Adobong Sitaw

Adobong Sitaw

(Stringbean Adobo)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons cooking oil

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium bulb onion, chopped

3 tablespoons fish sauce

½ kilo stringbeans

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup vinegar

1 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in the pan.  Add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Add the stringbeans and soy sauce.  Cover and simmer in low to medium heat with occasional stirring.  Once the stringbeans are tender, add vinegar.  Do not stir.  Cover and just allow the mixture to simmer for at least three minutes.  Add more vinegar if necessary to balance with the saltiness of the soy sauce.  Add the freshly ground black pepper.  Cover and simmer for another minute. 

This recipe will serve up to four people.

Menudo

Menudo

(Pork and Tomato Stew)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons cooking oil

10 to 15 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium bulb onion, minced

10 tablespoons fish sauce

10 tablespoons soy sauce

30 medium red tomatoes, seeds removed

1½ kilo pork, cut into cubes

½ kilo pork liver, cut into cubes

3 medium carrots, sliced

3 medium potatoes, cut into cubes

2 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
10 blades dried bay laurel leaves

1 tablespoon annatto seeds (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Mix the pork, pork liver, tomatoes, garlic, onion, soy sauce and laurel leaves in a large bowl.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

Heat the cooking oil in a pan.  Fry the carrots and potatoes separately for five minutes each.  Set aside the fried vegetables.  Turn the heat to low setting.  Toss in the annatto seeds and stir for not more than a minute.  Remove the annatto seeds and toss in the garlic.  You may turn up the heat at this point.  When the garlic turns medium brown, add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Put the marinated mixture and cover.  Stir occasionally until the pork meat is tender.  Add water if necessary.  Once the pork meat is tender, reduce the water until the sauce slightly thickens.  Add fish sauce or soy sauce if necessary.  Put the carrots, potatoes and bell pepper.  Cover and simmer for a few minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.    

This recipe will serve up to eight people.

Additional Notes:  The annatto seeds are used to add color to the sauce.  Be careful when heating the seeds in oil, prolonged heating and high temperature will infuse a bitter taste to the food.  Some people use hot water to extract the colorant from the seeds.  Tomato paste may be used as a substitute for fresh tomatoes.

Sardinas na may Miswa

Sardinas na may Miswa

(Sardines with Misua)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

5 to 10 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium bulbs onion, chopped

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

500 grams canned sardines in tomato sauce

2 bundles miswa

1 to 2 cups water

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in the pan.  Add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Add canned sardines together with the tomato sauce.  Add one to two cups of water.  Simmer for five minutes.  Add miswa.  Stir to prevent the miswa from clumping together.  Simmer for three minutes.  You may add more water depending on how thick or thin you want the dish to be. 

This recipe will serve up to four people.

Ginisang Pusit

Ginisang Pusit

(Sautéed Squid)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 thumb-size ginger, cut to strips

6 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium bulb onion, chopped

6 medium red tomatoes, sliced

500 grams canned squid in natural ink

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

4 to 6 long chili (siling haba)

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in a pan.  Toss in the ginger.  When the ginger turns light brown, add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Put the tomatoes and cover.  Stir occasionally until the tomato juice oozes out of the fruit.  Pour in the canned squid and long chili.  Cover and simmer for a few minutes.  Add fish sauce or table salt if necessary. 

This recipe will serve up to three people.

Adobong Baboy

Adobong Baboy

(Pork Adobo)

Ingredients:

½ kilo pork

1 cup soy sauce

1½ cups vinegar

10 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground

3 blades dried bay laurel leaves

  

Cooking Instructions:

In a bowl, mix soy sauce and vinegar in a 1:1.5 ratio.  Add crushed garlic, ground black pepper, bay laurel leaves, and pork.  Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.  Transfer in a pan.  Put the cover and cook in medium flame with occasional stirring until the liquid is reduced.  If by this time the meat is still not tender, add a cup of water and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced.

Serve with fresh tomato slices.  This recipe will serve up to three people.

