....GOTO kO!!....

This dish can stand on its own – meaning you can just eat plain rice porridge and still feel satisfied, but there are also wide selection of toppings to suit everyone’s tastes. Among those “add-ons” to choose from are: hard-boiled egg, chicken pieces, cow’s eye, chicharon (pork cracklings), pig’s internals such as heart and intestines, and the recipe I am about to share – goto (ox tripe).


Ingredients:
3/4 Kilo Goto (Ox Tripe), cleaned
1 Kilo malagkit rice (glutinous rice), washed once
3 tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh ginger strips
1/4 cup onions, sliced
3 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
3 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tbsp. kasubha
2 sachets (8 gram pack) MAGGI Magic Sarap
2 tbsp. MAGGI Chiken Stock
Spring onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
>>> Clean goto. Boil in water for 15 minutes. Wash again and boil in another batch of water with salt. Add in MAGGI Chicken Stock powder. Liquid to cover all the meat. Cover, lower heat and let to simmer until goto is tender. Slice into thin strips. Set aside broth.

>>> In a cooking pot, sauté garlic until brown. Set aside garlic.

>>> In the same oil, sauté ginger. Add in onion and cook for about two minutes. Stir in rice and season with patis. Cook for 3 minutes, and add the broth (8 – 10 cups, depending on the consistency desired). Cover. Stir once in a while to prevent the rice from sticking

>>> When the rice is cooked, add goto pieces, gently stir for 5 minutes. Add MAGGI Magic Sarap. Season according to taste.

>>> Serve hot topped with fried garlic and chopped spring onions.

sisig my style

Ingredients

* 1.5 lbs pork ears (cleaned and hair removed or so to speak shaved)
* .5 lbs pork liver
* 2 hot chilis (minced)
* 2 Medium Red onions (minced)
* Garlic (crushed, as in super crushed)
* 5 tbsp soy sauce (up to you on how strong the flavor you want it)
* 5 tbsp vinegar (up to you on how strong the flavor you want it)
* Vegetable oil (you can use olive oil if you'd like)
* Sizzling plate (optional)
* Salt and Pepper
* 1 Egg


Directions

1. 1. Rub the pork ear and liver with a pinch of salt and pepper
2. 2. Grill the pork ear and the pork liver (in this case you wanna make sure the liver is reall cooked, but if you want it a little bit raw its up to you)
3. 3. The pork ear should be cooked until crisp but not burnt
4. 4. After cooking, mince everything all up and mix (pork ear and pork liver)
5. 5. In a non stick pan, heat oil and saute garlic until golden brown
6. 6. Add the onions wait for it turn transluscent
7. 7. Add the mixed Pork ear and the Por liver
8. 8. Cook until the meat starts to crisp a bit
9. 9. Add the vinegar and the soy sauce
10. 10. Salt and pepper to taste
11. 11. Remove from heat, add the minced hot chilis if you want it hot.
12. 12. Add the egg after removing it from heat.
13. 13. ENJOY!!! Put it on Taco shells, Nachos or you can even eat it as it is... Oh and by the way... THIS TASTES GOOD IF YOU ADD A SQUEEZE OF LIME before you eat it!!! =)

papaitan alis tama..

Papaitan or pinapaitan, for those who don’t know is a sampalok and bile flavored stew of tripes and innards. It is either an ox or goat. (baka or kambing). This dish is popular with those who love drinking liquor. It is one of the mainstay dish of restaurants along the h-ways if you have ever traveled up north or Ilocos country. I know a lot of people want to know how to cook this dish. Cooking is fairly simple except that it require a lot of time to get the innards to get cook to tender especially the tripes, not unless you want to use the pressure cooker but you won’t get the same tastiness with slow cooking.

When buying just ask the butcher it is for papaitan and most likely he knows what it is, so he will be giving you a set complete with diluted bile. Here in bahrain it is the meat shop way of attracting Filipino customers, by selling meat cuts the way Filipinos want. Here are some tips in cooking papaitan. Wash thoroughly. Parboil the innards with garlic and ginger for 15 minutes, discard water and rinse before slicing. Add bile small amount at a time so with sampalok. Until you get the correct sourness and bitterness.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 k. ox tripe/innards
1/2 c. diluted ox bile
1 head whole garlic
1 thumb size ginger, crushed
2 thumb size ginger, cut into strips
1 head garlic, chopped
2 medium size onion, chopped
1 bundle spring onion, chopped
1 small packet, sampalok sinigang mix
2-3 siling labuyo, chopped
1/2 c. patis
salt and pepper

Cooking procedure:

Wash thoroughly ox innards, drain and cut into small slices, set aside liver. In a sauce pan put all innards, whole garlic and crushed ginger cover with water and boil for 15 minutes, drain and discard liquid. Rinse and add fresh water and boil for 1-2 hours or until innards are tender. Remove from pan separate broth and keep aside. In same sauce pan sauté onion, garlic and ginger. Add innards including liver stir for 3-5 minutes, add patis and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Pour in broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes, add siling labuyo, sinigang mix and goat bile (half quantity at time and taste sourness and bitterness add more if required). Simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.

my pad thai

Pad Thai is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with Thai condiments. In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.

Pad Thais have been the best known or shall we say the trademark disk of Thailand. And it is widely appreciated and known all over the world, especially in America and Australlia.
Ingredients:
1 package rice noodles
vegetable oil
1 diced onion
1 minced garlic, 2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup unsalted and chooped dry-roasted peanuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
12 medium and peeled fresh shrimp
ketchup
fish sauce
white sugar
lemon juice
white wine vinegar

Procedure:
1.Treat your noodles first. Soak your noodles in cold water and drain it. Afterwhich, place the noodles in hot water and drain.

2. Prepare your skillet, heat the oil and saute onion and garlic. Try to caramelize the onion first before adding the shrimp. To know if you’re shrimp is already cooked, its color should be changed, specifically turning to pink or orange. Add your ketchup, fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar.

3. Last phase is putting the beaten egg. Its best to let the egg cook without even stirring the dish so as to get the desired texture of the dish. Add now the drained rice noodles and the peanuts. Mix the whole dish until the noodles is tender.

Pancit Luglog (Rice and Noodles)

Ingredients:
PORK AND BEAN CURD MIXTURE:
1/2 c. cooking oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c. cooked pork, diced
2 cakes tokua or bean curd, diced
1/4 c. atsuwete water (2 tbs. anato seeds soaked in 1/4 c. water)
1 c. shrimp juice
1/2 c. kintsay or Chinese celery
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. aji-no-moto

PALABOK:
2 c shrimp juice
1/4 c atsuwete water (2 tbs. anato seeds soaked in 1/4 c. water)
6 tbs. flour dissolved in 1/2 c water
1 tsp. Aji-no-moto
salt to taste

PANCIT (NOODLES):
2 qts. water
1/2 kg dried rice noodles (bihon) soaked in water for 10 minutes, then drained
1 c bean sprouts, boiled

GARNISHING:
1/2 c flaked smoked fish (tinapa)
1/2 c crisp pork cracklings (sitsaron), pounded
2 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
1/2 c shrimp, shelled and boiled
1/2 c green onions, finely sliced
6 pcs calamansi or 1 lemon, sliced
fried minced garlic



Instructions:
Brown garlic in hot oil. Set aside for garnishing. Drop pork in cooking oil, fry until slightly brown. Add tokua and fry 1 minute. Add the concentrated atsuwete water. Pour the 1 cup concentrated shrimp juice and bring to a boil. Add the kintsay and season with salt, pepper and Aji-no-moto. Set aside. This is the pork and bean curd mixture.

