Picadillo

   Ground pork or beef cooked with garlic, onion, soy sauce, tomatoes, and potatoes and frequently with carrots, raisins, and bell peppers.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
4 cloves garlic
1 medium white onion (chopped fine)
1 small green pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup beef stock
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 small potatoes (peeled and diced)
8 to 10 green olives (pitted)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for sauteing

How to Cook:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
• In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onions, green pepper, and garlic until soft.
• Add the ground beef mixture, beef stock, and tomato sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
• Add the diced potato. Cover and cook another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
• Remove the cover. Add the olives and cook uncovered 15 minutes or until the liquid is fully evaporated, but the meat is still moist.
• Serve the picadillo warm with rice.

Asado

  

   Braised meat in a soy sauce and brown sugar liquid. Also refers to dried sweetmeats as well as dried red-colored meats with sweet taste similar to Chinese barbecued pork. A stand-alone dish or used as a filling in asado siopao, a variation on Chinese baozi or steamed filled bun.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs pork
1 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cooking rice wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 cups water

How to Cook:

• Combine soy sauce, five spice powder, garlic, cooking rice wine, and salt then mix well.
• Marinade the pork in the combined mixture for at least 1 hour.
• Heat a cooking pot then put-in the pork along with the marinade and water then let boil.
• Add brown sugar and stir to distribute evenly.
• Simmer for about 40 minutes flipping the meat after 20 minutes or so to tenderize the other side.
• Turn off the heat and remove the meat from the cooking pot.
• Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes then slice.
• Transfer to a serving plate and top with the thick sauce then serve.
• Taste and Enjoy.

Banana Cue

A popular filipino mid afternoon food miryenda. Deep fried Saba bananas coated in caramelised brown sugar.

Ingredients:

15 pieces of ripe banana (saba type)
bamboo bbq sticks
half a kilo of brown sugar
half a liter of cooking oil

How to Cook:

• Peel your bananas. Heat your deep frying pan with half a liter of oil. Once the oil becomes very very hot, put gently all your bananas (it depends on the size of your frying pan).
•  Cook your bananas by mixing them constantly, after about three to five minutes add your brown sugar. It will melt and caramelize. Continue mixing gently the caramel and the bananas. 
•  If you wish a caramel well melted on your bananas, you can continue cooking this for about five more minutes. Or should you prefer a crunchy sugar coating on your bananas, you should immediately cut the fire. 
•  Take them off one by one and let the oil drip. Skew them on your bamboo sticks, approximately 3 bananas per stick.

Kwek Kwek Tokneneng Filipino favorite

   A tempura-like Filipino street food, made by deep-frying orange batter covered hard-boiled eggs. Tokneneng uses duck eggs while the smaller kwek kwek use quail eggs. Try this one and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs, choose quail or chicken
cornflour for coating
bamboo skewer
oil for deep frying
Batter:
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
red and yellow food colouring
Sauce:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoon soy sauce

How to Cook:

• Boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Remove from pot and let cool then peel the shells.
• Prepare the batter by putting a few drops of red and yellow food color into the water to get a deep orange color. Add salt and pepper to the flour. Pour in the water mixture into the bowl of flour and mix well until there are no lumps.
• Heat oil in wok until hot. Dredge the peeled eggs into the cornflour then drop them into the batter so it's fully covered. Then I use the skewer to poke the eggs to drop them into the hot oil and deep fry until the batter is crispy. 
• Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• To make the sauce: Mix all the ingredients into a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir and let cool.
• Serve the eggs with a side of dipping sauce.

Jack fruit in coconut cream

Ingredients:

1/2 kg unripe jackfruit; peeled and chopped
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves crushed garlic
3/4 cup tomatoes, diced
3 to 5 pieces red chilies
3 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup fried dried fish (daing), bones removed

How to Cook:

• Heat a wok or a cooking pot and pour-in the coconut milk. Bring to a boil.
• Add the garlic and onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes while continuously stirring the mixture.
• Put-in the tomatoes and red chilies. Continue stirring to prevent lumps from forming.
• Add the fried dried fish and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour-in water and allow re-boiling.
• Add the chopped jack fruit then mix with the other ingredients. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Put-in the shrimp cube then stir to ensure that the ingredients are properly distributed. Simmer until the liquid dries up.
• Transfer to a serving plate then serve.
• Taste and enjoy.

Leche flan

   
  A rich custard made of egg yolks with a layer of soft caramel on top (as opposed to creme brulee, which has a hard caramel top). Sometimes sliced and added to other desserts such as halo-halo.

Ingredients:

10 pieces raw eggs
1 small can condensed milk
1 cup fresh milk (or evaporated milk)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

How to Cook:

• Using all the eggs, separate the yolk from the egg white (only egg yolks will be used).
• Place the egg yolks in a big bowl then beat them using a fork or an egg beater
• Add the condensed milk and mix thoroughly
• Pour-in the fresh milk and mix well
• Put the mold (llanera container mold) on top of the stove and heat using low fire
• Put-in the granulated sugar on the mold and mix thoroughly until the solid sugar turns into liquid (caramel) having a light brown color
• Spread the caramel (liquid sugar) evenly on the flat side of the mold
• Wait for 5 minutes then pour the egg yolk and milk mixture on the mold
• Cover the top of the mold using an Aluminum foil
• Steam the mold with egg and milk mixture for 30 to 35 minutes.
• After steaming, let the temperature cool down then refrigerate
• Taste and Enjoy.

