Salmon head sinigang with miso

My wife and I can eat Sinigang daily or even a week. Sinigang is a Filipino stew characterized by its sour flavor most often associated with tamarind as its base. This dish is perfect for the rainy season to keep our body warm and active. There are many varieties of soup base for Sinigang, you can use guava, kamias, calamansi or any sour fruit and vegetable that you want as your base. It usually comes with vegetables like  kangkong (water spinach), radish and sitaw (long bean). You can cook this using beef, pork, chicken, fish and shrimp. I always cook this dish once or twice a week. I hope that you can try this one at home.

 Ingredients

1 kilo salmon head (chopped)

100 grams miso paste

3 tbsp pure tamarind paste or 20 grams "Sinigang Mix"

3 tsp oil

1 red onion (julienned)

2 cloves garlic (crushed)

3 pcs tomato (quartered)

3-4 pcs long green chilis

 1 bunch water spinach (kangkong)

800 ml water

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat oil then saute garlic together with the miso paste. 
2. Add water, onion, and tomato. Wait to boil. 
3. Put the tamarind paste or "Sinigang Mix". Add more water depending on your preferred level of sourness.
4. Add salmon head and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. Put the water spinach and chilis. 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with rice and enjoy.

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Bibimbap (Mixed Rice with Vegetables)

Bibimbap or mixed rice with vegetables and meat are one of the first Korean dishes that I've tasted. It's like a Mongolian bowl but the ingredients are cooked separately. This one is a complete healthy meal, rice for carbohydrates, meat and egg for protein, vegetables for vitamins and minerals. The main highlight of this dish is the chili pepper paste but in this one I used garlic chili paste. Korean food are now popular in many countries together with their music and tv series/drama. Maybe someday I can visit Korea and try their authentic cuisine. Most Korean dishes are spicy, this is because of the cold weather in their country. You will notice that most of my recipes are about spicy and hot foods. Its a great thing that both my wife and I share the same spicy taste buds.

 Ingredients

250 grams beef strips

2-3 cups steamed rice

2 pcs egg

 1 medium carrot

1 medium cucumber

1 large onion

1 cup beansprouts

1/4 cup onion leeks

  salt 

freshly ground peppercorn

for garlic chili paste:

5 cloves garlic

3-5 chili fingers

2 tsp flour

5 tsp water

Instructions

1. Cut  carrot, onion leeks, cucumber and onion according to your preferred size.
2. Blanch the carrot, beansprouts and cucumber in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a pan, saute onion and onion leeks, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from oil and set aside.
4. Put beef strips on the pan and saute until meat is cooked then set aside.
5. In a blender, put the garlic, chili fingers, flour  and water. Blend until the consistency becomes smooth. You may add more chili's depending on the level of spiciness that you prefer.
6. In a bowl put rice on the center and all the other vegetables on the side including the beef strips.
7. Fry egg then put it on top and add generous amount of garlic chili paste.
8. Mixed all the ingredients and enjoy.

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Braised Pork Hocks

Did you know that pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world? I've eaten a lot of pork dishes using different style of cooking and for me "Lechon" is the best. According to Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, the best pig in the world is here in the Philippines which is "Lechon Cebu" (roasted pork) . It captured the heart of the American chef, author and television personality who loves to eat pork. There are many ways and style on how to cook pork. Just like chicken, most parts of a pig is consumed for food. This time I will share how to prepare one of my favorite pork dish, "Paksiw na Pata" (braised pork hocks). I learned this recipe from my mother who loves to cook fatty dishes. I hope you can enjoy this dish and make sure don't forget to serve it with steamed rice.

 Ingredients

1 kilo pork hocks

oil for frying
1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tsp oyster sauce

5 tablespoon brown sugar

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 medium red onion

3 pcs dried bayleaf

salt 

freshly ground peppercorn

water

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat oil and fry the pork hocks until golden brown. Drain excess oil and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil on a separate pan then saute garlic and onion until its soft.

