Homemade Camote Q

Sweet Potato with crystalized sugar is one of the popular snacks in the Philippines, it is put in the bamboo skewers and we simply called it camote cue. I learned to cooked it as early as 9 years old, because it is very popular in our time that's why I am interested to learn how to cook it at a very young age. Simple and easy to prepare, this is how I do it.

Ingredients

2 medium size sweet potatoes ( sliced to your desired size)
oil for frying
sugar

Sweet Potato

Procedure: 
1. Heat the oil
2. Put some slices of the sweet potatoes then fry until it start to be brownish in color then put some sugar.
3. Stir every now and then specially when the sugar starts to be melting, stir well until done. Then remove and do the same procedure with the rest of the sweet potatoes.
4. Serve hot with your favorite drinks.

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao  means being stir fried, and has a sweet spicy sauce usually with peanuts. This cooking method originated in in the Szechuan province of China and is popular with chicken ingredients. The Kung Pao chicken is one of the most popular Chinese recipe in Chinese cuisine but this has many regional variations. The one that I tried is a Chinese Western version, making it less spicy. This is simple and easy to prepare so please do not hesitate to try. Enjoy your cooking.

Ingredients:
   1/2 kilo chicken breast ( cut into chucnks or cubes)
    2 stalks spring onion ( chopped)
    2 tablespoons oil
    1 tablespoon chopped garlic
    1 tablespoon rice wine
    1 tablespoon ginger strips
    1/2 cup peanuts
    1 teaspoon rice vinegar
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    1 tablespoons brown sugar
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne or chili powder
    1  tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Procedure:
1. Marinate the chicken with  rice wine, soy sauce and corn starch, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile, over high heat saute the ginger, then garlic when its brownish add the marinated chicken until 80 percent cook, stirring ocassionally.
3. In a bowl mix all the ingredients for the sauce: vinegar, sugar, chili powder and dissolved cornstarch then pour in to the chicken, and continue stirring until the sauce thickens and done.
4. Add the peanuts and spring onion stir well until coated.
5. Serve it hot with rice.

Sauteed Beef with Carrots and Potatoes

A simple beef recipe, but it will leave your taste buds satisfied. I cooked this very simply by just sauteing the beef anduntil tender. Economical and the time preparation is short, therefore I recommend this recipe for you to try.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo beef
2 carrots
3  potatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 bell pepper
3 stalks spring onion for garnishing
ground pepper according to your taste
salt to taste
water

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the beef and saute for 5 minutes or until the pinkish color is gone.
2. Add the soy sauce, and ground pepper then simmer, add water that is enough to make the beef tender.
3. Add the carrots and potatoes then simmer until cooked.
4. Add the bell pepper and simmer for 2 minutes, then add salt if necessary.
5. Turn off the heat then serve, topped with spring onions.

Greek Rice

I saw and tasted this from a buffet restaurant and asked the waiter what is the name for that dish and he said Greek Rice, I browsed the internet about this, and there are lots of different recipes for this. This is my version of Greek rice.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice
1 onion (minced)
1 carrot (minced)
red bell pepper (minced)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup minced cooked chicken breast
2 tablespoons oil 
1/2 teaspoon chicken powder
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. In a pan, over medium heat, saute onion until brownish, then add the carrots, bell pepper, chicken breast and chicken powder then simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the rice and mix well, then add salt to taste. 
3. Simmer for 2 minutes, add the raisins and mix well, then serve hot. 

You can add some green peas, pineapple tidbits, corn kernel and sweet ham for this recipe.

Braised Pork Ribs

Braised pork ribs with a tasty sauce is a delight to your taste buds. This is very flavorful, so I am sure that your love ones will love this. Braising is a method of cooking where in you brown the meat before you cook it thoroughly, giving a nice color when it is cooked and it also allow the meat to lock in the flavor while cooking. Try tis cooking method sometimes and you will see the difference.

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork ribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon chilli flakes ( optional)
ground pepper

Pork Ribs

Procedure:
1. Marinate the ribs with pineapple juice, soy sauce, and ground pepper for an hour, then remove and set aside the marinating sauce because we are going to use it.
2. Heat a little oil in a pot then braise the ribs, after braising move the ribs at the side of the pot so that we can saute the garlic. After sauteeing the garlic pour in the marinating sauce then simmer for few minutes.

3. Add the water and chili flake then cover, stirring occasionally until it is tender. When it is already tender and still soupy, increase the heat until the soup is gone. Making the ribs saucy and savory.
4. Sprinkle with some toasted garlic and spring onion then serve.

Sweet and Sour Whole Tilapia

Lately I am practicing how to make a sweet and sour that is just lightly sweet because there is one person who loves sweet and sour but he said mine is too sweet :D I think this one is just right. I hope I can get the taste that he wanted.

Ingredients:
2 Fried whole tilapia ( fry it with salt so that we will not put salt later)
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1/2 cup of diced bell peppers (assorted color if available)
1 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon ginger juice ( shred the ginger then extract the juice)
1 tablespoons lime or calamansi juice

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic, onion and tomatoes then, add all the ingredients except the fried fish, let simmer for few minutes.
2. Add the fish and simmer until the sauce thickens.
3. Serve hot.

Beef Eggplant

A delicious eggplant and beef recipe that I copied from my Chinese friend in Thailand, when I was in there, some few years ago, I always request this dish from my Chinese friend who is an expert of this, she said the original recipe for this is really spicy. In this recipe I omitted the chilli paste. You can put some if you are a hot and spicy food lover.

Ingredients:
200 grams beef ( cut thinly)
500 grams eggplant
4 cloves garlic
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Procedure
1. Boil the beef until tender and cut thinly, then save the broth(sabaw) because we will be using it later.
2. Saute the garlic then add the beef and soy sauce simmer for few minutes then add the broth and bring to boil.
3. Once boiling, increase the heat then add the eggplant, stir until cooked.
4. Add the oyster sauce and simmer for 2 minutes then turn off the heat.
5.Sprinkle with spring onion and serve it hot.

If oyster sauce and hoisin sauce are not available just add more soy sauce and a little sugar.