Pinakbet

A specialty of the Ilocanos.

8 Servings

Ingredients:

· 1 cup pork, sliced into ½ inch pieces

· Water for boiling

· 1 tablespoon crushed ginger

· ½ cup diced tomatoes

· ½ cup sliced onions

· 4 cloves crushed garlic

· 4 eggplants, each cut crosswise into 2 – inch pieces

· 1 large ampalaya, halved, seeded and sliced diagonally into 1 – inch pieces

· 8 okra, both ends trimmed

· 2 tablespoons bagoong Balayan

· 1 cup water, or the liquid used in boiling the pork

· 2 tablespoons cooking oil

· 2 tablespoons vinegar

· Additional bagoong for serving (optional)

1. In a saucepan simmer pork in water until cooked. Drain pork, reserving the liquid.

2. Arrange at the bottom of a big pot (preferably clay) the pork, ginger, tomatoes, onion and garlic.

3. Add the eggplants, ampalaya and okra.

4. Dissolve the bagoong in water or in 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Strain and pour the liquid into the pot.

5. Add the cooking oil.

6. Cover the pot and cook over high heat until the liquid boils, then lower heat to simmer to prevent scorching. Do not stir so that the bitter taste of the ampalaya does not seep into the other vegetables.

7. Cook vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender but still crisp.

8. Pour in the vinegar. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.

9. Serve hot with boiled or steamed rice and additional bagoong if desired.

Leche Flan

6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 11/2 cups evaporated milk
• 11/2 cups sugar, divided
• 6 whole eggs
• 2 whole calamansi

1. In a medium bowl, combine milk, 1 cup of the sugar, eggs and calamansi. Mash the ingredients using clean hands. Do not beat the mixture. When the ingredients have well been mixed, remove the calamansi and any seeds that may have gotten into the mixture. Set aside.
2. Place remaining sugar in a small pan over low heat. Once the sugar caramelizes and turns golden brown, remove from hea and immediately pour into a llanera or any pan that can hold 2 cups of liquid. Tip the pan to allow sugar to cover its entire base.
3. Pour egg mixture into the pan, cover with aluminum foil and cook in a steamer for 30 to 45 minutes. If the heat is good, 30 minutes of steaming will do.
4. Or: Put llanera in a bigger pan. Pour water until it reaches almost half way through the height. Bake in a 350°F over for 20 to 30 minutes or until leche flan is firm.

Note: Leche flan can also be cooked in individual molds like those used in tocino del cielo.

Kare - kare

I hate peanut butter on bread, but it’s perfect in Kare-kare!

12 Servings

Ingredients:
• 3-4 kilos ox tail, washed and cut into serving pieces
• 10-12 cups water
• 1 medium heart of banana blossom (puso ng saging), sliced into 10 pieces
• ¼ kilo eggplant, sliced diagonally
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped white onions
• ½ kilo string beans, washed, stringed, and cut into 4-inch lengths Bamboo strips
• ¼ cup atsuete seeds
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups ox tail stock
• 1 cup bottled bagoong alamang
• Salt to taste

1. In a large stockpot, bring to a boil then simmer ox tail in water for 3 hours or until tender, taking care to replace water that has evaporated.
2. In a basin filled with water, soak heart of banana blossom, eggplants, and onions. Bundle string beans into 6 pieces each and tie with Bamboo strips.
3. Scoop out 2 cups of liquid from ox tail broth.
4. Soak atsuete seeds in these 2 cups for a few minutes. Stir seeds with a spoon to extract color.
5. Strain into a bowl and mix in peanut butter. Pour into the pot of boiling ox tail.
6. Stir the bagoong alamang, banana blossoms, eggplants, onions, and string beans into the pot of ox tail. Continue simmering until all vegetables are cooked and ox tail is tender. Season with salt to taste.
7. Serve with rice and additional bagoong alamang, if desired.

Gambas

This recipe for gambas has the wonderful flavor of garlic and white wine.
4 servings

Ingredients:

• ½ kilo shrimp, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup white wine
• dash of chili sauce

1. Place shrimp in large bowl. Season with salt and lemon juice.
2. Dredge shrimp in flour.
3. Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and sauté until brown.
4. Add shrimp. Stir in wine and cook until shrimp turn pink. Season with chili sauce before serving.

