Insalata Caprese

Creamy mozzarella combined with ripe, fresh tomatoes creates this salad which would be a wonderful antipasto choice, or a light lunch.

:Serves 4:

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This salad makes a wonderful antipasto, or a light lunch. It is said to have originated on the Island of Capri, hence it's name. Choose only fresh mozzarella, and ripe, tasty tomatoes for best results. If you can find it, use buffalo mozzarella shown here, which has a creamy texture unlike any other mozzarella you might taste. It is imported from Italy and can be found in many Italian specialty stores. It really doesn't need a recipe it is so simple, but if it's not a combination you've had before, this should give you an idea how to serve it. Serve with some good crusty bread to sop up the juices.


4 Ripe Tomatoes

2 Balls of Fresh Mozzarella (Buffalo Preferred)

Salt And Pepper

Olive Oil

Fresh Basil


Slice the tomato and mozzarella into bite sized pieces and arrange attractively on each plate. Garnish with fresh basil, drizzle over each plate some good Italian olive oil, season and serve.



by Deborah Mele

Frico

These little cheese wafers are great little treats to serve with wine along with olives before your dinner.

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These are great little treats to serve with wine along with olives before your dinner. I always have these on hand when entertaining. They are very easy to make, but it may take a few tries to get the hang of it. You need cheese that is neither too fresh, nor too dry. Parmesan, Pecorino or Crotenese have worked well for me. A good nonstick frying pan makes removal very easy. You can leave them flat or fold them around the bottom of a cup as is shown here.


1 Pound Parmesan or Cheese of Choice

Oil Spray or Vegetable Oil


Grate the cheese coarsely. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with oil, or spray with your oil spray. Spread about 2 Tbs. of cheese into a circle about 4 inches wide. Cook for about two minutes or until the edges are golden. Carefully using either your fingers or a spatula turn the frico over and cook an additional minute. If they edge begin to fold up while cooking, just flatten with the spatula. Transfer to a paper towel to dry, or fold gently over the bottom of a cup to shape. Continue making the frico in this manner until you have used up all your cheese.

Tip: Your wafers should be golden in color and lacy in appearance. If you make them too thick they will be chewy rather than crispy, and if you brown them too much they will taste bitter. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

by Deborah Mele

Fried Ravioli

A great party food that always gets rave reviews. The red pepper flakes are added to spice up the dipping sauce, but you could leave them out if you prefer.

:Makes About 2 Dozen:

by Deborah Mele

2 Dozen 1 1/2 Inch Square Cheese Filled Ravioli

Oil For Frying

Dipping Sauce of Choice, Or Quick Tomato Sauce With Extra Red Pepper Flakes Added (See Below)


To Make The Ravioli: Heat the oil in a large pot or deep fryer until a frying thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Carefully slip 6 or so ravioli into the hot oil at a time, and fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent towels, and keep warm until you are ready to serve. Serve on a platter with a bowl of Spicy Tomato Quick Sauce on the side for dipping.


Quick Tomato Sauce

2 1/2 Pounds of Fresh, Ripe Tomatoes

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

2-3 Tablespoons Fresh, Chopped Basil


Blanch the tomatoes a few at a time for 10 seconds to loosen their skins. Peel, core and halve the tomatoes. Gently squeeze each half over the sink to remove the seeds. Chop the pulp. Add the oil to a large skillet or saucepan, and add the onions when it is hot. Cook until they are translucent over low heat. Raise the heat and add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil. Add red pepper flakes as desired. Cook 15 minutes stirring frequently until the mixture thickens.

Note: This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and will freeze well for a month or two.

Arancini

These risotto balls make great party food. You can fry them 3-4 hours in advance, and then reheat them at 350 degrees F. just before serving.

:Makes 20

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1 Recipe Basic Risotto Parmesan Left To Cool For At Least 4 Hours

2 oz. Mozzarella Cheese Cut Into 1/2 Inch Dice

1 Piece Cooked Ham, Cut Into 1/2 Inch Dice

2 Cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Oil For Frying


Take a small handful of rice about 2 Tablespoons full in your hands and shape into a shallow cup. Place in the cup, a piece of mozzarella and ham. Enclose the rice around the cheese, and roll into a round ball. Roll the rice ball in bread crumbs and set aside. Continue in this manner until all the rice has been used.

