SINIGANG NA BABOY (Pork in Tamarind Soup)

This is my parents ultimate favorite, they can have this almost every week. Whenever my sister and I to prepare this for them , they are in heaven. Through the years me and sis perfected our own version of this delicious, comfort food. And according to my family again, no matter where we goes or where we eats this dish, there’s no place like eating it at home. A delicious sinigang dish starts with choosing the freshest pork ribs or any part of pork you wish to use, that you can find. I prefer to buy from the market coz they have lots of fresh meats it’s a bit pricey but I know that fresh market are always good to buy u just need to know how to choose the right meat for u and the family cos their selling foods are always fresh.

Ingredients:
½ kilo Pork Spareribs (cut into serving pieces)
½ kilo Pork Belly (cut the same size as the spareribs)
4-5 cups rice washing water (or hugas bigas as we call it in Tagalog)
5-6 pcs Ripe Tomato (big ones), sliced
2 pcs. Medium size Onion, sliced
1 big Pack Know Sinigang Mix (Tamarind Soup Mix)
6 pcs. Okra, cut into halves
1 bunch of Kangkong leaves (Water Spinach)
1 small Radish, cut diagonally (optional)
2-3 pcs. Green chili pepper
2 pcs. medium size gabi (taro rootcrop)
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Get a big casserole or pot and put pork together with rice washing water, boil to a medium heat without cover or lid, and scoop out the scum when it floats, then add the sliced taro. Cover the pot and let it simmer in low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, when the pork is a bit tender, add the onion, tomatoes and radish, let it simmer in low heat for another 10-15 minutes. Then add the Knorr Tamarind Soup Mix (don’t put the whole pack yet, gradually adjust the taste according to your sourness preference), let it boil and then add the okra, green chili and water spinach. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt if needed. Serve steaming hot. Enjoy!

Family Favorite Spaghetti!

Cooking Italian Spaghetti for family was the best spaghetti to share with and Italian Sausage is a plus. Here's the recipe of my family favorite spaghetti.

Ingredients:
Spaghetti Noodles (cooked according to directions)
1 pack Italian Sausage
1 big jar of Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
Pepper
Sugar
Mushrooms

Directions:

• Slice sausage into bite size. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes.
• Heat spaghetti sauce in a casserole in medium heat. When boiling, add baked sausage and mushroom. Season with pepper and sugar. Cook until mushroom is done.
• Pour spaghetti sauce over noodles.
• Serve with garlic bread.

PANCIT BIHON (Rice Sticks)

Bihon Guisado is how we call this dish. You can either add chicken or pork into it, or do a combination of both if you want. I like to cook the vegetables separately to avoid it from being overcooked, its nice when the vegetables are still crunchy. I don't soak the bihon noodles in water as it tends to be soggy and wet when cooked. I just add a little bit more of cooking liquid into it.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp s. Cooking Oil
1 head Garlic, chopped finely
3 medium size Onion, sliced
½ cup Soy Sauce
¼ tsp Black Pepper
1/4 kilo Pork Liempo, cut up into small cubes
¼ cup water
¼ kilo Pork Liver, cut into small cubes
2 pcs. Langgonisang Macao (Chinese Sausage), cut diagonally
3-4 cups water or broth
½ kilo Cabbage, cut julienne
3 pcs. Medium size Carrots. julienne
1/2 c. Kinstay, chopped coarsely
¼ kilo Squid Balls, cut into half, slightly fried
1 pack Bihon noodles (400 gms.)
Salt and Pepper
Few pieces of calamansi

Procedure:
In a big pan or wok , saute half of the garlic in 1 tbsp. oil, when slightly brown, put onion, continue sauteing, then put the carrots, let it cook for a few minutes then add the kin stay, then the cabbage. Set aside, in a separate container.

