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

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

Abitsuelas Guisado

This dish is somehow popular in the Philippines because it is one of the easiest and quickest dish to cook and the ingredients are also simple, easy and cheap to buy which is affordable for all the people who are really in a tight budget.

I prepared this dish last night for our dinner. Try it! :)

2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup ground pork
1 carrot, sliced
1/4 kilo abitsuelas or baguio string beans, cut into 1" lengths
1 cup water
pork bouillon
patis or salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet. Saute garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add pork and cook until browned. Add the carrots and abitsuelas and the pork bouillon. Add water. Let simmer and cook until abitsuelas and carrots are tender but not overcooked. Season to taste.


* You can add shrimps if you want to.



Courtesy of The Maya Kitchen

Pork Steak

Pork is a variation of Bistek Tagalog. This recipe used pork tenderloin instead of traditional beef for a different eating experience but you can use pork chops or any pork slices for that matter.

500 grams pork tenderloin
10 pieces calamansi
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 pieces onions, cut into rings

1. Clean pork tenderloin. Slice into thin fillets. Set aside.

2. Squeeze out calamansi juice over a small strainer taking care not to include calamansi seeds.

3. Combine calamansi juice and soy sauce in a bowl.

4. Combine margarine and cooking oil in the wok.

5. Add garlic and cook until brown. Remove garlic and set aside for toppings.

6. Add onion rings and stir with the pork pieces until onions turn transparent.

7. Add pork marinade. Let boil. Combine sauce well with the pork pieces.

8. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the browned garlic.

Courtesy of Filipino Kitchen Library

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.

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.

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.

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.