Cuban Rice with Ground Beef

It is simple and inexpensive to make—steamed rice, fried egg, fried bananas and sauteed beef are served together on a platter, or separately for diners to combine as they please.

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife and minced
1 onion, minced
1 lb (500 g) ground beef (or pork)
1 potato, peeled and diced
1/3 cup (40 g) fresh or frozen green peas
3 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 unripe saba bananas (or 2 plantains or 4 unripe regular bananas), cut in half lengthwise
4 eggs
4 cups (720 g) cooked rice

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until cooked, stirring frequently. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.
To the same skillet over medium heat, add another 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the potato and sauté for 10 minutes.

Filipino Spinach and Egg Salad

Ensaladang Kangkong

Wash the water spinach well and remove the leaves. Cut the stems into short lengths.
Boil the stems for 5 minutes. Add the leaves and boil for another 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

Combine the water spinach, tomato, onion, and potato in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Place the vegetables on a large serving platter or divide them among four individual salad bowls. Garnish with the egg slices. Drizzle Vinegar and Sautéed Shrimp Paste Sauce

Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

1 lb (500 g) water spinach (or regular spinach or sweet potato greens)
1 tomato, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 potato, peeled, diced and boiled
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Vinegar and Sautéed Shrimp Paste Sauce for garnish

Kilawing Puso ng Saging | Banana Blossom with Shrimp

Kilawing Puso ng Saging also known as Banana Blossom with Shrimp

Marinate no less than 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 banana blossom, fresh or canned
4 cups (1 liter) water plus 1 tablespoon salt
1 cup (250 ml) Filipino cane vinegar
1/4 lb (125 g) fresh shrimp with heads on, shelled and deveined
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1 tablespoon oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon bottled sautéed shrimp paste
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Canned banana blossom needs no soaking. Marinate the fresh or canned blossom in the vinegar for 1 hour. Reserve the vinegar.

Twist and pull the heads off the shrimp. Set the shrimp aside. Mash the shells and heads in a mortar. Pour the 1/ 2 cup (125 ml) of water into the mortar. Discard the shells and head and reserve the liquid.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the shrimp and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the banana blossom, the reserved vinegar and the shrimp liquid, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until soft and tender. Add the pepper, sautéed shrimp paste, and sugar. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Guisadong Munggo | Mung Bean and Spinach Stew

Guisadong Munggo also known as Mung Bean and Spinach Stew

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil and sauté the garlic until lightly browned. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes or until they become opaque. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the beans and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until soft. Add the fish sauce, sautéed shrimp paste, and pepper. Add the sautéed shrimp, garlic, onion and simmer over medium-low heat until the beans are soft. Add more water if needed.

Add the spinach and simmer over low heat for 1 more minute. Before transferring to a serving dish, add the chopped pork rind, if using. Top with the crushed fried pork rinds, if using, and serve hot with steamed rice.

Soak Overnight -& Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 lb (125g) fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup (200 g) dried mung beans, soaked in water overnight and drained
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon bottled sautéed shrimp paste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch (about 1/2 lb/225 g) fresh spinach (or any other fresh leafy green vegetable), chopped
One 3-oz (75-g) bag fried pork rinds (chicharon), crushed (optional)

Pinakbet

Mixed Vegetables with Anchovy Sauce

Ingredients

1 small bitter gourd (about 1/2 lb/255 g), cut in half lengthwise, deseeded and sliced
One 2-in (5-cm) piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 lb (125 g) long beans or green beans, trimmed and sliced into 2 in (5 cm)
1 onion, chopped
1/4 lb (125 g) fresh or frozen okra, trimmed 1 tomato, diced
1 Japanese or Italian eggplant or 1/2 globe eggplant (about 1/2 lb/250 g), cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
3 tablespoons bottled anchovy sauce or bottled sautéed shrimp paste
One 3-oz (75-g) bag fried pork rinds (chicharon), crushed (optional)

Do not stir the bitter gourd while it is cooking, just let the steam cook the vegetables. If you have some fried pork rinds in your cupboard, use them as a topping.

Place the bitter gourd in the bottom of a large saucepan, and then add the ginger, long beans, onion, okra, tomato, eggplant and sauteed shrimp paste, if using. Pour the water and anchovy sauce into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Leave for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cooked. Do not stir, but instead, shake the pan once or twice. Garnish with the crushed fried pork rinds, if using, and serve hot with steamed rice.

Guisadong Sayote | Braised Chayote with Shrimp

Braised Chayote with Shrimp also known as Guisadong Sayote

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
1 onion, diced
1/4 lb (125 g) fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 1/2 cups (1 liter plus 125 ml) water
1 chayote (about 1 1/2 lbs/750 g), peeled, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon bottled sautéed shrimp paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the oil and sauté the garlic until lightly browned. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the shrimp and sauté for 3 more minutes, or until the shrimp becomes opaque. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a separate saucepan, bring 4 cups (1 liter) of the water to a boil. Add the chayote and cook over high heat for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain well and set aside.

To the skillet with the sautéed shrimp mixture, add the cooked chayote, the remaining 1/ 2 cup (125 ml) of water and the sautéed shrimp paste. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Itlog na Maalat

Salted egg, known as itlog na maalat, is a common fixture on every Filipino table. In tropical countries like the Philippines, this is one way to preserve eggs. Salted eggs are often dyed a deep red to distinguish them from fresh eggs. Filipinos love to combine chopped salted eggs with tomatoes or have them with Fried Marinated Fish or Roasted Marinated Pork. Salted eggs are also used to garnish pastries and as a topping or filler for steamed buns (siopao). Because of their bigger, richer yolks and thicker shells, duck eggs are traditionally used but chicken eggs work fine too. To make salted eggs, eggs are soaked for about three weeks or more in a brine solution and keep them in a dark and dry place—preferably your cupboard. The eggs do not cure as quickly at cooler temperatures and the length of the curing period depends on the temperature. In the Philippines, the eggs cure after three weeks—but may take longer if you live in a cooler climate.

Preparation time: Minimum 3 weeks curing period
Cooking time: 30 minutes

8 fresh duck or chicken eggs
4 cups (1 liter) water
1 1/2 cups (300 g) salt
Place the eggs in a wide-mouthed jar with a lid.
Add the water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the salt gradually. Stir until the salt is totally dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Pour the cooled saltwater over the eggs. The eggs should be completely submerged. Add more of the brine solution if needed.

Cover and store the jar in a dark place for at least 3 weeks. To test the egg’s saltiness, take out one egg after 3 weeks, and boil it over high heat for 30 minutes (salted eggs take more time to cook than regular eggs). Let cool for a few minutes. Peel the shell and taste. If the saltiness is to your liking, take out the other eggs, boil, and store in the refrigerator. If you want a “saltier” salted egg, leave the eggs for another 2 weeks.