RELLENONG BANGUS

1 large size bangus
1 onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small size carrot, small cubes
1 box raisins (optional)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 raw egg, large
1 tsp vetsin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2 tbsp flour
cooking oil for frying

Scrape fish scales. Clean. Gently pound fish to loosen meat from the skin. Use flat side of a knife in pounding. Break the big bone at the nape and on the tail. Insert the end of the handle of an aluminum kitchen turner (sandok) through the fish neck. Gently scrape down the handle between the meat and the skin. Scrape down to the tail, going around and on the other side of the fish. If you feel the meat is entirely separated from the skin, remove the handle, squeeze and push out meat (with the big bone), starting from the tail going out through the head. This way, you will be able to push out the whole meat without cutting an opening on the skin.

Marinate skin and head of the fish with soy sauce and calamansi juice. Set aside. Boil fish meat in a little water. Drain. Pick out bones. Flake meat.

Saute garlic until brown. Add onion and tomatoes. Stir in fish meat, carrot, and pepper. Season with salt, vetsin, ground pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add raisins.

Transfer cooked mixture to a plate. Cook, then, add raw egg and flour. Fill in mixture in bangus skin. Wrap bangus in wilted banana leaves or aluminum foil. Fry. Cool before slicing.

Garnish with sliced fresh tomato, spring onions or parsley. Serve with catsup.

PAELLA

* 1 kilo chicken (cut into small pcs.)
* 1/4 kilo chicken giblets & liver
* 2 cans tomato sauce
* 2 large onions chopped
* 1/2 head garlic, minced
* 1 pc. bay leaf (laurel)
* 2 bell peppers, red & green (strips)
* 1/2 kilo tahong (cooked in shell)
* 3-4 crabs (cooked, quartered)
* 1 cup sweet green peas
* 2 chorizo de bilbao (sliced diagonally, 1/4' thick)
* 1 tsp. pimenton powder
* 1 tbsp. vetsin
* salt to taste
* 1 hard-cooked egg (garnishing)
* 3 cups rice
* 4-5 cups water

Saute and brown garlic in oil. Stir in half of chopped onions. When wilted, add chicken. Stir unitl light brown and pour in tomato sauce. Add bay leaf, vetsin, and salt. Cover. Cook until almost done. Add pimenton, stir to blend well with sauce. Then, add pepper strips, tahong, shrimps, peas, chorizo, and crabs. Boil for 10 minutes. Set aside.

This time a big wok or KAWALI. Saute' remaining onions until soft. Add 1 can tomato sauce, water, and rice (previously washed). Stir to blend water with tomato sauce. When it boils, cover, lower heat to medium temperature and continue cooking until rice is cooked.

When done, toss rice with fork to make it fluffy. Then, add 3/4 part of cooked mixture to rice. Increase heat. Mix to blend the cooked mixture and rice evenly. Cook until dries.

Place in a big dish, spread the remaining cooked mixture on top. Garnish with sliced hard-cooked egg and chopped spring onion.

Are you a rice eater?

Most Filipinos eat three full meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. All three meals involve a serving of cooked rice with a main dish, usually meat, poultry or fish.
How about in your country?

STEAMED FISH(with Mayonnaise)

* 1 large lapulapu or Apahap
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
* 1/3 cup minced sweet pickles
* 1 small carrot, cooked, chopped finely
* 2 tbsp spring onions, chopped finely
* salt to taste

Clean whole fish, scrape scales. Rub with salt, vetsin, and sprinkle pepper. Let stand for 1 hour.

Brush fish with butter. Steam for 20-30 minutes. Drain. Place on a serving dish. Cool. Then, coat both sides with mayonnaise. Arrange the chopped garnishings on top. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

On garnishing the fish, you may use your own artistic talent. Mix together chopped ginger, red bell pepper and onions and sprinkle on top of fish or arrange individually by stips on top of fish.

Note: Choose fish available in your locality.

BICOL EXPRESS

BICOL EXPRESS


¼ kilo pork (sliced very thinly)
3 cups long chili pepper (julienne)
1 cup baguio beans (julienne)
1 small head of garlic (minced)
1 small onion (minced)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup coconut cream Pinch of salt and pepper

Soak chili peppers in salted water for 30 minutes, rinse, then strain well.
In a pan, brown pork for a few minutes, put it on the side then saute garlic, onion, then mix pork once more.
Pour in coconut milk, bring to a boil and then lower the fire and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Add in baguio beans and chili pepper and cook until dish gets a little dry.
Pour in coconut milk and cook until sauce thickens.
Season to taste.
Serve hot.

PORK ADOBO

Adobo is perhaps the favorite of all
Filipinos, regardless of where they are in the scattered islands of the Philippine archipelago. I will share with you the recipe which I have been using. I could guarantee that your family will love this. A word of caution though, cover the simmering hot oil when cooking the meat. Please adjust the amount of salt, soy sauce and vinegar according to your taste. So, here it is... enjoy cooking everyone!

PORK ADOBO

Ingredients:

1 klo. pork
1 clove garlic
2 tbspns soy sauce
salt
2 tbsps white vinegar
dash of monosodium glutamate (optional)
cooking oil

Procedure:

Cut pork belly into big cubes (2" x 2"), wash, then drain. Set aside. In a frying pan, boil half liter of water. When the water boils, add the meat, garlic, vinegar, salt and soy sauce. Boil the meat until tender. Add a dash of monosodium glutamate. When almost all of the water already evaporates, pour cooking oil just enough to cover the meat. Adjust flame to medium heat then cover the pan. Stir the meat so that all sides will be cooked. Pork adobo is ready when the meat turns brown and crispy. Do not overcook. Leave the oil in the pan and drain the meat on paper towel before serving.

Adobo is best served with soy sauce and vinegar sauce with lemon juice and pepper.

Try it and I hope you like it too. Happy cooking everyone!

In the Philippines, adobo is served with rice. However, you can also serve it with roasted or boiled potatoes.