Easy Shrimp Alfredo

Being crunched for time, I have to think nowadays of what I can fix quickly, easily, without need for too many ingredients. Here is one of them. My sons and I love shrimps, so I fix seafoods at times, and fix something else for hubby and stepd (or have TV dinner for them).

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta, prepared as directed (I used rotini here, but you can use linguine or farfelle)
1 lb large shrimps, shelled
1 each of zucchini and summer squash
1-2 tbsp butter
salt, pepper and ground basil leaves
1 jar (15 oz) Classico Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
1 can (~12? oz -- I forgot to take note) of Campbell's condensed cream of shrimp
Enough water to thin the sauce a bit (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup)

Instructions:
While cooking pasta, melt butter in saucepan, add zucchini, summer squash and the shrimps and stir fry until shrimps turn pink (about 2-3 minutes). Do not overcook, or shrimps get rubbery. Remove from pan, transfer to a bowl, and set aside. Keep warm,
Pour into the saucepan both sauces (alfredo and condensed cream). Add enough water to thin as you desire, stir until boiling. Turn off the heat. Serve on pasta and add the shrimps/veggies on top. Consume immediately.

Grilled Stuffed Squids & Cuttlefish

I had several bags of frozen cleaned squids and cuttlefish, and had been meaning to have grilled squids, but I have always wanted some meat stuffing in it. Especially so after I saw Panlasang Pinoy's post about it.

Well, I had some plain cooked ground beef (as in S&P add-ons only) that was leftover from two times (both times were prepared fresh as he does not like eating leftovers) of serving my hubby one of his fave meals: ground beef, boiled potatoes and brocolli. I thought I'd use that as filling, but I added veggies (finely chopped 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks and 1 onion plus garlic powder) for additional flavor, and added a beaten egg to hold them together as they cook. I used toothpicks for the cuttlefish because it had a cut on one side.

I used several pre-heated sizzling plates sprayed with some oil, cooked the squids and cuttlefish about 2 mins on each side, then just combined them all on one when cooked. They turned out moist and soft and chewy, not at all rubbery dry.

Some squids had no filling because I ran out.
Grilled seafood always satisfies my Filipino palate, and those of my boys. We ate them with fried rice prepared with leftover pork tocino cut into small pieces. I never bothered to offer this to hubby, as he is so grossed out by tentacles and is not crazy over seafood in general anyway.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

I do not need to post a recipe here. I just bought some sea scallops (medium-sized)for grilling, instead of the bay scallops (smaller ones) that are my hubby's fave variety, because he says they are tastier. The medium size is just right for the skewers, and I think they are tasty as well (the bigger ones are definitely not!). I wrapped each individual scallops in bacon, held in place by the skewer, 4 pieces in one skewer. I grilled on high heat until bacon was done. Scallops easily cook anyway, and at first I was afraid of high heat, thinking it might dry up the scallops while taking quite sometime cooking the bacon. But I was wrong. It seems that the fat of the bacon kept the scallops moist. The scallops also did not brown as much (in contrast to when I pan-fry them in butter).

Though my husband tends to stick to his basic traditional foods (pan-fried scallops for him), he could not resist but try (especially that he liked the bacon-wrapped dogs), and actually liked these bacon-wrapped scallops.

As a side dish, I boiled sweet corn (nobody here likes grilled corn), and I prepared summer squash and zucchini coated with olive oil and sprinkled with Italian dressing, then roasted on the grill atop a roasting pan with holes, cooking at the same time scallops were. The kids found them delightful (they were surprised!).

Pan-Fried Salmon Steaks

My kids and I love the taste of salmon...even plain with just the barest of seasonings - salt and pepper. And since wild Alaskan salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (a healthy fat), this also cooks on the pan with very little oil to start with, as it also releases its own oil as it cooks, and comes out with crispy crust, almost like it was deep-fried, especially at the belly part. You can pretty much say "na-prito sa sariling mantika" (fried in its own oil). When summer is here, these are the most craved for dishes for me, and would be more so when I start producing my own tomatoes freshly picked from my garden. (That reminds me, this is also a good time to make salted eggs.)

