Mojito

Filipino Style Recipe: Mojito is a popular cocktail drink from Cuba. This beverage is also known as Cuban highball and become a popular summer drink. Mojito is a combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors made of mashed mint leaves, lime juice, white rum, simple syrup and club soda.

Estimated time of preparation: 5 minutes
Good for 1 serving

Ingredients:
6 pieces mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup(1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water)
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons white rum
3 tablespoons club soda or sparkling water
ice cubes

Garnishing:
mint sprig
2 lime slices

Procedures:
1. In a container with lid, lightly mashed mint leaves with lime juice.
2. Add white rum, simple syrup and ice cubes. Cover and shake well for 15 seconds.
3. In a serving glass, add ice then pour mixture then club soda. Garnish with lime slices and mint sprig then serve cold with straw.

Pininyahang Baboy

Filipino Style Recipe: Pininyahang Baboy(Pork with Pineapple) is another mouth-watering dish that is commonly served by Filipinos. This is similar to pininyahang manok but we will use pork instead of chicken. The pork is simmer and cook in pineapple juice together with pineapple chunks, fresh vegetables, and spices. I also added evaporated milk to make a creamy sauce. The tender of pork and the sweet and sour taste of pineapple make this dish irresistible. This is truly a mouth-watering dish.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 30 minutes
Good for 4-5 persons

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork belly, cut into serving pieces
2 red and green bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 medium carrots, cut into cubes
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
fish sauce or salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cooking oil or butter

2 medium potatoes, cut into cubes(optional)
2 cups evaporated milk or coconut milk(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a pan, heat cooking oil and fry carrots and potatoes until light brown. Drain and set aside.

Part 2
1. In the same pan, reduce oil then saute garlic and onion.
2. Add pork then continue sauteing until light brown. Season with fish sauce and pepper.
3. Pour milk and pineapple juice then simmer for 20 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add water if necessary.
4. Add carrots, potatoes and bell pepper then simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Add pineapple chunks, soy sauce and fish sauce according to taste then simmer for another minute.
6. Remove from the heat then transfer to serving bowl. Serve with steamed rice.

Pesang Tilapia

Filipino Style Recipe: Pesang tilapia is an easy and simple fish dish similar to nilaga. Commonly the fish boiled until tender then add onion, leeks, peppercorn, salt, potatoes, bok choy or cabbage.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 20 minutes
Good for 2-3 servings

Ingredients:
1 big-sized tilapia or any fish, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, slice thinly
2 onion leeks, chopped
1 teaspoon peppercorns
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 head cabbage or a bunch of pechay
3/4 liter rice washing or water
salt to taste
1 medium-sized potatoes, quartered(optional)

Procedures:
1. In a pot, heat oil then saute ginger, onion and onion leeks.
2. Add potatoes and peppercorns then continue sauteing for a minute.
3. Pour rice washing and bring to boil then season with fish sauce.
4. Add fish then simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
5. Add cabbage then simmer for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
6. Transfer to serving bowl then serve immediately.

Crispy Fried Kangkong

Filipino Style Recipe: Crispy fried kangkong or water spinach is a delicious and healthy snack dish. The water spinach coated in flour mixture then fry until light brown and crisp. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. This dish should serve immediately after cooking to preserve the crunchiness of water spinach.

Ingredients:
2 bunch fresh water spinach, trimmed and rinse
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
a dash of salt
cooking oil for frying

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt and water but not too watery. Mix until well blended.

Part 2
1. Dip the water spinach leaves one by one in flour mixture until well coated.
2. Dip fry spinach for a 10 seconds or until light brown and crisp.
3. Drain on paper towels and repeat the procedures for remaining pieces. Serve immediately with sour cream dip.

Ampalaya Con Carne

Filipino Style Recipe: Ampalaya con carne is another simple yet healthy dish. Bitter gourd or ampalaya cut into thin slices then cook together with beef strips in a blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper until the ampalaya and beef are tender.

Estimated time of preparation: 15 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 20 minutes
Good for 2-3 persons

Ingredients:
300 grams beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
1 medium-sized bitter gourd(ampalaya), cut in half then removing the seeds and sliced crosswise
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespooon oyster sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sesame oil(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine beef, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper then marinate for an hour.
2. In a separate bowl, combine bitter gourd, 1/4 cup salt and enough water then soak for 15 minutes. Rinse, drain and set aside.

