25 March, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Ingredients:
3/4 kilo pork good for stewing
40 g. tamarind soup base
3 small tomatoes
1 medium onion
a bunch of water spinach (kangkong), chopped
a bunch of winged beans, chopped
1 medium size white radish, chopped
a couple of taro root, chopped
5 1/2 cups of water
long green chili, chopped
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Pick the leaves of the water spinach and the soft stem part.
2. Peel and slice the radish diagonally.
3. Slice the winged beans in the same manner.
4. Peel the taro root and slice into half.
5. Slice tomatoes and onion.
6. Boil the pork in water.
7. Season with a little bit of salt and cook until tender.
8. Add in the tamarind soup base, onions and tomatoes.
9. Drop the taro root as it takes quite some time to cook. Let it boil for about 10 minutes.
10. Add in the radish. Cook for roughly about 7 minutes.
11. Add in the winged beans and the stem of the water spinach. Cook till done for a few minutes.
12. The moment the color turns to bright green it should be done.
13. Add lastly the leaves of the water spinach.
14. Boil for 10 seconds.
15. Remove from heat.
Serve hot.
Technorati Tags: filipino foods, philippines, pork sinigang, pork stew recipe, soup
23 March, 2010 at 7:13 am
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
4 cups cold cooked rice
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
4 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying the eggs, 1 tablespoon per each)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying rice)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
FOR THE FRIED RICE
1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in the pan over high heat.
2. Add garlic and cook until brown.
3. Put in the onions, stir for about 10 seconds.
4. Add the rice and mix well with the onion and garlic.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. Stir in the green onions.
7. Stir fry until the rice is heated through.
FOR THE FRIED EGGS
1. Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Crack egg on the side of the pan, let the egg slide by itself into the pan. In order to keep the egg in a perfect rounded shape. Do not spread out too much while frying.
3. Fry for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes until the whites are firm. Serve sunny side up.
4. For a hard fried egg, gently flip the egg over using a spatula and fry each side for 25 to 30 seconds.
Repeat this Step for the other 3 eggs.
PRESENTATION
1. Fill rice in a bowl or cup. Place the bowl or cup upside down on a serving plate, then lift.
2. Place fried egg on the side of the rice. Repeat for the next three.
Recipe good for 4 persons.
Technorati Tags: breakfast, easy quick meal recipe, filipino recipes, food, garlic fried rice, philippines
23 March, 2010 at 5:32 am
Ingredients:
1 1/3 uncooked instant rice
1 1/2 pounds medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup baby corn
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup broccoli florets
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon caramel sauce or brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
RICE
1. Wash rice in a colander to rinse off excess starch and debris.
2. Soak for 15 minutes with cold water just enough to cover the rice.
3. Cook in a pot according to package instructions.
4. Reserve and keep warm after cooking.
SHRIMP
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon grass, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, caramel sauce (or brown sugar) and salt.
2. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
3. Pour vegetable oil in a skillet or wok over high heat.
4. When oil is hot enough, stir-fry baby corn for 2 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to medium.
6. Add broccoli florets and shrimp.
7. For about 4 minutes, saute until shrimp turns opaque or clear.
8. Pour in the sauce made in Step 1 to the skillet, stirring to coat evenly the mixture with the sauce.
9. Cook for another 2 minutes.
10. Turn off heat.
11. Add the cashews and toss with cooked ingredients.
12. Transfer to platter. Serve with steamed rice.
Technorati Tags: filipino food, lemongrass shrimp stir fry recipe, meal ideas, philippines
22 March, 2010 at 9:21 am
The term “Asian cuisine” refers to the dishes from a region known to more than half of the globe’s population. It embodies the cooking traditions coming from parts of Asia such as East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), Southeast Asia (Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia), and South Asia (India, Pakistan). The ingredients can be confusing due to the wide geographic location and different ingredients used from one region to another. An example is lemongrass which is predominantly used in Southeast Asian food but is rarely used in East Asian dishes. Ginger, on the other hand, is a regular ingredient throughout the continent.
1. Opo Squash
Alternate names: Nam tao, bottle gourd, cucuzza squash, calabash, yugao, long squash, bau, Italian edible gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, snake gourd, po gua, kwa kwa, upo, dudi
Filipinos call this “Upo”.