Photo depicts how we Filipinos typically enjoy our fried fish -- with slices of tomatoes, green onions (or chives, as how I used here), and onions (I used Vidalia just for the taste of it), with a drizzle of patis (fish sauce) and some lemon juice, enjoyed with plain (or fried) rice. Pinoy na Pinoy! A lot of our typical Filipino meals are not at all gourmet, but if you look at food mags of today (like bon appetit), they are looking more and more like the Filipino style of enjoying food. Maybe because of the growing concern about going back to the basics of food (a rebellion against industrialization of food)...oh well...I am babbling here, an after effect of reading the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Well, let's get on with how I prepare my salmon steaks -- nothing fancy gourmet-y. Just plain home cooking, Pinoy style.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
salmon steaks
salt and pepper to taste

For tomato dip/salsa (whatever you call it!)
3 medium tomatoes, diced
onion greens, snipped
thin slices of vidalia onions to taste
1-2 tbsp fish sauce (or anchovy paste)
a drizzle of lemon juice (best to use calamansi if available)
(optional) fresh baby spinach

Instructions:
Sprinkle salmon steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Heat up your pan on medium low (#4) for 5 minutes. (Meanwhile, you can start preparing the tomato dip/salsa.) Add oil and distribute evenly; wait 1-2 minutes. Place the salmon steaks on the pan and let cook one side for 2 minutes. Flip over, cover loosely, lower the heat to #2 and let cook for another 4 minutes or until salmon is done (test with fork; if fish easily flakes off, it is done).

Enjoy with prepped tomato dip/salsa and plain or fried rice.

Pancit Palabok

Another ubiquitous recipe on the net, pancit palabok is one form of pancit that has a distinct seafood flavor, especially shrimp. Some add tinapa flakes. I have prepared this before as simply as only having shrimps, eggs and crushed chicharon as toppings, using sotanghon. But what I like using best for noodles is the thicker pancit luglog. I could not find that during my last trip to the Asian store, so I got what came close: banh pho (16-oz). Luglog is thick and round. Banh pho is thick and flat. Both are made from rice. This was my first time cooking banh pho, and I liked it for palabok.

I had some frozen cuttlefish that I thought would go well with palabok in lieu of squids. That was a good idea, I found out minutes later. My sons and I loved eating this, even brought to school/work for lunch. Hubby is never interested in any pancit I cook, more so if it had a fishy smell like this. But he does not voice any complaint during meal time, I am glad!

Ingredients:
sauce --
1 packet Mama Sita's Palabok flavoring
2 cups lobster broth (I had frozen ones) or water

everything else --
16-oz banh pho noodles (rice sticks)
water to cook noodles in
3 cloves garlic
(amount below depends on how much you want)
squids/cuttlefish (I used 8-10 pcs of cuttlefish)
shrimps (deveined and decapitated, shelled; 1 lb)
eggs (4)
crushed chicharon (1 cup)
chives or spring onions, snipped
calamansi (if you have them; I don't)


Instructions:

Cook the sauce according to package instructions. Use more liquid if too thick.

Boil water in a big pot. Slice the squids or cuttlefish into rings (run hot water for several seconds if frozen and too hard to slice). Poach for about 1 minute and set aside. Place the eggs carefully into the water (to cook for about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, poach the shrimps for 2 minutes (or when they turn pink completely). Set aside. Place the noodles and stir from time to time to keep from sticking together. cook for about 7-8 minutes (keep munching on some to check for doneness; should be al dente). Strain eggs and noodles and rinse with cold water until you are sure noodles do not stick together. Then warm up again by rinsing with hot tap water.

