Foot and Fire

This tastes better than pinakbet, the dish we all knew. This is a favorite among Ilonggos as this vegetable mix brings back memories of home. Alugbati or vine spinach brings out the best in the beef soup. I believe some regions only considers alugbati as a horticultural plant and not one for the kitchen. Try this recipe and you'll know what i mean. 2T canola oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 250g ground beef salt, pepper and powdered oregano to taste 6-8 cups water 1/2 beef broth cube (optional) 2 chili pepper, tail pinched 2 cups squash, cubed 2 cups string beans, 1.5-inch long 1 cup eggplants, quartered and cut into 1.5-inch long 1 patola, cut into 1/4-inch round 1 bunch alugbati Saute garlic and onion. Add beef and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Stir-fry for a little while and add water. Add broth cube if desired. Bring to boil. Add all vegetables except alugbati. Let cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Add alugbati and cover. Re...

Soupy or Stir fried, this is the best way of enjoying patola, gourd or loofah in english. Here's the kitchen recipe we always have in our table: 2 cloves garlic 1 medium onion 3 medium ripe tomatoes 2 2-feet long patola, sliced round 1 T water (if stir-fried), 1 Cup water (if soupy) 2 T Hoisin sauce salt and pepper to taste In a pan, saute garlic and onion until translucent. Add tomatoes and mash until soupy. Add patola and stir fry until tender. Add water as desired. Add salt and pepper to taste and hoisin sauce. remove from fire and serve immediately on top of rice.

Locally known as "latik" or "lutik," this vegetable viand is a staple every time squash abounds. Usually, this is served hot and paired with rice. Here is how to make one for your table. 2 T canola oil 1 medium red onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 3 medium ripe tomatoes (may be omitted) 1 medium squash, sliced, seeded and cubed coconut milk (1st squeeze and 2nd squeeze) 1 T curry powder Salt and pepper to taste To prepare the first squeezed milk (about a cup, put about two table spoon water and squeeze the coconut milk out of the grated flesh. Reserve the milk. To make the second squeeze of milk, put 2 cups water in the coco milk and squeeze and reserve the milk (about two cups) and then discard the flesh. To cook, saute onion in a large skillet until translucent, add garlic until browned and fragrant. Add the ripe tomatoes and stir fry until the flesh is crushed and soupy. Add the cubed squash and add the second coco milk. Cover and stir occasion...

I love summer! aside from dry soles, i love the colors of watermelons and melons, the bounty of star apples, and the ripeness of tomatoes! I also love to munch veggies. here are the tripple treat i prepared for our dinner two days ago. I made it as our side dish to a grilled bangus... 2 T canola oil 1 medium size red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped 3 medium-size young sayote, cut to 1/2 inch thick 6 medium size carrots, cut to 1/2 inch thick 1 medium size zucchini or very young squash, halve then cut to 1/2 inch thick 1/2 cube of beef broth (dissolved in 1/2 cup water) Salt and pepper to taste 4 T Hoisin Sauce In a large skillet, heat oil and add onions until tender and add garlic. Add altogether the three Veggies and stir fry for 3 minutes until tender but still crispy to the bite. Add the beef broth, salt and pepper to taste. Just before removing from fire, add hoisin sauce.

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 large singkamas or turnip, sliced about 1/8 inch thick 250 gms mustard greens, washed and sliced into two 3 Tbsp chicken broth (1/2 broth cube dissolved in hot water) salt and pepper to taste 1/4 t sesame oil In a large pan, sauté garlic and onions in olive oil over medium heat. Add the singkamas and stir fry for a minute. Then add the mustard greens and broth and cook with cover until the mustard greens are just wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from fire and toss with sesame oil.

6 pcs medium fish, fried in canola oil 1 T canola oil 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 pc onion, chopped 1/4 cup ginger, cut into strips 1/2 cup carrots, cut into strips 1/2 to 3/4 cup mascuvado sugar dissolved into 2 cups warm water 1/2 to 3/4 apple cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste Saute garlic and onion in oil. Add garlic and stir fry until tender in medium heat. Then, add carrots and continue stirring until desired tenderness. Add dissolved sugar and vinegar slowly until the desired sourness is reached. Adjust flavor with slat and pepper. When done, place the fried fish and simmer. Remove from fire and serve immediately.

I kilo Chicken wings (cut into two, wingette and drumette) *** Marinade 3/4 cup Soy sauce 1/2 cup Banana Vinegar or calamansi or pineapple juice 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1/4 cup sugar, refined or mascuvado or honey crushed 5 cloves of garlic or more 1 T sesame seeds, crushed a dash of pepper a dash of salt, if desired (i omit this because i already have enough from soy sauce) *** Another 2 T of sesame, browned till sweet odor comes out *** Side Dish 1/8 kilo Mongo Sprout 1/2 of big cabbage or 1 small head, shredded onion 1/2 T sesame oil Dry Chicken and place in a bowl. Mix in one by one the marinade and mix well. Set aside in the refrigerator. The longer the marinade, the better. 1. Grill the chicken one by one, on top of the stove or on charcoal. 2. Arrange in a flat dish and sprinkle with 1 T browned sesame seeds. 3. Save the Marinade. Bring to boil in a pan until desired consistency. Add in the 1 T of sesame seeds. Use as sauce on top of the rice or on top of the chicken. 4. Quickly stir ...

Vege Eggs 4 eggs, scrambled 2 T cold water or evaporated milk Pinch of salt and black pepper Pinch of Oregano powder (optional) 1 T canola oil 1 medium size onion, chopped 1 medium size red or green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium size carrot, chopped 1 medium size potato, chopped Fried Rice 2 to 3 cups leftover rice Pinch of salt and black pepper Pinch of Dried Oregano or Thyme Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil in a pan, then add the onion and the vegetables. Stir fry until vegetables are tender. Set aside one-half of the sautéed vegetables. Then, add the scrambled eggs. Stir until set according to preference (I like it not too dry). Remove from pan. In the same pan, place the leftover rice until heated then stir in the half of the stir-fried vegetables. Add pinch of salt and black pepper as well as dried Oregano or Thyme, if desired.

Chop Suey with a Nutty Twist 2 medium onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 250 g Chicken breast, liver and gizzard, cubed about 1 inch salt pepper 2-3 cups water 3 carrots, sliced round or into sliver 200 g. Baguio Beans, cut into two 200 g Chinese Pechay, sliced 2-inch wide 200 g Cabbage, sliced into 6-8 parts 2 T peanut butter 4 and 1 T chopped baked peanut Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add chicken, salt, and pepper. Simmer for three minutes and add water. Cook over medium fire. When chicken is done, add carrots and beans. Cover for three minutes or until beans are done. Add Pechay and Cabbage and cover for two minutes. Add the peanut butter and 4 T peanuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from fire. Serve with 1 T peanut as garnish.