Kare - Kare

Kare-Kare is a Philippine stew. It is made from peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables, stewed oxtail, beef or pork, and occasionally offal or tripe. Meat variants may include goat meat or (rarely) chicken. It is often eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste). Traditionally, any Filipino fiesta (particularly in Pampanga region) is not complete without kare-kare. In some Filipino-American versions of the dish, oxtail is exclusively used as the meat.

It's my mom's specialty! :)

1 oxtail
1 pork pata
6 cups water
salt and peppercorns
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup atsuete
1/4 cup crushed garlic
2 pieces onion, sliced
1/2 cup bagoong alamang ( shrimp paste )
1 cup ground peanuts
1 cup toasted ground rice
4 pieces eggplant sliced
1 big bundle sitaw, sliced
1 puso ng saging, sliced

Boil oxtail and pata in water with salt and peppercorns until tender. Cut meat in small pieces and reserve the broth. In a saucepan, heat oil then add atsuete. Stir until color is extracted.
Discard the seeds Saute garlic, onions, bagoong, peanuts and rice. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer. Add meats and vegetables. Cook until tender. Serve with bagoong guisado.

Bagoong Guisado:

1/4 cup oil
1 head garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup boiled pork, diced
1 1/2 cups bagoong alamang
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Heat oil then saute garlic and onions. Add pork, bagoong and sugar. Add in vinegar and cook until dry.

Courtesy of The Maya Kitchen

Shrimp Sinigang

Sinigang is a Filipino dish famous for the variety of ingredients. The Filipino's resourcefulness is best seen in his preparation of sinigang.  The choice of pampaasim or souring agent is vast - kamias, sampalok, tomatoes, ripe guavas, young pineapple or even kalamansi juice.  Sinigang often  incorporates fish, pork, beef or shrimp.  This time we will use Shrimps for our recipe!

2  cups rice washing or water
15  pieces kamias
1  small onion, sliced
1  tomato, sliced
2  pieces radish, quartered
1/2  kilo shrimps
1  bundle kangkong, cut into 2" lengths
1-2  pieces siling haba
salt or patis to taste

Put half or rice washing or water in a pot.  Add kamias.  Cook until tender then mash.  Add onions, tomatoes and remaining rice washing  Bring to a boil then add the radish.  Add shrimps, kangkong ang siling haba.  Let boil for 2 minutes.  Season to taste.

Courtesy of The Maya Kitchen

Togue Guisado (Sauteed Bean Sprouts)

This recipe is quick and easy one. So, try it! :)

1/2 kilo pork or shrimps, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, thinly strips
1 red bell pepper, thinly strips
1 green bell pepper, thinly strips
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 kilo togue (bean sprouts)
1/2 cup water or broth
chopped green onions, for garnishing


1. In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook pork (if using) until it turns lightly brown.

2. Add garlic and onions; saute for a few minutes until onions are soft and translucent.

3. Add in carrot, bell peppers and season with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce (if using), salt and pepper. Stir-fry until well blended for about a minute or two.

4. Add water or broth and togue (bean sprouts), cook for a few minutes. Correct the seasonings. Be sure not to overcook the bean sprouts it should be crispy. Immediately remove from heat Gently stir to blend.

5. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped green onions (if using) and serve.

Tortang Dulong or Dilis

Tortang Dulong or Tortang Dilis ( Anchovies ) is a very simple but tasty dish. It is one of the common Filipino dish that is easy to prepare. This is really goes well with ketchup as dip. Enjoy!

1/4 kilo dulong or dilis (anchovies)
2 eggs
a spoonful of flour
spring onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
oil for pan frying

1. Combine eggs, salt, pepper, flour and spring onion then mix it until everything is well incorporated.

2. Add the dulong or dilis.

3. Heat a frying pan and pour-in cooking oil.

4. Once the oil heats-up, scoop about half a cup of the mixture using a kitchen ladle and gently pour it in the frying pan.

5. Cook the first side for about 3 to 5 minutes then flip to cook the other side.

6. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving plate.

