BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN AND CRAB FRIED RICE

Ok I admit it, I'm obviously a fan of this sweet meat called pork. I do eat my vegetables but I am more of a meat person. And my meat of preference? That glistening, fat laden, tender, juicy cut of porcine goodness. When we came here in America I vehemently experienced pork withdrawal that even a bowl of chicken adobo can't cure. Good thing there's good ol' bacon. Fried bacon for breakfast, bacon on my salad, bacon on my pasta, bacon in my sandwich.... bacon.. bacon.. bacon.
I've tried chicken liver, shrimps and asparagus wrapped in bacon so why not chicken.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken
What's in it:
2 pcs. Chicken Breasts cut into 1/2 inch strips
Bacon (I prefer the honey cured or maple flavored)
1 tbsp Lemon juice
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper

How It's Done:
Mix salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pour lemon mixture over chicken, mix to coat the strips. Wrap bacon by winding spirally on chicken strips. Shallow fry on medium heat.

Crab Fried Rice
What's in it:
4 c. Cooked (boiled) rice
1/2 c. Cooked crab meat
2 cloves Garlic minced
1/2 Onion diced
2 Eggs (scrambled, fried and cut into thin strips)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. cooking oil
Salt

How It's Done:
Saute garlic in oil until light brown. Add in onion and saute until translucent. Put in soy sauce then rice. Mix until soy sauce is evenly distributed over the rice. Put crab meat and eggs. Add salt to taste. Continue cooking and mixing for 5 min.

CRAB LUMPIA (Spring Rolls)

As you may know by now, I don't really measure the ingredients I use with many of the dishes I cook. Especially with those that call for a mixture of ground meat, minced vegetables, spices etc. To be made into patties, rolls or loafs. It's mostly a trial and error thing for me. What I usually do is to mix the ingredients, fry a small sample and see if I got the right balance of flavor.
For this dish, I tried searching for a Lumpiang Alimango recipe in the web but the results I got were not much to my liking. So I just thought of ingredients that can go with the crab and still get an end product that will be in the likeness of lumpiang shanghai. And yet, at the same time it will boldly announce with each bite that it's crab meat in there.

What's In It: (please note that all measurement are by approximation only adjust as you please)
2 c cups Crab meat
1/2 cup minced Onion
1 tbsp. finely minced Garlic
1 Potato finely diced
1 stalk Celery finely diced
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 Egg beaten
Spring roll (Lumpia) wrapper

How It's Done:
Mix all ingredients (except lumpia wrapper of course). Wrap lumpia. Fry until golden brown. Serve with sweet and sour dipping sauce.

For this lumpia we used the store bought sweet chili sauce that can usually be found at asian stores/supermarkets.

SEMI-HOME MADE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Isa munang buntong hininga

I asked my L what he remembered about this cake. He answered me "Nothing." Oh men! I think my L has really turned ulyanin (forgetful). I had to remind him that it was the same cake that his brother had requested that I teach his wife (my SIL) before we moved here to the US of A. Well, I never got to. Even when we went to the Philippines for a vacation. It's a very complicated situation and a story only fit for tele-novelas.
Enough of that. On to our cake.

What's In It:
Pineapple rings, reserve syrup
Brown sugar
Cake mix
Butter

How It's Done:
Make a thin syrup with reserved pineapple syrup and brown sugar. Grease baking pan with butter. Arrange pineapple rings at the bottom of pan. Pour in syrup. Make cake batter according to package instructions. Pour in cake batter over pineapple rings and bake. Cool baked cake before inverting to serving plate.

CHICKEN INASAL

Isa munang buntong hininga

Time to marinate again. Nothing like a good mixture of liquids and spices seeping into every grain of meat to give that unique and intense flavor. Am I into too much of that marinade stuff or what?!
Anyhoo, always remember to taste your marinade first so you can adjust the seasonings before putting in the meat. Why before and not after adding the meat you ask? Well, have you tasted a marinade with RAW meat in it? Trust me you don't want to 'coz it tastes like....ewww!

