pork sisig and paksiw na smelts (dilis)

today i'm going to share with you 2 very simple recipes ~  pork sisig and paksiw na smelts/dilis.  so simple to prepare everyday food :

A.  Pork Sisig           

 ingredients are:   pork,  fried or baked then cut in small pieces
                           onions    ginger     spring onions    
                           pepper - bell and jalapeno or labuyo (all chopped finely) 
Mix everything. Add a little soy sauce, calamansi or lemon juice.  add salt and black pepper accdg to taste . .if you have iron plate, put some on it and sizzle. Add raw egg on top. serve with hot sauce and knorr seasoning.....yumm  :)

Note:  You may substitute the pork with other meat like chicken or even deboned fish.




B.  Paksiw na  Smelts / Dilis (or any kind of fish of your choice)

Put in a pan the ff...smelts (or any fish), 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar, sliced onions, garlic, ginger,( tomatoes -optional), salt and pepper, siling haba....

then simmer until cooked. ang dali, di ba? enjoy!!

MY CHICKEN AFRITADA :)

MY CHICKEN AFRITADA:

for my pcs (pateros catholic school) friends who've been requesting for my recipe of chicken afritada.
here it is!

~ i have two versions. one is the traditional (complete with gisa) way and the other one is what i usually follow, short-cut and oil-free style  :)

ingredients:

10 pcs cut chicken
1 can tomato sauce or paste
1 big sliced onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
ground pepper and salt to taste
1 large cut bell pepper
3 medium sized potatoes each cut in four 
2 carrots, cut in 1" pieces
 2 tsp olive oil
laurel leaf
optional:
1/2 cup tengang daga -soaked in water, cut in strips
green peas
1 tbs patis
a dash of crushed red pepper
a few pieces sliced chorizo(fried), or hotdogs/sausages

my bff, aura's chicken afritada :)

in a large pan, saute the onions and garlic. add the chicken, salt & pepper and laurel leaf.
cover for 5 mins or so. then add water just enough to cover the chicken. add the tomato paste/sauce.

(OR...the short cut is: ignore the steps above and just put all the ingredients mentioned in the said steps, except for olive oil,  in a large pan.)

cover the pan and let simmer until the chicken is almost done. then add the tengang daga, potatoes and carrots. when the vegetables are cooked, add all the remaining ingredients.  cook for another 5 minutes.

serve hot with steamed rice :) eennjjoooyyyy!! :)

ginataang talangka with kalabasa :)

i 've recently posted this picture on my fb wall and a lot of my friends instantly liked the photo. some even asked me how to cook this inexpensive but super yummy dish. so here you go, friends:

ingredients:

talangka - about 20-24 pcs (or kung gaano karami gusto nyo)

1 can of coconut cream (concentrated milk)

1 medium sized onion - cut in 8

3 pcs siling labuyo

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2x2 inch ginger cut in strips

2 cups cubed kalabasa (squash)

1/2 cup water

bagoong or salt to taste

boil the coconut cream/milk, onion, ginger and garlic. add in bagoong (alamang) or salt accdg to your taste.

when already boiling, add the kalabasa until almost cooked. then add the talangka and siling . labuyo. add more water accdg to your preference. some like it "medyo tuyo" and some like it "masabaw". make sure the talangka is well cooked.

serve with steamed rice....enjoy :))

my other passions - chocolates & arts/painting

my special chicken macaroni salad

i have been so busy lately...busy wasting my time on things i don't need in my life...okay, the so-called mid-life angst has set in again. but what the heck...it happens to almost everyone at my age. and i'm glad to be back..maybe not 100% yet ...... but i am..... and i'm blogging again. :)

aside from donuts, my other comfort food is chicken macaroni salad (cms). (there was a time, at the height of my anemia, i craved crazily for persian cucumbers, the small ones. i've outgrown those.) whenever i want to feel good, i prepare cms whenever i can..and i've "converted" my kids to liking it. i guess the fondness for this food started when i was a kid. i always thought that my mom cooked the best cms.....i'd like to share with you my recipe as inspired by my mom's (request na rin by my good friend, libay lim) . here it is :

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni. for texture, i use half macaroni and half spaghetti pasta cut in half
  
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 teaspoons pickle relish or chopped pickles
  
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup nestle cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups shredded chicken breast
  
• 1 /2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• 1 can pineapple tidbits
• 1/2 up shredded or cubed cheese (cheddar is better)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup apple cut in small cubes (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots (optional)
  

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni (and spaghetti), and cook until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. place under running cold water in a drainer. drain very well..
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Stir in pasta until well blended. Add more mayonnaise, if needed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The longer, the tastier it becomes. Serve cold.
   

pancit lomi - my simple version

Sonny, my "boyfriend", loves both pancit and soup...so what better way to satisfy his love for both than to serve him pancit lomi...i am writing up this recipe also for my good friend, Libby, who saw a posting of the picture on my fb album called foodS-i-cook, and says "gusto ko ito". :)

1 lb. of pancit miki or thick fresh noodles, washed well and drained
1/2 lb. meatballs, cooked
2 pcs kikiam, sliced and lightly fried (optional)
i tsp garlic, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 - 2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 sticks celery, chopped
1/4 cabbage, shredded
4 - 6 cups of chicken or pork broth
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsps patis (fish sauce)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsps. of cooking oil


In a pot or deep pan, saute the garlic and onion. Add the carrot and stir for 30 seconds. Add the meatballs and kikiam and continue cooking over high heat for another 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken/pork broth and bring to a boil. Add the egg noodles and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with patis, salt and pepper. Add the celery. Pour in the beaten eggs in a thin stream, letting it set a little then stirring continuously. Add the cabbage and let simmer for 1 minute. Serve hot.

lumpia x 2 (lumpiang gulay recipe)

This morning, i cooked 2 kinds of lumpia for my daughter, Inna's party in school - lumpiang shanghai and lumpiang gulay. For some reason, she takes pride in sharing those home-cooked food with her friends and classmates.. This is not the first time she brought some for them. Each time she does, it's a "sold-out". Here is my super simple recipe for lumpiang gulay (i have posted my lumpiang shanghai recipe earlier)

Lumpiang gulay:

2 cubes tofu (use the firm kind)
2 lbs bean sprouts
1 large sweet potato (kamote) cut in strips
2 cups carrots- cut in strips
1/2 cup minced cilantro/kintsay (optional)
1 tbs salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp minced or crushed garlic
1 big onion, thinly sliced
spring onions - chopped
lumpia wrapper

saute the following in order:
onion, garlic, carrots , sweet potatoes, tofu
when carrots and sweet potatoes are half cooked, add the bean sprouts and spring onion, salt, black pepper, cilantro.

mix for 1 minute or less then turn off the stove. you dont want to overcook the bean sprouts

wrap in lumpia wrapper (as in picture)
deep fry until the lumpia is golden brown, strain excess oil.
serve with sweet and sour sauce or spiced vinegar.

Enjoy! :)