Fridge Contents

Corn and Potato Chowder

2012-06-14T16:30:00.003+08:00

On rainy days like this who would not look for comfort food? This is one quick, surefire way to warm the heart and the stomach.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk powder
2 1/2 cups water (for dissolving the milk powder)
1/2 cup white onion chopped
2 tablespoons oil (preferably canola oil)
3 1/4 cups water (for soup)
1 large potato, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 (14 oz.) cans of creamed corn
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Dissolve 1 cup milk powder into 2 1/2 cups of water until no lumps appear.
Saute chopped onion in oil in a skillet on medium heat until soft and translucent.
Add water, cubed potato and pepper to a large soup pot on stove.
Add sauteed onion and 1/2 serving of bacon.
Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil on medium and reduce heat to low.
Simmer 5 - 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Pulse creamed corn in blender for 3 minutes until smooth before putting it in the soup pot.
Add blended creamed corn, bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
Add milk and butter to the mixture.
Heat slowly to serving temperature.
Before serving, top with crisp bacon bits.
Goes well with melba toast or garlic French bread.

Enjoy!

Spam Fried Rice

2012-06-14T10:00:00.000+08:00

Thank you Cristina Quackenbush of Milkfish New Orleans for this ingenious idea. I just thought it would be nice to share it with readers.

Spam started being used in Filipino cooking during World War II and remains a popular ingredient (though the majority preferred to eat it either fried or microwaved straight from the can as a quick meal any time of the day).

This recipe is a surprisingly delicious breakfast dish elevating the lowly pork shoulder based ingredient into a wonderful addition to any Filipinos' breakfast table.

A must try for the on-the-go Pinoys!

Ingredients:

1 can Spam diced

4 cups cooked, then cooled rice

1 diced onion

5 minced garlic cloves

diced green onions

diced tomatoes

1/4 cup soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

canola oil for sauteeing

2 eggs

Procedure:

Dice Spam into 1/4-inch cubes and saute in canola oil until crisp on the outside.

Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.

Add cooled rice and 1/8 cup of oil.

Mix rice thoroughly with Spam, onions and garlic.

Add 1/8 cup of soy sauce and be sure to distribute evenly over mixture.

Flatten out rice and let brown slightly.

Stir again and flatten out slightly.

Make a hole in the middle of the rice and break an egg into it.

Let the egg cook as you gradually incorporate it into the rice.

Add the remaining soy sauce and oil and stir fry until egg is cooked completely.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add diced tomatoes over top and fry an over-easy egg for the top to finish.

And voila! An easy satisfying dish in minutes!

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2012-05-07T04:40:00.002+08:00

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Pizza Margherita

2011-09-28T11:18:00.000+08:00

Probably the easiest and the most healthy kind of pizza ever invented. I'm not big on vegetables but i welcome this pie anytime on my table.
A tip: best served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip (but it is optional if you want to savor your pizza the way it is).

Here it goes:

Ingredients:
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil, additional for dough
1/4 kg. plum tomatoes, chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 12" prepared pizza crust
6 oz. (or half cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
6 basil leaves cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Combine 2 tbsps. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Allow to marinate.
Brush pizza crust lightly with olive oil.
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then the marinated tomatoes.
Bake in preheated 500F oven for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese, then basil.
Cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Shrimp Toasts

2011-09-28T10:54:00.001+08:00

Each Chinese restaurant has it's own version. I substituted mine with bacon to give out its smoky flavor and i think bacon marries well with shrimps. The kind that reminds me of my aunt's cooking at home however instead of using bread, she wraps the bacon on shrimps and secures it with won ton or spring roll wrapper then deep fries it. She however, serves it with a sweet and sour kind of sauce instead of lemon wedges. Different strokes for different folks.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 fresh uncooked large shrimp

1 egg

2 1/2 tbsps. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

Pinch of Pepper

3 slices sandwich bread

1 hard-cooked egg yolk

5 slices of bacon (fried to a crisp)

1 green onion

2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions:

Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails intact.

Remove black veins from shrimp.

