Tuna Mackerel Wrapped in Banana Leaves

 

 

 

Sinaing na Tulingan, is what people from the province of Batangas call this dish and is usually steamed in a clay pot. The ingredients are simple yet it should take proper cleaning as it can cause an allergic reaction. It is best to let your fish monger clean them before cooking.

Ingredients:

    1 kilo of Tuna Mackerel

    1 whole banana leaf

    5-6 pcs dried Bilimbi (Kamias)

    2 slices of Ginger

    1 tspn. black peppercorns

    1/2 cup vinegar

    2 tblspns course salt

    1 cup of water

Massage the mackerels with salt to loosen the bones. Wrap the fish with a strip of banana leaf covering the head so it won't fall off when cooking. Place the rest of the ingredients at the bottom of a crockpot and fill with water covering the fish. Set the crockpot on high heat until boiling point, then set it to low. Cook for 4 hours, then serve.

 Baked Fillet of Sole with Lemon & Butter

I was looking for cod fillets but the cold storage place next door had none in stock, so I opted for sole. Here,s a simple recipe where any 6 year old kid can cook!

Ingredients:

    1/2 kg Sole fillets

    1/4 lb. butter

    1/2 bulb garlic, chopped fine

    1 lemon

    Italian parsley, chopped fine

    Dash of salt & pepper

In a pan, heat the butter and garlic. After the butter has melted, pour the juice of half a lemon. 

In a baking dish, assemble the fillets and sprinkle salt and pepper. Pour in the heated garlic-butter-lemon and bathe the fillets. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and slice the remaining lemon and arrange on top of the fillets.

Set the oven at 180 degrees and after heating for 5 minutes bake the fillets for 25 minutes then serve.

Winged Bean (Sigarillas) with Coconut Milk

 

The Bicol province in the Philippines is well known for its cuisine using coconut milk and chili as its main ingredient. They can create a variety of menus using different vegetables such as lotus leaves, string beans, bamboo hearts, banana hearts, papaya, jackfruit, etc.

Ingredients:

    1/2 Kg Winged Bean chopped

    2 tblspns cooking oil

    1 large Onion, sliced

    1 Garlic, chopped

    1/4 Kg Pork, diced

    1/4 Kg dried Shrimp

    1 cup Coconut milk

    5 pcs. green chilies, diced

    5 pcs. red chilies

    2 slices ginger

In a deep pan or a wok, saute the onion, garlic, ginger in oil for a minute. Mix the pork and dried shrimp and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and the chopped winged bean and bring to a boil. After 5 minutes, bring to a simmer and cover pan and check until the winged bean is tender. Top the dish with red peppers.

    

    

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Pork Belly Humba with Cua Pao

 

Using Pork belly, this sumptuous meal is cooked the same style as the Filipino Adobo but with a twist. The same ingredients are used plus an additional pineapple juice is added to sweeten the meat.

Ingredients:

    1 kg. pork belly cut 2"

    2 to 3 star anises (optional)

    1/2 cup soy

    1/2 cup vinegar

    1/2 cup pineapple juice

    1 tblspn sugar

    1/4 tspn salt & pepper

In a pot mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil. After 5 minutes, bring to a simmer until the meat is tender then add the salt and pepper. Serve in a cuapao bun sold in Chinese oriental food stores for about P1.20 a dozen.

    

Grouper with Zucchini & Onions cooked in Lemon Butter & Garlic

Ingredients:

1 Fillet of Grouper (Lapulapu)

1/4 stick of Butter

1/4 clove of Garlic, chopped

1 Zucchini, sliced

1 Onion, sliced

1 tblspn Oyster sauce

1/2 lemon slice

Blanch the zucchini in boiling water for a minute and saute with oyster sauce along with the onions. Set aside on a platter.

In a pan, saute the garlic and butter with 1 tspn of olive oil. After 2 minutes, add the lemon juice and the fillet and cook for 1 minute on each side. Place alongside the zucchini and add salt & pepper to taste.

Lemongrass Papaya Chicken with Coconut Milk

Ingredients:
    White meat chicken
    Papaya
    Lemongrass
    Garlic
    Ginger
    Coconut Milk

Cut chicken into 1-1/2" cubes and saute with diced garlic and ginger for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of coconut milk and lemongrass. Slice papaya into 2" long pieces and add to pan. Bring to a boil and simmer til papaya is cooked aldente. Served with rice.

Cacho y Pepe con Granchi

The original recipe calls for spaghetti or tagliolini pasta but since I am incorporating crab meat, I will be using fettuccini. Cacho y Pepe consist of a few ingredients namely, pecorino or parmesan cheese, water from the boiling pasta, a bit of pepper and olive oil and of course, the pasta itself.

Ingredients:
  fettuccini pasta
  grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
  black pepper
  olive oil
  crab meat (1 cup)
  minced garlic (1 whole)
  butter

Boil the water and cook the pasta for about 12-15 minutes and set aside along with some of the water. Melt 1/2 lb of butter and cook the garlic for a minute. Mix with a cup of pasta water and pecorino cheese...keep mixing until you get a creamy texture. Add some olive oil, black pepper to taste. You may add some milk if you like. Place the pasta in a bowl and mix the crab meat. Serve with white wine.