Prepare palabok sauce: Add atsuwete water to shrimp juice and bring to a boil. Disperse flour and add to mixture, stirring constantly. Season with salt and Aji-no-moto. Set aside.

Measure 2 quarts of water into a deep pot and bring to a boil. Put a handful of bean sprouts into a sifter then add the noodles. Dip sifter into boiling water for 1 minute, then drain well. Continue until all he noodles has been cooked. Pour noodles in a large platter. Cover with palabok sauce. Top with the pork and bean curd mixture. Sprinkle tinapa, sitsaron, chopped eggs, shelled shrimp, green onions, fried garlic, season with salt and pepper, and arrange lemon wedges around platter.

kare kare

Kare Kare Ingredients:

*

1/2 kilo beef (round or sirloin cut) cut into cubes (for a more traditional kare kare, use cleaned beef tripe instead of beef)
*

1/2 kilo oxtail, cut 2 inch long
*

3 cups of peanut butter
*

1/4 cup grounded toasted rice
*

1/2 cup cooked bagoong alamang (anchovies)
*

2 pieces onions, diced
*

2 heads of garlic, minced
*

4 tablespoons atsuete oil
*

4 pieces eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick
*

1 bundle Pechay (Bok choy) cut into 2 pieces
*

1 bundle of sitaw (string beans) cut to 2" long
*

1 banana bud, cut similar to eggplant slices, blanch in boiling water
*

1/2 cup oil
*

8 cups of water
*

Salt to taste

Kare Kare Cooking Instructions:

*

In a stock pot, boil beef and oxtails in water for an hour or until cooked. Strain and keep the stock.
*

In a big pan or wok, heat oil and atsuete oil.
*

Sauté garlic, onions until golden brown, then add the stock, toasted rice, beef, oxtail and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
*

Add the eggplant, string beans, pechay and banana bud. Cook the vegetables for a few minutes - Do not overcook the vegetables.
*

Serve with bagoong on the side and hot plain rice.

classic buko pandan ala lanie

Ingredients
8 leaves of Pandan – cleaned well
5 Buko (Coconut)not too hard, not too soft- Grated to strips
Water from 5 Buko (approx. 10 cups)
3 small cans of Nestle Cream
1 medium can of Condensed Milk
2 bars of Green Gulaman
1 3/4 Cups Sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
1 cup Kaong (optional)

Preparation

1. Boil buko water from 5 coconuts together with 8 pandan leaves that are individually twisted to break the fibers and expose the juice. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Before adding 2 bars of gulaman, make sure you remove the pandan leaves and check if the remaining coconut water is equal to 8 cups – 1 bar of gulaman is good for 4 cups of liquid. If it is not 8 cups, less will mean hard gulaman and more than 8 cups will result in mushy soft gulaman. Ensuring gulaman is well-dissolved stir well. Add sugar while mixing. Do this for 5 minutes.
3. Pour through a strainer into cooling trays. Wait till it cools and hardens, then put in fridge.
4. Meanwhile, mix the grated buko with the 3 cans of cream and 1 can of condensed milk.
5. Add kaong if you prefer.
6. Get gulaman from ref and cut into 1 cm cubes. Mix with buko mixture.

NO CHILL SIMPLE PUFF PASTRY FROM

1 stick butter
1 c. water
dash of salt
1 c. flour
2 eggs

Bring butter, water and salt to a rolling boil. In a separate bowl, mix in 1 cup flour very well (by hand).

Break in 1 egg at a time and beat well with wooden spoon. Beat until eggs disappear. Remember to add one egg at a time and beat until smooth after each addition.

Drop by spoonfuls, however large you'd like them. Pipe through a pastry bag onto cookie sheets, making sure they won't touch while baking or else they might cook togeather.

Bake at 400-425 degrees until puffed and golden and they look dry, though the center will still be soft.

You may have to adjust heat if they brown too quickly, being very careful while opening oven door if you don't have an oven light.

Good for all things that you normally use puff pastry for, from puddings, to eclairs, to about anything else you need a good

CITRUS RESTAURANT'S CREME BRULEE

10 eggs, separated
3/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed

Mix egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until well combined and sugar has dissolved. Add milk, whipping cream and vanilla and mix well.

Place 1 (9x13) glass baking dish or 6 (5 inch) fluted glass flan dishes in baking pan. Pour mixture into baking dish or fill flan dishes 3/4 full with creme brulee mixture. Place in oven and fill baking sheet 3/4 full with hot water. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove dishes from hot water bath and set aside to cool.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and brown sugar. Sprinkle top of each serving evenly with combined sugars. Caramelize with torch. If torch is not available, place creme brulee in refrigerator until chilled. When ready to serve, place sugar-coated creme in preheated broiler 5 minutes to brown, being careful not to scorch. 6 servings.

BASIL AND GARLIC MINESTRONE

3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 scant cup olive oil
pinch of oregano
1/2 cup whole peeled Italian tomatoes, drained
1 tsp chicken bouillon (or soup base)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
pinch of pepper
pinch or red pepper flakes
10 ounces spaghetti or linquine, broken
3 tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, saute chopped pancetta in olive oil, when browned, stir in tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add 6 cups cold water (1 1/2 quarts). Add salt. Bring to a boil, then drop in broken pasta. Cook pasta until al dente (literally, "to the tooth", which means that the pasta should not be mushy, and should have a little "bite").

When pasta is cooked, remove from the heat. Add basil, and some of the grated cheese. Sprinkle to taste with sea salt or kosher salt, and freshly grated black pepper. Add a light dusting of hot red pepper flakes (optional), as you like it.

Serve hot, with extra Parmesan cheese at the table, for sprinkling. At my table, we never grate the cheese in advance, but the block of cheese is placed at the table with a grater, for extra helpings.

This dish is as versatile as pasta itself and can be varied as desired; a few suggestions are included below.

Substitutions and variations: Use pork soup base instead of chicken bouillon. Bacon, ham or salt pork may be used instead of pancetta. Diced fresh or canned tomatoes can be substituted for whole peeled. Fresh pasta noodles can be used in place of dry pasta.

MY LASAGNE!

A VERY SPECIAL LASAGNE

1/2 lb. lasagne noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 lbs. tomatoes (6-7 lg.), peeled, seeded, chopped (or canned tomatoes, drained)
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 tbsp. chopped parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cook lasagne noodles in boiling, salted water until "al dente", still firm to the bite. Drain and keep them in cold water until ready to use.

Saute ground beef, onion and garlic in olive oil until meat is no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and cook at a fast simmer until sauce is quite thick (about 30 to 40 minutes). Skim fat. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

BECHAMEL:

1/2 c. butter
4 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube (opt.)
1/8 tsp. salt

Melt butter; add flour and cook, stirring with a whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, still using whisk. Taste and add chicken bouillon cube, if needed. Add salt.

RICOTTA FILLING:

1 egg
1/2 lb. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/16 - 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat egg in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well with a fork.

CHEESES:

1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Butter

In the following order, layer in a lightly greased 13"x9" baking dish: a little meat sauce, half of the noodles, half of the remaining meat sauce, 1/2 cup Bechamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, half of the Mozzarella and Ricotta cheese; the remaining noodles and meat sauce, 1/2 cup Bechamel, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the remaining Mozzarella and ricotta, Bechamel and Parmesan cheeses. Dot with butter. At this point, the dish may be covered and refrigerated.

From room temperature, bake at 400 degrees, uncovered, for 30 minutes or more, until bubbly. This dish freezes very well.

