Veggie Ukoy (Veggie Fritters)

 

Ingredients:

2 med Camote

250 grams squash

2 med carrots

1 cup flour

1 cup cornstarch

2 med red onion

3 tbsps Leeks

1 tsp salt  

1 tsp pepper

1 cup cold lemon soda

1 pc egg

1 tsp salt  

1 tsp pepper

Sawsawang Suka:

1/2 cup suka

1 tbsp diced onion

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp white sugar

few slies of green chili

For the procedure in cooking this dish, please watch this video

SINIGANG NA BANGUS (Milkfish in Sour Broth)

You may want to watch 

the complete procedure of cooking

SINIGANG NA BANGUS HERE

Sinigang is a Filipino dish characterized by the sour and savoury tamarind flavored soup.  Almost all Filipinos loved this dish, and it is very versatile as you can just change the main ingredient of the dish, in this case the Bangus (milkfish) and change it with cubed Pork Belly or Pork ribs (Sinigang na Baboy) or Shrimp (Sinigang na Hipon), and many other versions.

Ingredients:
1 kilo       Bangus, cleaned, sliced and slightly salted
3-4 pcs    Tomatoes, sliced
2 pcs.       Onions, sliced
10 pcs      Okra, sliced
4 pcs        Green long pepper
1 bundle   Kangkong (water spinach), washed
1 sachet   Sinigang Mix (Tamarind flavor)
1 liter      Water (add more if you want more broth)

Procedure:

In a big pot with boiling water, put the tomatoes and onions.  Simmer until they are soft.

Then add the Sinigang mix, let it simmer for awhile, then add the bangus... then after a few minutes of boiling, add the ginger, okra and green long pepper. 

Let it boil for a few minutes, cover the pot.  Then add the Kangkong leaves (washed again).  Let it cook for about 5 minutes or so (don't overcook the leaves).  Season to taste.  In a few minutes our Sinigang is ready :)  Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup (Tex-Mex Recipe)

The moment I saw this recipe on Six Sisters’ Stuff  facebook page, I knew right away that this is a delicious  dish, and  my family will surely love it.  And I was right! 

So I cooked it right way once I got hold of all the ingredients, including the corn tortilla chips.  The whole house  smelled so good while this is simmering.  My daughter asked me 3 times if the soup is ready, she’s so excited to taste my new recipe.

I made some revisions to the recipe according to our preference. Posted here 2 versions of the recipe, my version and the original recipe.

My husband, since he likes spicy food, added the 3 spices (Cumin, Cayenne & Chilli Pepper) before  eating the soup, and he said its tastier and added more flavor to it.

This dish is so delicious and easy to make. We will surely have this again. Definitely a keeper!!

My version, the Ingredients:

3 cups of homemade chicken stock

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chuncks

2-3 tbsps Taco Seasoning Mix

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 big  pc  green bellpepper, roughly chopped

2 medium sized, onions, roughly chopped

6 pcs. Cloves of garlic, chopped

1 big can, black beans

2 cups  frozen corn

2-3 tbsps Tomato Paste

½ cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Cilantro, chopped (optional for topping)

Tortilla Corn Chips

This is the original recipe of Six Sisters’ Stuff , Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock (or you could use broth)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder (add more if you like it hotter- I had to keep mine kid-friendly!)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced (I only used about 1/2 of a pepper- once again, kid-friendly!)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (you could really use any kind of cheese that you have)
1 cup pepperjack cheese
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I just used a 2 tablespoons of dried cilantro because I didn't have any fresh and it still tasted delicious!)
Tortilla chips

Directions (about 1 hour total): 

In a large stockpot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper (in my version, I did’nt use these three spices, instead I used the McCormick Taco Seasoning). Simmer about 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos (I omitted this), bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate.   Add cheddar cheese and half of the pepperjack cheese and stir to melt. Return chicken to soup and cook for a couple more minutes until you reach your desired consistency.

If you want thicker soup, add strips of flour tortilla, they will dissolve into the soup to thicken the broth . Add cilantro, reserving some to top individual bowls if desired. Ladle into serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, leftover pepperjack cheese and more cilantro if desired.

