Chicharon (fried pork fat and skins)

To be honest, when I made this recipe, I don’t know how will I tell my viewers / followers the healthy features of chicharon…..Well, please help me…Maybe I should say, Eating pork fats prevents you from growing old, because you will die young!! (JOKE)…So just eat this pork chicharon(fried pork skins) moderately……Did you now that pork fats and skins are very dangerous to our health when heavily consumed everyday. It can trigger heart attacks, hi blood pressures and heart related diseases….So, my fellow bloggers and food addicts, If you make this recipe, just eat less. as they say, “kung ano ang bawal, yun ang masarap!!!”

ingredients: makes one big tray of chicharon

• 2 kl pork skins
• 2 litre water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 pcs bay leaves
• 1 tsp pepper corns
• Oil for frying

Vinegar sauce:

• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 small chopped onions
• Chillies
• salt & pepper to taste

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, combine all ingredients together and boil for 30 minutes. drain pork skins and set aside. transfer into a roasting pan or baking tray
• Pre-heat oven at 150 degrees celsius and bake pork skins for about 1 hour. let it cool and drain excess oil.
• In a frying pan, heat oil and dry pork skins until crispy. please be careful when frying
• Enjoy!!!

Coconut Macaroons

My wife made this recipe…it is a simple sweets and dessert, a great companion for your meal and great for your kid’s lunch box too… ..Did you know that coconut is a tropical fruit that is rich in protein. The meat of the coconut is very good in destroying intestinal parasites, that we get from eating infected food. Coconut water is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems…

Ingredients (serves 20-25 pcs of macaroons)

• 5 cups flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1 cup butter
• 3 pcs eggs
• 3 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• muffin baking paper

Procedures:

• in a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.
• Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees celsius.
• Place in a muffin tray with baking paper. add spoonful of macaroons mixture
• bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown and cooked.
• Enjoy!!!

Creamy Crab Soup

Do you like seafood soup??? you’ll definitely need to try this…Creamy crab soup, a milky base soup mixed with some veggies, herbs and spices. I remember when I was working in a restaurant in the Philippines, our head chef use to prepare this soup in banquet, we don’t serve the whole crab, he just use it to enhance the flavor of the soup. We eat the some of the crab as our employees meal…… Did you know that crabs are low in fat and good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Crabs are also rich in a nutrient that plays an important role in protecting our bodies from oxidative damage. That nutrient is selenium, eating enough selenium is important to keep these systems functioning.

Ingredients(serves 4-6 persons)

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 medium sliced onions
• 1 stalk celery
• 6 pcs medium crab
• 1 cup carrot diced
• 1/2 cup kernel corn
• 1.5 litre water
• 1 cup fresh milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• drizzle of olive oil

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion and celery for 2-3 minutes. add in vegetables and cooked for 3-4 minutes then seasoned with salt & pepper and herbs. add flour and continue stirring until flour is cooked. add water and boil. then add crab and cook for about 5 minutes. 
• Add cheese and drizzle with olive oil before serving!!
• enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Pancit Bihon Guisado(rice stick noodles)

Pancit bihon…..one of the many recipe on how you will enjoy “pancit”…This dish is the most common food in a fiesta or gathering, occasions such as birthdays – traditionally, old folks say “long noodles gives you long life”….. In my country, you will find this on all canteens(small cafe) specially during AM and PM snack time selling for just 15-20 pesos(about 50 cents in new zealand dollar). Back home, We usually have this for bereakfast matching it with pandesal(Philippines famous bread) and a cup of coffee…..Did you now that rice noodles contains low in calorie and fat, but most pancit dishes prepared with oil and other meats. However this noodles is loaded with carbohydrates, it’s the complex carbohydrates, which deliver energy slowly over time. These carbohydrates are easier on the pancreas than simple carbohydrates, and they contribute to weight loss by reducing food cravings….