BACON-WRAPPED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON-CHIVE SAUCE

3 doz. fresh sea scallops (about 2 lbs.)
1 lb. sliced bacon
Lemon-Chive Sauce

Cut bacon in half crosswise. Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon, and secure with a wooden pick. Place scallops on a rack in a broiler pan; brush with lemon-chive sauce. Broil 6 inches from heat 10 to 15 minutes or until scallops are opaque and bacon is done, turning occasionally. Serve immediately.

LEMON-CHIVE SAUCE:

2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a wire whisk until blended. Yield: 1/4 cup.

SCALLOP AND MUSHROOM FRITTATA WITH NEWBURG SAUCE

FRITTATA:

2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. Cape Cod scallops
1 lg. clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
8 med. mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 eggs
1/4 c. whipping cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. bread crumbs

NEWBURG SAUCE:

5 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk, warmed
1 c. light cream, warmed
2 oz. sherry
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 c. chopped scallops (reserved from above)

To make frittatas: In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoons olive oil. Wash and drain scallops; pat dry, and saute until lightly browned. Remove from pan and put aside (reserve 1/2 cup for Newburg Sauce).

In same skillet, add remaining tablespoon butter and saute garlic, parsley, scallions, mushrooms until tender. Remove from pan with slotted spoon.

In large bowl, beat eggs, whipping cream, salt and pepper. Generously grease 2-quart casserole dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Arrange scallops on bottom and place mushroom mixture on top. Pour egg mixture over top evenly and bake in preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned and firm, about 35 to 40 minutes.

To make sauce: Melt butter in saucepan and gradually add flour to make a paste. Add warm milk and cream and simmer until thickened. Add sherry, paprika, and reserved chopped scallops and simmer 5 minutes.

Slice frittata in wedges and serve hot with 2 heaping tablespoons of Newburg Sauce on top. Makes 4 to 6 servin

EASY CHICKEN CACCIATORE

4 breasts, split
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) Del Monte Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. crushed basil
Salt and pepper
Hot cooked pasta

Remove skin from breasts. Fry until brown - drain. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over hot pasta. 4-6 servings.

my chicken inasal

Preparation & marinating: 6 hours to overnight

Estimated cooking time: 40 minutes


Chicken Inasal Ingredients:

*

Pinoy Chicken Inasal 2 Chickens (free range if available)
*

3/4 cup Filipino vinegar
*

1/4 cup Garlic finely minced
*

2 stalks Lemon grass optional
*

Salt
*

Annatto oil (see notes below)
*

Wooden skewers
*

Spiced vinegar

*

Additional Ingredients Instructions:

* 2 free-range chickens, approx. 3 pounds each, or if you can find smaller chickens, use 3 of them

* 3/4 cup Filipino vinegar, palm if you can find it, or cane; or if you must, the equivalent in kalamansi juice (available in the frozen aisle of your Asian market if you don’t have access to fresh)
* 1/4 cup garlic, minced very finely, or better yet, mashed into a paste with 2 teaspoons sea salt
* achuete or annatto oil, made by steeping 1/4 cup annatto seeds in 1/2 cup hot oil for half an hour (If not available, you may mix a small amount of paprika and tumeric to achieve the same color.)
* thick wooden skewers, soaked for 1 hour in water prior to cooking
* Bottled spiced vinegar for serving, or make your own by mixing Filipino vinegar, lots of crushed garlic, a bit of salt, and a handful of Thai peppers or other tiny red hot peppers

Chicken Inasal Cooking Instructions:

* Pinoy Chicken Inasal Quarter the chickens, or if using the small ones, halve them. Marinate in the vinegar, garlic and salt, several hours or overnight, turning several times.
* Preheat grill to 350 degrees. Make sure your grill is cleaned and oiled well. Cook over indirect heat for 20 minutes, basting with the achuete oil.
* Turn and cook for 10-15 minutes more, or until thickest parts of chicken exude clear juices when pierced. Can also be made in a grill pan on the stove if no outside barbecue is available.
* Serve immediately with the spiced vinegar. Other welcome additions to the vinegar: some soy sauce or fish sauce if you like, or even some minced ginger.

Variations:



* Another technique we’ve found to work well, is to heat the oil in which the annatto is to be steeped, and to steep the garlic (and lemon grass if using) together with the seeds. This ensures a more even distribution of flavors. Just remember to discard this mixture when you’re done with the cooking, as you risk botulism from the garlic. Or, if you want to make it ahead of time, be sure to refrigerate the oil to retard any toxins from developing.
* If your chicken is particularly fatty, you could render the fat slowly in a skillet, and use that instead of cooking oil to steep the annatto seeds. In which case, you’ll want to have enough not only for basting but also for serving later, as there’s nothing more appetizing than chicken inasal drizzled with this orange concoction.

Isda sa Gata na may Sarsa

1 tasang hinimay na isda
2 tasang gata ng niyog
4 na kutsarang ginadgad na keso
1 kurot na paminta
1 tasang kanin
3 itlog
1 kutsarang asin
2 kutsaritang mantikilya

Ilaga sa isang tasang gata ng niyog ang isda. Himayin ang isda saka alisin ang mga tinik. Ihalo ang mantikilya. Sa mga pula ng itlog na binating mabuti, ihalo ang isang tasang gata ng niyog, kanin, hinimay na isdang may keso, asin at paminta. Ihalo ng pabalot ang puti ng itlog na binating mabuti. Isalin sa hulmahang pinahiran ng mantikilya ipatong ito sa kawaling may mainit na tubig. Ipasok sa pugong may katamtamang init. Hanguin. Pagkaraan ng mga 30 minuto.

SARSANG SIBUYAS

2 kutsarang asukal
1 kutsarang mantikilya
2 sibuyas, hiwain
2 kutsarang arina
1 tasang sabaw ng nilaga
1 kutsaritang asin
½ kutsaritang paminta
1 kutsarang suka

Papulahin ang asukal sa mantikilya. Ihalo ang hiniwang sibuyas. Lutuin at kung luto na ang sibuyas, isama ang arina at papulahin din. Isalin ang sabaw. Timplahan ng asin, paminta at suka. Lutuin hanggang lumapot.

Leche Flan

Ingredients
8
Egg yolks
2
cups Milk
1
cup Sugar

Caramelized Sugar
Ingredients
1
cup Sugar
1/4
cup Water

Preparation
Mix ingredients into a saucepan, cook and stir until the sugar turns brown.
Servings:
4

...food for the god...

[Food for the Gods]

It’s that time of the year when I plan the baked goodies that I plan to give as gifts to my friends. Food for the Gods is such a delightful recipe to bake during the holidays when one doesn’t have the time to bake Fruit Cake. It entails less preparation and baking time. It’s the perfect dessert to prepare beforehand. Baked with a delightful blend of dates and walnuts, molasses, tinge of brandy and cinnamon, the taste is reminiscent of fruit cake sans the fruit glaze. You should try it. It’s simple to bake. Your kitchen will also emit holiday aroma that gives you more reason to keep baking and baking.

Here is my recipe to start you off baking a dessert fit even for gods.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons Brandy
1 cup dates, cut in strips
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons Honey
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Grease square pan

3. Combine dates. nuts, and 2 tablespoons brandy. Set aside.
dates and walnuts
(Dates and walnuts are blended with the 2 Tablespoons of brandy)

4. Cream butter until fluffy.

5. Add sugar, molasses, and honey gradually.

6. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating.

