My Recipes

Giniling Recipe
Sauted Ground Meat with Bell

Peppers in Tomato Sauce
Giniling Guisado is sauted ground pork cooked in tomato
sauce with potatoes, carrots and bell peppers.
Interestingly, this dish is called 'Torta' by my Kapampangan cousins,

as it is also the base for the dish Tortang Giniling.
The ground meat is first marinated in soy sauce and calamansi
or lemon juice before sauting in garlic, onion and bell peppers.
Others use tomatoes, instead of the tomato sauce. Also, some
people put carrots, while others don't.
One tip, though, on cooking with bell peppers, especially for a
tomato-based sauce:
If a dish calls for bell peppers, I mince or chop them with the garlic
and onion and add in the saute. This is called Sofrito, a staple in
Spanish/Latino saute.
And then I reserve a few strips or cubes of the pepper and add them
in the end to keep its vibrant color for an appetizing dish
presentation.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Ground Pork
Tomato Sauce
Potatoes
Carrots(optional)
Red and Green Bell Peppers
Beef Broth or Knorr Cube
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onion
Soy Sauce
Lemon or Calamansi Juice
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil
PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
1. Marinate the ground meat in soy sauce and lemon juice,
set aside for 30 mins. up to 1 hour.
2. Saut garlic, onion and 2/3 of the bell peppers. Add the
meat and cook until oil is coming out of the meat, about 610 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and carrots, and cook for another 5
minutes.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Ground Lean Pork

MARINATE
4. Mix in the tomato sauce and beef broth. Let simmer for
12 - 15 minutes.
5. Add a cup of water if it's drying out before the potatoes
and carrots are cooked.
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
6. Mix in the remaining 1/3 bell peppers and season with

salt and pepper.
1/4 cup Lemon or Calamansi Juice
7. Serve with rice.
SAUTE
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 cup Red or Green(or both) bell peppers, chopped
2 large Potatoes, cubed
2 Carrots(optional), cubed
1 small can Tomato Sauce
2 cups beef broth or 1 knorr cube dissolved in 2 cups

water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking Oil
BENG'S TIPS
You could use ground beef or ground chicken for this recipe,
too, or a combination of meats.
If you are to use Knorr beef cube to season the dish, hold
back the salt since adding more to the combination of the
soy sauce and the Knorr cube could be make the dish
indelibly salty.
Left-overs could be made as meat filling for omelet in dishes
like Tortang Talong and Tortang Giniling.
tender and flavorful ham hock skin plus a lot of lean

meat. I use braising method of cooking instead of
straight boiling or simmering the meat in the sauce
mixture. The process is done by browning the meat first
to develop flavor and a rich brown color, then simmering
on low heat for an hour.
YOUR
Paksiw Na Pata Recipe

(Braised Ham Hock in Vinegar, Soy Sauce and
Brown Sugar with Banana Blossoms)
This Paksiw Na Pata recipe is a Filipino original dish made
by braising ham hocks in a vinegar, soy sauce and sugar
mixture until they're tender and the sauce is gelatinous
and thick. Unlike Pata-tim, which uses a whole pig's leg
or Pata, the ham hock for this particular dish is just the
front section of the leg of the pig. Yes, it packs a lot of
flavor but it's mostly pig skin and fat and very little lean
meat.
I like Paksiw Na Pata with a lot of meat so I use Ham
Hocks or Pata mixed with cubed Pork Shoulder. I add the
pork shoulder halfway through the braising process so it
doesn't disintegrate into the sauce. This way, my family
gets to enjoy the gelatinous texture of the sauce, the
PAKSIW NA PATA RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
Pata or Ham Hocks
Pork Shoulder
Dried Banana Blossom (Bulaklak ng Saging)
Oregano Flakes
IN THE PANTRY:
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Bay leaf (Laurel leaf)
Brown Sugar
Garlic
Onion
1 medium onion, chopped
Pepper
salt and pepper
Salt
Cooking Oil
COOKING TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4-5 pieces Ham Hocks or Pata, cut 2 inches thick
1 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dried banana blossoms(Bulaklak ng

Saging)
2 pcs. Bayleaf (Laurel leaf)
1/2 teaspoon oregano flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
5-6 cups of water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1. Mix the following together in a bowl: vinegar, soy

sauce, bay leaf, oregano flakes and brown sugar. Set
aside.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat. Heat the oil and
sear or brown the meat
in batches. Separate the Pata from the pork shoulder. Set
aside.
3. In the same pot, saute the garlic and onion, then add
the mixture from Step 1 and bring to a boil. Do not stir.
4. Put in the seared Pata (without the pork shoulder.)
5. Add enough water to cover the meat, and then simmer
for half an hour.
6. Put in the seared pork shoulder. Add more water if
necessary and simmer for another half hour or until the
meats are tender.
7. Season with salt and pepper and finish off by adding
the banana blossoms. Serve with rice.
BENG'S TIPS:
If you want an authentic Paksiw na Pata, leave out the

pork shoulder. Just like Adobo, the mixture of vinegar and
soy sauce is not stirred so the vinegar gets cooked well
and will not taste too tangy.
Menudo Filipino Recipe
Pork and Liver Chunks cooked with Tomatoes,

Bell Pepper and Potatoes
This Menudo Filipino Recipe is made with chunks of
pork and liver cooked in tomato sauce with
potatoes, chickpeas and bell pepper. Any Filipino can
tell you that. However, here in the U.S., the
Mexican Menudo is all the more popular. A tomato
based soup made with tripe or the lining of beef
stomach and pig's feet served as breakfast as a cure
for hangover. It was even featured in the Food Network.
Well, my mom's pork menudo is like no other. Not your
typical recipe found in cookbooks, she pre-cooks the pork
chunks in a little vinegar and soy sauce until the meat is
tender before sauting and adding the other ingredients.
The deep red color of the dish is from achuete or annatto
seeds. Potatoes are cubed, just like the pork and liver and
the bell pepper is added towards the end so it doesn't get
wilted too much.
YOUR MENUDO FILIPINO RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
Pork Shoulder
Pork Liver
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Chicken Broth
Canned Chickpeas or Garbanzos
Red and Green Pepper
Achuete or Annatto Seeds
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onion
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Ground Pepper
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Pork Shoulder, cubed
1 cup Pork Liver, cubed
1 cup Potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup canned chickpeas or garbanzos
2. On a separate saute pan, heat the achuete seeds in oil

and remove the seeds.
3. Saute the garlic, onion and tomatoes. Add the boiled
pork and cook for a few minutes (leave out the liquid).
2 pieces Tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup red and green pepper, cut in strips
1/4 cup white Vinegar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
5. Add the liver, chickpeas and bell pepper and simmer

for 3-5 minutes. Season the pork menudo with salt and
pepper. Serve with rice.
1 - 2 cups chicken broth
BENG'S TIPS
4 tablespoons Cooking oil
3 tablespoons Achuete or Annato Seeds
1 large Onion, chopped
4. Add a cup of the chicken broth and potatoes and

simmer until potatoes are tender. Add more broth if it is
drying out before the potatoes get tender.
If you are not a fan of pork liver, substitute with

canned liver spread instead.
Cut the pork slightly bigger than the potatoes

because it will shrink in size one cooked.
Liver, be it pork, beef or chicken, can tough and

inedible when overcooked so make sure you add it
towards the end of cooking.

1. In a medium saucepan, mix together cubed pork meat,
vinegar, soy sauce and about half of the water. Cook until
meat is tender, or add more water if needed.
Pork Bistek
Pork Steak Cooked in Lemon and
Soy Sauce
The pork bistek is a variant of the Bistek Tagalog, or a

sauced lean beef dish with calamansi or lemon juice and soy
sauce.
Bistec, spelled with a c rather than k, actually means Steak
in Spanish.
Lean cuts of pork sliced thinly are marinated in a tangy and
salty mixture of lemon juice and soy sauce.
And just in the Beef bistek, onions cut into rings and used
as topping.
YOUR FILIPINO BEEF STEAK SHOPPING LIST:
The tangy taste depends on how long it has been
Pork Tenderloin or Top Loin Roast
Whole Lemons or Lemon Juice
Soy Sauce
Onions
Ground Black Pepper
Cooking Oil
IN THE PANTRY:
marinating in the lemon/soy sauce mixture.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lean pork, cut 1/2" thick,

and pounded with the back of a knife
3 medium onions, cut into rings and

separated
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 cups water
2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup cooking oil
Sugar helps balance the salty and tart taste of the sauce,
but you could leave it out, too, if you want.
To easily cut the pork into desired thickness, you could
freeze it for about 2 hours before slicing.
For a more tender pork bistek, use the back of the knife to
pound the sliced pieces of meat just before marinating.
1. Mix the lemon juice and soy sauce. Marinate the pork for
30 minutes inside the refrigerator.
2. When ready, wring out the excess liquid and set aside.
3. Heat up the oil in the pan and fry the onions for 2
minutes; it should be half-cooked and not translucent.
Remove the onions, and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
4. Pan-fry the pork in batches, cooking it for about 2-3
minutes per side. Once they are all done, add in the
marinade, water and ground pepper.
5. Let it simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the pork is
tender. Add enough water so it won't dry out.
6. Serve with the onions on top like garnish. Perfect with a
plate of hot white rice.
BENG'S TIPS
For a tangier Pinoy bistek, marinate the pork for up to 4
hours.
Filipino Asado Pork Recipe

Pork Stewed with Tomatoes, Soy
Sauce and Lime Juice
There is not one standard Filipino Asado recipe that you will
find anywhere. Unlike Adobo which is basically vinegar,
garlic and soy sauce, Asado is a dish with so many
variations.
Some Filipino recipe books even number the
Asado recipes they have, from savory to sweet, and you get
to pick which one you prefer.
The recipe below is a usual Kapampangan asado --savory
rather than sweet.
Tart from the lime or calamansi juice, mildly salty from the
soy sauce and partly sour from the tomatoes, and served
with potatoes.
IN THE PANTRY:
What's the difference, then, with the Afritada?

