HOW TO COOK ADOBONG BALAT NG BABOY (PORK SKIN ADOBO)

HOW TO COOK ADOBONG BALAT NG BABOY (PORK SKIN ADOBO) -it is another way of cooking adobo in the Philippines. Pork is not cheap in the country so there are many alternative meats used in cooking adobo in the Philippines and pig's skin is just one of those meats. Pig's skin is way cheaper than pork tenderloin or just pure pork. You can buy a kilo for only a 80-100 pesos in the market and you can buy it even cheaper if you go directly to slaughter house. There are many dishes that can be cooked with this meat like sisig, kilawin, chicharon (cracklings) and adobo. Making this dish is not so expensive yet delicious and I think skin is a bit healthier than pure tenderloin but I am not sure about that, it is just my opinion. What I am sure about is that you'll like it. This dish is recommended to mummies who are trying to figure out how to save some money without jeopardizing their meals. Here is the recipe:

HOW TO COOK ADOBONG BALAT NG BABOY (PORK SKIN ADOBO)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 kilo pork skin
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
cooking oil

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Slice the skin into strips.
2. In a pot, pour water. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the skin and simmer for half an hour. Remove from broth and set aside.
4. In a pan, heat oil. Saute garlic until light brown.
5. Add the onion and saute until softens.
6. Add the skin and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add 1/2 cup water or broth, soy sauce and pepper.
8. Simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add the vinegar and simmer for another 3 minutes.
10. Transfer in a serving dish and serve with rice.

HOW TO COOK ADOBONG BALAT NG BABOY (PORK SKIN ADOBO)

HOW TO COOK GINISANG MAIS WITH AMPALAYA

HOW TO COOK GINISANG MAIS WITH AMPALAYA -Ginisang mais is another sauteed dish in the Philippines. This is one of my favorite vegetable dishes. I like its taste because when I eat it, I can taste that it's like milky or something creamy is included in the ingredients. It is very Filipino because the main ingredients here are some of the main agricultural products of the Philippines. We are going to need "sahog" for this one but you can choose whatever you want as long as It is not going to ruin your ginisang mais. One of the common sahog used is dried shrimp or you can simply use tinapa flakes. In making this dish, you will need corn kernels. You can buy it in the market and ask them to grind it for you or you can slice off the kernels from the corn ear, it is easy to do but a bit messy. Here is the recipe:

HOW TO COOK GINISANG MAIS WITH AMPALAYA

INGREDIENTS
3 cups ground corn kernels
2 cups ampalaya leaves
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
3 cups water (or more)
1 teaspoon salt
a pinch of MSG
1 cup dried shrimps
cooking oil

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. In a deep pan, heat oil. Add garlic and saute until light brown.
2. Add the onion and saute until soft.
3. Add the kernels and saute for 1 minute.
4. add the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the soup becomes gooey.
5. Add the salt, dried shrimp, MSG and ampalaya leaves.
6. simmer for additional 3 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

HOW TO COOK GINISANG MAIS WITH AMPALAYA

HOW TO COOK ADOBONG PAA NG MANOK

HOW TO COOK ADOBONG PAA NG MANOK -eating chicken feet is part of the Filipino culture. Adobong paa ng manok is a tagalog term for chicken feet adobo. Chicken is very abundant in the Philippines in fact the Pinoys have our own native chickens but it is not the usual ones we are going to use for this dish but the broiler's or cobb vantress' because it is more fleshy than the native ones and easier to find in the poultry and meat section of the markets. Philippines is not the only country who make dishes out of chicken feet like South Korea for instance. Many food shops and food carts in the country offer this kind of dish, in fact, when the sun is setting, street vendors start to come to the downtown area with their carts and grills offering various street foods and Chicken barbecue is one of those. Cooking adobong paa ng manok is not that hard to do and I can say it is one of the easiest dishes to cook. I would like to say that it could be gross if the preparation is not right so make sure the nails and scales  are removed. Here is the easy recipe:


HOW TO COOK ADOBONG PAA NG MANOK

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo chicken feet
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
2 thumb-size ginger (thinly sliced)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup water
3 pieces red hot chili (optional)
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
cooking oil

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the chicken feet by removing its nails and scales. The ones sold in the meat section is already clean from scales but still have nails.
2. In a deep pan, heat oil. Saute garlic until light brown, add onion and saute until soft.
3. Add the chicken feet and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the water and ginger and simmer until the water ran dry.
5. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and chili. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
6. Remove from heat and transfer in serving dish.
7. Serve with rice and enjoy!