7. Blend in 2 tablespoons brandy. (Lauren wanted to add more brandy but it might make the batter too bitter.)

8. Sift together flour, cinnamon and baking powder.

food for the gods

9 Add to creamed mixture.

10. Fold in dates and nuts. Blend well.

11. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. (Bake only until a wooden toothpick inserted about one inch from side of pan comes out with a moist crumb. The center will often see, unbaked but it will be firm upon cooling.)
food for the gods
(Freshly baked food for the gods)

12. When cool, cut into bars.
food for the gods

13. Wrap in cellophane.

The Improvising Chef

The Improvising Chef knows basic cooking techniques and how to combine flavors

A cooks kitchen is a dynamic place where the available ingredients are always changing - whether it's with the season or what's in the cabinet or what fantastic delights we have left from the last meals we cooked, there's always a way to make something healthy, tasty and interesting.

With knowledge of a few basic techniques - caramelizing, how to cook grains, how tastes relate and combine, what fats to use, and more... the chef will have more choices as planning and cooking progress

pinoy sardines special

1 can red sardines (with chili kung gusto)
1/4 kl of baguio beans

mag gisa ng bawang at sibuyas sa konting mantika, then ilagay yung chopped baguio beans at isang kutsa, then i lagay yung sardinas without the sauce. sangkutsa ng konti , then add peeper (yung durog na durog), then tsaka ilagay yung sauce. halo ng konti, ( add ng konting water para may sabaw ng konti ). add salt to taste.

Presto! sardinas de gulay, masarap na, mura pa at masustansya.

puwede ding gawing ala apritada! ( kung hahaluan nyo ng carots at patatas, isabay sa pag gisa ng bawang at sibuyas, at ihuli ang paglagay ng sardinas para hindi ito madurog )

oh, ulam yan na wala sa carinderia. kayo? ano naman luto nyo?

kilawing tuna..

Eto ang da best na pulutan o ulam ngayong kapaskuhan at bagong taon. Hindi masebo o mamantika at hindi maalat o matamis.

Kilawing tuna o Blue marlin. napaka daling gawin

simply slice to bite size ang karne ng isda ( 140.00 1/2 kilo )

2 malaking luya chopped

6 pcs. siling labuyo chopped

2 big onions chopped

1/4 kilo kalamansi

salt kung gusto nyong lagyan? o vetsin. nasa inyo yan kung gusto nyo na medyo may alat ng konti

Vinegar. mas maasim mas masarap.

hugasan ng vinegar ang na slice na karne ng isda, then lagyan uli ng vinegar pambabad at ihalo ang mga na chopped na rekado. ilagay ang mga napigang kalamansi then palamigin sa ref.

after 2 hours, ayos na ayos na yan.

may kamahalan pero i think you deserve this, masarap at hindi ma cholesterol na pagkain para sayo.

pochero ala gill

pochero
What do we do with leftovers from Christmas dinner? Most especially scrap ham. The solution….Pochero or cocido. I prefer to call it Pochero as it is a very common dish in my hometown Cebu.

Pochero (Spanish spelling , Puchero) with its bounty of meats, sausages and vegetables is known as the “real national dish of Spain. Brought to the shores through the Spanish conquistadores, it is a favorite dish at Filipino festive occasions. With extra ham from the noche buena, the pochero is one way of recycling left-over meats. This recipe is richly flavored by the ham bones and scrap ham simmered with the beef.

Ingredients

1 kilo cubed beef (with some portions of fat)
1/2 kilo leftover ham bones
1/4 kilo scrap ham
8 to 10 cups water or enough to cover meat
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
4 Saba bananas, peeled, sliced in half
3 pieces chorizo de bilbao sliced diagonally into 2 inch pieces
1 cup chick peas
1 head of cabbage quartered
1 Baguio pechay leaves separate

pochero ala gill

What do we do with leftovers from Christmas dinner? Most especially scrap ham. The solution….Pochero or cocido. I prefer to call it Pochero as it is a very common dish in my hometown Cebu.

Pochero (Spanish spelling , Puchero) with its bounty of meats, sausages and vegetables is known as the “real national dish of Spain. Brought to the shores through the Spanish conquistadores, it is a favorite dish at Filipino festive occasions. With extra ham from the noche buena, the pochero is one way of recycling left-over meats. This recipe is richly flavored by the ham bones and scrap ham simmered with the beef.

Ingredients

1 kilo cubed beef (with some portions of fat)
1/2 kilo leftover ham bones
1/4 kilo scrap ham
8 to 10 cups water or enough to cover meat
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
4 Saba bananas, peeled, sliced in half
3 pieces chorizo de bilbao sliced diagonally into 2 inch pieces
1 cup chick peas
1 head of cabbage quartered
1 Baguio pechay leaves separated

Read more: http://pinoyfoodblog.com/#ixzz0YV413nSf

pinoy spagheti

Ingredients

• 1 kg. spaghetti noodles
• 1/2 kg. ground beef
• 1/2 kg. ground pork
• 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

METHOD

1. Estimated & preparation & cooking time: 40 minutes.
2. Cook spaghetti noodles based on the package instructions.
3. Stir fry garlic and onions in cooking oil in a sauce pan.
4. Add ground beef, ground pork, laurel leaves, bell pepper and a cup of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste then let boil for another 10 minutes
6. Add brown sugar and hotdogs. Continue to boil for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve with the cooked spaghetti noodles and grated cheese on top

pancit palabok...

Ingredients

Noodles - 1/2 kilo of white and round miki
Boil 4 cups water, add a little salt. Put noodles in strainer and dip in boiling water for 5 minutes or till noodles is cooked. Drain. Transfer on plate. Top with garnishings. Pour palabok on top. Garnish with sliced cooked eggs and chopped spring onions.

Garnishings

* squid adobo (pusit)
* flaked fish meat (tinapa)
* pork sitsaron, coarsely pounded
* powdered pork sitsaron
* fried minced garlic
* cooked shrimps, shelled
* hard boiled eggs, sliced
* chopped spring onions

Palabok

* 1/2 kilo fresh small crabs
* (possibly w/soft shell)
* 1 large onion, chopped finely
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 tbsp cornstarch
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 3 tbsp atchuete seeds or
* 2 tbsp atchuete oil
* 2 tbsp patis
* 1 tsp vetsin

METHOD Wash crabs, open up and extract fat top shell, squeeze out meat from body. Set fat and meat aside. Then pound crab and squeeze juice in 1 1/2 cups of water. Set aside juice till brown. Add onion. Add crabs fat meat, season with patis. Stir for 2 minutes and add crab juice. Season With patis and vetsin. Let boil for 10 minutes , stirring constantly Then, add dissolved cornstarch, stir until it thickens

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of ginger root, crushed and minced
• 2 pieces long chilli peppers
• 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste (bagoong)
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 3 pieces tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons of cooking or olive oil
• 1 kilo squash, cut into cubes (1"x1")
• 1 cups coconut cream (katang gata)
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (patis)

METHOD

1. Estimated cooking & preparation time: 1 hour
2. On a big pan, heat oil. Stir fry garlic, onions until light brown then add ginger, cook until onions become translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes, squash, chicken stock, shrimp paste and the coconut milk. Let boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the squash becomes tender.
4. Add the coconut cream, long chilli peppers and the shrimps. Bring again to a boil and simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Serve hot with plain rice.
6. This ginataan recipe can be used on any vegetable, combination of vegetables, fish or meat.

the philippine flag Filipino Chopsuey Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 kilo pork, cut into small cubes
1/4 kilo chicken giblets & liver
2-3 chicken wings, cut into small pieces
1/4 kilo fresh shrimps, shelled
2 large onions, quartered
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 pc. medium sized carrots, round thin slices
1/4 kilo cabbage, chopped 1 1/2" squares
1/4 kilo cauliflower, break into flowerettes
2-3 stalks leeks, chopped 2" long 2-3 stalks celery, chopped 1" long
1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro)
10 pcs. string beans (habichuelas)
2 pcs. bell pepper, red & green, big slices
2 cups chicken or meat broth
1 tbsp. vetsin
2 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil (optional)

METHOD

Saute garlic until brown. Add onions, when half cooked stir in pork, giblets, liver, chicken, and shrimps. Saute for 2 minutes and pour in fish sauce. Stir. After 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup water. Cover. When almost dry, add broth. Let boil. Season with salt and vetsin, and put in all vegetables. Cook until half done and thicken soup with dissolved cornstarch. Do not overcooked vegetables. Serve ho

VEGETABLE, RICE AND NOODLES RECIPE

Much of the flavor of Philippine cooking is due to the wide variety of vegetables that are featured in almost every meal. As a tropical and luxuriant country, the Philippines is blessed with lush vegetation and many plants have been domesticated and found not only edible but delicious as well. The native dishes derived from Malaysia and Indonesia take full advantage of vegetables. However, it is in Chinese cuisine that vegetables find their fulfillment as gourmet delights.

