GINATAANG TILAPIA

Ingredients:
4 large tilapia (cleaned and cut in half)
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 medium onions (quartered)
1 medium ginger (sliced)
1 can coconut milk
2 large green chilies (the one used for sinigang - optional)
petchay (optional)

Cooking Instructions:
Saute garlic and onions in hot oil. Add ginger and stir for 2 mins. Arrange tilapia in pan. Pour 3/4 of the coconut milk. Bring to low heat, cover and let simmer for 20 mins. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, add chili and patchay. Let it simmer for another 5-8 mins. Serve with plain white rice.

CALAMARES

Ingredients:
squid (cleaned and cut in rings)
salt
flour
egg
bread crumbs
cooking oil

Cooking Instructions:
Season squid with salt. Toss in flour. Then dip in egg. Then toss in bread crumbs then onto the deep fryer with hot oil. Fry for 3-5 minutes. Put in paper towel to drain excess oil. Served in this picture with garlic mayo (grate 1 garlic clove and mix well with 4 tbsp mayonnaise).

THE ULTIMATE TACO SORIANO

Ingredients:
1/2 k ground beef
1/2 k ground pork
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 medium sized onions (finely chopped)
2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
tomato paste
1 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp sugar
McCormick taco mix (1 pack) -- optional
fried molo wrapper -- for the taco shell (or you can use the taco shell bought in supermarkets)

Cooking Instructions:
Cook tomato in hot oil. Add garlic and onion. Saute for 2 mins. Add ground pork and beef. Continue stirring for one minute. Add soy sauce, tomato paste, sugar, salt & pepper and taco mix (optional -- this is good if you want the "cumin-y" taste. Or you could just add some cumin seeds). Let it boil and lower heat. Cook for another 15 mins or until meat is well cooked. Serve on top of fried molo wrapper (or original taco shells) along with other condiments (chopped tomato, lettuce, pickle relish, onion and cheese). You may add hot sauce for a kick.

SEAFOOD BOIL

Ingredients:
crabs
shrimps
clams
mussels
onions (quartered)
lemon (cut in half)
sea salt
corn on the cob
sausages
potatoes (optional)
water

Cooking Instructions:
Boil water in a large pot. Put corn in boiling water and simmer for 20 mins. Remove corn and set aside. Add onion, potatoes and salt in boiling water. Squeeze lemon in water and throw in the lemon halves as well. Add crabs, clams, shrimp and mussels. Boil for another 20 mins. Drain and serve on newspaper (or banana leaves) in the middle of the table.

NOTE: Can be served with curry dip and honey bbq dip.

CURRY DIP
*Saute garlic and onion in butter. Add finely chopped bell pepper and curry powder. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add more curry powder if necessary and salt & pepper to taste.

HONEY BBQ DIP
*Saute garlic and onion in butter. Add finely chopped bell pepper, ketchup, tomato sauce, chili powder, bbq powder, brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard and honey. Squeeze half a lemon. Simmer for 10 mins then remove from heat.

GRILLED LIEMPO

Step 1:
INGREDIENTS
Liempo strips
7 Up
salt
pepper

*Boil liempo in 7 Up. Make sure liempo is submerged in the soda.

Step 2: (while liempo is in the boiler)
INGREDIENTS
soy sauce
ketchup
calamsi
salt
pepper
honey
brown sugar
McCormick chili powder (optional)

*Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a large container with lid. Drain liempo when it's cooked and put in container with marinade (told you to make it large). Cover container and shake like crazy to cover all meat with the marinade. Let sit for around 30 mins then grill. Brush some of the marinade while grilling.

NOTE: Make sure to turn the meat every 2 minutes. Waiting for one side to be cooked before turning the meat makes it hard.

CARBONARA (version 2.8)

One of my many versions of carbonara.. I just used what I can find around the fridge and the mini supermarket here in the village.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp cooking oil
butter
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 bell peppers (finely chopped)
1 small can sliced mushrooms
4 strips bacon (finely chopped)
4 pcs mini ham (finely chopped)
2 chicken sausages (sliced)
1/4 k ground chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
250 mL fresh milk
salt & pepper
1/2 c water
1/2 k spaghetti noodles (cooked al dente)
cheese
mccormick dried basil leaves

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook noodles al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil and butter. Saute garlic, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Stir for 3 mins. Add bacon, ham, sausages and ground chicken. Stir in high heat for 5 mins or until chicken in cooked. Add cream of mushroom and milk. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle some dried basil. Simmer for another 10 mins. Serve over cooked noodles. Top with grated cheese and garnish with dried basil.