HOW TO COOK ADOBONG PAA NG MANOK

HOW TO COOK GINATAANG TILAPIA

HOW TO COOK GINATAANG TILAPIA -Tilapia is one of the most famous fish in the Philippines. it is very easy to find in the country and in fact you can find it in almost every wet market in the Philippines. Ginataan is one of the usual dish cooked with tilapia because coconut is very abundant in the country and as abundant as tilapia. Ginataan is a Tagalog term for any dish cooked with coconut milk. Coconut and tilapia are not expensive so it is not very expensive to cook. There are many versions of this dish, one of these is the one very similar to bicol express which is super hot because it has tons of chili in it. Here is a simple but delicious Ginataang Tilapia recipe:

HOW TO COOK GINATAANG TILAPIA

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo tilapia
1 cup pure coconut
1/2 cup pure coconut milk combined with 1 cup water
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
2 finger-size ginger (minced)
6 pieces green chili (siling panigang)
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bundle bokchoy
cooking oil

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the tilapia by removing its gills, innards and scales. You can ask the store keeper to clean it for you. Wash thoroughly to remove slimy odor and substance.
2. In a pot, heat oil. Fry the tilapia half cooked. Set aside.
3. In the same pot, saute garlic until light brown. Add the onion and saute until transparent.
4. Add the salt, pepper and ginger then pour coconut milk and water mixture. bring to a boil.
5. Add the tilapia, green chili and bokchoy, simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the pure coconut milk and simmer for additional 5 minutes or until the bokchoy is cooked.
7. serve with hot rice and enjoy!

HOW TO COOK GINATAANG TILAPIA

HOW TO COOK GINISANG AMPALAYA WITH EGG

HOW TO COOK GINISANG AMPALAYA WITH EGG -Ampalaya or bitter gourd is a very abundant vegetable in the Philippines. There are many dishes cooked with ampalaya and most of those dishes are sauteed. Pinakbet is one example of dish with ampalaya which is very popular in the country most especially in the Ilocos region in the Northern part of the country. Ginisang ampalaya also has many variations like sauteed with pork, or chicken -these dishes are very common but what we are going to cook this time is sauteed bitter gourd with egg or ginisang ampalaya with itlog. In this recipe, we are going to need not so many ingredients and those ingredients are very easy to find in the market. If you are in a country where bitter gourd is not so easy to find, you can replace the bitter gourd with chayote or papaya because these vegetables are also good to cook using our recipe here. I would like to advice you that if you are going to use a bit mature ampalaya, you should cut it lengthwise then remove the seeds or you can do the same even you are using the young ones. Here is the recipe:

HOW TO COOK GINISANG AMPALAYA WITH EGG

INGREDIENTS
1/2 kilo long bitter gourd (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoon rock salt (for preparing the ampalaya)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
4 eggs (whisked)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
MSG or vetsin (optional)
cooking oil

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine ampalaya with salt. Mix thoroughly for 10 minutes, this process will remove the bitter taste of ampalaya.
2. Rinse with water three times.
3. In a skillet, heat oil. Saute garlic until color turned light brown.
4. Add the onion and saute until turned transparent.
5. Add the ampalaya and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add the salt and water, simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the ampalaya is cooked. Add water if necessary. This time you can add the MSG if you want to use some.
8. Add the eggs and stir. Cooking is done when the eggs become solid.
9. And serve.

HOW TO COOK GINISANG AMPALAYA WITH EGG

HOW TO COOK GINISANG UPO (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK GINISANG UPO (RECIPE) -Upo or bottle gourd is a very abundant vegetable in the Philippines. Many dishes are cooked with upo in the country like pesang isda with upo, sinibak na upo, etc. But Ginisa is the very famous and it has many ways to cook. In english, this dish is called sauteed bottle gourd which is literally means sauteed in onions and garlic with additional ingredients to boost the texture and flavor like pork or fish. Shrimp and sardines are also used. Bottle gourd may not be available in your country but if you want to try this recipe, you can replace upo with chayote or young papaya. In this recipe I am going to share with you, we are going to use Tinapa flakes or you can use any fried fish flakes as replacement. If you are into eating tuna flakes, it is also good to use canned tuna just use the plain flakes and oil. Very popular version of this dish is the one with tomatoes but some people do not like the idea of combining the taste of Upo and tomatoes so in this recipe, we are going to use pepper corn instead of tomatoes to make it a bit unique but delicious. Here is the Ginisang Upo Recipe:

HOW TO COOK GINISANG UPO (RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS
1 upo (about 1 kilo)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium size red onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn (ground)
2 cups deboned tinapa flakes (smoked fish)
cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt (or more depending on your taste)
1/2 cup water
MSG (optional)

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the upo well before peeling. Peel and thinly slice.
2. In a skillet, heat oil, saute garlic and onion until light brown.
3. Add the sliced upo and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add water, pepper and salt, cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the tinapa flakes and MSG, mix a little and continue simmering for 3 minutes.
6. And serve with rice.

