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!

Suman sa Lihiya

Filipino Style Recipe: Suman sa lihiya(lye) is another popular Filipino delicacy from southern part of Luzon specially in Batangas Region. Like other suman we will use glutinous rice, but we treated the rice with lihiya(lye water) until the color turns to yellowish. Wrap the rice mixture in banana leaves and cook in a boiling water until done then serve with latik sauce.

Estimated time of preparation: 20 minutes(plus soaking time)
Estimated time of cooking: 1-2 hours

Ingredients:
3 cups glutinous rice(malagkit)
1 tablespoon lye water(lihiya)
banana leaves, cleaned and cut into smaller sized(4×5 inch)
banana leaves, cleaned and cut into bigger sized(8×11 inch)
cotton strings or any food-safe string
brown sugar or latik for dipping

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, place glutinous rice and water then soak for at least 3 hours.
2. Drain water then pour lye water. Mix well until color turns to yellowish.

Part 2
1. Singe the banana leaves into flames for a few seconds but do not burn. Let it cool then wipe with clean cloth.

Part 3
1. Arrange the bigger leaf(topside down) on a flat surface then place the smaller leaf(topside up) in the center of bigger leaf.
2. Scoop 3 tablespoons of rice mixture on smaller leaf, fold the leaf to wrap the rice mixture.
3. Grab 2 pieces of wrapped rice mixture then tie with folded sides together using cotton string.

Part 4
1. In a big pot, arrange the pieces then pour enough water to cover the wrapped rice mixture.
2. Bring to boil in a low heat for at least 1 1/2 hours or until done.
3. Unwrap then transfer to serving plate. Serve with latik.

For the latik recipe, please visit http://filipinostylerecipe.com/2013/11/latik-sweetened-coconut-sauce/

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.

Adobo Pasta

Filipino Style Recipe: Adobo pasta or pork adobo pasta is another delicious and tasty pasta made of Filipino adobo. This is another innovation on how to recycle the left-over adobo. This dish is very simple and easy to follow, normally the adobo meat shredded into flakes then saute until brown and crisp. Then toss in pasta together with black olives and spring onion. If pork adobo is not available,

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

Ingredients:
400 grams spaghetti pasta or any pasta
1/2 kilo pork adobo(preferably left-over), shredded into flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup black olives, sliced(optional)
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (optional)
chopped spring onion for garnishing(optional)

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

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat oil then saute garlic until light brown.
2. Add adobo flakes and chili flakes then stir fry until brown and crisp.
3. Add pasta, black olives, olive oil, salt and pepper then toss to coat.
4. Turn off the heat then transfer to serving plate and garnish with spring onion. Serve.