Tiradito

The tiradito is the brother of ceviche. However, we could say that this dish has a japanese greatgrandfather. Indeed, the influence of the many Japanese immigrants who came to South America in the nineteenth century is apparent in the way the fish is sliced rather than chopped, and ginger, soy, and other Japanese ingredients often find their way into the delicious Tiradito.

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb flounder fillet (almost any fresh fish or shellfish will do)
4 tbsp of aji amarillo paste
2 aji limo, seeded, deveined cut into brunoise
2 tbsp cilantro in chiffonade
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
4 tbsp key lime juice
salt and white pepper

Garnish:
Cooked kernels from one fresh ear of peruvian choclo (corn)
Fresh parsley chiffonade

Preparation

Use a clean big bowl to whisk together the key lime juice, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, aji limo, chopped culantro, aji amarillo paste, and vegetable oil. Keep chilled.

Now cut the fish meat fillet into thin slices on the diagonal as for sashimi and flatten.
spread out on a flat serving platter and sprinkle with salt.

Pour enough Criollo cream over the fish slices to just cover them and serve immediately, garnished with the small corn kernels.

Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is a chicken that is cut up, dredged in flour or dipped in a breaded mixture and then pan fried, deep-fried, or pressure cooked until golden brown. Fried chicken has many recipe variations and some had their own tricks and special touches just to have a perfect fried chicken. Some people remove the skin before battering; others fry in oil, in butter and others in lard or bacon grease just to get that perfect taste.

The fried chicken recipe version that I made was marinated overnight with buttermilk. The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and giving a rich, slightly tangy flavor. The trick that I did in cooking this fried chicken is making the oil temperature even. I use a deep-fry thermometer that was always kept in the pot and let the temperature remain between 300°F and 350°F at all times. I make sure that the oil does not get too hot; otherwise the color of the coat will turn dark before the chicken is actually done.

Try it yourself and taste the difference. wink

Ingredients :

· 1 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
(or choice cuts of thighs, drumsticks or wings), skins removed – preferred
· 1 cup buttermilk (optional)
· 1 to 2 tbsp. salt
· 1 tsp. pepper
· 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 tsp. garlic powder
· 1 tsp. onion powder
· 1 tsp. sweet paprika
· 1/4 tsp. cayenne
· 1/2 tsp. sugar
· salt and pepper
· 2 to 3 eggs
· hot sauce (optional)
· oil, for frying

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. Combine buttermilk (if using), salt and pepper in a bowl or in a large airtight container. Place the chicken pieces, turning to coat in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or two, or overnight.

2. In a large shallow platter, mix the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and sugar until well blended. Season generously with salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat eggs with hot sauce (if using) and season with salt and pepper.

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and one at a time, dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, turning to coat and then dredge the pieces into the seasoned flour and coat it well. Shake off the excess flour. Repeat the coating process with the remaining chicken pieces. Place coated chicken on a clean plate or tray, or on a large wire rack set over a sheet pan and let rest until ready to fry, at least 20 minutes.

4. Heat oil in a fryer (or a medium Dutch oven, or in a heavy pot). Using a frying thermometer to measure temperature, bring oil to 350°F. It should be at medium, not a rolling boil. (NOTE: An even oil temperature is the key to success. A clip-on candy or a deep-fry thermometer should be kept in the pot. The temperature should remain between 300°F and 350°F at all times). Make sure that your oil does not get too hot, otherwise the color of the coat will turn dark before the chicken is actually done.

5. Use tongs to place chickens in hot oil, in batches if necessary in able not to drop the temperature. Fry until the coating is golden brown and crisp. Remember that dark meat requires a longer cooking time about 13 to 14 minutes, compared to 8 to 10 minutes for white meat. An instant-read thermometer inserted should register 170°F internal temperature. Drain fried chickens on a cooling rack (or on several layered paper towels). Using a slotted spoon, remove any bits of coating left in the fryer and discard. Repeat the frying process with the remaining chicken pieces.

