"Bagoong Alamang" (Fermented Tiny Shrimps)

This recipe is the one we see in wet supermarkets, also known as, Salted Tiny Shrimps. Instead of buying it. I made my own from fresh alamang. The husband wouldn't eat bagoong if it is not homemade. That's how picky he is!


Ingredients:

• a kilo of fresh alamang
• 2 tbsps iodized coarse salt
• 6 tbsps white vinegar

Procedure:

Wash the fresh alamang twice with running water. Removing any fish, seashells you see. Using a colander, drain for at least 3 hours.

In a stainless or glass bowl, put the alamang and sprinkle salt. Mix well. Cover with a colander. Stand aside for 24 hours. If possible, put in direct sunlight but make sure that flies would not penetrate the mixture.

After a day, Put the alamang in a wok or kawali. Drizzle over the vinegar. Do not mix at this point. Place over medium-high fire. Bring to boil. Keep boiling for 2 minutes or until very fragrant. Mix well. Reduce fire to low and cook for 30 minutes or until all liquid evaporates. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from pan. Place in a glass container. Let it cool. Cover tightly. Put inside the fridge for future use.

This condiment is used to make dishes salty like Pinakbet, Bicol Express and sometimes in fried rice. The most common cooked with this, is the ever famous Sautee'd Bagoong Alamang.

"Creamy Cheese Spread"

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of cream cheese, slightly thawed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose cream, chilled

Procedure:
Whip together the cream cheese and heavy cream until blended. Put in a glass container. Close tightly. Refrigerate.

For a variety, add finely minced parsley. I would have put some but unfortunately I had none, been looking for several days now for it but can't find any!

You can also use this recipe for dips.

"Buttered Shrimps"

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 650 grams shrimps
• 1/4 tsp iodized fine salt
• 1/2 ground black pepper
• 1 bottle (355ml) clear soda
• 2 pcs finger chilis
• 1 heaping tbsp cornstarch
• 2-3 tbsps water

garlic-vinegar dip:

• a clove of garlic, finely minced
• salt
• 2 tbsps native white vinegar

Procedure:

Cut the long-like antennae of the shrimps. Wash thoroughly. Place the shrimps in a colander while preparing the other ingredients.

Mix well the last-two ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Pound the garlic lightly to expel the skin. Then, finely mince.

In a wok, over medium-high fire, put the oil and butter. When the butter has almost melted, put the the garlic. Saute until aromatic only. Do not brown.

Add the shrimps. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until shrimps are half-done. Pour the clear soda. Dump the finger chilis and cornstarch mixture. Mix well. Cover. Bring to boil. Cook for several seconds or until shrimps have even orange-color. Immediately remove from fire.

Serve with rice and garlic-vinegar dip.

"F1 Whole Chicken, Mashed Potato & Chicken Gravy"

Wondering why is the title had F1 in it? F1 means Formula. Formula means Turbo. This chicken was cooked in Turbo Oven, that's why.... it's my hubby's idea anyway! (",)

Good for 4-6 servings

You'll need:

for the chicken:

• 1 whole chicken, 1.1 kg in weight
• 1 tsp iodized coarse salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
  
• 1 very small red onion, finely minced
  
• 2 tbsps soy sauce
• 1 tbsp banana catsup
• 1 large Philippine lemon (kalamansi)

for the mashed potato:

• 100 grams potato flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1-1/2 cup warm fresh milk
• 1 cup hot water

for the gravy:

• 1 pack chicken gravy powder mix
• 1 cup hot water

Here's how:

Clean chicken. Pat-dry.

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients for the chicken. Mix well. Rub the mixture inside and outside of the chicken. Place in a large plastic. Seal. Refrigerate for 24 hours or more. Turning it every 6 hours.

Place inside the turbo. Grill for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn it over and cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the mashed potato in large bowl. Set aside. Prepare and mix the ingredients for the gravy in a small bowl.

Serve the chicken with rice, mashed potato and chicken gravy.

"Breaded Garlicky Pork Fillet" &" Iceberg Lettuce, Red Cabbage and Cucumber Salad with Caesar Salad Dressing"

Last night's dinner.

Ingredients:

Pork fillet:

• 650 grams pork shoulder (kasim), fillet-cut
• 1 tsp fine iodized salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 3 tsps savor, garlic flavor
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 pc egg
• 2 tbsps of fresh milk or water
• 100 grams japanese or dried bread crumbs

Salad:

• 1 small pc (225 grams) cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 head (250 grams), iceberg lettuce, torn into small pcs
• 1/4 head (100 grams) red cabbage, shredded
• grated cheese for toppings

Dressing:

• 2/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp pickle relish
• 1/2 mustard
• 1 tbsp of fresh milk
• a pinch each of fine salt & white pepper
• a little sugar

Procedure:

Clean the pork. Pat dry with towel. Place in a large bowl. Throw in the next-four ingredients for the pork fillet. Mash and mix. Let it stand for a few minutes.