3. Add the pork hocks, soy sauce, oyster sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Let boil.

4. Put vinegar, sugar and dried bayleaf. Simmer for about 60 to 90 minutes under low heat. Add water as necessary. Make sure that the meat fall off the bones.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may add additional sugar if you prefer.

6. Serve it with a cup of steamed rice. 

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Kani Bacon

"Itadakimasu", "Kampai", "Irasshaimase", "Domo Arigato", "Gochiso-sama". I know everyone heard this traditional phrases when you dine in Japanese restaurants. Meals in japan begins with the phrase "itadakimasu" ( let's eat) and ends with "Gochiso-sama" (it was a feast). Japanese cuisine is very popular and well renowned worldwide. Most of us can easily identify dishes that are distinctively Japanese like sushi, maki, sashimi, tempura and ramen. This Kani Bacon that I've prepared has been always one of my favorite thing to order in Japanese restaurants. It is actually a crab stick wrapped in bacon. For a healthier option, you can also add veggies such as carrots, asparagus, bell pepper, etc.. There are many ways to cook this dish, it can be pan-grilled, grilled, deep fried or steamed.

 Ingredients

15 pcs crab stick

250 grams honey cured bacon

cooking oil, for frying

1 tsp garlic powder

5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

5 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cut crab stick in half, wrap the bacon around the crab stick and secure with a toothpick.
2. In a large pan, heat oil, deep fry until bacon turns to golden brown. Drain excess oil and set aside.
3. In a sauce pan, put soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water. Let boil.
4. Add brown sugar and  garlic powder. Stir until sugar begins to caramelized and make sure that the sauce is thick enough.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. You may add more sugar if you want a sweeter sauce.

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Chili Garlic Crab

Seafood is abundant here in the Philippines because of its land structure. The islands is covered with seawater that has great amount of fresh seafood. This crab was bought for about $8 a kilo at the supermarket. At home the usual  way to prepare crab is to steam and then you dip it to a mixture of soy sauce, calamansi and lots of chili's. Since I wanted to give it a twist I've come up to add some spice to make this dish scrumptious.

 Ingredients

4-5 pcs medium size crab
1/4 cup butter

4 cloves garlic (chopped)

 5 pcs chili fingers (chopped)

salt 

freshly ground peppercorn

water

Instructions

1. In a large steamer, let water to boil then put the crab on top.
2. Place the steamed crab on a separate plate then take off the top shell.
3. In a non-stick pan heat oil then put the garlic, cook until crispy and golden brown.
4. Remove cooked garlic from the oil then set aside.
5  Put the butter to the oil then saute the chili fingers.
6. Add the crab, stir well.
7. Put it on a serving plate and add the crispy garlic on top.

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Korean Style Fried Chicken

This time the dish that I will share was courtesy of my friend "JP" (Janna Patricia). She brought this one during one of our putlock session at our office. This dish was a hit to all of us and we requested that she must bring another batch the next day. I asked JP on how she prepared this one and I "Just got Lucky" that she shared the recipe on how to create this tasty dish. Same dish was serve by different food chains here in manila like "Bon Chon" and "Manang's Chicken". You can try this one to add twist to your fried chicken. I assure you that your kids and also kids at heart will really enjoy this together with a cup of rice.

 Ingredients

1/2 kilo chicken
cooking oil for frying

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar 

3-4 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 cup cornstarch for breading

Instructions

1. Coat the chicken with cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan, deep fry chicken until golden brown. Drain well and put on a plate with tissue paper to remove excess oil.
3. In a small pan put soy sauce and bring to boil.
4. Add garlic, simmer for a minute then put the sugar. Mix thoroughly until sugar melts. (you can add more sugar depending on the sweetness that you prefer)
5. In a small container with cover put the mixture and chicken. Shake until chicken is fully coated.