HOW TO COOK GINISANG UPO (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK FILIPINO STYLE PORK BARBECUE

HOW TO COOK FILIPINO STYLE PORK BARBECUE -Barbecue is not an original Filipino food but since the Philippines is partly influenced by Western culture, barbecue has become one of the dishes commonly prepared and served in the Philippines not only in the fancy restaurants but also in many small food shops and food carts. This delicious dish is always present in the table whenever there is an occasion like birthdays, baptismal, weddings and even family reunions. There are many versions of barbecue cooked in the Philippines like the bistek style barbecue, sisig style barbecue but the most common of them is the Filipino style. To me, this one is the best because it gives me sweet, sour and salty tastes with a little hotness just right making it good for the kids. In this recipe I am about to share with you requires calamansi but if you don't have calamansi you can replace it with lemon or orange. Also we are going to use soda pop like Sprite or 7up. You can use your favorite soda pop like for example you want to use Mountain dew. Here is the recipe:

HOW TO COOK FILIPINO STYLE PORK BARBECUE

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs pork loin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup soda pop
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoon calamansi extract
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 red onion (minced)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoon banana ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Barbecue sticks
grill

STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine together all marinade ingredients. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
2. Cut the pork into thin strips good enough to skewer.
3. Add the pork into the bowl and marinate for 4 hours.
4. Skewer the pork using bamboo stick skewer.
5. In a charcoal grill, grill the pork for 15 minutes. Spread pork with marinade using a clean barbecue brush from time to time.
6. Do the grilling process for the rest of the pork.
7. And serve with red wine.

HOW TO COOK FILIPINO STYLE PORK BARBECUE

HOW TO MAKE BELEKOY (RECIPE)

                                image source: 365greatpinoystuff.wordpress.com
HOW TO MAKE BELEKOY (RECIPE) -Belekoy is a very popular sweet Filipino dessert in the Philippines. This pastry is made primarily of flour and sugar commonly coated with sesame seeds. I am not sure but i think this sweet food originated in Bulacan province where pastries and cracklings industry is booming. There are many pastry stores and shops in the country where you can find Belekoy but the most common place to find this delicious dessert is the bus, yes, you hear me. Many street vendors ride buses to offer their products like cold water, nuts, burgers, cracklings and candies. One of these products is Belekoy. This soft candy is not expensive at all, in fact, you can buy a small pack for only 20 pesos. What I am going to share with you is a fruit-flavored version of this candy. It is not the original one but you can still have the taste of the original flavor that this candy has to offer. Here is the Belekoy recipe:

HOW TO MAKE BELEKOY (RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS
3 cups glutinous rice flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 litro pack instant apple juice powder
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla syrup
4 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)

STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Put a skillet over low heat, put the rice flour and toast while mixing until the color turned light brown. Do the process for sesame seeds.
2. In a pot, pour water and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and juice powder and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the vanilla and toasted rice flour and cook until the mixture becomes thick and solid enough while folding.
4. Remove from heat and let cool down.
5. Cut the cooked mixture into desired shape.
6. On a very clean board, scatter sesame seeds.
7. Roll the belekoys over the sesame seeds until coated.
8. Wrap the belekoys with cellophane.
9. Good for kids as baon.

