Apan-apan

Apan-apan is an Ilonggo dish using swamp cabbage ( kangkong). My parents always cook this when I was younger that's why  learned this recipe from them (both of them are Ilonggo). You can use also the leaves for this dish, but we love it with only the stalks then we use the leaves for other dishes. If you love adobong kangkong, you will surely love apan-apan.

Ingredients:
3 cups swamp cabbage stalks ( tangkay ng kangkong) cut into bite size
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons shrimp paste ( bagoong alamang)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper or according to your taste
3 cloves garlic (crushed)

swamp cabbage stalks

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic then add the shrimp paste and saute until cooked then add the swamp cabbage stalks and ground pepper then give a good stir until almost done.

2. Add the vinegar and simmer until cooked then turn off the heat.
3. Serve hot with rice :-).

Leche Flan Without Caramelized Sugar

Enjoy this guilt free leche flan with honey instead of caramelized sugar. I just want to experiment if it will work and I'm amazed with the result, it's really yummy and won't noticed it's honey. Try this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 can (395grams) Condensed milk
1 1/2 can fresh or evaporated milk ( use the can from condensed milk in measuring this)
10 egg yolks
Honey ( according to your desire)

 Procedure:
1.Mix together the fresh milk, condensed milk and egg yolks until fully combined.
2. In a molder put the honey then strain the leche flan mixture and pour in the molder then steam for 45 minutes or until done.

3. Refrigerate  before serving and enjoy!

If using a small oval llanera or molder this recipe will yield 3-4 pieces

How to Make Pancake

The easiest snack that you can prepare for the whole family. Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2cups milk
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg ( beaten)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine ( melted)

Procedure:
1. In a big bowl sift (sala-in) together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder
2. Then make a well or space at the center and put the beaten egg, milk and melted butter. Mix it thoroughly until  smooth.

3.Heat a pan and brush it with a little butter or oil and scoop a portion of the pancake mixture and cook until both sides are done. (It's better to use a non stick pan)

ready to be flipped

4. Serve hot with pancake syrup or honey and fruits on top.

Crispy Kangkong

It was a long time ago when I learned how to cook this dish, I first cooked it for my nephew ( Jed) when he was 5 years old and he loved it so much that he cried when he finished eating what I served him. :-).

Ingredients:
20 pieces kangkong leaves ( select large leaves)
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup water ( add if needed)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, water, egg, salt and pepper then stir to mix it fully until the batter is smooth.
2.Dip each leaf in the batter until fully coated then deep fry until crispy.
3. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Special Turon

Turon is a popular banana dish in the Philippines and this is also one of my favorites. Sweet and crispy in every bite, I added some jackfruit to make it special. Yummy!

Ingredients for 12 turon:
12 spring roll wrappers
6 ripe banana ( cut into halves)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 kilo jackfruit (langka)
oil for frying

Procedure
1. Slice the banana into halves or to your desired size then place it on a spring roll wrapper together with the jackfruit.

.
2. Wrap it properly and deep fry it until cooked.

3. Melt the sugar by putting it in a pan over medium heat until melted then pour on top of cooked turon.
4. Serve it hot with your favorite drinks.

Suam Na Mais

Suam na mais is a rich corn flavored soup from Pampanga, the original recipe uses "dahon ng sili" since it's not available in my place I used okra and talbos ng camote, it is still very yummy. It is important that we use the malagkit type of corn to attain that thick creamy texture in the soup.

Ingredients for 5 servings:
4 pieces young white malagkit corn
1/4 kilo shrimps ( cleaned and de-shelled)
3 cups water (add if needed)
5 pieces okra ( cut into halves)
2 cups camote tops ( talbos ng camote)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the shrimps and saute until the shrimps turned pinkish, then add the corn and simmer for a minute.
2. Add the water, salt and pepper, simmer until the corn is tender.
3. Add the okra and simmer until half cooked then add the camote tops and simmer until done and turn off the heat.
4. Serve it hot.

Sauted Shrimp Paste and Tomato

 This is very easy to prepare but one of the yummiest appetizers or even viand.

Ingredients:
1 cup shrimp paste ( bagoong alamang)
3 tomatoes ( sliced)
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sugar


Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and tomatoes then add the shrimp paste and sugar.

2. Simmer until done and serve or keep in a jar and serve anytime you want it.

Chicken Kare-kare

Kare kare is a popular Filipino dish made with ox tail and tripe but today I tried it with chicken and it's also very yummy. Try this and let me know what is your opinion.

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:
1 kilo chicken (cut to your desired size)
2 cups water ( add if needed)
2 eggplant
1/4 kilo string beans or Baguio Beans
1 bunch pechay or Chinese cabbage
1/2 cup ground peanut or peanut butter (add if needed)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon atsuete powder ( add if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
Some shrimp paste for dipping sauce ( sawsawan)

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion until brownish then add the atsuete powder, continue to saute for 30 seconds then add the chicken and simmer until pinkish color of the meat is gone.
2. Add water and bring to a boil, when boiling reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked.
3. Add the peanut butter,eggplant and beans then simmer until half cooked,then add the Chinese cabbage, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until done.

4. Serve it hot with shrimp paste for dipping.

Inihaw na Pusit

Fresh squids plus perfect cooking time equals tender and juicy squid.

Ingredients for 2 servings:
2 medium size squids ( wash well)
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon calamansi juice
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients and place over a hot griller, cook for 2 minutes each side the perfect timing to cook medium size squids. Overcooking it, will make the texture of the squid like a rubber.

2. After cooking, slice and garnish then serve right away.

Simple Paksiw na Pata

I like this dish of pork legs next to adobo because if you cook the pork legs this way the vinegar neutralized the fatty flavor making it tastes excellent and perfect to pair  with rice.

Ingredients for 8 servings:
 1 kilo pork leg (pata)
 5 cloves garlic (crushed)
 1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn ( pamintang buo)
 1 cup vinegar
 3 cups water
 salt if needed


Procedure:
1. In a pot put the garlic, pata, soy sauce, vinegar,peppercorn then allow to simmer until the meat absorbed the color of the soy sauce.
3. Add the water and cover, simmer until it is tender stirring occasionally
4. When it is done serve it with rice :-)