Cut down back of shrimp with sharp knife.

Gently press shrimp with fingers to flatten.

Beat 1 egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended.

Add shrimps to egg mixture and toss until shrimps are completely coated.

Remove crusts from bread.

Cut slice into quarters.

Place one shrimp, cut side down on each bread piece.

Gently press shrimp to adhere to the bread.

Brush or rub a small amount of egg mixture over each shrimp.

Cut egg yolk and bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.

Finely chop the onion.

Place one piece of egg yolk and bacon and a scant 1/4 teaspoon of onion on each shrimp.

Heat oil in wok over medium heat,

Fry 3 to 4 shrimp-bread pieces at a time in hot oil until golden, 1-2 minutes on each side.

Drain on absorbent paper.

Serve with lemon wedges while it's crisp and warm.

Chili Dinamitas

2011-09-01T14:41:00.000+08:00

(Acknowledgement: Photos and instructions through the courtesy of Kusina Ni Ella http://kusinaniella.wordpress.com)

Dedicated to the Sitel HP IPG Wave 1 class of Ritch (specially to the following people who shared this snack with me in an evening at Banchetto: April "Princess Effrel" Gohel, Jaja Espiritu, A Constantino, Ji Young Bang, Tim Pulido, Jigz Cuizon, Theo Valeriano, Vicks Balucio and Dan (our guest from Sitel Madrid)

Warning: Chili Dinamita is not for the faint of heart.

Ingredients:

20 pieces or more New Mexico cayenne pepper a.k.a siling pansigang

1 cup (or 1/4 kilogram) sauteed ground beef with burrito or taco seasoning

20 - 30 pieces of matchstick slices of cheddar (or mozzarella) cheese

1 20-piece pack of lumpia (spring roll) wrapper

2 - 3 1/2 cups of vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions:

Soak chilis in salted water for 15 minutes. Slice lengthwise and remove the seeds. (If you want them spicy, leave the pith and some seeds but be warned, it will be spicy hot!)

Stuff chilis with cheese and ground beef.

Wrap stuffed chilis in spring roll wrapper.

The spring roll wrapped chilis should look like this. With stems sticking out so you can easily handle the chili dinamita at its stem.

Deep fry until wrapper turns golden brown and place cooked chili dinamitas on paper towels to absorb the oil.

Great with thousand island dressing, ranch dressing, sour cream and chives or creamy cheese dip.

Enjoy!

Arroz Valenciana

2011-09-01T09:57:00.000+08:00

This dish was also a big hit when our family gathers on special occasions. I still remember the day when this dish was taught by my aunt to me. She said, "This very rich dish was only served to the wealthy during the Spanish era. Until now we still could not afford to buy a few strands of saffron to make it authentic. So the Filipinos decided to make a budget friendly version. And this was your grandfather's spinoff also taught to me when I was still young. Learn it well and make people smile."

Hope this makes you smile.

Ingredients:

2 kg chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 teaspoons anatto seeds or 1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup red bell peppers sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips
4 pieces Chorizo de Bilbao, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
3 cups rice, boiled in 3 cups water
1/4 kg pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives

3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced crosswise

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chopped onion
2 cups canned or prepared chick peas (garbanzos)
1 cup tomato sauce
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Season chicken and pork with salt and pepper. Fry in olive oil in a stockpot until brown. Set aside the chicken and pork pieces. In the same stockpot, fry the anatto seeds in the remaining oil to give a golden-orange color, then discard seeds. Saute garlic onion and tomato sauce until mixture has taken on a sauce consistency. Add potatoes, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, sliced Chorizo de Bilbao and 4 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to low. Add bell pepper and chick peas (garbanzos). When the bell pepper and peas lose their crispness, remove 1 cup of stock from the pot and set aside. Add cooked rice, fried pork and chicken to the stockpot. Mix thoroughly until well blended. Add reserved stock and cook uncovered over low heat until mixture becomes dry. Serve on a large platter and garnish with pimento-stuffed green olives and sliced hard-boiled eggs.