HOW TO MAKE BELEKOY (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE PATUPAT

HOW TO MAKE PATUPAT -this dish is a Filipino delicacy made from glutinous rice wrapped in banana or coconut leaves. It is very traditional because Patupat is always present in most Filipino homes during occasions like birthdays and Christmas. In the Philippines, All Souls' Day is not complete without this dish. Patupat is very popular in Ilocos and Kapampangan regions in the country where sugarcane and glutinous rice are the main agricultural products. This dish is very easy to make. You will only need 3-4 ingredients. Glutinous rice is the main ingredient of patupat. Sweetener for this food has many options like sugarcane extract, brown sugar and sinuklob. Patupat is very similar to Suman but the difference is that Suman is not as sweet as Patupat and also, brown sugar or sinuklob is not used in making Suman, unless you want to dip your suman in it. You can even tell which is which by just looking at their appearances. Suman is shaped like a bar or log and Patupat is shaped like a cone. There are many households in the country that have a hard time getting fresh coconut milk, so instead of using it, they use heavy cream as a replacement. Here is the easy Patupat recipe:

HOW TO MAKE PATUPAT

INGREDIENTS
1/2 kilo glutinous rice
2 cups coconut extract
8 tablespoon brown sugar

for wrapping (not meant to be eaten)
banana leaves, cut into 1/2 x 1 ft rectangles
culinary string

WRAPPER INSTRUCTION
Wash the banana leaves carefully. Singe the banana leaves in fire for few seconds but do not burn it. It is needed to avoid the leaves from tearing.

STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, pour water. Soak the glutinous rice not less than 3 hours.
2. In a rice cooker, cook rice with coconut milk and sugar. When the coconut is absorbed by the rice, remove from heat.
3. Using a plastic cup, scoop glutinous rice, 1/2 cup at a time and wrap it with banana leaves. Form and shape it like a cone.
4. Tie both ends with string to secure it.
5. Using a steamer, steam the cones for an hour.
6. Remove from heat and cool down.
7. Serve with hot or cold drinks.

HOW TO MAKE PATUPAT

HOW TO MAKE BURONG MUSTASA

HOW TO MAKE BURONG MUSTASA -Mustard Green or Mustasa in Filipino is a leafy vegetable commonly used in making vegatable salad and stews. This vegetable is very abundant in the Philippines especially during the months of October and November. There is almost endless possibilities for this vegetable to be cooked and prepared. One of these dishes is Burong Mustasa or Pickled Mustard Green. This dish is very similar to Burong Mangga and Kimchee of the Koreans. This dish is very easy to make but requires longer time for the preparation because the fermentation process is needed. The ingredients for Burong Mustasa are not hard to find, in fact, you will only need four but container jar is needed for the fermentation process. Here is the recipe.

HOW TO MAKE BURONG MUSTASA

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo raw Mustard Green (Mustasa)
2 cups cooked rice
6 cups water
salt
4-5 jars with cap or lid

STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the mustard with running water. Expose the Mustard in an open sunlight for the whole day.
2. In a pot, boil 6 cups water. Add the rice and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring.
3. Using a colander, separate the liquid from the rice. Set aside to cool down.
4. Clean the jars thoroughly.
5. Fill the jars with Mustard. Add 1 table of salt for every jar.
6. Fill the jars with rice water. Put the lid and seal.
7. Store the jars in a cool and dry place for 5 days.
8. Best serve with fried fish.

HOW TO MAKE BURONG MUSTASA

HOW TO COOK CALLOS (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK CALLOS (RECIPE) -Callos is a traditional stew dish in the Philippines made of beef tripe. This dish originated in Spain but as what the history tells us, Philippines used to be a colony of Spain for 300 years and that made some of the cultures of Spain adopted by the Filipinos. Callos is just one of those cultures. The common ingredients used in making Callos are beef tripe, chickepeas, bell pepper and chorizo. This dish could smell bad but there is a way to remove bad smell, this requires boiling the meat in a lemon and water mixture several times or if you do not have lemons, you can substitute it with calamansi or the more traditional guava leaves. If you are not into eating beef tripe, then you replace it with just pork tenderloin. You can also replace chickpeas with mungbean sprout if you can't find it in your local supermarket. Here is the recipe:

                                image source: sweetkalamansi.blogspot.com


HOW TO COOK CALLOS (RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo beef tripe
1 beef foot (chopped into serving pieces)
2 small pieces lemon (or 6 pieces calamansi, 20 leaves of guava)
1 red onion (minced)
8 cloves garlic (minced)
5 green chili
1 red bell pepper (cut into strips)
1 1/2 green peas
1 1/2 cup chickpeas
1 cup dark/black olives
3 cups thick tomato sauce
2 pieces chorizo (cut into halves)
oil
salt to taste

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the meats by washing beef tripe and foot thoroughly with running water.
2. In a pot, pour water enough to cover the meat. Add lemon extract or calamansi.
3. Bring to a boil, drop the meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Repeat several times until the smell is no longer bad and until the meat is tender. Remove the meat and set aside both meat and stock.
4. In a skillet, heat oil. Saute garlic and onion.
5. Add chili and bell pepper. Saute for 3 minutes.
6. Add chorizo and and stir fry until almost cooked.
7. Add chopped foot and tripe and continue stir-frying for 5 minutes.
8. Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer until all the vegetables are cooked.
10. Transfer in serving plates and serve.