Notes for the Spices:

I did not use the 3 spices indicated in the original recipe, I tasted each one and find them too spicy for me and my daughter…

Instead …

I used the McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix (I’ve used it several times before and we love the flavor), tho’ this is a bit spicy too, just add it sparingly…  it’s a good thing, I have this on hand J

SOPAS (Filipino Chicken Noodle Soup ) Video Version

SOPAS (FILIPINO CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP)

Sopas is considered a comfort food for Filipinos, we grew up eating this almost every two weeks.  It can be served as a snack but it can also be a complete meal by itself.  We can always enjoy a warm bowl of milky Sopas on a rainy day or any day of the week.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do in the family.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. Vegetable cooking oil

6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 pcs. Med onion, chopped or sliced

1 whole chicken breast, boiled and shredded

3-5 tbsps patis

1-2 cups hotdog, sliced (or sausage)

1 ½ cups carrots, sliced

2 cups petchay baguio, sliced

2 cups, pasta noodles (elbow macaroni  or any pasta you prefer)

4-6 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp seasoning granules or broth cube (optional)

1-2 cups evaporated milk

Salt & pepper – as needed

Cooking Procedure :

1.     In a large cooking pot, saute garlic  until slightly browned, then add the onion, sauté it for a while until translucent, then put the shredded chicken, stir well, then add the fish sauce,  cover the pot  and simmer for a few minutes.   Then add the hotdog, let it cook for a while. 

2.     Then add the chicken broth, bring to a boil then put  the carrots, petchay baguio and pasta, stir gently and cover the pot.   Simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, then add the milk and seasoning granules (if needed).  Cook it for another 3minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.   Serve into individual bowls.  Enjoy!

TINUMOK STYLE – GINATAANG PETCHAY STUFFED WITH CHICKEN BREAST & CREAM DORI

Tinumok  is a delicious dish in Bicol.  Gabi (or Taro) leaves are used in wrapping the mixture of  minced young coconut meat, shrimps and pork, and cooked in coconut milk with chilis.  There were several variations  of the dish as it was spread throughout the country, there’s the Visayan version which is Tinuktok, Laing in Manila, Tinumok or Pinangat in Bicol, etc.

I guess this is my version of the dish, saw it once on TV, but they used Pork, and for my  recipe I wanted it to be light and  less fat, I used fillets of chicken breast and cream dory.  My daughter just loved it, this is the 2nd time I cooked this and she was the one who reminded me to prepare this again for her.

Ingredients:

250 gms. Cream Dory, fillet, cut into chunks

300 gms. Chicken Breast, fillet, cut into chunks

1 whole Garlic, peeled and chopped

2” sliced of Ginger, peeled and sliced thinly into strips

3 medium Onion, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper

1 kilo Petchay, washed thoroughly

3 to 4 cups Pure Coconut Milk

2 pcs. Green Chilli

½ tsp pepper corn

Procedure:

Prepare the onion,  garlic and ginger.

Season Chicken Fillet & Cream Dory with Salt & Pepper

In a bowl combine the onion, garlic and ginger, use half of that mixture to 

marinate the Cream Dory & Chicken 

while this is marinating,...

Wash the Petchay and cut the bottom part of the stem ...

Blanch the petchay in plain boiling water for just a few seconds ...

cut-out the steam of the blanched petchay

We're ready to stuff the petchay...

arrange the leaves in this way...

put the cream dory stuffing in the middle ...

fold the bottom part of the leaves, as shown in the picture ...

then fold the right side - no. 2 arrow, then the left side - no. 3 arrow

then roll-it-up tightly like this,

set aside ...

do the same with the Chicken stuffing ...

we have wrapped all the stuffings...

those with toothpicks are the Cream Dory packets...

we're ready to cook ...

In a big pan, put the coconut milk and the remaining half of the mixture 

of onion, garlic, and ginger, add a bit of salt and pepper, 

let it simmer for 15-20 minutes over low medium heat,

stirring occassionally...

then put the Stuffed Petchay in the simmering coconut milk

and let it cook gently over low-medium heat for another 20 to 30

minutes or until it thickens, stirring gently just to check that the

coconut milk doesn't get burned...  cover the pan 

and continue cooking...

