Monggo na may Dahon ng Ampalaya

Mung bean or monggo is a very nutritious green beans from lentil family, I used the bitter melon leaves for this because my friends requested for it, but you can use various vegetables to put in mung bean dish.  Here is the easy to follow recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups monggo
1/4 kilo pork
2 cups bitter melon leaves ( dahon ng ampalaya)
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
salt to taste

mung bean or mongo

Procedure:
1. In a pot boil the monggo until it is tender, then set aside (You can use pressure cooker for faster cooking)
2. Pan fry the pork, once brownish set aside then saute the garlic and onion then add the pan fried pork and simmer for few minutes.
3. Add the cooked monggo and salt then simmer few minutes allowing all the flavors to infuse.
4.Increase the heat to avoid discoloration of the leaves when we put it, make sure it is very hot then put the leaves, do not cover the pot then turn off the heat.
5. Serve hot.

Pancit with Pork

This is one of my favorite dishes, I can cook this as quick as I can and I can create different ingredients with this from very simple to the most special but I do not have much time to do it, so here is a very simple one :-)

 Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pancit  ( egg noodles)
1/2 kilo pork sliced into bite size
200 grams cabbage sliced into strips
1 carrot sliced into strips
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water ( add if necessary)

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the pork and simmer for few minutes.
2. Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper cover for a minute, then mix well.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil then add the carrots, cabbage and pancit, stir well and simmer for few minutes until cooked.
4. Turn off the heat then serve it hot.

Atsara ( Pickled Papaya)

A delicious appetizer made from pickled green papaya. This is best serve with fried or grilled fish or meat.

Ingredients:
2 cups grated green papaya
1/4 cup coarse salt
1 small red bell pepper,cut into thin strips
1 cup white vinegar
1 small carrot
3 tablespoons ginger ( strips)
1/2 cup sliced bitter melon (ampalaya)
1 onions,thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic,diced
1/2 cup raisins
sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Combine the coarse salt and papaya then mix well and squeeze out the juice then set aside.
2. In a pot put all the ingredients except the squeezed papaya and raisins,  then bring to a boil once the carrot is tender put the papaya and allow to simmer for a minute or until done over high heat, then turn off heat and allow to cool.
3. Add the raisins and you can keep it in a jar and serve whenever you want.

Chicken Adobo with Tomato

A saucy  delicious adobo that you will surely like. My friends who have tasted this said it is very tasty and they will definitely try to cook it :)

Ingredients for 5 servings:
1/2 kilo chicken
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
5 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorn  (pamintang durog)
1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper
1 teaspoon hot chili pepper powder

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic, onion and tomato, stir until tomatoes are soft.
2. Add the chicken and soy sauce cover it and simmer, until the chicken meat darkens with the soy sauce color. Mix it well
3. Put the rest of the ingredients, cover well, and simmer for few minutes stirring occasionally until the chicken is well cooked.
4.  Serve with rice.

Maja Blanca with Corn and Cheese

Lately I am up to different flavors of maja, and somebody requested this corn and cheese recipe, so here it is.

Ingredients:
2 cups cornstarch
4 cups coconut milk
1 cup Nestle cream or light cream
1.5 cups white sugar
3 cups evaporated or fresh milk
1 cup diced cheese
1 cup corn kernel

Procedure:
1. In a pot mix all the ingredients ( leave some corn and cheese for toppings later) mix well until the cornstarch is fully dissolved then cook over medium heat stirring well to avoid it from settling at the bottom of the pot. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes firm, allow to simmer for a while before transferring to a molding tray.

2. Pour to your desired container or molding tray then top with cheese and corn let cool and refrigerate before serving.

Ginataang Ampalaya

I made this recipe for a diabetic friend, because bitter melon or ampalaya is good for diabetes. This dish taste good and we can eat this anytime we want, either you are a diabetic or not :) Try this!

Ingredients:
2 bitter melon ( ampalaya)
2 cups ampalaya leaves
1 cup pure coconut milk ( unang piga)
2 cups thin coconut milk ( ikalawang piga)
thumb size ginger
some dried fish
salt to taste

ampalaya fruits and leaves

Procedure:
1. In a pot put the thin coconut milk, ginger, and dried fish then bring to a boil.

2. Once boiling add the bitter melon (ampalaya) and simmer until tender, add salt to taste.

3. Add the ampalaya leaves, pure coconut milk then simmer and turn off the heat.
4. Serve hot.

Pancit with Oyster Sauce

Try this simple and quick way of cooking pancit with less ingredients, but you can add carrots and bell pepper to this recipe, it's just happen that when I am cooking this only these things are available.  Try this

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo Pancit ( egg noodles)
1/4 kilo shrimps ( cleaned and shells removed)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/4 kilo cabbage
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Boil the pancit until cooked then drain and set aside.
2. Saute the garlic and onion, add the shrimps and simmer for a minute.
3. Add water and bring to a boil, once boiling increase the heat then add the cabbage, stir very well until soften.
4. Add the oyster sauce, simmer and stir then add the pre-cooked pancit, mix evenly.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste then serve hot.
 
While you are boiling the pancit (egg noodle), you can start sauteing the ingredients, to make the cooking process quicker.