Fish Fillet in Tausi

I'm proud to share this recipe with you because I know you'll enjoy it. You can use almost any kind of white-fleshed fish. Me, I like to use cream dory fillets for it's taste and texture as well. Many don't like to use this kind because of it's unavailability and it's high price. I recommend using tilapia fillets as a worthy substitute. Just make sure you choose the black-skinned one for it is more succulent and more flavorful.

Fish Fillet in Tausi
What you'll need:

• 1/2 kilo cream dory fillets
• 1 cup tofu, cubed and fried
• 2-3 tbsp tausi (fermented black beans)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 med onion, sliced
• 1 2" ginger, cut into strips
• 1 small green bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolve in
• 1 tbsp cold water (slurry)

How to:

1. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in a little oil.
2. Add tausi and oyster sauce. Add water and mix well. Bring into a simmering boil.
3. Turn the heat down into low and add the bell peppers, fish and fried tofu.
4. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water if necessary.
5. Stir in the slurry and stir to thicken the sauce.
6. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!

Elsie's Congee

I want to name this dish for my friend who ask me to make a series of vegetarian recipes. At first, I really don't know how to make a congee with no meat whatsoever. You know us Filipinos, we love our lugaw with everything and anything. I don't know what to use to make this dish tasty without any source of meat flavor. Finally, my good friend Chef Antonio suggested that I use vegetable stock for the base and mushrooms as meat substitutes. I got to be honest with you. At first, I don't think this will taste good at all but I'm wrong. IT'S PERFECT! Top with some roasted peanuts and it becomes heavenly. I love this recipe so much that I'm thinking to become a vegetarian myself. Special thanks again to Chef Antonio Madriaga for the knowledge.

Elsie's Congee
What you'll need:

• 1 cup short grain rice, washed
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 4-5 cups water
• 5-6 pcs shitake mushrooms, softened in hot water and sliced
• 1 3" ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 med head broccoli, cut into small florets 
• 1 tbsp scallions, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed or chopped
• salt to taste
• 1 egg (optional)

How to:

1. Place rice in a pot with vegetable stock and ginger. Boil over high heat for 1 1/2 hours. Add water when necessary and stir occasionally to prevent burning.
2. Add the mushrooms and carrots. Season with salt according to taste. Simmer for 3 more minutes.
3. Lastly add the broccoli when the congee is almost done. If you want to use an egg, add in the egg and stir with a fork until it breaks.
4. Remove from heat and serve with chopped peanuts on top. Enjoy!

Bean Sprout Spring Roll ( Lumpiang Togue)

This the first of many recipes dedicated to Ms. Elsie Phillips. She's a vegetarian, so I'm making a series of recipes focusing mainly on vegetables, tofu and other non-meat products. This is actually hard for me because most of you knew that I'm a carnivore by nature. This first recipe is a Filipino favorite specially with lugaw (congee) or in my case, rice. The dip is simple to make, just mix together 1 part soy sauce, 1 part white vinegar, some crushed garlic, some chopped onions and some ground black pepper and it's done. Add some chillies if you like. Try this: if you want your dip to have some nice kick, try using the brine of the Guillano sliced jalapeno instead of vinegar and cut the soy sauce by half. I know, thank me later.

Bean Sprout Spring Roll (Lumpiang Togue)
What you'll need: 

• 1/2 kilo fresh bean sprouts, washed and drained
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, sliced into 1" strips
• 1 cup string beans
• 1 cup tofu, crumbled
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced into 1" strips
• 1 med onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• spring roll wrappers or rice paper for wrapping
• oil for deep frying
• salt & pepper to taste

How to:

1. First, saute onion and garlic in a small amount of oil until translucent. 
2. Add the sweet potatoes and carrots. Saute for a minute.
3. Add the remaining vegetables and tofu. Pour a little amount of water to help it simmer.
4. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
5. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until half-cooked. Remove from heat and drain the liquid in a strainer.
6. Let it stand and cool for an hour before wrapping.
7. Wrap spring rolls by placing 1-2 tbsp of the vegetables in the wrapper and close the sides. Roll to make a small log. Close the edge with egg white or water.
8. Deep fry in oil until golden in color.
9. Serve with dip and enjoy! 

Pork Sinigang

Okay, most of you may know how to cook this very popular Filipino dish but I'm posting this for someone close to my heart who's pregnant right now. This is a tamarind based soup with meats and veggies, good for nourishing  that angel inside her. Hope this helps her soothe the back pains and other pregnancy related discomforts. So, here it goes. This one's for you, sweetie.

Pork Sinigang
What you'll need:

• 1/2 kilo pork belly, sliced into portions
• 1 cup taro (gabi), cut into wedges
• 2 cups kang-kong leaves
• 1 cup sitaw, cut into 2" strings
• 1 cup labanos, sliced
• 2-3 green chilies
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 onion, quartred
• 1 pouch sinigang mix
• 1 liter water
• patis to taste

How to:

1. Boil pork belly in water with the taro, onions and tomatoes until tender.
2. Crush tomatoes while cooking to unlock it's flavor.
3. Add the sinigang mix and let simmer in medium high heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add the sitaw and labanos. Let cook for 3 more minutes.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and season with patis according to taste.
6. Serve and enjoy!