Need help: Newbie Filipino Cook

[Dimasalang]

Can someone help me in this area. Im a newb when it comes to cooking filipino food...I NEVER HAVE! As far as experience, I can grill steaks and hamburgers, and make spaghetti. I've cooked a few things for my GF recently for the first time... she actually thinks Im a natural. LOL So now she wants me to cook her something Filipino. Shes been really great to me, so I really want to do this for her also. And its about time I start to really learn all this stuff.

Can some of you please post up some EASY recipes for me.(HI LIZ!!!) I dont even know where to start. Sinigang? Adobo? Getting the ingredients and mixing/measuring I dont think ill have a problem with, but the actual preparation on how to do things is what Im afraid of. Im sure I'll have a lot of questions.

*One more thing, Im allergic to seafood.

[Nordenx]

As far as experience, I can grill steaks and hamburgers, and make spaghetti.

Can some of you please post up some EASY recipes for me?

*One more thing, Im allergic to seafood.

Aww... I was gonna' suggest grilling some tilapia or catfish and serving them on a banana leaf along with steamed rice. Those are "Filipino" enough for me. He he he...

How about FIlipino spaghetti? Overcook your noodles, add sweet bannana ketchup in your tomato sauce, and use hot dogs instead of sausage or meatballs, then top it off with shreaded velveeta cheese. mmmm... yum!



Try Sinigang, it's just basically "boiling" things:

1 lb. beef or pork, cubed
3 tbsp. olive oil (or vegetable oil)
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 cups baby carrots or regular carrots (diced or sliced)
1 md. onion, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 cup spinach or other green leafy vegetables like cabage (particularly Napa) or preferrably bok choy (baby or regular)
2 lg. tomatos, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 lemon, juice of (or kalamansi juice if you have some)
1 tbsp. white vinegar (preferrably rice or coconut vinegar) or 1 packet sinigang tamarind soup mix
1 tsp black pepper (whole) *optional
1 or 2 dried laurel leaf *optional
1 eggplant or cucumbers or zuccini (sliced) *optional
1 daikon radish, chopped in thin round slices *optional
2 small potatoes, chopped in large chunks *optional
1 corn on the cob, cut in large peices *optional
3 to 4 cups water
salt or patis (fish sauce) or soysauce
Cooked white rice

Directions:
Brown meat in olive oil and garlic. Pour water over meat and allow to simmer so that broth is created. Simmer, covered, until meat becomes slightly tender, about 30 minutes. Add longger cooking veggies first - potatoes, carrots, raddish and corn and boil for 10 to 15 more minutes before adding remaining ingredients and simmer another 45 to 60 minutes. Serve, with plenty of broth, over white rice. Season with patis, soysauce, or salt.

[Dimasalang]

THANKS Nordenx! Ill give it a shot. I want to try it out first before I serve it to my GF. LOL. How do you make sinigang super sour?...thats the way I like it. Gonna stop by Seafood City later. hehe

[Ipoipo1]

The recipe of MR. NORDENX is very interesting, and I'm sure it will be very tasty and delicious. I will try it also.

This is the SINIGANG recipe handed down to us by my mother. Good for 5 persons, adjust for a bigger group.

2 lbs PORK. (1 lb Side pork and 1 lb ribs: the bones will add flavor. (Beef will do as well though will take need longer boiling). Cuut into 2-inch cubes or pieces: DO NOT REMOVE BONES.
1 med ONION, quartered then sliced
4 lge TOMATOES (like Roma), quartered
1 bunch KANGKONG or swamp cabbage. (Best to use fingers when pinching off the leaves and stems. Once you feel resistance and it won't break off easily, you've gone far enough.) SPINACH: may be used if no kangkong, but add only when other veggies are almost cooked and shortly before serving to avoid overcooking.)
2 cups RADISH or daikon, cut 1-inch thick.
1 cup OKRA
1 pkt TAMARIND SINIGANG soup mix, found in oriental stores (Knorr is good!) Note: Best to start with one packet then add more depending on your taste.
1 pc Jalapeno chili / equivalent, cut to small pieces (use kitchen shears). Peperoncinis are too mild.
Patis or salt, as desired. (Note: SINIGANG soup mix like most seasonings usually has salt already, so easy on the patis or salt during cooking.)

Boil pork and tomatoes together. Add 1 packet of SINIGANG soup mix. Add a little patis or salt. While meat continues boiling, skim off scum; retrieve tomatoes and mash in bowl, then put in strainer and using big spoon, press thru strainer into the soup. Toss away the tomato pulp remaining in the strainer. When meat is starting to get tender, add all the other veggies. (Except spinach. Remember, if using spinach instead of kangkong. add last, when sinigang is almost fully cooked.) Taste soup and add more soup mix and/or patis as desired. Test meat cube for tenderness.

Traditional dip for the meat and veggies: patis. Dip meat into patis or use sparingly.

[pansit]

Since you like the grill why not try to grill some pork belly. Choose the ones with some fat and skin in it, season them with salt and pepper then put in the grill 'til done. Cut them in small pieces and then put them in a bowl with soy sause, vinegar, onion, tomato and pepper. That's it...Filipino grilled pork belly.

[Dimasalang]

Cool, thanks people! Im going to print these out.