Many Filipino dishes use meat, fish or poultry just to provide the flavor and the protein needed to balance their diets. The bulk of the dishes, however, are made up of vegetables, which are often mixed together chop suey style. Leaves, buds, stalks, pods and tender parts of plants and trees are used to full advantage. Usually blanched and never overcooked, vegetables provide the Filipino with sufficient vitamins and minerals. Beans and legumes supply most of the protein in his diet.

The staple of Filipino diet is rice although the strong Chinese influence on Filipino cooking is also seen in the wide use of noodles. Rice was grown in Southeast Asia and the Philippines long before the coming of Westerners. The preferred varieties for daily meals are white, long grained and aromatic. Glutinous or sticky rice, of either the white or brownish varieties. are used for rice cakes and other native sweets. For normal use, rice is simply boiled with just enough water to cook it until it is dry and fluffy; nothing else is added, not even salt

The practice of using rice in a main dish is borrowed from Spain — as in arroz a la Valenciana or arroz con caldo. Fried rice in the Chinese manner has also introduced endless combinations. The traditional Filipino way of frying rice, however, is simply to brown a crushed clove of garlic in hot lard, add a little salt, and stir-fry the rice in this. Fried rice is a favorite breakfast fare as the practical Filipinos usually use leftover rice and it is a good way to warm it up and add some flavor to it. Chinese noodles are of many varieties but the main Filipino favorites are bihon (rice sticks) and sotanghon (transparent noodles from soy beans). They can be boiled in soup or sauteed with meat and vegetables.

Adobong Kambing Ingredients:

1 kilo kambing spareribs (Goat’s Spare ribs)

cut into serving pieces, bones intact

• cooking oil
• 2 thumb size ginger, sliced
• 1/2 head garlic, crushed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp. peppercorns
• 2 stalk lemon grass
• 3 bay leaf
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 3-5 pcs. green hot chilli
• 3/4 c. vinegar
• salt and pepper

Baked Tahong

Ingredients

* 1 kilo fresh large tahongs
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup grated cheese
* 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Place tahong on a pan (no water), cover and cook over moderate heat. When shells open up, drain. Remove top shell.
2. Melt butter, add minced garlic. Stir for 3 minutes. Brush each tahong meat with butter-garlic mixture, top with grated cheese and cover with bread crumbs.
3. Arrange tahong on a baking sheet. Bake in pre-heated oven with a low heat (250F). Bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

Ginataang Alimasag (Crablets In Coconut Milk)

Ingredients

* 1/2 kilo fresh alimasag (talangka or crablets)
* 1 cup thick coconut milk
* 2 cups thin coconut milk
* 4 pcs jalapeño pepper
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 onion, sliced
* 2 tbsp ginger, minced
* 6 pako (fern) leaves and stalks
* salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash crablets thoroughly with tap water. Drain.
2. In a saucepan, put thin coconut milk. Add jalapeño pepper, garlic, onion and ginger. Let boil.
3. When the cream is boiling, add pako leaves and stalks.
4. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir to prevent sauce from clotting.
5. Pour in thick coconut milk. Add crablets. Simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce becomes thick and oily.

Sizzling Squid Sisig

Ingredients

* 1 kilo of Squid
* Ginger
* 2 Big Onions
* Chilli Peppers red or green
* Salt and Pepper
* Cooking oil preferrably corn oil
* Kalamansi juice or Lemon Juice

Instructions

1. Grill the squids, remove the plastic of the squids after they are grilled.
2. Chop the squids and set aside.
3. Chop Onions, ginger and chillis.
4. In a pan put oil and saute’ onions and ginger then add the chopped squids with kalamansi juice, salt and pepper.
5. Pour the cooked squid sisig on a sizzling plate and serve it while it sizzles.

Inihaw na Pusit

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

Instructions

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.

Adobong Pusit

Ingredients

* 1 lb. pusit/squid
* 1 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 small bay leaf
* 1/4 tsp. pepper
* 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/3 cup vinegar
* 1 tsp. sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 3 tbsp. cooking oil
* 1 small onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. 1) Pull out head, tentacles, innards and transparent ribs from the body of the squid.
2. Cut off tentacles just above the eyes and discard innards and transparent ribs.
3. Wash and drain bodies and tentacles.
4. Combine salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, water, sugar and bay leaf. Marinate squids in this mixture for 1 hour. Drain. Save marinade
5. Saut? onions in hot oil.
6. Add drained squids, saut? until the juices evaporates (about 10-12 minutes).
7. Strain marinade, add to saut?ed squids.
8. Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

arroz caldo ng lola ko...

Ingredients

* 1 tbsp oil
* 5 cups of cooked rice
* 7 cups of water
* 5 slices of ginger
* 1 onion, minced
* 5 cloves of garlic, minced
* 4 chicken breat fillets, cubed
* 1 Knorr Chicken Cube (or chicken powder)
* fish sauce for taste


Directions

1. in a pot, put in oil
2. saute garlic, ginger and onion until soft
3. add in chicken fillet, fish sauce and knorr chicken cube (or powder).
4. mix well and stir fry until chicken changes color.
5. add in the rice.
6. stir again until everything is well mixed.
7. add in the water (you can add more water, depending on the texture of the porridge you want).
8. bring to a boil.
9. Add fish sauce or chicken powder (or cubes) for additional taste, if needed.
10. Serve hot.
11. (you can top the porridge with toasted garlic and chives.


....A simple aroz caldo or chicken and rice porridge recipe from my late grandma.