Assemble by placing the noodles at the base. Pour sauce over noodles. Sprinkle shrimps and cuttlefish/squid, crushed chicharon, and chives/spring onions. Add sliced eggs. Enjoy with calamansi if you have them.

Cheez-It Shrimps

Once upon a time I brought some Cheez-It crackers and the kids loved them, so I bought some more boxes the next time I went grocery shopping. Well guess what? The boxes remained untouched for several weeks now. I think the novelty wore off already. So, I did what I usually do to crackers that have been staying too long in my pantry: use as crumbs for deep frying (or even for meatballs or meatloaf purposes).

Ingredients:
Enough Cheez-It, crumbled (probably about 2 cups)
salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste
egg whites (I had some after making supersoft ensaymada) for dipping (can use whole egg)
1 cup flour plus 1 tbsp cornstarch
1 lb shelled shrimps
Oil for deep-frying
Instructions:

While oil is heating up to 375 deg F, individually dip shrimps in this sequence: egg whites, flour/starch, egg whites, crumbs.
Deep fry about 5-7 pieces each (just enough so they do not lower the temp of the oil too much, and that each has enough space around for oil to cook it) for about 2-3 minutes.
Drain well and let paper towel absorb excess oil.
Serve on a bed of iceberg salad greens, or even enjoy as tortilla wrap (we used ranch dressing).

Lentil Shrimp Soup (Ginisang Lentil)

A good substitute for ginisang munggo, lentil is faster to cook and tastes and feels almost like mung beans.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups of lentils
3 tbsp oil
3 clovces garlic, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced,
2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 lb shelled shrimps (or more, if you like)
2 cups chicken broth (or as desired
dash of ground basil
a bunch or a package of spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Wash lentils and soak for at least 30 minutes (up to one hour) with water double the amount of the lentils. Drain.

Heat oil and sautee garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add the lentils and broth; simmer for 10 minutes (or until lentils are soft enough for you; I prefer mine with a little resistance). Season with salt and pepper as necessary. Add a dash of ground basil.

During the last two minutes of cooking, add the shrimps and stir until shrimps turn pink. Turn the heat off. Add the spinach and stir to wilt. Enjoy with plain rice.

Sinigang na Bangus (Milkfish in Sour Soup) with Cucumber and Cabbage

From sinigang na bangus

I cooked this sinigang na bangus one summer day when I had too much cucumbers and we (my family) have been getting sick of having cuke slices every supper, and I had made all the pickles I wanted to make. I just experimented cooking the cucumbers and as I envisioned, it went very well with sinigang na bangus, perfect replacement for eggplant or radish. It absorbs the tamarind flavor of the soup really well.





Ingredients:
1 big milkfish (probably 1$1/2 to 2 lbs), cleaned and degutted
enough water to cover (probably about 5 cups or more, adjust when you have placed the fish already)
1 big onion, cut in half
3-5 tomatoes, cut in half
5 black peppercorns
about 2-3 tbsp sliced ginger
1 packet tamarind flavoring (or less, if you don't like it too sour)
salt to taste
cabbage (about 1/4 head)
2-3 cucumbers cut into wedges/chunks

Instructions:
Boil water with ginger, onion, peppercorns, 1 tsp of salt and tomatoes for at least 15 minutes or until tomatoes are really really macerated and soup is reddish already (this maximizes the flavor of tomatoes in the soup and adds sourness as well).

Add tamarind flavoring to your taste. Add fish and let simmer on mod low heat for 5 minutes. Add veggies and let simmer uncovered for additional 5 minutes or until veggies are done. Season with salt as necessary (I just sprinkle patis later on when eating.)

Enjoy with plain rice. Love the effect of cukes here.

Lemon-Pepper Grilled Salmon

Salmon has become my older son's favorite fish because "it's got real flavor unlike the haddock which does not taste anything at all to me."

I myself like salmon, especially when grilled. Actually, I almost always cook salmon this way, with only the basic of ingredients, then enjoyed with rice and some slices of ripe tomatoes sprinkled with salt.