6. Allow the chicken to rest at least 5 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Tandoori Chicken

I got this tandoori chicken recipe from one of my Asian chicken recipe book. They said that tandoors from the word tandoori chicken, is a clay oven used in cooking and baking specialty foods at high temperature. Tandoor is used for cooking certain types of Afghani and Indian food such as this chicken tandoori, chicken tikka and other bread varieties.

Anyway, after cooking this tandoori chicken, the aroma and flavors of the chicken stand out and with rice with it, we love it.

Ingredients :

· 1 (2 lb.) whole fresh (roasting) chicken
· 3 tbsp. tandoori curry paste
· 1/2 cup plain yogurt
· 2 tbsp. lemon juice
· 2 tbsp. melted butter
· lettuce, onion rings, tomato and lemon, for serving

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a roasting rack and a baking dish. Set aside.

2. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Make deep gashes in thighs and on each side of breast. Pin back the wings. Place chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Set aside.

3. Combine tandoori curry paste, yogurt, lemon juice and melted butter. Stir to blend. Spread mixture all over the chicken, rubbing well into the gashes. Cover and refrigerate for 6 or more hours.

4. Place chicken on the prepared roasting rack in a baking dish. Spoon any remaining marinade over chicken.

5. Transfer and place in the center rack of the oven. Bake for an hour or until chicken is done, basting with pan juices every 15 minutes during cooking. Internal temperature reads 160°F for the leg, 180°F for the breast and 190°F for the thigh. Be careful not to touch any bones with the thermometer. Bones conduct heat and will give a false reading.

6. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil for about 10-15 minutes before carving so the juices settle.

7. Arrange crisp lettuce leaves on a large serving platter and cover with onion rings. Cut chicken into portions and place on the platter. Garnish with tomato wedges and lemon slices.

Pinakbet

Pinakbet is one of the Filipino recipes that I love to cook and a dish that my hubby likes to eat. He’s very fond of eating any kind of food recipes that contain vegetables. No matter how it was prepared and cooked. It is very easy for him when it comes with vegetables.

Growing up until college, I’m very picky when it comes with vegetables. I’m not fond of eating vegetables until I’ve met my hubby. He taught me how to eat and the benefit of eating this type of food. Slowly, I’ve learned to love and appreciate the taste of vegetables like this pinakbet. I remember then eating out on a date he preferred to choose food dishes with vegetables. He wanted me to learn to eat vegetables. It sounds funny but its true. Being with him, with the type of food he eats, I have no choice but to learn to love and appreciate the kind of foods he eats, specially this Filipino food.

Learning on things that my hubby loves especially on foods is what I enhanced the most. As the saying goes- "The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach". I’ve got the chance to learn more of vegetables recipes here in Canada. Away from home, we missed a lot of filipino comfort food. Pinakbet, an authentic Filipino dish is one of them. I also like Pork Chopsuey, Repolyo Guisado (Sautéed Cabbage), Togue Guisado (Sautéed Bean Sprouts), Sayote Guisado (Sautéed Chayote) and many other Filipino veggie dishes.

Thank God that there are Asian stores here where we can find some of our vegetables grown back home. smile

Ingredients :

· 1/2 lb. pork, sliced
· 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 onion, chopped
· 2 tomatoes, chopped
· 1/2 squash, cubed
· 2 cups sliced okra
· 2 cups 1-1/2 inch long cut sitaw (yard long beans)
· 2 eggplants, sliced
· 1 ampalaya (bitter gourd and/or bitter melon), sliced
· 1 to 1-1/2 cup water
· 2 to 3 tbsp. bagoong alamang (salted shrimp paste)

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. In a large, deep skillet (or casserole), heat oil over medium heat. Cook pork until it turns slightly brown.

2. Stir in garlic, onions and tomatoes. Sauté for a few minutes until tomatoes wilted.

3. Add squash and okra, stir-fry for a minute or two and then add the rest of the vegetables. Gently stir to combine.

4. Pour in water and add the bagoong alamang, and bring to a boil.

5. Lower the heat and simmer covered over low heat until vegetables are tender. Be sure not to overcook it. You may wish to correct the taste by adding a little bit of bagoong alamang. Gently stir to blend.