Heat the oil in a large pot or deep fryer until a frying thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Carefully slip 5-6 balls into the hot oil at a time, and fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent towels, and keep warm until you are ready to serve.


by Deborah Mele

Chicken Potato Salad

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo potatoes

• 1 big chicken breast

• 3 pieces medium sized carrots

• 500 ml mayonnaise

• 1 can (836 g) pineapple tidbits or chunks

• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

• 1 cup cheddar cheese, diced (optional)

• 3 tablespoons of chopped spring onions (optional)

• Iodized salt to taste (pepper, optional)

Chicken Potato Salad Cooking Instructions:

• In a big pot, boil potatoes and carrots (covered with water) for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cracks on the potato skin appears. (tip: pierce a potato with a toothpick. If you can pierce it with little resistance and the toothpick comes out clean, the potatoes & carrots are cooked).

• Drain potatoes and carrots, let cool.

• Once cooled, the skin can be easily be pealed by hand.

• Dice the potatoes and carrots (about 1x1 cm)

• Boil the chicken breast in water with some salt. Let cool, then shred the chicken meat in 1 inch lengths

• Drain pineapple chunks or tidbits.

• Combine all ingredients (potatoes, chicken meat, pineapple, carrots, pickle relish, mayonnaise...) in a big bowl and salt to taste. You may add pepper if you wish.

• Refrigerate before serving.

Potato Salad Cooking Notes:

• You may add the optional ingredients (diced cheese, chopped onions, spring onions) or a handful of raisins for added flavor.

Halayang Ube (Purple Yam Jam)

Estimated preparation and cooking time: 2 hours

Halayang Ube Ingredients:

• 1 kilo ube yam root

• 1 can (14 ounces) evaporated milk

• 2 cans (12 ounces) condensed milk

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (optional)

Halayang Ube Cooking Instructions:

• On a pot, boil the unpeeled ube yam in water and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.

• Peel and finely grate the ube yam.

• Heat a big wok in medium heat.

• Melt butter or margarine, add the condensed milk and vanilla flavoring. Mix well.

• Add the 1 kilo grated ube yam,

• Adjust the heat to low

• Keep on mixing the ingredients for about 30 minutes or until sticky and a bit dry (but still moist).

• Add the evaporated milk and continue to mix for another 15 minutes.

• Let cool and place on a large platter.

• Refrigerate before serving the halayang ube.

Cooking Tips:

• You may spread additional butter or margarine on top of the jam before serving.

• For the sweet toothed, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the jam after placing on the large platter.

• Instead of manually grating the ube, you may cut it in cubes and use a blender to powderize the ube.

Leche Flan - Filipino styled custard

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

Leche Flan Ingredients:

• 1 can (390g) evaporated milk

• 1 can (390g) condensed milk

• 10 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence

For the caramel:

• 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup water

Leche Flan Cooking Instructions:

• In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize.

• Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds.

• Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender.

• Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick.

• Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil.

• Steam for about 20 minutes OR

• Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.

• Let cool then refrigerate.

• To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.

Cooking Tips:

• You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife -if it comes out clean, it is cooked.

Pork Barbecue

Estimated preparation: 20 minutes

Marinating: 30 minutes to 3 hours

Barbecue: 10 to 15 minutes each

Pork Barbeque Ingredients:

• 1 kg. pork

• 20 bamboo skewers

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup of calamansi juice or lemon juice

• 1/2 cup of 7up, sprite or beer (optional)

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons of brown or white sugar

• 1/2 cup of banana or tomato catsup

Barbeque Cooking Instructions:

• Cut pork meat into thin and long slices - 1/4 inches thick and less than 2 inches wide.

• In a mixing bowl, marinate the cut pork with the soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions, calamansi juice, ground pepper, sugar, banana catsup and the soda or beer (this tenderizes and adds flavour to the pork barbeque)

• Mix well and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (turning occasionally).

• Prepare the bamboo skewers by removing splinters and soaking in water to reduce burning during barbeque.

• String the pork on the skewers.

