My All Time Favorite Filipino Dishes

BICOL EXPRESS
The bicol express recipe originally came from Bicol region/Bicolandia (Region V). It is stew made with pork, shrimp paste (bagoong na alamang), onion and garlic, with local red hot chilli peppers (siling labuyo in Philippines) and to be completed with coconut milk (gata ng niyog)

Ingredients
1/4 cup corn oil or olive oil (if you're health conscious)
1 kilo of pork - cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 tablespoon garlic - minced
1/2 cup onions chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger - chopped
1/2 cup of Shrimp paste (Bagoong alamang)
1/2 tablespoon chopped red chili peppers (siling labuyo)
1 1/2 cup fresh red or green bell pepper, sliced diagonally
3 cups coconut milk (preferrably fresh)
salt and pepper

Cooking Procedure:
1. In a pan, fry pork for a few minutes until its brown then put it on the side.
2. Saute garlic in hot oil then add onions and cook until slightly brown.
3. Stir in fresh ginger, and the cooked pork that you've set aside.
4. Add Shrimp paste and chopped hot chilli (siling labuyo).
5. Pour in 6 cups of coconut cream, do not stir and let it boil until the sauce is thick enough.
6. Then add the sliced green and red bell peppers. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes.
7. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

Please note that Red Hot Chilip Peppers can really sting, be careful on the amount of chilis you put.

CHICKEN AND PORK ADOBO
This recipe is one of the most popular regarded as a national dish in the country where in the foreigners are aware and familiar with this food. It is made with chicken and pork meat, onion, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, laurel leaves (dahon ng laurel), chili powder, beer (optional)

Ingredients
1/2 kilo pork cut into servings pieces
1/2 kilo chicken ( a combination of chicken wings or drumstick)
1/2 small garlic head (macerated )
1 tsp. peppercorn (crushed )
1 tbs salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water (enough to cover meat)

Part 1
1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan.
2. Cover and simmer until meat is tender. (If the meat is still tough and there is no more stock add 1/2 cup of water and continue simmering)
3. When the meat is tender, remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan drain and set aside.
4. Put the sauce on a separate pan and set aside.
Part 2
1. On a frying pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and chicken on all sides.
1. When the meat are all brown, transfer to a serving dish.
2. Pour the sauce on the frying pan that you use in frying the meat and bring to a boil for a few minutes
3. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve.
4. Serve hot and eat with plain boiled rice.

For non frying cooking procedure
>Same ingredients
Procedure:
1. Marinate chicken pieces in vinegar, galic, soy sauce, salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes in a bowl.
2. In a uncovered saucepan, boil marinated chicken for at least 10 minutes
3. Add water and bay leaves; boil then let it simmer until sauce thickened or almost dry.
4. Serve with plain cooked rice.

CHICKEN CURRY
This recipe is one of my all time favorite dish, It is commonly serve during special occasion such as fiesta, party, birthday. It is made with chicken meat, curry powder, onion, garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili powder (optional), red and green bell pepper, celery, adding color of potato and carrots and the star of the ingredients coconut milk (gata ng niyog).

Ingredients
2-3 tbsp. oil
3 potatoes, peeled, quartered and fried
1 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, quartered
1 small ginger, minced
1 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
celery choped
3 tbsp. curry powder
salt and pepper
1 cup water
1 red bell pepper, cut into big squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into big squares
1 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk

Cooking Procedure
1. In a saucepan, sauté garlic, and onion
2. Drop the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Stir fry the chicken until light brown. Mix the curry powder and let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Pour coconut milk and drop the potatoes and carrots.Boil for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Drop the bell pepper and season with fish sauce according to taste. Serve hot!

CHIKEN INASAL
This recipe is originally came from Bacolod region in the Philippines. It is made with marinated chicken with accompanied by lemon and lime juice, garlic, black pepper, chili pepper flakes, soda.

Ingredients
1 kilo chicken; breast and wings preferred
4 stalks lemon grass; julienned
1 lemon; juice extracted
1 lime; juice extracted
4 cloves garlic; crushed
2 tablespoons 7-up or Sprite soda
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup annatto seeds
2 tablespoons butter
Chili pepper flakes (optional)
Skewers for grilling
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Cooking Procedure
1. In a bowl, marinate chicken overnight in salt, pepper, garlic, lemon grass, lime and lemon juice, and 7-up or Sprite soda. Set aside.
2. Fry annatto seeds in cooking oil. Let cool, crush, and drain the annatto oil in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Prepare a mixture for bashing by mixing annatto oil, marinade, and butter. Pan boil for few minutes and season with salt if desired. - Filipinos, sometimes, estimate and approximate method of cooking. Experiment, therefore, on your best combination.
4. Skew the chicken and grill over the hot charcoal, brushing it with the mixture once in a while. Grill until done.