For one, this doesn't use bell peppers, so that distinct sweet
taste and smell of bell peppers is not found on this dish.
The pronounced flavor here is that of the soy sauce and
lime juice rather than the tomatoes, unlike that of the
Afritada.
The side vegetable is thinly sliced potatoes, which my mom
fries to retain their shapes and so they don't get mushy if
boiled in the sauce.
Also, we saute in achuete oil to get that appetizing red color,
a step which is totally optional.
YOUR FILIPINO ASADO RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
Garlic
Onion
Tomato
Potatoes
Carrots
Salt and Pepper
INGREDIENTS
MARINATE
2 pounds Pork Shoulder, cut in 2 inch cubes
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Lime or Calamansi Juice
SAUTE
3 tablespoons oil, heated and steeped with 1

tablespoon achuete(optional)
Pork Shoulder
Beef or Chicken broth
1 large Tomato, sliced
3-4 cups Beef or Chicken broth
2 medium Potatoes, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds
1 large Carrot, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds (optional)
1. Marinate the pork pieces in soy sauce and lime juice, set
aside for 15 - 30 minutes.
2. Fry the potatoes and carrot slices, then set aside.
3. When done marinating, start to saute the garlic, onion
and tomatoes in the achuete-infused oil or regular cooking
oil.
4. Add in the marinated pork (without the marinade), and
cook until the pork is browned, about 15 minutes.
5. Pour the marinade and broth and simmer until the pork
is tender and the sauce has thickened.
6. Season with pepper, and salt, if needed.
7. Top with the fried potatoes and carrots (and green
onion), and serve hot with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
This is a dish that we usually cook when we have no

other ingredients or sahog available, because most
of what we put in is readily available in the pantry -all we really need is the meat. Other versions cut the
potatoes in quarters rather than thinly, but this

would make the dish look more like Afritada rather
than Asado, but it's your choice.
You could skip the frying of potatoes and carrots and
simmer them with the pork if you are not too
particular with the potatoes being too soft or getting
mushy in the sauce. Sauting tip: once you add in
the meat after the garlic and onion, try to cook the
meat until almost browned before adding in the
flavoring sauce.
A totally versatile dish, you could make a variation
by using chicken or a mixture of chicken and pork, or
even beef with this Filipino asado recipe.
Lechon Paksiw
Roasted or Fried Pork Cooked in Vinegar, Sugar
and Lechon Sauce. What do you do with leftover
Lechon? Make it into Lechon Paksiw...
Lechon Sauce
IN THE PANTRY:
Lechon leftovers
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Sugar
Garlic
Bay leaf
Salt
Pepper
INGREDIENTS
Lechon, either from roasted pig or Lechon Kawali, is not
very appetizing when it's a day old in the refrigerator.
1 pound Lechon, cut in cubes
Thus, we make it into Lechon Paksiw.
1/4 cup Vinegar
Made by simmering the pork leftover with vinegar, sugar,

a little soy sauce, bay leaf, and lechon sauce, it's a little
tangy and on the sweet side.
1/8 cup Soy Sauce
1 cup Water
1/2 head Garlic, minced
1 piece Bay leaf
YOUR
SHOPPING LIST:
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 cup Lechon Sauce
This dish, just like anything cooked with vinegar,

tastes better the following day, so don't worry if
you have leftovers in the refrigerator.

1. Put the Lechon in a pot; add garlic, vinegar, soy sauce,
bay leaf, sugar and water. Bring to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes until
the lechon skin is tender and the liquid has reduced into
half.
3. Add the lechon sauce, salt and pepper and cook for
another 10 minutes.
4. Serve with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
Take out the bay leaf when serving so no one will

choke on it.
Do not stir the vinegar mixture in Step #1 so the

vinegar will not taste fresh and very tangy.
Embutido Filipino Pinoy Style

Meatloaf
Rolled Ground Pork with Chorizo Sausage,
Pickles and Raisins
Embutido Filipino, a Pinoy party dish, is made from
ground pork, Chorizo de Bilbao sausage,
onion, pickles and raisins.
Some versions use boiled eggs inserted in the middle of
the rolled meat.
The ground meat is mixed with assorted minced or
chopped ingredients, and eggs and breadcrumbs serve
as binder.
The mix is formed into a roll and wrapped in aluminum
foil before steaming.
I specifically like my embutido fried whole before slicing
and serving rather than serving as it is after steaming.
Frying gives it a little crust, and certainly enhances the

flavor, plus it also looks more appetizing.
2 pieces Eggs, beaten
2 cups Breadcrumbs
Interestingly, the word embutido is Spanish for sausage,

a Spanish dictionary states it's a large sausage filled with
minced meat.
2 tablespoons Salt
2 teaspoon Pepper
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
1 cup Raisins
Ground Pork
Cooking Oil for frying
Chorizo de Bilbao
Pickle Relish
Eggs
Breadcrumbs
1. Mix all the ingredients together, except the cooking oil.
Raisins
2. Portion 1 cup of the mix per 8 x 8 aluminum foil, and

form into a tube-like roll, twisting both ends tight.
IN THE PANTRY:
3. Steam for 25 - 30 minutes.
Onion
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Oil
5. Fry whole to brown the outside, then slice and serve

with Ketchup on the side.
INGREDIENTS
BENG'S TIPS
3 pounds Ground Pork
1 pack 5 oz Chorizo de Bilbao
1 cup Pickle Relish
4. Remove the foil wrap and set aside to cool down.
A hard-boiled egg in the center of the roll makes a

nice plate presentation. Flatten the roll on Step 2;
put the quartered egg and roll, making sure the
egg is fully covered.
No chorizo de bilbao? Just omit it and substitute

with hotdog, the chorizo won't be missed...
Add minced carrots in the mix, it's healthy and

adds a little sweetness to the dish.
FILIPINO Adobo Recipe Pork

Adobo
Pork Stewed in Vinegar, Soy Sauce and
Garlic
This Filipino adobo recipe takes you to the
rustic, quintessential Filipino comfort food.
Pork and Chicken are the most popular meats to cook
Adobo style but you can practically do it with any kind of
meat, seafood or vegetable.
It is tangy from the vinegar, a little salty and it usually
tastes better the following day.
Adobo is the easiest stew to make and all
the ingredients are readily available in the pantry.
If you know how to cook this dish, making many
other popular Filipino Recipes will be a cinch. For
example, using the vinegar, soy sauce and garlic as the
base:
Add lechon sauce and sugar, you have Lechon

Paksiw
Add sugar and banana blossoms and you

have Paksiw na Pata.
Add Bagoong Alamang or Shrimp Paste sans the

bay leaf and you have Binagoongang Baboy.
Add pork liver and you have Kilawin.
Add tomatoes and potatoes and you get Mechado.
YOUR
SHOPPING LIST:
Pork Shoulder or Pork Belly
IN THE PANTRY:
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Garlic
Onions
Whole Peppercorns
Bay leaf (Laurel)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 water
1/4 cup cooking oil, for sauteing

1. Mix the pork, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, half
the garlic and onion and peppercorns in a pot.
Bring to a boil and DO NOT STIR.
2. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until pork is tender. Add
the water at this stage if it's drying out before the
meat gets tender.
3. Saute the remaining garlic and onion of a separate
pan, and then add the meat without the sauce.
2 pounds pork, cut in 1" cubes
4. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then add the sauce. You can
take out the bay leaf at this stage. Bring to a boil.
1/3 cup soy sauce
5. The Pork Adobo is ready to serve with rice.
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 head garlic, minced
1 pc. bay leaf(laurel leaf)
6-8 pcs. whole peppercorns
BENG'S TIPS
If this Filipino adobo recipe is too tangy for you,

substitute half the vinegar with water.
The vinegar mixture is left to boil with the meat

and it shouldn't be stirred or the vinegar will taste
fresh and uncooked.
Though not traditional, I like my adobo without the

bay leaf. I fry the leftover then make a sandwich in
a bun.
Monggo Guisado
Sauteed Mung Bean
Monggo Guisado is a favorite dish accompaniment for a
lot of meat and fish dishes. It is usually made with Dahon
ng Ampalaya (leaves of bitter melon plant or Amargoso
leaves), and you can add pork if you want.
YOUR MONGGO GUISADO SHOPPING LIST:
Monggo Bean (Mung Bean)
Ampalaya(Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon)
Pork
Shrimp
Tinapa
During Lent, we do away with pork and make it with

shrimp and Tinapa (salted, dried and smoked fish).
If you can't find ampalaya (bitter melon) leaves, a few
slices of ampalaya will do. This gives the dish it's slight
bitter taste.
For a thick and creamy Mongo Guisado, take half of the
boiled mung bean and put in a Blender or Food Processor
- or if you have a Hand Blender stick, you can puree
directly on the pan. You only need about half of it pureed.
Just make sure you blend it slowly and the stove is turned
off.
IN THE PANTRY:
Patis (Fish Sauce)
Garlic
Onions
Ground Pepper
INGREDIENTS
1. Boil the monggo bean with 4 cups of water

until soft and tripled in volume.
2. Take half of the mix and put in the blender
to puree.
3. In a separate pan, saute the garlic and
onion. Add in the pork, ampalaya, patis,
the boiled and blended monggo, but
leaving out the liquid. Saute in the pan for
3 minutes.
1 cup monggo beans, soaked in water while

prepping other ingredients
1/4 pound pork shoulder, cut in strips
1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 piece Tinapa, hand shredded, meat only
1/2 piece ampalaya, enough to make 1 cup
3 tablespoons patis(fish sauce)
5. Stir in the shrimp and tinapa, cook for

another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper
to taste.
6. Serve with rice.
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 cups water
1/4 cup cooking oil, for sauteing
4. Add in the liquid from the boiled monggo,

and the rest of the water. Bring to a boil. If
it's a little too creamy, add more water to
your preference.
Vegetable Tempura
Crispy Battered Fried Vegetables
Vegetable Tempura usually comes with your Shrimp
Tempura in the Bento box.
They complement the shrimp and the variety

of vegetables gives you different textures
and flavors.
Here are some important tips to consider

before you start:
Just like the Shrimp Tempura, using just the

batter will only keep it crunchy while it's still
hot.
Adding another step like dredging in Panko,
or Japanese breadcrumbs will keep the
coating from getting soft and soggy.
The batter in this recipe is just slightly

seasoned; salt is sprinkled in the end
once the veggies are taken out of the
oil, like how you would French fries.
Both cornstarch and all purpose flour

are used for the batter. The cornstarch
will not leave the coating too cakey.
It is the dipping sauce you serve it

with that will give it the taste.
Ice Cold Water is essential for the

crunch, too.
You can choose the kind of vegetables

you want, and slice them considering
the following tips:
For hard or tough vegetables

like sweet potatoes, taro or
carrots, cut them in thin slices
to easily cook through.
For softer vegetables like
zucchini, cut them in 2-3
inches long strips, like how you
would green beans.
Baking Powder
Panko Breadcrumbs or any Dried

Breadcrumbs
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic Powder (optional)
Onion Powder (optional)
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil
Light Sodium or Regular Soy Sauce
Wasabi or Japanese Horseradish
INGREDIENTS
YOUR VEGETABLE TEMPURA SHOPPING
LIST:
1 Pound Assorted Vegetables

o
Green Beans, cut in 3 inch

lengths
Sweet Potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch

thick
Assorted Vegetables
o
Carrots, Sweet Potatoes,

Zucchini, Green beans
All-purpose Flour
Zucchini, cut in 3 inch strips
Cornstarch
Carrots, sliced in 1/4 inch thick
BATTER
1. Mix together the batter ingredients and

place inside the refrigerator while the veggies
are being prepped.
1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Cornstarch
2. Prepare the vegetables by cutting to

desired sizes and thickness. Set aside.
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
3. Take out the batter mix from the

refrigerator and dip each vegetable slice,
then dredge in the breadcrumbs. Repeat for
all before you start frying.
1 tsp Onion Powder (optional)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup ICE COLD Water

DREDGING
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs or any

Dried Breadcrumbs
Cooking Oil for Frying
4. Heat up the cooking oil using medium low

heat and drop in the vegetables one by one
without crowding them in the oil.
5. Cook until golden brown about 3-4
minutes, and then set on a paper towel to
drain excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper.
6. Serve with the dipping sauce.
BENG'S TIPS
Use any dried breadcrumbs, or make

your own by toasting loaf bread
(Tasty bread) slices in 300F; for 10 12 minutes or until dried but not
browned. Shred or pulse in food
processor and use.
Once you dredge in breadcrumbs,

make sure you pack the crumbs tight
onto the vegetables to keep them
from falling off during frying.
DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup Light Sodium or Regular Soy

Sauce
Pair
your vegetable tempura with Shrimp
Tempura since they use the same
batter ingredients.
Ginataan Kalabasa with Sitaw