Beef caldereta

From town fiestas to baptisms, weddings and in other occasions in the Philippines, Caldereta is commonly served. The chopped liver and grated cheese gives the sauce a thick, rich texture.

12 servings

Ingredients:
• 2 kilos stewing beef, cut into cubes
• 10-12 cups water
• 1 kilo pork liver
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup vinegar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups sliced pimientos
• Morones or fresh Baguio pepper
• 2 cups pitted green olives
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1 small can or two long pieces chorizo de Bilbao, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the beef in a large casserole, and pour enough water to cover. Cover casserole and bring water to a boil then lower heat immediately to simmer. Let simmer about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile broil pork liver until medium rare. Grind or chop liver finely.
3. Combine liver with cheese, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, pimientos morons and green olives. Stir until smooth. Set aside.

Scampi

Ingredients:
• 1 kilo medium prawns
• 1 cup water
• 6-8 calamansi
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 head garlic, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Spring onions for garnish

1. Peel prawns, reserving the shells and the heads. Boil the shells and the heads in water. Strain and reserve about ½ cup of the resulting broth.
2. Slit back of prawns and remove the veins.
3. Marinate prawns in juice of about 4 calamansi for about 30 minutes.
4. Heat olive oil in a wok. Saute garlic 1 to 2 minutes. Remove garlic from wok. Pour in the reserved broth.
5. Stir in prawns. Season with salt and cook just until prawns turn evenly pink. Remove from heat. Drizzle juice of remaining calamansi on prawns.
6. Spoon prawns and sauce into serving dish. Top with the sautéed garlic. Garnish with spring onions if desired. Serve with rice.

Adobo sa Gata

A friend from Marinduque shared this recipe.
8 servings
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 kilo fresh chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 3-6 pieces siling labuyo or 2 green bell peppers, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon yellow ginger or turmeric powder
• Milk of 1-2 coconuts, first and second extractions
• Medium size green papaya, sliced
• 1 cup sili leaves

1. In a large pan heat cooking oil to medium heat.
2. Brown chicken pieces in hot oil. Lower heat and add vinegar, salt, pepper, 3 to 6 pieces siling labuyo or bell peppers, garlic, oion and yellow ginger. Simmer over low heat for about 15minutes.
3. Add second extraction of coconut milk and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Pour in first extraction of coconut milk.
4. Add papaya slices and simmer until papaya slices are tender. Add sili leaves and heat through. Serve with hot rice.

Beef Pochero

My sister prepares this dish almost every Sunday. The slightly fatty edges will add flavor to the dish.
8 servings
Ingredients:
• 1 kilo cubed beef (preferably portions with some fat)
• ½ kilo leftover ham bones
• ¼ kilo scrap ham
• 8-10 cups water, or enough to cover meat
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• 4 saba bananas, peeled and sliced in half
• 3 pieces chorizo de Bilbao, sliced horizontally
• 1 cup chick peas, or as much as desired
• 1 head of cabbage, quartered
• 1 Baguio pechay, leaves separated

1. In a large casserole, put beef, ham bones and scrap ham. Pour enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until beef is almost tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and bananas. Simmer until potatoes and bananas are almost tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in chorizo de bilbao and chick peas, and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
4. Add cabbage and pechay and let simmer until vegetables are cooked but still firm.

Sizzling Sisig

Who hates Sisig? I surely don’t. Beer lovers love this as pulutan but my family simply loves Sisig as part of our dinner.
8 servings
Ingredients:
• 2 kilos pork head
• Water for boiling
• ½ kilo chicken liver
• 3 pieces siling labuyo
• ½ cup calamansi juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons salt
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• 1 teaspoon MSG
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup margarine
• 6-8 pieces sliced calamansi

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large stockpot, boil pork head in water until half cooked. Drain and slice thinly.
3. Arrange pork and liver on a baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Chop pork into small pieces. Set aside.
5. In a blender, blend the chicken liver, siling labuyo, calamansi juice and salt.
6. Pour into mixing bowl and add onion, MSG, pepper and chopped pork head. Mix well.
To serve:
1. Heat a sizzling plate. Put about 1 tablespoon margarine on plate; scoop 1 cup of sisig mixture onto sizzling plate.
2. Repeat with other sizzling plates and remaining sisig mixture. Serve with calamansi.