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Spicy Chicken Feet Adobo

"Chicken!" most of us love chicken, right? and the most popular one "FRIED CHICKEN".. haha. Most parts of the chicken here in the Philippines are being utilize for cooking. Nearly all the parts of the chicken can be used for food. Thigh for frying, breast for fillet, buffalo wings, isaw (grilled intestines), isot (grilled chicken butt), helmet (grilled chicken head), adidas (grilled chicken feet), liver and gizzard. There are so many recipes that can be found on how to cook certain parts of the chicken. One of my favorite chicken dish "Spicy Chicken Feet Adobo". I hope you can enjoy this simple but indulging recipe, you can eat this as an appetizer, snack or even serve it with rice :)

 Ingredients

1/2 kilo chicken feet

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp freshly ground peppercorn

3 pcs dried bayleaf

3-5 pcs chili fingers

3-4 cloves garlic (minced)

1 medium onion

1 cup water

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Clean chicken feet by removing the scales and cutting the nails. Rub salt and rinse thoroughly with water.
2. On a non-stick pan, saute garlic and onion together with the chili fingers.
3. Add the chicken feet, soy sauce, vinegar and water. Wait to boil.
4. Put the dried bayleaf, peppercorn, sugar and salt. Simmer until the chicken feet becomes tender or until meat "fall off the bones".
5. Add sugar and salt depending on the sweetness that you prefer.

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Sweet and Spicy Crispy Tofu

Tofu is one of our favorite food specially the heart clogging "tokwa't baboy". There are a lot of recipes that you can choose from to cook tofu. This dish that I've made was only from left over ingredients that I've gathered from our fridge. Spicy foods are always welcome for both of us, it has been viewed as aphrodisiacs which is good for a newly wed couple. You can cook this dish in just 10 to 15 minutes, quick and easy.

 Ingredients

1 block Tofu
1 small tetra pack tomato sauce

5 cloves garlic ( minced )

1 Onion ( minced)

5 pcs. Chili fingers

Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch (diluted in cold water )
2 tablespoon sugar

seasoning salt
fresh ground pepper 

Instructions

1. Cut tofu in cubes, seasoned with salt and pepper.

2. In a large pan heat oil and fry tofu until golden brown.

3. Put fried tofu on a plate with tissue to remove excess oil.

4. Lessen the oil in the pan, saute garlic and onion until its soft then add chili.

5. Pour tomato sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

6. Add sugar and stir gently.

7. Combine 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with cold water, and stir until dissolved. Then add this to the sauce and stir until it thickened.

8. Put the fried tofu to mixture.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir until all tofu is fully coated with the sauce.

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Shrimp Fettucini Carbonara

"My wife loves to eat shrimp".. Shrimp tempura, buttered-garlic shrimp, drunken shrimp (nilasing na hipon), steamed or raw, name it and she will eat her heart out. Last January 2011 when we dine in a buffet dinner in Boracay the only food that she ate was steamed shrimp. I've prepared this pasta dish last Christmas, this is one of the dish that my wife requested for our Noche Buena.

 Ingredients

1/2 - kilo Fettuccine pasta

250 grams raw Shrimp ( deviened )

1 250 ml All Purpose Cream

1 154 ml Evap Milk

3 cloves garlic ( minced )

1 Onion ( minced)

1 tsp. Olive Oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup grated cheese

1 tsp. seasoning salt 

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper 

Instructions

1. In a pot (big enough to cook the pasta) of boiling water put a dash of salt and a tsp of cooking oil, cook pasta for about 10-15 minutes.

2. Once the pasta is done, drain and put on a separate pan.

3. In a large non-stick pan heat oil and butter then cook garlic and onion until it's soft.

4. Add and cook shrimp until it turns pink.

5. Put all purpose cream and evap milk, stir until the sauce thickened. You may also add garlic powder for more garlicky flavor.

6. Put the pasta in the sauce mixture and stir.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Sprinkle cheese on top of the pasta.

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