Creamy Squash and String Beans
Cooked in Coconut Milk
Ginataan Kalabasa with Sitaw is a rich, thick vegetable
dish of squash and string beans, made creamy by coconut
milk.
The dish is slightly sweet because of the squash, the kind
which has a deep yellow flesh and rich sweet flavor when
cooked.
If you live in the Philippines, this variety is most probably
the only one you will find.
However, outside the PI, you might find one that looks like
this, but bland and not sweet once cooked.
Also, most are called or popularly known as pumpkins,
instead of squash.
Some people prefer the dish without the string beans,

though the beans give it a contrasting texture from the
soft squash.
Also, the meat ingredient depends on the cook's preference.
The popular choice is seafoods such as shrimp or crabs, but
pork and beef may also be used.
Chicken, on the other hand, is taboo, as there is an old
wives tale that one can contract a disease if one
eats squash with chicken.
My mom heard it from my grandma, so mom would rather
not have any meat at all than serve squash with chicken.
Though I cannot find any merit or foundation to the belief, I
don't have a problem with that since my preference has
always been shrimp when cooking with squash.
Garlic
Onion
Long Chili peppers(optional)
Fish Sauce or Shrimp Paste
Ground Pepper
INGREDIENTS
YOUR GINATAAN KALABASA SHOPPING LIST:
Squash or Kalabasa
String Beans
Shrimp
Coconut Milk
Coconut Cream
IN THE PANTRY:
5 cups Squash, cut in cubes
3 cups String Beans, cut in 1 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 pound whole shrimp, head and shells removed,

with tails intact
1/2 can or 3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 can or 3/4 cup coconut cream
1 cup shrimp broth(from boiled shrimp head and

shells)
2 tablespoon shrimp paste or 2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 Long Chili Pepper (optional)
1 tsp Ground Pepper
Cooking oil for sauteing
1. Pan-fry the shrimps in little oil for about 30 seconds per

side, and then set aside.
Add a pinch of sugar if your squash is not sweet

enough for your taste. Also, you may want to add
some cornstarch dissolved in little water if your don't
have coconut cream or your sauce is not thick
enough.
2. Using the same pan and oil, saute the garlic, onion and
chili pepper, then add the shrimp paste.
3. Add the squash and string beans and cook for a minute.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and shrimp broth, bring to a
boil.
5. Turn heat down and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until
the vegetables are tender.
6. Add the coconut cream to thicken the sauce and cook for
a few minutes.
7. Put in the cooked shrimps and season with salt (if
needed) and pepper.
8. Serve hot with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
You can cook whole shrimps (with shells and all) and
skip the making of shrimp broth. Make sure to cook
the shrimp briefly and not at the same time as the
veggies or they will be tough and rubbery.
I like my Ginataan Kalabasa where the squash is
almost mushy and the sauce is thick, but that's
a personal preference. Cook your veggies up to the
stage that you like them.
Togue Guisado
Sauteed Mungbean Sprouts
Togue Guisado is a simple vegetable dish of sauteed
mungbean or mongo bean sprouts, usually served as a side
dish to a rice/meat meal.
The basic ingredients for this recipe are togue or mungbean
sprout, carrots and green onion.
Also, fried and cubed tofu or tokwa is standard but can be

left out if strips of pork, beef or chicken are available.
Sauting starts with the garlic and onion -- and adding
tomatoes and bell peppers is optional, depending on
one's preference.
My mom doesn't put tomatoes because she says dishes
sauteed with tomatoes tend to go bad fast during warm
weather.
Also, she uses left-overs for this dish to make the Lumpiang
Togue, that's why she skips putting the bell peppers.
Mungbean Sprouts
Shrimps
Pork
Firm Tofu or Tokwa(optional)
Green Onion
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onion
Carrots
Fish Sauce or Patis
Ground Pepper
INGREDIENTS
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
6-8 cups Mungbean Sprouts
1/2 cup Carrots, julienned
1/2 pound Shrimp, shelled
1/4 pound Lean pork or chicken slices, pre-boiled
3 pieces Firm Tofu or Tokwa, fried whole and cut in

cubes (optional)
1 cup shrimp or chicken broth
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
3 stalks Green Onion, sliced thinly diagonally
1. Saut the garlic and onion, add the pork or chicken,

shrimp, tofu and fish sauce and cook for a couple minutes.
2. Add the mungbean, and shrimp broth and cook for 3-5
minutes.
3. Season with salt (as needed) and pepper, and turn off
the heat.
4. Stir in the green onion.
5. Serve with rice.
Try to cook the mungbean sprout briefly to make

sure it retains its crunchy texture. It is not appetizing
if they get soggy.
Wash the mungbean sprouts by soaking in a lot of

water. The green mungbean skin will float on the
surface and easy to discard.
Convert left-overs and make Lumpiang Togue or

even Ukoy.
Tortang Talong
Eggplant Omelet with Ground Pork
Tortang Talong is an eggplant omelet, usually with ground
meat filling, and served with banana ketchup as dipping
sauce.
Ideally, the eggplant is first roasted on top
of gas burners with the stem intact until soft
but not mushy.
The charred skin is then removed, and the
eggplant pulp is mashed flat.
BENG'S TIPS
Though a little tedious, this method gives the

eggplant a nice grilled and partly charred
taste.
However, you have other easier options of

prepping the eggplant for this dish.
You could oven-roast -- set the oven

at 350F; and cook for 15 minutes or
until soft. You will notice that the
vegetable shrinks a little bit.
You could boil the eggplant in water

for 10-15 minutes until soft, but
weigh down with a heavy plate to
keep the eggplant submerged in
water.
You could use an outdoor grill for the

task but make sure you brush it with
oil so it doesn't stick to the grill.
Now, let's talk about the meat filling.
Though you could just use any meat left-over

as filling, you still have to put enough binder
to make sure the filling sticks securely to the
eggplant once you flip it.
I use All-purpose flour that I cook together
with the meat -- you will notice that I didn't
dissolve the flour in water but added it
directly to the meat.
Flour is oil-soluble so I add it when all the
liquid from the meat has evaporated and the
meat is cooking in its own oil.

YOUR TORTANG TALONG SHOPPING
LIST:
4-5 Eggplants, roasted, stem intact,

skin removed and mashed flat
SAUTE
Eggplant
Ground Pork
1 medium Onion
1 cup Red or Green(or both) bell

peppers
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 pound Ground Pork, marinated in
IN THE PANTRY:
Eggs
All-purpose Flour
Garlic
Onion
Tomato
Soy Sauce
Lemon or Calamansi Juice
5 pieces Large Eggs
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil
Cooking Oil
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Lemon or
Calamansi Juice
2 tablespoons All-purpose Flour

OMELET
7. To flip, hold the stem with one hand and

with the spatula on the other, turn the
eggplant carefully with one motion, and press
down. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Turn the omelet over onto a serving plate
and serve with a side of Banana Catsup.
BENG'S TIPS
If all these are quite hard for you, you

could just mash the eggplant pulp,
add the meat/egg mixture, and cook
1/2 cup like how you would for a
regular round omelet. It will taste just
the same.
You could also do a meatless omelet

by skipping the meat filling and go
plain. Your omelet will look like this :
1. Prepare the eggplants by roasting,

removing the skin and mashing. Set aside.
2. Saut garlic, onion and bell peppers and
tomato. Add the meat and cook until oil is
coming out of the meat, about 6- 10
minutes.
3. Add the all-purpose flour, cook for 2
minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and cool down a bit.
4. Beat the eggs, and season with salt and
pepper. Add the cooled sauteed ground meat.
5. To make the omelet, heat up the oil on a
non-stick pan, and put in the eggplant with
the mashed portion flat and tight(no hole
when laid flat).
6. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons egg/meat mixture
on top of the eggplant and press down to
come together. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
When buying rice noodles, look for the very thin variety.
They're long and sometimes referred to as Rice Sticks.
Left-over dishes like Giniling

Guisado is also a perfect filling for this
tortang talong. Just take out the
sauce and make a binder of egg and
flour.
Some brands specify Pansit Bihon on their packages.

If you want the authentic Carinderia type of bihon, buy
the excellent brand. Be careful, though, of overcooking or
the noodles get soggy.
If you want the texture to be somewhat like
the Sotanghon, get the UFC or Super Q brands - and no
need to worry of cooking a little longer than you should.
Pancit Bihon Recipe

Rice Noodles Sauteed with Soy Sauce
and Vegetables
Pancit Bihon Guisado is a sauteed rice noodle dish which
is an absolute Filipino favorite for any occasion or
gathering.
It is one of the easiest noodle dishes to cook, very
straightforward -- saute the veggies and meat, add the
broth and seasonings, then add the noodles -- and it's
ready to serve.
Rice noodles are now available not just in Asian
supermarkets. The local mega-marts do carry them
because it's the same kind of noodles being used for the
Thai's very popular dish Pad Thai.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Rice Noodles or Rice Sticks
Chicken Thigh or Breast
1 8 oz. Rice Noodles or Rice Sticks
Canned Chicken Broth
1 pound chicken thigh or breast, boiled and

shredded
Green Beans
4 cups chicken broth
Carrots
1/4 pound green beans, cut diagonally
Cabbage
1 carrot, sliced in strips
Celery stalks
1 stalk celery, diced to make 1/2 cup
Knorr Chicken Cubes
1/4 cabbage, shredded to make 2 cups
1 piece Knorr Chicken Cube(optional)
salt and pepper
IN THE PANTRY:
Soy Sauce
Garlic
Onion
Pepper
Salt
Cooking Oil

1. Soak the rice noodle in water. Leave for 20 minutes or
until soft. Drain the water and set aside.
INGREDIENTS
2. Saut the garlic and onion. Add the chicken, soy

sauce, carrots and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and Knorr chicken cube. Let it
boil.
4. Turn the heat down; add in the noodles together with
the green beans, cabbage and celery.
5. Cook until the noodles are soft but not mushy and the
water is fully absorbed.
Sauteed Egg Noodles with Vegetables in

Soy Sauce
Pancit Canton, one of the popular Filipino noodle dishes,
uses a kind of dried egg noodles called Kanton that is
made from wheat flour and coconut oil.
It has an distinct taste and aroma brought about by the
coconut oil, that makes it distinguishable from any other
yellow egg noodles found in the market.
6. Put salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve with lemon slices.
BENG'S TIPS
If you want to add shrimps, put them on Step #4

so it will not get overcooked.
You can omit the green beans if it's too much

slicing and preparation for you.
I suggest that you use boneless chicken or shelled

shrimps, sliced in bite sizes. This makes eating the
Pancit easier, without having to pick the bones or
shells on your plate.
Pancit Canton
The cooking process that I use is almost the same as that

of the Pancit Bihon Guisado.
The only difference is that I don't soak or drizzle hot
water on the Canton before cooking them. They tend to
lose their deep yellow color and the water washes off
some of the starches and the distinct canton flavor.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
INGREDIENTS
Canton noodles
Pork Shoulder or Chicken Thigh or Breast
1 8 oz. Pancit Canton Noodles
Canned Chicken Broth
1 pound chicken thigh/breast or pork shoulder,

boiled and cut in strips
Green Beans
2 cups chicken broth(low-sodium)
1/4 pound green beans, cut diagonally
1 carrot, sliced in strips
1/4 cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons

water
Carrots
Cabbage
Green Onions
Knorr Chicken Cubes(optional)
IN THE PANTRY:
Soy Sauce
Garlic
1 piece Knorr Chicken Cube(optional)
Onion
Cornstarch
Pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Salt
Cooking Oil

1. Saut the garlic and onion. Add the chicken/pork, soy
sauce, carrots and saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and Knorr chicken cube. Bring

to a boil.
3. Gently add the noodles to soften in the broth. Do not
press or the noodles will break apart.
4. Mix in the green beans, cabbage and the cornstarch
dispersed in water.
5. Stir gently until the noodles are cooked and the water
is fully absorbed.
6. Put on a serving dish topped with green onions and
out slices of lemon on the side.
COOK'S TIPS
Optional ingredients you can add : Chinese

sausages, fish balls, shrimp and squid.
If you want to add shrimps or squids, put them on