HOW TO COOK CALLOS (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK PANCIT ESTACION (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK PANCIT ESTACION (RECIPE) -this dish is originated in the town of Tanza, province of Cavite somewhere in southern part of the main Island of Luzon in the Philippines. Although this dish is not made of noodles which is commonly used in making pancit, it is still called pancit because the main ingredients used which is the togue looks like some sort of noodles and also the sauce used is very similar to the one used in making palabok. The name Estacion is a Spanish term for Station. It is believed that this dish was first sold in a train station in Cavite so that is why it is named that way. Pancit Estacion is one of the famous products of Cavite and many tourists do not miss the chance of eating it whenever they visit the province. Many food shops and food carts sell this dish for very low prices and many variations are offered in many restaurants not only in Cavite but also in greater Manila area. Here is the recipe:

HOW TO COOK PANCIT ESTACION (RECIPE)

Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups crushed roasted peanut
2 cups crushed pork cracklings
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 onions (minced)
2 cups water
2 cups fried fish flakes
1 kilo mungbean sprout (togue)
fish sauce to taste
2 tablespoon achuete (soaked in 1 cup water)
2 cups flour (dissolved in 4 cups water
3 eggs whisked
15 pieces kamias (cut crosswise thinly)
cooking oil


1. In a skillet, saute garlic and onion until light brown.
2. Add 2 cups water, flour mixture, achuete water, fish sauce and eggs. Stir thoroughly until thickens.
3. In a pot, boil water. Add togue and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove the togue from the water and transfer in individual serving plates.
5. Pour sauce over the togue. Garnish with crushed peanut, cracklings, fried fish flakes, and kamias.
6. Serve and enjoy!

HOW TO COOK PANCIT ESTACION (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK SINANGLAW (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK SINANGLAW (RECIPE) -this is a native dish in Ilocos region in the Philippines. It is made of beef innards and sometimes with cow's face and ears. This dish is similar to pinapaitan because they both have innards and bile extract in the ingredients. Sinanglaw is commonly cooked as hot and spicy soup that is why this dish is one of the best sellers during rainy reason and also during the months of November to February because those months are the coldest season in the Philippines. Not all the markets sell innards so if you are having a hard time searching for it in your town, do not worry because you can replace the innards with just your favorite meat. And also if you can not find bile extract, you can use bitter gourd. Sinanglaw is also cooked as sour soup and the good news here is that you can use almost any sour ingredients like, kamias, tamarind fruit or tamarind leaves, vinegar, etc. If you are a traveler and happen to visit the norther part of the country, Sinanglaw is very abundant that you can have it in any local eateries. If you do not eat blood like myself, I would like to advise you to ask the waiters if the sinanglaw they serve has blood in it. It is better to ask because sometimes it is hard to distinguish the blood from liver. Here is the recipe:

HOW TO COOK SINANGLAW (RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 kilo cow innards (chopped into small cubes)
2 tablespoon bile extract (or 1 cup chopped bitter gourd)
1 thumb-size ginger (thinly sliced)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium size onion (thinly sliced)
5 pieces kamias, sliced (or 3/4 cup white vinegar)
cooking oil
5 pieces green chili (siling panigang)
salt to taste

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE AND DIRECTIONS
1. In a pot, boil water. Add the innards. Simmer for half an hour or longer depending on how tender the meat is. Remove the scum when boiling.
2. Separate the innards from broth and set aside.
3. In a skillet, heat oil. Saute ginger, onion and garlic.
4. Add the innards and bile extract and saute for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the broth (or 6 cups of water if you don't want to use the broth) and simmer for half an hour then add the vinegar, salt and green chili. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
6. When simmering, the fats and cholesterol will emerge. Scoop them because those are not healthy to eat.
7. Remove from heat, transfer in the serving bowls and serve while hot.

