"Longganisa-Garlic Fried Rice"

It's another leftover-makeover dish. Being a mom, it's my job to make sure that all the food in my kitchen will not go to waste. So, I do makeovers. I'm planning to bring this for our "baon" to the rink later.


Good for 2 servings.


You'll need:

• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 3 cloves finely crushed garlic
• 1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 pcs leftover skinless longganisa, coarsely chopped
• 3 cups of cold cooked rice, mash to separate grains
• salt
• liquid seasoning, garlic flavor
• an egg

Here's how:

In a non-stick wok, put oil. Saute' garlic until golden brown. Add onion. Cook until soft. Place the longganisa. Stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Put the rice. Sprinkle moderately with salt. Drizzle with liquid seasoning. Mix until well-blended and heated through.

Make a well. Break the egg at the center. Stir continuously until egg is done.

Serve immediately while hot.

"Ground Pork and Bean Curd with Salted Black Beans"

Earlier today, I prepared this dish for our baon. We'll be going to the rink later for my kiddo's ice skating lesson and practice plus his gymnastics work-out.

Salted black beans or also known as fermented black beans are small soy beans preserved by fermentation with salt and spices which gives them their rich salty taste and distinctive smell.


Good for 4-6 servings.


You'll need:

• 1/4 cup of palm or vegetable oil
• 3 pcs. hard tofu or bean curd (tokwa)
• 4 cloves of finely pounded garlic
• 1 large red onion (50 grams), chopped
• 2 red ripe tomatoes (70-75 grams), coarsely chopped
• 400 grams lean ground pork
• 1 can (180 grams) salted black beans
• 1/2 tbsp of ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 25 grams of Chinese celery (kinchay), remove roots and chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, julienne

Here's how:

Wash salted black beans with running water. Drain. Set aside.

Using a skillet, place over high fire, heat 2/3 of oil. Fry bean curd until golden brown on both sides. Drain in lots of paper towels. Cut into cubes. Set aside.

Back to the pan, add the rest of oil. Heat again. Saute garlic until rich golden brown. Add onion and tomatoes. Cook until soft. Put the ground pork, salted black beans, ground black pepper and soy sauce. Keep stirring until pork separates. Cook until liquid evaporates or oil sizzles.

Add water, Chinese celery, bell pepper and tofu. Mix well. Cover. Bring to boil.

Serve over white cooked rice.

"Longganisa Fried Rice"

We had longganisa bought in Parañaque a couple of days ago for our breakfast. I had some leftover. I didn't feel like reheating and eating it again. This was what I did... (",)


Good for 4-6 servings


You'll need:

• 3 tbsps of palm oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely pounded
• 6 pcs longganisa, chopped
• 6 cups of cold cooked rice, mash to separate grains
• salt
• sauce & oil from longganisa

Here's how:

In a large wok, heat oil. Saute garlic until rich golden brown. Put longganisa, stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add the rice and salt. Drizzle the sauce. Mix thoroughly until heated through.

Serve immediately.

"Ham and Egg Fried Rice"

Before I start cleaning my ref, I want to get rid of the food inside it without going to waste. I decided to cook this for breakfast.... I have some leftover ham, 2 pieces of eggs and some cold cooked rice.


You'll need:

• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 pieces eggs, beaten
• 4 cloves garlic, finely pounded
• 1 large onion, minced
• about a cup of leftover ham, cut into strips
  
• 5-6 cups of cooked rice, mash to separate grains
• salt
• liquid seasoning

Here's how

In a wok, heat 1/2 of oil. Fry the beaten eggs until half-done only. Chop into strips. Set aside.

Back to the wok, heat the other half of oil. Saute' garlic until rich golden brown. Put onion. Cook until soft. Place ham. Cook for 10 seconds. Add the cooked rice. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Drizzle with liquid seasoning. Put back the egg. Mix until well-blended and heated through.

Serve immediately.

"Chili Fried Rice"

The chili pepper is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family of Solanaceae. The name comes from Nahuatl via the Spanish word "chile". The term is usually refer to the smaller and hotter types of capsicum. Chili peppers and their various cultivars originate in the Americas, they are now grown around the world because they are widely used as spices or vegetables in cuisine and as medicine.

The fruit is eaten cooked or raw for its fiery hot flavor which is concentrated along the top of the pod. The stem end of the pod has glands which produce the capsaicin which then flows down through the pod. The white pith that surrounds the seeds. It contains the highest concentrations of capsaicin. Removing the seeds and inner membranes is thus effective at reducing the heat of a pod.

The substances that gives chili peppers their heat is capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids.


Good for 4-6 servings.


You'll need:

• 3 tbsps of palm oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 150-200 grams of lean ground pork
• 1 tsp of ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp of fish sauce
• 5 long pcs of stringbeans (sitaw), chopped
• 2 large white onion, halved and sliced thickly
• 3 pcs of hot chili pepper (labuyo), chopped
• a piece of finger chili, chopped
• 125 grams of pechay tagalog or pak choi, cut at 1" length
• 6 cups cold cooked rice, mash to separate grains
• 1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1-1/2 tbsp of liquid seasoning, chili flavor

Here's how:

Using high heat, saute garlic until light brown only. Put ground pork, 1/2 of ground black pepper and fish sauce. Stir-fry to separate pork. Cook until liquid dries up.

