Filipino Adobo

What is Adobo?

Adobo refers to a method of marinating and stewing any cut of meat or fish in a briny mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and spices. This cooking method, like most of Filipino culture, is of mixed heritage. While not official, many consider Chicken Adobo to be the national dish of the Philippines.

There are many regional varieties of adobo, but most recipes include vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. The meat is marinated then stewed in this mixture which yields a very flavorful, tangy, and tender meat. Adobo is usually served over a bed of fluffy rice to absorb the deliciously tangy sauce.

Filipino adobo should not be confused with the spicy Spanishadobo sauce. Although they both share the Spanish name, they are vastly different in flavor and ingredients.

History of Adobo

Like many cultures based in warm climates, Filipino natives developed various methods of preserving food. Adobo utilizes the acid in the vinegar and the high salt content of soy sauce to produce an undesirable environment for bacteria.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
http://foodreference.about.com/od/traditional_foods/a/Filipino-Adobo.htm

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Torta Mamon Cebuano

The photo above and the recipe below are courtesy of my online/fb friend Leslie Ruelan (I did have the same recipe shared to me long ago by another online friend/ED nurse Glenn A. through email he sent me, but he did not have photos, and I lost my photos of it when I made them. They are so good!).  Thanks for these generous people who were willing to pass on recipes handed to them through generations. I never really heard of torta cebuana until I met friends online. Just a reminder for those who do not know what to do with the egg whites, turn them into lengua de gato or sans rival (both recipes available in this kusina).

Ingredients:


1 c sugar
10 egg yolks
1/2 c water
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
3 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. anise powder
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 can 300 ml. condensed milk

Procedure:
1.) boil sugar and water for 5 mins. to make a syrup. Set aside to cool.
2.) combine flour and anise powder in a bowl.
3.) pour in melted butter, prepared syrup, oil, condensed milk and egg yolks
4.) stir using mixer until smooth
5.) sift in baking powder
6.) pour into wax paper-lined torta molds and
7.) bake at 350F for 22 mins. or until inserted toothpick comes out clean
8.) brush the top with margarine and sprinkle with refined sugar; enjoy with prepared syrup.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST CLICK THIS LINK BELOW:

http://kusinanimanang.blogspot.com/2010/02/torta-mamon-cebuano.html

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GINATAANG BILO BILO | February 17, 2015 By Lalaine

In celebration of the Chinese New Year ahead, I’d like to share with you this sweet  and creamy ginataang bilo bilo recipe. Chinese tangyuan or what we call bilo-bilo in the Philippines, are sticky rice balls formed from a mixture of glutinous rice flour and water. They are commonly served during festivals, wedding celebrations and other family gatherings to symbolize union and togetherness.

Ginataang bilo bilo is a simplified version of ginataang halo-halo, prepared sans the saba bananas and sweet potatoes. Like the latter, this simple concoction of glutinous balls, mini sago pearls and jackfruit strips is also widely enjoyed as a dessert or midday snack.  Although this ginataan will keep safely in the refrigerator for a couple of days or so, it is best consumed fresh from the pot as the rice balls tend to harden when cold. Not a problem, really, as I hardly have leftovers with everyone happily digging in to the last drop.

GINATAANG BILO BILO

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

40 mins

TOTAL TIME

55 mins

Yield: 8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup uncooked mini sago pearls
• water
• 20 to 25 pieces glutinous rice balls
• 5 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1 cup ripe jackfruit, shredded

For the Glutinous Rice Balls

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• ½ water


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INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a pot over medium heat, bring about 6 cups water to a boil. Add sago pearls and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft and translucent. Rinse and drain well.
2. In a deep pot over medium heat, combine coconut milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add glutinous rice balls and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they begin to float to top. Add coconut cream and stir to combine. Add sago and jackfruit and continue to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

For the Glutinous Rice Balls

1. In a small bowl, combine glutinous rice flour and water into a stiff but pliable dough. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour and if too crumbly, add a little bit more water. Using the palms of hands, form about 1 teaspoon of dough into smooth balls. Cover prepared balls with cloth until ready to use.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW:

http://www.kawalingpinoy.com/2015/02/ginataang-bilo-bilo/

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Pinoy Merienda: Why Is This Sweet Rice Cake Called "Palitaw"? By Eduardo Joven | Feb 29, 2016

Learn how to cook your favorite Pinoy merienda.

Palitaw is a sweet rice cake that can be easily cooked and is usually served during merienda. The reason why palitaw is called as such is because it pops up or it floats once it's already cooked. 

Cooking palitaw is very easy, just scoop the dough, flatten it, then drop it into boiling water, and wait until it floats to the surface which is an indicator that it's finally cooked. 

Learn how to cook palitaw by following the easy steps below: 

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups glutinous rice flour
• 1 cup water, room temperature
• 2 cups fresh grated coconut
• 1 cup light or dark mascovado sugar
• 3 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Combine glutinous rice flour with water and mix with a spoon until a dough is formed.
2. Knead the dough just until smooth and softened.
3. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough then shape it into a ball and make another ball until you’re done with the dough. I made 18 pieces of glutinous rice balls.
4. Lightly wet your hands so it won’t stick on your palm then flatten the rice balls using the palm of your hands, and set aside.
5. Boil water in a cooking pot then put-in the flattened palitaw dough in batches. Don’t overcrowd your pot to avoid them sticking to each other.
6. When the palitaw dough starts to float, just leave it for 2 minutes more before you remove them from the pot. Use a slotted spoon so that the water will drip off.
7. Roll the palitaw in fresh grated coconut then arrange it on a serving plate and sprinkle big amount of mascovado sugar on top, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

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READ more Pinoy Recipe articles on Choose Philippines

(These recipe and photos were previously published on www.pinoyrecipe.net. For more features about Philippine food and delicacies, LIKE Pinoy Recipe FB Page.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW
http://www.choosephilippines.com/eat/recipes/3440/pinoy-merienda-palitaw/

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A Vegetable Recipe All Filipinos Love: Pinakbet Philippines Eduardo Joven | Feb 23, 2015

Pinakbet or Pakbet is a popular Ilocano dish, and one of our authentic Filipino dishes.

