Filipino Food Store » garlic

Sardines

Hilda — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:23:10 +0000

How about making your own home-made sardines. A great way to cook your sardine fish and tomatoes. For a version more filipino you can replace the sardines with galunggong fish.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of sardine fish (you can replace this with galunggong) cleaned and washed

some cooking oil

3 tablespoons of flour

salt

1teaspoon of chili powder (optional)

one fourth cup of olive oil

20 cloves of garlic minced

1 big onion sliced

1 teaspoon of fresh ginger chopped

half a cup of tomato purée (tomatoes skins and seeds removed puréed in a blender)

1 teaspoon of tomato paste

4 tablespoons of vinegar

salt

pepper

Procedure:

Dredge the fishes with flour and fry them on a shallow pan with some cooking oil. Set them aside. In another casserole, put some olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) and start sautéing your garlic, onion and ginger. Add the tomato paste, tomato puree and vinegar. Put your fried fishes and chili powder. Let it simmer over medium fire. Pour the rest of your olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Empanada

Hilda — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:55:41 +0000

One of the special delicacies I love to eat when I visit Ilocos is empanada. It is a popular bread dish in most Latin countries like Spain and Portugal but the Filipino version is something very close to our taste. You can do it in pork, chicken and even in beef. It is a good way to make use of your leftover meat.

Ingredients:

for the Empanada dough

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of salt

half a cup of water

1 egg

1 egg white

1 teaspon of vinegar

3 tablespoons of shortening

Preparation:

Start by preparing your empanada dough. In a bowl beat water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set this aside. In another bowl, mix together the flour and the salt. Put the shortening into the flour mix using a pastry blender to be sure they are evenly mix. Put a well in the middle and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center. Mix them altogether until it becomes stiff and they don’t stick to your fingers anymore. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but never more than 24 hours.

Empanada Filling

half a medium size onion chopped

1 garlic clove minced

half a teaspoon of cumin powder

half a teaspoon of dried oregano

half a kilo of ground beef (you can also eat cooked chicken meat shredded or cooked pork meat chopped)

one small can of tomato sauce

one tablespoon of dried raisins

1 tablespoon of pimiento chopped

some cooking oil

salt and pepper

Cooking the Empanada filling:

In a casserole warm up your oil. Sauté the garlic and onion. Add your meat, put the spices, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Add your tomato sauce , riasins and pimiento. Let it simmer.

Making the Empanada:

Once the empanada dough is ready, flatten them and make circles using any rounded tool you have at home. Put your desired filling in the middle. Close it and crimp the sides using a fork. Fry them on deep casserole with hot oil for three to four minutes or until they are golden brown.

Lumpia

Hilda — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:07:38 +0000

Lumpia is a delicious and a healthy Filipino appetizer. It actually resembles to the popular Asian dish spring rolls. In Philippines we actually have several versions of this dish, it could be with vegetables, fresh or fried or with meat or fish that is also fried.

Enjoy this fresh Lumpia recipe!

Sariwang Lumpia

Ingredients:

half a cup of sliced cabbage in julienne strips

1 carrot sliced in julienne strips

one cup of bean sprouts

1 small sweet potato sliced in julienne strips

1 onion sliced

2 cloves of garlic minced

10 pieces of prawns boiled, shelled and cut into two lengthwise

half a cup of shrimp broth

1 small block of tofu cut in small cubes

salt

pepper

1 teaspoon of fish sauce

some cooking oil

lettuce

10 pieces of lumpia wrapper

Procedure:

In a pan put the cooking oil, sauté the garlic and onion. Once it has becomes translucent add the vegetables, stir fry for about five minutes add your tofu, salt, fish sauce and pepper. Pour the shrimp stock and cover, let it cook for another five minutes. The vegetables should be a little bit crispy. Drain your vegetables.

Assembling the lumpia:

Lie your lumpia wrapper, put a lettuce leaf, put 1 prawn and scoop your cooked vegetables. Roll it gently one time, then fold the sides then continue rolling to seal it. You can serve it with sweet and spicy peanut sauce.

