Ginataang Santol with Sardines

Be skeptical, but learn to listen. ~Miguel Angel Ruiz

If you think this dish is weird, better try it first. If you're like me who's so in love with coco cream, give it a try! For those who do not know, santol is a tropical fruit which has a bitter-tangy flesh and has sweet-slightly-sour seeds when ripe. Filipinos want their santol to be dipped in salt, we usually split the fruit in half and suck the seeds to get the sweet pulp and juice of the fruit.

My late bro-in-law used to make santol juice everytime the fruit was in season. At first, I found it strange because the flesh of santol was overly sour and making it as a juice was weird. But when I tasted it, that's all I wanted to drink. The feeling then is the same with this dish, at first I thought it's no-good. Since my mother insisted to make one, I cooked it though I'm a bit skeptical. And I'm glad that I listened to my mom. She's right, this is SO fab good! 

Would you believe that the cost of this dish is less 50 Php? And it can serve up to 4 person! No joke! That's why I'm so hooked on it. The secret ingredient here is the sardines. It just so happened that I forgot to buy the "tinapa" flakes so my mom told me to use sardines instead. Oh my, I just can't believe with the result, it's so delicious. Slightly sour and sweet, thick, creamy, simply yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
9 pcs santol, peeled and flesh chopped
1 cup coconut cream / gata (first extraction)
1 large red or white onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar *optional
1 small can sardines (with chili)
1-2 bird's eye chili (siling labuyo)
1 green chili (siling panigang)
1 Tbsp patis or fish sauce
canola oil or any vegetable oil
salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:
1. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoon(s) of salt on santol. Mix it generously and squeeze out the liquid.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Saute the onion and garlic.

3. Add in the chopped santol. Put the water. Let it boil until the water completely evaporates.

4. Add in the sardines, chilies, patis, and sugar (optional).

5. Add in the coconut cream. Season with pepper. Add salt if needed. Cook uncovered for 5 to 8mins.

6. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy!

QUICK NOTES:
1. If you don't like sardines, you may use other meat like pork or ground pork, seafoods like prawns, crabs, or smoked fish (tinapa). Experiment and explore, this dish is very versatile. You may also use spanish sardines.
2. Omit the chilies if you don't want spicy. 
3. If you're wondering why I put sugar, this is to balance the sourness of the santol, but you may also omit it. Taste it first, if you find the dish too sour, you may add sugar.
4. If you want the sauce to be dry and slightly oily (oil from the coconut), cook it for a longer period of time, about 10-12 mins. 


Print this recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
9 pcs santol, peeled and flesh chopped
1 cup coconut cream / gata (first extraction)
1 large red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp sugar *optional
1 small can sardines (with chili)
1-2 bird's eye chili (labuyo)
1 green chili (panigang)
1 Tbsp patis or fish sauce
canola oil or any vegetable oil
salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:
1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt on santol. Mix it generously and squeeze out the liquid.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Saute the onion and garlic.
3. Add in the chopped santol. Put the water. Let it boil until the water completely evaporates.
4. Add in the sardines, chilies, patis, and sugar (optional).
5. Add in the coconut cream. Season with pepper. Add salt if needed. Cook uncovered for 5 to 8mins, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy!

Yield: 2 to 4 person


Happy day always,

Rhea

Pinakbet

Go vegetable heavy. Reverse the psychology of your plate by making meat the side dish and vegetables the main course.~Bobby Flay

Last week, I bought a bottle of bagoong isda (anchovy sauce) and decided to cook pinakbet. This dish was completely different from my favorite (veggies with coco milk), but I must admit, this was so darn good! The vegetables are sweet and the sauce is salty and fishy. It's like Yin and Yang, the combination of the two gives you balance of flavor and the taste is truly amazing. 

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
250 grams pork liempo, chopped
300 grams squash (kalabasa), sliced
1 big eggplant (talong), sliced
1 bundle or 15 pcs string beans (sitaw), cut into 2.5 inch pieces
1 medium size bitter gourd (ampalaya), sliced
8-10 pcs okra
1 bundle of kangkong
1 bundle of kamote tops
5 Tbsp anchovy sauce (bagoong isda)
3 cups water
5 cloves garlic
1 medium red onion 
1/3 cup water (for the pork)
fish sauce and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:
1. Put 1/3 cup water and pork in the pan. Cook the pork until the water completely evaporates. Put a little oil and cook until the color of the pork changes to golden brown. Set aside and if the pork fat renders too much oil, remove some of it.

2. Add the onion then the garlic. Cook for a minute or until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant.

3.  Put the vegetables (except for kangkong and kamote tops), start with string beans (sitaw) then squash (kalabasa), bitter gourd (ampalaya), eggplant (talong), lastly okra.

4. Add the anchovy sauce (bagoong isda).

4. Add water. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add kangkong leaves and kamote tops. Cook for a minute. Taste it, add pepper and fish sauce if needed. Turn off the heat.