The word Pinakbet or Pakbet is the contracted form of the Ilocano word pinakebbet, meaning “shrunk” or “shriveled”. it is considered to be a very healthy Filipino dish.

Ingredients

* 1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces

* 2 Ampalaya (bitter melon) sliced to bite size pieces

* 1/8 kilo shrimp, shell removed

* 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 or bagoong alamang

* 3 tablespoons of oil

* 1.5 cup water

* Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

* 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, sauté garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.

* In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.

* Add the pork and shrimp in the casserole and mix in the sauté’ 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.

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READ more Pinoy Recipe articles on Choose Philippines

(These recipe and photos were previously published on www.pinoyrecipe.net. For more features about Philippine food and delicacies, LIKE Pinoy Recipe FB Page.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW
http://www.choosephilippines.com/eat/recipes/2131/recipe-pinakbet/

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Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow Soup) Posted August 26, 2016 | By Pandora Dawn

This is Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow Soup). Bulalo is a stew made primarily from beef shank and bone marrow. The flavorful clear broth is made by cooking the beef shank along with the bone that contains the marrow. All the flavor from the collagen and fat of the beef shank melts into the broth making the flavors of this dish quite robust. This particular soup is very popular in the Philippines due to the deliciousness of the bone marrow. It is commonly eaten during cold weather. Enjoy this recipe from us at Filipino Chow.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of beef shank
• 1 medium sized piece of ginger, peeled then sliced
• 1 medium size onion, quartered
• 1 head of garlic, crushed then peeled
• 1-2 tablespoons of black pepper corn
• 3 pieces corn on the cob, cut into 2 1⁄2 inch long pieces
• 1 small bundle of bokchoy, stem base trimmed
• 1⁄2 small cabbage, cut into wedges
• Patis to taste
• Calamansi and patis combined with chili for a dipping sauce

Instructions

1. In a large pot add enough water to cover the ingredients and bring this to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the beef shank with bone, ginger, garlic, onion, and peppercorns to the pot.
3. Let this begin to boil, while skimming off the scum and oil as it rises.
4. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours over low heat or until the meat from the beef shank is very tender.
5. Add additional water as needed.
6. Now add the corn and let this cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Add patis to taste.
8. Then add the bokchoy and cabbage.
9. Let this cook for about 1 minute or until the leafy greens are half cooked before turning the heat off.
10. Do not overcook the leafy vegetables or they will become soggy.
11. Transfer the soup to a serving bowl.
12. Serve with steamed rice and a dipping sauce made from a combination of fish sauce and calamansi if preferred.

Tips: In this recipe, I have added ginger as we normally would back home. Ginger adds flavor and aroma and it is good for you. You don’t have to add ginger to this soup if you don’t want to.

For more information just visit this link:
http://www.filipinochow.com/bulalo-beef-bone-marrow-soup/

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Lechon: Philippines’ Favorite Delicacy

Lechon is a Spanish word meaning “suckling pig”. In the Philippines, Lechon always means a whole roasted pig commonly known as Lechon Baboy. Beef and chicken are also popular as lechon commonly known as Lechon Baka and Lechon Manok, respectively. The method of cooking the lechon is that the whole pig is roasted slowly over live charcoal. This method is also similar to the way the Chinese Peking duck or the Balines Guling celeng is cooked. The tedious method of long-hours roasting the whole pig leaves the meat very tender inside and a crispy skin outside.The lechon is a popular dish in any of the festivities in the Philippines such as fiestas, holiday seasons, and special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and other family gatherings. It is said that celebrations are not complete without the lechon as the table’s centerpiece. It is always served with a liver-based sauce making it more tasteful and delicious.The lechon kawali is another version of lechon in the Philippines. The method of cooking includes boiling the pieces of pork first then fry till it turns into golden brown.The leftover lechon is recycled in the Philippines. It is easily turned into another delicious dish called Lechon Paksiw.In Manila, Philippines, La Loma is the popular place where one can buy the delicious lechon. Many food establishments are selling it throughout the year in this area.Cebu City, Philippines is famous for cooking the mouthwatering lechon. Other regions in the Philippines have their own way to cook lechon but the ones from Cebu City are the favorite. The lechons are air-shipped from Cebu City to different food establishments throughout the Philippines.The lechon in Cebu City has its own distinctive taste that is why it is the Filipinos’ favorite. Cooking lechon is very simple but arduous.A whole pig is cleaned very well, taking the pig’s internal organs out at the belly’s opening. After cleaning, seasonings are stuffed into the pig’s stomach such as garlic, onions, soy sauce, lemongrass, salt, and monosodium glutamate. The measurements of the seasonings are according to the desired taste.When the seasonings are all stuffed in, the pig’s stomach is stitched to keep the seasonings from spilling out. The whole pig is impaled on a clean bamboo pole like a barbecue. The pig is then bathed in soy sauce and roasted over live charcoal.The average time for roasting the pig is about two hours. When it is cooked, the pig is now turned into a lechon. A crispy and juicy lechon can really satisfy your appetite. 

For more information, just visit this link http://www.philippinesinsider.com/filipino-cuisine/lechon-philippines-favorite-delicacy/

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