Barbecue Chicken Quarters With Java Rice

Ingredients

* for the barbecue marinade
* 2 chicken quarters
* 2 1/2 cups soy sauce
* 2 cups of ketchup
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 tsp sugar
* 2 tsp ground pepper
* 1/2 tsp sesame oil
* for the java rice
* 1 tbsp cooking oil
* 2 cups of cooked rice, cooled
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 1/2 cup soy sauce


Directions

1. for the barbecue:
2. in a marinating dish, put in the chicken quarters
3. mix the barbecue marinade ingredients together
4. marinade the chicken in the mixture for an hour and a half
5. after an hour and a half, barbecue the chicken on a charcoal grill and cook to until done (or to desired preference)
6. for the java rice:
7. in a wok, put in oil
8. when hot, add in the cooked rice
9. add the ketchup and soy sauce
10. mix until the rice has a yellowish-orange color
11. serve with the barbecue chicken


........a favorite lunch combo here in the philippines

nilagang pata

Ingredients

* 1 whole pork pata (pork hind or front leg), sliced into pieces
* 4 whole white onions, cut into half
* 3 whole tomatoes, sliced into pieces
* 5 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)
* 5-7 cups water
* 1 small bag (about 10 pcs. baby potatoes, scrubbed)
* 1 pc. Knorr Chicken Cube
* 1 tsp. pepper


Directions

1. put the pork leg pieces in a pot with the water
2. add the salt
3. cover the lid and bring the pork to a boil
4. add in onions and tomatoes
5. add in the potatoes
6. add in fish sauce
7. cover again and cook until pork leg is soft
8. add in knorr chicken cube
9. simmer, then add pepper
10. transfer the dish to a large serving bowl
11. serve with steamed rice


....a simple yet filling filipino dinner

Homemade Filipino Style Corned Beef Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 kilo of beef (with little fat)
* For curing:
* 1 tbsp iodized salt
* 1/4 tsp vitamin c powder
* 1 cup water
* 1.5 rsp sugar
* 1/2 tsp curing salt
* 1 tsp phosphate
* For final cooking:
* 1 tsp nutmeg
* 1 tbsp corned beef seasoning
* 2.5 cups of water


Directions

1. To cure, cut the beef into small cubes.
2. Add all ingredients for curing in a bowl along with the meat.
3. mix well.
4. Cure for a day or two in the refrigerator.
5. After 2 days, bring out the cured beef mixture and combine the ingredients for the final step cooking.
6. Cook the meat mixture in a pressure cooker for about 30 to 45 minutes or on a stove top for about 5 hours or until tender.
7. When tender, separate the broth from the meat.
8. With a fork, mash the beef until flaky.
9. Once cool, it can be stored again or served.

pares mga parekoy!!

Ingredients

* 1/2 kilo beef litid (tendo)n (kalitiran is preferred)
* 1 tsp. cinnamon (ground)
* 5 to 6 pcs. sanque or star anise
* 4 to 5 tsp. sugar
* 2 tsp. sesame oil
* 2 cups soy sauce
* 2 cups water


Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a pot and let it boil until beef is soft and the sauce is just enough to cover the beef.
2. Using a pressure cooker is preferred to better tenderize the beef.
3. Serve with fried rice and beef broth.

.......in most eateries in the country, they serve beef Pares, a sort of sweet beef stew served with fried rice and beef broth. Since making it is a well-kept secret of the eateries, i have developed my own version.

....laing ni mama biye...

Ingredients

* 0 to 40 gabi (taro) leaves
* 1/2 kilo pork belly diced
* 1/2 head garlic, finely minced
* 1/4 cup bagoong alamang (shrimp fry paste)
* ginger, chopped finely or if prefered, minced
* 6-8 minced siling pansigang
* 2 onions, chopped
* 2 coconuts, grated
* salt to taste


Directions

1. Shred the taro (gabi) leaves, set aside.
2. milk the coconuts by putting the grated coconuts in a cheese cloth, add a cup of water and press until the milk comes out).
3. Separate the 1st extracted coconut milk (kakang gata) from the 2nd.
4. set coconut milk aside.
5. In a pan, mix all remaining ingredients.
6. Add in the shreded gabi leaves.
7. Add in the 2nd extracted coconut milk.
8. Bring all ingredients to a boil or until coconut milk thickens.
9. Add in 1st extracted coconut milk and let simmer for another 4 minutes.
10. Simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes.
11. Serve hot.

.....another delicacy from the bicol region. Taro leaves are stewed in coconut milk. It's quite good!

Hamonado Filipino ++this is a tasty brekafast or lunch viand in the traidtion of filipino ham -- sweet and salty.

Ingredients

* 1 kilo prok pigue or kasim
* 3 tbsp calamansi juice
* 2 cups pineapple juice
* 5 tbsp sugar
* pepper to taste


Directions

1. Marinate the pork in the mixture of calamansi juice, pineapple juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Make sure the pork is entirely covered in the mixture.
2. Let it soak overnight.
3. In the morning, drain the pork and save the marinade mixture.
4. In a frying pan, put in about 2 tbsp of cooking oil and put in the pork and cook until brown.
5. Pour in the marinade mixture and cover until pork is tender. Wait for sauce to thicken.

my igado

* 2 onions, finely chopped
* 2 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 bell pepper, juliene
* 1/2 kilo pork liver , cut into 2 inch strips
* 1/4 kilo pork, 2 inch strips
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup white vinegar
* 1 tbsp sugar


Directions

1. Saute onions, bell peppers and garlic in about 1 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil.
2. Add tomatoes just before the garlic and onions turn very light brown.
3. Add in the pork strips, and stir fry until pork is light brown.
4. Add in the liver and stir until liver is half-cooked.
5. Add in the vinegar, soy sauce and the sugar.
6. Simmer until the meat is cooked.
7. Serve with steamed rice.
8. Some add fried potato wedges to this dish, though the La Union version of Igado uses only bell pepper strips as garnish. In Bicol, they use green chili (siling haba) as garnish.

paella ala gill

I very rarely prepare Paella because it entails so much preparation. Twenty five years ago, my mother and my lola shared me this Paella, Filipino Style recipe and it seemed simple to prepare. Until a year ago, that’s the only Paella recipe I ever cook. Apparently, the recipe is just similar to Paella a la Valenciana, the difference is in some ingredients. Paella is tasty because of the flavors that seep through the rice grains from all the ingredients mixed into the rice. Paella a la Valenciana is just as similar in taste as my Paella, Filipino Style. The Paella a La Valenciana recipe I am sharing is not exactly the same as the original recipe from the typical, rich rice dish from Valencia, Valencia happens to be located on the east Mediterranean coast of Spain. Even though one can taste this rice-dish all over Spain and even world-wide, its true origin is the area of Valencia and Alicante.
Ingredients
1/2 kilo pork tenderloin500 grams chicken breast1/2 kilo large shrimpssalt and pepper1/2 cup Olive Oil3 large sized crabs2 cups clams (halaan)1 cup mussels (tahong)
1/2 teaspoon of sweet red paprika4 cloves garlic, chopped1 onion, chopped1 green or red bell pepper, sliced into 1 inch pieces1 cup string beans (sitaw), sliced into 1 inch pieces and blanched3 chorizo de bilbao, sliced thinly3 cups rice, American Variety or long grain rice1 can tomato paste ( around 70 grams)6 cups clam broth (used for boiling the clams)1 small laurel leafsalt and pepper for seasoning1/4 teaspoon saffron , mixed with 1 tablespoon water1 cup green peas1 pieces pimiento (cut into 1 inch squares)2 hard boiled eggs, sliced for topping
Directions
Preparation of the chicken, pork and seafood
1. Cut chicken and pork into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces. Brown in olive oil. Set Aside.
2. Shell shrimps leaving tail. Slit the shrimps at the back and remove black veins. Wash shrimps and dredge with salt and pepper. Brown in olive oil. Set aside.
3. Boil crabs and cut into quarters. Crack shells of the crab claws. Set aside.
4. Boil the clams in around 6 and half cups water and remove the top shells. Set aside the clam broth.
5. Boil the mussels. Set aside.
Time to cook
1. Heat olive oil in the pan.
2. Add the chicken, pork, paprika, garlic, onion, pepper and chorizo de bilbao.
3. Toss for a few minutes and add unwashed rice and stir until the rice is just a bit brown.
4. Add tomato paste, 6 cups clam broth, laurel leaf and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add shrimps then bring to a boil.
6. Add the saffron and water.
7. Transfer to a big casserole (usually a pyrex dish) and bake for 350 F for around 30 minutes.
8. Uncover the casserole and decorate the top with clams, crabs, mussels, sitaw, green peas, pimiento on top.
9. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
10. Decorate with slices of hard boiled eggs.