While doing so... Combine in a small bowl the dressing for the salad. Cover with plastic wrap. Place inside the refrigerator.

Back to the marinated pork, sprinkle the flour. Toss the pork until well-coated. Let it stand for awhile. In a separate bowl. Beat the egg and milk until frothy. Pour over the floured pork. Mix well. Add 1/3 of the breadcrumbs, toss. Then, the other 1/3 of the breadcrumbs and toss again. Put the rest of the breadcrumbs, toss! By this time the pork should be well-coated.

Deep-fry in batches until rich golden brown. Oil should be very hot. Drain in lots of paper towels.

Tip: Do not overcrowd the pan when deep frying so that the temperature of the oil will not drop quickly making the pork absorbs more oil.

I prepare the salad while I'm frying the pork to save time. Just put the lettuce, cabbage and cucumber in a large platter or bowl. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Cover with clingwrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with rice or bread.

"Tortang Talong" (Eggplant Omelet)

There's a bunch of eggplant sitting inside my rerigerator for a few days now. It's starting to dry up. I didn't want it to go to waste so I decided to cook this recipe for our dinner. I know it's kinda weird to have "patis-kalamansi" for the dip. I like it that way instead of the usual catsup. We had also, "Salted Egg and Tomato Salad"

Good for 3 persons.


You'll need:

• 4 pcs large (500-600 grams) eggplant
• 3 pcs eggs
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 tbsps of all purpose flour
• cooking oil for frying

dip:

• kalamansi
• patis
• hot chili pepper (labuyo)

Here's how:

Grill or broil the eggplant. Remove skin and top. Cut and mash the flesh with a fork. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Mix.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Put in the eggplant. Add in the flour. Mix until well blended.

Fry in batches (It's up to you how big or small you want your eggplant omelet to be). Drain in lots of paper towels.


note:
Use a tbsp of oil while frying the first batch, then just add little by little as you go along. Eggplant tends to absorb oil instantly, you don't want your omelet to be soggy and dripping with oil. Besides, it's not healthy too!

"Lolo Pinghoi's Bulalo Soup"

I went to my Little One's school earlier today to get his report card. After that, I went to RFC to do some grocery. My kiddo's grades are good, though, according to his adviser, he's so "makulit" lately! Well, no doubt about it 'coz when the new year began, he has no physical activities whatsoever! He's like that when he's bored and his energy level just keeps going up!! I haven't been able to accompany him to the ice rink to skate and his Kumon also stopped. I was sick because of my left ear. I have the doctor called, "Chronic Otitis Media" and one more which I dont know the name! All I know it has infected the bones of my ear. It's really painful. My sense of balance was affected too. For several days I was just in bed resting.

Back to the grocery store, I bought pork sinigang "bulalo ng baboy" and some stuff we dont have here in the house. This dish is easy to cook, you basically just dumped the ingredients. And the best about this viand, I don't need to nag my kid to eat! He loves radish and the bone marrow "utak sa buto", which he calls "taba". And one more thing about this recipe, I learned this from my Daddy, who also loved to cook.


Good for 2-3 servings.


You'll need:

• 1 pc of pork sinigang, cut up
• rice wash or water
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 1 large, about 250-300 grams of radish, quartered & cut at 3" length
• 1 pc pork cube
• 1 pc chicken cube

for the dipping sauce:

• labuyo
• kalamansi
• fish sauce (patis)

Here's how:

Place the pork in a casserole. Level with rice wash or water. Cover. Place over high heat. Bring to boil (Remove scum as it arises).

Add in the rest of ingredients. Mix. Cover. Bring to boil again. Then, lower fire. Simmer for an hour and 20 minutes.

That's it! Best with rice.... lots of rice (",) and the dipping sauce!

"Easy Green Salad"

For a quick breakfast, I made this ... until now I'm still craving for vegetables .... I mean, luscious green veggies (",).... very yummy!

You'll need:

• 1 small head iceberg lettuce
• a bunch of romaine lettuce
• 1 large plump tomato
• 1 can (432 grams) whole kernel corn, drain well (reserve corn stock for future use or chill, then drink)
• 1/4 cup cheese
• 1 medium carrot
• 3 pcs hard-boiled eggs, cubed
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup catsup

Here's how:

1. Wash all the veggies. Peel the carrot. Remove the top of tomato, then slice thinly.
2. Plunge in ice-cold water the iceberg and romaine lettuce. Let it sit for a minute. Drain very well using a colander. Set aside
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the last-two ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Refrigerate.
4. Back to the green veggies, make sure to wipe off excess water. Tear it into bite-size pieces.
5. In a large bowl place, put the green veggies, tomato, hard-boiled eggs and corn kernels. Grate on top the carrot and cheese. Mix well. Cover with cling wrap. Chill for a little while.
6. Top with dressing... toss lightly. Then, munch on it happily c",)

Good for 4-6 servings