Empanada

( Filipino Chicken Puffs )

Stuffed pastry baked or fried, made by folding dough around stuffings.

Which usually consists of  variety of meats, vegetables or fruits. For this recipe

we used chicken and pork, cooked with can sausage and raisins.

Ingredients :

        Pastry Fillings

• 1 cup breast chicken
• 1/2 cup can sausage (Vienna Sausage)
• 1/4 kg ground pork
• 1 medium size onion
• 1 large tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon Fish sauce (depend on your taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions :

• Boil the chicken in a small amount of water, shred and sliced the into small pieces. Keep the broth.
• Heat the oil in a skillet, saute garlic, onion and tomato.
• Add the ground pork and stir fry for 1 minute, stir in water or broth. Cover and simmer until the pork are tender.
• Add chicken and sausage, season with fish sauce and ground pepper.
• Add the raisins, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool.

Ingredients :

      Pastry Crust 

• 2 1/2 all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter

Directions :

• Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the butter and cut with fork or pastry blender till pieces are the size of corn.
• Mix milk, vinegar and egg, add to the dry ingredients. Knead by hand and form the dough into ball.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces, start by rolling each dough into 1/8 inch thick and cut into circle by using the back of the empanada moulds.

Cooking Directions :

• Place an exact amount of fillings to the center of the dough, fasten by closing the empanada moulds.
• This may then be deep fried or baked in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 C), until golden brown.

Cooking Tips :

• For baking, combine lightly beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of water, brush each puffs with egg mixture.
• Poked with the fork the surface of each puff to allow steam, to escape while baking.
• For a tastier filling, add spaghetti sauce into the mixture.
• Any vegetable, meat or fruit of your choice can be added.
• Leftover afritada, menudo or adobo can be used as a fillings, Try to experiment.
• Open both end of a large corned beef can, this can be use as an empanada moulds. place an exact amount of filling, fold and  fasten by using a fork.

Tamales

(Filipino Style Tamales)

 Traditional farmers packed lunch in some provinces of the Philippines

wherein rice and meats are wrapped together in banana leaves. A 

special delicacy served during a fiesta or any special occasions. 

Ingredients :

• 3 cups rice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup roasted peanut
• 1/2 cup chicken
• 1/2 cup sliced ham
• 1/2 cup shelled shrimp
• 2 boiled egg
• 5 cups coconut milk
• Atsuete powder (dissolve in 1/2 cup of water)
• Banana leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions :

• In a frying pan, toast the rice until golden brown.
• Grind rice in a blender and set aside. After the rice, grind the roasted peanuts.
• In a deep pan combine coconut milk, salt, pepper and brown sugar, let it boil.
• Add the powdered rice, with constant stirring.
• Add the ground roasted peanut, stir constantly and cook over low heat until thick.
• Continue cooking the paste, until it separates from the pan. 
• Divide the paste into 2 parts, set aside other half of the paste (regular paste)
• Add atsuete water to to the remaining half and cook for 5 minutes (red paste)
• Lay two banana leaves. At the center, put 3 tablespoons of the regular paste and flatten lightly. 
• Top each with chicken, sliced ham, eggs and shrimp. Cover with 3 tablespoons of red paste.
• Wrap with banana leaves in four folds and steam for 20 to 30 minutes.

Pinakbet

Pinakbet

( Vegetable Stew in Shrimp Paste)

Famous dish from the northern Ilocos region, where the people need to make something

from their harvest. Eggplants, okra, stringbeans and other vegetables are stewed 

with their famous Ilocos fermented fish.

Ingredients :

• Milkfish
• 4-6 pcs malunggay fruit (remove the skin and cut to 1 1/2- 2  inches long)
• Small pcs of squash
• 1 pcs eggplants
• 1 pcs bittermelon
• 6-8 pcs of stringbeans
• 8-10 pcs of okra
• 10 stalks of kangkong
• 2 tbsp sauted shrimp paste 
• 1 cup water
• 1 tomato
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Cooking oil for frying
• Salt

Directions :

• In a cooking pot, boil the shrimp paste in water, until dissolve.
• Add the vegetables in a layer, start with tomato, onion, bittermelon, eggplant, stringbeans, malunggay fruit okra squash and garlic.
• Layer the fried or grilled fish, cover and cook on high and when it starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer.Cook for about 20-25 minutes.
• Add the kangkong leaves, and simmer for few minutes. 

Cooking Tips :

• Pinakbet is done, when vegetables appear wrinkled.
• Do not mix the vegetables while simmering.
• Grill the fish to reduce fats.

Pansit Bihon Canton Guisado

Pansit Bihon Canton Guisado

(Stir fry Rice stick and Canton Noodles)

Pinoy way of cooking stir fry noodles, a combination of rice stick and 

flour stick noodles. Saute' garlic onion and add your favourite vegetables and meat.

