Kilawin na Talaba (Oyster)

Ingredients

1          cup       fresh oyster meat

½         cup       vinegar

3          cloves   garlic, crushed

4-5                   native onions (sibuyas-tagalog)

½         tsp        peppercorns (coarsely pounded)

½         tsp        salt

Procedure

Slice onions into thin rings. Add garlic, salt and pepper to vinegar. Add oysters. Let stand for 2-3 hours.

Note: If you are planning to serve it 5 hours later or more, bring to a boil over a high heat but remove immediately or the oysters meat would be reduced to pea size.

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Thai Fried Rice

Fried rice is always a versatile dish because you can 

incorporate any meats and vegetables you have on hand. This is our version of Thai Fried Rice…feel free to modify it as needed.


Ingredients

•    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•    1 diced onion
•    2 cloves of crushed garlic
•    2 cups cooked rice
•    1 tablespoon soy sauce
•    1 tablespoon fish sauce
•    2 sliced tomatoes
•    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•    4 eggs

Garnish:

•    Chopped green onion  
•    Cucumber slices (we also cook some into the rice, but it’s traditionally a garnish)
•    Lime wedges

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Preparation

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok at medium high. When it’s hot, add the garlic and onions and cook until tender.

Next add the rice and stir to heat all the way through. Add the soy and fish sauce and continue to stir until everything is fully combined.

Next, you can remove the rice from your wok or pan too cook the egg. Or if you prefer, simply heat up a new pan on medium high heat with vegetable oil.

Cook the egg until the white is cooked, but the egg yolk is still a bit soft. When the egg is ready, add it to the rice. You can also add the tomato and cucumber slices at this time. Of course, if cooked cucumber slices sounds a little strange (even though they are delicious!), you can reserve the cucumber for a garnish only. You can also add the green onion at this point, but not everyone in our house likes it, so we add it when serving.

Keep stirring until all the ingredients are fully combined. Get your chosen garnishes ready including the cucumber slices, green onion (if you didn’t cook it into the rice) and a lime wedge.

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Fried Spring Roll Recipe

Who doesn’t love a little spring roll with plum sauce? You don’t need to order Chinese takeout to enjoy this crispy delight. Just follow this recipe and enjoy. This one uses very simple ingredients, but you can add meat or shrimp if you prefer.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shredded carrots
1 ½ cups finely diced onion
2 cups chopped bean sprouts
8 rice papers
1 egg
Vegetable oil for deep frying

This recipe makes 8 spring rolls.

Preparation

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté until tender. 

Add the chopped bean sprouts and keep cooking to desired tenderness. 

Once the mixture is cooked, remove it from heat and allow it cool slightly. 

Now, you need to get your rice papers ready by moistening them with water. Moisten, fill and fold each paper one by one or you’ll just have a soggy mess.   

Add about 3 tablespoons of mixture to middle of the paper.

Fold in the sides of the paper. 

Then fold the bottom up.

Finish by rolling the paper all the way.

Brush the paper with egg to seal the edges. 

Allow the egg to dry and in the meantime, heat the vegetable oil in a pan or deep fryer to 375 F. Carefully place the rolls in the oil and fry until they golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. 

Serve with plum sauce and enjoy.

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PINAKBET

Ingredients:

1        tsp     cooking oil
2        tbsp   minced garlic
¼       cup    sliced/diced onions
2        tbsp    bagoong alamang
½       cup     pork liempo, sliced or cut into small pieces
1        cup    sliced ampalaya (bittergourd)
1        cup    sliced diagonally/diced squash
1        cup    sliced eggplant
1        cup    okra, sliced diagonally
1 ½    cup    water
¼       cup    crushed chicharon

Procedure:

In a pan, sauté garlic, onion, alamang, and liempo for 3-5 minutes.
Add ampalaya, squash, eggplant, okra and water. Cover and let it simmer in medium heat until cooked.
Sprinkle with crushed chicharon and serve while hot.

