Fish & seafood

• Fish croquettes
• Tilapia with shredded corn and coconut cream
• Salmon and tomato soup
• Baked pompano and red cabbage
• Sardines frittata in tortilla
• Sweet and spicy talakitok in a flash
• Chili garlic shrimps with coriander paste and Kecap Manis
• Bangus (milkfish) fritters, v. 2
• Tuna belly fillets with garlic and rosemary
• Fish fillets in white wine and cream-and-cheese sauce

Mighty meaty

• Baby back ribs
• Spaghetti with meatballs
• Ground beef, mushrooms and quail eggs in oyster sauce
• 45-minute farmer’s pie
• Pepper steak
• Pork and chicken in coco milk and pesto
• Pork loin chops with cream cheese sauce
• Grilled kielbasa and beans
• Deep-fried Breaded Pork Slices
• Potato, Beef and Peanut Pot

Healthy veggies

• Sunday lunch in the garden
• Capsicum halves stuffed with chicken, cheese and vegetables
• Fish fillet and vegetables in sour cream
• Baked stuffed potatoes
• Chicken, mushrooms and potato salad
• 5-minute tomatoes and pesto salad
• Beef and broccoli leaves
• Salmon salad with mango-lemon dressing
• Mashed potatoes and kalabasa (squash)
• Pork, spinach and Pinoy pesto

Sweet & Sour Pork

Another traditional Chinese dish that has found its way into Filipino cuisine, sweet and sour pork is cooked with deep-fried cubes of pork loin dredged in seasoned flour and served with sweet and sour sauce. Diced vegetables make a colorful garnish. A few tablespoons of kalamansi (native lemon) juice adds a piquant flavor and aroma to this oriental recipe.

Some people want a sweeter sweet-sour souce; others prefer them to taste a little more sour than sweet. Adjust the amount of salt, sugar or vinegar to suit your taste.

Add a piece of hot chili pepper or a teaspoon of bottled chili sauce for a spicy sweet-sour sauce.

For variety, you may add include a few slices of ginger when stir frying the vegetables.

Ingredients :

1/2 k. of pork loin
3/4 c. of flour
1 tbsp. of soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 red or green bell pepper, cut in wedges
1 small carrot, cut into 1/4″ slices
2 onions, cut in wedges
3 segments of garlic, crushed
1 c. of meat broth
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
1/8 c. of vinegar
1/4 c. of sugar
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of pepper
2 tbsp. of strained [i]kalamansi[/i] (native lemon) juice
1-1/2 tbsp. of cornstarch
1/2 tsp. of sesame seed oil
3/4 c. of cooking oil for deep-frying

Cooking procedure :

Cut the pork loin into 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ cubes. Season with 1 tbsp. of soy sauce. Sprinkle the flour with a little salt and pepper and mix well. Add the pork cubes to the seasoned flour and stir to coat each piece well.

Heat the cooking oil in a fryer or wok until it starts to smoke. Over high heat, deep fry pork cubes until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pork cubes to a serving platter.

Stir together the meat broth, vinegar, tomato paste, kalamansi juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch and stir until dispersed in the liquid.

Pour off the cooking oil until only about 3-4 tablespoonfuls remain. Reheat. Saute together the onions, garlic, bell peppers and carrot slices for about a minute or two or until tender-crisp. Pour in the sauce and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick and clear. Pour over the pork. Drizzle with sesame seed oil before serving.

[Edited on 7-14-06]

In the mood for more food?

• Adobong pusit sa gata (squid adobo in coconut cream)
• Fried labahita (surgeonfish) with chili-pineapple sauce
• Kikiam (Que-kiam)
• Sayote (chayote) guisado plus
• Smoked ham and cheese toasties
• Guinataang Mais (Corn in Coco Cream)
• Home-made flavored iced tea
• 10-minute stir fried chicken, quail eggs and vegetables
• All-purpose flour and glutinous rice flour
• Lunch at Iceberg