Season to taste ...

Enjoy!

DELICIOUS CUCUMBER SALAD

A refreshing,  light and easy to prepare vegetable salad, that goes well with Mechado, Adobo or any meat dish with sauce.   Cucumber is often regarded as a healthy food because it is low in calories and fat.

Ingredients:

2 pcs medium size Cucumber, peeled, cut diagonally (bite size pieces)

3-4 pcs  Tomatoes, seeded, sliced into bite size

1 pc medium White Onion, peeled, slices into strips

2-3 tbsps Mayonnaise (or Light Mayo)

1 tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish

Salt, pepper & sugar

Procedure :

Put all the three vegetables in a bowl, and in a separate smaller bowl mix the mayonnaise, pickles, salt,  pepper& a bit of sugar, season to taste and refrigerate them both, just before serving you can add the salad dressing into the cucumber mixture. 

Note :  Dressing is added just before serving the salad so that the cucumber will retain its crispiness.  

Health benefits of Cucumber (from Nutrition and You website)

This wonderful, low calorie vegetable indeed has more nutrients to offer than just water and electrolytes.

• It is one of the very low calories vegetable; provides just 15 calories per 100 g. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Cucumber peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation, and offers some protection against colon cancers by eliminating toxic compounds from the gut.
• It is a very good source of potassium, an important intracellular electrolyte. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte; helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium.
• It contains unique anti-oxidants in good ratios such as ß-caroteneand α-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A,zea-xanthinand lutein. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
• Cucumbers have mild diuretic property probably due to their high water and potassium content, which helps in checking weight gain and high blood pressure.
• They are surprisingly have high amount of vitamin K, provides about 17 µg of this vitamin per 100 g. Vitamin-K has been found to have potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain

TINOLANG MANOK (or Chicken Tinola)

AUTHENTIC WAY TO COOK TINOLANG MANOK

Considered one of the comfort foods of our family.  We can have this dish anytime, aside from being easy to prepare, the soup just warms you up and brings back childhood memories. 

Ingredients:

½ kilo Chicken. Cut into serving pieces

2 tbsp. Cooking Oil

1 tbsp. Crushed Garlic

2 Medium onions, diced

Few Slices of Ginger

3 tbsp. Fish Sauce

2-3 cups Hugas Bigas  (2^nd washing of rice or  water obtained from washing rice grains and used as broth base for sinigang or tinola)

2 pcs. Finger Chili (siling haba)

2 cups , Sayote, cut into smaller wedges

1 Bunch of Chili leaves, pick the leaves only

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

Heat cooking oil in a pan, sauté garlic, then onion, when transparent, add the ginger, then the chicken, when the chicken starts to brown around the edges, add the patis, mix well and cover the pan and let it simmer on low fire for 10-15 minutes (if it seems too dry, add about 2 tbsp of water), then add the hugas bigas, let it simmer for 10 minutes, then add the sayote wedges. Simmer gently, covered, until fork tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat and add the chili leaves, cover the pan again and leave for 5 to 10 minutes till the leaves are wilted. Serve with hot rice and have a great meal!

Note :  You can substitute the Chicken with any Pork parts you prefer, like spareribs or liempo. 

             Instead of using  Chili leaves, you can use malunggay leaves.

             Use green papaya instead of the sayote

Update :  Considered  as one of the 10 Healthy-Yummy Pinoy Dishes -  read article here ---  10 healthy yet yummy Pinoy dishes

CREAM DORY FISH PATTIES with GARLIC-MAYO DIP

Ingredients:
300 gms Cream Dory fillet
Few small slices of ginger
2 medium Onions, chopped
1 large pc Carrot, chopped
Small bunch of Spring Onions, chopped
½ cup All Purpose Flour
¼ cup Cornstarch
1-2 pcs Eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Garlic-Mayo Dip:
¾ cup Lite-Mayonnaise (or use regular mayo)
2 tbsps Evaporated Milk
¼ tsp Garlic, finely chopped
Salt, pepper and Sugar to taste
Mix everything up in a small bowl and season to taste and refrigerate till ready to serve.