Characteristics: This long, smooth-skinned gourd has a mild taste somewhat reminiscent of zucchini. An immature flesh tastes sweet but eventually becomes bitter as it ages. Don’t wait too long before you cook it otherwise it will dry out and become hollow. This squash may have originated in Africa but it is used in European and Southeast Asian cooking in traditional dishes such as the Vietnamese soup canh bau tom and the Italian cunigghiu (salted cod fish), which relies on dried cucuzza. If you can’t find opo squash, use zucchini.
2. Taro Root
Alternate names: Cocoyam, arrow root, kalo, dasheen, sato imo, gabi, patra, woo tau
Filipinos call it “gabi”.
Characteristics: Native to Malaysia, this rough-textured, hairy brown tuber is used in cuisines as varied as Polynesian and Indian. (A close relative, the yautia, is found in African and Caribbean cuisines and is treated like a potato.) Its flavor is somewhat nondescript and bland. Taro root is the perfect conduit for strong flavors. In Hawaii, taro is used to make traditional poi, a gelatinous dish made from steaming and pounding the root into a pulp. In Indian cooking, slices of taro root are seasoned with spices and then fried. And although taro is consumed throughout the year in Chinese cuisine (you can find taro cakes at dim sum), it is especially popular during the Lunar New Year’s celebrations, when you can find taro-filled moon cakes.
3. Lotus Root
Alternate names: Asian lotus, ngau, bhe, renkon
Characteristics: Looking at the beautiful lotus flower floating on the water, you might be surprised to find out that the “roots” are also edible (technically the flower’s stem). The lotus root looks like a chain of giant pods connected to one another. Crunchy, with a tinge of sweetness, the vegetable can be prepared in a variety of ways-fried, sautéed, steamed, boiled-without losing its firmness, making it an ideal snappy texture for dishes such as salads. Although used throughout Asia, the lotus root is closely associated with Chinese cuisine. It is also prized for its unique interior pattern of holes, which add a decorative aspect to a dish.
3. Daikon Radish
Alternate names: Asian or Oriental radish, mooli, moo, lo bok, white radish
Filipinos call it “Labanos”.
Characteristics: This large radish resembles an overgrown carrot without its orange coloring. Look for a daikon radish free of blemishes and not pliable or soft. In Korea, cubed daikon radish is used to make a type of kimchi. It’s great as a palate cleanser because of its mild taste. Japanese serve strings of daikon marinated in vinegar typically accompany sashimi. You can try serving the radish in light salads where its own flavor won’t be shadowed by the other ingredients.
5. Japanese Eggplant
Alternate names: Oriental eggplant, Asian eggplant, Chinese eggplant
Filipinos call it “Talong”.
Characteristics: Meet the longer, thinner-skinned variety of eggplant. It has a more uniform thickness than other eggplant varieties. Eggplants are most often round and bulbous. Japanese eggplants tend to taste sweet and mild but become bitter as they mature. Try to cook them as soon as you purchase them. When choosing an eggplant at the market, look for one that is firm. It should also have a slight give to it when you slightly squeeze it.
6. Lemongrass
Alternate names: Citronella grass, bhustrina, sere, fever grass, hierba de limón, serai, takrai
Filipinos calls it “Tanglad”.
Characteristics: This hardy plant looks like a crossbred between celery and a scallion but tastes like neither. This herb is a native to Southeast Asia that imparts a lemony, citrus flavor to dishes. It’s a good idea to use it to flavor foods and not to swallow it. Its woody and thick texture makes it unfavorable in digestion. Look for stalks that are pale at the root ends and green toward the tops. You can bruise the stalks and then remove them before serving to release their aromatic oils. Tom Yum, the quintessential Thai soup, highlights the bright flavor of lemongrass. Lemon grass can also be used to accompany your cup of tea.
7. Napa Cabbage
Alternate names: Chinese cabbage, celery cabbage, baechu, Peking cabbage, hakusai, michihli
Filipinos call it “Chinese cabbage”.