Gelatin sa Gata

Gelatin sa Gata

(Gelatin in Coconut Milk)

Ingredients:

2 unflavored gelatin bars, cut to pieces

1.5 liters coconut milk (kakang gata)

8 tablespoons table sugar

1 cup dried raisins

Cooking Instructions:

Mix gelatin and coconut milk in a pot.  Boil while stirring for 30 minutes or until most of the gelatin is dissolved.  Add sugar.  Simmer while stirring for five more minutes. 

Layer the mould with dried raisins.  You may use any dried or fresh fruit except pineapple and other fruits that contain proteases.  Pour the hot gelatin mixture into the mould by passing it through a strainer.  Cool the mixture to room temperature.  Two distinct gelatin layers will form if the cooling process is very gradual.

In the photo:  Chicken eggshells were used as moulds.  This recipe can fill 15 to 20 eggshells.

Pininyahang Manok

Pininyahang Manok

(Chicken and Pineapple)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 thumb-size ginger, cut to strips

5 to 10 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 medium bulb onion, chopped

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

½ kilo chicken, cut to pieces

½ kilo pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup pineapple syrup

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in the pan.  Toss in the ginger.  When the ginger turns light brown, add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Stir in the chicken.  Cover the pan and allow the chicken to be boiled in its own juice.  Stir occasionally until the water is reduced.  Allow the chicken to be fried in its own fat.  Add cooking oil if necessary.  When the chicken turns to medium brown, put the pineapple syrup.  Simmer until the liquid is reduced.  Add the pineapple chunks.  You may opt to add ground black pepper.  Cover the pan.  Put in low flame and simmer for two to three minutes.

This recipe will serve up to three people.

Ginisang Munggo

Ginisang Munggo

(Sautéed Mung Bean)

Ingredients:

1 cup mung bean, soaked for an hour

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 thumb-size ginger, cut to strips

6 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium bulb onion, chopped

10 small smoked fish, deboned and flaked

6 to 8 medium red tomatoes, sliced

1 cup malunggay leaves

2 to 4 cups water

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

4 to 6 long chili (siling haba)

Cooking Instructions:

Boil the mung bean in a pot for one hour or until the seed slips out of the seed coat.  Do not allow the mixture to run dry.  Remember to add water from time to time.

Heat the cooking oil in a pan.  Toss in the ginger.  When the ginger turns light brown, add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Add the smoked fish flakes.  Stir until the fish is slightly fried.  Put the tomatoes and cover.  Stir occasionally until the tomato juice oozes out of the fruit.  Pour in the boiled mung bean and add the green pepper.  Cover and simmer for a few minutes.  Add fish sauce or table salt if necessary.  Turn off the heat and stir in the malunggay leaves.

This recipe will serve up to ten people.

Sinigang na Baboy sa Sampalok

Sinigang na Baboy sa Sampalok

(Pork in Tamarind Soup Base)

Ingredients:

6 to 8 medium red tomatoes, sliced

½ kilo pork, cut to size

1 to 2 medium taro, peeled and chopped

1 medium radish, peeled and chopped

2 bundles pechay leaves

8 to 12 pieces unripe tamarind

2 to 4 cups water

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

4 to 6 long chili (siling haba)

Cooking Instructions:

Stir in red tomatoes in a heated pot.  Once the tomatoes are tender, add pork.  Cover and allow the mixture to simmer.  Stir the mixture occasionally.  Once the liquid is reduced and starts to thicken, stir for a few more minutes then add water.  Toss in the taro.  Allow the mixture to boil.  Layer the tamarind on top.  Do not stir.  Cover the pot and boil the tamarind for approximately three minutes. 

Remove the tamarind from the pot and place in a small bowl.  Add a few scoops of the soup and mash the tamarind.  Drain the extract into the pot.  Be careful not to include the peel and seeds.  Extract two more times. 

Add the radish and long chili into the pot.  Continue to simmer until the radish is tender.  You may add fish sauce if the soup is too sour.  Layer the pechay leaves on top.  Cover and continue to simmer for five more minutes.

This recipe will serve up to three people.