Please keep the recipes coming. Does anyone have a recipe for Arrozcaldo?

[KAMAGONG]

Since you like the grill why not try to grill some pork belly. Choose the ones with some fat and skin in it, season them with salt and pepper then put in the grill 'til done. Cut them in small pieces and then put them in a bowl with soy sause, vinegar, onion, tomato and pepper. That's it...Filipino grilled pork belly.

Hey, folks- add 2-3 tblspns of Perrins (Lea & Perrins) WORCESTERSIRE SAUCE to your marinade- please, Please, PLEASE!!! You'll love it. Or to your tomato catsup sauce and mix very well for ur steaks or fried chicken. (Or just the Perrins to your adobo). You'll love it... (I dunno, but PERRINS just taste different and and more classy than other worcestershire sauces.)

[Nordenx]

(I dunno, but PERRINS just taste different and and more classy than other worcestershire sauces.)

It's the original and only worcestershire sauce I use. The one from Heinz and other brands taste funny.

[Dimasalang]

Hey, folks- add 2-3 tblspns of Perrins (Lea & Perrins) WORCESTERSIRE SAUCE to your marinade- please, Please, PLEASE!!! You'll love it. Or to your tomato catsup sauce and mix very well for ur steaks or fried chicken. (Or just the Perrins to your adobo). You'll love it... (I dunno, but PERRINS just taste different and and more classy than other worcestershire sauces.)

I agree. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce taste THE BEST. And you can find it anywhere. All the others dont even come close.


But yah, thanks Kamagong...Ill be sure to add some in to the mix of things.

[Sanggumay]

Here's a recipe .....

Adobo Batangas Style

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces

1 pork Liempo cut into cubes, 1 inch size

1 head garlic, crushed and chopped finely

3/4 c vinegar diluted with equal amount tap water

salt to taste

Canola oil for browning the meat/chicken pieces

Procedure:

1) Place the chicken and pork pieces in a stewing pot.

2) Add the vinegar and water mixture to the meat. Pour about 2 tsp salt over the meat/vinegar
mixture, add the chopped garlic, and cover.

3) Bring to a boil without stirring. Stir to mix after 2 mins, of active boiling. Lower the heat to
medium and continue to simmer until the juice has evaporated about half and/or the meat is
cooked.

4) Transfer the meat (without the juice) to a deep pan with Canola oil and caramelize or brown
them.

5) Once nicely browned, transfer the meat pieces plus the leftover cooking oil from the frying pan
back to the sauce it was originally in. Let it simmer there until most of the sauce has
evaporated and the browned meat has re-absorved most of the juice.

6) Serve hot over steamed white rice or with rice on the side.

[Dimasalang]

Wow thanks Sanggumay! I remember having adobo this way at my aunts house in Batangas! This sounds really easy too. I'll give this a shot. If I need help, is it ok to PM you?

[Sanggumay]

I remember having adobo this way at my aunts house in Batangas! This sounds really easy too. I'll give this a shot. If I need help, is it ok to PM you?

That was a hand-me-down recipe from my mom whose father is from Batangas. I have somewhat perfected it and it is popularly requested of me by relatives and friends. Of course I do not use a recipe. I just wrote that one on request from a nephew who visited me from Australia. But anyway, as you learn to cook it you can perfect your own recipe according to your taste. The test of a good cook is the variation he makes from an original recipe. Perhaps out of your experimentations you can find another perfect one and you can re-name it Adobo D...style!
You may PM me for added help' of course.

My string at the internet has volunteered the following recipe called "Inasal" a production one of us can not forget from a visit to the Philippines....here goes:

1 hour 30 min prep
Change to: servings US Metric

1 roasting chicken, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 stalks lemongrass, julienned
1 lemon, juice of, extracted
1 lime, juice of, extracted
1/4 cup annatto seeds, soaked in 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup garlic butter, melted
salt
chili pepper flakes
I think Garlic butter can be bought at the Filipino store.... Star Margarine.... but we can make it ourselves...... pound garlic and mixed w/ melted butter.

Combine the juices of lemon and lime, divide in 2 equal parts.
Marinate chicken overnight in salt, pepper, garlic, lemon grass, half lime and lemon juice mixture.
Mix marinade with the water that has been used to soak the annato seeds and margarine. Pour the mixture in a saucepan, bring to a rolling boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper flakes if desired.
Barbecue chicken over hot coals or grill brushing it with the prepared mixture, cook to desired doneness.

[el filipino]

Cool, thanks people! Im going to print these out.

Please keep the recipes coming. Does anyone have a recipe for Arrozcaldo?

yes, pls. i like arroz caldo. also, what is liempo? i know it is pork only? is it a recipe or a type of cut of pork?

[Sanggumay]

also, what is liempo? i know it is pork only? is it a recipe or a type of cut of pork?

Liempo is a cut of meat from the pig's or hog's carcass. Specifically it is the pork belly. It is a soft and fatty cut of meat. Pork Sinigang generally makes use of this cut...cubed to bite sizes. It is good cut in thick bacon like strips, marinated with vinegar, garlic, salt and ground black pepper then grilled. It is also the meat of choice for the popular dish "Adobo", Lechon Kawali, or Ginisang Bagoong. It is a favorite cut of meat for me.

[Dimasalang]

Reading these recipes makes my mouth water.