BISTEK TAGALOG
This recipe is a Filipino version of "Beef Stake". Simply yet tasty and delicious recipe that everyone has can easily prepare.

Ingredients
1 lb beef sirloin, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 piece lemon or 3 pieces calamansi
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, sliced into rings
3 tbsp cooking oil
salt to taste

Cooking Procedure
1. Marinade beef in soy sauce, lemon (or calamansi), and ground black pepper for at least 1 hour
2. Heat the cooking oil in a pan then stir fry the onion rings until the texture becomes soft. Set aside
3. In the same pan where the onions were fried, fry the marinated beef (without the marinade) until color turns brown. Set aside
4. Put-in the garlic then saute for a few minutes
5. Pour the marinade and bring to a boil.
6. Put in the fried beef and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is tender. Add water as needed.
7. Add the stir-fried onions and some salt to taste.
8. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!

BATCHOY
This recipe is a popular soup in the Philippines from the province of Ilo-ilo and it also known as "La Paz Batchoy. I'm sure once you try this you capture your taste buds.

Ingredients
1/4 kilo pork liver cut in strips
1/4 kilo steamed pork meat cut in strips
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
150 g. egg noodles or miki washed
1 pork cube
4-5 cups of water
1-2 tbsp. fish sauce
a dash of pepper

Optional toppings:
1 stalk celery diced
1/4 cup onion leeks, chopped
1 hard boil egg, sliced
1/4 cup chicharon crushed
calamansi or lemon juice

Cooking Procedures
1. Heat cooking oil in a pan. Saute garlic and onion until fragrant.
2. Add pork liver and pork meat; saute until light brown.
3. Pour in water and drop the pork cube. Season with fish sauce, and a dash of pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer cook over low heat for at least 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender.
4. When meat is tender, place in egg noodles and stir. Let noodles soak for a few minutes until cooked. Turn off heat.
5. Garnish with celery and hard boil egg. Serve with drops of calamansi or lemon.

MENUDO
This Filipino food is popular and it always serve during special occasion. Mixed with vegetable, pork and tasty sauce.

Ingredients
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 Procedure
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.

TINOLANG MANOK
Tinolang manok (Chicken ginger stew) is a popular native Filipino chicken soup. Made with chicken, amargoso leave (dahon ng ampalaya), young papaya or sayote.

Ingredients
1 kilo whole chicken, cut into pieces.
1 small young papaya or sayote, cut into small pieces.
2 tablespoons ginger, crushed and slliced into strips
1/2 cup dahon ng sili (chili leaves) or mallunggay leaves
1 liter of water
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, diced
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)

Cooking Procedure
1. In a stock pot, heat oil and sauté garlic, onion and ginger.
2. Add water and the chicken.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is almost done.
4. Season with patis
5. Add papaya and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until papaya softens but not overcooked.
6. Add sili (chili) leaves then turn off the heat.
7. Serve steaming hot on a bowl with plain rice on the side.

NILAGANG BAKA
Beef stew or nilagang baka is is literally translated as "Boiled Beef". This recipe is all time favorite of many Filipinos a great soup mixed with vegetable and beef meat.

Ingredients
1 kilo beef, cut into 1 1/2%u2033 x 1 1/2%u2033 cubes
8 potatoes cut the same size as the beef
1 bundle Pechay (Bok choy) cut into 2 pieces
1 small cabbage, quartered
5 onions, diced
1 head garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
10 corns of black pepper
1 liter of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Procedure
1. In a big casserole, heat oil and saute the garlic and onions.
2. Add water, the beef, black pepper and patis. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour or until the beef is tender
3. Add the potatoes. Continue to simmer until potatoes are cooked.
4. Add the cabbage then the pechay. Do not over cook the vegetables.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve steaming hot in a bowl and plain white rice.

CHOPSUEY
This recipe is considered to be of Chinese origin and it was adapted by Philippine cuisine. Chopsuey is one of the top vegetable dishes of Filipinos.

Ingredients
¼ lb shrimp
½ lb boneless chicken
1 tsp garlic
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oyster sauce
½ piece cabbage, quartered
1 cup green bell pepper,sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, sliced
1 small cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 ½ cup snow peas
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup chicken liver, sliced
Shrimp juice (derived by crushing the head of the shrimp)
2 cup water
salt and pepper

Cooking Procedure
1. Saute the garlic and onion
2. Add the boneless chicken and saute for 2 minutes
3. Put-in the chicken liver and let cook for 3 minutes more
4. Pour in the shrimp juice and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the shrimp then sprinkle some salt and pepper.
6. Add the oyster sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Put-in the cauliflower and cabbage then mix well
8. Add the carrots,snow peas, and bell pepper. Cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked
9. Dilute the cornstarch in 1 cup of water then pour mixture in the pot. Mix well.
10. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!