5. Serve with hot-steamy rice. Share and enjoy.

QUICK NOTES:
1. Add 2 pcs of kamote/sweet potatoes (chopped) and 4 pcs of tomatoes (halved). I didn't have these 2 ingredients when I cooked the pinakbet but adding these 2 will surely make a difference in taste.
2. You may substitute pork with fried or inihaw na bangus, tilapia, or any fish available at your home.
3. If you want drier version of pinakbet, reduce the amount of water and bagoong isda.
4. Add lechon kawali or bagnet or pork cracklings (chicharon) for a nice crunch.
5. If bagoong isda is not available, you may use alamang (shrimp paste) or fish sauce.

Happy day always,

Rhea 

Ginisang Monggo sa Gata (Sauteed Mung Beans with Coconut Cream)

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." ~Albert Einstein

It's not yet Friday... but we celebrate Monggo Day today! 'm not sure why Filipino usually served monggo every Friday. But in our family, this dish can be served at any day of the week. It is super delicious, budget friendly, and healthy. Whoa! what can you ask for! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup monggo or green mung beans (I used the "labo" monggo or unpolished monggo)
5 cups water
2 cups coconut cream or milk
1 Tbsp alamang (shrimp paste)
1/3 cup tinapa flakes
1 big red onion, diced
3 big tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup malunggay leaves
8-10 pcs okra, halved
patis (fish salt) or salt to taste
oil

PROCEDURE:
1. Wash thoroughly the monggo beans. Put the monggo beans and water in a small saucepan. Let it boil. Once boiling, lower the heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the monggo absorbed most of the liquid and already cooked. Set aside.

2. Dry roast the tinapa flakes in a pan until golden brown in color. Put in a small bowl. Reserve some for the toppings.

3. In a skillet or pot, saute the onion and tomatoes in a little oil for a couple of minutes. Then add the garlic. Cook for a minute. Add the alamang and stir.

4. Put the monggo, coconut cream, and half of the tinapa flakes. Stir.

5. Add the okra and cook for 5 minutes or until the okra is tender but not overcooked. 


6. Season with patis or salt.

7. Turn off the heat. Put the malunggay leaves, then cover the skillet/pot.

8. Serve it with rice. Top it with tinapa flakes. Share and enjoy.

QUICK NOTES:
1. If you don't have tinapa flakes, substitute it with pork or dilis or shrimps (shelled or dried).
2. Pair it with crispy fried galunggong or any fried fish, crispy pata or lechon kawali. Hmmm drooling!
3. If you're a meat lover, top it with chicharon (slightly crushed pork rind).
4. If you don't like gata, just omit coconut cream. Add 1 1/2 cup water instead.
5. You may also substitute ampalaya leaves, talbos ng kamote, spinach, or kangkong for malunggay leaves.

Yield: 6 servings

Happy day always,

Rhea

Mixed Vegetables with Chicken Liver

The greatest wealth is to live content with little. ~ Plato

This is a simpler version of Pinoy Chop Seuy.  Very affordable yet very tasty dish. Try this.


INGREDIENTS:
200 grams chicken liver, cut into bite size
100 grams snow peas or sitsaro, trimmed
1/2 head of medium size cabbage, chopped
1 carrot, sliced thinly
8 pieces young corn or baby corn, sliced in half
1-2 pieces bell pepper (red or green or both), sliced
2 pieces chayote or sayote, chopped
1 medium size red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/4 cup water or chicken / pork broth
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
salt and pepper
vegetable oil


PROCEDURE:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Saute the onion, celery and garlic over medium heat. Cook for a couple of seconds.

2. Add the chicken liver. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the vegetables (snow peas, cabbage, carrot, young corn, bell pepper, sayote). Add the fish sauce and stir.

4. Add the water or broth. Season with oyster sauce. Set the heat on high. Cover. Cook until the vegetables are tender but not soft. Adjust the seasoning (add salt and pepper if needed).

5. Put the cornstarch dissolved in water. Stir until the sauce becomes thick. Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil. Mix well.

6. Serve. Share and enjoy.

QUICK TIPS:
1. You can use pork, chicken, or shrimps instead of chicken liver.
2. You may add mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower to the dish.
3. If you don't have fish sauce, just use salt. If you don't have oyster sauce, use soy sauce and add a tsp of sugar.
4. Add quail eggs for a more please-to-the-eye effect.
5. Use the left overs for your pancit bihon or canton.


Happy day always,

Rhea

Ginataang Langka (Unripe Jackfruit in Coconut Cream)

The two basic items necessary to sustain life are sunshine and coconut milk. 

~Dustin Hoffman

I'm sure you noticed it too that I love foods with coconut cream or milk. It's my obsession. Believe it or not, I always drink a cup of coconut milk every time I make some for my dishes. Some have "issues" when drinking fresh coconut milk but not me, I consider it as my lactose free milk - a tummy friendly milk.  But really... why do I go loco over coco? Well, my answer is... it is naturally good... it is simple yet sublime!