Paksiw na Pavo (Turkey in Vinegar Stew)

I know I’ve been missing in action for a few weeks but other commitments superseded the blogging life. But, here I am now holding my belly as it aches and yells at me for over-eating. Ahhh, the wonders of holiday eating. We do tend to over eat this time of year and if you don’t, you get peer pressured into it: “It’s ok it’s just once a year!” I never really got that coaxing method. Maybe it’s just a way for everyone to ease ourselves into our obvious over indulgence. Or we are just all in denial

In the same fashion every year, the turkey in my house gets the cold shoulder. It’s usually passed over by the other more Filipino and quite honestly more flavorful affair. So what do you do with the left over turkey? Paksiw! Paksiw is a vinegar stew and is most associated with leftover lechon. In pre-refrigeration days, the vinegar-y stew preserves the leftover for a few more days. It’s a great cooking method and can be used with different meats. So if you still have some leftover turkey just paksiw it!

There wasn’t exact measurements when I made the paksiw. It was more taste as you go along. I had a lot of turkey left (~5lbs) so these were the ingredients and approximate measurements:

Left over turkey cut into bitesize pieces (I included the bones in the dark meat areas to extract more flavor)
12 cloves of garlic (just about one head) pressed and peeled
4 bay leaves
15 whole peppercorns
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup gravy
5 cups water (enough to cover the meat)
kosher salt to taste

Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, bring the heat to low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the meat has absorbed the juices. While it is simmering, taste the stew and adjust seasoning to your taste. I like the broth to taste with a slight sourness.

Eat Filipino Food!

Filipino Food Versions and Originals

Filipinos never fail to amuse people from different parts of the world. One example is the richness of Filipino cuisine with numerous foreign influences—Spanish, Chinese, and American, to name a few. Thus, most Filipino foods served on the table bear Spanish names like embutido or caldereta.

yummie embodito

beef and vegetable stew

Moreover, Filipinos are resourceful and fond of experimenting when it comes to food. “Filipino versions and originals” showcases different international cuisines that Filipinos have created their own versions. These recipes are Filipino adaptations of Italian, Chinese and American cuisines. In addition, pinoy exotic foods are listed for an unmatched food adventure. If you are ready, then continue browsing the pages.

Nilagang Baka

The geographical location of the country results in high temperature especially during the months of March to May. However, Filipinos have the ability to easily adapt to their environment resulting into different Filipino drinks made from fresh tropical fruits. These drinks are easy to prepare ranging from hot, chilled, and alcoholic to non-alcoholic mixed with your fancied tropical fruits.

Traditional Filipino Breakfast food

Aside from being popularly known as warm and hospitable, Filipinos are known to have a sweet tooth. In fact, Filipinos have a wide variety of “kakanin” and desserts—rice cakes, cochenta, maize and many more. Most of these sweet foods are made from local fruits and crops grown in backyards.

Pansit Canton Guisado

Cooking is a skill. Likewise, it requires patience to learn the techniques to come up with a good cooking output. Also, it does not require formal education to be able to cook but a passion and willingness to learn. With proper sources of recipes, cooking is easy and simple as you can imagine.

Appetizer Sampler - Chicken Wings, Lumpia, Calamari Rings, Tortilla Chips & Sweet Potato Fries

There are many websites that offer recipes. However, this website concentrates in giving recipes of your favourite Filipino foods and drinks, tasty and mouth watering. These recipes will help you prepare Filipino dishes from simple to adaptations of international cuisines. As you browse the pages, you will find recipes that are easy to prepare with ingredients that are widely available in supermarkets or made from left-over food. Aside from the savings you get by cooking at home, you will also get the assurance that the foods prepared are clean and fresh

Basic Cooking tips...

The following fifteen is just a tiny handful of the many basic

cooking tips that you could integrate into your everyday life to save
time and money.

• Bacon: Reduce shrinkage by running cold water over it before frying.

• Beans: Stop gas attacks by adding a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in a big pot of beans while they are soaking.

• Boiled Eggs: Add some vinegar or a little salt to the boiling
water when boiling eggs. This basic cooking tips will keep the egg in
the shell if it cracks.

• Ripening Fruits and Vegetables: Put your unripe fruit and
vegetables in a brown paper bag and place the bag in a dark cupboard
for few day. Using this basic cooking tips is an excellent way to save
money on fruits and vegetables that has to be ripened.

• Salads: Cut your iceberg lettuce into wedges instead of tearing salad greens to save some time making a salad.

• Spaghetti Sauce: Add a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda to your spaghetti sauce to lower the acid taste from the tomatoes.

• Corn: Place the corn directly into boiling water, and do not add
salt. Do not boil corn for more than three minutes. Overcooking reduces
the taste level.

• Frozen Vegetables: When they are stuck together, simply run boiling water over them.

• Grating Cheese: Freeze for twenty five minutes before grating. It will shred so much easier.

• Pancakes: Use a small amount of sugar in the batter and they will brown more quickly.

• Pie Pastry: Substitute one teaspoon of vinegar for one teaspoon
of the cold water called for in the recipe and the pastry will be much
flakier.

• Quick Sauces: Use condensed cream soups such as cream of
mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of tomato, cream of celery, to make
fast and easy sauces.

• Quick Tenderizer: Use vinegar as a meat tenderizer. Add a
tablespoon to water when boiling meat or ribs for stews. This basic
cooking tips will help tenderizer even the toughest meat.

• Wilted vegetables: Soak wilted veggies in two cups water, one tablespoon vinegar to help bring them back to life.

• Wooden Skewers: Soak all your wooden skewers in cold water for twenty minutes to prevent them from burning.

Inspiration
could be considered to be one of the key ingredients to writing. Only
if one is inspired, can one get to writing on any subject especially
like cooking.

Use some of these basic cooking tips to make your life in the kitchen more enjoyable.

lechon baboy in the making!!

Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

Ingredients:
MEATBALLS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten

SAUCE
3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley,
Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg.
Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator
until needed.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in
olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar
and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and
simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

Cheesy Potato and Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-style processed cheese food

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn and chiles; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

lumpia shanghai

In Filipino, lumpia are eggrolls that are deep-fried like a wrapped stick of meat. Lumpia is a spring roll filled with ground or finely mince of pork, beef or vegetables then served it with sweet and sour sauce. Sometimes I call this recipe lumpia shanghai.

This lumpia recipe or lumpia shanghai is one of the filipino recipes that I usually make, whenever we have a party or get together with friends, especially filipino friends, at home. One time, I was busy cooking filipino recipes, and one of them is this lumpia and my friend arrive early and help me in the kitchen. She notices that I my lumpia wrapper won’t stick together whenever I cook. I’ve tried everything from water, to egg wash and other type of paste but still no avail, the wrapper still broke loose.

Since she is also a good cook; she gave me the technique in making these wrapper sticks together. And guess what she told me, just used the egg white as a paste in binding this wrapper together. And it works! Since then, my filipino lumpia shanghai servings looks better and taste good.

Thank you Carmelita for the great tip!

Ingredients :

· 1 lb. ground pork
· 1 cup chopped shrimps
· 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
· 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
· 2 whole eggs
· 3 tbsp. soy sauce
· 3 dashes of sesame oil
· salt and pepper, to taste

· lumpia wrapper
· vegetable oil, for frying

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until well blended.

2. Wrap into thin rolls in lumpia wrapper. Fry in deep hot oil.

3. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve with your favorite catsup or make your own Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe.

