Laoya

Laoya or Lauya is a common dish serve in ordinary days in Filipino household.

It is a level-up version of Nilagang Baboy.  However, compared to Nilagang Baboy the taste is slightly sweet. With atsuete and different vegetables added in the recipe to create exciting taste.  Though atsuete in real has no taste, it has somewhat create an impression of giving a twist to the taste.  I also love the idea of adding saging saba and sweet potato in the recipe as it gives additional sweetness to the taste.

The most common pork meat used here is pork leg or "pata ng baboy".  But you can also use other parts like pork belly or "liempo".  Meat should be well cook until tender so it can create a flavourful taste in the soup.  This dish is best served during rainy season with fish sauce or "patis" and calamansi as condiments.  And if you are a fan of hot and spicy food, you can also add "siling labuyo" to complete the dish.

This dish is one of my favorite viand when I was still a kid.  I remember my grandfather will always cook this food for us as we always requested for this.  So whenever I cooked this dish today, it always remind me of my late grand father who was such a good cook during his time.  He told me he learned this recipe in his native town of Binan, Laguna.

This version of Laoya recipe is commonly found in the tables of the natives of Laguna, Rizal and nearby towns of Metro Manila.

Prep Time:         10 minutes

Cooking Time:   45 minutes

Total Time:         55 minutes

Servings:             6

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pata / 1 kl liempo cut into cubes/ 1 kl buto-buto which ever you prefer
• 2 medium size onions, quartered
• 1 tbsp whole pepper
• 2 pcs sweet camote, quartered
• 2-3 pcs saging na saba, cut diagonally 
• 1 cabbage, quartered
• 1 bundle pechay tagalog
• 6 -8 pcs baguio beans, sliced
• ¼ cup achuete extract
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tbsp salt
• 4-5 cups of water

How to Cook:

1.   In a deep soup pot, add enough water.
2.   Add the pork part you prefer to use and let it boil.  Maintain at simmering point until tender.
3.   Add onion, whole pepper.
4.   Seasoned with 2 tbsp salt.
5.   Add saging na saba, sweet camote.
6.   Put a twist by adding ¼ cup atchuete extracts.
7.   Add 2 tbsp sugar for added sweetness.
8.  Add cabbage, pechay tagalog and baguio beans.  Do not overcooked the vegetable.

Best served with patis and calamansi on the side. 

Enjoy eating with the whole family and don't forget to share it with your favorite kapitbahay!

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how you like it by commenting on below.  And please don't forget to tag me a photo in my Fb and Instagram account.

Related Post you may want to read:

Filipino Ulam Tips

 Happy cooking and eating!

Arlene 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a French dish consists of deboned chicken breast wrapped around with a fillings of slice of ham and cheese, breaded and deep-fry.   A menu commonly available for special occasions in most Filipino family gatherings.  

It has a very simple ingredients yet a good choice to serve for formal dinners with it's delicious taste and pleasing table presentations.    

We always have this dish on special occasions such as Christmas and New Year.  But since this has become one of the favorite dish in the household there are times that I cooked this on ordinary days to give in to special requests.

Prep Time:         15 minutes

Cooking Time:   30 minutes

Total Time:         45 minutes

Serving:               6

Ingredients:

• boneless chicken breast 
• butter
• ham stripped
• cheese stripped
• bell pepper stripped
• pinch of salt
• pinch of white pepper
• bread crumbs
• paprika (optional

Dipping Sauce:

• 1 Nestle Cream
• 1 evaporated milk
• cheese grated or cubes
• ham cut into cubes (optional)
• pinch of salt
• pinch of white pepper
• pinch of basil 

How to Cook:

Chicken Cordon Bleu:

• Place a piece of chicken breast in a flat surface and pound them into thin.
• Then brush the top with butter, salt and a sprinkle of paprika.
• Top the chicken breast with ham slices, cheese and bell pepper.
• Roll the chicken breast. You may use a toothpick to fasten the end of the chicken breast.
• Brush the outer part of the chicken breasts with butter and roll it in bread crumbs.
• You can bake it in an oven or fry it in a pan.
• Once cooked, slice into individual servings.

Dipping Sauce:

1. In a pre-heat pan, add butter.
2. Follow it with cream and evaporated milk.
3. Add cheese and ham (optional).
4. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper and basil.

                 

                                            

    

Watch this Cooking Video: 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Enjoy eating  with the whole family and don't forget to share it with your favorite kapitbahay!

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how you like it by commenting on below.  And please don't forget to tag me a photo in my Fb and Instagram account.

Related post you may want to read:

Filipino Ulam Tips

 Happy cooking and eating!

Arlene 

Dinengdeng

Dinengdeng is a Filipino vegetable dish that originated from the Ilocos Region in the Philippines.

