Ginataang mais (pronounced GEE-nah-ta-ang MA-es) is a Filipino sweet corn dessert soup.  I know this may not sound too appealing for people who haven’t tried it, but it’s one of my favorite desserts and it really brings back a lot of memories.  It’s sweet enough for kids to enjoy, yet not too sweet that you couldn’t have multiple bowls in one day.

There is one ingredient that is required for ginataang that I have never used before: sweet rice.  I found a small bag for just about $5 at the international grocery store.  I haven’t seen it at regular grocery stores.  This is the kind I bought:

(Sorry, no, the frog clip does not come with it! Haha!)

One of the interesting things to note about this dish is that it can be served warm or cold, which makes it something you can make year round.

The Basics

• 5 cups of water
• 2 cups of sweet corn (I used frozen, but you can use fresh or canned as well)
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of sweet rice

The Run-down

Mix all ingredients except for corn in a pot.  Heat until boiling.  Boil for about 20 minutes, uncovered.

Reduce heat to low and add corn.  Let cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve hot or refrigerate to serve cold.  Enjoy!

I definitely needed a hardy meal after battling through all the last minute Christmas shoppers! I’m always surprised that traditional Filipino meals are super easy to make.  Somehow I always think it takes hours of marinating and cooking.  This version of chicken afritada is the real deal, unlike my version using oyster sauce.

The Basics

• Chicken, with bones and skin – I used chicken wings, but you can use thighs or drumsticks.  My parents cut them in half.
• Tomato sauce – I use the bigger can because I like a lot of sauce.
• Frozen peas and carrots
• Red bell pepper – washed, de-seeded and diced
• Chick peas/garbanzo beans (optional)
• Onion – peeled and diced
• Garlic – about 2-3 cloves, peeled and diced
• Salt and pepper
• Soy sauce – about 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice – just a squeeze
• Cooking oil

The Rundown

1. Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice for a minimum of 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a big sautee pan or a pot.  Brown the chicken over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and garlic.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce.  Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cover.  Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
5. Add peas, carrots, red bell pepper and chick peas.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are well heated.
6. Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

Soy-yu chicken, chicken cooked in sweet soy sauce and ginger sauce, is one of my childhood favorites.  I’m fairly certain that my dad just made this recipe from scratch, but I think he was inspired  Hawaiian cuisine.

Its super easy to make and all my friends who have tried it loved it!

The Basics

• Chicken, with bone and skin removed – I like using chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Soy sauce – About 1/2 to 1 cup
• Fresh ginger; about an inch thick piece – peeled and cut into slivers
• Sugar – About 1/2 cup
• Water

The Rundown

This can’t get any simpler.  In a pot, add 1/2 cup of sauce sauce, 1 cup of water, the fresh ginger, and 2-3 tbsp of sugar.  Bring to a boil, then add the chicken.

Boil for about 20 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.  I would leave it uncovered so the sauce can reduce.  Taste the sauce.  If it’s too sweet, add a bit more soy sauce or water.  If you don’t taste any sweetness, add a tbsp of sugar at a time until desired sweetness.

Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

This is a family recipe, created by my grandma on my dad’s side.  My dad is the oldest of nine kids; while big families weren’t so uncommon in the Philippines a few decades ago, you can imagine it was tough feed such a large group on a limited budget.  This recipe is proof that you can make a few ingredients go a long, tasty way.

The Basics

• Chuck roast  – cut into large pieces
• Potatoes – peeled and cut into a large pieces
• Tomato sauce – The large can
• Soy sauce
• Garlic powder

The Rundown

Brown beef in a large pot with a tbsp of oil.  Remove beef and set aside.

Add potatoes to the pot and cook potatoes until just about cooked.  It’ll take about 10 minutes.  Make sure you stir occasionally.

Add tomato sauce, a few shakes of garlic powder, and about 1/4 cup of soy sauce.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes.  Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

Turons were a staple of my childhood.  They are crispy Filipino sliced plantains wrapped in an egg roll (lumpia) wrapper with caramelized bits of sugar. What’s not to like? Drool…

I have many childhood memories of trying to eat a turon (pronounced “two-roan”) fresh from the deep fryer, which result in almost burning myself.  Now that I’m older, I’ve found that I still don’t have enough restraint!

