pieces
* 1 lb pork, cut in large cubes
* 2 chorizo sausage, cut into 1″ pieces
* 1 large onion, sliced
* 4 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
* 4 tablespoons oil
* 10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 ripe tomatoes, , peeled and diced or1 small can whole tomatoes
* 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1 bok choy, cut acrossin 2″ sections
* 8 green onions, cut in 2″ lengths

Pochero Cooking Instructions:

* Wash chick peas and soak overnight (or use a can of Garbanzo beans).
* In one pan put in the chick peas chicken, pork, chorizo and add water to cover.
* Add sliced onion, salt& peppercorns, bring to a boil.
* Reduce heat and simmer until meats and chick peas are almost tender.
* In another pan heat oil and fry garlic with the chopped onion on low heat, stirring frequently until golden brown.
* Add tomatoes and cook to a pulp.
* Add meats, stock& sweet potatoes.
* Simmer until potatoes are nearly cooked then add cabbage& green onions for the last few minutes.
* Serve broth as soup and the meats& vegetables as a separate course.

top

Chopsuey Recipe  

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 45 minutes.
Chopsuey Ingredients:

* 1/4 kilo pork, sliced into small pieces
* 1/4 kilo shrimps, shelled, deveined and halved
* 1/4 kilo chicken liver and gizzard, sliced to small pieces
* 1/4 kilo cauliflower, broken to bite size
* 1/4 kilo string beans
* 1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro)
* 1/4 kilo cabbage, cut into squares
* 2 stalks of leeks, cut into 2″ long pieces
* 3 stalks celery, cut into 2″ long pieces
* 5 cloves garlic, diced
* 2 onions, diced
* 1 carrot, sliced thinly
* 1 piece red bell pepper, cut in strips
* 1 piece green bell pepper. cut in strips
* 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
* 2 cups chicken stock (broth)
* 3 tablespoons of sesame oil
* 3 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 4 tablespoons of corn oil or vegetable oil
* Salt to taste

Chopsuey Cooking Instructions:

* In a big pan or wok, sauté garlic, onions then add in the pork. chicken liver and gizzard. Add 1 cup of stock, pinch of salt and simmer for 15 minutes or until pork and chicken giblets are cooked.
* Mix in the shrimp then all the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 cup of stock, patis and the dissolved cornstarch. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are done. Add the sesame oil.
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* Serve hot with rice.

top

Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe  

Chicken Macaroni Salad Ingredients:

* 1/5 kilo macaroni noodles
* 2 to 3 pieces, medium sized carrots
* 1 big chicken breast
* 500 ml of mayonnaise
* 1 can (836 g) pineapple chunks or tidbits
* 1 big white onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
* 3 hardboiled eggs, diced
* 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup raisins
* salt and pepper to taste

Macaroni Salad Cooking Instructions:

* Cook macaroni noodles according to package cooking instructions.
* In a pot, boil carrots in water for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked.
* Drain carrots and let cool. Peal skin then dice.
* Boil chicken breast in water with salt. Drain chicken breast, then shred in 1 inch lengths
* Drain pineapple chunks or tidbits.
* Combine all ingredients while adding salt and pepper, to taste.
* Refrigerate, then serve.

top

Pandesal  

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2-1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
5 cups sifted flour
1 cup boiling water
bread crumbs ( for coating )

How to make Pandesal
* Combine shortening, sugar, salt and boiling water in a large mixing bowl.
* Cool to lukewarm. Add warm water and sprinkle in dry yeast. Stir until well blended.
* Let stand 5 minutes. Add flour gradually and turn out on a light floured board.
* Knead until smooth and brush with shortening. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size.
* Punch down and turn out on a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal parts and shape into ovals.
* Roll in bread crumbs. Place on greased cookie sheets. Cover, let rise in warm place.
* Bake at 425° F (degrees Fahrenheit) or 220° C (degrees Centigrade) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

top

Siopao Recipe (Siopao Asado and Siopao Bola-bola)

Siopao is a favorite Filipino snack, consisting of a meat filling inside a steamed rice-flour bun, a larger version of Chinese dumplings. It is usually sold as part of dim sum by Chinese-style restaurants.

Asado siopao is filled with diced pork or beef cooked in soy sauce (with salt and sugar added to taste); its taste and texture a bit like adobo. Indeed, a good use for leftover adobo is siopao filling. Bola-bola is a local term for Chinese-style filling; chopped pork and Chinese sausage baked with egg and flour to a consistency akin to meatloaf.

Estimated cooking time: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Siopao Ingredients:
* 6 cups flour
* 1 package active dry yeast
* 1 lb cubed pork loin or chicken thighs
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons cooking oil
* 1 cup lukewarm water
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 6 hard-boiled eggs
* 2 green onions
* 4 teaspoons light soy sauce
* 4 teaspoons brown sugar
* 4 teaspoons oyster sauce
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 t. water
* 2 cloves garlic
* 3 teaspoons salt
* 6 teaspoons baking powder

Siopao Cooking Instructions:

Siopao Dough:
- Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl, set aside.
- In another bowl dissolve yeast in lukewarm water then add 1 cup of the flour mixture.
-  Mix thoroughly.
- Cover with a cloth and let rise 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, dissolve the white sugar in the boiling water.
- Stir well then let cool to lukewarm.
- Pour into the yeast mixture, then add the rest of the prepared flour mixture.
- Stir to blend well.
- Grease a large bowl.
- Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead for 3 minutes-you want your dough smooth, not sticky.
- Place ball into bowl, turn once and cover with a damp cloth.
- Let rise 2 hours or until doubled.