Ingredients :

• 227 grams of flour stick (canton)
• 227 grams of rice stick (bihon)
• 1 large carrots
• 150 grams cabbage
• 10 pcs of snow peas
• 150 grams of fish balls
• 200 grams of shrimp
• 200 grams boneless chicken
• 3 stalks of parsley
• 1 stalk of spring onion
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups of shrimp broth and water
• Cooking oil
• 1/3 cups soya sauce 
• 2 tbsp soya sauce for marinate
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions :

• Slice the chicken into small strips, marinate with soya sauce.
•  Soak rice flour in hot water.
• In a large pan saute' garlic and  onion,  add chicken and fry until golden brown.
• Add carrots, fish balls, snow peas and shrimp, stir for 2-3 minutes. Add soya sauce.
• Add salt and  pepper to taste, pour 4 cups of broth and water. Let it boil and simmer for 3-5 mins.
• Remove the stir fried vegetables and meat, set aside.
• In the  same pan, add in the flour stick and rice stick, cook on the same broth.
• Topped with the stir fried vegetable and meat.

Cooking tips :

1. Use the pounded shrimp head for the broth.
2. Boiled the chicken, if you want a chicken broth.
3. Serve with kalamansi or lemon.
4. You can add chicken liver for additional taste.

Ukoy

Ukoy

(Bean Sprout and Shrimp Fritters)

Filipino flavorfull fritters, serve with hot and spicy vinegar and soya sauce

 as dippings. A pleasant golden color from the shrimp annatto and crunchy batter.

Ingredients :

      Batter

• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 salt
• 1/2 tablespoon pepper
• 1/4 cup annatto water
• 1 cup shrimp broth
• 1 egg
• Cooking oil

     Fillings 

• 2 cups bean sprout
• 1/2 lbs of shrimp
• 1 cup green onion
• 1 cup tofu

Directions :

• In a mixing bowl, mix the first five batter ingredients.
• Blend in the annatto water, egg and slowly add the shrimp broth. Beat until smooth.
• Heat the oil (heating the oil depends on the amount of oil on the pan, high in deep fried).
• Arrange the bean sprout in a saucer and top with tofu, shrimp and green onion.
• Add batter to cover the mixture. 
• Slide the mixture carefully into the hot oil.
• Fry until crisp and brown on both sides and drain.

Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy

(Cassava Wrapped in Banana Leaves)

This snack or dessert  dish refers to the finely grated cassava, mix 

with sugar and grated coconut wrapped in banana leaves.

Ingredients : 

• 2 cups grated cassava
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• Banana leaves

Directions :

• Pass the banana leaves over the stove on both side, to make it easy to fold.
• In a bowl, mix grated cassava, grated coconut and sugar, until well blended.
• Lay 2 pcs. (small on the top of the bigger pieces) of cut banana leaves on the flat surface.
• Scoop 1/4 cup of the mixture and wrap tightly, to make a thin roll shape.
• In a deep cooking pan, line with cut banana leaves and layered the wrapped cassava mixture.
• Add water, should be above the wrapped cassava mixture.
• Put in high fire for about an hour or until done.

Buko Pie

(Young Coconut Pie)

Favorite desserts in the Philippines, a traditional style of pastry making

being famous in the province of Laguna. A pie filled with creamy young coconut.

Ingredients :

Crust

• 2 cups all purposed flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/4 cup cold water

Fillings

• 4 cups young coconut meat
• 1/4 cup coconut juice
• 1 can of evaporated milk 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2-3 cups of cornstarch

Directions:

      Making crust

• Blend flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Add vegetable shortening, cut using knife or pastry blender until texture turns coarse crumbs.
• Combine yolk, vinegar and water then mix.
• Slowly add the liquid mixture to the flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 pcs 1 bigger than the other.
• Sprinkle flour on the board and rolling pin, place the bigger dough and roll from the center to the edges keeping the thickness of the dough even.
• Fit the dough into a pie plate, letting sides hang.
• Roll out the other dough for the top crust, set aside.

      Fillings 

• Pour milk in a sauce pan and let it boil then add sugar.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in coconut juice.
• Pour into the boiling milk and stir constantly until thicken, let it cool.
• Pour into the prepared crust and cover with top crust, press the edges with finger to seal.
• Place a hole in the center and brush with egg wash.
• Bake at 425 degrees Farenheit for an hour.

Kalderetang Pato

(Duck Caldereta)

All the ingredients are put together and simmer in medium heat. We use  7-up

instead of beer for tenderiser.Thicken the sauce with your choices of cheese and 

garnish with slices of red pepper.

Ingredients :

• 1 duck 
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium tomato
• 1 can pork and beans
• 2 tablespoon  margarine
• 1 pcs Chorizo de Bilbao or Chinese sausage
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1/2 cup  sweet pickles
• 1 can of 7-up or 1/2 can of beer
• 1 can of Pepsi-cola
• 1/8 cups or 3 tablespoon of Soya sauce
• 3 pcs of dried lime leaves or bay leaves
• 1 red bell pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions :

• Mix everything together except cheese and cook in medium heat.
• Check  once in a while to see if the meat are tender, 
• Once the meat are done, add cheese and stir till  melted to the sauce.
• Cover and cook for another 15-20 mins.

