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.

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.

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.

Chopsuey

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kilo pork, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 kilo chicken giblets & liver
• 2-3 chicken wings, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 kilo fresh shrimps, shelled
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 pc. medium sized carrots, round thin slices
• 1/4 kilo cabbage, chopped 1 1/2" squares
• 1/4 kilo cauliflower, break into flowerettes
• 2-3 stalks leeks, chopped 2" long
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped 1" long
• 1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro)
• 10 pcs. stringbeans (habichuelas)
• 2 pcs. bell pepper, red & green, big slices
• 2 cups chicken or meat broth
• 1 tbsp. vetsin
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil (optional)

Saute garlic until brown. Add onions, when half cooked stir in pork, giblets, liver, chicken, and shrimps. Saute for 2 minutes and pour in fish sauce. Stir. After 3 minutes, add 1/2 cup water. Cover. When almost dry, add broth. Let boil. Season with salt and vetsin, and put in all vegetables. Cook until half done and thicken soup with dissolved cornstarch. Do not overcooked vegetables. Serve hot.

Fresh Lumpia

Fresh Lumpia (Lumpia-Sariwa)

1 kilo coconut ubod 1/4 kilo fresh shrimps 1/4 kilo pork (small cube) 1 medium sized onion 4 cloves garlic minced a few sprigs of kintsay 1 medium size carrot (thin strips) 2 tbsp. cooking oil patis, vetsin, salt 20-25 pcs. lumpia wrappers 1/2 cup chooped peanut 1 head garlic (minced) lettuce (tagalog) wax pepper (cut 5"x6") lumpia sauce

Cut ubod into thin strips. Soak in water with a little evaporated milk to avoid discoloring.

Saute minced garlic until brown, then, add onions, shrimps, and pork. Stir and add patis. After 3 minutes add 1/2 cup water. Boil until dry. Add 1 cup water with shrimp juice, and kintsay. When mixture boils, add ubod and carrots. Cover and let boil until done. Drain.

Wrapping Lumpia

To avoid a messy dish, wrap each lumpia with wax paper (cut into 5"x6").

Lay flat wrapper with wax paper underneath; line with lettuce leaf, brush with lumpia sauce, sprinkle chopped peanut (mixed with a little sugar), and put in 2-3 tablespoons of the cooked mixture. Roll with one end closed, the lettuce leaf protruding in open end. Wrap with wax paper.

Serve with brown sauce and minced garlic.