In the same pan, put the pork with about ¼ cup water,cook in medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let it cook until the water is dry and fat starts to come out from the pork, let it cook for another 3-5 minutes, then take out the pork from the pan, then put 1 tbsp cooking oil and start sauteing the garlic till a bit brown, then the onion, stir well, then put back the pork and continue stirring for about 2 minutes, then put ½ c soy sauce, then the pepper. Let it saute in the soy sauce, then put about 4 cups water, let it boil in medium heat for another 10 minutes. When it starts to boil add the bihon noodles, continue cooking, stirring often, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Test a noodle by pressing it between your fingers. If there is still a lot of resistance, add some more broth and seasoning, and continue cooking until dry. When the noodles are done, add the sauteed vegetables and squid balls to the pan and toss until everything is evenly heated. Serve with kalamansi halves on the side.

SHRIMP IN ORANGE BUTTER GARLIC SAUCE

This is a family friendly recipe, one of my favorite, and also fry shrimps goes very well with just hot plain rice, but I have to warn you, go easy on the rice co’z this dish is so flavorful, one cup of rice might just not be enough. A very easy dish to prepare!

If you notice, this dish is a bit saucy, I intended it to be that way because the sauce is so delicious, almost every time that I cook this dish, we always run out of sauce... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo Fresh Shrimps

3-4 tbsps. butter

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 head of garlic, chopped

1 cup Orange soda (or more if you want more sauce)

1/4 cup Corn starch power (dispersed in 1/4 cup water)

1-2 tbsps White Sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

Procedure:

Wash the shrimps thoroughly, drain and set aside. In a pan, put the cooking oil, on medium heat, then the butter, after wards add the garlic, saute it till a bit brown, then add the shrimp. stirring gently, when the shrimps start to turn pink add salt & pepper, then the orange soda and the sugar, mix well. When it starts to boil, prepare the cornstarch mixture and put it in, stir till well blended into the sauce. And lastly season to taste, if it needs more salt of sugar. Then its done!

Note : If you wanted more sauce, add 1/2 cups to 1 cup more orange soda, and adjust the rest of the ingredients, like the salt & pepper, sugar and cornstarch. And also, if you want to use fresh orange juice, you can also try using that, tho' I haven't tried that yet (Please let me know if you tried it ...) Don't worry, you can never go wrong with this recipe.

CHICKEN WITH COCONUT MILK

Another Chicken Dish. This is one of the best dishes that I learned to cook that has coconut milk in it. My family ikes anything with “gata” (coconut milk). I’ve tasted it many times from the Thai food restaurant and I’ve come up with my own version of cooking it, and according to my family, its delicious.

Ingredients:
½ kilo Chicken. Cut into serving pieces
2 tbsp. Cooking Oil
1 tbsp. Crushed Garlic
2 Medium onions, diced
Few Slices of Ginger
3 tbsp. Fish Sauce
1 cup Coconut milk or Cream
2 pcs. Finger Chili (siling haba)
1 cup Green Papaya, cut into smaller wedges
1 Bunch of Chili leaves, pick the leaves only
Salt and pepper

Procedure:
Heat cooking oil in a pan, sauté garlic, then onion, when transparent, add the ginger, then the chicken, when the chicken start to brown around the edges, add the patis, mix well and cover the pan and let it simmer on low fire for 10-15 minutes (if it seems too dry, add about 2 tbsp of water), then add the coconut milk, let it simmer for 10 minutes, then add the green papaya wedges. Simmer gently, covered, until fork tender and the coconut milk is slightly reduced and thickened, then add the finger chili, cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat and add the chili leaves, cover the pan again and leave for 5 to 10 minutes till the leaves are wilted. Serve with hot rice and have a great meal!

SPINACH STIR-FRY

A popular side dish, this ginisang kalabasa becomes more nutritious with the help of spinach. Spinach is an excellend source of iron and calcium, that can help make your bones grow stronger.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp cooking oil
¼ cup chopped garlic
1 medium onion, sliced
100g ground lean pork
2 cups julienne squash
1-8g Maggi Magic Sarap
1 tbsp patis
3 cups fresh spinach (pick the leaves and discard the stalks)
Procedure:
1. Heat cooking oil, sauté garlic until slightly brown. Set aside ½ of the garlic for topping.
2. In the remaining garlic, add onion and ground pork. Cook until pork turns white in color.
3. Stir in squash and cook for 30 seconds. Season with Maggi Magic Sarap and patis to taste.
4. Toss in spinach and cook uncovered for 30 seconds. Serve with fried garlic on top. Makes 4-6 servings.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories : 88
CHO(g) : 8
PRO (g) : 2
Fats (g) : 5

Good to Remember :
Do not overcook your vegetables. Spinach has a large nutritional value, specially when fresh, steamed or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of Vitamin A (and lutein), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and magnesium, among others. But when it is cooked, the value is decreased by 75%.