Put the string beans. Saute for a minute. Add in the onion, chilis and pak choi. Stir-fry until half-done only.

Place the cooked rice, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and the rest of ground black pepper. Mix. Drizzle the liquid seasoning. Mix until well-blended and heated through.

Best serve hot or with any fried fish or meat.

"Giniling na may Itlog ng Pugo" (Ground Pork with Quail Eggs)

I have red ripe plump tomatoes in my fridge. A piece of green bell pepper, a carrot and a potato. A box of quail eggs. I was wondering what to cook with these ingredients ... I thought of this recipe. This is not my first time to cook this dish. All I need was ground pork. I bought some in a nearby "talipapa", it's a small wet market.


Good for 4-6 servings.


You'll need:

• 1/4 cup of cooking oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 medium red onion, finely minced
• 250 grams red ripe plump tomatoes, finely minced
• 1 medium potato, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 450 grams lean ground pork
• a teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 tbsps of fish sauce
• a small piece of green pepper, seeded and finely minced
• a cup of water
• a piece of pork cube
• 1 heapful teaspoon of white sugar
• 2 dozens of hard-boiled quail eggs

Here's how:

In a pan, over medium-high heat. Put oil. Saute garlic until rich golden brown. Add onion and tomatoes. Cook until very limp. Put potato and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes. Place the ground pork, pepper and fish sauce. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Stirring often to separate the ground pork.

Put the green pepper. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add in the water, pork cube and sugar. Mix. Cover. Bring to boil. Then, reduce fire to low. Simmer for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, shell the eggs.

Add the quail eggs. Stir. Cook until it boils again.

Serve over warm cooked rice or as filling for your white bread.

"Kid-Friendly Caldereta"

I've been wanting to cook this for several days now but I haven't had the main ingredient which is the neck bones or shoulder bones of pork or commonly called "buto-buto".

As you may wonder, why is the title kid-friendly? Well, caldereta is a spicy dish. This recipe is not but still has the rich yumminess of the dish. Caldereta is usually served as the main entree or "pulutan" in gatherings or special occasions among Filipinos.


Here's the recipe... good for 4-6 servings


You'll need:

• 4 tbsps of cooking oil
• 4 small (250 grams) potatoes, quartered
• 6-8 cloves finely crushed garlic
• 2 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• a kilo of pork neck or shoulder bones, cut up
• 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1-3/4 tbsps white vinegar
• 3 tbsps of soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 pouch (115 grams) tomato sauce
• 1 large (50 grams) red bell pepper, seeded & cored, cut into large strips
• 3 tbsps grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 rock salt

Here's how:

Place a non-stick casserole over medium-high fire. Put half of the cooking oil. Heat slightly. Add the potatoes. Cook for 8 minutes or until sides ar lightly brown, stirring often. Remove potatoes. Set aside.

Back to the casserole, pour the rest of cooking oil. Add the garlic and onion. Saute until fragrant. Put pork and pepper. Saute until no longer pink.

Pour the vinegar. Do not mix. Bring to boil. Keep boiling for a minute or until vinegar is very fragrant. Pour the soy sauce, cook for 2 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, red bell pepper and cheese. Cover. Bring to boil. Reduce fire to low, simmer for 30 minutes.

Increase fire to medium, add the potatoes and salt. Mix. Cover again. Cook for another 25 minutes in low fire.

Serve with warm cooked rice.

"Binalot-Style Chicken Adobo"

I wanted to cook "Kalderetang Buto-buto" for dinner but unfortunately I have only chicken in my freezer. Instead, I settled for adobo. I decided to do it Binalot style, with tomatoes and salted eggs.


Good for 3 servings


You'll need:

• 2 pcs chicken thigh attached with backbones, 650 grams, cut into 12 small pcs
• 1/2 head garlic, pounded finely and minced
• 1 very small red onion, minced
• 1-1/4 tsp of ground black pepper
• 3 tbsps soy sauce
• 2-1/3 tbsps native vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 2 salted duck eggs, shelled
• 3 pcs semi-ripe tomatoes, chopped

Here's how:
In a non-stick pan, place the first-six ingredients. Do not mix. Cover. Place over medium-high fire. Bring to boil. (At this stage, do not open the cover until it is boiling. To avoid a foul sour taste in your adobo.) Mix until well-blended. Cover again. Reduce fire to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir again. Continue cooking slowly for another 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a serving bowl, mash the salted eggs. Add in the chopped tomatoes. Mix. Cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove the sauce. Place in a bowl. Leaving the chicken in the pan. Pour oil. Increase fire to medium. Saute for 40 seconds. Put back the sauce. Bring to boil. Keep boiling for roughly 10 seconds.

Serve with rice and bowl of chopped tomatoes and salted eggs.