Mango Pie

A sweet and healthy pie filled with ripe mango. You can easily try this at home.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cup of ripe mango, chopped
½ tsp. of corn starch or ½ tsp. of flour
1 cup of sugar
¼ cup of water
1 tsp. of margarine

How to Cook:

• Put the chopped mango in a pie container with pie crust. Sprinkle it with sugar and flour. Pour the water and add a little butter. 
• Cover it with pie crust then cook in 10 minutes in 450 F. 
• Cook for another 30 minutes in 425 F.

Buko Pie (Young Coconut Pie)

A traditional Filipino pastry, young coconut filled pie. Try this quick and easy pie at home.

Ingredients:

2 cups buko meat
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or fresh milk)
1/2 cup starch

How to Cook:

Pour directly the uncooked mixture into the pastry-lined pan, top with the second crust, brush with eggwash, bake at 400 deg F for 15 minutes then a further 45 minutes at 325 deg F.

In crusting:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 piece eggyolk
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4 cup ice water

In Filling:

4 cups coconut meat
1 cup coconut water
1 300 ml. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 cup cornstarch

How to Cook:

• Blend flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening using two knives or a pastry cutter. Combine yolk, vinegar and water; slowly add the liquid to the flour mixing until dough can be handled.
• Divide dough into 2 parts with one part slightly bigger than the other.
• Roll bigger dough to about 2 inches larger than a 16-inch pie plate. Fit dough into a pie plate, letting sides hang. Roll out remaining dough for the crust. Set aside.
• Combine filling ingredients in a thick saucepan. Cook stirring constantly until thickened. Cool
• then pour into prepared crust. Cover with top crust; flute or crimp edges together to seal. Bake for 1 hr. at 425 degrees F.

Ensaladang Ubod

Ubod

   Ubod or heart of palm is the fibrous pith from the central core of the coconut palm tree. One of the unique and popular ingredients used in different Filipino dishes. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of ubod, chopped finely
6 tsp. of mayonnaise
½ cup of French dressing

Procedure:

• Soaked the ubod using French dressing. Remove and filter it.
• Put some mayonnaise on the top and serve it.

Cream Soup with Corn

A quick and easy recipe made with canned cream corn. Try this healthy and delicious soup at home.

Ingredients:

4 cups of bottled corn or fresh corn (grind)
2 egg yolk
2 tables spoon of margarine
2 table spoon of starch
4 cups of milk – (2 cups of milk evaporated and 2 cups of water)
Salt

How to Cook:

• Put the corn into double boiler together with 3 cups of milk and cook with around 20 minutes.
• Make a white sauce using margarine, starch and mixed the milk and corn.
• Put some salt and continue cooking around 5 minutes. Scramble the egg yolk well and put it into excess cup of milk (cold). 
• Cook it for a round of 1 to 2minutes continues mixing.

Filipino Fried rice (Sinangag)

   A breakfast meal fried rice with garlic. Best partner of tocino, fried egg, longanisa, tapa and more. Try this one and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 green onions, as desired
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired

How to Cook:

• Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.
• Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.
• When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.

Paella

   A complex rice dish frequently involving seafood such as shrimps and mussels taken from Spanish cuisine that is mostly prepared during special occasions.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped

½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips

2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g peas, cooked

200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water)

200g small clams

200g squid

12 mussels

350g rice (traditionally short grain rice is used but I prefer to use long grain)

2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

a pinch of saffron strands (if you can’t get saffron, use yellow food colouring instead and add it once you have added the liquid)

a sprig of parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

about 800ml water

Procedure:

MUSSELS: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don’t shut on contact with water.

FRESH SQUID: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings.

CLAMS: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open.

PRAWNS: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water.

GARLIC: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.

How to Cook:

• Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes.
• Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil.
• Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir.
• Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water.
• If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern.
• Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.

Pinakbet (Mixed Vegetables)

  Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Ilokano dish, from the northern regions of the Philippines. Try this delicious and healthy dish at home.

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 (Fish Sauce)
3 tablespoons of oil
1 1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

How to Cook:

• 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  (Fish Sauce) .
• Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéd 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.

Pineapple Juice

   You can make your own fresh pineapple juice at home by doing my pineapple recipes. Taste and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 cup of pineapple
3 tsp. of sugar
1/2 CUP of water
FEW ice cubes

How to Cook:

• Cut he pineapple into cubes and squeeze out the juice from the oranges.
• Blend in a blender along with sugar.

Filipino Buko Juice (Coconut Juice)

Coconut juice is incredibly healthy and one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. Best in summer because of its refreshing taste.

Ingredients:

16fl. oz. of coconut fruit juice concentrate
2 cups drinking water
2 Tbsp. sugar
Ice cubes
Pitcher

Procedure:

• Remove the outer shell or husk of the coconut fruit by using a sharp butcher knife or machete until the middle layer is exposed. Crack open the top part of the coconut fruit.
• Pour coconut milk through a strainer into a tall pitcher. Straining will give you a clear coconut milk free from small particles.
• Take out the coconut flesh or meat using a lemon zester to shred. 
• Add the coconut meat to the pitcher, then stir in water and sugar
• Add ice cubes and serve.

Salabat Filipino Ginger Tea

   
   Ginger tea has a spicy, invigorating taste. It's used as a home remedy for indigestion, nausea, and to ward off colds, flu, and sore throats.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb fresh ginger, sliced
5 cups water
1 cup brown sugar

Procedure:

• Boil all ingredients together.

• Add more water if too strong.