I usually cook just half of the fillet (with intact skin), which will be all I and
my two sons can eat during a meal time (husband does not like salmon; too strong a flavor for him). Whereas before I cooked salmon on a iron griddle placed atop the stovetop, now I use the George Foreman grilling machine (small one, probably costs <$20 nowaadays). The cooking time is less since it cooks both sides at the same time (max 6 minutes depending on how thick the fillet is) and tends to close in the heat; clean up is easier; and I don't have to worry about flipping the fish over. To clean, I just let the machine cool down a bit, wipe it with non-abrasive slightly soapy dish sponge while still warm, then rinse with a bit of water, careful not to get water inside the machine (I hold it sideways).

Ingredients:
1/2 salmon fillet (actually amount depends on you)

Spices -- see slideshow so you know what I mean
garlic-salt
lemon-pepper

Instructions:

Sprinkle fillet with garlic salt, approximating how much you need for the amount of fish you have.

Generously sprinkle with lemon-pepper to really cover the whole surface. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, plug in the grilling machine.

When hot, spray or brush the grilling surface with oil.

Place the fillet on the grill and let cook for 4 to 6 minutes. (Fish is done when flaky all the way. Do not overcook!) For this piece, I had to turn around the fish after the first 4 minutes to cook the thin part further, as it was not touched by the upper grill. The closed-in heat further cooked that when turned around.

New England Clam Chowder

One item we usually order during the cold winter months in a family-friendly restaurant is clam chowder. New Englang style clam chowder uses salt pork for the fat source traditionally (or so I have read), and is rich with the use of heavy cream. Hubby loves his with lots of saltine crackers. With the exception of my stepdaughter, who is bent to believe she is allergic to all seafood, our family l loves clam chowder.

I tried to recreate it at home as this is one of the comfort foods in this area. I based this recipe on Cooking For Engineer's site, and gained approval from my picky husband.



Ingredients:

3 tbsp oil (rendered fat from salt pork)
3 cans (6.5 oz minced clams in clam juice)
1 (8-oz) clam juice
1 big (1-lb or so) russet potato, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground basil (optional)

Instructions:

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Drain clam juice off from cans. Set aside the juice.
Render oil from salt pork.
Sautee onion. Follow with diced potatoes and stir until potatoes are well coated with oil (this coating will help potatoes retain their shape and not easily crumble).
Sprinkle the flour and stir. Add the clam juice from draining, and the bottled one. Let boil. Season with salt and pepper (be careful as salt pork and saltine crackers are salty already).
Lower heat and simmer covered for about 20 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally to make sure potatoes don't stick to pan.
Add milk, heavy cream and clams, and heat without boiling (which will cause milk to coagulate and form clumps).
Enjoy with crumbled saltine crackers on top (or crumbled chicharon, like what my sons do).

(I served this tonight with potato peasant bread and fruit salad = combination of canned cocktail fruit, peaches, mandarin oranges, lychees, and palm seeds, topped with whipped cream.)

Ginataang Hito (Catfish in Coconut Milk)

Catfish is one of the few fish variety that goes really really well with coconut milk cooked until creamy. I love it also grilled, because it's high fat content just makes it so ideal for grilling, and gives its yummy taste. Hubby never likes fatty fish, though.

My sons also love this ginataang hito. If not for the tedious task of removing fish bones, they would not really have anything against any fish dish I prepare. They love anything seafood.



Ingredients:

2 catfish, cut into serving pieces
3 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp sliced and mashed ginger
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted (or barely salted) lobster broth (or water)
chunks of squash (I like mine with the skin still on; the amount depends on you; I put about 2 cups)
1 14-oz coconut milk (Premium; I use Thai brand)
1 bunch bok choy, cut at 1- to 2-inch intervals
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Sautee garlic, ginger and onion. Add broth or water, let boil and add fish; season with salt and pepper. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and squash, simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add the bok choy, stems first then greens and let simmer covered another 5 minutes. If at the end of this period, the sauce is still watery and the veggies cooked fully, remove the fish, squash and veggies so as not to overcook and transfer to a bowl. Increase heat to evaporate some more liquid off the sauce then stop when creamy. Do not let it get into the oily stage. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Pour onto the fish and veggies.