Bagoong Guisado

Hilda — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:18:36 +0000

Bagoong is an important Filipino delicacy and ingredients to most of its dishes; Be careful of its pungent odor for its actually fermented. Bagoong could be alamang “tiny shrimps” or in fishes. Filipinos love to snack them with green mangoes or just even to top them on newly cooked rice.

Bagoong Guisado

Ingredients:

about half a cup of bagoong (shrimp paste)

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of vinegar

some chilies (labuyo) this is optional if you want spicy

some pork fat

1 red onion chopped

Procedure:

In a pan, put your pork fat add a little bit of water and cover it. Let it boil and let the oil come out from the fat. Fry the fat from its oil, add the garlic then the onion. Add the bagoong and continue frying. Add the sugar and vinegar cook until the vinegar has completely evaporated. If you want a spicy bagoong add the chopped chilies.

Pork Adobo

Hilda — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:49:47 +0000

Various ways and styles fofcooking this filipino dish exist. This is but one of them. This is a bit sweet and not a dry version.

Ingredients:

half a kilo of pork (cut in serving portion) liempo or butt part is the best

1 tablespoon of sugar

5 tablespoons of vinegar

5 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 clove of garlic pounded

pepper

some cooking oil

half a glass of water

Procedure:

Prepare the marinating ingredients:sugar, soysauce, vinegar, pepper and lots of pounded garlic. Let the cut pork marinate in this juice for a minimum of two hours. Put everything in a casserole and pour the glass of water. Let this simmer gently. Do not let the sauce dries up, once the juice has reduced into half and the meat are tender you can cut the fire. Remember adobos are always best eaten the next day!

Pork Adobo Ilocano style

Hilda — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:14:30 +0000

Another filipino all time favorite. Historians claim it’s a spanish inspired dish, whatever they say this is definitely my favorite dish!

Ingredients:

1 kilo of pork (cut in cubes) you can choose a mixture of fatty and meaty parts

2 bay leaves

6 cloves of garlic pounded (you can add more if you want)

1 teasepoon of salt

half a glass of vinegar (sukang paumbong)

some cooking oil

half a glass of water

Procedure:

In a salad bowl mix your marinating ingredients: vinegar, salt, pounded garlic and crushed bay leaves. Put the pork and let it marinate for about an hour. After marinating pour everything in your casserole and add your water. Cover and let this simmer for about thirty minutes over medium fire. Once the juice starts to thicken pour about two tablespoons of cooking oil. You will fry them for about ten minutes or until it becomes golden brown in color.

Adobong Sitaw

Hilda — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:47:33 +0000

One of my favorite vegetable dish that is so easy to cook!

Ingredients:

2 cups of cut sitaw (long beans)

3 cloves of garlic pounded

1 big onion sliced

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

3 tablespoons of vinegar

half a glass of water

some hibe

250 g of ground pork (optional)

Procedure:

In a casserole put your cooking oil. Fry your garlic and onions. Add your ground pork and hibe. Then put the sitaw and continue stirring. Add soy sauce, vinegar and water. Cook until the sitaw are tender.

Adobong kangkong

Hilda — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:43:32 +0000

When I was a kid I grew up close to kangkong plantation. I remember how many times I enjoy eating adobong kangkong everytime my parents didn’t have the money to buy food. Now its a food I always long to taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups of kangkong leaves and stalks (in our family we cut the stalks in ringlike forms)

3 cloves of garlic pounded

1 big onion sliced

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

3 tablespoons of vinegar

half a glass of water

some chicharon

Procedure:

In a casserole put your cookign oil. Fry your garlic and onions. Add your kangkon, soysauce and vinegar. Pour half a glass of water and let it simmer for about fifteen minutes covered. Before servign top it with chicharon.

Paksiw na Bangus

Hilda — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:38:27 +0000

The best way of choosing bangus is by their eyes. It should be shiny and brilliant; It shouldn’t have any foul odor too.