Sinaing na Tulingan

Sinaing na Tulingan

(Steamed Tulingan)

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized tulingan, entrails removed

¼ kilo pork fat

½ cup white vinegar

2 to 3 cups water

2 to 3 tablespoons common table salt

5 to 10 cloves garlic, crushed and unpeeled

1 to 2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground

4 to 5 tablespoons fish sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Prepare the tulingan by making one long lateral incision on both sides of the fish.  Using the flat side of a knife, lightly press on the body of the fish.  Make sure not to press too hard as this could deform the fish entirely. 

Line the bottom of the pan with pork fat.  Layer the fish on top of the fat and pour in the white vinegar.  Add water until the layer of fat is completely submerged or the fish is submerged half way through.  Sprinkle some salt.  Cover the pan and allow the mixture to simmer in low to medium flame.  Remove any foam that will form.  Once the broth is cleared from foam, add fish sauce.  Continue to simmer until the water is reduced.  Add garlic and black pepper.  If the broth is too salty, balance it with vinegar.  If it is too sour, balance with fish sauce.

This recipe will serve up to three people.

Kilawing Baboy

Kilawing Baboy

(Pork Kilawin)

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork, sliced and cut diagonally

½ kilo pork liver, sliced and cut diagonally

15 to 20 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground

4 blades dried bay laurel leaves

3 cups white vinegar

3 teaspoons common table salt

4 medium bulb onion, chopped

3 tablespoons fish sauce

Cooking Instructions:

In a bowl, mix the vinegar, salt, garlic, black pepper and bay leaves.  Be careful when adding salt.  You need not put all the salt at once.  There should be a balance of sourness and saltiness in the mixture.  Add the pork and liver.  Mix and marinate for at least one hour. 

Heat the cooking oil in the pan.  Toss in some garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Add the marinated pork mixture.  Cover the pan and allow the pork to be boiled in its own juice.  Stir occasionally until the water is reduced.  If the pork is still not tender at this point, you may add water.  Once the water is reduced, you may opt to add more salt to attain the right balance between sourness and saltiness.

This recipe will serve up to eight people.

Adobong Manok sa Mangga

Adobong Manok sa Mangga

(Chicken Adobo in Green Mango)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 thumb-size ginger, cut to strips

5 to 10 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 medium bulb onion, chopped

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

1 whole spring chicken, cut to pieces

1 large green mango (manggang kalabaw or any sour variety), peeled and diced

2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground

2 to 4 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in the pan.  Toss in the ginger.  When the ginger turns light brown, add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Stir in the chicken.  Cover the pan and allow the chicken to be boiled in its own juice.  Stir occasionally until the water is reduced.  Allow the chicken to be fried in its own fat.  Add cooking oil if necessary.  When the chicken turns to medium brown, put the mango to one side of the pan.  Cover the pan.  Put in low flame.  When the mango softens, remove it from the mixture and mash in a small bowl.  Put back the mashed mango in the mixture.  You may add two to four tablespoons of water at this point if the pan is too dry.  Add ground black pepper.  Use fish sauce to balance the sourness with saltiness.

This recipe will serve up to five people.

Ginisang Upo with Miswa

Ginisang Upo with Miswa

(Sautéed Bottle Gourd with Misua)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

5 to 10 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium bulbs onion, chopped

2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ kilo pork, ground

1 medium upo, peeled and sliced to size

2 bundles miswa

2 to 4 cups water

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in the pan.  Add garlic and sauté until medium brown.  Add the onion and stir until slightly tender.  Put fish sauce.  Mix until the fish sauce is reduced.  Stir in the ground pork.  Cover the pan and allow the pork to be boiled in its own juice.  Stir occasionally until the water is reduced.  Allow the pork to be fried in its own fat.  Add cooking oil if necessary.  When the pork turns to medium brown, stir in the upo.  Cover the pan and allow the upo to be boiled in its own juice.  Stir occasionally until the water is reduced or until the upo is half-cooked.  Add water and miswa.  Stir to prevent the miswa from clumping together.  Allow the mixture to boil and turn off the heat.

This recipe will serve up to four people.