Tilapia in Sweet & Sour Sauce (Escabecheng Tilapia)

From Tilapia in Sweet N Sour Sauce

My recipe here is probably so unconventional for the typical Filipino, because of one ingredient not usually found in a Pinoy's pantry: the excess juice coming from canned whole tomatoes.

My younger son celebrated his 11th birthday recently. For the kids' birthday celebration, lasagna is the most requested dish. One ingredient for the lasagna is two quarts of drained(self-)canned whole tomatoes (you can also buy these in grocery stores, FYI). As you probably are now aware of, ang pagka-Ilokana ni Manang, humihirit. I did not want to throw away the juice drained from these. I kept them in the fridge, planning to make sweet and sour sauce, to pour over fried fish. I actually came up with two quarts of finished SSS, and I kept one jar in the fridge for the next Pinay gathering. The rest, I poured onto a whole (head and all) fried tilapia we had two days after. I warned my hubby to stop by somewhere on his way home to get himself something for supper, and not to be afraid to be late. I told him the boys and I were going to eat a head, so we better eat ahead. (pun intended! haha!)

If you do not ever plan to do canning of tomatoes, or to use store-bought canned whole tomatoes, you might not have a use for this recipe. However, if you do plan to can pasta sauce, cooking only the more solid parts of tomatoes and draining off excess juice, you might want to gather that and try canning and processing your own SSS for future use.

Ingredients for SSS:
1-3 tbsp oil
3 cups tomato juice (drained from whole canned tomatoes)
6 tbsp vinegar
2/3 cups sugar
2-3 tbsp tapioca flour (depends on the consistency you want; dissolved in some water)
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 each of red and green bell peppers, cut into strips
2-3 tbsp ginger, julienned
1 medium onion, sliced
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
some drops of Worcestershire sauce
some soy sauce

[Note: If I will experiment in the future to can SSS, then I would add the last two ingredients only during reheating, as I do not know how they will affect the pH.]

Fish, slit on sides (2-3 lbs)
salt to marinade the fish while you heat up the wok
cornstarch to dredge fish in just before frying

Instructions:

From Tilapia in Sweet N Sour Sauce

Prepare the SSS. Heat oil on med high. Sautee ginger then onion, then add veggies. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, and sugar, and season with the rest of the spices to taste. Add tapioca-water mixture in thin stream until you achieve your desired consistency. Set aside 1 pint in a clean jar and refrigerate if you can't use all. Use the remaining for 1 big fish.

From Tilapia in Sweet N Sour Sauce

Heat wok over high for about 5 minutes (or until very hot). Add oil and heat on high. Dredge fish in cornstarch and shake excess off. Deep fry for about 5 minutes one side (or until browned and crisped good), then flip and cook another 5 minutes, covered. Turn off heat and immediately take out fish and let oil drip from it by placing on a cooling rack (do not let fish sit in the oil or it will absorb much of the oil as it cools down). Pour 1 qt of the SSS over the fish. Serve over plain rice.

Butter-Fried Haddock, Rice-A-Roni, and Baby Spinach

This is a re-post from my Old Kusina. Funny how, when I review

From butter fried haddock wit rice-a-roni and baby spinach

my earlier posts now that I have somewhat established family favorites and regulars, I see that some earlier food combinations to make a menu are now changed. Like the old post of mine on haddock had creamed butter and french fries as sides. Now, we regularly eat butter-fried haddock with fresh baby spinach and Rice-A-Roni. If we deviate from that combination, my husband (who is a sucker for "traditions" likes sticking to something once he really finds it good) seems lost. Haha!
Very easy to prepare, we have this menu almost every two weeks.