Ingredients:

1 big bangus cleaned but not scaled cut in about 4 to five slices

2 siling haba (finger chilies)

3 cloves of garlic pounded

a small piece of ginger washed, pounded

1 ampalaya sliced

1 eggplant sliced

half a cup of vinegar

1 teaspoon of salt

some water about (half a glass of small water)

Procedure:

Wash and clean your bangus. Remove the gills but do not the scales. Rub them with salt and wash with running water. In a casserole place the sliced bangus, pounded garlic and ginger, some salt and water. Cover and let it simmer for about ten minutes. Add the vegetables and vinegar and continue simmering for another five minutes. Before cutting the fire add the siling haba.

Pinoy Spaghetti Meatballs

Hilda — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:48:47 +0000

Some love it spicy. The italians love it soury but Filipinos love it with a hint of sweetness!

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

half a kilo of ground beef

half a kilo of ground pork

2 carrots chopped finely

1 onion chopped finely

1 egg

2 tablespoons of flour

salt and pepper

1 1/2 kilo of spaghetti noodles

2 liters of water

some salt and cooking oil

for the Spaghettti sauce:

1 bottle of tomato catsup

2 cans of tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

3 cloves of garlic chopped

2 onions chopped

some cooking oil

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon of sugar

salt and pepper

cooking oil

some grated cheese

Procedure:

Start by preparing your meatballs. In a salad bowl put your ground pork and ground beef. Add the chopped onion and carrots. Mix well. Put some salt and pepper. Break the egg inside and fold in the flour. Continue mixing well. With your palm shape ball form like to make your meatballs. Put them in a plate with enough spacing. It is up to you if you prefer to make big balls or medium sized balls. Put them in the fridge to let them hold together. After about an hour, in a frying pan put some oil and fry your meatballs. Do not overcook them for you will cook them again with the tomato sauce. Just give them a ligh golden brown color on all sides. On the same pan add a little bit of oil and start sautéing your garlic and onions. Put your tomato paste and bay leaves. Pour the catsup, tomato sauce and water. Mix them well. Cover and let it simmer slowly for about twenty minutes. Add your meatballs and put some salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and let it simmer for another five minutes. In a big casserole put two liters of water with rock salt on it and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. As soon as it boils add the spaghetti noodles. Cook them as per instruction. A spaghetti noodles would normally require about ten to eleven minutes of cooking for aldente and more for a much softer noodle texture. Strain them. Pour your sauce on the top and some grated cheese on it.

Beef Morcon

Hilda — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:31:35 +0000

Ingredients:

1 kilo of beef (tell your butcher if possible it’s for making morcon) slice it thinly about 1 cm in thickness and 25 cm width

1/4 kilo of beef liver minced

5 pieces of sausages

200 grams of pork fat

3 hard boiled eggs

3 cloves of garlic,

1 onion chopped

1 cup of tomato sauce

half a glass of water

some bay leaves

Procedure:

With an add of a rolling pin flatten your beef by hitting it gently. This procedure will help the meat to become tender easily. Once you have flatten it, add some salt and pepper. Put your pork fat, hard boiled eggs, sausages and minced liver over the flattened meat on one side. Roll it delicately from the side where the stuffs were placed. Be sure to firmly close them by tying them with a kitchen thread. Set it aside. In a casserole, put some oil then sauté your garlic and onion. Add your tied beef and pour your tomato sauce, bay leaves and water. Let it simmer slowly covered until the sauce disappear. It is always better to serve them the next day. You can start by frying your rolled beef meat with some oil to give a nice brown color then slice it once it has completely cooled off.

Chicken Sopas

Hilda — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:15:34 +0000

Ingredients:

half a kilo of chicken cut in smaller portions

5 pieces of hotdog cut in about 2cm thick

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion sliced

1 carrot cut in julienne strips

1 cup of cabbage

1/4 cup of evaporated milk

half a kilo of macaroni noodles

1 liter of water

1 chicken bouillon cube

salt, pepper

Procedure:

In a casserole put some cookign oil. Sauté your garlic, onion and carrots. Add your chicken and continue mixing. Put the hotdog and cook for about two more minutes. Pour your water with the chicken bouillon cube dissolved in it. Cover and let it boil. After the first boil add your macaroni noodles and continue cooking for another ten minutes. Then add up your cabbage, milk, salt and pepper. Turn of the fire, the warm liquid will continue cooking the rest of the ingredients. You can also add some chicken liver and gizzards in this soup if you want.

