Pancit Bihon

2-3 tbsp
1 onion sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic, processed
1 lb pork finely cut or ground
16 oz Shrimp
1 Chicken breast cut 1/2 of a bite-size
2 tbsp Toymansi  (Soy sauce/calamansi combo)
2 tsp fish sauce
2 cups cabbage shredded
1 large carrot cut into matchsticks
2 cups chicken broth

Garnish
4 green onions, cut lengthwise and then in 1/4th.
Lime wedges


Saute garlic and onion until tender; add pork and chicken; cook until chicken and pork browns; add vegetables, Toymansi, fish sauce, pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, add noodles lower to a simmer. Once the noodles have softened, gently stir and press them into the liquid until covered. Place shrimp on top of noodles, press into liquid, and cook until shrimp are opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside. Stir the dish gently and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Return shrimp to the dish and toss.

Filipino BBQ Pork

Marinade

3 pounds of pork steak, cut into thin cubes
6 Cloves Garlic finely minced or crushed
1/4 Cup Toyomansi (Soy with Calamansi)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup banana ketchup
2 tbsp sweet soy (thick soy)
1/3 cup 7 up

Mix all ingredients together, place in a nonreactive bowl with pork, cover and refrigerate overnight.

1 Hour before grilling, cover wooden skewers in hot water and allow to soak.

BBQ Sauce

6 Garlic finely minced or crushed
1/3 cup Toyomansi
2 tbsp thick soy
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup banana ketchup
1/4 cup 7up

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, cook about 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate.

Grill the pork skewers on a charcoal grill. Begin brushing with sauce upon the first turn. These should be flipped 6 to 8 times, brushing with the bbq sauce as you go. You want to achieve a grilled, caramelized appearance with a little charring.

It is good when you drizzle a little of the leftover sauce on scoops of steamed jasmine rice to go with the pork. Enjoy.

Lumpia Shanghai

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 finely grated carrot
2 cups angel hair cabbage, chopped fine
1/4 white onion, grated
4 stacks green onion minced fine
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp Toyomansi (Soy sauce with Calamansi)
2 tbsp sweet soy (thick soy)
1 tsp oyster sauce or fish sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 egg

Saute, garlic, carrot, cabbage and yellow onion briefly, set aside and allow to cool.
Place ground beef and pork in large bowl, add sauces and seasoning and break up with a serving fork, add cooled veggie mixture along with minced green onions. Using the fork mix all ingredients together well.

Beat egg and set aside to seal your wraps

Using Lumpia wrapper, spread 2 tablespoons of mixture completely across the bottom of the wrapper, roll tightly like a cigar, brush the end section of the wrapper with beaten egg and continue rolling to seal. Cut the roll in half.

Deep Fry at 350 until golden brown and cooked through.

Chicken Adobo Braised in a Dutch Oven

6 Chicken Thighs and Six Drumsticks, skin on
1 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 3/4 Vinegar
10 Garlic Cloves Crushed
1 Teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 Bay Leaves
2 Crushed Chinese or Thai Chili (this is optional and not traditional, adjust amount to taste)
1 Cup of Water (do not add this during the marinade process, add right before it goes in the oven)


Place all ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag or tupperware-type container in the morning and allow to marinade for 6-8 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and transfer everything into a large enough Dutch oven that allows you to place the chicken in a single layer skin side up. Braise with the lid on for 35 minutes, Remove the cover, lower the temperature to 365, and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

The above photo shows the chicken after cooking, and the lid is first removed.

It will now cook without a lid, the sauce will reduce, and the skin with getting crispy. 

After the adobo is cooked with the lid off. Turn the broiler on for a few minutes. Watch it carefully, do not walk away. 

Serve over steamed rice.

The point in using the oven and the Dutch oven is the meat braising, the reduction and thickening of the sauce, and the crisping of the skin all in one pot. No transferring of meat to a broiler pan. It is a far superior way of cooking adobo than a rapid boil on the stove. Though my cooking time is a little longer, the meat does not dry out as it braises in the sauce the entire time.

Option 2

I make a ridiculous amount of sauce, so here is a more conservative amount.

1/3 Cup Filipino Cane Vinegar
1/4 Cup Toyamansi Sauce (Soy with a hint of Calamansi lime)
1/4 Cup Water
3 Bay Leaves
10 Smashed Black Peppercorns
10 Garlic Cloves minced (feel free to lessen the amount)
If you like spicy Thai chili, or 2, omit this together; it is not traditional.
Oil

Maputing Babae Lumpia

Note: This is the precooked filling version. If you wish to make the raw filling/cigar rolled Lumpia, see the bottom of the page for instructions.

1 pound ground pork
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 inch slice of ginger, finely grated
1 bunch chives, finely minced by hand
5 cloves garlic, ground or fine minced in food processor
1 large carrot, finely grated
2 small celery stalks, chopped then minced in food processor
2 cups angel hair cabbage, then minced in food processor
1 cup small diced cooked but not too soft in boiling water (addition of potato is optional)*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce


I recommend using a small food processor like my lil Ninja and a fine grater to mince your vegetables and aromatics, (except the chives, do that delicate aromatic by hand).

Place ground meat in a large skillet and brown, chop the meat finely as it cooks.

Once meat is halfway browned add garlic, ginger, carrot and cabbage.

Continue cooking till done. Add sauces and mix together well. Tip the pan and remove grease with a spoon, do not even try to put it in a strainer, you will lose your veggies. Remove from heat to a large bowl, toss in chives and allow mixture to completely cool. If you have chosen to add potatoes: Cook small diced potato in salt water till tender but not mushy. Strain potatoes, place in ice water till cold, strain again till dry, then toss cool dried potatoes through the mix,

Place about 2 tablespoons into a lumpia wrapper, fold it like an envelope, bottom corner up halfway, both sides folded in, roll and paint corner with egg wash and secure.

There is another method of rolling and cooking lumpia. You mix all ingredients together uncooked, add an egg to hold the mix together. Use only 1/1/2 tablespoons of mixture, roll like a tight cigar leaving the ends open. (do not overfill a cigar roll as it will not cook through) You will need to fry this a little longer and darker to cook it through. Both versions are good, it is a personal preference.

You can saute the vegetables and aromatics (except chives) first, then cool completely before adding to the raw meat mixture.

*If you are wondering why potato is in this recipe, it is because my husband's Filipino mother puts it in hers. I would recommend using potato in the precooked version only or omitting it if preferred.

Last note: Yes I used an egg roll wrapper, I am looking for a store that sells the lumpia wrappers or I will have to buy a non stick skillet and make my own.

Tuna Salad

                                                                               


3 cans of tuna packed in water, drained and pressed* see note

1/3 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise

1/3 cup Miracle Whip

3 tablespoons salad cubes, Claussen pickle relish or other relish

1 small carrot, grated

2 stalks of celery minced small

1/4 cup onions minced or green onions cut small

2 jumbo hard boiled eggs, chopped

Strain water from tuna and flake into a medium sized mixing bowl, Chop celery, onion and egg and grate carrot, add to tuna. Add relish and Hellman's and Mayo. Gently toss all ingredients together with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides to incorporate all of the sauce into the tuna mix. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving or chill canned tuna ahead of time. I think it tastes better when the tuna hangs out together and chills. 

*Using a regular can opener, use lid to press on and strain the water out of the tuna over the sink. You get a lot more water out of the tuna this way than attempting to use a strainer. 

I also put my canned tuna in the refrigerator the morning I plan to make tuna to get it good and cold. 

Add more or less mayo or miracle whip per taste or just use one or the other. Some people don't like miracle whip so use whatever you want, however I think it balances the flavor when combined.