7. Serve with ketchup.



Courtesy of Panlasang Pinoy

Corned Beef Casserole

This is a macaroni casserole with canned corned beef with creamy mushroom sauce and creamy cheese topping. We tried this recipe some time ago in our presentation in our Caregiver class. I found this recipe in the FOOD Magazine. It is just simple but delicious macaroni dish. Try it! :)

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 up chopped onions
1 425-gram can button mushrooms, drained and sliced
2 175-gram cans corned beef
1 290-gram condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose cream
1 225-gram bar quick melting cheese, grated

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile in a medium size wok, heat oil and brown garlic lightly. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add mushrooms and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add corned beef, stirring to separate the chunks. When liquid from the corned beef comes out, pour in mushroom soup and water. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Drain the cooked macaroni. Stir macaroni into corned beef mixture and mix until thoroughly coated. Transfer to a casserole dish.

4. For the topping, place cream and grated cheese in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat for another 30 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Pour over macaroni and serve.

Beef Caldereta

Caldereta is another Filipino dish with Spanish influence. It is a hearty meat dish using goat meat, beef or pork combined with carrots, potatoes, olives, tomato sauce and liver spread. This is a popular dish served during special occasions.

2 lbs beef, cubed
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cups water
1 cup red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup liver spread or liver paste (processed using blender)
1 tsp. crushed chili
3 large bay leaves
2 cups potatoes, sliced
2 cups carrots, sliced
1 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup green olives
salt and pepper
8-10 pieces hotdog or sausages (optional)

1. Heat the cooking oil in the pan and fry carrots and potatoes until color turns light brown.

2. Remove the fried carrots and potatoes from the pan and set aside.

3. In the same pan where the vegetables were fried, saute the onions and garlic.

4. Add the beef and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add water and let the beef boil until tender (about 30 minutes if using pressure cooker or 1 to 2 hours if using an ordinary pot).

6. Add the tomato sauce and liver spread and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Add the green olives, carrots, bay leaves, bell pepper, crushed chili , potatoes and sausages and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Serve hot and enjoy!

Courtesy of Panlasang Pinoy

Chicken Lollipop

Chicken lollipop is an hors d’œuvre or appetizer dish that is made from the middle and sometimes inner segments of chicken wings. The middle segment has one of the two bones removed, and the flesh on the segments is pushed to one end of the bone. These are then coated in a batter and deep fried. In the Philippines, it is considered as a main dish and is prepared in a simpler manner than the chicken lollipop dishes of India and other countries.

I tried it last night for our dinner and I just used chicken lollipops in a pack so I didn't have to cut and loosened the meat to shape it like a lollipop.

10 pieces chicken wings
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 pieces raw eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
cooking oil

1. Season the chicken lollipops with salt and pepper and let it stand for at least 15 minutes.

2. Crack the eggs and transfer to a bowl then whisk.

3. Gradually add-in the all-purpose flour while whisking until a batter is formed.

4. Dip the chicken lollipop on the batter then to the bread crumbs.

5. Heat oil in a cooking pot then deep-fry the chicken lollipop under medium heat until the color of the outer part turns medium brown ( about 8 to 10 minutes ).

6. Remove the fried chicken lollipop from the cooking pot and transfer to a dish with paper towel. Let it stand until excess oil is absorbed by the paper towel.

7. Serve with your favorite dip. Share and enjoy!


Recipe: Panglasang Pinoy

Here's how to make chicken wings into chicken lollipops:

Pork Sinigang

Sinigang is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour flavor most often associated with tamarind (sampalok). Other versions of the dish derive their sourness from ingredients such as guava, calamansi, balimbing or raw mango among others. Powdered soup base or bouillon cubes for sinigang based on tamarind or calamondin are also used in place of natural fruits. Meat in sinigang ( e.g. fish, pork, beef or shrimp) is often stewed with tamarinds, tomatoes, and onions. Other vegetables commonly used in the making of sinigang include okra , taro corms (gabi), daikon (labanos), water spinach (kangkong), yardlong beans (sitaw) and eggplant (talong). Most Filipinos like to cook sinigang with green finger pepper in order to enhance the taste while adding a little spice to the dish.

10 pieces sampalok (tamarind) or 1 pouch Sinigang Mix
1 kilo pork, cubed
5 cups water
1 onion, sliced
4 pieces tomato, sliced
2 pieces radish, sliced
1 bundle kangkong, cut into 2" lengths
1 bundle sitaw, cut into 2" lengths
salt or patis to taste

In a little water, cook sampalok until tender. Mash then strain to get the juice. In a pot, boil pork in water until tender. Add onion, tomato and sampalok juice or sinigang mix. Add vegetables and cook until done. Season to taste.

Arroz Valenciana

The Filipino Arroz Valenciana is a compromise Paella because expensive shellfish is omitted in favor of chicken and chorizo. It is usually prepared if there is a special occasion.