HOW TO COOK SINANGLAW (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK ESTOFADO (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK ESTOFADO (RECIPE) -Stofado is a Filipino dish made of pork that has many variations. The most common is the sweet and chewy one. The meat is cooked with soy sauce and sugar but not necessarily cooked the way the adobo is. In the Philippines, this dish is commonly served as appetizer but can be the main course served with rice. Some versions use plantain banana for the ingredients to add sweetness to the dish. Estofado originated in Spain but since the Philippines was a colony of Spain for 300 years, this dish has evolved into many variations that it has even become traditional because this dish is always present whenever there are occasions in the country like weddings, baptismal, birthdays and family reunions. To me, this dish is like a combination of Patatim, Pochero and adobo and I could taste the three dishes when I am eating Estofado. I would not recommend this dish to anyone who has high blood pressure though because this dish is too fatty for them, we do not want anyone to end up in the hospital after eating it. In this recipe I am going to share with you, we are going to use pork fats but you can replace it. Here is the recipe:

                               image source: wikipedia.org


HOW TO COOK ESTOFADO (RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS FOR ESTOFADO
1/2 kilo pork fats with skin (sliced into strips)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoon vinegar
6 cloves garlic (minced)
4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large size red onion (sliced thinly)
8 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 cup pimiento (cut into thin strips)
5 plantain banana or saba (cut into halves and fried)
cooking oil

STEP BY STEP COOKING PROCEDURE
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine together all the ingredients except oil, tomato sauce, pimiento and plantain banana.
2. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Cover the bowl, refrigerate and marinade for 3 hours.
4. Remove the pork from marinade and set aside.
5. In a frying pan, heat oil. Fry the pork until browned.
6. Remove the excess oil from the pan. Pour marinade.
7. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. When boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Add tomato sauce and pimiento and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
9. Transfer to serving dish and serve with fried plantain banana.

HOW TO COOK ESTOFADO (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE HAMONADO (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE HAMONADO (RECIPE) -Hamonado is a traditional dish in the Philippines that is always cooked during christmas and new year. This food is made of pork or roasted pig which is processed to be more like Ham. Hamonado is the best alternative for ham when you feel like you do not want ham. One of the few differences between ham and hamonado is that ham is a bit more salty than this dish. And also hamonado is added with ingredients for it to be become a little sweet and sour like pineapple and calamansi extract. Basically, this dish is marinated in a mixture of pineapple juice and calamansi but what we are going to do using my recipe is we are going to use lemon extract instead of the traditional calamansi extract because lemon is more abundant globally than calamansi. But I think any citrus fruit will do as long as it possesses the taste we need for this dish. Making Hamonado is very simple and easier than you think but it will require more time and a bit of patience because this dish requires curing. This time we also need to fry the pork to keep the taste of marinade in the pork. There are many ways to make Hamonado like baking it together with the sweet and sour ingredients but I find that curing, frying and simmering it is the best. To me, this food is way better than ham, maybe it is because I like sweet and sour food like this one or maybe it is just easier for me to make Hamonda than making ham. You can adjust the amount of the ingredients in my recipe to suit your taste or you can replace some of it with your preferred ones but if you are going to experiment first, I would like to advise you to just experiment using small amount of the whole ingredients because you would not be so sure if you would like the outcome of you experiment. Here is the recipe for Hamonado:

                                image source: muntingtinigngpateros.blogspot.com

HOW TO MAKE HAMONADO (RECIPE)

Prep Time:
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 7 servings

INGREDIENTS FOR HAMONADO
3/4 kilo pork tenderloin
2 cups pineapple chunks
2 cups pineapple juice
5 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup lemon extract
4 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
cooking oil
freshly ground pepper to taste
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS AND PROCEDURE ON MAKING HAMONADO
1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except pineapple chunks and cooking oil. Mix until sugar and salt are dissolved.
2. Cover the bowl and marinade the pork overnight in a fridge.
3. Remove the pork from the marinade. Set the marinade aside.
4. In a skillet, heat oil. Fry the pork until cooked or browned.
5. Pour the marinade, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the pineapple chunks and continue simmer for another 5 minutes or until the marinade sauce thickens.
7. Remove from heat, slice into 7 parts.
8. Transfer in serving plates and serve with red wine.

HOW TO MAKE HAMONADO (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE MYEOLCHI BOKKEUM (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE MYEOLCHI BOKKEUM (RECIPE) -Myeolchi Bokkeum is large amount to preserve so that this dish is always available and ready the time they are having their meals. Sometimes this dish  is kept in a fridge for a long time that it can even stay good for weeks even month. The secret to making Myeolchi Bokkeum to preserve is the saltiness. Its taste is good even it is salty because the sweetness of this dish compliments the saltiness. Another good thing about this food is that it can be served without the need for reheating. In tropical countries, this side dish is good for lunch because it gives refreshment when it is eaten right out of fridge. What I am going to share with you is the simple and easy way to make Myeolchi Bokkeum.