Characteristics: This cabbage has a soft, more wrinkled texture than other types. It has a less bitter taste than some varieties. The napa cabbage easily adopts strongly flavored marinades and sauces. The densely packed leaves should be a grassy-green hue. Napa cabbages have a bright white stalk center, with no brown spots or blemishes. In East Asia, the cabbage’s leaves are used in soups and stir-fries. A best dish of Napa cabbage is Korean’s unofficial national dish, Kimchi.
8. Choy Sum
Alternate name: Bok choy sum, yu choy sum, flowering Chinese cabbage
Filipinos call it “Pechay”.
Characteristics: Though this cabbage looks very much like baby bok choy with its gently curving bottom and rounded leaves, its yellow flowers are what set it apart. (By comparison, Chinese broccoli [gai lan] has white flowers and serrated leaves.) The leaves taste more bitter than the stems, but the entire plant is edible. A popular method of preparation is to blanch and then cook the vegetable in oyster sauce, but as with any other dark leafy green, choy sum is also good steamed, stir-fried, or sautéed.
9. Bitter melon
Alternate names: Balsam pear, bitter gourd, bitter cucumber, ampalaya, foo gwa, karela
Filipinos calls it “Ampalaya.”
Characteristics: With deep grooves and a bumpy texture, this green melon is unlike most melons known in the Western hemisphere. It lives up to its name when eaten unripe. When given time to ripen, the pulp changes into a lovely reddish hue and it has a sweeter flavor. Grown in tropical regions throughout the world, the melon’s bitterness (due to small amounts of quinine) is an acquired taste. If you cook it, treat it as you would a zucchini. You can also add Bitter melon when making Pinakbet, a traditional Filipino dish, that includes vegetables such bitter melon, eggplant, tomatoes, okra, and string beans.
10. Kumquats
Alternate name: Cumquats
Characteristics: Kumquats are the smallest citrus fruits in the world having its roots in China. About the same size as grapes, they pack an intense flavor both sweet and sour, with an even sweeter skin than its pulp. The fruit is consumed in its wholeness including its skin and pulp. It can also be preserved, candied, or pickled. The size of kumquats are typically eaten and served whole thus make for a lovely visual asset. They’re a popular treat during the Chinese New Year, for symbolizing prosperity and unity. Serve kumquats in a salad or use them to flavor savory foods like meat and poultry, as well as in cocktails. You can switch kumquats for lime.
11. Galangal
Alternate names: Galanga root, galingale, Thai ginger, blue ginger, laos ginger, Siamese ginger
Characteristics: Galangal’s shape is similar to that of ginger. The difference is that it has a distinct ringed red-orange-brown-colored skin that feels waxy. Its interior is white but later turns brown when exposed to the air. Galangal is more spicy-peppery-pungent than ginger. Cook it as you would ginger-minced, sliced, grated, ground up-and use as flavoring. Galangal is used throughout Southeast Asia in such dishes as Indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng), Malaysian rendang (a currylike meat or poultry dish), and Thai curries.
Technorati Tags: ampalaya, asia food, asian vegetables produce, bittermelon, filipino vegetables, kumquats, opo upo, pechay
15 March, 2010 at 11:53 am
A regular staple to Filipino dishes is the ever-dependable bulb vegetable which includes onions, garlic, and ramps. Dishes come alive when these members of the lily family contribute aromatic undertones. Onion and garlic prove to be versatile especially when they add punch to salads and salsas in their raw form. The real magic happens when they’re cooked. The light sauté or slow roast tones down their pungent, acrid flavors and coaxes out their natural sweetness.
Bring out the best of bulb vegetables with these tips:
• “Spring” bulb such as scallions and ramps, needs refrigeration.
• “Storage” bulbs are the more typically onionlike or the round, thin-skinned vegetables that can simply be kept out in a dark, dry place.
• Chives are technically related to onions and garlic but are considered to be an herb.
With so many kinds of onions out in the market, it is wise to know each one of them so as to keep them fresh for a long time and to know what each onion is best for.
1. Spanish onion
Characteristics:
This storage onion is relatively mild but not as much as sweet onions. These are round, with a thin, brownish, and papery skin. Spanish onions are the most common type of onion in the United States. They are also available as red and white. When a recipe asks for “an onion,” a Spanish onion is the one to use.
