Fish & seafood

• Sweet and spicy talakitok in a flash
• Fish fillets in white wine
• Crouching tiger, hidden salmon
• Baked mussels (tahong), the simple way
• Budget cooking part 2 (fish and vegetables frittata)
• Tilapia with shredded corn and coconut cream
• Fish fillet with corn sauce
• Fish fillets in white wine and cream-and-cheese sauce
• Mackerel frittata
• Steamed pompano with ginger sauce

Mighty meaty

• Cheese-topped beef and eggplants
• Creamy ox tongue stew
• Pork loin chops with cream cheese sauce
• 45-minute farmer’s pie
• Lengua (ox tongue) in cream and corn sauce
• Spaghetti with meatballs
• Deep-fried Breaded Pork Slices
• Fresh herbs in my lamb curry
• Chicken and sausages pasta
• Pork and baguio beans with oyster sauce

Healthy veggies

• Chicken, squash and zucchini saute
• Fried chicken, garlic-mayo sauce & pineapple cole slaw
• Pork, spinach and Pinoy pesto
• Stuffed zucchini
• A side dish: buttered corn and carrots
• Broccoli and potatoes frittata
• Spanish tortilla
• 10-minute stir fried chicken, quail eggs and vegetables
• Mashed potatoes and kalabasa (squash)
• Salmon salad with mango-lemon dressing

My sweet and sour pork

There were two things I wanted to experiment with: making the pork a little redder than usual AND changing the vegetables that traditionally go with sweet and sour pork. The big question was whether they will affect the flavor and texture of the cooked dish. Answer: yes, they did, in a surprisingly wonderful way.

When we order sweet and sour pork in Chinese restaurants, the vegetables in the dish rarely vary: carrots, bell peppers and onions. Sometimes, there is some celery as well. But that’s about it. I figured that these were the only vegetables that went well with the dish in terms of flavor, color and texture. So, I considered all three factors.

First, the flavors of the vegetables should be mild so as not to compete with the sharp taste of the sauce. Second, there should be a variety of colors for best visual effects. Third, only crisp (crunchy) vegetables should go into the dish. All that considered, I decided to plunge into my little experiment. Aside from the carrot and bell pepper, I added cauliflower, chicharo and chopped sibuyas na mura (onion leaves). My husband said over dinner that we would have paid a thousand pesos had we ordered something similar in a Chinese restaurant.

In the mood for more food?

1. Adobo, corned beef style
2. Callos
3. No waste chicken and rice meal
4. UCC Vienna Cafe
5. Steamed Whole Fish With Garlic-Onion-Mayo Sauce
6. Speedy’s winter melon soup
7. Mongo con pata
8. Cafe Ysabel’s Sans Rival
9. Enoki mushrooms
10. The Christmas dinner dry run