What's In It:
Chicken pieces

Marinade:
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Coconut vinegar
Lemongrass
Garlic
Lemon juice
Cracked black pepper

Basting sauce:
Star margarine
Achuete oil
Soy sauce

Dipping sauce:
Coconut vinegar
Garlic
Onion
Chili pepper

Combine all ingredients for marinade. Marinate chicken for 3-4 hours. Grill chicken and baste generously.
Serve with garlic rice and dipping sauce on the side.

STEAK AND POTATO STIR FRY

Isa munang buntong hininga

What's In It:
Steak
Salt
Pepper
Potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
Salt
Pepper
Steak sauce

How It's Done:
Season steak and potatoes with salt and pepper. Shallow fry potatoes until sides are golden brown. Set aside. Remove oil from pan. Brown sides of steak and cook according to desired done-ness. Set aside and let rest. Cut steak into chunks. Bring back steak and potatoes to pan. Flavor with steak sauce.

PAN FRIED RIBEYE STEAK WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

Isa munang buntong hininga

What's In It:
Ribeye steak
Salt
Pepper

Mushroom gravy:
Button mushrooms, sliced
Beef broth
Flour
Butter

How It's Done:
Season steak with salt and pepper. Pan fry both sides of steak. Cook as preferred.
Remove oil from pan. In the same pan add 1 tbsp. of butter and sautee button mushroom. Add in flour. Pour beef broth and stir to get smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

CHICKEN ALA BISTEK TAGALOG

Isa munang buntong hininga

I wasn't able to measure the ingredients again. But don't sweat it this is just a very easy-peasy recipe. You just have to make sure you got the marinade right. How? Well simple, mix the marinade and do a taste test before putting in the meat. That way you have a clue on how your bistek will taste like. If this step fails you can always adjust the seasoning during cooking.

What's In It:
Chicken pieces
Soy sauce
Calamansi/Lemon juice
Onion
Garlic
Salt
Pepper

How It's Done
Mix soy sauce, calamansi juice and onion.Marinate chicken in soy -calamansi marinade for 30mins to an hour. Fry garlic in 1 tbsp oil unti browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add in chicken slightly brown sides. Pour in marinade and simmer until chicken are fully cooked. Adjust seasoning. Stir in garlic bits before serving.

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN STEW

Isa munang buntong hininga

What's In It:
4 pcs. Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
1/4 Onion, sliced
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Bell Pepper, sliced
2 stalks Celery, sliced
1 can Pineapple chunks, reserve syrup
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
3 tbsp. Tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Chicken Stock

How It's Done:
Combine pineapple syrup, soy sauce and tomato paste. Marinate chicken in pineapple-soy mixture for an hour. Saute garlic and onion. Add in bell pepper, celery and carrots. Put in chicken with marinate. Simmer until chicken is cooked through. Add pineapple chunks and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper.

BEEF PARES

Isa munang buntong hininga

It's not exactly like the BEEF PARES you are familiar with but more of a cross between PARES and ASADO. It's because I've omitted an ingredient - star of anise. To others ,the star of anise may give more depth to the flavor of this dish but for now I prefer it this way. But don't let this "lacking" (or the photo) discourage you to try the dish. This is still a keeper despite the missing ingredient.Maybe next time I'll make the real roadside carinderia PARES when I've come into terms with this spice's scent and taste.

What Went Into It:
2 lbs. Beef, cut into chunks
2 tbsp. Oil
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Onion, chopped
1 tbsp. Ginger, minced
1/2 c. Soy sauce
1/3 c. Vinegar
2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Flour/ Cornstarch slurry, 2tbsp. flour dissolved in 4 tbsp water

How It Was Done:
Fry garlic bits in oil until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown beef in oil.Set aside.
Remove excess oil from pan. Saute onion and ginger. Add in sot sauce , vinegar, worcestershire and brown sugar. Put beef back in pan and simmer until tender. Add water if needed. Thicken sauce/gravy with flour slurry. Garnish with fried garlic bits before serving.