Pinakbet

For those who love eating colorful vegetables, here's a dish that combines them with shrimp paste as the soup base, hence the name Pinakbet. The dish comes from Ilokano word "pinakebbet", meaning it is shrunk.

Ingredients:
1/2 kg pork belly, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pc medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch stick
1/4 squash, sliced into small pieces
1 pc medium bitter melon, seeded and sliced 1 inch thick
3 pcs okra, cut into 1 inch length
3 pcs string beans,  cut into 2 inch length
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 pc medium tomato, sliced
1 thumbsize ginger, julienned
1/4 cup shrimp paste
1/4 cup water
pepper

 Procedure:

1. Saute garlic and onion until the aroma comes out and the color of onions become translucent.
2. Add pork, ginger, tomato and shrimp paste. Stir.
3. Add string beans, eggplant, okra, squash and bitter melon. Mix well.
4. Pour water and stir. Add a dash of pepper and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Serve hot.

Pork Menudo

A meat dish consisting of pork meat, pork liver,  potatoes, carrots, raisins and tomato sauce is called Menudo. This dish is usually cooked as a simple viand for lunch or can be served at parties or special events.

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup pork liver, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried raisins
2 medium potatoes, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 large carrot, diced into 1 inch cubes
2 cups water
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1/4 cup green or red bell peppers, diced into 1 inch cubes
salt & pepper
1 tbsp. fish sauce

Procedures:
1. Saute garlic and onion in oil until the onion becomes translucent. Add pork shoulder and liver and cook until slightly brown. Add fish sauce and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Add tomato sauce and water and stir. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Add raisins, potatoes, bell pepper and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the carrot and potatoes are tender.

3.  Add salt and pepper. Adjust according to your taste. Cook until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.

4. Serve hot with plain rice.

Ar-Arosep or Lato Salad

Finally, I got to eat Lato or Ar-Arosep salad for lunch as appetizer paired with our Rellenong Bangus main dish. It's been a long time since I've last ate ar-arosep/sea grapes. I think it was last June 17, 2011. Since the lato salad has a salty taste, there's no need to add salt. I only garnished the dish with sliced tomato and onion.

Anyway, I had a great lunch meal!

Sarciadong Tilapia

This popular fish viand is a typical favorite among Filipinos who are not into eating meat. The process of cooking is easy to prepare and cook. Basically this is simply a makeover of fried tilapia, adding sauteed tomato and onion sauce. You can eat it plain or with steamed rice.

Ingredients:
3-5 pieces medium tilapia, cleaned
3 pieces medium ripe tomatoes, diced
1 pc medium onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 pieces fresh eggs, beaten
3/4 cup water
salt & pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp flour

Procedures:
1. Coat the cleaned tilapias with flour and deep-fry on both sides until golden brown. Transfer on a serving plate and set aside.
2. Saute garlic, onions and tomato in a pan until the tomato has wilted.
3. Add fish sauce, salt and pepper. Stir and add water. Bring to a boil.
4. Add beaten egg and gently stir.
5.  Pour the sauce over the fried tilapias and serve hot.