Ingredients: makes one pyrex enough to feed 10 persons

• 3 tbsp oil
• 3 clove crushed garlic
• 1 medium onions diced
• 1/4 kilo chicken breast(boiled in 3 cups water with salt & pepper- save the broth)
• 100 gms chicken liver
• 6-8 pcs dried mushrooms (soak in water for 1 hour)
• 1 pc small caroots (julliene cut)
• 500 gms pancit bihon
• 100 gms baguio beans
• 1/8 kl of cabbage (julliene)
• 3 stalks of coriander
• salt & pepper
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• squeeze of  lemon

Procedures:

• In a wok, heat oil and saute garlic and onions, add in chicken  liver, chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the rest of the vegetables and seasoned with soy sauce and salt & pepper. add in broth, let it boil for a minute. don’t over cook the veggies. Set aside. 
• In the same wok, boil chicken broth and add in bihon together. bring to a boil and adjust your taste by adding fish sauce. In a serving plate, pour in your pancit and topped with the guisado meat & vegetables.
• Serve hot and enjoy!!  then squeeze with some lemon juice.

Paksiw na Pata (pork hocks with banana blossoms)

To be honest, I am craving for an Adobo dish, but since my wife seems to be tired of eating my favorite dish(adobo) I decided to cook this “Paksiw na pata”…. and still, it is a very similar dish to Adobo, just have a strong taste of vinegar and the flavor of banana blossoms…….Did you now that banana blossom is an excellent source of fibre in the human diet. The benefits of having fibre in the diet are well documented in nutritional and medical literature. Banana blossom is a rich source of other nutrients and antioxidants which have several health benefits.

Ingredients: good for 4-6 persons

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 kl of pork hocks and legs
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 medium red onions chopped
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup dried banana blossoms
• 4 pcs dried chillies(optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 pcs bay leaves

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, heat oil and seared pork hocks until brown for about 5 minutes, then just add in the rest of the ingredients. cook using low heat settings for atleast 45 minutes or until pork is tender.
• Serve hot with a smile!!!

Oven Baked Pork with Hoisin-Barbeque sauce

It’s a barbecue with a touch of asian, that’s the hoisin sauce. All the different flavors such as sweetness of sugar, sour of lemon, saltines of fish sauce blending together and matching with the distinctive taste of hoisin and sesame oil, Whew!! What can you ask for? ready the charcoal, and let’s start the barbeque…..Did you know that hoisin sauce is primary ingredient is cane sugar?, and cane sugar is good in prevention and treatment of cold and flu symptoms. It helps reduce congestion and ease sore throats. Cane sugar also helps prevent cancers like prostate and breast cancer. Also, unlike refined sugars, sugar cane helps revitalize, energize and hydrate the body after exercise……

Ingredients:

Roast Pork ingredients: good for 6-8 persons

• 1 kl pork chops / pork belly
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 5 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 each of salt & ground pepper
• 1/4 cup rice wine
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup soda water or sprite

Procedures:

• In a container, mix all ingredients except the pork, mix well.
• Add in pork and rub evenly. cover container and marinade for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
• roast pork at 180 degree celsius for 30-45 minutes
• serve hot!!
• enjoy!!!

Vegetable Toppings:

• 1 stem onion leeks chopped
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 small shallots minced
• 2 tbsp ginger minced
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup water

* in a small pan, heat oil and saute all the ingredients, serve on top of the pork barbecue.

Stir-fry Beef with Vegetables

This is the dish we always order everytime we go to our favorite cantonese-hongkong restaurant(birkenhead). The beef is so tender and the vegetables are so fresh and crispy. According to my wife, this restaurant have the most dummies chilli sauce in a New Zealand. I replicate well the taste of the dish but I failed copying their chilli sauce(huhuhuhu)….Did you know that vegetables in this dish such as broccoli is named as one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world. . Broccoli is rich in calcium and phosphorous, needed for strong bones and teeth. Broccoli is also rich in vitamin C, which aids the absorption of calcium. Eating calcium rich foods can help prevent bone loss and osteoporosis

Ingredients: good for 3-4 persons

• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 medium onions sliced
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 100 gms thinly sliced beef(rubbed with 1 tsp of baking soda for at least 30 minutes)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch dissolve in 3/4 cup water
• salt & pepper
• 150 grams of mixed vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, onion leeks, capsicum & celery

Procedures:

• In a wok, heat oil and add beef stir fry for about 2-3 minutes in high heat settings. add in garlic, onions & ginger.
• then seasoned with soy & oyster sauce, rice wine & salt & pepper.
• add in vegetables and cook for about 2-3 minutes until vegetables are half done.
• pour in cornstarch mixture and let it cook for another minute.
• serve hot!!! 