“Adobong Baboy” (Pork in Savory Sauce)

This dish was Tito Jonathan’s baon last week. He was sailing back to Davao.

You’ll need:

• ½ kg pork belly, cut into ¾” cube
• 2-½ tbsps soy sauce
• 1-½ tbsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp of rock salt
• ½ tsp white sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, finely crushed with some skin
• 1 small native onion, finely minced
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 tsp freshly cracked peppercorns
• ½ tsp whole peppercorns
• 2-3 tbsps of cooking oil

Here’s how:

1. In a thick bottom casserole (use non –stick, if possible), put all ingredients except for the cooking oil. Cover. Over medium-high fire, bring to boil (Do not open cover until it is boiling or vinegar is fragrant). Then, reduce fire to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Mix every 10 minutes.


2. Increase fire to medium, put oil. Stir-fry for about a minute.


3. Serve with hard-boiled eggs, chopped tomatoes & cooked white rice. This dish is also good for lunch baon.

"Chicken Curry"

Technically, the word curry powder is incorrect, it’s a mixture of spices in which is a Western approximation of Indian spice blends and typically contains turmeric, coriander, chilis, cumin, mustard, ginger, fenugreek, garlic, cloves and salt. The spices and herbs in curry powder, almost every one, are known from early times for improving mental functioning.

Curry powder offers a pleasant, easy way to add these vitally important substances to one's diet. If tried on every meal for just a few days, a new clarity of mind may well be noticed, subtle but undeniable. Enthusiasm returns. The handwriting clears up. Details are held in mind. The elusive word turns up easily. Balance may return. The desire to organize and clean returns.

It’s been awhile since I’ve cooked this dish. Jonathan who’s living with us for sometime now, he’s my sister-in-law’s brother, has been craving for the past few days for this. With no idea on my mind what to cook for lunch, I gave in to his request though I’m pretty sure only the two of us will eat this. Any dish with curry is not very popular in our house, specially with my Little One and my mother!!! But my effort is worth it coz according to him it’s a heavenly experience!!! Like he always say, ALELLUIA!!!…… haha!!!

Good for 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs, about 800 grams, coconut (niyog), grated
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 6 cloves garlic, finely crushed
• 2 medium (70 g) red onion, minced
• 850 grams chicken, combination of leg quarters & wings, cut into small serving sizes
• 250 grams potato, cut into chunks
• 1 heapful tsp of curry powder
• 1 tbsp rock salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 chicken cube
• 2 pcs finger chilis (siling haba)
• 1 pc hot chili pepper (labuyo), chopped, add more if you want your dish to be spicy.

Here’s how:

1. In a large bowl, combine first-two ingredients. Using both your hands, mix and press very well for about a minute. Extract the thick coconut milk. Set aside.


2. Using a non-stick wok or traditional kawali, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic until golden brown. Put onion, cook until soft. Add the chicken. Cover. Cook for 5 minutes.


3. Put the potato, curry powder, salt and pepper. Sauté for another 5 minutes or until fragrant. Pour the thick coconut milk and chicken cube. Cover. Bring to boil. Reduce fire to medium heat. Simmer for 25 minutes with occasional stirring to prevent burning. Increase fire to medium-high, put chilis. Let it cook without cover for another 3 minutes.


4. Best with cold cooked rice (bahaw) and slices of pineapple fruit.

"Pork and Tofu in Oyster Sauce"

Tofu is a soft cheese-like food made by curdling soya milk with a coagulant. In the Philippines, it’s called “tokwa”. It is sold in water-filled packs or in aseptic cartons, can be found in supermarkets and natural health food stores.

Tofu is a bland tasting product that easily absorbs the flavors of other ingredients. Often used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. It is an exceptional food, not only because it is highly nutritious but because it can be prepared in such a remarkably wide variety of ways. It is a good source of soy protein and isoflavones, both of which confer promising health benefits. The uses for tofu are limited only by one's imagination.

Try this trick: chill or freeze tofu before use to give it a chewier and meatier texture, making it more absorbent.

Good for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 250-300 grams pork belly (liempo)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp rock salt
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 4 pcs tofu (tokwa)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely crushed
• 1 large (50g) finely minced red onion
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsps finely minced Chinese celery (kinchay) or fresh cilantro (wansuy)
• 2 tbsps MAMA SITA’S oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp SILVER SWAN soy sauce
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour or cornstarch

Here’s how:

1. Wash tofu in running water. Drain well. Cut into four. Fry until light golden brown. Cut each fried tofu into 3 strips. Set aside.


2. While frying the tofu, combine the first-three ingredients in a casserole. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat to low, then, simmer for 20 minutes or until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork. Reserve pork stock. Cut into thin long strips. Set aside.


3. Mix the last three ingredients and pork stock. Set aside.


4. Back to the pan with cooking oil, sauté garlic until golden brown. Add onion, cook until limp. Put pork and pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds. Place Chinese celery, tofu and pork stock mixture. Cook until sauce thickens.


5. Serve over hot cooked rice.