Adobo Pusit

Hilda — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:54:37 +0000

One very important aspect we need to remember when cooking squid is that its never good to over cook them. It gives a tough and rubbery like texture. So for this adobo recipe this is a guaranteed express and yet specially good.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of squid

*it is preferable to use smaller squids for this recipe

* clean your squid by washing them in a running water. Pull gently the plastic like thing (which is actually the bone of a squid) including the tiny pouch carrying the ink (its defense mechanism). Clean them and pat them dry with a paper towel

5 cloves of garlic minced

2 shallots chopped (sibuyas tagalog)

3 tablespoons of cane vinegar (or you can use any type of vinegar available)

1 teaspoon of pepper

some salt

fresh chinese parsley or kintsay chopped

some cooking oil

Procedure:

Start by preparing your marinate. Mix the minced garlic with salt, vinegar and pepper. Let your squid sit in this marinade for a minimum of thirty minutes. Then heat your pan, pour your cooking oil, put your shallots and squid. Cook them as you are stir-frying them. Hot pan, mediumfire and constant mixing. If you use small squids in about five minutes they are already cooked but if you use bigger size seven minutes would be the maximum you can let on your pan. Cut the fire and sprinkle it with your chopped chinese parsley.

Chicken Liver Adobo

Hilda — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:42:19 +0000

Eating livers and innards is an aqcuired taste. Although many might feel disgusted at a sight of it, but its health content and deliciousness in uncomparable. My dad’s famous Adobong Atay recipe is so far the best I’ve ever tasted.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of chicken liver, gizzards and heart (cleaned and cut)

1 onion siced

3 cloves of garlic pounded

1 tablespoon of kalamansi juice (you can replace this with lemon juice)

2 tablespoons of catsup (if you use spicy catsup the better)

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sugar

some salt and pepper

cooking oil

Procedure:

In a bowl put the kalamansi juice, soy sauce, catsup, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well. Put your cut livers and gizzard in it and let it marinate for about an hour. In a pan, put your cooking oil then fry your liver without the marinading sauce. Cook them slowly until they become golden brown in all sides. Add your onion and minced garlic. Continue mixing, pour the marinading sauce and add a bout a quarter of glass of water. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens. You can add some chili pepper to make a spicy adobong atay. Eat with your steamed rice!

Daing na Bangus

Hilda — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:13:34 +0000

This is one of my favorite breakfast during weekends. Paired up with a garlic rice and tomato salad absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

3 big bangus (milkfish)

*the best ones are Bangus from Pangasinan

Rock salt

1 big whole garlic

1 cup of vinegar

Black pepper crushed

Procedure:

Start by cleaning the bangus. You can either request in the market for them to clean your bangus and have it cut or do it yourself. If you will have to do it yourself; start by washing the fish with a clear running water. Cut the fish from the head to the tail using a sharp knife in order to make a butterfly style cut on the fish. The belly of the fish should be facing the cutting table and the knife should touch the back of the fish. Open the bangus wide and take off all the innards including the gills. You don’t need to scale the bangus. Wash it again with clear running water, rub it with salt to clean of all the impurities and to take off the stingy odor. Put all your bangus in a deep bowl put about a teasepoon of rocksalt, a teasepoon of cracked pepper, pound all the garlic and pour your vinegar. Cover it and put it in the fridge. It is better to fry them the next day.

Lechon Manok

Hilda — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:29:37 +0000

Lechon Manok was one the big hits of the 80′s that stayed longer than his street counterparts , Shawarma. a Lechon Manok popped out like mushrooms in the streets of Manila. Certainly this is one of the best and healthy way of cooking a chicken.