Pinoy Spaghetti

yes, we do have our own spaghetti style…Pinoy spaghetti is more on the sweet side, unlike the real italian bolognese which is more sour….I remember when I was a student, almost everyday this is our brunch alternate with pancit canton-bihon before going to school, My mom usually buy this to carinderia(small cafeteria on side walk/streets) and we share together with my sisters. Just 2 orders of P10.00 each(equivalent to 0.30 cents NZ dollar) enough to feed us all…….Did you know that this pinoy spaghetti’s main ingredients is tomato ketsup, and tomatoes contains lycopene – one of the most powerful antioxidants known – than any other food. As we know, Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.  Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection.

Ingredients: Good for 6-8 persons

• 500 gm spaghetti noodles
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 medium onions chopped
• 1 small chopped carrots
• 300 gms beef mince
• 100 gms chicken liver
• 10 pcs cocktail hotdog sliced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup tomato ketsup
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp cornstarch dissolve in 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp achuete powder
• 1/4 cup grated cheese

Procedures:

• Boil spaghetti noodles with water and little oil and salt for 10 minutes or until cooked. set aside
• In a large sauce pan. heat oil and saute garlic and onion, add in beef  and stir fry until brown, pour in chicken liver, hotdogs and seasoned with salt and pepper. add in carrots, tomato sauce, ketsup, sugar and achuete powder and simmer for about 5 minutes. add in cornstarch mix with water and boil for 5 minutes. adjust your taste by adding fish sauce.
• You can pour the noodles on the spaghetti sauce or you can serve it separate.
• top with grated cheese upon serving
• Enjoy!!

Beef Flank with Egg Noodle Soup

Beef flank with egg noodle soup…, everytime we go to hongkong-chinese restaurant, this is one of our favorite item on the menu. It’s a huge serving of noodle soup that can be enough for two people.(I think almost saturday after church we go there and order this)….Did you know that beef is a good source of zinc, which is helpful for preventing the damage to blood vessel walls, which can contribute to atherosclerosis and is also needed for the proper functioning of immune system…and egg noodles are rich in iron, calcium and vit.A..

Ingredients per bowl:

• 80 gms egg noodles
• 120 gms cooked beef brisket with carrots
• 2 pcs of bok choy leaves
• approx 1 1/2 cup of beef soup stock
• toasted garlic

Ingredients for Beef Brisket: serves 6-8 persons

• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1 medium onions (sliced)
• 1 kl beef brisket (cut in bite size)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup kikoman / soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red bean curd
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 pcs cinnamon bars (wrapped in a tea bag)
• 5 pcs star anise
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stalk celery (chopped)
• 2 pcs carrots (sliced bite size)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• slices of onion leeks for toppings

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, bring to boil beef, water, celery, star anise, cinnamon bars & onions for 30 minutes or until beef is tender.
• In a separate pan, saute garlic, hoisin sauce, red bean curd, carrots and seasoned with salt & pepper, kikoman, sugar.
• remove cinnamon bars and add in your sautéed ingredients. Boil for another 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
• You can serve in a bowl of steamed rice or topped to egg noodle soup and garnish with onion leeks.
• Enjoy!!

Sinigang na Baka (beef in sour soup)

Sinigang na baka(beef sour soup)…Like philippines famous adobo cooking syle..you can also cook this with chicken(sinampalukan), Pork, fish(sinigang sa miso), shrimp and more….Its a health soup compose of meats and vegetables.It’s a complete one dish meal!!!..Did you know that the nutrients found in sour soup are 100 times more effective in inhibiting cancerous tumor growth than other foods. . . because it was made with its natural flavor of vegetables and meats…

Ingredients:

• 1 kl of  beef (mix of meat & bones)
• 1.5 liters of water
• 1 medium onions (quartered)
• 2 tbsp of ginger slices
• 2 pcs of medium tomatoes (quartered)
• 4 pcs string beans (cut 2 inches approx)
• 2 bunch of bok choy(optional) or kangkong preferably
• 5 pcs ocra
• 1 small raddish (sliced
• 1 pc of egg plant (sliced)
• 1 pck of sinigang mix (for 1.5 liter mix) / or 100 gms crushed sampalok (tamarind) 

* please slice your vegetables evenly

Procedures:

• In a large sauce pan, boil beef with water and onions & ginger approx 45 minutes or until tender.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cooked for about 2-3 minutes and serve hot. Dont over cook veggies.
• serve with fish sauce with chillies on the side.
• Enjoy!!!!

Pesa (fish stew)

My wife’s favorite cooking method for fish…It’s a fish stew with some vegetables like, tomatoes, ginger, cabbages or bok choy. Simply boil it and that’s it. The proper way of eating this menu is first, get a saucer and place a piece of chilli and fish sauce then smashed the boiled tomatoes. This will serve as your dipping sauce for the fish and vegetables. Everytime my wife cook this, It means, she will have a big DINNER!!!!!……………..Did you know that this fish “Black Snapper” and other fish are good source of Vitamin D, this vitamin is important for metabolizing calcium, which helps maintain bone health.

Ingrdients: good for 2-3 persons

• I whole fish (I use black snapper) seasoned with 1 tbsp salt
• 2 whole tomatoes
• 2 “thumb size like” crushed ginger
• 1 bunch bok choy or cabbage
• 1 medium red onions(quartered)
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 cups water

Procedures:

• Season fish with salt for atleast 3 hours allowing the salt to penetrate ito the fish, set aside
• In a large sauce pan, Boil water and add peppercorns, onions, ginger and fish sauce. then add fish and boil for 10 minutes or until fish is cook, drop in bok choy and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Serve hot.
• Smash tomaotes in a saucer and add chillies and fish sauce, this will serve as your dipping sauce.
• Enjoy!!!

 

Vietnamese Spring Roll

This is our favorite starter when we go to the popular Vietnamese restaurant here in auckland(I will tell the name once they place advertisement on my food blog. hehehehe!), But I think, most of north shore residents knows this restaurant. It’s start with the letter “H”, can you guess my fellow aucklanders?……….Did you know that rice papers are good source of carbohydrates and proteins? Our body needs carbohydrate to deliver all the energy we need as well as our body needs protein for growth, build and repair muscles……

Ingredients: makes 20-25 mini rolls

• 25 pcs mini rice papers
• 100 gms vermicelli noodles
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 3 pcs shallots chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsbp hoisin sauce
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups shrimp stock(from the boiled shrimp shells and heads)
• 1/2 cup cut peeled shrimps
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander
• 100 gms lettuce leaves

Procedures:

• In a wok, heat oil and saute garlic, shallots and shrimps, season with hoisin sauce, salt & pepper. add in shrimp stock and vermicelli and cooked for 2-5 minutes. adjust taste by adding fish sauce then add coriander. set aside and let it cool.
• In a mixing bowl, add water and dip gently rice paper and remove and place to a clean and dry cloth. assemble cooked noodles and fold gently “spring rolls” style.  repeat over 20-25 rolls.
• In a deep fryer, fry spring rolls until golden brown.
• some people prefered not to be fried. I like it crispy.
• In a serving plate, place a lettuce leaves and dipping sauce.
• Best to be wrapped in a lettuce leaves then dip to vinegar sauce. YUM!!!

Dipping sauce:

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 pc fesh chopped chillies

* in a bowl, just mix all ingredients together…….Enjoy!!!

Pita-Pitaka Burger (pita pocket burger)

I remember back in the Philippines, this snack is a famous food inside the mall which you can find in the a food cart. It has many varieties of filling, to name some, they sell tuna chunks, sausages, chicken, veggies and many more….Before I made this, I had a little story, I was watching a television together with my daughter when I saw the little girl preparing this snack, out of curiosity, I just replicate everything she did since I already have a burger patties inside my fridge…..Did you know that pita pocket breads are made with wheat flour, and using wheat flour or cereals in your diet considerably lowers the hazards of heart diseases, owing to its comparatively low-fat content. It also regulates blood glucose in diabetic patients.

