Palitaw

Here’s What You Need: 

2 cups (16 oz.) Glutinous Rice Flour
1-3/4 cups water
2 cups frozen grated coconut, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Here’s How: 

In a small bowl combine sugar and toasted sesame seeds and set aside.

Combine glutinous rice flour and water in a bowl until a smooth dough is formed. Form small balls then flatten the balls to a quarter-inch thickness by pressing your thumb in the middle and stretching the dough to make it oval-shaped.

In a saucepan boil 6 cups of water. Drop each dough into the boiling water , taking extra care that they do not stick to each other in the pot. Scoop out with slotted spoon as soon as they float. Drain and dredge both side in grated coconut then arrange  palitaw on a serving platter. Sprinkle with sugar and sesame seeds mixture on top.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Here’s What You Need: 

Breading Mix
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 pieces chicken wings, thawed
canola oil for deep frying

Sauce
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Cayenne Sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Sides
blue cheese dressing
celery sticks
carrot sticks

Here’s How: 

In a small bowl combine and sift together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt.  Dry the wings using a paper towels. Put the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture, coating each wing evenly. Cover the wings with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour  but not more than 3 hours. This process will help the breading to stick to the wings when fried.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375F. Just enough oil to cover the wings entirely.

In a small saucepan combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well-blended.  Set aside.

Put all the wings into the hot oil and fry them for 12-15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown. Remove the wings from the oil to a paper towel to drain but don’t let them sit for too long. It is perfect to serve the wings hot.

Using a large container with lid, Put all the wings inside the container, add the sauce, put the lid back on and shake until wings are completely covered with sauce.

Transfer into a serving platter and serve with blue cheese dressing, celery sticks and carrots on the side.

Bagoong Fried Rice

Here’s What You Need: 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 teastpoon salt
1 cup pork tenderloin, boiled and cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons shrimp paste (bagoong)
4 cups day old rice
green mango, cut into thin strips
sliced scallions for garnishing
tomato slices for garnishing

Here’s How: 

In a large pan heat olive oil and saute garlic until it becomes light brown, add onions and season with salt, then add the tomatoes and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add pork and shrimp paste and stir fry for another minute or two. Add rice and stir well until rice grains are separated and covered with shrimp paste mixture. Cook rice for 5 minutes or until rice are heated through.

Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with tomatoes, green mango slices and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.

Note: Crispy Lechon Kawali is also a great alternative to boiled pork tenderloin. Just put the lechon kawali on top as a garnish along with mangoes, tomatoes and scallions. Hmmm…hmmm….GOOD!

Nilupak na Kamoteng Kahoy

Here’s What You Need: 

2 cups mashed cassava, firmly packed (kamoteng kahoy)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 cup grated coconut, well drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
purple food color (optional)
margarine
Banana leaves, wilted

Here’s How: 

Remove cassava skins and cut into 2-3″ thick. Wash the cassava and  boil for 30 minutes or until cassava becomes soft but not mushy. Drain completely. Using a fork, mash the cassava and add the sugar, evaporated milk, grated coconut and salt. Mix it until everything are completely blended.

In a separate, bowl scoop 1/3 of the cassava mixture  and tint it with purple food coloring. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes, giving time for the food color to settle.

To arrange the nilupak, using a large ice cream scoop, scoop the white cassava mixture and put in the wilted banana leaves. Top with a tablespoon of the purple cassava. Serve with margarine on top.

Paksiw na Lechon

Here’s What You Need: 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 big bottle (19.40 0z.) Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
6 handful chopped lechon

Here’s How: 

In a medium size casserole heat oil and saute garlic until it becomes light brown. Add onions and season with salt and saute onion until becomes translucent. Add Mang Tomas sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, peppercorns and bay leaf. Stirring once and let it boil uncovered. Mix in the lechon and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes over low heat.  Add more sugar or salt if necessary according to your taste.

Serve with hot steamed white rice.

Black and White Champorado (Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Congee)

Here’s What You Need: 

1-1/2 cups sweet glutinous rice, (malagkit)
10 cups water
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
8 squares good quality white chocolate

Here’s How: 

Place sweet glutinous rice and 10 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Bring down the heat to low and simmer until the rice are soft and mushy about (40-50 minutes). Stirring occasionally to avoid rice from sticking at the bottom of the pot.   Scoop out 3 cups of the rice mixture and put it in a separate bowl. Crush the white chocolate and continue mixing it until the white chocolate are completely melted. Set aside.