This recipe is something you can do for special occassions. You can cook it outside in a pitsburn or in your oven.

Ingredients:

1 whole dressed chicken

1 teasepoon of iodized salt

1 tablespoon of butter (about 10 to 15 g)

2 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 whole garlic

one bunch of lemon grass (tanglad)

3 bay leaves (laurel leaves)

some pepper

Procedure:

Start by cleaning the chicken. Wash and pat it dry with paper towel. Rub some salt on the surface and on inside cavity of the chicken. Rub the skin with butter, garlic and pepper. Inside the chicken cavity put the bay leaves, lemon grass, half of the garlic and some pepper. Roast for about an hour (depending on the size) at 210° celsius. Serve with spicy vinegar and chopped onions or Sarsa ng lechon.

Chicken Pork Adobo

Hilda — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:44:04 +0000

Adobo is Filipino’s all-time favorite dish. A classic one inherited from our great colonizers the Spaniards but definitely filipinized to adopt to our palate. Adobo is so versatile we can almost do it with different kinds of meat, fish or even vegetables. Try this beautiful blending of chicken and pork simmered to perfection! Take note that they taste even better the next day!

Ingredients:

half a kilo of chicken cut into serving pieces

half a kilo of pork cut in cubes (about 3- 4 inches)

one clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp of grated ginger

1 tsp of peppercorn (pamintang buo)

1 tsp of sugar

1/4 soy sauce

1/4 cup of vinegar

2 tbsp of cooking oil

Procedure:

The secret to any adobo is the marinating sauce. And the key to its success is slow cooking. In a salad bowl mix half of the pounded garlic, with sugar, peppercorn, vinegar and soysauce; mix well. Put the cut chicken and the pork into this mixture and cover it. Let it marinate for about 24 hours. The next day put the marinated chicken and pork along with the sauce plus half a glass of water in a casserole and cover it. Let it simmer slowly over medium fire until the juice of the meat has come out and the sauce has reduced. Remove the cover of the casserole then put the cooking oil and the remaining garlic freshly pounded. Fry them altogether. Best served with pandan rice and eaten with your hands!

Pancit Canton

Hilda — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:25:00 +0000

No birthdays or filipino family gathering is complete without a pancit on the table. A sign of longevity and strong family ties. Definitely we owe this to strong chinese influence but our version is truly filipino in its sense. Pancit could be long or short, with sauce or not but always a sure hit among the guests. I love it in between my pandesal in the morning or eaten with rice during lunchtime.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of pancit canton

*1 kilo could serve about ten to twelve guests. But it depends on their capacity to eat and if there are other dishes on the table.

half a kilo of pork belly (slice thinly)

2 cooked chicken breasts (meat shreaded)

1/4 kilo of shrimps (shells removed )

1/4 kilo of squid balls (cut into two)

2 onions sliced

3 cloves of garlic

one cup of sliced cabbage

2 carrots (cut in julienne strips)

half a cup of caulliflower (cut in small pieces) you can also use some broccolli

half a cup of celery stalks sliced

one bunch of fresh kintsay (chinese parley)

1/4 cup of soy sauce

pepper

1 pork cube (dissolve in half a liter of water)

half a cup of water

Procedure:

There are many versions of cooking canton. This one is the version of my friend’s mom she taught us, and I swear its really good. In a big wok or sautéing pan, put the pork and half a cup of water. Cover it and let it boil. After few minutes of simmering you can take now the liquid from the wok. You will save it for future use later. Add oil on the wok and start frying the pork, once they change color, take them off and put the shrimps. Cook them lightly until they change color. Next put the squid balls and do the same. After all these fry all the vegetables lighlty. You can add more oil if necessary. The vegetables need to rest crunchy and sweet. Reserve in one big plate all the fried vegetables, pork, shrimp, squid balls and cooked chicken breast. On the same wok, sauté the garlic and onion and pour the pork broth cube dissolved in water. Let it boil. Add the pancit canton. Pour the soy sauce. Do not put everything immediately, try to taste it, to determine whether you will need to put more or less. Let the canton noodles soften and absorbed the juice. If you like your pancit canton with a little bit of liquid you can already turn off the fire as soon as the noodles tenderized. But if you prefer a pancit canton drier you need to wait that the juice have already evaporated. But do not overcook because noodles have tendency to become soggy. At this point mix half of all the fried ingredients you have on the pancit. Mix them well to be sure they are proportionally distributed everywhere. The other remaining half of your fried veggies and meat goes on top of the noodles so that it will look more appetizing. Serve with kalamansi (lemon or lime) mixed with soy sauce and siling labuyo (chili hot pepper).