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BULALO

Ingredients:    
     1 kilo beef shank (chopped for serving pieces with the bone & marrow)
     1 big onion (diced)
     4 stalks onion leeks (chopped)
     ¼ cup dried banana blossom
      Pinch of salt & pepper
      Water
      Patis (fish sauce)
     ½ cup Soy sauce
      2 pieces calamansi
      2 pieces hot chili pepper

Procedure:
Boil beef shank and throw away the water.
Boil beef shank once again in medium heat for about 2 hours or until beef is tender and broth is flavorful.
Add water if necessary.
Add the onions, leeks and banana buds.
Season with salt & pepper and patis.
Serve hot with soy sauce, calamansi, and hot chili pepper.

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Beef Stew (Nilaga) Recipe

Ingredients:

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


Instructions:

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

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

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DINOGUAN / Dinuguan

•   ½ kilo pork (diced)
•  1/8 kilo pork liver (diced)
•  1 small head of garlic (minced)
•  1 small onion (minced)
• 2 pieces laurel leaves
• 3 tablespoons oil
•  ½-cup vinegar
•  3 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
•  2-cups stock
• 1-cup pig blood (frozen)
•  4 long green peppers
• 2 teaspoons sugar
•  1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

In a pot, simmer pork for 30 minutes and remove scum that rises to the surface. Keep stock.
In a casserole, heat oil and saute garlic and onion for a minute.
Add in pork, pork liver, laurel leaves, patis, salt & pepper and saute for another 5
minutes.
Add in vinegar and bring up to a boil withoutstirring.
Lower heat and allow simmering uncovered until most ofthe liquid has evaporated.
Add in stock and allow simmering for 5 minutes.
Add in blood, sugar and long green peppers.
Cook for 10 minutes more or until consistency thickens, stirring occasionally to
avoid curdling.
Serve hot with puto.

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Pork / Chicken Adobo

 Ingredients:
* 1/2 kilo pork cut in cubes + 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces or
* choice of either 1 kilo of pork or 1 kilo of chicken
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1/2 yellow onion, diced
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1 cup vinegar
* 2 cups of water
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 5 laurel leaves (bay leaves)
* 4 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 3 tablespoons water
Cooking Instructions:
* In a big sauce pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil then sauté the minced garlic and onions.
* Add the pork and chicken to the pan. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, paprika and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or when meat is tender.
* Remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan and on another pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and chicken for a few minutes.
* Mix the browned pork and chicken back to the sauce and add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken.
* Add salt and/or pepper if desired
* Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
* Serve hot with the adobo gravy and plain rice.

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AFRITADANG BAKA

Ingredients:
*    1 kilo beef (cut into chunk cubes)
*    ½ kilo potatoes (peeled and quartered)
*    1 small head of garlic (minced)
*    1 big onion (diced)
*    1 red bell pepper (quartered)
*    1 green bell pepper (quartered)
*    2 cups stock
*    1 cup tomato sauce
*    ½ cup breadcrumbs
*    Pinch of salt & pepper
*    Oil
Instructions:

1. In a casserole, brown beef and set aside. Sauté garlic and onion.
2. Pour in the stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and add in beef.
3. Allow simmering until beef is cooked and tender.
4. Add in potatoes and allow cooking.
5. Add in bell pepper and season with salt & pepper.
6. Add in breadcrumbs and thicken sauce.
7. Serve hot.

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BISTEK

Ingredients:
*    ½ kilo beef sirloin (cut into 3 ” strips)
*    2 tablespoons soy sauce
*    2 tablespoons calamansi juice
*    1 teaspoon salt
*    1 teaspoon pepper
*    cooking oil
*    1 big red onion (sliced thinly to make rings)
Instructions:

1. Marinate beef in soy sauce, calamansi, salt & pepper for 30 minutes.
2. In a pan, heat oil and stir-fry beef until cooked and tender. Set aside
3. Sauté onion rings in oil.
4. Serve beef in a platter topped with onion rings.

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Pork Barbeque

 Ingredients:
* 1 kg. pork
* 20 bamboo skewers
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup of calamansi juice or lemon juice
* 1/2 cup of 7up, sprite or beer (optional)
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons of brown or white sugar
* 1/2 cup of banana or tomato catsup
Instructions:
* Cut pork meat into thin and long slices – 1/4 inches thick and less than 2 inches wide.
* In a mixing bowl, marinate the cut pork with the soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions, calamansi juice, ground pepper, sugar, banana catsup and the soda or beer (this tenderizes and adds flavour to the pork barbeque)
* Mix well and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (turning occasionally).
* Prepare the bamboo skewers by removing splinters and soaking in water to reduce burning during barbeque.
* String the pork on the skewers.
* Over live charcoals, barbeque the pork on skewers until each barbeque is cooked – turning every few minutes on each side and basting the leftover marinate on the barbeque.