Siopao Filling:
= Sauté the garlic and onions in a small amount of oil in a wok.
= Add meat and stir fry for 1 minute or until meat is no longer pink.
= Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar.
= Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and stir fry quickly until meat is glazed well.
= Remove from heat and let cool.

How to make Siopao:
  Punch down dough and knead on a floured board for 3 to 5 minutes.
  Divide dough and roll each half into a 12×2 inch log.
  Cut each into 12 pieces, making 24.
  Roll each piece into a ball using your hands then rolling it flat into a 3 inch diameter circle.
  Dust with flour if needed to prevent sticking.
  Place 1 slice of egg into center of dough round, then 1 T. of filling with sauce.
  Gather sides of round, pinch together and twist.
  Place pinched side down on parchment paper and place in steamer.
  Repeat until done.
  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 hour.
  Steam Siopao for 20 minutes.
  You can freeze cooked Siopao, simply re-steam for 10 minutes.

top

Chicken Mami Noodles Soup  

Mami and siopao are the Chinese connection when it comes to merienda. Noodles in broth topped with chicken, beef or wonton are sold almost anywhere from the karitons in Quiapo, the panciterias in Chinatown, in fastfoods and in restaurants. And it goes will with a side order of siopao asado.

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Mami Ingredients:

Pinoy Mami SoupMami-Style Miki:

* 2 small chicken breasts
* 2 litres chicken and vegetable stock
* 1 small cabbage
* 3 medium carrots
* 1 large stalk celery
* 1 large onion
* 250 g fresh noodles (miki)
* 5-10 whole peppercorns (approx.)
* 3 pcs. cloves
* 2 laurel leaves (bay leaf)
* 1 tbsp. oregano
* salt to taste

Toppings and condiments:

* 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced into 6 sections each
* 3 heads crushed fried garlic (approx)
* 2 stalks spring onion, thinly sliced or chopped
* calamansi slices
* ground black pepper
* fish sauce

Mami Cooking Instructions:

Cooking will be a bit faster if you have chicken or vegetable stock but it is not necessary. Even it is available, the chicken breasts would still have to be parboiled and if it is not, then the water used to boil the chicken can be used as stock.

* Chop one carrot and a quarter of the cabbage.
* Julienne the rest of the carrots and thinly slice the cabbage.
* In a pot, cover chicken in stock or plain water.
* Season with half a teaspoon of salt, whole peppercorns, 3 cloves, laurel and oregano.
* Add chopped carrots and cabbage. Let it boil till chicken is tender.
* Take out chicken so as not to overcook.
* Debone and return bones to the stock.
* Keep it on a low simmer till serving time.
* In a separate pot, boil around a litre of water.
* Drop the fresh noodles and let it come to a rolling boil.
* Take out the noodles as soon as tender but still with some resistance or al dente.
* Wash the noodles in cold or tap water. Drain.
* In the same pot used to cook the noodles, pour in one or two servings worth of the chicken and vegetable broth, half a cup of the julienned carrots and
thinly sliced cabbage.
* Boil for 2-3 minutes then add the noodles and pieces of chicken. Pour into bowls as soon as it boils.
* Garnish with the toppings and season with the condiments as desired.

top

Buko Fruit Salad    

 

New Year’s Eve noche buena must have a fruit salad on the dinner table. The most popular fruit salad is the Buko salad. The popularity of fruits during New Year’s Eve celebration is part of the tradition to bring in good year, fortune and prosperity.

Buco salad Ingredients:

5 large cans of Del Monte Fruit Cocktail (Imported)
Grated Coconut meat from 10 buko (young coconut)
2 cans lychees
1 small bottle nata de coco (green)
1 small bottle nata de coco (red)
1 small bottle kaong (green)
1/4 kilo seedless grapes
3 small china apples , cubed
1/4 kilo seedless grapes
1 can condensed milk
2 packs Nestle Cream
1 can Peaches for topping
Few red or green cherries for topping



Procedure
1. Drain the fruits from the can for at least 2 hours. This is to prevent a soggy fruit salad.

2. When all the juices have been drained, mix all the fruits together in a bowl.

3. Add the condensed milk and cream till well blended.

4. Transfer to serving bowls and top with peaches and cherries.

5. Freeze or Refrigerate properly. (Buko spoils if not refrigerated or frozen. I prefer to freeze the rest of the buko salad if it isn’t eaten within the day.)

top

Inihaw Pusit   

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and marinate the squid for 1 hour. Grill squid for about 4 minutes on each side.

Main Ingredients:
* 1 kilo squid
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup vinegar
* 1/2 head garlic (minced)
* 1/2 tablespoon ginger (minced)
* 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper (minced)
* 2 teaspoons salt

Procedure:
1. Wash and clean squid well.
2. Take out the black ink.
3. Take out the skin and film.
4. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and marinate the squid for 1 hour.
5. Grill squid for about 4 minutes on each side.
6. Heat remaining marinade mixture for sauce.
7. Serve with sauce.

top

Camaron Rebosado (Battered Prawns in Sweet & Sour Sauce) 

Prawns dipped in batter and deep-fried, Camaron Rebosado resembles the Japanese prawn tempura in many ways.

Makes: 6 serving
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes - 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 cups plain all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp calamansi juice (or lemon juice)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 kg (2 lb) medium prawns, heads and shells removed, deveined, tails left intact
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup oil

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1/2 cup white refined sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1 cup water

Cooking Instructions:

* Sprinkle the calamansi or lemon juice and salt and pepper over the shrimps and set aside while you prepare the batter.
* In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Dredge each prawn in flour mixture, dip in egg, then dredge in flour again.
* Heat cooking oil in a wok or frying pan. Cook prawns in hot oil in batches until they turn an even yellow-orange color. Drain the prawns on a paper towel and serve with sweet and sour sauce.