Ingredients: makes 4-6 pita burgers

In the plate:

• 3 pcs pita pocket bread
• 3 pcs burger patties
• 3 pcs sliced cheese
• 3 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• some fancy lettuce or mesclun greens
• tomato relish (just saute some onions in little oil and add tomato sauce, salt & pepper).

* using your imagination, assemble the following ingredients nicely…

Burger patties recipes: makes 12-15 patties depending on your desired size

• 500 gms minced beef
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 med minced onions
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• salt & pepper to taste

Procedures:

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients together and form a patties at approx 80-100 gms each
• your choice of cooking method will be, pan fry or grill.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Chicken Teriyaki with Yasai Itame

Whew!!! Time is really running very quick! This is my 100th recipe posted in this blog. . . . Let’s have a simple Japanese food! Chicken Teriyaki…There are many ways to cook chicken teriyaki, you can grill, fry, cook in griddle and even pan-fried. What really matter most is your teriyaki sauce. My version is flour coated and fried…Usually this cooking style is used in restaurant because you can make your meat looks bigger…Customers sometimes looks for the serving size and their value for money…Did you know that stir-fry vegetables I used in this recipe such as beansprout are a great source of  all types of vitamins (A, B, C, D, E and K), folic acid and are an excellent source of iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc…

Chicken bread mix

• 100 gms chicken meat (tenderize and spread to approx 4 x 3 inches wide)
• flour for breading
• 1 pc egg
• salt & pepper
• oil for frying

* coat chicken meat with flour then dip to egg then dip to flour again, fry until golden brown.

Teriyaki sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce(kikoman)
• 3 cups water
• 100 gms of grilled chicken bones (to get that smokey flavor)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch dissolve in 1 cup water
• salt & pepper
• 1 medium onions
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp hondashe (japanese MSG)
• 1 stalk of celery
• carrots & potato peel (optional) 

Procedures:

• in a separate pan, heat oil and pan grilled chicken bones until darkly cooked. (to get that smokey flavor)
• In a large sauce pan, place all ingredients except cornstarch, sugar and kikoman.. boil for 30 minutes. set aside and strain.
• pour over sugar and kikoman..let it boil and add in cornstarch.. adjust your desired thickness by adding little water. stir well

Yasai Itame: (serves 3-4 persons)

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 medium onions
• 1 small bell pepper
• 100 gms beansprout
• 50 gms carrots Julienne.
• 2 tbsp kiko man
• salt & pepper to taste

Procedures:

• In a wok, heat oil and saute all ingredients together for about 2-3 minutes. serve with chicken teriyaki.   sprinkle with sesame seeds
• Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Hongkong Style – Roast Pork with egg noodle soup

This is our favorite dish at hongkong chinese restaurant, We never missed this noodle soup every time we go there, my family loves it. Its our way of starting our meal, we usually have this our dinner accompanied by Stir-fry Beef with fresh vegetables and steamed white chicken….Did you know that egg noodles is a great substitute for rice, It is high in carbohydrates, which provide energy for the brain and body’s cells and enough to sustain all the energy you need for the day. It is also rich in protein and fat, or those that yield energy in the form of calories.

Ingredients: Good for 3-4 persons

• 200 gms egg noodles soup
• 1 litre pork broth
• 1 bunch bok choy
• 4 pcs pork chop

Pork broth ingredients:

• 500 gms pork bones (to get a smokey flavor – seared pork bones in a pan of hot cooking oil)
• 1 medium onions
• 1 cup onion leeks
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 pcs star anise
• 1 tbsp ground pepper

Roast Pork ingredients:

• 500 gms pork chops / belly
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp tomato sauce
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
• salt & pepper
• 3 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda

Procedures:

• In a container, mix all ingredients except the pork, mix well.
• Add in pork and rub evenly. cover container and marinade for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
• roast pork at 180 degree celsius for 30 minutes
• serve hot with egg noodle soup
• enjoy!!!