Prawn Pineapple Curry

Hilda — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:32:25 +0000

Let’s talk about shrimp. In Philippines you will see them in all sizes, in all prices and with different levels of goodness. There’s the king size prawns, the gambas, the suwahe and there’s also the baby ones, alamang. You’ll find them fresh, dried or even prisonned in a bottle. Anyway you want it. So if you love shrimp this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:
8 pcs of tiger prawns (about 4 pcs per serving)
1 eggplant cut in cubes
half a cup of fresh pineapple
3 tbsp of pineapple juice
1 tbsp of green curry paste
4 tbsp of olive oil
2-3 chilis
1 tbsp of curcuma
one cup of coconut milk

Procedure:

In a wok fry rapidly the eggplant with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Reserve the eggplant. In the same wok, put the remaining olive oil and add the green curry paste and curcuma. Pour the coconut milk and simmer over low fire. At the first boil add the pineapple, the pineapple juice, the chilis and prawns. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Season it with some fish sauce. Add the fried eggplant and turn off the fire.

*published with permission from Dhanggitskitchen

Chicken Curry

Hilda — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:22:26 +0000

Curry is a delicious dish that’s very international. Although India has popularized it, almost each nation have their own version of this dish. Japanese curry is dark and sweet, Thai’s could be green, yellow or red that’s characterized by its spicyness. Pinoy curry is less aggressive compared to other curries but I just love it the way it is.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of chicken cut in serving portion

1 tablespoon of curry powder

3 cloves of garlic

1 onion sliced

1 small ginger sliced

1 red bell pepper cut in cubes

1 carrot peeled and cut in cubes

half a cup of potato peeled and cut in cubes

2 eggplants sliced (you can soak them in water to avoid discoloration)

2 bay leaves (laurel leaves)

half a cup of kakang gata (coconut cream)

half a cup of coconut milk

Procedure:

Always start by heating the saucepan. Pour the cooking oil, fry the chicken. You dont need to cook them we are just sealing the juice and we want some discoloration. As soon as the color turn light brown you can already take them out from the pan. You can add more oil if necessary, then fry the eggplants. Be sure to squeeze the water and juice of the eggplant before putting it in the pan. Cook them well on all sides, then take them off from the pan. Add the ginger and garlic. As soon as the beautiful odor comes out put the onion, bell pepper, potato and carrots. Put back the chicken and stir. Sprinkle the curry powder and add the bay leaves. Sautéing the ingredients dry with the curry increases the flavor. Always add your herbes before adding your water or any liquid for that matter. Pour your coconut milk. Let it simmer covered over medium fire, about fifteen to twenty minutes. As soon as the chicken and the vegetables have become soft and tender you can pour now the coconut cream. Put salt to taste. Cover and simmer for a couple of minutes. Before finally finishing off the cooking, add the fried eggplant and put back the cover. Turn off the heat. You can add siling labuyo (hot chili pepper) to you curry if you want it spicy. You can also put some pineapple chunks on your chicken curry to add a little bit of sweetness.

You can also try Shrimp Curry in pineapple

Chicken Tinola

Hilda — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:17:06 +0000

Jose Rizal wrote on his famous novel Noli me Tangere, that chicken tinola is Padre Damaso’s favorite dish. I wouldn’t disagree with him for this chicken soup is truly one of the best comfort food that highlights filipino’s abundant local ingredients. When my grandad loses in a cockfighting we knew we will feast on a delicious tinola soup after!! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

one whole chicken cut in serving portion

* for this dish it is advisable to use native chicken. The taste is uncomparable. But you need more patience and more water to cook this.

