Ginataang Kalabasa Or Squash Cooked in Coconut Milk

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 1 hour

* 1 kilo squash, cut into cubes (1"x1")
* 1/4 kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined
* 3 pieces tomatoes, diced
* 2 onions, chopped
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons of ginger root, crushed and minced
* 4 tablespoons of cooking or olive oil
* 2 pieces long chilli peppers
* 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste (bagoong)
* 2 cups coconut milk
* 1 cups coconut cream (katang gata)
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (patis)

Cooking Instructions:

1. On a big pan, heal oil. Sauté garlic, onions until light brown then add ginger, cook until onions become translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes, squash, chicken stock, shrimp paste and the coconut milk. Let boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the squash becomes tender.

3. Add the coconut cream, long chilli peppers and the shrimps. Bring again to a boil and simmer for a few more minutes.

4. Serve hot with plain rice.

Ginataang Kalabasa Cooking Tip:

* This ginataan recipe can be used on any vegetable, combination of vegetables, fish or meat.

Mixed Vegetables Or Pakbet

Estimated cooking time: 35 minutes

* 1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces
* 2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces
* 2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces
* 5 pieces of okra, cut in two
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 2 onions, diced
* 5 tomatoes, sliced
* 1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced
* 4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang
* 3 tablespoons of oil
* 1 1/2 cup water
* Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a cooking pan, heat oil and fry the pork until brown, remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

2. On the same pan, saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.

3. In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.

4. Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéed garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add in all the vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done, careful not to overcook.

6. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve hot with plain rice.

Chopsuey

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 45 minutes.

* 1/4 kilo pork, sliced into small pieces
* 1/4 kilo shrimps, shelled, deveined and halved
* 1/4 kilo chicken liver and gizzard, sliced to small pieces
* 1/4 kilo cauliflower, broken to bite size
* 1/4 kilo string beans
* 1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro)
* 1/4 kilo cabbage, cut into squares
* 2 stalks of leeks, cut into 2" long pieces
* 3 stalks celery, cut into 2" long pieces
* 5 cloves garlic, diced
* 2 onions, diced
* 1 carrot, sliced thinly
* 1 piece red bell pepper, cut in strips
* 1 piece green bell pepper. cut in strips
* 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
* 2 cups chicken stock (broth)
* 3 tablespoons of sesame oil
* 3 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 4 tablespoons of corn oil or vegetable oil
* Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a big pan or wok, sauté garlic, onions then add in the pork. chicken liver and gizzard. Add 1 cup of stock, pinch of salt and simmer for 15 minutes or until pork and chicken giblets are cooked.

2. Mix in the shrimp then all the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 cup of stock, patis and the dissolved cornstarch. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are done. Add the sesame oil.

3. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve hot with rice.

Pork Barbeque

Estimated preparation: 20 minutes
Marinating: 30 minutes to 3 hours
Barbecue: 10 to 15 minutes each

* 1 kg. pork
* 20 bamboo skewers
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup of calamansi juice or lemon juice
* 1/2 cup of 7up, sprite or beer (optional)
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons of brown or white sugar
* 1/2 cup of banana or tomato catchup

Cooking Instructions:

1. Cut pork meat into thin and long slices - 1/4 inches thick and less than 2 inches wide.

2. In a mixing bowl, marinate the cut pork with the soy sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions, calamansi juice, ground pepper, sugar, banana catchup and the soda or beer (this tenderizes and adds flavour to the pork barbecue)

3. Mix well and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (turning occasionally).

4. Prepare the bamboo skewers by removing splinters and soaking in water to reduce burning during barbecue.

5. String the pork on the skewers.

6. Over live charcoals, barbecue the pork on skewers until each barbeque is cooked - turning every few minutes on each side and basting the leftover marinate on the barbecue.

Pork Menudo

Estimated preparation & cooking time: 50 minutes

* 1/2 kilo pork (cut into small chunks)
* 1/4 kilo pork liver (cut into small cubes)
* 5 pieces chorizo Bilbao (also cut in small pieces)
* 4 potatoes (peeled, cut in small cubes, fried)
* 1 green and 1 red bell pepper (diced)
* 1 cup chickpeas
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 cup pork or chicken stock
* 2 teaspoons of patis (fish sauce)
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 1 tablespoon atsuete oil (optional)
* 3 tomatoes (diced)
* 1 small head of garlic (minced)
* 1 medium size onion (diced)

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a pan or wok, heat cooking oil and atsuete oil.

2. Saute garlic, onion. Then add the pork, liver, chorizo de Bilabo, tomatoes, bell pepper, paprika, patis and the stock.

3. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the pork is tender.

4. Add the chickpeas, potatoes and raisins. Boil of another 2 minutes.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve hot with white rice.

Pork Steak

Estimated time to prepare and cook: 50 minutes

* 3/4 kilo tender pork steaks, sliced
* 1 tablespoon kalamansi or lemon juice
* 5 tablespoons soy sauce
* 3 cloves of garlic
* 1 small piece ginger, crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup onions, sliced in rings
* 4 tablespoons cooking oil

Pork / Beef Steak Cooking Instructions:

1. Marinate the pork or beef steak in kalamansi (lemon) juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and pepper for 30 minutes.

2. In a frying, add cooking oil. Add the marinated pork or beef steak and cook slow until done.

3. Increase heat for a minute or two to brown steaks.

4. Add the sliced onions and continue to cook for another minute.

5. Serve on a platter including the oil and sauce.

6. Best served with hot plain rice.

Crispy Pata

Preparation & drying: 4 hours to 1 day
Estimated cooking time: 20 minutes

* 1 Pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles)
* 1 bottle of soda (7Up or sprite)
* 1 tablespoon of salt
* 2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
* 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
* 1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)
* 4 tablespoons of flour
* Enough oil for deep frying
* Enough water for boiling

Cooking Instructions:

1. Clean the pork pata by removing all hairs and by scraping the skin with a knife. Wash thoroughly.

2. Make four to five inch cuts on the sides of the pata.

3. On a deep stock pot, place the pata in water with soda and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the baking soda and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

4. Remove the pata from the pot and hang and allow to drip dry for 24 hours. An alternative to this is to thoroughly drain the pork pata and refrigerate for a few hours.

5. After the above process, rub patis on the pata and sprinkle flour liberally.

6. In a deep frying pot, heat cooking oil and deep fry the pork pata until golden brown.

Crispy Pata Dip Sauce:

Mix 3/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 head of diced onion and 1 hot pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.