AMPALAYA GUISADO

Ampalaya is one of my favorite veggies. If it's present in a dish, Ampalaya is the first that I usually eat. It's bitter that's why others don't like it but I love the bitterness of Ampalaya to bits. I can't remember how it became my favorite vegetable but I could remember my father grows Ampalaya in the backyard when I still a kid so we had Ampalaya almost everyday. One of the dishes that I love with this bitter gourd is Ampalaya Guisado. For the recipe of this dish, read on...

You will need:

5     cloves garlic, crushed
2     medium (100 g) onions, chopped
200 g ground pork
1     cup water
1     pouch (200 g) DEL MONTE Tomato Sauce
2     medium (300 g) ampalaya, seeds removed then cut into squares
2     stalks celery, sliced
2     tbsp salted black beans (tausi)
3     squares tokwa, cut into cubes then fried
2     eggs, beaten

Here's how:

1. Saute garlic, onions and pork.
2. Add water, DEL MONTE Tomato Sauce, ampalaya celery and tokwa.
3. Simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add black beans and egg. Simmer once.

PESANG BANGUS

Pesang Bangus is one of my fave dish with Milkfish (Bangus). Aside from the usual paksiw, tinola, or daing na Bangus, Pesang Bangus is something I like cooking when we have Bangus from the market. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp sliced ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 cups water
1 whole medium-size bangus, sliced and washed thoroughly
2 cups sliced cabbage
2 cups sliced petchay tagalog
1 stalk leeks, sliced into 3 pieces
1 8g sachet Maggi Magic Sarap
   patis to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat oil. Saute ginger, garlic and onion until limp.
2. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Add bangus and let boil.
3. When bangus turns white in color (after 5 minutes), add cabbage. Simmer for 1 minute.
4. Add petchay and leeks. Cook for another minute.
5. Season with Maggi Magic Sarap and patis to taste.

CHICKEN MINDANAO

Mga Sangkap:

• 1 piraso Knorr real chicken broth cubes
• 1/4 tasa Tubig, mainit
• Hinati sa apat Manok, hita at dibdib, inalisan ng buto
• 1/2 kutsarita Lady's Choice iodized salt
• 1/8 kutsarita Lady's Choice pepper
• 1 kutsara Toyo
• 1 kutsarita Luya, hiniwa
• 3 piraso Bawang, pinitpit
• 1 tasa Gata ng niyog

Paraan ng pagluluto:

1. Tunawin  ang Knorr real chicken broth cube sa mainit na tubig.
2. Timplahan ang anok ng asin, paminta at tinunaw na Knorr real chicken broth cube.
3. Idagdag ang toyo, luya at bawang at ipahid nang lubusan sa manok.
4. Ilagay ang manok sa baking pan at ibuhos ang gata sa ibabaw bago ihumo sa 350' F nang may 45 minnuto.
5. Palamutian ng Cavandish na saging at Rambutan.

DALAG WITH BAMBOO SHOOTS & YOUNG CORN

Dalag (mudfish) is readily available in my hometown's market and it is what we usually have in the table. Though we usually have Dalag, I am limited to a few dish that I know in preparing it. So this Dalag with Bamboo shoots and young corn is quite interesting to me. Can't wait to go home and prepare this Lasang Pinoy dish! 

Mga Sagkap:

2 kutsara Lady's Choice corn oil
1 kutsarita Bawang, pinitpit
1 piraso Sibuyas, hiniwang maliliit
1 tasa Mais na mura, ginadgad
8 tasa Tubig
2 piraso Knorr real chicken broth cubes
1 malaki Dalag, nilinis at hiniwang panghain
1 tasa Labong
1 tasa Patola, hiniwa
2 tasa Dahon ng saluyot

Paraan ng pagluluto:

1. Initin ang mantika at igisa ang bawang, sibuyas at ginadgad na mais.
2. Lagyan ng tubig at Knorr real chicken broth cubes. Hayaang kumulo hanggang sa lumambot ang mais.
3. Isama ang mga hiniwang dalag at labong. Takpan at lutuin pa ng 10 minuto.
4. Ihalo ang patola at dahon ng saluyot, habang hinahalo nang mahinay para madurog ang mga sangkap.
5. Lutuin pa nang 5 minuto at ihain nang mainit.

TINAPA RICE WITH SALTED EGGS AND TOMATOES

Sometimes there are leftover rice sitting in the freezer. I've tried different ways of cooking leftover rice but this Tinapa Rice with Salted Eggs and Tomatoes is something that I have to try. I must note though to buy Tinapa in advance so when there's leftover rice, I could easily prepare this.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg tinapa or smoked fish
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 5 cups cooked white rice
• pinch of salt
• 2 red eggs, peeled and sliced into eights
• 3 native tomatoes, sliced into eights

Procedure:

1. Peel the smoked fish, remove all the meat from the bones and flake it. Remove any small fish bones left behind.
2. In a large wok, heat the oil and fry the garlic until lightly browned. Add the cooked rice, salt, and pepper and stir together until everything is well-incorporated. Break up any lumps in the rice. Add the smoked fish flakes and stir well. Remove from the heat.
3. To serve, pour the rice into a large serving bowl and top with salted eggs and tomatoes.

NATIVE WEEDS SALAD

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kulasin, chopped roughly
• 1 cup pansit-pansitan
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced thinly
• 2 to 3 cups lettuce
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 medium carrot, grated roughly
• 1 cup haricot vert, (French beans), blanched
• 1 medium onion, sliced into rings

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt and pepper

Here's how:

1. Wash all vegetables well. Drain excess water or pat dry with paper towels.
2. Pinch off leaves from stems of pansit-pansitan and spinach.
3. In a large bowl, toss together all vegetables.
4. Make the dressing: Mix all ingredients until well combined. Drizzle over salad before serving.

CORN HOTDOG MECHADO

You will need:

• 5   cloves garlic, crushed
• 1   medium (50 g) onion, sliced
• 1   medium (50 g) carrot, cut into cubes
• 1   large (200 g) potato, cut into cubes
• 3   tbsp margarine
• 12 pcs hotdog, sliced
• 1   can (432 g) whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cup water
• 1   pouch (250 g) DEL MONTE Sweet Style Spaghetti Sauce.

Here's how:

1. Saute garlic,onion, carrots and potatoes in margarine. Add hotdog, corn with stock, and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Add DEL MONTE Spaghetti Sauce and salt to taste. Simmer for 7 minutes. Serve.