Step #4 so it will not get overcooked.
You can substitute Snow Peas (Sitsaro) for the

green beans for less preparation time.
For a Chinese style Lo Mein taste, replace 1

tablespoon of soy sauce to 1 tablespoon of oyster
sauce, added in Step #4 with the cornstarch
mixture. Then, on Step #5, put 1/2 cup of bean
sprouts (togue) and finish off with a drizzle of
sesame oil.
Pancit Malabon Recipe

Rice Noodles in Thick Sauce with
Assorted Seafoods
The Pancit Malabon recipe starts with a rice noodle dish,
topped with a shrimp-flavored yellow sauce and assorted
seafoods.
It is made much like the Pancit Palabok, but the sauce is
not as thick.
The name is from the place it is popularized - Malabon in
Metro Manila, known for its fishponds or Palaisdaan.
The rice noodles are the thick variety, more like
cornstarch noodles, cooked in boiling water and drained,
then topped with a thick red-orange sauce flavored with
shrimp juice. Unlike the Palabok, Pancit Malabon only
uses seafoods as topping, like shrimp and squid, and if
budget permits, clams and oysters.
Your usual toppings and flavorings for the Pancit
Palabok like ground or strips of Pork, fried Tofu, and
Tinapa flakes, Chicharon or Pork Cracklings are not found
here - this is an all seafood noodle dish.
Traditionally, Pancit Malabon is served with on a round

bamboo weave platter called bilao.
1 1/2 pound Shrimps, shelled and deveined, and

cooked
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
1 1/2 pound Squid, head separated, body cleaned

and sliced
3 tablespoons Achuete (Annato) Seeds
3-4 stalks Green Onions, sliced fine
6 cloves Garlic, minced and fried
2 tablespoons Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup

water
5 cups Water
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce or Patis
1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
3-4 Eggs, boiled, shelled and cut in wedges
1/4 cup Cooking Oil
Thick Rice Noodles or Cornstarch Noodles
Shrimps
Squid
Achuete or Annato Seeds
Green Onions
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Cornstarch
Fish Sauce or Patis
Ground Pepper
Eggs
Cooking Oil
INGREDIENTS
8 oz Thick Rice Noodles or Cornstarch Noodles

1. Boil the noodles in a water for 2-3 minutes or until the
noodles are soft but not soggy. Drain the noodles and set
aside.
2. In a small pan, steep the achuete seeds on the heated

oil to extract the color. Strain, and leave 1 tablespoon oil
on the pan.
3. Stir-fry the shrimps and squid for 1-2 minutes, then
add a teaspoon of fish sauce. Set aside.
BENG'S TIPS
Though not traditional, you can add scallops to

this dish - they are mild in flavor and make a nice
addition to your seafood mix.
Shrimps and squids (and scallops) cook real fast,

about 2-3 minutes. Make sure you don't overcook
as they can get rubbery and tough.
Though this is a seafood noodle dish, it is not

advisable to add any kind of fish and crabs as they
could overpower the flavor of the sauce.
You can add a shrimp broth bouillon for more

shrimp flavor, but cut down on the fish Sauce if
the bouillon is already salty
4. Using a separate pan, boil the shrimp shells with the

water for 3-4 minutes, strain and dispose the shells.
5. Thicken with the cornstarch mixture and add the
remaining achuete oil.
6. Assemble on a plate in this order:
Noodles
Sauce
Shrimp
Squid
Fried Garlic
Boiled Egg
Green Onion
Pancit Palabok
Rice Noodles in Thick Sauce
with Shrimp and Flakes of
Smoked Fish
Pancit Palabok, also known as Pancit Luglug, is made
from rice noodles that have been cooked in boiling water
and drained, then topped with a thick red-orange sauce
flavored with Shrimp and Tinapa or Smoked Dried Fish.
The toppings vary from Shrimp, to ground or strips of

Pork, fried and cubed Tofu, Tinapa flakes to Chicharon or
Pork Cracklings.
The Pancit Malabon is made just the same way, the

difference is in the type of noodle used, and the toppings
are all seafood.
YOUR PANCIT PALABOK SHOPPING LIST:
Noodles are cooked by boiling for a few minutes or

blanching until soft and edible but not soggy, before
assembling on a plate.
Unlike the Pancit Bihon or Pancit Canton where
everything is cooked together and ready to eat once you
take it out of the pan, this dish is quite tedious to make.
Each topping is cooked separately and assembly is
necessary.
I remember back home, when we order a Pancit Palabok,
the cooked noodles were reheated by dipping in hot
water (thus, the term luglug or to soak). The sauce is
then poured on top, and finished off with all the toppings
to make a colorful plate.
Rice Noodles or Bihon
Shrimps
Tinapa or Salted Smoked Fish
Ground Pork
Achuete or Annato Seeds
Green Onions
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Cornstarch
Fish Sauce or Patis
Ground Pepper
Eggs
Cooking Oil
INGREDIENTS
8 oz Rice Noodles or Bihon
1/2 pound Shrimps, shelled and deveined, and

cooked
2-3 piecesTinapa or Salted Smoked Fish, cooked,

deboned and flaked

1. Boil the noodles in a water for 2-3 minutes or until
the noodles are soft but not soggy. 2. Drain
the noodles and set aside.
3. In a small pan, steep the achuete seeds on the heated
oil to extract the color. Strain, and leave 2 tablespoons oil
on the pan.
4. Using 2 tablespoons of the oil, fry the ground pork with
a teaspoon fish sauce until golden brown. Set aside.
1/4 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons Achuete (Annato) Seeds
3-4 stalks Green Onions, sliced fine
6 cloves Garlic, minced and fried
3 tablespoons Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup

water
5 cups Water
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce or Patis
Noodles
Sauce
3-4 Eggs, boiled, shelled and cut in wedges
Tinapa Flakes
1/4 cup Cooking Oil
Shrimp
Ground Meat
5. Using a separate pan, boil the shrimp shells with the

water for 3-4 minutes, strain and dispose the shells.
6. Thicken with the cornstarch mixture and add the
remaining achuete oil.
7. Stir in 2 tablespoons Tinapa flakes, and season with
ground pepper.
8. Assemble on a plate in this order:
Fried Garlic
Boiled Egg
Green Onion
BENG'S TIPS
You might want to add fried (firm) tofu with the

ground meat. Just fry the tofu first before cooking
it in Step #3.
Shrimps cook real fast, about 2-3 minutes. Make

sure you don't overcook as it can get rubbery and
tough.
If you like tofu, you can add the Silken Tofu into
the sauce to get a thicker consistency without
adding much cornstarch and it makes the sauce
creamy.
Another topping option common to Pancit Palabok

is the ground Pork Crackling (Chicharon). They are
available in both whole and ground variety. Just
make sure they're not flavored with anything but
salt.
Try adding a Knorr Shrimp Cube or any Shrimp

Broth for more shrimp flavor. But cut down on the
Fish Sauce as the cube is already salty.
Crispy Kangkong
Fried Spinach Appetizer
Crispy Kangkong are battered water spinach leaves usually
served as appetizers.
This kangkong recipe is very much like your
typical vegetable tempura, where you coat
the vegetable in a very light batter and deep
fried until crisp and golden brown.
The Kangkong gets to be crispy once fried
and the texture is just like eating chips kinda makes you forget you're eating a
vegetable.
frying pan so they are not bland and you can

serve them even without a side sauce.
YOUR CRISPY KANGKONG SHOPPING
LIST:
Kangkong Leaves
All-purpose Flour
Cornstarch
Baking Powder
IN THE PANTRY:
1
The challenge, however, is in making the
batter stick to the leaves.
If you don't prep your leaves first, the
coating will fall off the leaves once they are
fried.
The solution is to first dredge the leaves in
cornstarch before dipping in the batter.
Also, the batter has to be kept cold to keep
the coating crunchy long after you're done
frying.
Season the fried Kangkong with pinch of salt
and pepper right after you take it out of the
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil Soy Sauce
Calamansi or Lemon Juice
Sugar
Sesame Oil(optional)
INGREDIENTS
Bunch of Kangkong Leaves, stalks

removed
BATTER

place inside the refrigerator while the
Kangkong is being prepped.
1/2 cup Cornstarch
2. Pat dry the separated Kangkong leaves,

and dredge in cornstarch. Set aside.
1 tsp Baking Powder

heat.
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
4. Take out the batter mix from the ref and

dip each Kangkong leaf, and drop one by one
minutes, or until golden brown, then set on a
paper towel to drain excess oil. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper.
6. Serve while hot with the dipping sauce.
DIPPING SAUCE
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Calamansi or Lemon Juice
pinch of Sugar
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil(optional)
1/4 tsp Chili pepper (optional)
BENG'S TIPS
Remember to season with salt and

pepper right after frying, just like how
you would French fries. You could also
sprinkle with garlic or onion powder
and chili pepper if you want.
Other alternative dips are mayonnaise

mixed with ketchup, or honey and
yellow mustard or serve with your
favorite Ranch or Ceasar Salad
dressing as dips.
I like to fry Basil leaves with the

Kangkong. Basil has a distinct taste
that stands on its own even without a

dip unlike the bland tasting Kangkong.
Mullets), Banak (Long-Finned Mullet), Buwan-buwan, Bid

bid (Ten Pounder) and Kitang(Spadefish)."
Regular spinach is not a good

substitute for the Crispy Kangkong
because you need leaves that
are paper thin to get a crispy texture
when fried.
My mom's recipe for this dish uses long chili peppers for
added zing, and she removes the fish scales before
cooking it.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Paksiw Na Isda
Milkfish or Bangus
Fish Poached in Vinegar and Ginger
Long Chili Peppers
Paksiw Na Isda is a dish where fish is poached in vinegar

and ginger.
IN THE PANTRY:
Vinegar
Ginger
According to the book Philippine Cookery and Household

Hints by Herminia Villacorta-Alvarez, the word paksiw "is
a native term for pickling fish and meat.
Onion
Salt
Fish or meat is cooked with vinegar, salt, garlic, and a

little water; with or without ginger and sugar."
White Pepper
Fish is merely cleaned, innards and all removed but with

scales intact.
INGREDIENTS
It says, "Most common fishes cooked as paksiao are:
Bangus (Milkfish), Biya (Gobies), Talilong (Black Finned
1 piece Milkfish or Bangus, scaled, cleaned

and cut in serving sizes
1 Long Chili Peppers, sliced diagonally
1/3 cup Vinegar
1 thumbsize Ginger, sliced in strips
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon White Pepper
You can use Galunggong instead of Bangus. Try to

watch the cooking time as it is not as meaty as
the Bangus, thus, tends to cook faster.
Do not stir the vinegar mixture in Step #1 so the

vinegar will not taste fresh and very tangy.
Handle the fish delicately so it doesn't fall apart

when you are flipping it over or when plating the
dish.

