Bagnet Salad

Bagnet is a crispied pork in the Ilocos region of Philippines, they have a process in making it and I will post that soon, but for this recipe I used the simplest way. I hope you will try this delicious recipe.

Ingredients:
1/4 kilo pork belly
1 piece cucumber
1 onion ( sliced thinly)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 chili pepper ( chopped)
1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice

Procedure:
1.Slice the pork belly into bits then put in a pan and wait until its oil comes out then stir until golden brown and crispy, this is what the Ilocanos called "bagnet". Remove from the oil then set aside.

2. Slice the cucumber then mix all the ingredients properly.

3. Serve with a smile :-) .

Four Cheese Penne

Simple pasta recipe that I like a lot, the blending of the cheese flavors are excellent! Try it.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo Penne Pasta ( cooked according to packaging procedure)
1 cup Kraft quick melt cheese(grated)
1/2 cup   muzarella cheese ( grated)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
 1 cup cheddar Cheese ( grated)
1 1/2 cup evaporated or fresh milk
1/2 cup diced sweet ham
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. After cooking the pasta drain and place it in a pan then put the butter, muzarella cheese, quick melt cheese, cheddar cheese and milk then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, once simmering adjust the heat to low, then simmer for few minutes until all the cheese are melted and well blended.
2. Add the diced sweet ham, salt and pepper to taste then simmer until done.
3. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese then serve or bake in a pre-heated oven at 180º for 15 minutes until the top is golden and crispy. Serve hot.

You can adjust all the ingredients according to your taste.

Kutsinta

Kutsinta is one of the most popular dainties (kakanin) in the Philippines and this is one of my favorite too. Very simple and easy to cook. In this photo one in orange has annato or atsuete powder the transparent one has no atsuete powder or coloring.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 cup  sugar
1 tsp annatto powder ( atsuete)
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon lye water


Procedure:
1. Sift all the dry ingredients then combine everything and pour into molders and steam for 15-20 minutes or until done.
2. Remove from steamer then allow few minutes to cool before removing from the molders then serve with or without grated coconut.

To save time, prepare the steamer while you are preparing the kutsinta mixture, so that the water is already boiling after the preparation and you can steam right away.

If rice flour is not available you can cook kutsinta using all purpose flour only

OPTION #1
Kutsinta without lye water 

OPTION#2
 Kutsinta without lye water 2

Ginisang Talbos ng Camote wih Sardines

I remember this dish when I was young (25 years ago) that's why when I saw the sweet potato garden of my friend I was so eager to cook this, she asked me  "why?" I said "because I missed this recipe from my mom so much" then we smiled at each other.

Ingredients:
Camote tops (talbos ng camote) cut and cleaned
3 cloves garlic
1 can sardines

Talbos ng camote

Procedure:
1.Saute the garlic then add the sardines and simmer for two minutes.
2. Increase the heat then add the "talbos ng camote" stir until done.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste then serve it hot.

Pineapple Chicken Bits

Simple and easy to cook chicken recipe that is delicious and economical. Try this.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo Chicken breast
1 cup pineapple tidbits
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolve in 1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1.Saute the garlic and onion then add the chicken and saute until the pinkish color is gone.
2. Add the soy sauce then simmer for a minute.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil, then add the pineapple, salt and pepper to taste, simmer for few minutes until cooked.
4. Add the dissolved corn starch then simmer for a minute and turn off the heat.
5. Serve hot with rice.

Pritong Tilapia at Talong

re-cooked March 1, 2014

Simple and delicious Pinoy combo meal , I am craving for this now :-).

This is very easy to prepare, just slice the eggplants then fry it.
To fry the fish, clean it thoroughly slice then sprinkle with salt, heat the oil then deep fry until golden brown.
To add more flavor chop some onion and tomato then put soy sauce and calamansi or vinegar.
Let us eat. 

Pork Asado

So flavorful and aromatic, I used  5 spice for this dish, that makes this different from Pork Adobo and Humba. You will definitely like it so try it now :-).

 Ingredients:
1/2 kilo  pork belly
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
1  cup water
1/2  teaspoon five spice powder
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:
1. Marinade the pork in soy sauce, five spice, Worcester Sauce for at least one hour.
2. Saute the garlic then put the marinated pork belly together with the marinating sauce then allow to boil.
3. Add the water and brown sugar then stir and simmer for few minutes until tender.
4. Once tender, increase the heat to make the sauce evaporate, making the asado just saucy but not dry.
5. Serve hot with rice.

Kutsinta Without Lye Water PArt 2

Kutsinta is one of the delicious dainties ( kakanin) in the Philippines, but making it needs a lye water or lihiya and the problem is, in some places lihiya is not available specially in other countries, and this situation made me find a solution for it and here is the successful attempt of making kutsinta without lye water or lihiya.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup  sugar
1 tsp annatto powder ( atsuete)
2 1/4 cups BAKING SODA SOLUTION

Here is the link on how to make BAKING SODA SOLUTION
http://melyskitchen.blogspot.com.br/2013/05/baking-soda-solution.html

Procedure:
1. Sift all the dry ingredients then combine everything and pour into molders and steam for 30 minutes or until done.
2. Remove from steamer then allow few minutes to cool before removing from the molders then serve with or without grated coconut.

To save time, prepare the steamer while you are preparing the kutsinta mixture, so that the water is already boiling after the preparation and you can steam right away.


If rice flour is not available just replace it with all purpose flour

Pichi Pichi

Pichi pichi is one of my favorite Filipino dainties ( kakanin), I like the savor and firmness of this steamed cassava. The problem in cooking this is the lye water because it is not available in my place, so I studied very  carefully and figured out for a solution then I tried my conclusion for my analysis then it was a success! I made the Baking Soda Solution to replace the lye water or lihiya. The link for BAKING SODA SOLUTION is provided below.

Ingredients
2 cups cassava, grated
1 cup sugar
2 cups BAKING SODA SOLUTION - Click the link to see how to make it, very simple and easy http://melyskitchen.blogspot.com.br/2013/05/baking-soda-solution.html
1 cup coconut, grated

cassava

Grating the cassava

Procedure:
1. In a mixing bowl put together the grated cassava, sugar, baking soda solution then mix well.

2. Put in the molders and steam for 30 minutes or until cooked. If molders are not available steam in a tray/pan until cooked then spoon a portion and roll over grated coconut.
3. After cooking, let cool before removing in the molders for best result, then roll over the grated coconut and serve with a smile :-).

Baking Soda Solution

Some few weeks ago I posted about REDUCED BAKING SODA as a replacement for lye water or lihiya in making kutsinta by baking the baking soda with correct procedure, but not all have oven to do it and they send me emails if there is another solution, so I started to think about it and came up with this.

Now I will share the replacement of lye water or lihiya in cooking pichi pichi, it is very simple to do it. I will call this BAKING SODA SOLUTION, here is the recipe for it.
In every 1 teaspoon of baking soda we put 4 cups of water and allow it to boil over high heat for 5 minutes.
Make sure it will not overflow, so do not leave it unattended.

Allow to cool and keep in a safe place. This is now ready to be used for pichi pichi, kutsinta and any food that needs lye water or lihiya in cooking.

To use this for recipes remove the lye and replace the water with this.

Kutsinta recipe with baking soda solution