To make the Sweet & Sour Sauce
* Blend sugar, salt, ketchup and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir in the cornflour mixture.
* Continue simmering until sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Serve as a side dip.

top

Tuna Sandwich Recipe

Tuna sandwich recipe
Ingredients:

* 1 can (7 ounces) tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 rib celery, finely chopped
* dash of Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 c. finely chopped sweet pickle (relish)
* 3 - 4 tbsps mayonnaise
* 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 small cucumber, optional
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 8 slices bread toast (preferably rye or wheat)
* soft butter

Preparation:
Mix tuna with mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, celery, Worcestershire sauce, onion, lemon juice, adding a little
more mayonnaise if not moist enough. Peel and thinly slice cucumber. Spread tuna mixture on toast or bread slice, top
with thinly sliced cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes.
Tuna Sandwich serves 4.

=================================================

SIMPLE CHICKEN / TUNA SALAD SANDWICH FILLING
1 (6 1/2 oz.) can tuna, drained (or ham, chicken, etc.)
1/4 c. finely chopped sweet pickle (relish)
1/2 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients; refrigerate until serving time. 1 1/4 cups filling (enough for 3 or 4 sandwiches).

top

Empanada    

Chicken Empanada is a favorite snack and party fare that I can serve hot or cold. I always thought making empanada was difficult but after baking Apple Pie, Empanada is a breeze. Here is an easy empanada recipe that uses baking.

Makes 20 puffs Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 20 mins

Chicken Empanada Ingredients:

Crust

* 300 g (2 1/2 cups) flour, plus extra for dusting
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 65 g (1/3 cup) chilled solid vegetable shortening
* 125 g(1/2 cup) butter
* 6-7 tablespoons iced water
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon water

Filling

* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 medium onion, minced
* 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
* 450 g (1 lb) chicken breast or thigh meat, deboned and cubed
* 1 small potato, diced
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 250 ml (1 cup) water or chicken broth
* 100 g (1 cup) green peas (thawed, if frozen)
* 100 g (1/2 cup) raisins (optional)
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Chicken Empanada Instructions:

* To make the Crust, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
* Cut in the butter and shortening with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the iced water, a little at a time while gathering the mixture to form a soft dough.
* Form the dough into a ball. Sprinkle some flour onto a sheet of waxed paper and wrap dough in the waxed paper. Chill 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
* To make the Filling, heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add onions and saute about 1 minute, then add garlic and saute a further 1 minute. Add the cubed chicken meat and stir-fry until the chicken browns.
* Add potatoes and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in water or broth and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender and chicken is fully cooked.
* Add peas and raisins and simmer a further 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. With a slotted spoon, drain ingredients and transfer to a bowl, letting excess liquid drip. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
* Preheat oven to 200° C (400° F). Remove chilled dough from refrigerator. Lightly flour a pastry board or clean table top. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough on a pastry board until it is 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Don’t roll it too thin or it will break when baked. Cut 10 cm (4 in) circles using a cutter and a small bowl.
* Gather the scraps and re-roll them so they can be used again. You should get about 20 pastry circles.
* Spoon about 1-2 teaspoons Filling into the middle of each pastry circle. Fold the circle so the edges meet and filling is sealed. Press the edges of the pastry with the tines of a fork.
* Combine lightly beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush surface of each folded puff with egg mixture. Arrange on a greased baking sheet. With a knife make 2-3 slits on the surface of each puff to allow steam to escape while baking.
* Bake puffs in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside for a few minutes to cool before serving.

top

Calamares   

Often served in bars and bistros as an accompaniment to drinks, Calamares is a dish of Spanish origin by Filipinos and localised with the use of calamansi.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 15 + 30 mins marinating
Cooking time: 15-20 mins

Filipino Calamares Ingredients:

* 1 kg (2 lb) medium squid, cleaned (head, ink sacs and tentacles discarded), outer purple skin peeled off (do not cut squid open)
* Juice of 3-4 calamansi (lime)
* 2 egg whites
* 125 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
* 250 ml (1 cup) oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Lettuce (optional)

Filipino Calamares Cooking Instructions:

* Slice squid into 1-cm (½-in) rings. Marinate in calamansi juice for about 30 minutes.
* Dip squid rings in egg whites, then dredge in flour.
* Heat oil in a wok and fry squid rings in hot oil a few pieces at a time until they turn golden yellow, about 1 minute. Do not overcook as this will make the squid tough.
* Remove squid rings from the wok and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, place a bed of lettuce.
* Serve with Garlic Mayonnaise Dip as an appetizer or as a pulutan with drinks

top

Rellenong Bangus     

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour


Rellenong Bangus Ingredients:

* 1 big bangus (milkfish)
* 3 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 onion chopped
* 2 tomatoes, diced
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 small carrot, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 4 tablespoons of cooking oil
* salt and pepper to taste
* ham, finely chopped
* raisins
* cooked peas

Rellenong Bangus Cooking Instructions:

* Scale and remove the intestines of the bangus.
* With a very sharp knife, slowly remove the meat of the fish from the skin through the opening cavity below the head. Remove the spine by snapping off the bone at the base of the tail and head. Use a long spoon to scrape all the meat from the skin.
* Marinate the head and skin in lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper.
* Boil in 1/2 cup of water the bangus meat with some salt for 5 minutes.
* Sauté the garlic and onions until slightly brown then add the tomatoes and carrots until tender.
* Add the chopped ham, cooked peas, raisins and the bangus meat to the mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
* Add a beaten egg to the sauté and mix well.
* Stuff the mixture inside the bangus skin and head. Sew the cavity if needed.
* Fry in oil until golden brown.
* slice slightly diagonal (1 1/2 inch thick) and serve.

top

Rellenong Alimasag     

Those who like the taste of crabs will enjoy eating this dish. The stuffing contains only pure crab meat, sautéed with garlic, onion and tomatoes, which give it added flavor. You may steam the crab ahead and fry the meat from the shells. Keep crab meat refrigerated until ready to cook as stuffing.

Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Rellenong Alimasag Recipe Ingredients:

* 6 crabs
* 90 ml (1/3 cup) oil
* 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
* 2-3 small tomatoes, diced
* Salt and pepper
* 1 egg, lightly beated
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons bread-crumbs

Rellenong Alimasag Cooking Instructions:

* Steam crabs until fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
* Open crabs and remove the meat from the crabs. Set the meat aside. Reserve shells and claws.
* Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan and sauté onion for 1 minute.
* Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and sauté until tender. Stir in the crabmeat and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
* Spoon crabmeat mixture back into each of the shells. Brush lightly with egg, the dust lightly with cornstarch and breadcrumbs.
* Heat remaining oil in a pan and cook crab shells in the hot oil, stuffed side facing down, until a light brown crust is formed on the surface of the stuffed side. Remove from heat and serve with reserved claws.

top

Spicy Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp) 

Makes: 6 serving
Preparation time: 20 mins + 30 mins marinating
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Gambas Recipe Ingredients:

* 1 kg (2lb) medium prawns, peeled (heads, tails and shells discarded)
* Juices of 3-4 calamansi
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* Cloves of 1 hole head of garlic, peeled and crushed
* Dash Tabasco (or other hot pepper sauce)
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Parsley, to garnish (optional)
* Sliced green chili, to garnish (optional)

Gambas Recipe Cooking Instructions:

* Marinate peeled prawns in calamansi juice for about 30 mins.
* Heat oil in a frying pan or wok and sauté garlic until almost brown.
* Add prawns and stir fry until fully cooked, about 2 to 3 mins. Do not overcook.
* Season with hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer prawns to a serving dish together with the garlic. If desired, garnish with parsley and chili.
* Serve as an appetizer, as a first course or as pulutan with drinks.

top

Atsara (achara)    

Achara/atsara is the Philippine contribution to the world of Asian pickles. There are many versions, and virtually any vegetable can be used for making achara. Any mention of achara, though, will most likely evoke thoughts of this type of achara, which uses green papaya.

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Achara or Atsara Ingredients:

* 800 g green papaya, grated or julienned (cut into long thin strips)
* 2 medium carrots, grated
* 1 onion, grated
* 1 medium red capsicum (pepper), julienned
* 1 medium green capsicum, julienned
* 1 c raisins
* 2 Tbsp salt

Syrup

* 2 c sugar
* 1 inch piece ginger, julienned
* 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Achara or Atsara Cooking Instructions:

* In a large bowl, mix the grated green papaya with the salt.
* Cover with cling film and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
* Meanwhile, the syrup can be prepared by boiling the vinegar and sugar.
* When the sugar has dissolved, mix in the ginger, garlic and black pepper and let simmer for a further 5 minutes.
* When ready, rinse the papaya well. Squeeze as much of the water out as possible by placing the rinsed papaya in a large piece of muslin and wringing it hard.
* Mix in the rest of the vegetables.
* Put the vegetable mix into sterilized jars.
* Pour in the syrup and remove bubbles by pushing the vegetables down with the back of a spoon.
* Put lid on jar.
* If for immediate consumption, the jar can be put in the fridge and it should last for a week.
* If ‘preserving’, put the jars in a cauldron of lukewarm water, making sure the water level is around 2cm above the jar lids.
* Bring to a boil and leave on a rolling boil for around 30minutes.
* Leave the bottles in the cauldron, with water, until completely cool. The pop lids should be flat, meaning a vacuum has been created. Otherwise, repeat the pasteurization process. This pasteurized atsara should be good in the jar for a couple of months.
* Refrigerate upon opening.

top

Rellenong Talong (Stuffed Eggplant)

Eggplant, known as talong in Tagalog, is of the slender purple-skinned variety. Talong is usually grilled over the stove before being chopped and made into a salad; or stuffed (Rellenong Talong); or sautéed in a vegetable dish like Pinakbet.

Estimated cooking time: 40 minutes

Rellenong Talong Ingredients:

* 6 medium eggplants (aubergines)
* 2 tablespoons corn oil
* ½ medium onion, minced
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 500 g (1 lb) minced pork
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 60g (½ cup) corn oil for frying
* Chopped tomato, to garnish (optional)
* Chopped spring onion, to garnish (optional)

Rellenong Talong Cooking Instructions:

* Grill eggplants until soft, about 10 minutes each side. Peel but do not remove stems. Flatten eggplants with the back of a fork into fan-like shape. Set aside.
* In a frying pan, heat corn oil for 1 minute. Sautè onion until soft, then add garlic and sautè until fragrant.
* Add the minced pork and cook until it turns brown and loses its raw color. Remove from heat.
* Beat eggs in a shallow bowl. Dip the flattened eggplants in the beaten eggs. Spoon some of the cooked pork in to each eggplant and season with salt. Dredge with flour so the pork will adhere to the eggplant.
* Heat oil in a wok, then fry the eggplants one or two at a time until brown. With a heat-proof spatula turn eggplants over to brown the other side. Remove from pan and drain paper towels.
* If desired, garnish with tomato and spring onion and serve.

top

Chicken Binakol      

Before aluminum pans and even clay pots were invented, foods were in whatever was available. Large seashells, bamboo tubes, coconut shells and even leaves were used as containers. Chicken binakol in Batangas originally used the famous Batangas native chicken and was cooked in a bamboo tube to seal in the juices. In the Visayan binakol, on the other hand, the chicken was simmered with tanglad in the coconut shell itself.

