Kare-Kare Saturday - Foodie Trip

Kare-kare (oxtails with tripe) is another authentic Filipino dish full of delectable taste. I've always wanted to try my hand at preparing this dish here in UAE, but most of the times I can't find banana bud in any of the supermarkets here. So this time I just settled on having Pechay, Sitaw (string beans) and eggplants on my recipe. Before I have tried putting toasted rice (to make it sticky) but I can't seem to perfect its smooth texture. I used Mama Sita's Kare-kare mix instead which is easier to prepare by just diluting it first in a cup of water. I always adore the delectable peanut sauce with oxtail and tripe simmered slowly in tenderness. Mmmm delicioso!



Ingredients
1 kilo beef tripe or oxtail
1 pack Mama Sita's Kare-kare Mix
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup cooked alamang (anchovies)
onions
garlic
4 pieces eggplant
1 banana bud
1 bundle sitaw (stringbeans)
1 bundle pechay
water, pepper and salt to taste

Directions:
In a pot, boil beef tripe or oxtail in water for an hour until tender. Strain and keep the stock aside.

In a separate wok, saute garlic, onion then add stock, beef tripe or oxtail, peanut butter and Mama Sita Kare kare mix (dissolve in a cup of water) and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add eggplant, sitaw,and pechay (and banana bud if any) and simmer for another five minutes. Make sure not to overcook the vegetables. Serve hot with bagoong alamang on the side.

Note: one thing I've learned from my husband's expertise on this dish which you can also try: separately blanch all vegetables in a pan of boiling water with maggi beef cube. Drain vegies and mix in beef and sauce mixture to ensure crispness.

Laing Saturday

When it comes to Filipino Food Recipes, I am not easily captivated by dishes with coconut ingredients. But Laing (Taro Leaves) Recipe just hooked me to the bone.

Its smooth texture and delicate taste is a concoction of Coconut milk, Taro Leaves (dahon ng gabi), alamang (shrimp paste) and chili. This is a perfect side dish or main dish that one can prepare simply.
A delectable “Laing” Recipe is equally famous with “Bicol Express” which also a specialty dish from Bicol Region (in Philippines) and is well loved by many.

Today, I tried my hand at cooking this dish. I am glad I’ve found a pack of Taro Leaves in one of the grocery stores here in UAE. It used to be very difficult getting Filipino products here but now you can pick them at Lulu Hypermarket, Choitram, Al Falah and CitiPlaza.

Here's my first attempt “Laing Recipe”... mouth-watering dish that you should try too!



Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
4 oz Laing (Dahon ng gabi)Taro Leaves
3/4 cup powdered Coconut Cream (diluted in 1/8 cup water)
2 tbsp. alamang (shrimp paste)
1/4 cup porkloin, sliced into small pieces
1 onion sliced
1/4 tbsp. ginger
1/4 tbsp. garlic
1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 pc Bird's eye chili (siling labuyo)
1 tbsp. oil

Cooking Direction:
In a heavy saucepan, saute garlic, onion, ginger, alamang and porkloin . Stir for a while and add Coconut Cream. Put Taro Leaves and season with salt and fish sauce (you can add vetsin and a little pepper if you like). Add siling labuyo. Let it simmer until almost dry but oily. Serve hot with rice.

Palitaw Friday

Once again, here's another Filipino dessert that I always gobble up to especially during weekends. I learned to cook this from my aunt way back in my elementary days.

Palitaw is a small, flat, sweet rice cake made from malagkit (sticky rice). It is rolled into balls, flatten using the palm of your hands and dropped into boiling water. An indication that they're done is when you see them floating. When served, the flat sweet rice cake are dipped in grated coconut, and presented with a separate dip made of sugar and toasted sesame seeds.



1 cup Glutinous rice flour ( Malagkit Rice )
1/2 cup of water
1/2 kilo Sugar
Fresh grated coconut
Toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:
Make dough by mixing flour and water, roll up into balls and then flatten with the palm of your hand.
Drop the balls into a saucepan full of boiling water. When the cakes are ready, they will rise to the surface. Remove the balls and let cool.
Roll the balls into mixed powdered sugar, coconut flakes, and sesame seeds.

Serve Cold.

Leche Flan Friday

It's a foodie friday. And on my day off, again I crave to eat something sweet. Aside from dreaming about eating Kare-kare, Igado and Papaitan, preparing homemade LECHE FLAN is just enough to tame my cravings for any other Favorite Filipino recipes...just unless you want to give it a try here too...
Ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
10 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
For caramel:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour
In a saucepan, mix sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize.Pour caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds and spread caramel on the bottom of the moulds. Mix well evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender.

Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick. Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil.

Steam for about 20 minutes or you can bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking. Let cool then refrigerate.

To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.
See complete list of Recipes you want to try at home:
Filipino Cuisine: Recipes from the Islands
The Filipino-American Kitchen: Traditional Recipes, Contemporary Flavors