6. Immediately remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.

Lumpia Recipe

In Filipino, lumpia are eggrolls that are deep-fried like a wrapped stick of meat. Lumpia is a spring roll filled with ground or finely mince of pork, beef or vegetables then served it with sweet and sour sauce. Sometimes I call this recipe lumpia shanghai.

This lumpia recipe or lumpia shanghai is one of the filipino recipes that I usually make, whenever we have a party or get together with friends, especially filipino friends, at home. One time, I was busy cooking filipino recipes, and one of them is this lumpia and my friend arrive early and help me in the kitchen. She notices that I my lumpia wrapper won’t stick together whenever I cook. I’ve tried everything from water, to egg wash and other type of paste but still no avail, the wrapper still broke loose.

Since she is also a good cook; she gave me the technique in making these wrapper sticks together. And guess what she told me, just used the egg white as a paste in binding this wrapper together. And it works! Since then, my filipino lumpia shanghai servings looks better and taste good.

Thank you Carmelita for the great tip! wink

Ingredients :

· 1 lb. ground pork
· 1 cup chopped shrimps
· 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
· 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
· 2 whole eggs
· 3 tbsp. soy sauce
· 3 dashes of sesame oil
· salt and pepper, to taste

· lumpia wrapper
· vegetable oil, for frying

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until well blended.

2. Wrap into thin rolls in lumpia wrapper. Fry in deep hot oil.

3. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve with your favorite catsup or make your own Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe.

Chicken Curry Recipe

This curry recipe is one of my favorite Filipino chicken recipes in the database. In my family, Filipino chicken curry is a dish that we usually make during birthdays and parties back in the Philippines. But here in Canada, I continue cooking this chicken dish during special occasions because my family and friends loves it too. They said that when they start eating this chicken curry, they feel a little burning sensation in their mouth and wow really spicy delicious.

Well, many countries had their own version of chicken curry but for me, the Filipino chicken curry is still the best. wink

Ingredients :

· 2-3 tbsp. oil
· 3 potatoes, peeled, quartered and fried
· 1 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 large onion, quartered
· 1 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
· 3 tbsp. curry powder
· salt and pepper
· 1 cup water
· 1 red bell pepper, cut into big squares
· 1 green bell pepper, cut into big squares
· 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-1/2” long
· 1 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk

(Cooking Conversion Chart)

Cooking Procedures :

1. Pan fry potatoes. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, fry chicken pieces and brown a little.

3. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until soft.

4. Pour in patis and season with curry powder, salt and pepper. Stir for 2 minutes.

5. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat; add celery, bell peppers and fried potatoes. Simmer for 3 minutes or until half done.

6. Add milk and stir occasionally. Cook for another 7 minutes (or lesser when using evaporated milk because the liquids will curled).

7. Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Adobong Manok (Braised Chicken in Tangy Sauce)

Ingredients :


· 1 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
· 1/3 cup white vinegar
· 2 to 3 tbsp. soy sauce
· 2 tbsp. crushed garlic
· 2 bay leaf
· salt to taste
· 1/4 tsp. pepper (or 1 tsp. peppercorn)
· water
· 2 tbsp oil



Cooking Procedures :

1. In a deep skillet, brown chicken in oil.

2. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tbsp. garlic, bay leaf, salt (to taste), pepper (or peppercorn) and water. Stir to blend and then add into the brown chicken.

3. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow simmering uncovered for about 10 minutes. If the sauce is reduced add about 1/2 cup water.

4. Cover and continue simmering until chicken is tender. Remove meat, reserving the sauce.

5. In another pan, sauté remaining garlic until it becomes fragrant. Add the chicken and fry until light brown. Add in the adobo sauce.

6. Remove from heat. Transfer into a serving dish. Serve hot