Good to Know:
There are two types of Spinach in the local market. The Chinese variety has tough stems and has leaves at both ends of the stalk while the native spinach has thinner and tender stalks with finer leaves.

LUMPIANG KAMOTENG KAHOY (Cassava Springroll)

Another Pinoy favorite gets an update with this simple recipe. Cassava or kamoteng kahoy makes for a healthy snack that provides just the right kind of sweetness minus the extra guilt.

Ingredients:
1 kg Kamoteng kahoy, peeled, boiled and mashed
½ cup butter
½ cup Nestle All Purpose Cream
½ cup Sugar
15 pcs. Lumpia wrapper, cut into 2 half moons
1 cup Cooking oil for frying
White Sugar for dusting

Procedure:
1. In a bowl, combine mashed kamoteng kahoy with butter, Nestle All Purpose Cream and sugar until fully incorporated. Set aside.
2. Scoop around 2 tbsp of the prepared kamoteng kahoy mixture into a lumpia wrapper.
3. Roll into logs similar to a lumpiang shanghai. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Transfer on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
4. Sprinkle with sugar before serving. Makes 18-20 pieces.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories : 161.9
CHO(g) : 18.2
PRO (g) : 0.4
Fats (g) : 9.7

Good to Remember :
Kamoteng kahoy is an example of a complex carbohydrate food that provides long lasting energy.

Good to Know:
One small piece of cassava is equivalent to almost one cup of rice.

KAPE, GULAMAN AT SAGO SA GATA

Add a twist to your regular cup of coffee with this cool coconut concoction. With a bit of gata and pandan mixed with sago gulaman, this cold coffee drink transforms into a perfect summer treat.

Ingredients:
4 pieces Pandan leaves
1 liter water
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp Nescafe Classic Coffee
½ cup gata
1 cup chopped gulaman
½ cup sago

Procedure:
1. Boil pandan in water. Add sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool or refrigerate to chill.
2. In a pitcher, pour 2 cups of the pandan sugar syrup. Add Nescafe coffee, gata, gulaman and sago. Stir to mix well.
3. Chill in the refrigerator before serving or serve with ice. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories : 221
CHO(g) : 54
PRO (g) : 1
Fats (g) : 0

Good to Remember :
Coffee is a natural source of antioxidants, which help prevent early signs of aging.

Good to Know:
To fully enjoy the delightful aroma of coffee, put the instant coffee in a cup first before pouring hot water.

CHICKEN ARROZCALDO (Congee) & TOKWA’T BABOY

I had this “Old Time Favorite” I use to eat this everyday, when I had to stay in dormitory. I wanted to just have this meal everyday because it helps my stomach feel better, watch TV, read some books, and me do some research, and this is good for raining seasons also winter, what else can you think of when it’s raining, but eat something hot, and delicious, so I decided to prepare my favorite Lugao (or Congee), it’s like comfort food to me. This is another family favorite as well.

Ingredients:
½ kilo Chicken Breast (boiled and shredded)
2 tbsp Vegetable Cooking Oil
2 tbsps. Garlic, chopped
2-3 pcs. Medium sized Onion, sliced thinly
¼ cup Ginger, sliced thinly
½ cup Fish Sauce (Patis)
½ cup Malagkit Rice, (glutinous rice)
¾ cups Regular Rice
Broth from the boiled chicken breast
Garnishing for Arrozcaldo:
½ cup Spring Onion (chopped finely)
½ cup Garlic, chopped finely, fried till light brown (2 heads of garlic)
Calamansi (cut into halves)
Ground Black Pepper (optional)

Procedure for the Arrozcaldo:
Combine Malagkit and regular rice, wash, drain, and let it soak for awhile (this will help in the cooking process of the rice, and gives it a nice and fluffy texture).