Estimated preparation and cooking time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Chicken Binakol Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons oil
* 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 thumb-size ginger, sliced thinly
* 1 kilo chicken breast, cut into strips
* 5-6 cups water or chicken broth
* patis and pepper to taste
* buko water from 1 buko
* chopped buko meat
* spinach, malunggay or sili leaves

Chicken Binakol Cooking Instructions:

* In a saucepan, heat oil then sauté garlic, onions and ginger.
* Add chicken and stir-fry for a few minutes.
* Pour in water or chicken broth then season to taste.
* Simmer until chicken is tender.
* Add buko water and meat.
* Add the leafy vegetables just before serving.

top

Ampalaya Con Carne    

Ingredients:

2 - 4 pieces of ampalaya (bitter melon), cut in half length-wise, de-seeded and sliced cross-wise
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
8 1/2-inch slices of ginger
1 can of tausi (salted black beans)
2 lb beef, cut into 1 x 1 1/2 inch strips
1 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Preparation:

Prepare Ampalaya by cutting it in half lengthwise and removing the seeds. Make sure you scrape the white stuff off also. Slice it ¼ of an inch thick diagonally and place in a bowl large enough to fit all of it. Next smother it with plenty of salt and add water just above the ampalaya and let it soak for 20 minutes. (the salt will draw water and "bitterness" out) After soaking, rinse it thoroughly and make sure all the salt has been rinsed off.

Marinade beef strips in a mixture of corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil and a few slices of ginger. If possible, pound ginger - for about 30 mins or so.

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in pan. Brown beef and remove when reasonably brown. Set aside.

Using the same oil, add onion, garlic and remaining ginger - and saute until onion becomes transparent. Add sliced ampalaya and a tbsp oyster sauce. Add beef and 1/4 cup of water mixed with a teaspoon of cornstarch (thickens sauce). Simmer for about 3-5 mins. Add black beans. Be careful when adding the black beans as it is very salty. Maybe just a tablespoon or so.

top

Ampalaya Con Carne !!!



Some people say that Ampalaya Con Carne is basically the Cadillac of the Ampalaya dish variety. Whether I would agree or not, let’s find out. I normally cooked Ampalaya the way my Mom had taught me with shrimp, shrimp paste, and pork belly “ginisang ampalaya“ and always had great results.

Bagoong alamang seems to tame down a lot of the bitterness. So cooking this dish this way is somewhat out of my comfort zone. But looking at some of the recipes I found on the web, I was convinced it was worth a try and the pictures looked great, but did the actual taste do me justice? You’ll find out shortly. For now let’s take a look at the recipe.

Ingredients:



1 Large ampalaya (bitter melon / bitter gourd)
1 Small onion, cut in half and sliced crosswise
2 Tbs. Ginger root julienned
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
¼ Cup of water
1 Tbs. Soy sauce
Corn oil for stir-frying

The Marinade:
½ Lb. Beef loin
2 Tbs. Soy sauce
1 Tbs. White sugar
½ Tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Cornstarch
1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

Directions:

Prepare Ampalaya by cutting it in half lengthwise and removing the seeds. Make sure you scrape the white stuff off also. Slice it ¼ of an inch thick diagonally and place in a bowl large enough to fit all of it. Next smother it with plenty of salt and add water just above the ampalaya and let it soak for 20 minutes. After soaking, rinse it thoroughly and make sure all the salt has been rinsed off.

The beef: Slice beef loin in 2 x ½ x ¼ in. slices across the grain and place in the bowl along with soy sauce, sugar, salt,  cornstarch, sesame oil, and garlic mix well. Cover and sit it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

In a wok heat 2 Tbs. of corn oil to a smoking point. Sauté beef in batches for 15 seconds or until beef is no longer pink. Repeat this process until all beef is done and place it on a plate and set aside.

In the same wok heat 1 tablespoon of corn oil, add garlic and ginger and sauté it for 15 seconds. Next add the ampalaya and sauté it for one minute. Then add onions, the beef, and all the juice accumulated to the wok. Add water, soy sauce, cover and let it simmer for 6 minutes on medium low heat or until the ampalaya is tender. Adjust taste by adding salt if needed. Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!







Tip 1:
Ampalaya are seldom mixed with other vegetables due to their strong bitter taste, although this can be moderated to some extent by salting and then washing the cut ampalaya before use.

Tip 2:
When sautéing beef in batches always allow the wok to re-heat before adding the next batch of meat and add oil every batch if necessary.

Tip 3:
After cooking let it sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. This will also help tame the bitter taste while giving the flavor a little time to blend in.

top

Sautéed Beef Liver

When it comes to Philippines cuisine beef liver is one of the common main ingredients and this particular dish is one of the favorites among many. This dish is easy to make and fairly cheap. This is a sautéed version.

Most western cultures probably have never heard of it being done this way before, but for most Filipinos it is a pretty common one or at least where I came from. For those in western cultures, try it this way. You might like it.

Ingredients:



1 Lb Beef liver cut in 1 in. wide by ½ in. long pieces
4 Tbs. Soy sauce
1 Small tomato, seeded and diced
1 Small onion cut in half and sliced crosswise
1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
4 Cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
¼ Cup of water
½ Red bell pepper cut in strips
Corn oil for frying

Directions:

In a medium sized frying pan heat 2 Tbs. corn oil and sauté garlic until golden brown. Next add tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add beef liver, soy sauce, ground black pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes on medium low heat. Remove cover, stir, add onion, and ¼ cup of water. Recover, bring to a boil, and let it simmer for another five minutes on medium low heat. When done add salt & pepper if needed. Then add the red bell pepper, stir and cover. Let it set for five minutes before serving. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Note:
Do not cook the liver more than 15 minutes total. Over cooking the liver will make it tough and chewy.