• Over live charcoals, barbeque the pork on skewers until each barbeque is cooked - turning every few minutes on each side and basting the leftover marinate on the barbeque.

Chicken Barbeque

Chicken Barbecue Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons of calamansi juice or lemon juice

• 1/2 cup of sprite, 7up or beer

• 2 cups of tanglad (lemon grass) for stuffing

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons of brown or white sugar

Chicken Barbecue Cooking Instructions:

• Marinate the whole chicken in soy sauce, calamansi juice, minced garlic, chopped onions, soda or beer, sugar and pepper.

• Let stand marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.

• Stuff the chicken cavity with tanglad (lemon grass).

• Cook chicken on grill or in oven until golden brown

Cooking Notes:

• For chicken leg barbeque, follow the same procedure above but omit stuffing the leg with lemon grass. Thread the chicken leg on a bamboo barbeque stick and grill on live charcoal until cooked.

• To check if the meat is cooked, slice a small piece of meat off and if there are no juice running off the meat and there no reddish (blood) areas on the inside of the meat, the chicken is cooked.

Pansit Palabok

Estimated preparation for toppings: 1 1/2 hours

Estimated cooking time for sauce & noodles: 40 minutes

Pansit Palabok Ingredients:

Palabok Noodles / Sauce

• 1/2 kilo miki noodles

• 1/2 kilo small crabs

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons of atchuete seeds or oil

• 2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)

• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in water

• 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)

• 1 1/2 cups of water

Palabok Toppings

• Tinapa flakes (smoked fish)

• Cooked shrimps, shelled

• Squid adobo, sliced into rings

• Pork chicharon, grounded

• Spring onions, chopped

• Hard boiled eggs, shelled, sliced

• Fried garlic, minced

• Fresh calamansi (lemon), sliced

Pansit Palabok Cooking Instructions:

• Extract fat and meat from clean crabs, set aside.

• Pound crab and extract juice on 1 1/2 cups of water

• On a pan, sauté garlic and onions until golden brown then add crab fat, crab meat, 1 1/2 cups of crab wash, patis and MSG. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add corn starch and continue to simmer while constantly stirring until thick.

• Put miki noodles in a strainer and dip in boiling water for 5 minutes or until cooked.

• Lay drained noodles on a platter and pour the palabok sauce. Garnish with toppings and serve.

Pancit Canton

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 1 hour

Pansit Canton Ingredients:

• 12 ounces pansit canton noodles

• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

• 4 cups chicken broth (from boiled breast)

• 1/2 pound pork, sliced in small pieces

• 1/2 pound shrimps, shelled and deveined

• 4 tablespoons cooking oil

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup Chinese sausages, sliced

• cauliflower, cut to bit size

• 2 cups snow peas (sitsaro)

• 2 cups cabbage, sliced into strips

• 1 cup celery, sliced

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1/4 cup scallions, diced

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Pansit Canton Cooking Instructions:

• In a big pan or wok, sauté in oil the garlic and onions. Then add sliced pork until cooked.

• Add 2 cups of chicken broth and add the shredded chicken, sliced Chinese sausages, shrimps, snow peas, cabbage, celery and diced carrot. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until cooked.

• Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the pansit canton noodles. Let simmer until noodles are soft.

• Add the scallions, sesame oil then salt and pepper to taste.

• Serve hot

Pancit Bihon

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 45 minutes

Pancit Bihon Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. pack pancit bihon noodles

• 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

• 2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water

• 1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips

• 1 onion

• 1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces

• 1 carrot, sliced into strips

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• 3/4 cup diced celery

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 5 pieces of calamansi or 1 lemon, sliced

Pancit Bihon Cooking Instructions:

• Grease with oil a large pan or wok. Sauté garlic and onions.

• Wet the pansit bihon noodles to soften

• Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken breast and all the vegetables until cooked.

• Mix in the pansit bihon noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.

• Salt and pepper to taste.

• Serve hot with sliced calamansi on the side.

Cooking Notes:

• Calamansi or lemon is to be squeezed into the pansit bihon before eating.

Filipino Style Spaghetti

Estimated & preparation & cooking time: 40 minutes.