Meanwhile, cook the chicken breasts in about 3-4 cups water, add some salt and pepper, boil till fork tender. Take out the chicken breast when tender, let it cool for awhile, then shred it, and set aside. Keep the chicken broth, we’ll use it later.

In a big pan or casserole, saute Garlic ( 2 tbsp and the ½ cup combined, to save time in sauteing), add more cooking oil if needed, till light brown, then take out about ½ cup (set aside for garnishing), and continue sauteing the garlic left on the pan and put the onion saute until transparent, then put the ginger, stir well, add the shredded chicken, stir for awhile, then put the Fish sauce and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, drain the rice, and mix it to the cooking chicken, if it tends to stick to the pan, put about ½ cup of water and continue to mix well for another 5 minutes. Then put the chicken broth into the cooking rice. Mix well, cover and let it simmer, then lower the fire. Stirring occasionally. Keep a close watch, you need to stir this once in awhile to avoid burning. Cook for another 15-20 minutes more, or until the rice are all cooked and soft and starts to crumble. If you think its too thick, add more water, according to the thickness you want. Serve hot on individual serving bowls (as shown in the photo) with the garnishing on the side.

TOKWA’T BABOY
For those who doesn’t know what Tokwa’t Baboy is, this side dish goes very well with Congee, it’s boiled pork belly (or any part of pork you want) sliced thinly. Tokwa is bean curd, fried till crispy, then sliced thinly and it’s mixed with the pork and has a sauce, please see below for the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients:
½ kilo Pork Belly, boiled and sliced
Salt and pepper corns
1 pc. Bean curd
1 cup cooking oil for frying

Sauce:
1 cup White Vinegar
2-3 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Garlic, chopped finely
½ tsp Sugar (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure for Tokwa’t Baboy:
Boil pork belly in water with salt and pepper corns. Cook till tender. Take it out of the pan and let cool for awhile before slicing it into strips (as shown in the picture).

Meanwhile, fry the sliced bean curd till a bit crispy. Put in paper towels or thick tissue to drain excess oil. When cool, cut into strips, same size as the pork and mix the sliced pork and bean curd in a bowl. Serve with the sauce on the side. Enjoy!

ESCABECHE

(Sweet and Sour Fish)
I love fish. I can even eat fish everyday... but here in Alabama, I don't have the luxury of eating fish everyday because of the low supply and it is very seldom that you can buy fish in whole... usually it is always in fillet....

Anyhow, here's how to make escabeche....

Ingredients:
Whole fish (deep fried)
garlic
onion
black pepper
ginger (finely sliced)
carrots
bell pepper
pineapple chunks
corn starch (dissolve in water)
sugar
vinegar
water


Directions:

• Deep fry fish and set aside.
• Saute ginger, garlic and onion.
• Add carrots, sugar, vinegar, and water. Season with pepper. Bring to boil.
• Add bell pepper and pineapple chunks. Cook for 2 minutes.
  
• Add dissolve corn starch to thicken the sauce.
• Pour over the fish.
• Serve

Note: The amount of the ingredients will depend on how many fish you want to cook.

Stir Fry Chicken with Mushroom and Broccoli

I have been trying to find a new way to cook chicken. I don't want to be burnt out eating chicken so I wanted some variations. I came up with cooking the chicken with mushroom and broccoli .

Ingredients:

Chicken breast (sliced in bite size)

bell pepper (sliced in strips)

carrots (sliced in strips)

mushroom (slice half)

broccoli (Florette)

cooking wine

soy sauce

corn starch

pepper

onion

garlic powder

water

Directions:

• Marinade chicken in soy sauce, cooking wine, black pepper, garlic powder and corn starch. Set aside. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
• Saute onion and add marinaded chicken. Mix well and add a little water. Bring to boil and add carrots. Cook for two minutes.
• Add bell pepper, mushroom and broccoli. Cook for another two minutes. Season with salt if needed.
• Serve while hot.