 

top

Sisig     

Sisig is truly Filipino. From what I heard it was concocted by the food loving folks in Pampanga. In fact there’s a place in Angeles City, about
10 minutes drive from Clark, where you will find authentic sisig being served. Some even claim this was the place where this humble dish
originated.

Originally, sisig was made from chopped parts of a pig’s head — ears, snout, the brain, etc. Over the years it was reinvented into simple
minced meat served on a sizzling platter with chili, liver, onion and seasoned with calamansi and vinegar.

Different orders of sisig come in pork, chicken, tuna, chorizo, bangus, and tofu. Adding raw egg on the dish while it’s sizzling hot heightens
the flavor as well.

Here’s a simple sisig recipe:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs pork cheeks (or 2 lbs deboned pork hocks)
1/2 lb beef or pork tongue
1/2 lb beef or pork heart
1/2 lb liver (pork, beef or chicken)
2 cups water (for boiling)
1 cup pineapple juice (for boiling)
1 tsp whole black peppers (for boiling)

Marinade seasonings:

1 cup chopped onions
3-4 finger hot peppers (siling labuyo) (seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup calamansi juice (lemon juice)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
l clove garlic, minced
1 tsp whole black pepper (crushed)
1 pc bay leaf (crushed)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Hot sisig plate

* Combine pork cheeks (or deboned pork hocks), heart, and tongue in pineapple juice, salt, water and crushed whole black pepper and bring to a boil; simmer for about 1 hour or until tender.
* Drain and cool to room temperature.
* Slice pork cheeks/hocks, liver, heart and tongue, into 2″X3″ X 1/4″ thick pieces.
* Place in bamboo skewers and grill over charcoal briquettes until pork rind is crisp and browned.
* Chop the grilled pork cheeks/hocks, liver, heart, and tongue into 1/4 inch sized cubes;
* Mix the chopped meat with the marinade seasoning mix of garlic, ginger, onions, vinegar, calamansi juice, hot peppers (siling labuyo), bay leaf, salt and pepper;
* Keep the marinated mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.

A warning, though, for the weak of heart, sisig can be very fatty and may cause hypertension attack. So it’s good to know that you have healthier options in tuna, bangus or tofu sisig. Still they should be taken moderately.

top

Beef Morcon Recipe   

Estimated cooking time: 2 to 3 hours.

Morcon Ingredients:

* 1 kilo beef, sliced 1/4 inch thick (3 pcs.)
* 1/4 kilo ground beef liver
* 200 grams sliced sausages or ham
* 200 grams pork fat (cut is strips)
* 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
* 1/4 cup green olives - pitted & quartered
* 100 grams cheddar cheese in strips
* 100 grams grated cheddar cheese
* 2 onions, chopped
* 5 bay leaf (laurel)
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup vinegar
* 2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups of water
* 2 meters thread or string (for tying)

Beef Morcon Cooking Instructions:

* Spread and stretch the sliced beef on your working table.
* Arrange the filling on the sliced beef: sausage strips, cheese strips, olives, sliced eggs, pork fat and some ground liver.
* Roll the sliced beef with all the filling inside and secure with a thread or string.
* Repeat the procedure for the two remaining beef slices.
* On a pot, place the beef rolls and put the water, the remaining ground liver, grated cheese, chopped onions, bay leaves, ground black pepper and salt.
* Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour.
* Add the vinegar and continue to simmer of another hour or until beef is tender.
* Slice the beef morcon, arrange on a platter and top with the sauce/ gravy poured on top.

Cooking Tips:

* A spoon or two of flour can be added to water to thicken the sauce.
* Instead of boiling in a pot, you can use a pressure cooker for faster cooking.
* Optional: Garnish with olives before serving

top

Crispy Fried Chicken    

Estimated cooking time: 45 minutes

Fried Chicken Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces
* 1/4 cup of white vinegar
* 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
* 1 cup of water
* 2 cups cooking oil
* Salt and pepper to taste

Fried Chicken Cooking Instructions:

* In a pot, simmer chicken in vinegar, garlic, water, salt and pepper.
* Remove just before the chicken is fully cooked.
* Strain off liquid.
* In a frying pan or wok, heat oil and deep fry the chicken until golden brown
* Place on paper towel to remove excess oil
* Serve hot with rice and sliced cucumber or atchara on the side.

top

Pork Sinigang   

Estimated cooking and preparation time: 1 hour

Pork Sinigang Ingredients:

* 3/4 kilo Pork, cut into chunks
* 3 tomatoes, sliced
* 2 onions, diced
* 5 cloves of garlic, minced
* 100 grams Kangkong (river spinach)
* 100 grams String beans
* 2 pieces horse radishes, sliced
* 3 pieces gabi (taro), pealed
* 2 pieces sili pag sigang (green finger pepper)
* 200 grams sampalok (tamarind)
* 3 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 1 liter of rice wash or water

Sinigang Cooking Instructions:

* Boil sampalok in water until the shell shows cracks. Let cool then peal off the shells and with a strainer, pour samplalok (including water)
into a bowl. Gently massage the sampalok meat off the seeds, strain again.
* In a pot, sauté garlic and onion then add the tomatoes. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
* Add pork and fish sauce then add the rice wash. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes then add the gabi. Continue to simmer for
another 15 minutes or until the pork is tender.
* Add the horse radish and simmer for 10 minutes then add the string beans, kangkong and sili (for spice-optional). Let boil for 2 minutes.
* Serve piping hot.

