Yellow Rice

My grandkids call it yellow rice for obvious reasons but it is simply fried rice with left overs (meat, cold cuts, scrambled eggs

or diced veggies). I used to grate fresh turmeric and add it while sauteing all the ingredients before adding boiled rice. But now, since I have a steady supply of turmeric powder courtesy of my son, Poy, who sent me a lot of spices, I use it instead. For every 6 cups of rice, I use a level teaspoonful of turmeric powder. I understand turmeric powder does wonders for the body, but I advise dear reader to google it. Haha! No worry about after tastes- there's none.

Bringhe

 
Bringhe is said to be the local version of the Spanish Paella. I disagree.

It is a completely different dish. Although its ingredients may seem similar, adjustments and substitution can make them very distinct from each other. Besides, they are cooked very differently from each other. I cook Bringhe only during special occasions for the same reason that I do Pancit Molo only for Noche Buena. Dapat hindi ito pagsawaan, sa halip ay kasabikan.

For this dish, we need-

5 cups malagkit
P20 pesos worth of pure gata ng niyog (behold, niyog vendors can extract gata right before your eyes)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced thinly
6 inch long porkloin (very ideal because it is tender), cut in two lengthwise, then cut thinly into 1inch long pcs
1 chicken pecho, bones removed, sliced thinly into 1 inch long pcs
1 large chorizo de bilbao, sliced thinly and diagonally
1/4 kg prawns, shelled and deveined
1/8 kg frozen green peas
1 medium size carrot, peeled, sliced thinly
1 large red bell pepper (choose a meaty one), seeded, sliced thinly
 salt, pepper, msg
achuete (for Paella, it is a must to use saffron but for Bringhe, achuete can serve the purpose)

Procedure:

Ahead of cooking time, boil the malagkit combining the gata with a little water and salt as needed.

Saute garlic, onion followed by the sliced  porkloin. When slightly browned, add chicken meat, chorizo and prawns. Let cook, constantly stirring as the ingredients are added one after the other.

Season with salt, pepper and msg. Add the red bell pepper and the carrots, stir, then add the green peas. Pour the achuete liquid and stir so as to make the color even.

Lastly, add the boiled malagkit and mix all ingredients well so that the "sahog" will be evenly distributed. Put off fire.

Divide the bringhe into four (4) 10-inch diameter cakes. On a plate, put banana leaf, a young one, and mold the first cake. Transfer on a medium size kawali, cover with another piece of banana leaf then with a heavy pan cover. Cook over very little fire for about 5 mins each side. This is called "inin" in Filipino. The process is done so that the Bringhe cakes appear solid and easy to cut when served.

Happy eating! Oh, don't boil rice anymore. This is very well a one-dish meal.

Kitchen Tip

Every Filipino cook knows how essential garlic is in the kitchen.

But it is always too messy to crush or mince them everytime we cook. So, here's something I learned from Dina Bonnevie back when she still has Ms. Di on GMA7.

Peel about 10 bulbs of garlic.

Put one half of the peeled cloves in a mini chopper. If you don't have one, go get one for your use. It is one of every cook's best friends.

Pulse until the bits are of the size you prefer.

Put the chopped garlic in a sealed container, preferably Lock &Lock or Tupperware.

The ten bulbs could last for two weeks in the refrigerator depending on the requirements of your home cooking.

Thanks, Ms. Di.

Pork Steak

A grade 1 pupil can very well do a steak- fish, pork or beef. It is so easy and doesn't cost much. That's why when we had lunch one day at Antonio's in Tagaytay, I really was astounded when our gracious host paid a total of eighteen thousand pesos plus plus for our lunch of grilled certified angus beef prime rib eye steak, (with so much borloloy, of course, salads and drinks). I don't really care if Antonio's is included in the Miele Guide. I just think it is too pricey there.But in all fairness, the place is really beautiful and the salads great.