As an option, serve with lemon wedges.

Romesco Sauce

2011-09-01T09:14:00.001+08:00

This sauce was greatly influenced by the Spanish when they colonized the Philippines. Good thing they left us with this lovely sauce. Like many Spanish sauces the texture comes from thickening with ground fresh nuts, bread crumbs and olive oil to promote a creamier texture. Romesco sauce can actually be served with any grilled seafood, fish or meat and if thinned down makes a great salad dressing.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of sweet paprika (dulce)

Pinch of hot pimenton (pimenton caliente) or cayenne pepper
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/8 cup fresh almonds, blanched and skinned
24 hazelnuts, skinned
(as substitute for the hazelnuts and almonds, use either 1/3 cup fresh peeled pili nuts)

1 slice of bread, toasted
1 tablespoon of parsley
3 mint leaves
150 ml or 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

Combine the paprika (or romesco), cayenne (or pimenton caliente), tomato, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts or its substitutes, bread, parsley and mint in a blender or in a food processor. Blend until you have a smooth puree. Now blend in the olive oil a little at a time and then season with salt, pepper and the vinegar. The sauce should ideally be served at room temperature.

Blah

2011-08-14T01:33:00.004+08:00

Since my body clock is totally screwed up again by the new work schedule, I am now wide awake at 1:36 am (according to my laptop clock). Had a great Saturday with friends and family. A lot of drinking and pigging out. Could not think of a recipe to share or the inspiration left me in the middle of the night. So I owe my beloved fridge contents a blog.

Will write soon. Promise.

For now, I'll try to go back to sleep.

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2011-07-07T05:53:00.000+08:00

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Sinigang Sa Miso (Fish Stewed in Sour Broth and Miso)

2011-07-02T11:52:00.006+08:00

Since I am dieting (desperately), I have been searching my brain on what to cook.

Something healthy and delicious without the guilt.

Then I thought of rainy days and warm soups.. comforting yet tickles the taste buds. So I thought of the traditional sinigang we used to make at home. Not just any sinigang... this one is a unique, protein-filled concoction. So here it goes:

Ingredients (serves 2 -4):

1/2 to 1 kg fillet of any kind of firm fish meat (Maya-maya, Tanigue, Tuna, Milkfish(Bangus) washed and pat dry

1 Onion quartered

5-6 stalks of mustasa (mustard greens) washed and ends cut

1 - 1 1/2 packs of instant sinigang powder (for those who prefer the shortcut version) or

Prepare 1/2 kg young tamarind boiled in water until soft, mashed and sieved to produce at least 1/2 to 1 cup of tamarind juice (if you prefer to make the sour broth from scratch)

1/2 tsp iodized salt

3 pcs green chili (siling pansigang)

3 Tomatoes quartered

1/2 cup of cooking oil to fry the fish

Sprinkle salt over the fish fillets and fry in oil until it is half cooked. Drain the oil. Set the fish aside.

Boil at least 4-5 cups of water in a pot until it goes into rolling boil.

Add the quartered onion and tomatoes until it can be mashed to bring out the flavor in the soup base.

Add either the sinigang broth powder or the prepared tamarind juice and the green chili.

Simmer until all flavor incorporates.

Meanwhile, prepare the miso paste before adding to the broth.

Sauteed miso paste:

250 g Miso

1 head of garlic pounded

1 Onion chopped finely

3 Tomatoes chopped into small cubes

1/4 cup cooking oil

Saute garlic, onion and tomatoes until soft then add the miso paste. cook until the miso paste absorbs the oil and dries up.

Add to the sinigang soup base and stir until the sauteed miso thickens the soup base.

Finally add the fish. Simmer for another 5 minutes to cook the fish thoroughly.

Turn off the stove and put the mustard greens on top and cover the pot to cook the greens.

Adjust the taste with a little salt or fish sauce and pepper.

Serve hot.

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2011-07-02T11:46:00.004+08:00

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2011-06-23T09:19:00.002+08:00

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Chicken and Pork Adobo

2011-05-25T19:53:00.006+08:00

Long overdue post.