Sinigang Cooking Tip:

* Instead of sampalok fruit (tamarind), you can substitute it with any commercial souring seasoning like Knorr sampalok seasoning or
tamarind bouillon cubes for this pork sinigang recipe.

top

Chicken Pastel Filipino-Spanish Recipe (aka Chicken Pot Pie) 

 

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

Chicken Pastel Ingredients:

* One 1 1/2 kilo chicken, cut in 2-inch pieces (debone, deskin, and devein)
* 2 cups of vienna sausage, sliced
* 2 pieces of chorizo sausage, sliced
* 3 potatoes, diced
* 1 carrot, diced
* 2 cups of button mushrooms, sliced
* 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
* 1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips
* 1/2 cup sweet peas
* 1 onion, minced
* 1/4 cup grated cheese
* 1 cup margarine
* 2 cups chicken stock (broth)
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 lemon extract (juice)
* 1 egg, beaten
* Salt and pepper to taste

Pie Crust

* 2 cups flour
* 1/2 cup corn oil or vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup of water

Chicken Pastel Cooking Instructions:

* In a bowl, marinate chicken lemon juice and soy sauce for an hour.
* In a skillet, melt margarine and brown chicken, set aside ========= :)
* Then, Sauté onion, bell pepper an mushrooms then add chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes then add potatoes, carrots, sweet peas, sausages and grated cheese. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Salt to taste.
* Transfer to a baking dish.
* Garnish with slices of hard boiled eggs
* Pre-heat oven to 450° F (degrees Fahrenheit) or 230° C (degrees Centigrade).
* On a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cold water and oil. Mix into a ball.
* On a flat surface, roll flat the pastry and cover the chicken pastel mixture and seal the sides by pressing on the edges. Remove excess pastry.
* Punch small holes on the pastry to let out steam during baking then brush with beaten egg.
* Bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes).

top

Pork Estofado  

Serves 6
Preparation time: 5-10 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins

Pork Estofado Ingredients:

* 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
* 250 ml (1 cup) vinegar
* 125 ml (½ cup) dark soy sauce
* 250 ml (1 cup) water
* 60 ml (¼ cup) corn oil
* Cloves of 1 head garlic, crushed
* 1 kg (2 lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into large cubes
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 medium carrot, sliced into 1-cm (½-in) rounds
* 3-4 saba (plaintain) bananas, sliced diagonally into 5-cm (2-in) pieces
* 4 pan de sal (Filipino buns), each cut into four pieces (optional)
* Spring onion, to garnish (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

* Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and water in a mixing bowl. Set aside to allow flavors to blend.
* Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a casserole. Fry the garlic until brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.
* Pour in remaining oil and heat. Add pork and brown lightly on all sides. Pour in vinegar mixture. Bring to the boil, then lower heat to
simmer. (Do not stir, or the vinegar will have a “raw” taste).
* Add bay leaf and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pork is almost tender.
* Add the carrot and, 5 minutes later, the bananas. When bananas and carrot are almost tender, about 5 minutes more, stir in pan de sal.
* Continue simmering until pork is fully cooked and bananas and carrot are completely tender, about 5 minutes. Garnish with spring onion, if
desired.
* Serve with rice or additional pan de sal.

top

Chicken Relleno (Stuffed Chicken)  "Chicken Gallentina" 

Chicken Relleno or Stuffed Chicken. Relleno comes from the Spanish word “Rellenar” which means “to stuff. The chicken is stuffed with ground pork, ham, vegetables, hard boiled egg, etc. and then baked. Here is a favorite dish which I want to share with you. The hard part is in the deboning but once you’ve mastered it, stuffing the chicken shouldn’t be too hard.

(click here on "How to debone a whole chicken tutorial")

Ingredients:

1 large chicken (about 1 1/2 kilos)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 Lemon juice of calamansi Juice
3 Hard cooked eggs  - quartered (set aside for later)
1/4 cup butter

Procedure:

1. Debone Chicken for stuffing leaving wing and drumstick bones intact. (How to Debone Chicken)
You can also request your favorite supermarket to debone the chicken for you.

2. Marinate chicken in soy sauce and calamansi juice. Set aside.


     marinate chicken
 

3. Mixture of the next 12 ingredients should be mixed thoroughly.


       mix relleno
 

4. Fry 1/3 of mixture and correct seasonings and mix with rest.

5. Stuff chicken, arrange 3 eggs in the center.


      stuff chicken

6. Sew up opening and wrap in Aluminum foil.


      sew chicken

7. Bake in moderate oven 350° F (degrees Fahrenheit) or 180° C (degrees Centigrade) for 1 1/2 hour.

8. When almost done, unwrap and continue baking until brown.

9. Baste with butter every now and then.

10. Arrange chicken in a platter.

back to Chicken Relleno Recipe

Back on top

Ginataan

INGREDIENTS

2 coconuts
1 cup sugar
3 saba bananas, sliced crosswise
2 camote peeled and diced
1 gabi, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup peeled and diced ube
6 sections langka (jackfruit) cut into strips
3 tablespoon tapioca

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Grate the coconuts, extract the milk and set aside. Add 2 cups of hot water to the grated coconut and make the second extraction. To the camote, gabi, ubi, banana and langka add the thin coconut milk, sugar and tapioca and bring to boil stirring milk before removing from the fire or use it as topping.

COOKING/PREPARATIONS TIME: 1/2 hour 

top

Maja Blanca Recipe  

This famous Maja Blanca Recipe is made from coconut milk and corn starch.

