Gelatin Dessert or Jello Dessert

Filipino Style Recipe: gelatin dessert or jello dessert is one of the easiest and popular appetizer or dessert of Filipinos in every occasion specially during Christmas and New Year. The typical gelatin dessert is consist of various colorful gelatin blend in condensed milk and fridge until firm.

Estimated time of preparation: 20 minutes
Good for 15 servings.

Ingredients:
1 box strawberry flavored gelatin
1 box lime flavored gelatin
1 box orange flavored gelatin
2 boxes unflavored gelatin(colorless)
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
5 cups boiling water
1/2 cup cold water

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a square pan, dissolve each flavored gelatin in 1 cup boiling water then add 1/2 cup cold water. Mix well.
2. Repeat this step to other gelatin in a separate pan.
3. Place in fridge until firm.
4. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside.

Part 2
1. In a bowl, dissolved unflavored gelatin in 1-1/2 cup boiling water, condensed milk. Mix well and let it cool.

Part 3
1. In a large pan, randomly place the cubed gelatin then pour milk mixture.
2. Stir gently to evenly distribute gelatin cubes.
3. Refrigerate for 5 hours or until firm. Slice then serve.

Buko Salad

Filipino Style Recipe: buko salad is another variety of popular Filipino salad that usually served in every occasion specially during Christmas and New Year. The typical buko salad is consist of young coconut strips and various fruits blend in condensed milk, heavy cream and cheese. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Estimated time of preparation: 20-40 minutes(plus chilling time)

Ingredients:
4 cups young coconut strips(buko)
2 cans (15oz) fruit cocktail
1 jar(12 oz) Nata de coco
1 can(14 oz) condensed milk
1 pack(7 oz) all-purpose cream

1 small bottle sugar palm fruit(kaong)(optional)
1 can(8 oz) pineapple tidbits(optional)
1/2 cup jackfruit(langka)(optional)
100 grams raisins(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a strainer, drain all the fruits thoroughly for at least 30 minutes.

Part 2
1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix till well blended.
2. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Served cold.

FILIPINO DESSERT

Pichi Pichi

Filipino Style Recipe: Pichi-Pichi is another popular and easy Filipino delicacy specially in Quezon province. In traditional way we used to boil and grate the cassava(kamoteng kahoy). To make things easier, we will used cassava flour instead. This delicacy is made with combined grated cassava, water and sugar. Steamed and rolled in grated coconut.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 60-70 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups grated cassava or cassava flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon lye water
2 cups pandan water(combine 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon pandan extract)
1 cup grated coconut or grated cheddar cheese

Procedures:
1. In a bowl, combine all theingredients except grated coconut. Mix until well combined.
2. Pour the mixture into individual cup molds.
3. In a steamer, steam the mixture for 40-45 minutes or until golden and translucent.
4. Remove from steamer and let it cool.
5. Remove from the cup and roll each pieces into grated coconut for nice coating. Done!

Notes:
1. Another traditional way is to boiled pandan leaves to produced pandan water.

Pork Adobo with Coconut Milk

Filipino Style Recipe: Pork adobo with coconut milk(adobong baboy sa gata) is normally the pork belly marinade then sauteed and cooked in a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper and coconut milk.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes(plus marinating time)
Estimated time of cooking: 40-50 minutes

Good for 4-6 persons

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork belly/liempo, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup coconut milk
6 cloves garlic, minces
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 pieces bay leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pieces red chili(labuyo),(optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine pork, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and ground pepper.
2. Marinate for an hour.

Part 2
1. In a saucepan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, peppercorn and bay leaf.
2. Add pork and cook until browned on all sides.
3. Add coconut milk, red chili and marinade.
4. Cook in a low heat for 20-30 minutes or until pork is tender. Add water if needed.
5. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
6. Simmer until the sauce thicken and start rendered oil.
7. Serve with steamed rice.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Fish Fillet

Filipino Style Recipe: grilled lemon pepper fish fillet is a low-carbohydrate dish. It is usually consists of fish fillet season in butter, lemon juice and grind pepper. Top with slices of lemon and wrap with aluminum foil. Grilled in hot charcoal until tender.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 40 minutes
Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
4 fish fillet(tilapia, salmon)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons melted butter orolive oil
slices of lemon
grind pepper

Procedures:
1. Place fish fillet in a good sizesheet of aluminum foil.
2. Brush both sides of fillet with melted butter.
3. Season with pepper and lemon juice.
4. Top with slices of lemon, wrap the fish tightly.
5. Grill for about 15-20 minutes on both sides or until tender.
6. Serve with steamed beans.

Note:
1. You may also season the fish with salt.