Ingredients:

2 lbs haddock fillets, cut into serving pieces (I have extra for lunch-dinners the next day)
spices: salt, pepper and paprika, sprinkled onto cut pieces
flour for dredging right before frying
1 stick butter for frying

Rice-A-Roni (2 boxes for a family of 4-5 with boys who eat like men, and a man who eats like a boy)
butter (see package for directions; I use 4 tbsp for two boxes)
water (I usually use 3&1/2 cup for two boxes RAR)

fresh baby spinach

Instructions:

Start cooking the rice first. Using the stovetop, I melt the butter, add rice and stir, add water and flavoring then stir. Then I place in rice cooker to finish (takes about 30 minutes to cook). I wait for about 15 minutes before starting cooking the fish.

Meanwhile, I prepare the fish. After cutting, I sprinkle with spices and let them

From butter fried haddock wit rice-a-roni and baby spinach

sit for a while. 20 minutes before the rice is done, I start heating the griddle, flat side up, on two burners, at #6 setting. After about 5 minutes, I start melting the butter. Once butter has cleared (no more bubbles; it looks more like oil), I increase heat to 8, dredge chicken pieces in flour, and place them in the pan to cook one side for two minutes, then flip over, making sure there is enough melted butter underneath (or I slice some more butter to place there before the fish piece lands on it), and cook for another two minutes, or longer (3-4 mins) for thicker pieces. At this point, I shout to my kids, "Set the table please!" and instruct them about the baby spinach and dressing (hubby loves Wish-Bone Robusto Italian), and the RAR.

Shrimp with Chayote (Sayote)

One of my Pinay friends had extra chayote that she purchased from the Asian store and was generous to share them with me.

From shrimp with sayote

One of my favorite dishes to cook with chayote (or sayote) is to sautee it with shrimps. My sons also love them. (Oh please don't ask if my husband liked it. He won't even touch most seafoods!)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil for sauteeing
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced,
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 lb deveined jumbo shrimps
2 chayote, peeled, seed removed, then sliced thinly as shown
1/4 cup sherry or white wine
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
some fresh basil leaves for flavor (or sprinkle dry ground basil)

Instructions:

Heat oil on medium high. Sautee garlic for a minute, then onions until translucent, then add tomatoes and cook until they are caramelized. Add both shrimps and chayote and stir for about 1 minute, then add the wine, let sizzle, then add water, salt and pepper, and basil. Cover and let cook for 2 more minutes or until shrimps and chayote are cooked. Serve hot on a bed of plain rice.

Butter-fried Scallops

One of the three seafood items my husband will eat

From scallops

(and actually loves)...When we do eat at one of our fave restaurants, if he orders scallops, they are the usual batter-coated deep-fried ones, and I usually order the baked with honey and butter ones. This recipe is not an attempt to copy the restaurant recipes. It actually is the way my MIL prepares scallops at home, and I copied her for the love of my hubby. :)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 lbs scallops
1 stick butter
enough flour to dredge scallops

Instructions:
heat on med high one big or two medium sized iron pan (enough to cook all scallops just at one time. (If you cook more than one batch, the butter tends to make the subsequent batches blackish instead of golden brown). Melt butter and quickly try to dredge the scallops and place on pan. Cook each side (top and bottom) 1-2 minutes. I usually serve these on the pan itself with all the melted butter. Do not overcook.

Sauteed Mussells

 It was only recently that I tried to cook these mussells. I was hesitant at first because the ones available at the Hannaford here in my area have very black and thicker shells that those I was accustomed to back in PI. After trying them, I now want them regularly on our dining table. My kids, as usual, love them. They are being sold by bags worth about $3-$4, weighing around 2 lbs, enough for the boys and I. Satifies my craving, as always.
My father used to cook this frequently because it was relatively cheap in PI, and he always told us not to put additional water, since the soup that comes out of steaming the mussells is loaded with flavor, and he did not want to dilute that. This was in contrast with my late ex-father-in-law, who was so fond of sipping a cup of the soup so he wanted to literally drown the mussells.
Based on some recipes I have seen in other's foodblogs, I added some sherry. And while my father used to add pepper leaves (dahon ng sili), I used baby spinach.