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion sliced

1 small ginger sliced

one cup of green papaya cut in cubes

* my father loves to use semi-ripe papaya for his tinola. The taste of the soup is marvelous, really worth trying!

*you can replace this with Sayote (Christophine), Carrots or Zucchini

Sili leaves about one bunch

*I think this is irreplacable in a Tinola soup. So if finding this ingredient is hard in your area, I suggest you plant your own chili at home. Chilis and peppers can be cultivated in pots and indoors!

one liter of water

1 cube of chickenbroth

Procedure:

Start by heating a saucepan, pour the cooking oil (about two to three spoons). As it heats up put the ginger and garlic. As soon as it changes color add the onion. Wait that it becomes translucent to add your chicken. Stir them well to be sure they are being cooked at all sides. Add your green papaya (sayote, carrots or zucchine) at this stage. Dissolve your chickenbroth cube on your one liter of water. Pour this water eventually to your tinola. The chicken should be all submerged by the water. If you need more you can add at this point or if you need to put less do not pour everything. The most important thing when cooking soupy dishes like sinigang, tinola or nilaga is to put all the water necessary right from the start. In this way the soup taste uniformly meaty. Let it simmer for about twenty minutes at a medium fire. After the first boiling, verify the tenderness of the chicken. Put the cover back and let it simmer again for few minutes over low fire. Once the chicken are tender, add the sili leaves put the cover and turn off the heat. This dish is best eaten with patis and chopped siling labuyo (hot chili pepper).

Ginataang Kalabasa

Hilda — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:21:02 +0000

When my mom cooks Ginataang Kalabasa I swear I eat with my hands. This is a healthy and truly delicious vegetable dish, we’ll never get tired of eating.

Ingredients:

1 cup of squash cut in cube

1 bunch of string beans cut about 4 inches long

3 cloves of garlic

1 onion sliced

3 tbsp of shrimp paste (bagoong) if its not available you can use patis to add the fish flavor about 1 tbsp)

1 pack of coconut milk (about one cup)

about 12 pcs of prawns

about 4 to 5 pieces of crab (alimasag) (you can cut them into two to help the flavor propagate in the dish

siling labuyo (optional) it depends if you want it spicy or not

salt and pepper

Procedure:

Heat the pan, put the cooking oil. Add the garlic and onion. Once their fragrant perfume comes out add the shrimp paste. Sauté for about few minutes then add the squash and string beans. Pour the coconut milk and cover, let it simmer gently over low fire. Once it boiled add the rest of ingredients; prawns, crab and sili. Cover and continue simmering for about ten minutes. Stir from time to time to avoid that the bottom to stick. Once the sauce has reduced in volume you can turn off the fire. Best served with hot rice . Kain na!

Laing

Hilda — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:52:23 +0000

I have learned this laing version to our Bicolano neighbor. I assure you this is the real thing.

Ingredients:

half a kilo of Gabi leaves (if they are too fresh you need to dry them up after tearing them)

half a kilo of gabi stems (take off the skin with the aid of knife)

* Saying goes to avoid scratching any part of your body while preparing this dish if you don’t want your laing to be itchy in your mouth.

milk from 2 coconut (if you cannot find fresh coconut you can replace it with one pack of coconut milk and one pack of coconut cream)

2 dried fish (you can use bisugo or labahita) you can also use dilis if you want

1/4 kilo pork belly cut in cube

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 onion sliced

1 tbsp of grated ginger

salt & pepper

2 siling haba (jalapeno)

3-4 siling labuyo (chili)

*this Laing version is more for a day to day meal. You can add seafood like crab or prawns if its for a special gathering.