2. Shallots
Alternate names: Gray shallot, Red shallot
Characteristics:
The shallots often looks more like garlic than an onion because of its small, bulbous cluster and thin dry coppery-brown skin. Individual shallot cloves closely resemble oversized garlic cloves with their pointed tapered ends. The only difference is that the shallot possesses a luminescent purple hue. Its flavor is milder than an onion, but its bite is still sharp when uncooked. The French incorporate the shallot into many dishes but it’s also popular throughout Southeast Asian cuisine.
3. White onion
Characteristics:
This storage onion is named for the color of its thin skin and flesh. This is the onion of choice when making Latin and Central American dishes, especially Mexican food, with a taste that’s tangy than sweet or sour.
3. Garlic
Characteristics:
Garlic is sold many ways: whole bulb, already-peeled cloves, pre-sliced, and minced. At the farmers’ market, newly harvested garlic is sometimes sold with the curled green stems still attached to the bulb, the ends of which are called “scapes.” An unpeeled garlic clove doesn’t have a very strong scent, but once the clove’s body has been damaged, a pungent odor is released. To get garlic that’s sweet and fragrant, either sauté or roast it. But be careful not to burn the garlic, which will result in an acrid smell.
4. Pearl onions
Characteristics:
These very small onions are valued for their sweet, delicate flavor and are usually served as an accompaniment. Pearl onions can be creamed, roasted, or glazed. Pickled pearl onions make a great garnish to the classic martini. Better look for frozen pre-peeled pearl onions at your local market to lessen the task of peeling such small onions.
5. Red onion
Alternate name: Purple onion
Characteristics:
The bright reddish-purple skin makes this onion hard to miss. It’s a favorite ingredient in salads. Red onions have the sharpest flavor in the family, so use uncooked red onions sparingly. To soften the taste, chill raw onions in ice water for 20 minutes before serving.
5. Sweet onions
Alternate names: Fresh onion, spring onion, summer onion
Characteristics:
These storage onions are sweet because they have a lower concentration of sulfur allowing the sugar content to stand out. People who like onions but dislike the strong taste, will find sweet onions a good alternative. Some people even consume them raw, like ripe fruit. These don’t keep as well as other storage onions, so try to consume them as soon as possible.
6. Ramps
Alternate names: Tennessee truffles, wild leek, ramson, wild leek, ail des bois
Characteristics:
This North American native spring onion is edible in its whole goodness. Be it from the tops of its lily of the valley like leaves and stems to all the way down to the bulb. When eaten raw, a ramp tastes strong and more like garlic than scallion, but if cooked, its flavor turns mildly sweet. When serving, try to keep the entire plant intact for a lovely presentation.
7. Scallions
Alternate names: Green onion, bunching onion, Chinese onion, Welsh onion
Characteristics:
This spring onion’s flavorful bite makes it a famous ingredient in Asian cooking. Some recipes may call for only the long green hollow leaves or the white bulbous ends, but the scallion is entirely edible. Recipes usually require that scallions be chopped. Scallions are interchangeable with ramps. Don’t let them languish in the fridge. Use soon after purchase.
Technorati Tags: bulb vegetables, garlic, kinds of onion, pearl spanish red sweet, ramps, scallions
3 March, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Ingredients :
1 pack molo (or siomai/wonton) wrappers
Filling
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. shrimps, chopped
1 small turnip (singkamas), chopped finely
1 small carrot, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
Broth
2 tbsp. oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped
250 grams ground pork
100 grams sweet ham, chopped
100 grams shrimps, peeled
6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped spring onions, to garnish
fried garlic, to garnish
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients for the filling.
2. Get one molo wrapper and put a little filling in the center.
3. Fold the wrapper, to make the two ends meet to seal.
4. Repeat procedure to wrap all the fillings. Set aside.
5. In a saucepan, heat oil. Sauté garlic and onions.
6. Add in the pork, ham and shrimps. Cook for a few minutes and then add the broth.
7. Bring to a boil and then drop in the stuffed molo wrappers. Season to taste. Cover and let it boil again.
8. Reduce heat and let it simmer for a few minutes.
9. Serve hot. Topped with spring onions and fried garlic.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Technorati Tags: filipino, food, pancit molo, philippines recipes, recipes, soup recipe