Cooking Tips :

• For thicker sauce, put 1/2 cup of Pepsi.
• Olives may be added for additional taste.
• For best result use 1/2 cheese in can.

Kalderetang Baka

(Beef Caldereta)

A filipino spicy beef stew.There are lots of different ways of cooking caldereta,

this may differ from other recipes. We didn't add tomato sauce, the sour, spicy and

taste of  liver will spice-up the taste.

Ingredients :

• 1 kg beef
• 2 red bell pepper
• 2 medium size potato, quartered
• 2 medium size carrots, cut same size as potato
• 1 can gisantes or 1/2 cup of green peas
• 1 large size onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can or 1/2 cup  liver spread
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/3 c. vinegar
• 2 hot chilli
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions :

• Saute garlic and onion .
• Add meat until color changes to light brown,.
• Add vinegar, pepper and water,
• Do not stir, cover and simmer until meat are tender.
• Add carrots, potato and chilli, cover and simmer until vegetable are cooked.
• Add cayenne pepper, liver spread, green peas, red pepper and salt to taste.
• Simmer for another 3-5 mins, serve hot.



Chicken Lollipop Adobo

This is like an ordinary adobo dish, chicken was cook in vinegar and

 soya sauce. The only differences are the dish was a combination of

chicken adobo and chicken lollipop.

Ingredients :

• 1 lbs of chicken drumlets or wings
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 gloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil for frying

Directions :

• Cut and pull back from one end of the chicken bone to the other carefully, making sure that you do not pull the meat completely out.
• Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ground pepper for 1 hour.
• Broil the marinated chicken with the brine for 5-10 minutes
• Set aside and let it cool, then prepare the coating mix.                                  
• For the coating mix, add ground pepper, salt, and garlic powder or onion soup powder into the flour, mix well.
• In a deep bowl, add milk and egg then beat, to make an egg wash.
• Take the marinated chicken from the refrigerator, and remove each piece from adobo marinate.
• Dip the chicken into the egg wash, .then dip that same piece of chicken into the flour mixture, making sure to shake off excess flour. You can double dip, for a thick and crispy coating.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and deep fry chicken, until golden brown.

Gravy :

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 cup water
• Adobo brine or broth

Directions :

• Add 1 cup water to the broth and add 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar.
• Melt four tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir four tablespoons of flour into the pan with the hot butter 
• Cook for a minute or two, until  golden brown color.
• Slowly pour the brine or broth into the pan , whisking the mixture as you add it.
• Return to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. 

Cooking Tips :

1. You can hold the gravy on the stove for a while, but it may continue to thicken. If this happens, just thin it out with some more hot stock, broth or water.
2. You can double dip the chicken into the egg wash and flour mixture for a thick and crispy coating. 

Tikoy

Tikoy

(Chinese Sticky Cake)

There are many ways of making tikoy, by adding different tastes and flavors.

But they are using the same main ingredient, the glutinous rice and brown sugar.

Ingredients :

• 1 pack (400 grams) glutinous rice
• 2/3 cups  brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup boiling or warm water
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp veg oil or non stick cooking spray
• Water as needed

Directions :

• In a bowl, mix the boiling or warm water and the sugar. Stir to dissolve. 
• Let the sugar mixture get cold, then add vanilla. 
• Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl, pour in the sugar  mixture.
• Add water to the dough at a time, until you have a smooth dough.
• Grease a round cake pan with vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray.
• Pour the dough in the cake pan and shake to spread it out to the edges.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds on top.
• place the cake in a steamer covered with cheese cloth.  
• Steam for 45 to 1 hour or until the edges of the cake separate from the pan.
• Remove the cake from the heat and cool.
• Use a knife over the edges to  remove the cake.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Cooking Tips :

1. Slice in 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, Dip in an egg wash before frying.
2. Use a small amout of oil when frying.
3. To serve without frying with egg wash, reheat the tikoy in microwave before serving.

Mitsado

Mitsado

(Braised Beef)

This recipe was named mitsado, because of the (mitsa) or wicked
 of pork fat inserted in the beef.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs of beef
• 1/8 kilo of pork fat cut into strips
• 4 onions, peeled and quartered
• 5 medium potatoes, quartered
• 1 medium sized carrot, sliced in 1/2″ sections
• 1 Red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups beef stock or 2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cup water
• 3 bay leaves (laurel leaves)
• 1/4 -cup vinegar
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups of canned dice tomatoes
• 1 cup soy sauce
• pepper to taste

Directions :

• Cut an incision on the beef and insert a pork strip and in the middle.
• In a casserole, combine the beef , bay leaves, onions and diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, soya sauce and beef stock.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until the beef is almost tender.
• Add the vinegar and let boil for a minute or two.
• Add the potatoes, carrot, and bell pepper.
• Let simmer until potatoes and carrots are cooked – occasionally stir to thicken sauce.