This is one of Autine Osing's specialty. :)



2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 kilo chicken thighs, chopped into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon atsuete seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 cups rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pieces chorizo de bilbao, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup cubed ham
1 cup green peas
1 piece green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 piece red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup olives

In a large skillet, heat oil then pan-fry the chicken until brown. Remove the chicken. Add the atsuete seeds and stir until color is extracted. Remove the seeds. In the hot oil, saute garlic and onions. Add in rice, broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with some salt and pepper. Simmer for few minutes then add the chicken. When tender, add the rest of the ingredients. Continue cooking until done.


Courtesy of The Maya Kitchen

Ginataang Hipon (Shrimps in Coconut Milk)

Ginataan, alternatively spelled guinataan, is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with gata - the Filipino word for coconut milk. Literally translated, ginataan means "done with coconut milk". Due to the general nature of the term, it can refer to a number of different dishes, each called ginataan, but distinct from one another.

Ginataang Hipon is probably one of the best food cooked in coconut milk! Try it!

My mom's Ginataang Hipon

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup green and red bell pepper
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 kilo medium size shrimps

1. In a skillet, combine onion, garlic, salt, ginger, and bell pepper with 1/4 cup coconut milk. Bring to boil.

2.. Add the remaining coconut milk. Cook stirring over low heat until it thickens, for about 8 - 10 minutes.

3. Add the shrimps and cook for 5 minutes.


Courtesy of Lutong Pinoy

Nilagang Baboy (Boiled Pork with Vegetables)

Nilagang Baboy or Boiled Pork is another Filipino dish that is easy to make that you just throw everything in the pot and let it cook until tender. In the Philippines, the generic nilaga (literally, boiled) can refer to boiled beef and vegetables, boiled chicken and vegetables or boiled pork and vegetables. What the vegetables are vary. But, almost always, there is a combination of leafy and non-leafy vegetables.



pork, cubed
onions, sliced
peppercorns
potatoes, quartered
pechay or cabbage leaves
salt or patis to taste

Boil pork in enough water until tender. Add sliced onion, peppercorn and quartered potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add pechay or cabbage leaves. Season to taste.

Turbo Chicken with Fresh Garlic and Rosemary

We prepared this dish in our Nutrition and Food Safety and Basic Food Preparation and Presentation month - Day 2 ( Caregiver Training ).

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and procedure is easy to follow. This dish exudes a wonderful aromatic flavor.

2 whole chickens
1 head garlic, pounded
1 tablespoon coarse salt (add more if needed)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fried minced garlic (optional)


1. Split chickens into half length-wise, then pound to flatten. In a small bowl mix the garlic, salt, and pepper and rub thoroughly inside and outside the chickens. Put fresh rosemary sprigs inside the cavities.

2. Rub olive oil all over the skin and sprinkle some dried rosemary leaves on top. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Arrange the chicken pieces in a pan lined with foil. Bake in over or turbo broiler for 45 minutes, ir until done, turning the chicken pieces every 15 minutes and basting them with fat and cooking juices that collect in the pan.

4. Or, if not in a hurry, bake chickens in 325F over for 1 hour on one side and another hour for the other side, skin side up, basting occasionaly with the pan juices, for more tender chickens.

5. Arrange on a serving platter, and sprinkle fried garlic on top. Pour pan juices over the chickens before serving.

6. If desired serve with roasted potatoes.




* In our preparation, we prefer not to split the chicken into half when we baked it just for the sake of our presentation. :)

Upo Guisado

Guisadong upo is one of the sautéed vegetable dishes popular in Philippines more commonly on provinces where bottle gourds are abundant. This cheap and simple dish usually is made out of 3 main ingredients which are pork, bottle gourd and tomatoes. A simple yet rich dish which is enjoyed as mains paired with rice.



2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup pork, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shelled shrimps
1/2 cup upo (bottle gourd), sliced thinly or cubed
1 cup shrimp juice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet then saute garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add pork and cook until lightly browned. Add shrimps and cook until it changes color. Add the upo and shrimp juice. Simmer until tender but not overcooked. Season to taste.

Herbed Loin of Tuna

Here is one of the recipes we tried during our Caregiver Class. It is a mouthwatering Asian tuna dinner fit for any table..

Prep time: 15 minutes    Cooking time: 1 hour    Yield:  4-6 servings

1/2 kilo whole loin of tuna

oil

juice from 1 lemon

1 onion, choppeed

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 lemon, sliced thinly

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 375F.