I made Ginataang Langka last week. It's not on my weekly menu list but when I went at the market and found a pack of unripe jackfruit that costs 10 Php, I bought it without blinking an eye! Actually, I only spent 45 Php for this dish (note: some ingredients are available in the pantry). Yeah, I'm proud of myself again for being a cheapskate thrifty. 

Try this when you're on a budget or even when you're simply craving for some authentic Pinoy goodness.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 kg unripe langka or jackfruit, peeled and sliced

2 cup coconut cream (first extraction)

3/4 cup coconut milk (second extraction)

100 gram pork, chopped (optional)

2-3 Tbsp alamang (shrimp paste) 

1 onion, sliced 
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 finger chillies, whole or sliced 

salt or patis and pepper

water

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the langka and then drain, place it in a pot. Fill it with water until it reaches the level of langka. Cook until it becomes tender. Turn off the heat and drain.

2. In a pan, place the pork. Add 3/4 cup water and a dash of salt. Cook over medium heat. Once the water has evaporated, pork will begin to brown in its own fat. 

 3. Stir in the onion and garlic. 

4. Add the langka, coconut milk, alamang, and chili. Stir. Cook for 8-10 mins over medium-high heat, uncovered.

5. Add the coconut cream and season with salt or patis and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered.

6. Serve, share and enjoy. Serve with rice.

QUICK NOTES:
1. Add ginger when sauteing, about a thumb size of ginger for this recipe. I'm out of ginger so I only used onion and garlic.
2. If you want spicier, add bird's eye chili or siling labuyo.
3. You may also add dried fish (daing or dilis). If you will be using daing, soak it first in water for a couple of minutes. Add the dried fish together with coconut milk. Also, be careful with the amount of salt or patis you'll be adding in your dish as daing is already salty.
4. Cook the coconut cream a little bit longer if you want the sauce to be dry and oily.

Serving: 4-5 person

Happy day always,

Rhea

Ratatouille

The secret of ratatouille is to cook the vegetables separately so each will taste truly of itself. ~Joël Robuchon, The Complete Robuchon

I made Ratatouille yesterday and transformed the leftovers into amazing breakfast. It's like France meets Philippines when I topped the Ratatouille to our Pandesal. I toasted the pandesal to give a nice crunch. I really enjoyed every bite of it!

By the way, did you know that the Ratatouille dish prepared by Remy (in the movie Ratatouille) is the alternate variation called confit byaldi? The variation differs much from the conventional ratatouille in terms of preparation and method. The major difference is that the vegetable used are sliced thinly and baked instead of cooking them in a pot. (trivia source: imdb)

Now you know some facts about Ratatouille, you can now try it and become a Julia Child in your own kitchen. Here's the recipe. Bon Appetit!

INGREDIENTS:
(Inspired by Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

3 pcs eggplant, and cut into thin slices
1 medium size zucchini, cut into thin slices 
1 big red bell pepper, strips
1 big yellow onion, strips
1 small slice of squash (optional), chopped
10 pcs of tomatoes* (preferably big and ripe), peeled and sliced (please click to see: how to peel and seed a tomato) 
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 to 1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
small pinch of dried thyme (optional)
olive oil
1 1/4 cup water and tomato juice*

* I only get 1/3 cup of tomato juice in 10 pcs tomatoes. I just added water to make it 1 1/4 cup.



PROCEDURE:
1. Wash thoroughly the eggplant, zucchini, and squash. Cut it into very thin slices. Put it in separate bowls. Sprinkle with salt and toss.
2. Pan fry the eggplant, zucchini, and squash in batches for about 1 minute by each side. Put it again in separate bowls. Set aside.
3. Sweat the onion with a little oil over low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and cook for a minute. Stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper, cook for a couple of seconds. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the tomato juice+water mixture. Add the sugar and a pinch of dried thyme (these two are optional). Stir and cook for several minutes uncovered, until the juice has almost entirely evaporated. Turn off the heat. Set aside.
4. Place 1/3 of the tomato mixture in a casserole or pot or skillet. Then carefully arrange the zucchini, eggplant, and squash on top. Then cover another third of the tomato mixture. Put the rest of zucchini, eggplant, and squash then cover it with the remaining tomato mixture. (tomato mixture-zucchini-eggplant-squash-tomato mixture-zucchini-eggplant-squash-tomato mixure)
5. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat, covered. Raise the heat slightly, rotate the pan once in a while so that vegetables won't scorch in the bottom of the casserole. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
6. Serve. Share and enjoy.

QUICK NOTES:
1. If you don't have dried thyme, substitute it with other herbs like parsley or basil (fresh or dried). Use 2-3 Tbsp chopped FRESH thyme, parsley or basil.
2. This is a popular side dish but you can serve this with rice or toasted / crusty bread. It can also be used as a filling to your omelette or frittata, a sauce for your pasta, or a topping for your pizza.
3. Ratatouille actually tastes even better the next day. Just slowly reheat it to intensify the flavor.

Yield: 5-8 servings

Happy day always,

Rhea