Sorry blog for neglecting you for two years.

I have been distracted.

As a comeback, I would like to share an all time Filipino favorite that can be served at any occasion (Yeah, you may have read this recipe from some other blog but this is my version.).

Yes, the adobo is served in many versions depending on which region of the Philippines you go into. Some people would like their adobo cooked omitting the soy sauce and replacing it with anatto (achuete) juice, some preferred it with thick coconut milk, others would make it Hawaiian style by adding pineapple chunks.

Yet be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. I would always go back to my aunt's original cooking.

So, enough of the blahs and on with the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 kilogram chicken cut into serving pieces

3/4 kilogram pork cutlets or pork spareribs cut into bite size pieces

Marinade and sauce:

1/2 cup of vinegar

1 cup of soy sauce
1 1/2 cups of water

1 head garlic chopped finely

1/2 tablespoon of black pepper

2 pieces bay leaves

Mix vinegar, soy sauce and water and marinade the chicken and pork pieces for an hour.

After an hour place the marinated chicken and pork along with the marinade on a pot or on a wok.

Add the garlic, bay leaves and pepper and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, remove the lid and simmer until three quarters of the marinade is already evaporated and the pork starts to seep out its oil.

Drain the remaining sauce and set aside.

Fry the cooked chicken and pork in its own oil until it is semi-crisp and pour the remaining sauce again to the meats.

Remove bay leaves and serve hot.

Sesame Beef

2009-10-28T06:41:00.008+08:00

Let's do an easy Chinese dish. This is another on-the-go recipe that you could whip up in minutes. A guaranteed family favorite any time of the day.

1 kilogram Tenderloin tips
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 Egg white
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 cups Vegetable Oil for deep frying

Combine beef, salt, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well with hand.

Bring oil in wok to 400. Deep fry beef 1 minute. Remove beef and absorb oil on paper towel.

Deep fry again on the same pan for 1 minute more.

Drain and place on a platter for serving.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons Sesame seed paste or can be substituted by
2 tablespoons Peanut butter diluted in 2 tablespoons Water
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon Pepper oil

Mix sauce ingredients into a smooth, thin sauce.

Heat in saucepan and pour over beef.

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Bok Choy With Hot Bacon Sauce

2009-10-22T02:34:00.005+08:00

This is probably the easiest and fastest dish we tried cooking at home. The recipe was given to my Auntie Pila by their Chinese neighbor when they were still living in Tondo 50 years ago. My aunt just injected a little twist by adding crunchy bacon bits for that extra smokiness and so that the kids would learn to eat their vegetables.

I dedicate this dish to people who are always on-the-go.

2 teaspoons Sugar

2 tablespoons Vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Chili sauce

6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons Cooking oil

3 cups Chopped bok choy

1 tablespoon Sesame oil for drizzling

Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan; simmer 5 minutes. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Add bok choy; stir fry until crisp tender. Place on serving dish; spoon hot sauce over. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Hot Crabmeat Dip

2009-10-22T01:38:00.002+08:00

About a few months ago, a friend of mine sent me a box full of fresh crabs from Roxas City as a gift. Since the family loved eating it steamed or boiled, I had enough cooked to last the entire 2 days so I had a chockful of crabmeat left over inviting me to be creative. I thought about experimenting with dips because we already got tired of the sour cream and chives and garlic mayonnaise that we serve during parties or just plain eating the stuff at home.

I thought about firing it up a little bit and adding a little zing since the previous dips we served were the smooth and creamy kind. So here is my version of Hot Crabmeat Dip.

2 8 oz (224 grams) packages of cream cheese

1/4 - 1/2 kilo crab flakes

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

4 to 5 drops of hot sauce (tabasco is still the best)

l teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon wasabi powder or paste

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or roasted cashews

1 teaspoon paprika

Stir the cream cheese until slightly softened

Blend in remaining ingredients except walnuts and paprika

Spread mixture in a 9 inch pie plate.

