Category Archives: homemade

Ginisang Collard Greens – Sauteed Filipino Style

#filipino #vegetarian #realfood #foodie

Collard greens are readily available in any grocery store, and may be a more accessible substitute for more familiar vegetables such as bokchoy and string beans. It’s very versatile because of its ease in preparation, neutral taste and texture, so it can easily be used for many Filipino vegetable dishes.

“Ginisa” in Filipino means to saute, and that’s really the only thing I did to this dish, other than “make it Filipino” by adding fish sauce as a flavor base. That’s pretty much it, no frills and no fanciness. But let me share the easy prep anyway:

Remove the central vein of each collard leaf using a knife.

Cut it up into strips.

Cut further into smaller strips and squares.

Start with some onions and oil.

Add collards and mix around. Season with fish sauce. Cover and let simmer.

Collards take a while to achieve the desired consistency, about 30-45 minutes on low-medium heat.

Voila. Was that so hard? This is a great side dish for adobo, pata tim, bistek, or fish.

Adobo Sauce Pancit Canton

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#filipino #foodie #pinoy #pancit

“Pancit” is the Filipino term for noodles. Pancit canton is a stir-fried dish with egg noodles, vegetables, meat and broth. My variation involves the use of leftover adobo sauce in place of the broth. I find that it gives the noodles a rich and layered taste. It’s also a great way to use leftover adobo sauce after all the meat has been devoured and one feels bad throwing the rest of the pot away. I usually keep the sauce in the freezer to make pancit later on. Here’s how I turned a couple of leftovers into a noodle dish that is pretty damn tasty to bust out some chopsticks to! P.S. If you don’t have adobo sauce, you can replace it with chicken or vegetable broth and supplement it with soy sauce or fish sauce to taste.

1/2 head small cabbage, cut into strips. Bunapi and maitaki mushrooms (in place of meat).

Use chopped carrots too, when available.

Chopped leftover brussels sprouts from another dish,

Brussels Sprouts and Garlic

Chopped onion and garlic

1 lb package pancit canton (egg noodles)

Leftover adobo sauce, chilled and coagulated.

Saute onion and garlic.

Scoop 2 tablespoons adobo sauce until liquid.

Add the cabbage and brussels sprouts (ideally carrots too, if available)

Saute vegetables.

When vegetables are almost cooked, add mushrooms.

If using meat, saute it shortly after garlic and onions.

Add about 1 cup of adobo sauce and allow to melt.

Add the noodles.

Coat the noodles with sauce by mixing the vegetables with the noodles.

Noodles are cooked when soft and moist. Add sauce or water if needed, depending on taste.
Drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil to coat the noodles for added aroma.

Done! This looks better with sauteed carrots but alas, I didn’t have any when I made this.

I sprinkled some fried garlic pieces and chives (in place of scallions, when available).

Serve with lemon slices on the side.

Odds-and-Ends Beef Stew

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I like making a beef stew out of odds and ends in the fridge, leftover ingredients and whatever is around the house. The basic principle is to slow cook a good piece of beef in broth and some tomato paste or sauce, and adding some vegetables or beans later on. For this particular stew we added some lima beans and sausage.

Beef stew with lima beans, side of truffled quinoa, avocado and arugula.

Season a piece of beef shank with salt and pepper.

Cut up some onions and ripe tomatoes.

In a hot pot with oil and butter, sear the meat on both sides.

When brown, add onions and saute.

Add tomatoes.

Add 1 cup of broth or water and beef bouillon.

I love this squeezable tomato paste. I used about 1 tablespoon.

Simmer on low for about 2 hours.

Add some green bell peppers and cut up sausage and cook until meat is fall-apart tender.

Some lima beans (potato and carrot are also good additions)

Cook quinoa on the side.

Toss quinoa in a drizzle of truffle oil, top with sliced avocado and arugula.

Voila – odds and ends beef stew!

All’s well that ends well. I think I might use the leftover stew as a pasta topper!

Bistek Filipino Porkchops

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“Bistek” is a Filipino term that usually means a meat cooked in soy sauce, onions, and lemon juice. Here is our quick and easy bistek pork chop recipe :