So, I’ve been staying at home for the past six days, nursing a flu (and a cold and a cough). My body finally gave up on me. I haven’t been sick for years now and I thought it can still take all the stress. I’m blaming everything on the weather; 34 degrees C (about 93.2 degrees F) of glorious summer heat practically envelopes the entire Metro Manila. And it’s still getting hotter!

There’s no comfort in being sick especially during the hot season. The rainy season is more merciful; you can easily find pleasure with a bowl of warm soup or a serving of porridge or a cup of hot something. In this weather, they might be a bit hard to appreciate. But, I still wanted my bowl of soup, so, I came down to a decision and gathered all my strength to get up and prepare my favorite comfort food – Ginisang Munggo.

I love Ginisang Munggo. I used to not like it when I was a child for reasons that I don’t remember, then started liking it when I was growing up. Ginisang Munggo is pure pleasure in a bowl. Although technically it’s a soup, most Pinoys would eat it with rice. It’s the perfect partner for your fried dishes, especially fish. Ginisang Munggo is usually served every Friday (if you know why, let me know by leaving a comment below!), but I’d eat it any day of the week anyway!

There are many ways to prepare Ginisang Munggo. If you can buy chicharon with laman (pork cracklings), you can use that instead of rendering raw meat. You can also make it vegan or vegetarian friendly by removing the pork and/or shrimp altogether and use tofu instead. For the leafy ingredient, I personally prefer malunggay (moringa or horseradish tree) because it’s packed with nutrients. The thickness of the soup depends on your desired consistency; just add more water and adjust the seasoning.

Note: If you have a high level of uric acid, this dish may not be for you. I’m looking at you, Larry.

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For our first recipe this year, I decided to share one of my favorite dishes — Adobo Flakes — which is another variation of the popular adobo. This recipe and our version of Adobong Tuyo has a few similarities in flavor. Both dishes exude the distinct aroma and savory of garlic. The big difference is in the texture because Adobo Flakes is shredded.

Another interesting reason why I love this recipe is that you can turn most leftover pork and chicken meat into Adobo Flakes. Your leftover Chicken Tinola or Pork Sinigang can be instantly transformed into this adobo version without the conflicting taste in your mouth. Garlic and vinegar are strong enough to overpower other flavors. Why throw and waste your food if you have ways to save time and money with leftover recipes like this? All you need is a little bit of kitchen prowess and, well,  this recipe.

Adobo Flakes can be served as toppings on rice (or fried rice) or as filling in bread. Add fried egg or salted egg and fresh sliced tomatoes on the side. Prepare it using your weekend leftover food and bring it to your school or office for lunch on Monday. You may now stop wondering how those yummy Adobo Flakes in fancy restaurants are being made. Read on to learn how.

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Let’s take a short break from the food events that have flooded my blog for the past weeks. It’s been a while since I posted a recipe here. But don’t worry, I will find time to post more of the events that I attended soon (I’m crossing my fingers). Writing a food blog is never easy, especially if it’s a recipe blog. It’s not like our family eats gourmet food everyday, you know. Plus the fact that I have to write the recipes and edit the pictures. I always want to make every post special so that you, the readers, would find it enjoyable every time you go to this site. But, yes, it does take time.

Anyway, for today’s recipe, let me give you one of my favorite Chinese dishes that I learned from my Tita — Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables.

Turn your ordinary day into something really special with Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables. Don’t feel intimidated by the list of ingredients on the recipe. This is, in fact, a quick and easy meal, which is what many Chinese dishes are known for. Your senses will be delighted with the combination of the sweetness of fresh vegetables and soothing aroma of ginger roots and soy sauce — very typical of many Asian dishes.

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Warning: the story of the origin of this dish is a tad nasty, but it has to be told. In case you cannot stomach such morbidity, please skip the proceeding paragraphs and go straight to the recipe below.

Okay, you’re still reading this, so I presume you have a huge appetite for adventure or probably you just don’t really care. Either way, I congratulate you for having great tolerance and unwavering courage in discovering the truth behind the everyday food that we greedily devour. Give yourself…er…a pat on the back!

Seriously, Chicken Talunan, as the name suggests, are “supposedly” fighting cocks who have lost their battles during cockfights. Talunan is a Filipino word that literally translates to defeated or in a more demeaning term — loser. In short, the chicken meat used in preparing this dish traditionally comes from cocks who are defeated or who died because of the fight. I don’t really know how cockfights are being played, (and, personally, I’m not a supporter of the game), but I presume the losing cock would go to the winner. That is when the dish Chicken Talunan was born.

That wasn’t much of an icky introduction, was it? Actually, if I’m not mistaken, the same term is also used for defeated horses. But that’s another story altogether.

Anyway, the meat in our Chicken Talunan recipe did not come from the battle ring, thank God. We bought them straight from the supermarket. The way it is prepared is so easy probably because it is meant to be a quick meal to be served immediately during victory celebration after winning the cockfight. In other words, as a pulutan.

The way Chicken Talunan is prepared is like a combination of Adobo and Paksiw, except that it has ginger and the meat is not fried in oil. Right, some Paksiw recipes have ginger, but your argument is still irrelevant. Fast and easy, it is almost a one-step recipe because the ingredients are dumped in all at once.

Try it out yourself at home without learning how to cockfight. I just hope you haven’t lost your appetite yet. Here’s the recipe for Chicken Talunan:

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Filipinos love soups. We enjoy them as it is, or we mix them with our rice to add moist and texture. When I was a kid, I remember eating a bowl of rice overflowing in warm soup of Nilaga or Sinigang – types of pork, beef, or seafood stews. One of my favorite soup dishes is called Misua Bola-bola or Meat ball soup with Misua Noodles, and you can easily prepare this dish at home using today’s recipe.

Misua noodles originated from China which we inherited through its culinary influence in the country.  Unlike rice vermicelli (bihon), which is made from rice, misua is made from wheat flour. These are very thin, white noodles that are very delicate and easily break when raw. You can buy them from your nearest sari-sari store (variety store), public market, or supermarket.

Misua Bola-bola is also known in some parts of the country as Almondigas. Because some recipes of Almondigas use rice vermicelli instead of misua, we will call it Misua Bola-bola to make a distinction. Besides, that how we call it back home in Malabon.

Perfect for rainy days, enjoy a warm bowl of Misua Bola-bola as a main dish, an appetizer, or as an afternoon snack. I still prefer the childish way by mixing it with my rice. It reminds me of the good old days.

I divided the recipe into two parts: the first one is how to prepare the meatballs; the last one is for the soup. Check the recipe below:

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