PINOY STYLE PORK STEAK

INGREDIENTS:
1 k pork (thin slices)
3 onions (cut in rings)
1 c soy sauce
juice from 6 pcs calamansi
1/2 c 7up or sprite
cooking oil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Marinate pork in 7UP, soy sauce and half of calamansi juice. Leave for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in pan. Saute onions for 1 minute. Remove from oil. Set aside but keep warm.
Fry the pork in oil for 1 minute on each side. Do it in batches if it won't fit the pan. Remove from oil, set aside.

Pour the marinade in the pan. Let it boil. Add the fried pork. Let it simmer for 15 mins.
Add the remaining calamansi juice. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Top with onions.

DEEP FRIED SNICKERS BAR

INGREDIENTS:
4 bars of Snickers chocolate (or Mars or 3 Musketeers or Twix...) - chilled
1 egg
2/3 c cold milk
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 c cooking oil
powdered sugar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat about 2 c of oil over medium-high heat. Beat egg and milk. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to egg mixture. Stir until pancake batter consistency. Dip chocolate in batter. Deep fry until golden brown (around 1-2 minutes). Remove from oil and drain in paper towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

*Note: Should not be taken everyday! ..maybe once or twice a year will do :)
Oh and there's some batter left but no more snickers so I used choco mallows to finish the batter and it was also awesome!

CHILI FRIES

INGREDIENTS:
frozen fries from supermarket
cooking oil
chili (see chili recipe from this same blog)
grated cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook fries in oil until brown. Remove from oil and drain in paper towel. Transfer to another plate and smother with chili and cheese.

FUNNEL CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 egg
2/3 c milk
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 c cooking oil
powdered sugar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat about 2 c of oil over medium-high heat. Beat egg and milk. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to egg mixture. Cook through funnel (but I used a canteen catsup bottle here) for 2-3 minutes. Work from center outwards in a web pattern. Remove heat, drain in paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

MAC & CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:
elbow macaroni (cooked al dente)
1 tsp oil
butter
full cream milk
cheddar cheese
salt & pepper
flour (dissolved in water) - optional

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat oil in a pan. Add butter (the oil prevents the butter from burning). Add milk while constantly stirring. Bring to a boil. Add cheese and salt & pepper to taste. If mixture does not reach the right consistency (it should be a bit thick) add flour dissolved in water. Add cooked macaroni and continue stirring.

*Note: I added a tsp of chili powder in mine for that added kick. You can also add other kinds of cheeses (up to 4 kinds).

SWEET & SOUR TILAPIA

INGREDIENTS:
tilapia
cooking oil
salt
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 large ginger (julienne cut)
1 medium bell pepper
1 small can pineapple tidbits/chunks (including syrup)
1/3 c vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 c water
2 tsp flour dissolved in 3 tbsp water
1 tbsp catsup (I used UFC banana catsup here)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Season tilapia with salt. Fry in oil. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, mix vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and water. (Adjust to taste.. add more vinegar or sugar or soy sauce as needed). Set aside.

3. In a separate pan, saute garlic and onion in oil. Add ginger and bell pepper. Stir for a few seconds. Add vinegar mix and pineapple (with syrup). Let it boil (Note: do not stir until it boils or vinegar will not cook well). Add catsup and flour to thicken sauce. Stir for another 2 minutes. Pour sauce on fried tilapia.

BREADED CHICKEN MEAL (aka TV Dinner)

(aka TV Dinner from Scratch)

BREADED CHICKEN

Ingredients:
chicken breast fillet
flour
egg
bread crumbs
McCormic's Italian seasoning
oil
butter

Cooking Instructions:
Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs mixed with a little Italian seasoning. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan then add butter. Fry chicken until golden brown. You can use gravy or cheese sauce with this.

BUTTERED VEGGIES

Ingredients:
canned whole kernel corn (drained)
canned sliced mushrooms (drianed)
butter
salt & pepper

Cooking Instructions:
Saute corn and mushroom in butter. Add salt & pepper to taste.

MASHED POTATO

Ingredients:
potato
milk
butter
salt & pepper

Cooking Instructions:
Boil potato (with or without skin). Drain. Mash. Add butter and milk slowly and mix until you get the consistency that you like (some people like having chunks of potato in their mash and some prefer the silky type. Add more milk for a creamier consistency). Add salt & pepper to taste.

**yes, this meal is very butter-ry, hehe.