Chicken Curry

Filipinos have adopted dishes from all over the world, but most of our cooking is influenced by the Spaniards and Asian cuisine. There are several versions of Chicken Curry; the most popular ones are the Indian version which mostly uses powdered curry and the Thai version which uses curry paste.

I am not sure about the Indian style, but I took a class in Thai Culture at Webster University and my instructor who was from Thailand showed us how they made Curry dishes in Thailand. It was a very tedious process, but very rewarding at the end.

I remember we actually cooked for the crowd at Webster University’s International Festival and I must say, it was quite an experience. I was not expecting that we were going to have such a huge turn out. I cooked enough green curry with beef for 200 students. I’m not really sure if we satisfied the students, but at that time my main concern was keeping up with the crowd. Click here for that recipe!

With this version of Chicken Curry, we are not going to do it the Thai way, but Filipino style. We are going to combine powdered curry and coconut creme to give this dish a rich, creamy, and very spicy flavor that you would expect from this awesome curry dish…

I strongly suggest that you do not modify the amount of the curry powder. I can assure you it is the perfect measurement for this amount of servings.

Unlike other versions of Filipino Chicken Curry, we are not going to use store bought Curry Powder. We are going to make it from scratch, which I think tastes better anyway. Don’t worry, it’s not that hard to make, just be patient. Okay, lets get on with it.

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Skinless & Boneless chicken breast cut into 2 cubes

1 Can coconut creme (14oz.)

1 Tbs. Patis (fish sauce)

1 Medium onion (diced)

1 ½ Cups of green and red bell peppers cut into bite sized pieces

1 Cup Celery cut in ¾ inch pieces

5 Jalapeno peppers (stems removed)

3 Potatoes (quartered)

¼ Cup ginger (julienned)

4 Cloves of garlic (smashed)

¼ Tsp. freshly ground peppercorns

½ Tbs. Crushed pepper flakes (optional)

4 Tbs. Cooking oil

For the Curry Powder:

½ Tsp. Cumin

½ Tsp. Caraway

½ Tbs. Whole White Peppercorns

1 Tbs. Coriander

¼ Tsp. Nutmeg (powder)

½ Tsp. Turmeric (powder)

Cooking Process:

For the curry powder: Begin by roasting all whole spices (cumin, caraway, white peppercorns, and coriander) for 1 minute on high heat. Once they are roasted, pound them using a mortar & pestle or electric spice grinder if you have one. Set aside.

For the chicken breast: Lightly season chicken with 5 Tbs. cooking oil and a pinch of salt & pepper. Mix well and brown on all sides and set aside.

For the potatoes: Brown potatoes on all sides with 5 Tbs. of cooking oil. Set aside.

Cook garlic until golden brown using the remaining cooking oil you used to brown potatoes and chicken. Add the onions when the garlic is golden brown and let them cook until soft.

Add the ginger once the onions are soft and stir it well. Allow the ginger to cook for one minute and then add the chicken you browned earlier.

Let the chicken breast saute for one minute and season it with patis. (fish sauce) Next, add the spices you roasted and pounded earlier along with the ground Nutmeg and ground Turmeric.

Stir well for half a minute and add the coconut creme. Stir coconut creme, return the cover, and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Lower your heat and stir coconut creme intermittently during the ten minutes to avoid scorching the coconut creme.

After 10 minutes add the potatoes, stir well, and let the potatoes cook for 5 minutes. After that, add the celery and allow it to cook for 5 minutes before adding the red and green bell peppers.

When the celery is cooked, add the red and green bell peppers and again let it cook for 5 minutes.

At this stage, you can do your taste test and adjust accordingly by adding more salt and pepper if needed. After that, you are ready for your last and final ingredient which is the 5 Jalapeno peppers. Serve Chicken Curry with white steamed rice.

Optional: Garnish Chicken Curry with crushed red pepper flakes.

Chicken Afritada

Whenever we’re talking about food that Filipino’s inherited from the Spaniards, Afritada is one of the dishes that stand out. In Philippine cuisine there are several dishes that use tomato sauce based ingredients and Afritada is definitely one of them.

There are two types of Afritada, pork and chicken, and chicken is the easier version to cook. That is why I often prepare this dish rather than the pork counterpart. I have to admit I like the pork version better, but when you have limited time to spend in the kitchen, Chicken Afritada makes the perfect candidate to satisfy my taste buds. Now the recipe!

Ingredients:

2 Large chicken breasts cut into 2 in. cubes

5 Beef franks hotdogs cut in 1 in. diagonal pieces

1-15 oz. can of tomato sauce

1-8 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 Medium sized onion sliced thinly

4 Garlic cloves peeled and smashed

2 Medium potatoes peeled and quartered

1 Large carrot cut in 2 in. long pieces

1 Red bell pepper seeded and cut in 1 in. strips

1 Bay leaf

1 Tsp. Ground black peppercorns

½ Tsp. MSG

½ Tbs. Salt

Note:

You can substitute the hotdogs with chicken liver if you prefer. I have also combined chicken and pork belly before with great results.