Procedure:

I assure cooking this dish is very easy and simple. You will spend more time preparing the ingredients. Start by removing the skin of your gabi stems then cut them about 2 to three inches in length. Next get the gabi leaves. NEVER wash them. Use a clean sponge instead to clean the leaves of any dirt or insect that might be attached to it. Next tear them as you would tear a paper. Not too big nor too small. Put all the leaves together with the cut stem and dry them outside. Be sure you don’t cook laing during rainy season

As soon as your gabi leaves have dried up and wilted we can start cooking them now. Get a big casserole, it needs to be thick enough because this is a slow cooking dish. Out of fire assemble the ingredients on the casserole; starting with the pork belly, then put the garlic, onion and ginger. Then cover this with the gabi stem, then the gabi leaves. Pour the coconut milk and cream (if you are using freshly squeezed coconut milk put everything). Lastly put the dried fish on the top and cover the casserole. Put the casserole on fire and cook slowly for about an hour over low fire. Once you smelled that coconut milk has dried up and the scent of coconut oil is strong. Turn off the fire. Get the dried fish which is now soft and cooked, and start mincing them with your hand. Put back the fish meat (just the meat you can throw the head and fish bones) and add the siling haba and cut siling labuyo. Stir your laing from bottom to top delicately. Stir them well until all the ingredients are well distributed. Cover it again. Laing gets better as day passed by. So better to eat them the next day. That is if you have a fridge you can keep it. Or else invite your neighbor to eat it with you.

Ampalaya con Carne

Hilda — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:59:16 +0000

Who said that bitter can’t be good. Try this delicious and healty vegetable dish, very Filipino.

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo of beef sliced thinly

2 to 3 big Ampalaya

3 big eggs

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 onion sliced

2 tomatoes cut in cube

some cooking oil

half a cup of beef broth (beef bouillon dissolve in half a cup of hot water)

salt & pepper

Procedure:

The most important part of cookign this dish is taking off the bitterness of the ampalaya. Start by cutting it into two and taking off the seeds with the help of a spoon. Slice them thinly diagonally. Boil some water and pour this over the sliced ampalaya. Add one big spoonful of rock salt. Let it stand for few minutes until the water has cooled down and you can handle with your hand the ampalaya. Squeeze off all the water from the ampalaya with your hands. Heat off the pan with cooking oil then add up the garlic, onion and tomatoes. Stir them well add the beef as if you are stir-frying all the ingredients. Put the ampalaya , add the water and cover. Do not stir it for the first five minutes. Add the eggs beaten like an omellette. The turn off the fire. The eggs will be cooked by the heat of the vegetable. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saying has it that stirring the ampalaya during the cooking process (once they are added) makes this dish even more bitter. Its up to you whether you will stir it or not. My advise, do not stir it, for this strategy always work for me.

Pinakbet

Hilda — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:27:13 +0000

I think this is the all time vegetable dish among Filipinos. Each region have their own version of this delicious mixture of different fresh vegetables. Since I grew up and raised in Tagalog region I’m sharing the version my palates have grown up with.

Pinakbet

1/4 kilo of pork belly cut in cube

1/4 kilo of shrimps shells removed and deveined

3 cloves of crushed garlic

1 onion

2 big tomatoes cut in cubes

1 big bunch of kangkong (you can replace this with spinach)

1 cup of squash (cut in cubes)

5 to 6 okra

3 egg plant cut in cubes (depend on size)

1 cup of string beans (sitao)

half a cup of bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)

3 tbsp of cooking oil

half a cup of water

Procedure:

Start by putting the pork in a casserole with half a cup of water. Cover it and let it boil until the pork becomes tender. Pour the pork broth in a bowl and reserve for later. Put back the pork and add the cooking oil. Fry the pork until it becomes golden brown and crispy. Once they are golden brown take them off but leave the oil on the pan. This pork oil will give flavor to your dish. Next, put the garlic , followed by onion and tomato. Add the shrimps and the bagoong pour the pork broth and let it boil. Then add all the vegetables starting from the longest one to cook (string beans, egg plant and okra). Put on the last the squash and kangkong. Simmer over low fire for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve it with fried pork on the top.