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat oil then stir fry marinated beef for 5 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

Part 3
1. In a same pan, saute garlic, onion and ginger.
2. Add bitter gourd, water and oyster sauce then simmer for 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Put back beef then season with salt and pepper to according to taste.
4. Turn off heat then serve with steamed rice.

Spicy Tuna Pasta

Filipino Style Recipe: Spicy tuna pasta is another easy and simple pasta dish. It is consists of sauteed spicy tuna flakes with tomatoes, chili, garlic, onion and parsley then stir cook together with pasta until done. Spicy tuna pasta is usually serve as meryenda(mid-afternoon snack) or in any special occasion.

Ingredients:
250 grams linguine or any pasta
1 can(185 grams) spicy tuna flakes, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or chopped bird’s eye chili
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(optional)
2 tablespoons sliced black olives(optional)
1 tablespoon capers(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a large pot, prepare the pasta based on cooking instructions. Drain and set aside.

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat olive oil then saute garlic and onion until translucent.
2. Add tomatoes and tuna then continue sauteing for 5 minutes.
3. Add black olives, capers and chili then season with salt and pepper.
4. Add pasta and parsley then stir cook for a minute. Turn off the heat.
5. Arrange spicy tuna pasta into serving plate then sprinkle remaining parsley and top with grated cheese. Serve!

Beef Adobo

Filipino Style Recipe: Beef adobo or adobong baka is another variety of popular Filipino adobo. The beef marinated in a blend of soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt and sugar then cook and simmer with vinegar until meat is tender and the sauce is almost absorb.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes(plus marinating time)
Estimated time of cooking: 50-60 minutes
Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
500 grams beef, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
3 gloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 pieces bay leaves(laurel)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup water
salt to taste

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a pot, combine beef, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns brown sugar, and soy sauce. Marinate for an hour or overnight inside the fridge.

Part 2
1. Pour water then simmer in a low heat for 40 minutes or until beef is tender.
2. Pour vinegar and simmer for another 5 minutes then season with salt and sugar according to taste.
3. Cook until the sauce is almost absorb and start to render oil.
4. Transfer to serving plate then serve with rice.

Crispy Fried Spinach

Filipino Style Recipe: Crispy fried spinach is a delicious and healthy snack dish. The spinach leaves coated in flour mixture then fry until light brown and crisp. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. This dish should serve immediately after cooking to preserve the crunchiness of spinach.

Ingredients:
2 bunch fresh spinach, trimmed and rinse
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
a dash of salt
cooking oil for frying

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt and water but not too watery. Mix until well blended.

Part 2
1. Dip the spinach leaves one by one in flour mixture until well coated.
2. Fry spinach for a 10 seconds each side or until light brown and crisp.
3. Drain on paper towels and repeat the procedures for remaining pieces. Serve immediately with sour cream dip.

Pan Fried Rosemary Chicken with Potato Wedges

Filipino Style Recipe: pan fried rosemary chicken with potato wedges is another easy and simple chicken dish. First, the potato wedges fry into butter until golden brown. Then pan fried chicken seasoned with rosemary, salt and pepper until golden brown. I recommend this dish for those on diet and health conscious.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:
500 grams chicken, cut into serving pieces
4 pieces potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, place chicken then season with rosemary, salt and pepper.

Part 2
1. In a pan, melt butter then fry potato wedges until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
2. In a same pan, Add butter then fry chicken until golden brown and tender. Drain.
3. Arrange fried rosemary chicken and potato wedges in a plate then serve.

Pina Colada Smoothie

Filipino Style Recipe: Pina colada smoothie is a popular beverage from Puerto Rico and most Filipinos are starting to love this beverage. This drink is consists of coconut cream and pineapple then blended in ice cubes together with light rum then garnish with pineapple slices and cherries.

Good for 4 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup coconut cream
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup light rum(optional)
2 cups ice cubes

Garnishing:
4 pineapple slices(optional)
8 maraschino cherries(optional)

Procedures:
1. In a blender, process pineapple slices, coconut cream, light rum and ice cubes for 15 seconds or until smooth.
2. Pour into glasses then garnish with pineapple slices and cherries. Serve cold.

Notes:
1. You may also add condensed milk for sweeter taste.