Spaghetti Ingredients:

• 1 kg. spaghetti noodles

• 1/2 kg. ground beef

• 1/2 kg. ground pork

• 1/4 kg. hotdogs, diagonally sliced

• 1 kg. tomato sauce

• 3 pieces laurel leaves (bay leaves)

• 1/4 cup brown or white sugar

• 2 green bell peppers, diced

• 2 onions, chopped

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil

• 1 cup of water

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup grated cheese

• Mushroom (optional)
  

Spaghetti Cooking Instructions:

• Cook spaghetti noodles according to package instructions.

• In a sauce pan or wok, sauté garlic and onions in cooking oil.

• Add ground beef, ground pork, laurel leaves, bell pepper and a cup of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste then let simmer for another 10 minutes

• Add brown sugar and hotdogs. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

• Serve with the cooked spaghetti noodles and grated cheese on top.

Sautéed beef (Beef Guisado)

Estimated cooking time: 30 minutes.

Beef Guisado Ingredients:

• 1 kilo beef tenderloin, cut into strips

• 3 tomatoes, sliced

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 1 clove of minced garlic

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 4 cups of beef broth or bouillon

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 4 tablespoons of cooking oil

Guisado Cooking Instructions:

• Heat oil in a cooking pan.

• Sauté the garlic and onions.

• Add the sliced tomatoes

• Then add the beef, soy sauce, beef broth, salt and pepper.

• Bring to a boil then simmer until beef is tender.

Cooking Tips:

• The above beef guisado recipe can be used for vegetables and other meats.

• For vegetable dishes, replace the beef with about 200 grams of pork and add the vegetable (e.g. Baguio beans). The salt and pepper can be omitted.

• Reduce the broth to 2 cups for vegetable dishes or use plain water instead.

Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish)

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 big bangus (milkfish)

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 onion chopped

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 small carrot, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 4 tablespoons of cooking oil

• ham, finely chopped

• raisins

• cooked peas

• salt and pepper to taste

Rellenong Bangus Cooking Instructions:

• Scale and remove the intestines of the bangus.

• With a very sharp knife, slowly remove the meat of the fish from the skin through the opening cavity below the head. Remove the spine by snapping off the bone at the base of the tail and head. Use a long spoon to scrape all the meat from the skin.

• Marinate the head and skin in lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper.

• Boil in 1/2 cup of water the bangus meat with some salt for 5 minutes.

• Sauté the garlic and onions until slightly brown then add the tomatoes and carrots until tender.

• Add the chopped ham, cooked peas, raisins and the bangus meat to the mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

• Add a beaten egg to the sauté and mix well.

• Stuff the mixture inside the bangus skin and head. Sew the cavity if needed.

• Fry in oil until golden brown.

• slice slightly diagonal (1 1/2 inch thick) and serve.

Pakbet (Mixed Vegetables)

Estimated cooking time: 35 minutes

Pakbet Ingredients:

• 1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces

• 2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces

• 2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces

• 5 pieces of okra, cut in two

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 2 onions, diced

• 5 tomatoes, sliced

• 1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced

• 4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang

• 3 tablespoons of oil

• 1 1/2 cup water

• Salt and pepper to taste

Pakbet Cooking Instructions:

• In a cooking pan, heat oil and fry the pork until brown, remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

• On the same pan, saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.

• In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.

• Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéed garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add in all the vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done, careful not to overcook.

• Salt and pepper to taste.

• Serve hot with plain rice.

Laing (Taro Leaves)

Estimated cooking time: 30 minutes.

Laing Ingredients:

• 25 pieces gabi (taro) leaves, dried and shredded
• 1/2 kilo pork, diced
• 1/4 cup shrimp bagoong
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 5 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• 1 cup coconut cream (katang gata)
• 2 cups coconut milk (gata)
• 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Laing Cooking Instructions:

• In a casserole, sauté garlic, ginger and onions then add the pork.

• mix in the gabi leaves.

• Pour in the coconut milk (gata) and bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

• Add jalapeno, bagoong, salt and MSG and simmer for another 5 minutes.

• Add the coconut cream and continue to simmer until oil comes out of the cream.

• Serve hot with plain white rice.