A recipe that composed of different vegetables that are usually grown in one’s family backyard. This dish is almost similar with bulanglang and pakbet.  Adding to it's distinct taste is the use of fried or grilled fish and “bagoong na isda” which is also a popular product made in the Ilocos Region.  It is basically a combination of different boiled vegetables with grilled or fried fish in anchovy sauce.

For anchovy sauce or "bagoong na isda"  it is recommended to use in moderation because of it salty content.  Saltiness may vary depending on how it is prepared.

For fish, you can use milk fish, galunggong or even tilapia.  But the most popular fish ingredient is the milk fish.

If you are going to grill the fish instead of frying, make sure not to remove the scale.  The advantage of grilling the fish is that it add additional taste to the dish.

Since this dish consists mostly of vegetables this may be unpopular for kids. But the nutritional content of this dish cannot be taken for granted.

I too had similar experience when I was little kid.  My siblings and I had a hard time swallowing vegetables.  And it has always been a nighmare for us if we know that it is the dish served in the family table.  But our parents did not stopped for us to understand the importance of eating vegetables.  And as we grow old now, we started appreciating this dish.

You can also try this dish in your family table.  It is a healthy food recipe good for your family.

Prep Time:        10 minutes

Cooking Time:  30 minutes

Total Time:        40 minutes

Serving:              6

Ingredients:

• 4 small tomato 
• 1 or 2 medium onion chopped
• 2 cups squash 
• 5 to 10 pieces small to medium sized okra
• 2 medium eggplat cut into cubes
• 2 medium sweet camote cut into cubes
• 1 whole milk fish (bangus) sliced into four.  Can be fried or grilled.
• 1 bundle malunggay stalk, removed the outer parts
• 1 bundle string beans sliced into 3 inch
• 1 piece bitter gourd (ampalaya) sliced diagonally
• 2 to 3 tablespoons bagoong isda unprocessed fish sauce

• 3 cups water

How to Cook:

1. In a pan, add cooking oil.
2. Fry the sliced bangus until light brown.
3. Remove from pan.
4. In another cooking pot, add water to boil.
5. Add tomato, onion and bagoong na isda.  Let it boil for 1 minute.
6. Put camote, string beans, squash.  Cook in medium heat.
7. Add ampalaya, eggplant, malunggay stalk and okra.
8. Add fried bangus.
9. Serve to taste.

Enjoy this nutritious recipe with the whole family and do not forget to share it with your favorite kapitbahay!

Have you tried cooking Dinendeng?  What can you say on the taste? Let me know how you like it by commenting on below.  And please don't forget to tag me a photo in my Fb and Instagram account.

Related post you may want to read:

Filipino Ulam Tips

Happy cooking and eating!

Arlene 

Salmon and Tofu with Oyster’s Sauce

Yesterday, I was once again treated by my sister Aimee to a taste-test.  Well, she always do that every time a new dish was served in their family dinner table.  Oh by the way,  my sister and I are neighbors.  So it is very easy for us to ask the opinion of each other regarding a particular dish we prepared for dinner and  of course, exchange dinner plates as well!

Here's one of the many recipes she has in her kitchen.  And with her permission, I am sharing it with you. 

Salmon and Tofu with Oyster's Sauce has an influenced of oriental dish.  It is an easy and simple recipe you can serve anytime. If you feel like you only want to prepare and cook quick menu then you can do this by just grabbing a salmon and tofu from your fridge.  Pan fry it and add some extra seasonings to give extra taste and serve it with a little twist.  It is best served with a thickened oyster sauce and garnished with bell pepper and lemon.  Perfect with a steamed rice to satisfy your hungry stomach.

This is a must try recipe!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Total Time:  45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• half kilo salmon belly
• 1 pack tofu, cut into strips
• oyster's sauce
• 1 bell pepper, cut into cubes
• thumb-sized ginger, grated
• 1 white onion
• 1 lemon
• a pinch of pepper
• a pinch of salt

How to cook:

Marinate:

1. Marinate salmon for a few minutes.  
2. Add lemon, grated ginger and a pinch of pepper.

Pan Fry:

1. Put cooking oil and allow medium heat.
2. Half-fried tofu and put in a separate plate when finished. 
3. Do the same with the marinated salmon.

Sauce:.

1. In a clean pan, put 2 tablespoon  of olive oil.
2. Sauté onion and bell pepper. 
3. Add 2 tablespoon each of oyster’s sauce and water.
4. Drop a pinch of pepper and salt to taste.
5. Make this as sauce toppings to the salmon and tofu.
6. Serve to taste.  

Enjoy eating with the whole family and don't forget to share it with your favorite kapitbahay!

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how you like it by commenting on below.  And please don't forget to tag me a photo in my Fb and Instagram account.

                   

Related post you may want to read:

Filipino Ulam Tips

Happy cooking and eating!

Arlene