Here's a very simple steak recipe which I enjoy cooking for the family. you will need-

Pork steak (buy from the supermarket because they have the best cuts.The markets may offer fresher ones but they can't cut it the same way.)
salt, black pepper, msg
worcestershire sauce
kalamansi juice ( two pieces per cut)
a little brown sugar

Procedure:

Wash the steak cuts. Drain then rub with salt and calamansi. Add the black pepper and msg and rub on both sides of the cuts. Drizzle with worcestershire sauce. Marinate overnight. Bake for 45 mins at 350 deg. Goes well with veggies or salads.

Pochero

Cooking a dish like pochero saves me money and time. In just one preparation, I get to serve my family both meat and veggies. Plus, it has ingredients which my young grandsons love to eat- potatoes and carrots. Here's what you need-

Chicken (pecho or thighs), cut into 2- inch slices
Pork (kasim), cut into 2 inch slices
2 pcs Chorizo de Bilbao, sliced diagonally into 3 pcs
 (never use Chinese chorizo, it's good only for pancit)
garlic & onion
Cabbage, sliced about 2 inches long
Pechay Baguio, sliced about 2 inches long
Baguio beans, stringed then sliced  diagonally into two pieces
carrots, sliced or flowered or butterflied
cauliflower or broccoli (optional)
leeks, sliced about 2 inches long
sweet potato or camote, peeled, sliced into 2 inch pieces and fried
potato, peeled, sliced into 2 inch pieces and fried
ripe saba bananas, peeled, sliced diagonally into two pieces and fried
tomato sauce
1 can Pork & Beans (a good substitute for chick peas or garbanzos;
     I learned this from my Kumareng Alice O.)
seasonings (salt & msg)
cornstarch slurry

Directions:

Put the sliced pork and chicken in a stockpot. Cover with enough water then bring to a boil. Put a little salt once it starts boiling. Chicken cooks earlier than pork, so once done, remove it from the stockpot and set aside. When pork is done, set it aside. Reserve the stock.

Meanwhile, fry the camote, potato and banana slices one by one. Set aside. Roll in the chorizos in the same  oil. Remove and set aside once slightly browned. Saute garlic and onions.Add the chicken-pork  stock. Once it starts boiling, add the tomato sauce followed by pork and beans. Season.  Put in the browned chorizos first so its flavors will mix with the stock.. Then add the previously boiled pork and chicken. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to thicken. Add the veggies one by one beginning with the carrots, Baguio beans, cauliflower, cabbage, pechay baguio and leeks. Stir in the fried veggies. Let simmer. Serve hot.

Fresh Garden Pasta

There are times when I get tired of preparing and eating pasta with either a red or a white sauce. When I look at food websites, all I see are "sauced" pasta. Until I came across a recipe of a sauceless pasta from no less than...Richard Gomez. I tried it once and now it has become a regular dish in my dining table. Here's how to do it-

Spaghetti, cooked al dente
white onions, cubed, lots of it
red bell pepper, seeded,cubed
green bell pepper, seeded, cubed
carrot, peeled, cubed
fresh basil leaves, minced
olive oil
parmesan cheese
ham, cubed
Salt, pepper, seasoning


Cook spaghetti, drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok and fry the cubed ham until it becomes golden brown.Set aside.
Add a little more olive oil depending on the amount of pasta to be cooked.
Put all the cubed veggies all at the same time and stir fry for a minute or two. Do not overcook. Season. Add in the fried ham cubes and then the pasta. Stir and see to it that all the pasta noodles are covered by olive oil. Slowly add in parmesan cheese and basil leaves while turning the pasta and veggies over and over.
Serve hot with lots of cheese

Suwam na Alimasag

The hubby wanted soup, pronto! But market day is still on Saturday. So I took a peep in the ref. I found-

left over Alimasag na matataba
Spinach ( i think Popeye's blood runs in my veins)
Ginger
a pack of Misua

When i make suwam, i don't saute the ingredients. I want to eliminate oil in our food as much as possible. Anyway, my oldies used to make suwam this way. So, I chopped an average size onion and together with the crushed ginger, I put them in a stockpot with enough water and let it boil. I half-opened the alimasag so that its flavors will mix with the water, onion and ginger. When the stock boils, I added the alimasag and the misua at the same time, let it boil some more and added the seasonings ( patis and msg- really, I have no issues with msg). I put off the fire and added the spinach.

We had soup, pronto!