The Basics

• Over-ripened plantains
• Egg roll wrappers – I prefer lumpia wrappers, which is a Filipino type of egg roll wrapper.
• Sugar
• Sliced jack fruit – optional
• Deep frying oil

The Rundown

Sliced over-ripened plantains in half then length-wise.  Over-ripened plantains look blackened, but trust me – they are still good to eat.

Carefully peel off a lumpia wrapper.  Place a slice or two slices of plantains in the center.  Sprinkle sugar on each side and use a spoon to slightly mash sugar into the plantain.  Add a slice of jack fruit if you have any.

Tuck in the side and roll up.  Wet the end with a dab a water to make it stick to the wrapper.  Continue until all turons are made.

Heat oil until hot.  You can test out the oil by ripping extra piece of lumpia wrapper and tossing it into the oil.  If the oil is hot enough it should immediately bubble.  If it browns too quickly, let oil cool.

Brown each turon until golden brown, which should be able 3-4 minutes on each side.  The sugar on the inside will seep out and will caramelize on the outside.

Some people like to cool fried foods on paper towels, but since this has caramelize sugar, you run the risk of getting pieces of towel with your roan.  I used a piece of wax paper to cool mine, and it was a lot easier!

Additional Notes

Like most fried things, this won’t retain it’s crispiness for long.  Try to serve within an hour from frying or they might become soggy.

Pancit palabok (”pahn-sit pah-la-book”) is a Filipino noodle dish  with a creamy sauce layered with textures and flavors.  This is a family favorite over the traditional pancit (pancit sotanghon).  While this recipe has quite a few steps, it’s totally worth it.

The Basics

• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 1 can cream of shrimp
• 1 package of Mama Sita’s pancit palabok sauce base
• 1 tsp patis (Filipino fish sauce) or flakes of tuyo (dried salted fish; you can possibly use anchovies)
• 1 lb of shrimp (with shells and heads, if you can find it.  If you can’t, get a can of shrimp
• Pieces of cooked pork
• 1 package of bihon noodles

Toppings

• Green onions; sliced
• Garlic; sliced
• 2 eggs; boiled and diced
• Pork rinds; about a handful
• Roasted garlic slices – Crisp slices garlic cooked with oil in a frying pan
• Lemon; cut into slices or wedges

The Rundown – The Noodles

1. Soak the noodles in cold water for about 30 minutes. Use a deep bowl so the noodles get completely covered.
2. Place noodles and water in a deep pot and put on medium/high head until boiling.
3. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain

The Rundown – The Sauce

1. Make your own shrimp broth: Remove the heads and the shells from the shrimp.  Add shells and heads and a cup of water in a sauce pot.  Add a few pinches of salt and pepper. Boil for about 10 minutes until all shells and heads are pink. Put liquid and shells in a blender and puree. Drain using a fine strainer or a paper towel.
2. Add palabok sauce mix to broth and combine in a medium pot.  Mix thoroughly and remove all clumps.
3. Add cans of cream of mushroom and shrimp. Stir to incorporate and turn heat to medium.  It should be a slow boil.
4. Sauce should be slightly thicker than gravy.  If it’s too salty or thick, add 1/4 cup of water at a time.
5. Add shrimp and pork.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes or until shrimp is completely cooked.

The Rundown – The Assembly

I think it’s better to have the noodles, sauce and toppings separated — so people can make their own servings.  Some people may prefer more sauce or garlic, so it’s a better way for people to customize their own plate.  However, the benefit of pre-assembling is that it is easier to transport.

Steamed blue crabs are plentiful in Hampton Roads — thanks to the Chesapeake Bay.   Eating steamed crabs with a bowl of rice and vinegar garlic dipping sauce is the typical Filipino meal.  The sauce is very simple to make and adds a very nice zest, instead of just using Old Bay.