Top with walnuts and paprika.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees (200 C.) for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Great with plain soda crackers or Fita.

Beef Caldereta

2009-10-21T05:31:00.009+08:00

This is definitely NOT a dieter's dish.

A rich, concoction of beef cubes, heavy tomato sauce, liver spread and cheese with a hint of heat. Just by thinking about it makes my mouth water. I usually reserve this for special occasions when I have the time to put my undivided attention to it because the trick is always in the sauce.

Even leftovers are not spared because it is usually being asked for by drinkers.

Hope you enjoy our family's version.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 kilograms beef cubes boiled in 5-6 cups of water, 1 head white onion quartered with a little salt and pepper and 1 bottle of beer until tender.
Reserve the stock
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Head red onion finely chopped
2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 bay leaf

1 can peeled tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small can Filipino liver spread or 1 small can liver pate

3 potatoes quartered and french fried
2 pieces spanish sausage (chorizo de Bilbao) cut diagonally and lightly fried in olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 bag of green peas
olives (about 5-6 pieces cut in half)
red and yellow capsicum peppers diced
1 teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup pickle relish

In a pot, saute onion and garlic until tender.
add the tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf.
add the reserved beef stock and liver pate to thicken the sauce.
add the green peas until tender.
add the cooked beef, chorizo and olives and simmer for 15 minutes or until it stews.
season with salt, pepper and sugar according to taste.
add 1/2 cup of grated cheese (edam or monterey jack is suggested) and pickle relish
you could also add a piece of chopped hot chili for that extra zing.
discard the bay leaf and top the dish with french fried potatoes and garnish with diced capsicum peppers.

Enjoy it with hot fluffy rice or french bread so that you could sop up the sauce. Serves 4-6 persons.

Kare-Kare (A Tribute To My Aunt)

2009-10-20T10:35:00.002+08:00

Auntie Pila was a strict, straight-laced, devout catholic. A lot of us cousins jokingly called her "Auntie-Patica" because of her poker-faced facade. Though we never saw each other eye-to-eye in almost all things, the only tie that bound us was when we shared our passion in the kitchen. When I was just a kid, I used to be "Auntie's little helper." I enjoyed going with her to the market every weekends to buy our weekly staple and helped out in carrying heavy loads of ingredients. We even made our way to the unchartered areas of Central Market, Divisoria, Tabora, Baclaran and even Binondo to find exotic condiments and the freshest meats and vegetables. She taught me to slice and dice condiments, meats and fish at an early age. When I was old enough to use the stove, she mentored the very basics of sauteing, frying and boiling food. Patiently, she laboured in teaching me the "old-school" way of cooking before she passed on.

Auntie Pila treated everyday meals as if it were being served to VIPs. She showed me how important it is to prepare a dish with love. Little did I know that I would inherit a treasure trove of heirloom recipes prepared at festive gatherings during the Spanish era that was passed on to her by my grandmother.

She loved preparing kare-kare during family reunions and she painstakingly cleans and boils the oxtail and tripe for hours using wood as kindle until the meats come to a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. She even prepares the peanut sauce from scratch by pounding the peanuts to a paste and toasting raw "malagkit" and pounding it to a powder to thicken the sauce. You could even smell the smokiness of the sauce once you take a whiff at it in the kitchen. For her, there are no shortcuts in making a dish.

Thank you, Auntie Pila. For sharing with me the "joy" in cooking. It was an exciting adventure that I will always hold dear to my heart. I hope, dear readers, that you would enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed cooking this with my aunt.