1. Put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Do
not stir.
2. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10-12 minutes or
until the fish is done. Turning the fish over to the other
side is necessary if the pan you are using is too wide and
the fish is not totally immersed in the liquid. Flip the fish
over during halfway through the cooking process.
Inihaw na Bangus
Grilled Milkfish Stuffed With Onions,
Tomatoes and Long Green Pepper
Inihaw Na Bangus is simply grilled milkfish, but what sets
it apart is the stuffing inside that infuses a lot of flavor on
the flesh of the fish.
3. Serve with a plate of rice.
BENG'S TIPS
The fish is slit on its side to stuff with onion, tomatoes,

and long green pepper while the fish scales are left intact
to prevent the skin from sticking to the grill.
The long green pepper or siling pang-sigang can be

stuffed whole if spicy is not your thing.
Just prick the pepper with a fork so the taste and aroma
seeps through the flesh of the fish.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Whole Milkfish
Long Green Pepper or Siling Pang-sigang
IN THE PANTRY:
Tomatoes
Onions
Salt
Pepper Salt
Vegetable Oil
INGREDIENTS
Whole Milkfish
3 pieces Tomatoes, diced
1 large onions, sliced
2 pieces Long Green Pepper or Siling Pangsinigang
2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Pepper
Vegetable Oil

COOKING TIME: 30-40 minutes
1. Mix altogether the tomatoes, onions, long green
pepper, salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Prep the fish by slicing the one side deep into the
other but without going all the way through.
3. Put the stuffing in spreading evenly. Press downs a bit
to flatten, making sure the stuffing stays inside.
4. Prepare and heat up the grill: using a tong, dip a paper
towel in vegetable oil and scrub the grill. Be careful of
flare-ups.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish and put it on the

grill.
The last ingredient to go in is the beaten egg, and

remembers: do not stir!
6. Cook each side for 15 - 20 minutes.
It is important not to stir the egg once poured so it

doesn't break down and appear unappetizing.
7. Serve with a side of spicy vinegar, soy sauce, garlic,

chili and dash of sugar mixture.
BENG'S TIPS
Seasoning your grill with oil before cooking can

help prevent your food from sticking on the grill.
However, do this away from heat so as not to have
flare-ups.
Clean the inside of the fish thoroughly before

stuffing. Nothing is more off-putting than a taste of
bitter cooked innards left inside the fish.
Sarciado - Sarciadong Isda

Fish in Sauteed Tomato with Eggs
Sarciadong Isda is a pretty simple dish to make.
It is basically fried fish in a sauteed tomato, and topped
with beaten egg.
Fish is first fried before adding on a sauteed garlic, onion
and tomato.
An option to use is fish fillets instead of bone-in fish

slices.
Just dredge the fillet in all-purpose flour, shake off the
excess flour and brown for just couple minutes on both
sides in a hot pan with little oil.
Try not to overcook as they will either fall apart or get
tough and dry.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
Whole Fish
2 cups water
Green Onion(optional)
2 stalks Green Onions, sliced (optional)
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onion
1. Saute the garlic and onion.
Tomato
2. Add the tomatoes and cook until totally wilted, add

some water if it dries out before the tomatoes get mushy.
Eggs
Fish Sauce (Patis)
Ground Pepper
INGREDIENTS
3. Season with fish sauce and pepper, add more water

and bring to a boil.
4. Nestle the fried fish in, then add the beaten eggs -- do
not stir.
Whole Fish, cut in serving pieces, and fried
5. Let the eggs cook thoroughly, about 3 minutes, then

the dish is ready to serve.
6. Garnish with green onion and serve with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
2 medium Tomatoes, chopped
2 medium Eggs, beaten
When choosing fish, try to get the kind that doesn't

have a lot of fish bones - it's quite hard to pick bones
with all the tomatoes, onions and egg on the sauce.
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce (Patis)
After adding the egg, add some water if the sauce

runs dry. The egg could absorb all the liquid and dry
out the sauce.
It is important to note that the soup base is made from

rice washing that makes it white and not clear.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Whole Fish
Chinese Cabbage Pechay or Bok Choy
Upo or White gourd(optional)
Pesang Isda
Fish Soup with Ginger and Chinese
Cabbage
Pesang Isda is simply fish soup with ginger, pechay and
whole pepppercorns.
It is a cross between Nilagang Baboy and Tinolang
Manok.
It has the basic ingredient of the Nilagang Baboy, except
that it is fish and thereby cooked with ginger to lessen
any funky fishy taste or lansa.
The soup's taste mimics that of the Tinolang manok
because of the ginger.
IN THE PANTRY:
Onion
Ginger
Fish Sauce (Patis)
Whole Peppercorns
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Fish of your choice
1- 2 bunches of Chinese cabbage or Pechay
1 cup sliced Upo or White gourd(optional)
6-8 cups rice washing liquid or plain water
1 large Onion, sliced
2 thumbsize ginger, sliced in flat rounds
3-4 tablespoon Fish Sauce (Patis)
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1. Put all the ingredients, except the pechay, in a pot and
bring to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes,
or until the fish is cooked.
3. Add the pechay, and season with salt and pepper to
taste.
adding the fish because they cook longer. The fish

could fall apart before the veggies get tender.
Use fish fillets instead of whole fish. Just note that

fish fillets are quite delicate, cook much faster, so
cook the soup first before adding in the fish fillet.
Chicken Caldereta
Chicken Cooked with Tomato
Sauce, Liver Spread and Sweet
Pickle Relish
Chicken Caldereta is a variant of the famous Caldereta dish,
usually done in Beef or Goat.
It is a chicken dish cooked with tomato sauce, liver spread
and sweet pickle relish.
Green olives and bell peppers are standard ingredients, as
well as potatoes.
You could do it spicy hot or mild, depending on the
preference of those you are serving it to.
4. Serve hot with white rice.
BENG'S TIPS
Other vegetable options to add are chayote and

green papaya. Cook them in the soup first before
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Chicken
2 cups water
Potatoes
2 pieces bay leaf
Tomato Sauce
Liver Spread
Garlic and Onion for sauteing
Pickle Relish
1 cup red and green bell peppers, cut in strips
Chili Peppers or Siling Labuyo
4-5 Small chili peppers
Green Olives
1 small can Tomato sauce
Knorr Beef Cube
1 small can Liver Spread
1/2 cup Pickle Relish
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
4-5 pieces Potatoes, cubed
Onion
1 Knorr Chicken cube in 1 cup water
Bay leaf
1/2 cup Green Olives
Sugar
2 tablespoons Sugar
Salt and Pepper
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Chicken, cut in serving pieces
1/4 cup vinegar
1. Just like making Adobo, boil the chicken pieces in

vinegar, water, garlic, 2 tsp. salt and bay leaf. Cook until
chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Saute garlic, onion, bell peppers and chili peppers, then
add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Excluding the olives, add the rest of the ingredients,

together with 2 cups broth (from boiling the chicken), and
cook until potatoes are tender.
4. Add some water if it thickens too much before the
potatoes are cooked.
5. Serve the Chicken Caldereta with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
Chicken Turnover with Potatoes and

Raisins
The empanada Filipino recipe is made from chicken, with
different vegetables like potatoes, green peas, carrots,
and raisins.
The dough has a hint of sweetness to it.
You could remove the chicken skin so the dish is not

too greasy. I believe that skin that is not served
crispy doesn't serve a purpose.
Empanada is a Spanish word meaning meat pie. It is a

turnover or a pasty filled with meat and vegetables, and
deep-fried or baked.
Though not traditional, you could do a pork caldereta

by replacing the chicken with pork, or you could mix
both chicken and pork.
The process is quite tedious, you need to boil

the chicken separately before sauteing it to make the
filling.
I add Knorr chicken cube for extra chicken flavor, but

that's just my personal preference.
I don't think the green olives add much to the taste,

but your guests can tell right away that it's Kaldereta
because of them, so it's up to you whether you like
to use them or not.
Empanada Filipino Recipe - Chicken

Empanada
You need to make the pastry dough, and then fill with the
sauteed chicken, before frying or baking.
Empanada doughs can be soft with bread-like texture, or
flaky and crunchy crust. The flaky crust is made by the
fact that separates the layers of the dough when cooked.
It's the same dough you use to make hopia.
IN THE PANTRY:
All Purpose Flour
Vegetable Oil
Sugar
Garlic
Onion
Salt and Pepper
INGREDIENTS
YOUR SHOPPING LIST FOR
THIS EMPANADA FILIPINO RECIPE:
Chicken Breast
Crisco Shortening
Potatoes
Green Peas
Raisins
Chicken stock
2 pounds Chicken Breast
2 medium Potatoes, cut in small cubes and fried
1/2 cup Green Peas
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper
Dough
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Water
pinch of Salt
4. Roll out the dough in 1/2 inch thick and put the roll in
fat in the center. Gather the edges to seal in the roll-in
fat. Rest for a few minutes.
5. Roll out the dough to flatten and fold in thirds, then
set aside for a few minutes. Repeat this step twice,
resting the dough after every handling.
6. Flatten the dough and roll like a jelly roll. Cut to divide
in 18 - 20 pieces.
Roll-in Fat
2 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Crisco Shortening
1/2 cup Sugar
7. Roll out with the cut side up to 3 inch circle, spoon the
filling in and fold the dough to make a half moon shape.
8. Crimp the edges or press the edges with the tines of a
folk to seal.
9. Deep fry in oil until golden brown, or bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for 25-30 minutes.
BENG'S TIPS
1. Boil the chicken breast in 2-3 cups water with 1

medium onion, then cut in cubes.
Want a short cut crust to use in

your empanada Filipino recipe? Go to your
supermarket's freezer section and get the Frozen
Puff Pastry Dough -- just follow the label
instruction. It may not be a sweet crust, but
adding more raisins to the filling will do the trick.
To reheat an empanada, place in a 400 F preheated oven or oven toaster for 15 to 20 minutes
for a nice and flaky crust.
2. Saute the garlic and onion, and then add

the chicken and all other ingredients. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix all the dough ingredients together. In a
separate container, mix the roll-in
fat ingredients together.
Chicken Pochero Recipe

Chicken Stew in Tomato with Vegetables,
Banana and Chorizo de Bilbao
The chicken pochero recipe is unmistakably one of those
dishes that came from the Spaniards.
Puchero in Spanish literally means stew.
The Puchero recipe is made with chicken and pork cooked
in tomato sauce with chorizo de bilbao, assorted
vegetables and fried banana.
The meat is first cooked separately, the banana is fried
on a different pan, and everything is then sauted in
garlic and onion.
Where to buy the chorizo? Most Filipino grocery stores
carry them in their frozen food section.
I'm not a fan of the chorizo, though it gives the dish its
bright red color, it leaves the broth greasy... so most of
the time, I omit it - but, hey, that's just me.
YOUR CHICKEN POCHERO RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
Chicken
Pork Shoulder
Chicken Broth
Chorizo de Bilbao
Chickpeas or Garbanzos
Pechay or Bok Choy
Cabbage
Saba Banana or Plantain
IN THE PANTRY:
2 cups equivalent Pechay or Bok Choy, cut in half
2 cups equivalent Cabbage, sliced roughly
Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons Salt
Garlic
2 teaspoons Pepper
Onion
3 pieces Saba Banana or ripe Plantain, cut

diagonally
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup Cooking Oil for frying the banana and

sauteing
Cooking Oil
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pound Chicken, cut in serving sizes
1 pound Pork Shoulder, cut in serving sizes
5 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup sliced Chorizo de Bilbao
1 cup canned Chickpeas or Garbanzos

COOKING TIME : 30 minutes
1. On a deep pot, boil the chicken and pork pieces
in chicken broth, together with half the onion and
the Chorizo de Bilbao. Add enough water to cover the
meat. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until the meat are
tender.
2. On a separate pan with 1/4 cup oil, pan-fry the
bananas until both sides are golden brown. Set aside.
3. Using the same pan add 1/4 cup oil and saute the
garlic and onion. Add the chicken and pork, and saute for
a couple minutes.
4. Transfer the sauted meat to the pot, and add the
tomato sauce, chickpeas, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
5. Add the cabbage and turn the heat off. Put in the
Pechay or Bok Choy last so as not to overcook them.
6. Mix in the fried bananas, and serve
the chicken pochero hot with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
Boil the pork a few minutes before putting in

the chicken so the chicken doesn't get overcooked
before the pork gets tender.
If you can't find canned chickpeas, get the

packaged uncooked ones. Soak in water overnight,
rinse, and then boil for 30 - 45 minutes or until the
chickpeas are tender.
Chicken Soup Cooked with Ginger, Green

Papaya and Pepper Leaves
Chicken Tinola is a light chicken soup that is always
served with rice. Ginger is the key ingredient for this dish.
The broth for the Tinola recipe is flavored with slices of
ginger and cooked with green or raw papaya and Dahon
ng Sili or Pepper leaves.
Some variations use a whole lot of ginger to give the
soup some heat, because it is a perfect dish to during a
cold, rainy night.
YOUR CHICKEN TINOLA SHOPPING LIST:
Use atchuete seeds steeped in oil to mimic the

bright red color the chorizo gives should you
decide to omit the chorizo.
Chicken Tinola
Chicken Thigh and Legs
Ginger
Green Papaya
Pepper Leaves (Dahon ng Sili)
Chicken Broth
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onions
Fish Sauce or Patis
Pepper
1. In a large pot, saute the garlic and onion and ginger.