                                image source: wikipedia.org
HOW TO MAKE MYEOLCHI BOKKEUM (RECIPE)

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups anchovies (dried)
1 tablespoon oil
1 small size bell pepper (cut into strips)

3 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted)

Preparation and procedure:
1. In a pan, heat oil, saute anchovies and bell pepper.
2. In a saucepan, combine together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice wine and sesame seeds. Stir and bring to a boil slowly.
3. In the pan, combine together the sauce and anchovy mixture and saute for 3 minutes.
4. Let rest and cool down. Transfer in a container and refrigerate.

HOW TO MAKE MYEOLCHI BOKKEUM (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE BURONG MANGGA

HOW TO MAKE BURONG MANGGA -this is a very popular condiment in the Philippines that is made of unripe mangoes. Mango is very abundant in the Philippines especially during summer time. Its name is derived from two Filipino terms, 'buro' which means fermented and 'mangga' which is a tagalog name for mango. Making this dish requires the process of fermentation only this time, we are not going to make beer but a condiment which is good to combine with fried fish. Burong Mangga is very similar to pickled stuff and to me, I would prefer to call it pickled mango. In the main Island of Luzon in the Philippines, this condiment is very abundant that you can even find it in the grocery stores and supermarket sold in jars and bottles. Making this condiment is very easy but will require longer period of time for pickling process. Not all kinds of mango are used for burong mangga but the one called 'kinalabaw' and the Philippine native mango which is a smaller kind of Kinalabaw. Take note that we need only the unripe ones and it is a lot better if we use the younger mango which the fiber coating of seed is not yet developed. This recipe I am going to share with you is very easy that it only requires 3 ingredients -mango, salt and water. But of course we will need jars with lid for storage because we do not want our Burong Mangga to catch some unwanted microorganisms that can ruin our Buro. Here is the recipe:

                               image source: myfoodscenes.wordpress.com


HOW TO MAKE BURONG MANGGA

INGREDIENTS
12 pieces unripe mangoes
1/2 cup rock salt
4 cups water

PICKLING PROCEDURE
1. Prepare the mangoes by washing and peeling.
2. Cut the mangoes into halves, then cut the halves into sticks.
3. In a pot, boil water and salt not longer than 5 minutes. Set aside and cool down.
4. Put the mango sticks in 4 clean jars.
5. Pour water and salt solution in the jars. Place the lid and seal.
6. Put the jars in a cool and dry place and let it stay for 3 days.
7. To preserve, store the jars of Burong Mangga in the fridge.

 HOW TO MAKE BURONG MANGGA

HOW TO COOK BULDAK (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK BULDAK (RECIPE) -Buldak is a Korean chicken dish that has become popular for its hot and spicy taste. Many young people like this dish especially to those Soju lovers because this dish is very good to accompany alcoholic beverages. Its name derived from the Korean term 'Buk' that literally means 'fire' in English and the term 'Dak' is for the chicken. It is really like fire chicken because from the very first bite, you'll feel the very hot and spicy character of this dish. The industry for this dish is rapidly growing because this dish is not old as Kimchi but has earned its very good reputation. Many restaurants and food carts are serving this dish because they find this Buldak thing as a considerable contributor to their growing sales. Soup and stews are served with this dish to suit the taste of the customers. Many restaurants offer many kinds of combo dishes to choose from which the Buldak is the main dish. Almost any part of chicken are used in making this dish. The most common part used is breast and drumstick. Wing is also abundantly used depending on how much per serving the Buldak is offered. Also, many variations of sauce are offered in the market, from super hot and spicy to sweet and sour that kids always love. To me, Buldak is similar to chicken barbecue only this dish is always served with the touch of hot chili from many degrees of hotness. In Korea this days, you can barely find bars that do not offer this dish. Here is the recipe:

                               image source: wikipedia.org


HOW TO COOK BULDAK (RECIPE)

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
3 small chicken breasts (cut in halves)
cooking oil

For the marinade
3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure honey
2 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 bundle spring onions
2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
sesame oil

For the sauce
3 tablespoon hot chili powder
2 jalapenos
1/2 cup Asian pear
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
3 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon pure honey

Preparation and Cooking procedure:
1. Prepare the chicken by washing through running water.
2. In a bowl, combine together the ingredients for the marinade.
3. Marinade the chicken for 1 hour.
4. In a pan, pour cooking oil. Fry the chicken until golden brown.
5. In a blender, combine together all the remaining ingredients including the marinade. Puree the mixture.
6. In the same pan, combine together all the ingredients and cook for another 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
7. Transfer in a serving plate and serve with rice or beer.