This is how the patty mixture will look like when its ready to be fried.

Procedure:
Boil the cream dory fillet in ½ cup to 1 cup water - with a bit of salt, pepper and ginger, for about 10 minutes. When cooked, mash it coarsely with a fork, and put it in a mixing bowl, add in the chopped onions, carrots and spring onions. Then put the egg/s, salt, pepper, mix very well, adding the flour and cornstarch a little bit at a time, till the mixture becomes thick enough to form into patties. You can fry a few pieces of the patties so you will know if it needs more salt & pepper. When ready with the mixture, fry the patties over medium fire to make sure the inner part is well cooked. This recipe makes around 12 to 15 patties. Enjoy!

Note : These patties will also be great as a sandwich filling – instead of pork or beef burgers, garnish the sandwich with tomato and lettuce, and use the garlic-mayo spread.

You can also serve this with sweet and sour sauce, the recipe here, the one that I used in the Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Instead of forming them into patties, you may choose to form them into balls as well.

CHICKEN & MUSHROOM PASTA

This is my take on Jollibee’s new Pasta dish – Chicken & Mushroom Pasta.  My daughter loved it so much that I decided to make one at home, actually this is a healthier version.  Delish and so easy to prepare.  Make this dish tonight!

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PASTA

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Olive oil or Vegetable oil

500 grams  Boneless Chicken Breast, cut into ½  x 1 inchstrips

1 tbsp Chopped Garlic

1 pc Chopped Onion

1 can Diced Tomatoes

½ cup Tomato Sauce

1 cup Sliced mushrooms

¼ cup All Purpose Cream

Few pcs of Fresh Basil Leaves (or you can use ½ tsp Dried Basil leaves)

Sugar, salt and pepper to taste

300 grams  Cooked pasta (spaghetti, fettucine or penne)

Cooking Instructions:

·        In a cooking pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-heat.  Add the garlic, then the onion, when the onion turns translucent, add the chicken and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until its just beginning to brown. 

·        Then add the mushroom, the tomato chunks and tomato sauce, cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.  Put ¼ cup water, season with salt and pepper.  Cover with a lid, lower the heat a bit more and cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. 

·        Then add  the chopped fresh basil (or dried basil leaves) and the cream, adjust seasoning, if you find the tomato taste too strong, ad about 1/4 tsp of sugar.  Serve over cooked pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Enjoy!

Fish Fillet with Tofu and Tausi (Black Beans)

This is my sister's specialty.  I would always prefer that she cook it instead of me.  Really, it taste different, the dish taste like it came out of a  Kitchen of  a Chinese Restaurant.  Thank you sis, for cooking me this wonderful dish!  Both healthy and filling...  Yum Yum!

Ingredients:

500g fish fillet (Cream Dori or labahita), cut 2 inches wide, 2 inches long

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper

200g tofu, cubed (or more)


1 cup cooking oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled/minced


2 small onions, sliced


2 tbsps all-purpose flour

2 tbsps cornstarch, diluted in ½ cup water

1 cup Button mushrooms, sliced

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 cup leeks, sliced

2 tablespoons black beans/tausi

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 cup water (or juice of canned mushroom)

2 tbsp Oyster Sauce


½ tbsp Sesame Oil

1 cup Young Corn (canned), sliced

Few slices of ginger (about a thumb)

Directions:
1. Marinate sliced fish fillet in Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper for 30 minutes. Roll fillets in all-purpose flour, fry until slightly brown, set aside; Do the same to your tofu, set aside.

2. Mash black beans/tausi. Heat pan with cooking oil, saute garlic, onion, and then add tausi, sauté for 5 minutes, then add water (or liquid from the canned mushroom), let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then add carrots, young corn – stir for awhile, then the mushrooms and leeks. Add oyster sauce and sesame oil, ginger and the diluted cornstarch. Season to taste (add salt or soy sauce and if you want, a bit of sugar).

3. Then add the fried fish fillets and tofu into the sauce. Serve hot with rice.

Note : You can still add your other favorite vegetables like brocolli, sayote, and cauliflower

Happy cooking!