Add the chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring
continously.
Cooking Oil
2. Add the fish sauce and cook for another minute. Add
the chicken broth.
INGREDIENTS
3. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer for
10 minutes.
2 pounds Chicken Thigh and Legs, cut into serving

slices
1 thumb-size Ginger, cut in strips
4. Add the green papaya and let it simmer for another 15

minutes or until the chicken are tender.
1 cup Green Papaya, cut in wedges
5. Stir in the dahon ng sili, and season with pepper.
1/2 cup Pepper Leaves (Dahon ng Sili)
5-6 cups Chicken Broth
3-4 tablespoons Fish Sauce or Patis
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes
6. Serve hot with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
The ginger can give the broth some heat, so you

can add more ginger according to your preference.
You can use Knorr Chicken cubes aside from the

chicken broth but hold back on the fish sauce. The
Chicken cubes are already salty so you might not
need the fish sauce.
If you want to add chicken breast with the thighs

and legs, remember that breasts cook faster that
thighs and legs and can tend to be rubbery and
bland when overcooked. So give it less cooking
time.
It is also inexpensive -- no wonder it is a popular method

of preparing turkey, pork chops and other cuts of meat
that are to be roasted or oven-baked for quite a long
period of time.
Lechon Manok
Roasted Whole Chicken
There was a time in Manila when almost every street
corner had a Lechon Manok stand.
It was a fad back then, though now, the real good ones
prevailed and are still around...
Lechon Manok is roasted whole chicken, perfectly
seasoned, fork-tender and wrapped and served on
banana leaves.
It is roasted on an open indoor charcoal pit, and
continuously basted - you could smell it a block away!
My take on this roasted chicken is different, because I
don't have a pit to roast the chicken on -- but the taste is
just as good.
I brine the chicken overnight in water-salt-sugar solution and oven-roast for an hour to an hour and a half
(depending on the weight of the chicken), basting from
time to time with lemon-soy sauce-garlic mixture...
Brine solutions make the meat moist, tender and juicy.
Tying a roasted chicken is not that hard, just remember

that the wings and legs cannot be sticking out because
they will burn
before everything
else gets cooked.
If you are not a
fan of tying or
trussing
a chicken, tuck
the wings
backwards so
they are not
sticking out.
Make small holes on the skin across the drumstick and
tuck each leg - and you're good to go.
YOUR LECHON MANOK SHOPPING LIST:
Roaster Chicken
Food-safe twine for tying
IN THE PANTRY:
Rock or Kosher Salt
Sugar
Garlic powder
Soy Sauce
Lemon Juice
INGREDIENTS
1 5-6 pound Roaster Chicken
1/2 cup Rock or Kosher Salt
1 gallon Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
the chicken is fully submerged. Keep in the

refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Rinse the chicken well and discard the brine. Truss
the chicken with a twine, making sure the wings and legs
are tied close to the body.
4. Mix the soy sauce, lemon and garlic powder and baste
the chicken.
5. Set the chicken on a roasting pan, and roast for one
hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit while covered with
aluminum foil.
6. After an hour and a half, baste the chicken with
the lemon/soy sauce. Increase oven temperature to 375
degrees Fahrenheit and roast for another 30 minutes,
uncovered, to make the skin crisp.
7. Check for doneness by using a
meat thermometer inserted on the chicken breast. It
should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
COOKING TIME: 2 hours
8. Serve hot with the chicken au jus(liquid left on

the roasting pan) on the side.
1. Heat up 3 cups of water (from the gallon measure) and

dissolve the salt and sugar, then mix to the rest of the
water. Set aside to cool down.
BENG'S TIPS
2. Wash the chicken thoroughly and set on a deep

container. Add the brine solution, making sure
Roasting time for chicken is 20 minutes per pound,

so set your timer accordingly depending on the
weight of your roaster chicken.
Though the total roasting time is dependent on the

weight of your chicken, make sure the
temperature is increased the last 20-30 minutes of
the allotted time to crisp up the skin.
I never use iodized salt for brining; it is more
concentrated than kosher or table salt.
The chicken will be very salty if you follow the
same measure.
Always practice food safety procedure when
handling raw chicken. Wash with warm soapy
water all surfaces that came in contact
with chicken.
Is it made with chicken or pork?

This Chicken Afritada is unmistakably a Filipino dish. It
has a savory tomato base sauce and cooked with
vegetables such as bell pepper, potatoes and green peas.
Some old Philippine cookbooks call it Fritada - which is a
Spanish dish that literally means to fry up.
Although the most popular meat to cook for Afritada (also
Apritada) is chicken, pork can also be used.
YOUR FILIPINO AFRITADA SHOPPING LIST:
Filipino Afritada - Chicken Afritada
Chicken Thigh and Legs
Tomato Sauce
Chicken Broth
Frozen Green Peas
Potatoes
IN THE PANTRY:
Chicken Stewed in Tomato Sauce with

Potatoes and Bell Pepper
What's your favorite Filipino Afritada recipe?
Garlic
Onion
Pepper
Cooking Oil
All-purpose Flour
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Chicken Thigh and Legs
1. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and pan-fry in

medium heat. Do not overcook. You only need to slightly
brown the chicken. Set aside
1 Red or Green Bell Peppers, diced
2. Using the same pan, stir fry the garlic, and onions.
Add back the chicken and stir in the tomato sauce
and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
1/3 cup Green Peas
3. Turn the heat down to simmer for 10 minutes.
2 medium Potatoes, cubed
4. Add the potatoes and bell peppers and simmer for

another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Cooking Oil
All-purpose Flour for dredging
5. Add the green peas, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve with rice.
BENG'S TIPS
Dredging the chicken in flour before pan-frying will

thicken the sauce. However, you can omit the flour
and use breadcrumbs instead, but should be
added in the end.
If you want to add chicken breast with the thighs

and legs, remember that breasts cook faster that
thighs and legs and can tend to be rubbery and
bland when overcooked. So add it together with
the potatoes on Step 4 for less cooking time.
Frozen green peas are already cooked so just add

them towards the end of cooking. I don't like to
use canned green peas because they are quite
pale in color and do not make the dish look
appetizing.
Chicken Adobo Filipino Recipe

Chicken Stewed in Vinegar, Soy
Sauce and Garlic
This chicken adobo Filipino recipe is simply chicken stewed
in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns. It
has the same procedure as the Pork Adobo.
Though unlike the Pork dish, I like to marinate the chicken first so it can a
flavor better before cooking.
My variants for this dish includes :
Cooking until the sauce has dried up and almost fried, then serving
Garlic Fried Rice and Fried Egg.
adding coconut milk and long chili peppers to make it creamy and a
spicy
Doing a mix of Chicken and Pork Adobo.
YOUR CHICK
ADOBO
FILIPINO
RECIPE
EN
SHOPPING
LIST:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1 pc. bay leaf(laurel leaf)
Whole Chicken
Vegetables such as Spinach, Green Beans or

Asparagus - Optional as side dish
6-8 pieces whole peppercorns
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cooking oil, for sauting
2 cups of Vegetables, either Spinach, Green

Beans or Asparagus - Optional as side dish
IN THE PANTRY:
Vinegar
Soy Sauce
Garlic
Onions
Whole Peppercorns
Bay leaf (Laurel)

1. Mix the pork, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, half the garlic
and onion and peppercorns in a container and marinate for
20-30 minutes.
2. In a medium pot, put the marinade together with
the chicken and bring to a boil. DO NOT STIR.
23
INGREDIENTS
2-3 pounds chicken, cut into serving pieces
3. Simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken pieces are tender.

Add the water in if it's drying out before the meat gets
tender.
4. (Optional) To cook your favorite veggies, either spinach,
green beans, or asparagus as a side dish: leave a little
sauce on the pan and add a little oil. Stir-fry the desired
vegetable for 2 minutes, then add a 2 tablespoons water,
cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve with hot rice.
BENG'S TIPS
If the recipe is too tangy for you, substitute half the

vinegar with water.
Remember that chicken breasts or the white meat
cook faster than the rest of the chicken and can tend
to be rubbery and bland when overcooked, so if you
plan to have a fork-tender dark meat, scoop out the
breast before cooking the rest further.
The vinegar mixture is left to boil with the meat and
it shouldn't be stirred or the vinegar will taste fresh
and uncooked.
If you are to try the variant dish with the coconut
milk and all you have is the prepared or canned coco
milk, read the label to make sure there's no sugar
added, you might not like the hint of sweetness for
this savory dish.
Calamares Recipe - Fried

Calamari
Battered and Fried Squid Appetizer
Not all fried pusit or calamares recipe are the same. This
one stays crunchy long after they have been cooked.
Doing a good fried calamare or pusit is no

simple task.
The coatings tend to come off and

they don't stay crunchy.
They can get chewy and tough

because they are overcooked.
The oil splatters so much during frying

because the batter had come off.
The batter or coating has gotten soft

and soggy, thus, unappetizing.
To ensure that the batter sticks with

the squid, I dredge them in cornstarch before
dipping in the batter.
And just like the Shrimp Tempura,
this calamares recipe uses a tempura-like
batter.
Lastly, I dredge again, but this time,
in Panko, or Japanese breadcrumbs to keep
the coating from getting soft and soggy.
1
So, what I get are fried calamares that stay
crunchy long after they have been cooked.
IN THE PANTRY:
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Squid, cut in rings
1/2 cup Cornstarch, for dredging

BATTER
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Squids
All-purpose Flour
Cornstarch
Baking Powder

Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
12 minutes or until dried but not

browned. Shred or pulse in food
processor and use.
FOR DREDGING

Dried Breadcrumbs
1. Mix all the batter ingredients and

refrigerate while the squids are being
prepped.
2. Cut the squid body in 1/4 inch rings and
dredge in cornstarch.
refrigerator and dip the squid rings, then
dredge in the breadcrumbs.
heat and drop in the squid rings without
crowding them in the oil.
pepper.
6. Serve with the vinegar dipping sauce.
BENG'S TIPS
Use any kind of dried breadcrumbs, or

make your own by toasting loaf bread
(Tasty bread) slices in 300F; for 10 -

onto the squid rings to keep them
from falling off during frying.
Here in the US, fried calamares are

served as appetizers dipped in
Marinara sauce. You will know it's
a Pinoy version if it's dipped in spicy
vinegar sauce.
Adobong Pusit
Adobong pusit is a variant of the Filipino favorite dish,
Adobo, where squid is stewed in vinegar, salt and garlic.
The squid's ink sac gives you a black sauce, rather than
using soy sauce just like in the Pork or Chicken Adobo.
Have you had a squid adobo that's tough and
chewy? Squid are usually delicious if cooked properly.
You will either have to stir-fry them or stew for a long time,
or you will get a real chewy texture.
In other words, they would have to be cooked for 3 minutes
or for 45 minutes or anything in between will make them
tough.
YOUR ADOBONG PUSIT FILIPINO RECIPE SHOPPING
LIST:
Whole Squids
IN THE PANTRY:
Vinegar
Salt
Garlic
Onions
Whole Peppercorns
2 tablespoons, for sauteing

1. Saute the garlic and onion, then add the squid.
2. Mix in the vinegar, salt, and peppercorns and bring to a
boil. DO NOT STIR.
3. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until squid pieces are
tender, add the inc sac in the end.
4. Serve with hot rice.
BENG'S TIPS
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Squid, body cut into 1/2 inch rings, ink sac
separated
1 tablespoon Salt
1/2 cup vinegar
6-8 pieces whole peppercorns
1/2 cup water
If you want to cook the squid briefly, boil

all ingredients (except the squid) until half the liquid
has evaporated, then add the squid and boil for 3
minutes.
If the recipe is too tangy for you, substitute half the

vinegar with water.
The vinegar mixture is left to boil and shouldn't be

stirred so the vinegar will not taste fresh and too
sour.
Cooking with squid and vinegar will leave your

kitchen with a funky smell. Try some of tips here
on how to remove cooking odors.
Tahong Soup
Mussel Soup with Ginger and Hot
Pepper Leaves
And to ensure that you don't munch on sand

with your mussel soup, pour the cooked soup
onto a separate pot, leaving a half cup of
broth with any sand or grit that didnt come
off during washing.
Mussels or Tahong Soup is quite the simple soup to make.

All you need is garlic, onion and ginger and
you are good to go.
Rice washing (hugas bigas) is commonly
used for the soup base, but tap water still
gives you the same cloudy white soup.
It is usually topped with hot pepper leaves. A
word of advice, though, when preparing a
mussel dish. Even if this mussel soup is fast
and easy to cook, it is cleaning of the mussel
that you need to be thorough; otherwise, you
could end up with sand and grit on your
soup.
Depending on where you buy your

mussels, the shells need to be
scrubbed clean.
The beards hanging out of the closed

shells need to be pulled out.
They have to be washed with several

changes of water until the water runs
clear.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Mussels
Hot Pepper Leaves (Dahon ng Sili)
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onion
Ginger
Fish Sauce
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil
INGREDIENTS
2 Dozen Mussels or Tahong, cleaned

thoroughly
1 large Onion, minced
2 thumbsize Ginger, minced
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
8-10 cups Water
Cooking Oil for sauteing
Bunch of Hot Pepper Leaves
1. Using a stock pot, saute the garlic, onion

and ginger until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the fish sauce, then add the water

and bring to a boil.
3. Put in the mussels and cook until the
shells open.
4. Add the hot pepper leaves and season
with salt and pepper.
5. Turn the heat off, and then pour
to transfer to a different pot, leaving some of
the broth with any grit and sand at the
bottom of the first pot.
6. Serve hot with the rice.
BENG'S TIPS
When serving shellfish, portion in

terms of pieces rather than weight. 6
pieces per person may seem plenty
because of the bulky shells but might
not be filling enough as the meat
inside are so tiny.
Discard shells that didn't open up,

they might not be safe to eat.
If you are not cooking the tahong or

mussels right away, store them in the
refrigerator submerged in water.
These are live seafood that needs to
stay like that until you cook them. But
try not to keep them in the fridge for
long. Remember, if they don't open up
during cooking, they may have been

dead and not safe to eat.
Shrimp Tempura
Using just a tempura batter will only keep it

crunchy while it's still hot.
Adding another step like dredging in Panko,
or Japanese breadcrumbs will keep the
coating from getting soft and soggy.
Crispy Battered Fried Shrimp

Ever had a Shrimp Tempura from the fancy Japanese
restaurant or even a Japanese fastfood place?
You might think that they are hard to make because a few
pieces will cost you.
On the contrary, they are quite simple and easy to make.
A good tempura has to be crispy even long
after they have been fried.
Some important tips to consider before

you start:
The batter is just slightly seasoned;

salt is sprinkled in the end once the
shrimp is taken out of the oil, like how
you would French fries.
It is the dipping sauce you serve it

with that will give it the taste.
I use both cornstarch and all purpose

flour for the batter. The cornstarch
gives it the crunch and will not leave
the coating too cakey.
Ice Cold Water is essential for the

crunch, too.
So, how do you get the shrimp straight?
A slit on the underside at an angle (about

45) will prevent the shrimp from curling.
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Oil
Light Sodium or Regular Soy Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Large Shrimps or Prawns,

shells removed, tails intact
BATTER
YOUR SHRIMP TEMPURA SHOPPING

LIST:
Large Shrimp or Prawns
1/2 cup Cornstarch
All-purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
Cornstarch
Baking Powder

Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
IN THE PANTRY:
DREDGING

Dried Breadcrumbs
6. Serve with the dipping sauce.
BENG'S TIPS
No Panko breadcrumbs? Use any dried

breadcrumbs, or make your own by
toasting loaf bread (Tasty bread)
slices in 300F; for 10 - 12 minutes or
until dried but not browned. Shred or
pulse in food processor and use.

onto the shrimp to keep them from
falling off during frying.
To devein or not to devein the shrimp?

I usually devein large shrimps and
prawns because I don't want to see
the black intestinal tract when I eat
them. That's just a personal
preference. You don't have to do it if
you are not bothered by it.
Pair your shrimp tempura

with Vegetable Tempura since they
use the same batter ingredients.
DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup Light Sodium or Regular Soy

Sauce

place inside the refrigerator while the
shrimps are being prepped.
2. Slit the underside of the shrimps at an
angle to make them straight. Set aside.
refrigerator and dip each shrimp, then
dredge in the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all the
shrimps before you start frying.
heat and drop the shrimps one by one
pepper.
Ukoy Recipe - Filipino Shrimp Fritter
Mungbean Sprout and Shrimp Fritter

The Ukoy recipe shown here is made from mongo sprout
(togue) and shrimps. Sometimes called Okoy, it is the
Filipino shrimp fritter. It is a fried and battered mix of
shrimp and vegetable, either mongo sprout
(togue) or squash (kalabasa). This particular recipe is
made with togue since I am not a fan of
sweet squash fritter, but that's just a preference.
So how can you tell if it's a Filipino shrimp fritter?

It's the dip that comes with it. Ours is almost always
served and eaten with a vinegar, garlic and soy dipping
sauce. Yum!!!
YOUR UKOY RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
Mongo Sprouts or Mungbean sprouts (togue)
Shrimps
But if you are unable to fry the shells crispy or bothered

by swallowing them, I suggest you remove them before
adding the shrimps to the batter.
Green Onion
Baking Powder
You could pound the shells, add a little water to make

shrimp juice and mix that with the batter for extra shrimp
flavor.
Achuete or Annato Seeds (optional)
Traditionally, shrimps are not shelled and heads are left

intact as they are fried to a crisp.
I also like my shrimp fritter with carrots that's cut into

strips or julienned.
I try to sneak in carrots in any dish, as long as it will not
affect the taste.
Anyway, a little carrot won't make the batter sweet.
Other Asian cultures, like the Thais and Malays, have
their own version of the shrimp fritters.
They're also street food and fried crispy.
IN THE PANTRY:
All Purpose Flour
Cornstarch
Eggs
Carrots
Salt and Pepper
1 cup shrimp juice(pounded shrimp shell in water

and strained)
2 tablespoons achuete seeds steeped in 1/4 cup

water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Cooking oil for pan frying

INGREDIENTS
1. Mix all the ingredients together except the cooking

oil. Heat up some oil in a pan.
3 cups Mungbean Sprouts, washed
1 cup Shrimps, shelled
2. using a 1/2 measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the

hot pan, and flatten with a spatula.
1/2 cup Green Onion, sliced
3. Pan Fry for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
1/2 cup Carrots, julienned
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
4. Depending on the size of the pan, you could cook from

2 to 3 at a time.
2/3 cup Cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 large or 2 Medium Eggs
5. Serve with a vinegar dipping sauce on the side.
BENG'S UKOY RECIPE TIPS
Cook the fritter using medium low to medium heat

to cook the inside and center properly. Try to
pierce or prick the center so oil will seep in and
cook the fritter well.
An easier way to infuse shrimp flavor onto the
batter is to use Knorr shrimp cube. Heat up the 1
cup water in the microwave with the shrimp cube
to dissolve before adding to the batter(but omit
the salt in the recipe as the cube is already salty).
You could freeze leftover Okoy for later use. Just
bake them using an oven or oven toaster at 425 F
for 10 to 15 minutes or until crispy.
The batter is not too sweet since you get to top it with
granulated or powdered sugar.
Though not traditional, an addition of jackfruit
or langka gives it a special touch so I'm putting it as an
optional ingredient.
Also, I don't deep-fry. I use a little oil at a time -- a batter
can suck up a lot of oil on the pan and could to make the
fritter very oily.
And while I'm at it, I want to share with you a Thai
version of the banana fritter that I chanced upon in one
of the Food Fairs I went to in NY.
Imagine 2 thinly sliced cooking bananas and in the
middle is a strip of jackfruit. Then whole thing is dipped in
a sweet and thick Tempura batter and deep-fried to a
crisp -- so unbelievably good!
Maruya Recipe
Banana Fritters
This Maruya Recipe or Maruyang Saging is the Filipino
banana fritters, a favorite afternoon snack.
It is made by making a batter of flour, eggs, sugar, and
water and sliced cooking bananas.
YOUR MARUYA RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
Cooking Bananas (Saba or Ripe Plantain)
Jackfruit or Langka (optional)
IN THE PANTRY:
Eggs
All-purpose Flour
Sugar
INGREDIENTS

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Heat up a pan and put a little oil.
3. Pour about 1/4 cup and cook for 2 minutes, invert and
cook for another minute or until both sides are golden
brown.
4. Repeat until all the batter are cooked.
5. Top with sprinkled powdered or granulated sugar, and
serve hot.
BENG'S TIPS
4 cups Cooking Bananas (Saba or Ripe Plantain),

sliced 1/4 inch diagonally
Few strips Jackfruit or Langka, diced (optional)
2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cup Water
Do not deep-fry. Use a little oil at a time to prevent

the Maruya from being too oily.
Use 1 cup water in the beginning and add up to

1/2 cup more to thin down the batter. A thick
batter could give you an uneven cooking where
the center could still be uncooked.
If you want a little crunch along the edges,

substitute half of the all-purpose flour with
cornstarch.
No cooking bananas available? You could use the

yellow regular bananas but make sure they're still
firm and try to put at least a cup more in the
recipe. These types of banana are not as flavorful
as the Saba or plantain and tend to be mushy
when cooked.
Siomai Recipe
Dumpling with Ground Pork and Shrimp
Though for most Filipinos I know, they enjoy Siomai at