Ginataang Kalabasa

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo squash, cut into cubes (1"x1")

• 1/4 kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined

• 3 pieces tomatoes, diced

• 2 onions, chopped

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons of ginger root, crushed and minced

• 4 tablespoons of cooking or olive oil

• 2 pieces long chilli peppers

• 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste (bagoong)

• 2 cups coconut milk

• 1 cups coconut cream (katang gata)

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (patis)

Cooking Instructions:

• On a big pan, heal oil. Sauté garlic, onions until light brown then add ginger, cook until onions become translucent.

• Add the tomatoes, squash, chicken stock, shrimp paste and the coconut milk. Let boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the squash becomes tender.

• Add the coconut cream, long chilli peppers and the shrimps. Bring again to a boil and simmer for a few more minutes.

• Serve hot with plain rice.

Ginataang Kalabasa Cooking Tip:

• This ginataan recipe can be used on any vegetable, combination of vegetables, fish or meat.

Bicol Express

Estimated preparation time: 30 minutes

Estimated cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kilo pork, thinly sliced

• 3 cups long chili or jalapeno peppers

• 1 onion, minced

• 1 head of garlic, minced

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1 cup coconut cream

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• Salt to taste

Bicol Express Cooking Instructions:

• In a bowl of water with salt, soak chili peppers for 30 minutes then rinse and strain.

• In a cooking pan, heat cooking oil and brown sliced pork for a few minutes.

• In another pan, sauté minced garlic and onion.

• Add to the sauté the browned pork.

• Then add the coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add the chili peppers and cook until dish gets a little dry.

• Add the coconut cream and simmer until the sauce thickens.

• Salt to taste.

Adobong Kangkong

Estimated cooking time: 25 minutes

Adobong Kangkong Ingredients:

• 1 big bowl of kangkong (river spinach)

• 1/4 kilo of pork, cut into small pieces

• 1/4 cup of vinegar

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 laurel leaves (bay leaves)

• 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)

• 1 cup pork stock (broth) or bouillon pork cube dissolved in water

• Salt and pepper to taste

Adobong Kangkong Cooking Instructions:

• Sauté garlic and onions in a big pan then add the pork. Allow the pork to brown and oil for a few minutes.

• Add a cup of pork stock (or bouillon cube dissolved in water or plain water), laurel leaves, soy sauce, some salt and bring to a boil.

• Let simmer then add the vinegar. Do not stir for 5 minutes.

• Add the kangkong stalks first and cook for 1 minute then add the kangkong leaves. Continue cooking until the vegetable is done.

• Serve hot with rice.

Cooking Note:

Instead of kangkong, this recipe can be used to cook other vegetables like eggplant, spinach, cabbage, string beans or any other vegetable.

Chicken Macaroni Salad

Estimated preparation and cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1/5 kilo macaroni noodles

• 2 to 3 pieces, medium sized carrots

• 1 big chicken breast

• 500 ml of mayonnaise

• 1 can (836 g) pineapple chunks or tidbits

• 1 big white onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

• 3 hardboiled eggs, diced

• 1 cup diced cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup raisins

• salt and pepper to taste

Macaroni Salad Cooking Instructions:

• Cook macaroni noodles according to package cooking instructions.

• In a pot, boil carrots in water for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked.

• Drain carrots and let cool. Peal skin then dice.

• Boil chicken breast in water with salt. Drain chicken breast, then shred in 1 inch lengths

• Drain pineapple chunks or tidbits.

• Combine all ingredients while adding salt and pepper, to taste.

• Refrigerate, then serve.

Chicken Afritada

Estimated cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo chicken, cut into pieces

• 5 pieces potatoes, peeled and halved

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 head garlic, minced

• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

• 2 cups pork or chicken stock (broth)

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)

• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil

Chicken Afritada Cooking Instructions:

• In a cooking pot or wok, heat oil.

• Sauté garlic and onions.

• Add chicken and slightly brown.

• Pour the tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.

• Add potatoes and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

• Add the green and red bell peppers, simmer for an additional minute or two.

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Serve hot with rice.

Chicken Ginger Stew (Tinolang Manok) Recipe

Estimated cooking time: 45 minutes

Tinola Manok Ingredients:

• 1 kilo whole chicken, cut into pieces.

