HOMEMADE KIKIAM

SINIGANG NA PORK BELLY

PORKSTEAK

Isa munang buntong hininga

What's In It:
porkchops
lemon juice
soy sauce
onion slices
garlic
salt
pepper

How It's Done:
Marinate porkchops in the mixture of soy, lemon juice and onion for at least an hour. Saute garlic. Put in porkchops and slightly brown sides. Pour the marinade. Cover pan and simmer until meat is tender. season with salt and cracked black pepper.

BREADED PORK CHOPS

Isa munang buntong hininga

What's In It:
porkchops
flour
paprika
salt
pepper

How It's Done:
Season porkchops with salt, pepper and paprika. Also, season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge meat in flour and set inside fridge for at least 30 min. Deep fry meat in hot oil.

Dumpling and Shrimp Soup

Nope, it's not wonton or siomai soup. What I made were really dumplings, used the circular wrappers pa nga e, which I planned to cook gyoza style (commonly known here as pot-stickers). But it was raining that day and I could sense that my husband would more likely appreciate to have some hot soup. So what else is there to do but make soup of the dumplings

Dumpling and Shrimp Soup

Filling for the Dumpling:
ground pork
shrimps, chopped
carrots grated
green onion, chopped
a few leaves of kinchay, chopped
1 egg
soy sauce
salt
pepper

As usual I didn't measure the ingredients again but when in doubt fry small portions of the mixture to test and adjust the taste. Place filling on half of the wrapper and fold to cover, it should look like half-moons or empanada like in shape. Seal with water or egg-wash (mixture of beaten egg with a little water.

Boil 2 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups water in a pot. When the water is boiling add the dumplings. Let boil for 5 min. more then add pieces of shrimps and sliced carrots. Lastly, add the chinese cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with green onion.

Lumpiang Shanghai

Lumpiang Shanghai

I did'nt really measure the ingredients for this recipe especially with the seasonings. I just try to adjust the taste by frying small portions of the lumpia mixture and then I let my tongue decide if it lacks a little more of something.
Approximately the main ingredients consist of a pound of ground pork, 1 whole carrot grated, 1 large onion chopped, 4-5 stalks of celery (preferably with leaves ) chopped and 2 eggs. The seasonings would be salt , ground black pepper, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
It's best to wrap the mixture immediately since it tends to get watery after some time because of the juices from the meat and vegetables.
Deep fry in oil at medium heat till it turns golden brown then drain in paper towels.

Almondigas With Sotanghon

Almondigas with Sotanghon

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped (reserve ½ tbsp.)
4 gloves garlic, finely minced (reserve 1 tsp.)
½ c. carrot, finely chopped
1 tsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp. flour
1 egg, well beaten
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Sotanghon noodles (bean threads)
Chicken stock
1 carrot, sliced into 1/8” rounds or julienned
6-8 leaves of baguio pechay, sliced

Soak sotanghon noodles in water. Set aside.
Mix all ingredients for the meatballs. (I usually check if the seasoning is right by frying a small portion.Then taste and adjust)
Lightly sauté reserved garlic and onion. Pour in stock. When it starts boiling drop in the meatballs (I use two spoons to form the meatballs). When the meatballs change color add the carrots and sotanghon noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Add baguio pechay . Simmeun til pechay leaves wilt a llttle. Turn off heat. Serve hot.

Bicol Express

Just went to the asian store for new provisions which, I hope, will last for at least a month (should be considering how far the store is from here). I chanced upon these long green peppers, similar to our siling haba in the Philippines, which I planned to use in making pinangat . Pinangat, the one I'm familiar with, is a dish of fish cooked in ginger and a little vinegar. One of these days I'll post the recipe if I'm able to cook it.
Back to the siling haba. They were pre-packed and each pack was almost a pound each. If I do use some for pinangat and maybe sinigang there will still be a lot left. So I made Bicol Express.
Over dinner, my hubby was explaining that there were other versions of bicol express some of which has gabi or dilis or other small fish. Well, this is the version of bicol express I know.

Bicol Express

Bicol Express

1 lb. Pork belly, diced finely (close to to a coarse chop)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 medium Onion, chopped
Ginger, sliced into strips
2 Tomatoes, diced
5 Siling haba, de-seeded and sliced
3 Siling labuyo,sliced
2 c. Coconut milk
2 tbsp. Bagoong alamang
Patis
Cooking oil

Saute garlic, ginger, onions and tomatoes. Add pork and cook until slightly browned. Add the bagoong alamang, siling haba and coconut milk. Cook until sauce thickens. Add the siling labuyo. Season with patis.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

What's for dinner? The fridge is telling me it's time to go on a trip to the supermarket again. Looking at the pack of italian meatballs and a few pieces of chicken nuggets, I had a few ideas of what to do with them. But when I checked the pantry there was just a can of tomato sauce, a can of pineapple chunks, two cans of condensed milk, a bottle of peanut butter and some brown sugar. Surely there's something that I can do with the tomato sauce. So I cooked sweet and sour meatballs. It was the most logical choice at that time and was quite easy to cook too. Good thing I also have a piece of bell pepper left.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Ready-made meatballs
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 c tomato sauce
Green bell pepper, cut into squares
1 small can pineapple chunks, drain and reserve juice/syrup
Salt
Pepper
Sugar

Saute garlic and onion in pan. Add meatballs and sauté until meatballs turn a little brownish in color. Put bell pepper. Add tomato sauce and pineapple syrup. Simmer for at least 15 min. Season with salt and pepper. Add sugar according to taste.

Braised Pork and Potato Wedges

Not too much of a story here. I just thought of braising the last pieces of pork neck bones in the fridge . I ususally cook pork with bones either as sinigang or nilaga (that's how my husband likes it and the kids like the sabaw)

Braised Pork and Potato Wedges

Braised Pork

Pork ribs (or neck bones)
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 medium Onion, sliced
2 tbsp Cooking oil

Marinade:
Pineapple syrup, from 1 can pineapple chunks (reserve pineapples for future use)
4 tbsp Soy sauce
4 tbsp Barbeque marinade
1 ½ tbsp Brown sugar
½ tsp fresh ground Black pepper

Combine ingredients for marinade. Marinate pork for at least an hour. Saute garlic in oil. Add in pork and brown sides. Put in onion. Pour in marinade and simmer until pork is tender and sauce thickens. Serve w/ potato wedges on the side.

Potato wedges:

3 medium Potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp cooking oils
2 tbsp butter
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Adobo powder mix
Cornstarch

Season potatoes w/ adobo mix. Lightly dredge in cornstarch. Heat oil in pan. Add butter. Place potatoes one at a time. Fry potatoes until done. A dash of salt may be added before transferring to plate.