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Beef Kaldereta

Ingredients:
* 1 kilo beef, cut into chunks
* 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 chilli peppers, minced
* 3/4 cup grated cheese
* 2 cups beef stock or water
* 1/4 cup cooking or olive oil
Instructions:
* In a casserole, sauté: garlic and onions in oil. Then add tomatoes, red & green pepper and chilli peppers.
* Add in the beef, tomato sauce, liver spread and water or stock. Salt to taste and let simmer for at least 1 hour or until the beef is tender.
* Add cheese and olives (optional) and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.
* Serve with plain rice
Tips:
* Instead of beef, goat’s meat (kambing) can be used. If goat’s meat is used, marinate the meat in vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper for at least 15 minutes.
* For a special kaldereta, do not use water or beef stock. Use an equivalent weight of onions to the beef (1 kg of onions : 1 kg of beef). The onions will serve as water to the dish.

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Chicken Afritada

Ingredients:
* 1 kilo chicken, cut into pieces
* 5 pieces potatoes, peeled and halved
* 1 red onion, diced
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
* 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
* 2 cups pork or chicken stock (broth)
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* 2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
Instructions:
* In a cooking pot or wok, heat oil.
* Sauté garlic and onions.
* Add chicken and slightly brown.
* Pour the tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.
* Add potatoes and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
* Add the green and red bell peppers, simmer for an additional minute or two.
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Serve this chicken recipe hot with steamed rice.

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Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Stew)

Ingredients:
* 1 kilo whole chicken, cut into pieces.
* 1 small young papaya or sayote, cut into small pieces.
* 2 tablespoons ginger, crushed and slliced into strips
* 1/2 cup dahon ng sili (chili leaves) (or substitute it with malunggay leaves)
* 1 liter of water
* 5 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 red onion, diced
* 4 tablespoons oil
* 2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
Instructions:
* In a stock pot, heat oil and sauté garlic, onion and ginger.
* Add water and the chicken.
* Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is almost done.
* Season with patis
* Add papaya and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until papaya softens but not overcooked.
* Add sili leaves then turn off the heat.
* Serve steaming hot on a bowl with plain rice on the side.

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AFRITADANG BABOY

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork (cut into chunk cubes)
½ kilo potatoes (peeled and quartered)
1 small head of garlic (minced)
1 big onion (diced)
1 red bell pepper (quartered)
1 green bell pepper (quartered)
2 cups stock
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup breadcrumbs
Pinch of salt & pepper
Oil

Instruction:
In a casserole, brown pork and set aside. Sauté garlic and onion.
Pour in the stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and add in pork.
Allow simmering until pork is cooked and tender.
Add in potatoes and allow cooking.
Add in bell pepper and season with salt & pepper.
Add in breadcrumbs and thicken sauce.
Serve hot.

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Adobong Kangkong

Ingredients:

* 1 big bowl of kangkong (river spinach)
* 1/4 kilo of pork, cut into small pieces
* 1/4 cup of vinegar
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 5 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 onion, diced
* 2 laurel leaves (bay leaves)
* 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)
* 1 cup pork stock (broth) or bouillon pork cube dissolved in water
* Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

* Sauté garlic and onions in a big pan then add the pork. Allow the pork to brown and oil for a few minutes.
* Add a cup of pork stock (or bouillon cube dissolved in water or plain water), laurel leaves, soy sauce, some salt and bring to a boil.
* Let simmer then add the vinegar. Do not stir for 5 minutes.
* Add the kangkong stalks first and cook for 1 minute then add the kangkong leaves. Continue cooking until the vegetable is done.

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Adobong Tilapia (Saint Peter’s fish)

Ingredients
1/2       kilo       medium sized tilapia
5-6       cloves   garlic, minced
1          cup       vinegar
1/3       cup       water
1          tbsp      soy sauce
1          tbsp      salt
1          tsp        pepper
1          tsp        vetsin
2          tbsp      cooking oil

Procedure
Scrape scales of fish. Clean. Arrange on shallow pan. Add all the ingredients. Cover. Let boil then lower heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.

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