1 or 2 Kilograms of Oxtail (depending on the size)
1 Kilogram Tripe
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil for sauteeing
1 head Red Onion chopped finely
2-3 cloves Garlic chopped finely
2-3 pieces of bok choy cleaned and drained in a colander
5 tablespoons of annatto (achuete) seeds soaked in 1 cup hot water to release the color. sieve the seeds and set aside the colored warm water.
1 medium Banana Heart/Blossom removing the thick outer layers until you reach the tender part in the center (normally colored yellow) sliced thinly then soaked in water
2-3 pieces of eggplants diagonally sliced and soaked in water to retain color

about a bunch of string beans sliced at 2 inches in length
1/2 to 1 cup peanut butter (choose the creamy smooth kind, not the chunky ones)

(if you prefer to do the "old school" kind, pound 2 cups of roasted peanuts to a paste and toast 2 cups of "malagkit" rice until brown and pound it to a powder used as thickener.
salt and pepper to taste

cut and clean the oxtail and tripe by boiling it in water, 1 head of onion (halved), 1 tablespoon of rock salt and 5 tablespoons of vinegar for 1-2 hours in a pressure cooker or boil the meats in a large pan on woodfire. skim the scum on top. remove the water and replace with fresh water, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper and boil it again for another hour or until tender or until you achieve the gelatinous consistency of the oxtail. drain the oxtail and tripe but do not discard the broth for future use.

in a deep pan, saute garlic and onions until tender. drain the banana blossom and saute. add the oxtail and tripe and continue sauteing. add the broth and bring to a boil. add the peanut butter (or the pounded peanut and malagkit mixture) and continue cooking it until sauce is thickened. add the annatto water to color the sauce. simmer and add the eggplants and cook it until tender followed by the string beans then the bok choy.

you can buy a prepared bottled “bagoong” from a Filipino store (if you are cooking the dish abroad. choose the Barrio Fiesta label) or prepare 1 cup fresh shrimp paste by sauteing it in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and 2 finely chopped medium tomatoes. add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to cut the saltiness of the shrimp paste and 1 to 11/2 tablespoons of table sugar. constantly stir it so that the shrimp paste mixture does not stick at the bottom of the pan. remove from fire if the mixture is dry.

My First Blah - Sinuglaw

2009-10-20T09:16:00.003+08:00

Everyone loves to eat but a lot nowadays are too lazy to cook (and I can bet a lot of you are guilty on this). With all restaurants, bars and fast food joints that spring as fast as you can say "hungry" many opt to go out and eat (except of course if you still live with Mom and her home cooking) because it's convenient and you don't have to do the dishes. I just feel that we need to gather the family every once in a while and cook a great meal to strengthen relationships.

And since we Filipinos (being gracious hosts that we are) love entertaining guests with a little drink or two, let me start off with this particular bar chow that is not uncommon to us. This home-tested recipe that was given to me by a friend from Cagayan De Oro City will be a sure-fire hit to any gathering.

Sinuglaw (Fish Ceviche with Grilled Pork Belly) is literally a combination of the words "Sinugba" (Grilled) and "Kilaw" (Raw fish cooked in vinegar) is a usual compliment to any alcoholic drink but surprisingly this dish now found its way to our dining tables as part of our repast.

Let me share this simple, no-nonsense recipe with all of you. Enjoy!

250grams or 500grams of firm fish (tuna, tanguingue or sea bass are the best for this recipe), cut into cubes

2cups cane vinegar

juice of 5-6pieces of kalamansi or 3 limes

salt

pepper

tabun-tabun juice (can only be bought from the mindanao region) or use half cup coconut milk for creaminess of the ceviche

1 head of white onion (chopped finely)

2-3pieces of siling labuyo

1/2 to 1 tablespoon ginger (finely julliened or chopped)

wash the raw fish cubes in 1cup vinegar and shake off excess moisture or sieve it in cheesecloth.

after washing, add the remaining 1cup vinegar the lime or kalamansi juice, salt and pepper, onions, tabun tabun juice or coconut milk and siling labuyo. let it stand for 1-2hours in the refrigirator cooler.

while the fish is cooking in acid, prepare 250 grams of pork belly by marinating it in 1/2cup of dark soy sauce, 1teaspoon ground pepper, 2 cloves garlic pounded and 2 tbsps kalamansi juice. place in a hot grill and baste it with the marinate until it cooks. chop the grilled pork belly into cubes. add the cubed grilled pork belly in the fish ceviche. garnish it with green chili slivers and serve.