Ingredients:
1 bag mussells, washed and drained well with cold water
2 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
thumb-size ginger, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup sherry
ground pepper to taste
salt to taste (if at all needed)
some dash of chopped dried basil
2 cups of baby spinach

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in medium high.
2. Sautee garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, followed by onions. Sautee until onions are translucent.
3. Add the mussells and stir.
4. Pour the sherry. Cover and lower the heat to #4. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add pepper, basil and salt (if needed) to taste. (Optional: Add 1/2 cup water if you want to have more soup, and return to boil.)
6. Add spinach. Turn off heat and stir until spinach wilts. Serve right away with plain rice.

Fish Lumpia

Still on LP's theme, I have here leftover tilapia from a lunchdate with our barkada here. It was a large one, that I had more than 1 cup of flaked fish meat to make into fish lumpia. I was first introduced into fish lumpia by the "balae" of my previous MIL. I liked it so much that I asked how she made it. She said she would buy "galunggong" and steam them then flake the flesh, mix with chopped green/snap/"baguio" beans, carrots, onions, garlic, egg, salt and pepper. Now whenever I have leftover grilled fish, I do the same thing. A nice surprise was when hubby expressed liking it (yes, he did try without me asking him to!).



INGREDIENTS (amounts stated are only approximations):



1 cup flaked cooked fish meat



Chop together then squeeze out excess fluid using flour sack:

1 medium carrot

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

handful of (leaftover) green peas

handful of (leftover) grated mozzarella cheese (Of course the ingredients here depend on the availability of veggies and the cook's imagination!)



1 egg

salt and pepper to taste



lumpia wrappers (I like best the TYJ spring roll wrapper)

1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water for making paste

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

PROCEDURE:

Mix everything together after squeezing out excess fluid of veggies. Prepare cornstarch paste: Mix cornstarch with cold water, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave again for 30 sec or less, watching closely until you achieve the desired consistency (should be fluid enough to easily brush it onto the wrapper). You may have to add some more water to thin it. This is a cheaper alternative than using egg as sealant. Place about 1 to 1-1/2 tbsp of filling at the center of the wrapper to form a log. Fold over one end then roll tightly. Brush CS paste on the corners to create a good seal. I froze these until two days later when I had visiting friends. While thawing them, I cut them into three parts each and heated about 2 cups of oil on high in a wok. I did not wait for these to thaw completely; I just went ahead and fried them until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Drain on paper towels and serve while still warm (fried lumpia tend to get soggy and chewy when it has cooled down completely). I served these finger foods with Jufran sweet chili sauce (hubby's favorite dip for chicken nuggets).



This time, there were no leftovers!



Thanks to mikemina for hosting this month's lasangpinoy15

Kilawing Tuna

While many Filipinos prepare kilawin to enjoy a booze, I love it with or without alcohol. As a matter of fact, I even eat it with rice, especially during summer when it is too hot to cook nor to eat hot foods.

Here is how I prepare it basing on my Nanay's method, plus adding more veggies and less hot peppers.

Ingredients and Procedure:
Tuna steak (I bought 2 steaks, about 1/4 pound total), cut into bite-size pieces
vinegar (I used Datu Puti cane vinegar; enough to submerge the fish)

Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes, after which, drain and squeeze gently to remove excess vinegar.

Meanwhile, chop the following must-have spices:
fresh ginger (thumb-size)
onion (medium size)

Add a dash of red pepper flakes (siling labuyo, chopped, if you have), depending on your taste

optional veggies:
bell peppers, diced (I love these here)
chives, snipped
cucumbers, diced

Squeeze 1 whole lemon (My substitute for kalamansi) and remove the seeds.