• 1 small young papaya or sayote, cut into small pieces.

• 2 tablespoons ginger, crushed and slliced into strips

• 1/2 cup dahon ng sili (chili leaves)

• 1 liter of water

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 red onion, diced

• 4 tablespoons oil

• 2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)

Tinolang Manok Cooking Instructions:

• In a stock pot, heat oil and sauté garlic, onion and ginger.

• Add water and the chicken.

• Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is almost done.

• Season with patis

• Add papaya and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until papaya softens but not overcooked.

• Add sili leaves then turn off the heat.

• Serve steaming hot with plain rice.

Rellenong Manok

Estimated cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, deboned with shape kept

• 2 tablespoons calamansi juice

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  

  Stuffing
  

• 1/2 kilo ground pork

• 1/2 cup bacon, diced

• 1 cup ham, diced

• 1 can Vienna sausage, drained and sliced

• 1/4 cup sweet green peas

• 1/4 cup carrots, minced

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup pickle relish

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

• 5 whole eggs, beaten

• 1/2 cup butter

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Salt and pepper to taste

Rellenong Manok Cooking Instructions:

• Marinate chicken in calamansi juice, soy sauce and sugar.

• In a bowl, mix all stuffing ingredients well.

• Stuff the chicken in all parts.

• Sew the cavity opening and truss the chicken.

• Wrap chicken in aluminium foil.

• Heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake breast-up for an hour or until chicken is cooked.

• Open the foil an rub chicken with butter and put back in oven until golden brown.

Chicken Pastel

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

Chicken Pastel Ingredients:

• One 1 1/2 kilo chicken, cut in pieces

• One can (14 ounces) Vienna sausage, sliced

• 3 potatoes, diced

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1 up mushrooms, cut in half

• 1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips

• 1/2 cup sweet peas

• 1 onion, minced

• 1/4 cup grated cheese

• 1 cup margarine

• 2 cups chicken stock (broth)

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 lemon extract (juice)

• 1 egg, beaten

• Salt and pepper to taste

Pie Crust

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 cup corn oil or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup of water

Chicken Pastel Cooking Instructions:

• In a bowl, marinate chicken lemon juice and soy sauce for an hour.

• In a skillet, melt margarine and brown chicken, set aside.

• Sauté onion, bell pepper an mushrooms then add chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes then add potatoes, carrots, sweet peas, sausages and grated cheese. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Salt to taste.

• Transfer to a baking dish.

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

• On a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cold water and oil. Mix into a ball.

• On a flat surface, roll flat the pastry and cover the chicken pastel mixture and seal the sides by pressing on the edges. Remove excess pastry.

• Punch small holes on the pastry to let out steam during baking then brush with beaten egg.

• Bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes).

Roasted Chicken

Estimated cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Roasted Chicken Ingredients:

• 2 kilo dressed chicken (broiler)

• 2 cups of lemon grass (tanlad)

• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil

• 2 tablespoons of salt

Cooking Instructions:

• Make sure the chicken is clean with no remaining small feathers and no insides.

• Wash thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel

• Rub the whole chicken with cooking oil as well as the inside cavity.

• Next apply salt all over, again, including the insides.

• Fill the cavity with lemon grass

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place the chicken on an oven rotisserie.

• If you don't have a rotisserie put the chicken on an elevated rack on a baking pan - breast side up (so the bottom of the chicken does not touch the baking pan).

• Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is golden brown. When you prick between the chicken thigh and body and the juice runs clear (not bloody) the chicken is done.

• Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or corn on the side.

Roasted Chicken Cooking Note:

• If baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the oven.

Fried Chicken

Estimated cooking time: 45 minutes

Fried Chicken Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces

• 1/4 cup of white vinegar

• 5 cloves of garlic, crushed

• 1 cup of water

• 2 cups cooking oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Fried Chicken Cooking Instructions:

• In a pot, simmer chicken in vinegar, garlic, water, salt and pepper.

• Remove just before the chicken is fully cooked.

• Strain off liquid.

• In a frying pan or wok, heat oil and deep fry the chicken until golden brown

• Place on paper towel to remove excess oil

• Serve hot with rice and sliced cucumber or atchara on the side.