2.  Make a shallow cuts on the top and sides of the fish.

3.  Spread some oil on a baking tray.  Place the tuna and drizzle with the lemon juice.

4.  In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper.

5.  Fill the shallow cuts on the tuna with this herb mixture.

6.  Pour the wine over the fish.  Sprinkle the remaining herb mixture all over the fish.  Top with lemon slices.

7.  Cover the pan with foil and bake the fish for about 40 minutes.  Uncover and baste with the pan juices.  Continue baking until done.

* Serve it with Red Wine.

Fried Lumpia / Lumpiang Prito

Lumpiang Prito literally means fried spring roll. It consists of a briskly fried pancake filled with bean sprouts and various other vegetables such as string beans and carrots. Small morsels of meat or seafood may also be added. Though it is the least expensive of the variants, the preparation – the cutting of vegetables and meats into appropriately small pieces and subsequent pre-cooking – may prove taxing and labor-intensive. This variant may come in sizes as little as that of lumpiang shanghai or as big as that of lumpiang sariwà. It is usually eaten with vinegar and chili peppers, or a soy sauce-and-calamondin juice mixture known as toyo-mansi.  But I prefer eating friend lumpia with vinegar and lots of garlic.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup sliced onions

1/4 kilo lean pork or chicken, chopped

1/4 kilo shrimps, chopped

1 cup carrots, cut into julienne strips

2 cups bean or mongo sprouts (optional)

2 cups singkamas, cut into julienne strips

1 cup cabbage, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

lumpa wrappers or spring roll wrappers

Vinegar Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup white vinegar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in skillet and saute garlic and onions until tender. Add pork and saute until browned. Add vegetables and cook until tender, yet crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with soy sauce. When mixture is cool, add bean sprouts. Salt to taste.

2. To assemble lumpia: Carefully separate wrappers. To prevent them from drying out, cover unused wrappers with moist paper towel. Lay one wrapper on clean surface. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling near the edge closest to you. Roll edge towards the middle. Fold in both sides and continue rolling. Moisten opposite edge with water to seal. Repeat with other wrappers. Lumpia can be frozen until ready to use.

3. Deep fry at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet sour or vinegar and garlic dipping sauce.

4. Vinegar Dipping Sauce: Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 1/2 hour. Makes 1/2 cup.

Suwam na Mais

"Suwan na Mais" is one of my brother's favorite dish. My mom usually prepare this dish on weekends. This is her own version of one of the Filipino's favorite food.

Ingredients:

oil
1 ginger, chopped
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2-3 pieces corn, removed from the cob
1 piece carrot, sliced
1 piece patola, sliced
1 small squash or kalabasa, sliced
boiled pork, sliced
1 can corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste
sili leaves or alugbati (spinach vine)
bagoong (fish sauce)

Heat the oil in a sauce pan the saute the ginger, onion, bagoong and pork.  Add the pork stock. Let it boil for a few minutes. Add the fresh corn, corn kernels in can, carrot, kalabasa, and alugbati leaves. Let it simmer. Then add the patola. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Ginisang Ampalaya..... Bitter Yet It's Delicious!

My mom cooked this dish for our lunch and I love it! 

Ginisang Ampalaya is transalated as Sautéed Bitter Melon. This Filipino vegetable recipe is one of the healthiest recipe around. This dish is bitter and yet very delicious when prepared properly.  You can also enjoy its many health benefits.

Bitter melon is best known for antidiabetic effects. It contains a chemical known as insulin-like peptide that is similar in shape and function to animal-produced insulin. Other chemicals, including vicine, in bitter melon may also have blood-sugar lowering effects. 

GINISANG AMPALAYA

Ingredients:

2 pieces ampalaya, cleaned and cut into thin slices

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp salt

2 raw eggs

18 ounces luke warm water

1 large tomato, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

3 tbsp cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

1. Place the ampalaya in a large bowl

2. Add salt and luke warm water then leave for 5 minutes

3. Place the ampalaya in a cheese cloth then squeeze tightly until all liquid drips

4. Heat the pan and place the cooking oil

5. Sautee the garlic, onion, and tomato

6. Add the ampalaya mix well with the other ingredients

7. Put-in salt and pepper to taste

8. Beat the eggs and pour over the ampalaya then let the eggs cook partially

9. Mix the egg with the other ingredients

10. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!