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Maja Blanca Ingredients:

* 1/2 c. thick coconut milk
* 1 c. rice flour
* 1 c. sugar
* 1/2 c. cornstarch

* 3 tbsp sweet corn kernel
* 4 c. fresh coconut milk or water
* 1/2 c. grated frozen buko (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

* Boil thick coconut milk in a saucepan until the oil is extracted and the precipitate forms into a dark brown color. This is called latik. Drain the latik from the oil and set aside.
* Grease a 13-inch rectangular dish with coconut oil. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, blend rice flour, sugar, sweet corn kernels, cornstarch, and fresh coconut milk. Stir in grated buko (if used). Boil over slow heat, stirring constantly to prevent lumps, until mixture is clear for about 3-5 minutes.
* Pour hot mixture into prepared dish and allow to set. Sprinkle latik on top. Cool before slicing.
* When rice flour is not available, soak 2 cups rice in 2 cups water overnight. Put through blender and process until smooth.

top

Sago Gulaman Recipe 

Sago’t Gulaman is a very popular refreshment. In restaurants it is served in a tall, footed glass, in neighborhood stores it is ladled into plastic cups and in street stands it is simply poured into plastic bags and provided with straw. It can be taken as an after-meal beverage-dessert, a snack or a drink to accompany another merienda item. Sago itself is also seen in Tahu, Ginataan and Ginumis while gulaman which is made from seaweed called agar-agar can be eaten as a gelatin dessert with or without fruits.


Sago Gulaman Ingredients:

* 3 cups sugar
* 3 cups water
* boiled sago
* cooked gulaman, cubed
* crushed ice

Sago Gulaman Cooking Instructions

* Caramelized sugar in a saucepan. When melted, pour in the water.
* Continue cooking until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool completely.
* Add some of the cooled arnibal or syrup to the sago to sweeten it.
* In a glass, put some sago and gulaman. Add enough arnibal to sweeten. Fill with ice or add ice-cold water.

To Cook sago:

* Boil water in a saucepan. Add in uncooked sago.
* Stir to prevent sticking.
* Cook until transparent.
* Drain then rinse.

top

Leche Flan Recipe  

Leche Flan Ingredients:

* 1 can (390g) evaporated milk
* 1 can (390g) condensed milk
* 10 egg yolks
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence

For the caramel:

* 1 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup water

Leche Flan Cooking Instructions:

* In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize.
* Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds.
* Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender.
* Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick.
* Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil.
* Steam for about 20 minutes OR
* Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370° F (degrees Fahrenheit) or 190° C (degrees Centigrade) before baking.
* Let cool then refrigerate.
* To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.

Cooking Tips:

* You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife -if it comes out clean, it is cooked.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

top

Back on top   Glossary of Culinary Terms Achara: Pickled fruit and vegetable relish Adobo, Adobong: Meat, seafood or vegetables stewed in vinegar with garlic and black pepper. Agar-Agar: Seaweed gelatin Alogbati: Malabar spinach Alugbati or Alogbati: Red stemmed vine whose green leaves are used for cooking. Ampalaya: Bitter melon Apulid: Water chestnuts Atis: Sweetsop Atsuete: Annatto Baboy: Pork Bagoong: Shrimp paste Bangus: Milkfish Bayabas: Guava Binuro: Using salt as a preservative agent. Bistek: Stir fried steak Caldereta: Beef / Goat meat stew Chico: Naseberry, aka Sapodilla Dahon ng sili: Chili pepper leaves Dinaing: Marinating butterflied fish with vinegar, then broiling or frying. Dinuguan Baboy: Pork blood stew Empanada: Meat filled pastry Empanadita: Honey and nut pastry Frito or Fritong: To fry Gabi: Taro Guinataan: To cook meat, seafood, or vegetables in coconut milk Guinisa: To saute with garlic and onions Halabos: To steam shellfish with little water Hipon: Shrimp Inasan: Preserving foods with salt Inihaw: To grill or broil Kabute: Mushroom Kalabasa: Squash Kamote: Sweet potato Kamoteng Kahoy: Cassava Kangkong: Swamp cabbage / watercress Kaong: Palm nuts Kilawin or kinilaw: Marinating meat or seafood in vinegar and souring agents. Kinchay: Asian celerey Labanos: White radish Labong: Bamboo shoots Langka: Jackfruit Luya: Ginger Malunggay: Horseradish tree Mangga: Mango Manggang Hilaw: Green mango Manok: Chicken Morcon: Stuffed rolled steak Munggo: Mung beans Murang sibuyas: Spring onions Mustasa: Mustard greens Nangka: Jackfruit Nilaga: Boiling meat or fish in water Pasingao: Steaming fish, shellfish or meats Pasilla: A kind of hot pepper Pechay: Bok choy Penoy: Duck egg Pinakbet: Pork and vegetable stew with bagoong alamang. Pinaksiw: Cooking method; to cook fish in vinegar with water and spices Pinausukan: To smoke fish and meats for flavor. Pusit: Squid Relleno or Rellenong: Stuffing chicken, fish or vegetables. Saba: Cooking banana or plantain Saging: Banana Sago: Tapioca pearls Salabat: Ginger tea Saluyot: Okra leaves Sampalok: Tamarind Sigarilyas: Winged bean Sili: Chili peppers Singkamas: Jicama Sinigang: Cooking meats, fish or vegetables with sour fruit. Siomai: Dumplings Siopao: Steamed meat buns Sitaw: String beans Talaba: Oyster Talong: Eggplant Tanglad: Lemon grass Tinapa: To soak smoked or salted fish in water, then pan-fry Tocino: Annatto cured pork meat Toge: Bean sprouts Torrones: Egg rolls with bananas Tubo: Sugar cane Ube: Purple yam Upo: Winter melon

back on top