June 26th, 2008 § § permalink
Tasty. Juicy. Evil. It’s given. Not many foreigners would even get close to this delicacy. It looks safe from the outside, but dangerous on the inside. Who would have thought about boiling an under-developed duck embryo and eat it afterwards? They say this delicacy originated from the Chinese way back the history of the Philippines. It doesn’t really matter. I like balut and I don’t even know why. Would you dare?
June 16th, 2008 § § permalink
One of the popular Filipino chicken dishes is the Afritada, probably next to Tinola. It’s a saucy chicken dish with vegetables, such as potatoes and onions. Onions are added last because we don’t want them to be overly cooked. The mild sweetness of onions and green peas combined with the savory flavor of the rest of the ingredients make Chicken Afritada a popular dish among Filipinos.
INGREDIENTS:
- oil
- 2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium-size red tomatoes, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 kilo chicken, any preferred part, cut into serving size
- salt
- ground pepper
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 3 medium-size onions, cut into cubes.
PROCEDURE:
1. Add oil on a hot skillet over medium heat. Fry the potatoes until almost brown. Set aside.
2. On the same skillet, saute garlic, tomatoes and bell pepper. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken cubes. Cook until half-done turning over occasionally.
3. Add water. Add green peas and potatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add onions. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until all ingredients .
4. Serve with rice.
June 14th, 2008 § § permalink
This is a very basic
adobong baboy or pork adobo. In contrast to my first
Adobong Baboy recipe, this one has the usual thick sauce, although both are addictively delicious. Definitely not for the weight-watchers though. The good thing with adobo is that it has a longer shelf life if kept in the fridge. One of its main ingredients, vinegar, helps in semi-preserving the food which shuns spoilage. Follow the recipe below in two easy steps!
INGREDIENTS:
- oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 kilo pork, cut into cubes
- salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3-4 bay leaves (aka laurel)
- 1/2 tspn peppercorn
PROCEDURE:
1. On a hot skillet over medium heat, add oil. Saute garlic and pork cubes. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste. Cook while stirring occasionally until half-cooked, about 15 minutes.
2. Add water, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf and pepper corn. Do not stir. Turn down the heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until pork is done and sauce has almost dried up. Serve with rice.
TIP 12: According to my Lola, you should not stir the mixture right after adding the vinegar while cooking. This also goes with other vinegar-based food such as Paksiw (a stew in vinegar). The vinegar will not be cooked properly. Hence, the result would be sour and all you can taste is the raw vinegar. Unless if that’s what you prefer. Stir the food a few minutes after it started to simmer. That’s why it’s important to turn the heat down to avoid burning and to make the meat tender.
June 2nd, 2008 § § permalink
I hated vegetables when I was a kid, like ampalaya and okra. I still don’t like it now. Eew. But there are certain vegetables that I like, especially the leafy ones. And also sayote. It’s like green papaya, but softer when cooked it melts in your mouth. And it taste so good, with a touch of sweetness, because it easily absorbs liquid from the broth where it is being cooked. It cooks fast too.
So if you found yourself one night not knowing what to cook for your starving husband when he gets home, just grab a sayote from your backyard, or fridge, and the meal will be ready in two easy steps.
INGREDIENTS:
- oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium-size tomato, chopped
- 1 medium size onion, chopped
- 1/4 kilo ground pork (or beef, or combination)
- salt and pepper
- 2 medium-size sayote, peeled and sliced in about 1 inch length
PROCEDURE:
1. Heat oil on a sauce pan over medium flame. Saute garlic, tomato and onion. When onion is transluscent, add ground pork (or beef). Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until meat is slightly brown.
2. Add water. Add sayote. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until sayote is cooked.