Mix everything together, sprinkle the lemon, add salt and ground black pepper to taste, mix again, then let sit overnight (I like it overnight so that the lemon will fully "cook" the fish flesh. I do not want it overcooked, though, as it tends to be crumbly. I guess the size of the pieces matter. I prefer the size of the pieces to be about 1/2 inch by 1 inch by 1 inch. Any thinner and it will be "overcooked;" any thicker and it will be undercooked (with the inner flesh still looking pink, which I do not prefer. Others may prefer it that way, though, but I am no sushi lover.)

I prepared just a little amount because I expected only myself to eat it. To my surprise, my older son liked it as well, and remembered that he has had it before.

I had my FIL taste one prepared by my friend, with pieces quite thick so the inner part was not "cooked," and he could not stomach it. I could, but I really would prefer the "cooked" version.

I remember in Kamayan Restaurant, they serve the kilawin quite raw even on the outside (perhaps only mixed the the lemon-spices the moment the order was made), and I really could not take it. 

Shrimps with Ketchup Sauce

This is one shrimp recipe that I learned to make from my mother, and which my sons love to the max. It is so easy to make, and ingredients are easy to find.

The grocery store here (Hannaford) carries their brand of shrimps packed according to whether they are cooked or not, and according to size. I usually like to get the one labeled "Jumbo E-Z Peel." These shrmps are already deveined. I do not like the cooked ones, or the ones without shell, because for me, the uncooked ones have more flavor. I like those with shell for purposes of flavoring the broth or sauce, although I usually remove the shell before cooking the shrimp, then I just put in a small strainer the shells so I can dip them in the boiling broth (if applicable to the dish I am cooking).

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small can of sliced button mushrooms, drained (optional)
1 pack (1 lb) shrimps

For the sauce, mix well:
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste)

Instructions:

Melt the butter in medium heat, then saute the garlic, followed by the mushrooms if using, then the shrimps.

As soon as the shrimps start turning pink, add the sauce mix and cook further until sauce thickens or the shrimps are completely cooked, stirring frequently. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper as needed. If it turns out too dry too fast, add small increments of water (by tablespoons).

Spoon onto a dish and serve with hot plain rice.

Shrimp Sinigang

My younger son is so fond of shrimps. When we were in the PI, my mother would steam shrimps and just let it sit in the fridge as fingerfood of her favorite apo (grandson). So, even if shrimps are quite expensive here (they are expensive even in PI), I buy them from time to time for variation. One of the favorite shrimp dishes is the sinigang. Never fails with the kids. I don't bother offering it to husband as he is not fond of seafoods (would only eat scallops and haddock and red salmon, as far as I know).



I think the sour-salty taste of sinigang is characteristically Pinoy. So I don't attempt to offer it to foreigners.



I usually buy from the grocery store the E-Z peel uncooked jumbo shrimps. These shrimps already are beheaded, and veins removed (to my dismay! I could use those for seafood broth to be used in pancit!).



BOIL in a saucepan (all amounts approximations only' serves 3 persons):



3 cloves garlic

5 peppercorns

1 medium onion

2 med tomatoes cut in half

2-3 cups water

2 small peeled taro



until the tomatoes are throughly cooked and incorporated in the mixture very well.

Add:



1/2 lb shrimps

green beens (or later if you want it crispy)

salt to taste

sinigang mix (about 1 tbsp)



Wait for about 2 minutes or until shrimps are cooked. Then add the greens. Suggestions are:



a handful of:



cabbage

chinese cabbage (this looks like the baguio pechay in PI)



and turn off the heat. Let the residual heat wilt these last additions. Serve immediately with plain rice, placed in individual serving bowls.



My boys usually ask for a separate small bowl of just the broth and slurp it down as a finale.