Directions:

In a large pot combine chicken, garlic, onion, ground black pepper, msg, tomato sauce, (both cans) and bay leaf. Stir and bring it to a simmer. Cover pot and let it cook for 12 minutes on medium low heat. Add hotdogs, carrots, and potatoes. Stir and cover pot and let it cook for another 15 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Adjust taste by adding more salt & pepper if needed. Finally add the red bell peppers and cook it for another 5 minutes. Serve rice and top with chicken Afritada and patis for dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Patis = Fish Sauce

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Pork Sinigang

Pork sinigang has got to be one of the most popular comfort foods in the Philippines. I remember when my mom would prepare this dish she would use fresh tamarind. She would boil it and squish out all the juice for the souring agent.

Sinigang na Baboy

Thank god for the invention of the dry mix so we don’t have to do it the hard way anymore. Not all dry mixes taste just as good as the fresh version either, but I’m sure a lot of you out there can agree with me that when it comes to Tamarind or Sinigang mix it’s one of the most authentic ones out there. There are other things you can use as a souring agent such as kamias, fresh mango, or ripe guava (bayabas) and don’t forget the calamansi, especially when fish is used for this dish. It is one of the most popular substitutes when it comes to tamarind. For my version I’m going to go the easy way and use the dry mix, not to mention this is my only option since I don’t have any fresh sampalok. So let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

2 Lbs of Pork Belly cut in 2 in. cubes (Liempo)

1 Small radish cut in 2 in. small pieces (Labanos/Daikon)

1 Medium Onion sliced thinly

1 Small tomato diced

1 Eggplant cut diagonally

1 Cup of Sitaw cut in 2 in. length (String Beans)

3 Cups of Kangkong (Water Spinach)

2 Pcs. Of Siling Mahaba (Finger Peppers)

1½ Packet of Knorr Sinigang Mix

1 Tsp. MSG (Vetsin)

Salt to taste

1½ Quarts of water

Directions:

In a large pot add water and bring to a boil. Next add pork, cover, and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Remove scum from the broth and then add onions, tomatoes, siling mahaba, (finger peppers) msg, (vetsin) and the sinigang mix and let cook for 10 minutes. Then add the Labanos, (radish) cover, and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Add eggplant and cook it for an additional 10 minutes. Finally add the water spinach (Kangkong) and add salt if needed. Let it cook for three more minutes and it’s ready. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

BULALO

When it comes to this dish I just can’t get enough if it. There are so many variations when it comes to Nilagang Baka or Beef Soup Bones, but this one has to be one of my favorite ones. Bulalo or Beef Shank is not the most healthy food among Filipino’s line of goodies, as a matter of fact, I would not suggest this dish if you are watching your calorie intake or advised by your doctor not to eat anything high in cholesterol.

Beef Bulalo

However, if you are one of the lucky ones that do not have any diet restrictions, by all means enjoy this dish. Bulalo is ranked as one of the top Nilaga (boiled) dishes in the Philippines due to its rich taste and very satisfying broth. Unlike others, like Nilagang Baka of Beef Soup Bones, which are either too bony with not enough meat or too meaty with not enough bone. As we all know, meat that is cooked with bones in it tastes way better than it’s lean counterpart.

Bulalo however differs from them. Bulalo or Beef Shank has a good sized bone as well as the meat part, and oh yeah, the one that other Nilagang Baka does not have is the Marrow which is very flavorful and very delicious. This is what really separates Bulalo from any other Nilaga. Anyway, Bulalo can be found in most upscale restaurants for the reason being that it is not the cheapest choice of meat in the Philippines.

Ingredients

2-3 Lbs Beef shanks (about two medium pieces)

1 Tbs. Whole black peppercorns

2 Tbs. Patis (fish sauce)

1 large onion

3 Medium potatoes (halves)

2-3 Corn on the cob (halves)

12 cups water

Calamansi for dipping sauce

Bulalo Ingredients

Cooking Process

Rinse beef shanks before cooking. Bring water to a boil and then add beef shanks. Bring water back to a boil and then skim off any scum that rises while the water starts to boil.

After skimming off the scum, you can go ahead and add the onions, peppercorns, and patis (fish sauce).

Let it cook for ten minutes, then add the corn, and bring it back to a boil. At this time, it should cook for twenty minutes.

After 20 minutes, you can go ahead and add the potatoes and let it cook for ten minutes. Then go ahead and add the bokchoy. Cook the bokchoy for 2 minutes and remove the pot from the heat. That is it, you’re done! Serve Bulalo with Patis and Calamansi mixture for dipping sauce!