The Basics

• Garlic cloves – peeled and minced; I really like garlic so I use about 3-4 cloves
• White vinegar – 1/4 cup
• Salt and pepper

The Rundown

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Let marinate for about 5 minutes before eating.
2. You use the sauce with crab mustard and meat.

Chicken mami (pronounced exactly the way it looks “mah-mi”)  is a wonderfully simple Filipino chicken noodle soup.  Personally I think it celebrates everything about the chicken.  Also this was a really cool way to use spare chicken parts I had saved for a broth.

The Basics

• Chicken on the bone – Make sure you have enough meat on the bones if you are planning to use spare chicken parts.
• 2 cans of chicken broth
• Green onions – Sliced
• 2 hard boiled eggs – diced
• Garlic – 3 cloves; thinly sliced
• Egg noodles – I used whole wheat egg noodles that had 8g of protein (*This notation is just if my trainer reads my blog)
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder

The Rundown

1. Cover chicken in water. Add a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Boil until done, which should take you about 20-30 minutes depending on how much meat is on the bones.
2. When chicken is cooked, remove from water and shred into pieces.  I prefer to use my fingers rather than using forks.  It works better and you get better control.
3. Boil egg noodles according to package directions in a different pot.  Drain noodles when done and set aside.
4. Gently fry garlic in a frying pan with a bit of oil.  Stir garlic constantly.  Be careful because garlic will burn quickly.  Remove from heat in a bowl.
5. Heat chicken broth until just boiling.
6. In serving bowls, add noodles, chicken, green onions, eggs and garlic.  Carefully add hot broth.  Add salt and paper.

Sinigang  is a traditional everyday Filipino soup dish.  It is a tamarind soup base, which is a little bit sour.  There are different variations but this version is what I grew up eating.

The Basics

• Pork – I used pork ribs; if you use bigger chunks of meat, your cooking time will have to be more.
• Tough leafy greens – You can use anything from bok choy, cabbage, kale or mustard leaves.  I would stay away from soft greens like spinach, watercress, etc.
• Fresh green beans
• Onion  – 1 half; sliced
• 2 Garlic cloves – minced
• 1 large potato – Peeled and diced
• Cooking oil – about 1 tbsp.
• Tomato
• Tamarind soup mix – I prefer the UFC Tamarind Soup package (which is yellow and green).  Soup packages are under $1 at the asian markets.
• Water

The Rundown

1. In a large pot, add cooking oil on medium heat.  Sautee onions and garlic for about 5 mintes — be careful that the garlic doesn’t burn.
2. Add pork.  Stir occasionally and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add green beans and potatoes.
4. Add soup package and about 7 cups of water.  If you want to eyeball it, fill up the pot about halfway.
5. Heat until boiling.
6. Cover with lid and cook for about 15 minutes.
7. Add greens and tomatoes.
8. Cook for about 15 minutes.
9. Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

Additional Notes

• You can switch the meat to shrimp, chicken or beef.
• You can keep this on the stove top on a very low setting for a couple hours if you want the pork to be extra tender.
• You can add peppers to the soup to make it a spicy.
• You can also add sliced dicon radish for extra texture.

The Basics

• Beef; some sort of steak cut into medium sized strips.
• 1 med-large onion; cut into rings
• Soy sauce
• Calamansi juice – Calamansi is a special type of citrus fruit.  You can substitute this with lemon juice.
• A little bit of cooking oil

The Rundown

1. Marinate beef in 1-2 tbs of lemon juice and 1-2 tbs of soy sauce at least for 15 minutes.  It’s better if you can let it soak overnight.
2. Put enough oil to cover the bottom of the frying pan.  Put heat to medium low.
3. Add steak and liquid to pan and add onions.  Add  a dash of  salt and pepper.
4. Cook low to medium heat for about 20-30 minutes until steak is done.
5. Serve with rice and drizzle sauce on rice if you like!

Additional Notes

You can quickly fry the steak and onions, but one of my aunties (Jela’s mom) told me slow cooking is always best.