HOW TO COOK BULDAK (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK JEONBOKJUK (RECIPE)

HOW TO COOK JEONBOKJUK (RECIPE) -Jeonbokjuk is a very thick rice porridge from Korea. It is very similar to Jook of China only Jeonbokjuk is way thicker which is more like risotto. There are many rice porridge in Asia that I put in my favorites list and one of them is this Jeonbokjuk porridge. There are many kinds of ingredients used in this dish. From simple carrots to cilantro, green onions to black pepper. Many street food carts and food shops in Korea offer this dish. We know that many street food carts roam in downtown Seol and most of them serve Jeonbokjuk. I would like to share with you this recipe because the winter is coming and one of the best dishes to eat during winter is this food. It can warm you up especially when you ate the hot and spicy version. But what I am going to share with you is the simple yet delicious version. It is not that spicy so everyone would love it even the small kids but if you want a hot and spicy one, there is no problem at all, just add chili powder or freshly ground pepper to the recipe. We are going to add Laver but this is just optional. You can remove it from the ingredients according to your preference. Here is the recipe.

                                image source: wikipedia.org


HOW TO COOK JEONBOKJUK (RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup glutinous rice
3 small abalone (chopped)
3 teaspoon sesame oil
8 cups water
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce (patis)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
5 stalks spring onions (chopped)
4 tablespoon minced carrots
1 bundle cilantro (chopped)
1 pc laver (roasted)

Preparation and cooking procedure
1. In a bowl, wash the glutinous rice and soak up in the water for 1 1/2 hours. Drain after.
2. In a pot, add sesame oil. Add garlic and minced until light brown.
3. Add carrots and abalone. Saute for half a minute.
4. Add the rice and saute. Stir until the rice is almost translucent.
5. Add the water, close the lid, bring to boil and simmer for half an hour. Stir from time to time to keep it from burning at the bottom.
6. When almost cooked, lower the heat. Add the fish sauce and salt. Stir so that the salt and fish sauce mix perfectly with the rice.
7. Pour in the individual serving bowls and garnish with spring onions, cilantro roasted laver sheet.
8. And serve while hot.

HOW TO COOK JEONBOKJUK (RECIPE)

HOW TO MAKE SOJU

HOW TO MAKE SOJU -Soju I think is the most popular wine in Korea. It is very abundant that you can find it from almost every food carts in the city of Seoul. I am not a drinker but I could observe that when the sun sets in the evening, many Koreans are gathering all around the downtown eating some food and drinking Soju. Brewing your own Soju is advisable because you can have the power of controlling the amount of alcohol and sugar content of your Soju according to your personal preferences. Making Soju is not that hard. All it takes is only  less than a month for the wine to be brewed completely. There are few things to remember when making Soju: First, when brewing, make sure the content is undisturbed to guarantee its higher alcohol content. Secondly, you can adjust the amount of sugar if you want to make it a bit sweeter than usual. Thirdly, you can add water to the finished product if you want to lower its alcohol content. Lastly, check for gas build-up in the container, if this happens, lightly open the lid to release the pressure. Here is the procedure:

                              

HOW TO MAKE SOJU

INGREDIENTS
water (cold)
1/2 cup Nuruk enzyme
1 regular pack beer yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups rice

Preparation and procedure for brewing Soju
1. In a colander, put the rice and wash thoroughly with running water.
2. Transfer in a bowl and add the cold water. Soak for an hour.
3. Using rice steamer, steam the rice for an hour. Remove from steamer and let rest for 6 minutes.
4. Put the rice in a container with sealable cap. Add 4 cups of cold water, Nuruk enzyme and yeast.
5. Stir perfectly to dissolve yeast and nuruk enzyme. Put the cap and seal.
6. During the first 5 days, stir the mixture two times each day and put back the cap and reseal.
7. After the first five days, make sure the mixture is undisturbed until the last day of brewing.
8. After 25 days of brewing, the mixture is ready to be filtered.
9. Using a cheesecloth, filter the mixture to separate the wine from the rice.
10. Add sugar to the wine and stir until the sugar is perfectly dissolved.
11. And serve.

HOW TO MAKE SOJU