Pakbet

• 1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces

• 2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces

• 2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces

• 5 pieces of okra, cut in two

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 2 onions, diced

• 5 tomatoes, sliced

• 1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced

• 4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang

• 3 tablespoons of oil

• 1 1/2 cup water

• Salt and pepper to taste

Pakbet Cooking Instructions:

• In a cooking pan, heat oil and fry the pork until brown, remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

• On the same pan, saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.

• In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.

• Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéed garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add in all the vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done, careful not to overcook.

• Salt and pepper to taste.

• Serve hot with plain rice.

Pork Sinigang kabayan

• 3/4 kilo Pork, cut into chunks

• 3 tomatoes, sliced

• 2 onions, diced

• 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.

very simple inihaw na liempo

We like to grill at home. And the simplest thing to grill (our favorite as well) is pork belly. Just rub both sides with salt and grill till cooked. We chop them in small pieces and serve with a salsa made of tomatoes, onions, chiles, vinegar, soy sauce and any other herbs at hand (spring onions, cilantro or chives) on the side. Or mix the grilled liempo with the salsa for a more than the usual treat!

Pastel de Lengua

Ingredients:
1 beef tongue
1/2 c. cooking oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, cubed
3 potatoes, cubed
1/4 c. green olives
1 can vienna sausage
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. maggi sauce
2 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. vinegar
2 c. beef tongue broth
2 - 3 tbs. flour dissolved in 1/2 c. water.
Pie crust (ready made)
1 egg, beaten with a little milk

Instructions:
Boil the tongue until soft, scrape white coating on the surface, then cut into 1" squares, put back into the broth and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Allow to simmer in the sauce pan until all vegetables are cooked. Thicken sauce with dissolved flour. Let simmer for 5 minutes and pour into a pyrex dish. Cover with pie crust. Brush top with beaten egg and milk. Bake until golden brown in a hot oven.

Salpicado

Ingredients: 2 fillet mignons, cubed Olive oil 2 cloves Garlic, minced ½ cup Soy sauce ½ tsp Maggi (or Knorr) ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions: Marinate the steak in soy sauce, Maggi and Worcestershire sauce for about 15 minutes in a bowl. Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute garlic for about 2 minutes. Saute steak till desired doneness. Serve with garlic fried rice

Morcon - Stuffed Flank Steak Roll

Ingredients:
1 kg. beef flan steak, butterfly-cut for morcon, about 3/4" thick, in one piece
2 tbsp. calamansi juice or lemon juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
4 pcs. vienna sausage, cut into 4 diagonally
2 pcs. sweet gherkins or 4 pcs. sweet pickles, cut in thin long strips
2 hard cooked eggs, sliced
100 gms. cheddar cheese, cut in strips
1/2 pc. carrot, cut into long strips
3 slices bacon
2 tbsps. flour
1/4 c. cooking oil
3 pcs. bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 c. boiling water
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:
Marinate beef in calamansi or lemon juice and soy sauce. Arrange strips of vienna sausage, sweet gherkins, hard cooked eggs, cheese, carrots and bacon on marinted beef. Roll neatly and tie with a string. Dredge in flour then brown in hot cooking oil. Transfer to a big saucepan. Add bouillon water. Season with salt. Cover and simmer until beef is tender. Slice, arrange in a platter. Pour sauce on top. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.

Mechado (Beef)

Ingredients:
1 kg. beef kabilugan (whole eye of round) or rump roast
1/4 c. cooking oil
4 cloves garlic
1 onion sliced
2 potatoes quartered, fried
1 carrot, cut in 1/2 inch round
1 slice dayap or lemon with rind
2 tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. peppercorn
1 c. tomato sauce
1 laurel leaf
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c. hot water

Instructions:
Brown meat in cooking oil. Set aside. In the same oil, saute garlic and onion. Cook 5 minutes. Put in dayap, soy sauce, peppercorn, tomato sauce, laurel leaf and salt. Simmer a few minutes more. Add water, cover and simmer for approximately 2 hours. Add potatoes and carrots when meat is tender. Slice meat and arrange on a platter with the vegetables. Strain sauce and pour over meat.

Beef Kaldereta (Beef Stew) (Beef)

Ingredients:
1 kilo beef (Chuck Roast), cut into chunks
1/4 cup cooking or olive oil
1 big can (350g) liver spread or ground liver
5 onions, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce
3 green peppers, diced
3 red peppers, diced
4 pieces hot chili peppers, minced
3/4 cup grated cheese
2 cups beef stock or water
Olives (optional)

Instructions:
In a casserole, sauté garlic and onions in oil. Then add tomatoes, red & green pepper and chili peppers.

Add in the beef, tomato sauce, liver spread and water or stock. Salt to taste and let simmer for at least 1-1/2 hours or until the beef is tender.

Add cheese and olives (optional) and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.

Serve with steamed white rice.

in love with the foods

MELT-IN-THE-MOUTH CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

I had read so much about these that I absolutely HAD to make them, I have such a passion for chocolate that one look and I am hooked!, I absolutely crave chocolate at times....well most of the times!.This cake is the stuff chocoholic dreams are made up of, its deep, dense, dark and absolutely fudgy "intense chocolate"is the word.I love it! It fulfills your worst chocolate craving and is very easy to make too.The recipe is from the famous Chocolate and Zucchini and can be found here.It is almost flourless and it was my first experience of baking such a cake, as Clotilde says-this cake is best baked a day before I totally agree, it actually was best the next day.

I simply put the lovely dark and delicious batter into cupcake pans and baked Cupcakes out of it, here's the recipe-

• Butter-200gms


• Dark chocolate-200gms


• Sugar-1 cup (200gms)


• Eggs-4


• Flour-1 rounded tablespoon

METHOD-Preheat oven to 180C and line a 8 inch cake pan/line muffin tray.Melt butter and sugar together and add in the sugar, let cool a little, then add the eggs one by one beating well, lastly add the flour.Mix well and pour into pan/muffin tray, bake.Here I must say the batter rises well and then collapses a bit, but don't be disappointed it will still taste wonderful..After baking for 30 minutes, switch off oven and leave the cake in for another 10 minutes.

As you can see the ingredients that go into this melty-gooey cake are on the heavier side and since it is so hot here, I served these spread with extra chocolate frosting (oh my gosh, will I never stop!) and some cool vanilla icecream to balance off the heaviness, it was delicious...ummmm

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July 2, 2009

HEALTHY WHOLEWHEAT SWEET BREAD

Baking with yeast is very satisfying and therapeutic.Nowadays I find myself making buns, rolls and breads all the time and I just love it.I was never satisfied with store-brought wholewheat bread and always used to think -is it REALLY Wholewheat? or simply regular flour and caramel colour, well now I bake it for my morning breakfast myself and enjoy it fresh with butter, jam and coffee.

• INGREDIENTS-


• Wholewheat Flour-3 cups


• Egg-1


• Salt-1 tsp


• Butter-1/4 cup


• Sugar-1/2 cup


• Milk-1/2 cup


• Water-1/2 cup


• Sugar-1 tsp extra


• Active dryYeast-2 tsp

METHOD-Warm up the water, add the 1 tsp.sugar, dissolve then sprinkle yeast, leave for a while till it turns into a foam.Now warm the milk slightly add sugar, salt, butter, stir till sugar is dissolved.In a large bowl combine the milk mixture with yeast mixture, add flour and the egg and knead well, transfer to a well oiled bowl, let rise well for an hour.Punch down and shape into loaves, leave to rise again for 1/2 an hour and bake after brushing tops with little milk at 200C. I baked two rounds like in the picture below,making a cross on the top with a sharp knife, the rounds sliced well and were delicious.