Foodcourts at the mall or as snacks with a Soy
Sauce/Calamansi or Lemon Juice (Toyomansi) dipping
sauce.
And still, others cook them onto a soup to make Pancit
Molo.
You can basically use your imagination as to the filling
you want to put in your Dumpling. If you are in for a
healthy alternative, use vegetables with Tofu.
Pot stickers or how dumplings are popularly called around
here are oval shaped, crimped and pleated on the top
edges.
This Siomai recipe uses typical Filipino

dumpling ingredients such as ground pork, shrimps and
spring onions and wrapped on wonton wrappers.
They are first fried with very little oil to make them stick
to the pan. Little water is added, and then topped with
lid.
Dumplings are usually of Chinese origin, served on

bamboo steamers at dim sums, alongside siopao
(steamed bun), congee (arroz caldo) and chicken and
duck feet.
Once all the water evaporated, the dumplings are

cooked. Only one side of the dumpling is golden brown.
Interestingly, almost every culture has their own version

of dumpling.
The Italian's raviolis, the Polish's pierogie, the Korean's
mandu and the Japanese's gyoza, are among the few
dumpling variations of different countries.
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Breadcrumbs
INGREDIENTS
YOUR SIOMAI RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:
1 pack Dumpling or Wonton Wrappers
1 Egg, to seal the wrapper
1 pound Ground Pork
Dumpling or Wonton Wrappers
1/2 pound Shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
Ground Pork
1/2 pound Ground Chicken(Optional)
Shrimp
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
Ground Chicken(Optional)
1 medium Carrots, chopped
Green Onions
1 Egg, beaten
Carrots
Eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
IN THE PANTRY:
2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Onion
1 cup Breadcrumbs
Add a beaten egg and continue pulsing.
Add water, a tablespoon at a time until the

dough becomes one big mass and
collecting on one side of the processor.
Transfer on a floured board and knead until

smooth, then form into small balls. Make
sure to cover them with damp cloth so they
don't dry out.
Flatten each ball and they're ready to be

filled with your favorite filling.

1. Mix together all the ingredients, except the first two.
2. Scoop a tablespoon on each wrapper and form
according to your preference.
3. Seal by brushing egg on the outer side of the
wrapper.
The egg and breadcrumbs act as binders so the

meat filling will not fall apart once cooked.
Hide the vegetables you want your kids to eat in

the filling. Use the green onion stalks instead of
the leaves so they will not see green and think
they are eating vegetables.
4. Arrange onto a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.

5. Serve as is or cook further by deep frying.
6. Serve with Soy Sauce and Calamansi Juice or your
favorite dipping sauce.
Crispy Pata
BENG'S TIPS
If you can't find a Dumpling wrapper and want to

make Siomai from scratch, here is the Wrapper
procedure below:
o
Using a Food Processor (or you could do it

manually, too) put in 2 cups all-purpose
flour with a pinch of salt, and pulse 3 times.
Deep Fried Pig's Knuckle

Crispy Pata is deep fried pig's knuckle (pata), a Filipino
favorite dish, believed to be invented (or concocted) and
made popular by the restaurant Barrio Fiesta in Manila.
Admittedly, nothing compares to the Barrio

Fiesta recipe, but we could always improvise
and try to come close.
The pata used for this dish is the lower part
of the pig's leg, that which is close to the
foot.
Unlike the upper leg or thigh which is meaty
(thus usually made into ham) the knuckle is
mostly bones, fat and doesn't even have
much lean meat.
So why bother with this part of the pig when
most of the time you could only get about
25% lean meat, 35% skin and fat and the
rest, inedible bones that only Bantay can
enjoy?
The kicker is actually the thick, fatty skin that
if cooked properly, turns into this crispy and
delightful crackling treat that makes it worth
all the work especially when served with a
spicy vinegar dip.
The secret to a great tasting Crispy
Pata starts with cooking to tenderize the pig's
knuckle in perfectly flavored and seasoned
broth.
We usually start by boiling the pata just like
making Nilagang Baboy: Water, garlic,
onions, salt, peppercorns, potatoes and
cabbage.
The pata is then removed from the broth,
cooled down, wiped dry and left uncovered

inside the refrigerator for at least a day.
The following day, salt and pepper is rubbed
all over the outer part of the meat before
deep frying.
PRECAUTION: Deep frying a big piece of meat
with mostly skin is no child's play, it will
definitely splatter and you have to consider how
high the oil will rise in the pot once you put the
meat
in.
The oil must not go over 1/3 from the top of
the deep pot once you set the meat in,
otherwise, oil could overflow or spill over onto
the stove and your kitchen could catch fire.
YOUR CRISPY PATA SHOPPING LIST:
Pata or Pig's Knuckle
Potatoes(optional)
Cabbage(optional)
IN THE PANTRY:
Garlic
Onion
Whole Peppercorns
Salt
Cooking Oil for deep-frying
INGREDIENTS
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the

potatoes and cabbage, and simmer for 35-40
minutes or until the meat is just tender (but
not falling-apart tender).
4. Add the potatoes and cabbage, season to
taste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
1 piece Pata or Pig's Knuckle
1 head of Garlic, separated into cloves
2 medium Onions, quartered
1 tablespoon Whole Peppercorns
3 - 4 tablespoons Salt
3 - 4 Potatoes, cubed (optional)
1/2 head of Cabbage, roughly cut

(optional)
Enough water to cover the meat
9. Serve with a vinegar dipping sauce or

serve with rice and Kare-kare.
Cooking Oil for deep-frying
BENG'S TIPS

1. Put the pata in a deep pot and add
enough water to submerge the meat. Bring
to a boil.
2. Skim off all the scum or the brown
impurities that will float on the surface.
5. Remove the meat from the pot and set on

a wire rack to cool down and dry up a bit.
6. Put the meat in a container without a lid
and place inside the refrigerator for at least 8
hours or even overnight.
7. Take the meat out of the fridge, measure
1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper and rub
on the meat.
8. Deep fry the pata the next day using
medium heat (oil temperature at approx. 350
F ;) until golden brown.
Why do we pre-cook the meat in a

well seasoned broth before frying? It
makes all the difference in taste for
the Crispy Pata, plus the broth used to
tenderize the meat could be served as
a side soup or to flavor other dishes.
Before frying, you could score the

meat or cut 1/2 inch deep slits on the
skin of the pata so oil could seep in
and cook the inside faster.
Be careful of oil splatters: make sure

to use a heavy lid or (even if you will
look silly) try to wear your oven
mittens during frying to protect your
hands from oil burns.
Lechon Kawali Recipe

Deep-Fried Pork Belly
This Lechon Kawali recipe makes a whole slab of fried
pork belly turned into a delicious pork dish with crisp,
crackling skin with salty exterior and tender and juicy
inside.
It is usually served with a side of Lechon Sauce.
Pork Belly is that only part of the pork that is used for this
dish, the same part used to make bacon.
Because of the good amount of fat on this cut, the meat
does not dry out during the cooking process.
Ideally, the procedure calls for the pork belly to be boiled

until tender, and then sun-dried for 3-4 hours before
deep-frying. Sun-drying will result in nice crackling skin.
However, for food safety reasons, I don't suggest sundying or even exposing the meat to temperatures
between 41 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (the danger
zone, they say) - even if it's already been pre-cooked.
Certain meats that have been cured with salt or other
curing solutions are safe to air-dry or sun-dry, like Beef
Jerky, Tinapa or Tuyo.
To get a nice crisp skin, an option is to freeze the pork
after it's been boiled.
This can give the same crackling skin effect for the
Lechon Kawali - but please see Cook's Tips below on
Safety during cooking.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
Pork Belly or Liempo
IN THE PANTRY:
Onions
Salt
Peppercorns
White Pepper
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Pork Belly, whole slab
6-8 cups Water
2 medium onions, cubed
3 tablespoons Salt
1 teaspoon Peppercorns
Cooking oil for frying

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, boil the pork
belly with the water. Spoon out the grayish meat protein
that floats on the water and discard.
2. Turn the heat down; add the onions, salt and
peppercorns and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the
pork is tender.
3. Scoop out the pork and pat it dry with paper towel
before deep-frying. (Or you can wrap it and freeze for
frying at a later time).
4. Heat up the oil on your deep-fryer. The temperature
setting should be 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep-fry for
15-20 minutes or until the skin is nice and crisp.
5. Serve with rice and Lechon Sauce.
BENG'S TIPS
If your cooking pot is not big enough, you can cut

the slab of belly into about 3 inch cubes, Don't cut
any smaller because the lean part of the meat
gets cooked faster than the skin, making it dry and
a little tough.
Ever had a Lechon Kawali that's bland and the

meat inside still smell and taste like raw meat?
For seasoning the meat before deep-frying:
1 tablespoon Salt
1/2 tablespoon Ground White Pepper
I believe that secret to a good Lechon Kawali

recipe is in the flavor that you put into the broth
while you are simmering the meat. I like a lot of
onions to cut the raw, fresh taste, and I sometimes
add garlic, too.
For seasoning the pork before deep-frying, you can

use Garlic Salt or even the Goya Brand Adobo
Seasoning, which is a mixture of garlic, oregano
and different seasonings.
Safety in the kitchen should always be

your number one concern and deep-frying can be
pretty dangerous so take the necessary
precautions.
o
The frying pot should not have more than

half full of oil. Spill-over oil can cause fire.
Remember that water on oil can cause

splatter - thus, a frozen pork belly placed on
heated oil can splatter a lot.
So, have a heavy pot lid and a long pair of
tongs handy.
Also if you can work with oven mitts
covering your hands while frying, that can
help you from getting oil splatter burns on
your hands... and please, be very careful.

My Recipes

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

My Recipes

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Giniling Recipe

Sauted Ground Meat with Bell

Interestingly, this dish is called 'Torta' by my Kapampangan cousins,

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

Red and Green Bell Peppers

Beef Broth or Knorr Cube

Lemon or Calamansi Juice

Salt and Pepper

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes

2 pounds Ground Lean Pork

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

6. Mix in the remaining 1/3 bell peppers and season with

1/4 cup Lemon or Calamansi Juice

7. Serve with rice.

6 cloves Garlic, minced

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 cup Red or Green(or both) bell peppers, chopped

2 large Potatoes, cubed

1 small can Tomato Sauce

2 cups beef broth or 1 knorr cube dissolved in 2 cups

tender and flavorful ham hock skin plus a lot of lean

Paksiw Na Pata Recipe

PAKSIW NA PATA RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:

Pata or Ham Hocks

Dried Banana Blossom (Bulaklak ng Saging)

Bay leaf (Laurel leaf)

1 medium onion, chopped

salt and pepper

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes

COOKING TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes

4-5 pieces Ham Hocks or Pata, cut 2 inches thick

1 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes

1/3 cup vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dried banana blossoms(Bulaklak ng

2 pcs. Bayleaf (Laurel leaf)

1/2 teaspoon oregano flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar

5-6 cups of water

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1. Mix the following together in a bowl: vinegar, soy

If you want an authentic Paksiw na Pata, leave out the

Menudo Filipino Recipe

Pork and Liver Chunks cooked with Tomatoes,

YOUR MENUDO FILIPINO RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:

Canned Chickpeas or Garbanzos

Red and Green Pepper

Achuete or Annatto Seeds

2 pounds Pork Shoulder, cubed

1 cup Pork Liver, cubed

1 cup Potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup canned chickpeas or garbanzos

2. On a separate saute pan, heat the achuete seeds in oil

2 pieces Tomatoes, sliced

1 small can Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup red and green pepper, cut in strips

1/4 cup white Vinegar

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

5. Add the liver, chickpeas and bell pepper and simmer

1 - 2 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons Cooking oil

3 tablespoons Achuete or Annato Seeds

4 cloves Garlic, minced