Dissolve cocoa powder in 1/2 cup hot water. Pour in the remaining rice mixture then add the sugar. Let it boil for another 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally to avoid rice from sticking.

Pour white champorado in a bowl followed by the black on top.  Serve hot!

Misua with Patola (Somen Noodle Soup with Chinese Okra)

Here’s What You Need: 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of small white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
6 cups water
1 bundle japanese somen noodles or misua noodles
1 chinese okra (patola), peeled and sliced
black toasted sesame seeds for garnishing
black pepper to taste

Here’s How: 

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and saute garlic until light brown , add onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add the bouillon cube followed by the water . Simmer for 5 minutes.  Cut the somen or misua noodles in the middle and put in the simmering water along with the sliced patola. Cover and let it boil for another 5 minutes.

Transfer in a soup bowl and garnish with toasted black sesame seeds.

Ukoy (Shrimp Fritters)

Here’s What You Need: 

12 pieces large shrimps
2 square pieces (3×3) tofu, cut into small cubes
3 cups bean sprouts (togue)
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1 cup sweet potato, cut into thin strips

Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup cornstarch, sifted
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon anatto powder (achuete)
3/4 cup shrimp broth click here for recipe
1 egg
canola oil for deep frying

Garlic – Vinegar Dipping Sauce 

1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
red chili peppers, optional (labuyo)

Here’s How: 

Wash shrimps thoroughly, remove and set aside the head. Leave the shells and tails on.

in a medium saucepan heat oil. Dilute anatto powder in hot water in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and black pepper. Add the shrimp broth, anatto water and the egg. Using a wire whisk beat the batter until it becomes smooth. Set aside. In a saucer, arrange a bed of sprouts, yams, tofu, scallions and a shrimp. Add about 1/4 cup of batter and carefully transfer the ukoy mixture into the hot oil. Fry until it becomes crispy on both sides.

In a small bowl combine vinegar, salt, sugar, black pepper and garlic.

Serve immediately with  garlic-vinegar dipping sauce.

Shrimp Broth

Shrimp broth or shrimp juice are commonly used in Filipino Cuisine. They are typically used in making pansit palabok, luglog, bihon, ginisang munggo, lomi, ukoy  and the list goes on and on… I’m so curious and asked my Mom about the difference between shrimp cubes vs the homemade shrimp broth. She simply said “nothing can really beat the taste of homemade shrimp broth” well, yeah! She is absolutely right!  At first I am quite hesitant to make my own broth first of all I don’t like the procedure of making it, I find it very messy and I would rather use the cubes as easy as 1-2-3. Just chop the shrimp cube and toss it in a cup of boiling water and ta-da…. you have an instant shrimp broth! But the whole thing changed my mind when I ran out of shrimp cubes and it kinda put me on the situation that I have to make a choice, it’s either  change my menu for that day or to make it from scratch. Yes, I made it myself and it was easier than I thought, the taste is absolutely incredible! Mom knows best! 🙂

Here’s What You Need: 

15 pcs  large shrimps heads
1 cup water

Here’s How: 

Using a mortar and pestle pound the heads of the shrimps until all the juices comes out.

Add a cup of water and strain. Shrimp juice can be store in resealable plastic bag in  the freezer up to 3 months.

 

Sinigang na Corned Beef (Corned Beef in Sour Broth)

Here’s What You Need: 

1 (15 oz.) can palm corned beef
4 cups water
1-1/2 tablespoons tamarind soup base powder
2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
1 medium red onion, quartered
1 medium tomato, quartered
1 small white radish, peeled and sliced
1 green long chili pepper
1 small bunch of green long beans (sitaw), cut into 2 inch lengths
salt to taste
handful or two of swamp cabbage (kangkong), or spinach

Here’s How: 

In a large saucepan boil water, tamarind soup base and fish sauce. Add onions, tomatoes, radish, green long beans and chili peppers let it boil for 10 minutes. Add the corned beef  and simmer for another 5 minutes then add the swamp cabbage. Cover and remove from heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.