Humba Recipe (Braised Pork Belly with Sugar)

Humba Recipe (Braised Pork Belly) is one of the comfort foods of every Filipino household. Its a popular filipino food dish somewhere in the Visayas and Mindanao regions (I knew it because I used to lived from this two areas). I dont know how they called it in the Luzon region, but I knew they have a version of humba too.

Filipino recipes is really my favorite. Humba is one of the dishes I prepared during our recentsalo-salo (get together) with friends. Everyone loved it. I even heard one of them that he missed it a lot. They were quite surprised upon seeing potatoes and hard-boiled eggs sitting on the dish. Ive got this idea by my moms friend, a kusinera (a househelp main job is like a chef who cooks for the entire family household). Her Chinese style humba has a distinctive flavor that I cant remember exactly how she made it. Maybe soon, Ill post my Chinese style version. So, watch out for it! Ingredients :

1 lb. pork (i usually used pork belly or pork hocks), cut into serving pieces 1 cup water 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1/3 cup vinegar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 bay leaf 1/4 tsp. pepper or 1 tsp. peppercorns 1 tsp. oil salt to taste 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered (optional) hard-boiled eggs (optional)

(Cooking Conversion Chart) Cooking Procedures : 1. 2. Combine all ingredients in a big pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about an hour or until pork belly or hocks is tender. You may wish to adjust the taste according to your style and liking. If you want to add some potatoes and hard-boiled eggs in this dish, potatoes usually cook about 15 minutes. Its up to you whether you like it very soft or just tender to bite. You may add it halfway of the cooking time or later. As for the eggs let it sits for a few minutes before its done to let the sauces covered into it.

1.3. Remove bay leaf and peppercorns (if used) just before serving. Serve hot.

Pinakbet or Pakbet (Meat Vegetable Stew with Shrimp Paste)

Pinakbet or Pakbet is one of the Filipino recipes that I love to cook and a dish that my hubby likes to eat. Hes 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, Im very picky when it comes with vegetables. Im not fond of eating vegetables until Ive met my hubby. He taught me how to eat and the benefit of eating this type of food. Slowly, Ive 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 mans heart is through his stomach. Ive 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 (Sauted Cabbage), Togue Guisado (Sauted Bean Sprouts), Sayote Guisado (Sauted 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. 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. 2. 3. 4. 5.

In a large, deep skillet (or casserole), heat oil over medium heat. Cook pork until it turns slightly brown. Stir in garlic, onions and tomatoes. Saut for a few minutes until tomatoes wilted. Add squash and okra, stir-fry for a minute or two and then add the rest of the vegetables. Gently stir to combine. Pour in water and add the bagoong alamang, and bring to a boil. 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. Immediately remove from heat. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.

6.

Munggo Guisado (Sauted Mung Beans)

Munggo (mung beans) can be found in any Asian Store. Its one of the staples in most Asian country. Guisado (sauted) as what we Filipino are calling mostly of our food because of the way we cook it. In our household, I see to it that I have a variety of Filipino food in our table every week. My desire is to let my children continue to like and love to eat filipino food like we do back home. It is in a way of not to be homesick even with our food. And I'm thankful that they still do! Ingredients :

1 cup munggo (mung beans) 3 cups water 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 lb. pork, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 pcs. Chinese sausage, cubed (optional) 2 cups water or broth 1 tbsp. patis (fish sauce) salt to taste 1 cup ampalaya leaves or substitute spinach or watercress

(Cooking Conversion Chart) Cooking Procedures : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Boil mung beans in water until soft and easily mashed. Set aside. In a pan, heat oil. Cook pork until it turns slightly brown. Add garlic, onions and tomatoes. Saut for a few seconds until tomatoes wilted. Stir in Chinese sausage (if using) and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes. Pour in water or broth and add boiled mung beans. Season with patis and salt to taste. Bring to boil and let it simmer until thick. Add ampalaya leaves or substitute. Cover and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Helpful Tips Soak munggo (mung beans) in water at least 1 to 2 hours before boiling for faster cooking

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet)

Ingredients :

2 to 4 talong (eggplants), average size 2 to 3 eggs, beaten salt and pepper, to taste oil, for frying

(Cooking Conversion Chart) Cooking Procedures : 1. Broil eggplants until tender (the skins are charred and blister appears). 2. Once cool, peel off the skins of the eggplant and retain the crown and the stem. Gently flatten its meat by using the back of a fork. Set aside. 3. In a bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. 4. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Dip each eggplant, one at a time into the egg mixture. Gently bring the bowl near the skillet and tip, lowering the eggplant onto the heated oil. 5. Fry until golden brown on one side, then turn and brown the other. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm and serve.

Ginataang Kalabasa Recipe (Squash Cooked in Coconut Milk) Estimated cooking & preparation time: 1 hour Ginataang Kalabasa Ingredients: 1 kilo squash, cut into cubes (1"x1") 1/4 kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined 3 pieces tomatoes, diced 2 onions, chopped 1 head garlic, minced 2 tablespoons of ginger root, crushed and minced 4 tablespoons of cooking or olive oil 2 pieces long chili peppers 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste (bagoong) 2 cups coconut milk 1 cups coconut cream (katang gata) 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (patis)

Ginataang Kalabasa Cooking Instructions: On a big pan, heal oil. Saut garlic, onions until light brown then add ginger, cook until onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, squash, chicken stock, shrimp paste and the coconut milk. Let boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the squash becomes tender. Add the coconut cream, long chili peppers and the shrimps. Bring again to a boil and simmer for a few more minutes. Serve hot with plain rice. Ginataang Kalabasa Cooking Tip: This ginataan recipe can be used on any vegetable, combination of vegetables, fish or meat. Chopsuey Recipe Estimated cooking & preparation time: 45 minutes. Chopsuey Ingredients: 1/4 kilo pork, sliced into small pieces 1/4 kilo shrimps, shelled, deveined and halved 1/4 kilo chicken liver and gizzard, sliced to small pieces 1/4 kilo cauliflower, broken to bite size 1/4 kilo string beans 1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro) 1/4 kilo cabbage, cut into squares 2 stalks of leeks, cut into 2" long pieces 3 stalks celery, cut into 2" long pieces 5 cloves garlic, diced 2 onions, diced 1 carrot, sliced thinly 1 piece red bell pepper, cut in strips 1 piece green bell pepper. cut in strips 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water 2 cups chicken stock (broth) 3 tablespoons of sesame oil 3 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce) 4 tablespoons of corn oil or vegetable oil

 Salt to taste Chopsuey Cooking Instructions: In a big pan or wok, saut garlic, onions then add in the pork. chicken liver and gizzard. Add 1 cup of stock, pinch of salt and simmer for 15 minutes or until pork and chicken giblets are cooked. Mix in the shrimp then all the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 cup of stock, patis and the dissolved cornstarch. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are done. Add the sesame oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with rice. Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milk Fish) Recipe Estimated cooking time: 1 hour Rellenong Bangus Ingredients: 1 big bangus (milkfish) 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 onion chopped 2 tomatoes, diced 1 egg 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 small carrot, finely chopped 1/4 cup soy sauce 4 tablespoons of cooking oil ham, finely chopped raisins cooked peas salt and pepper to taste

Rellenong Bangus Cooking Instructions: Scale and remove the intestines of the bangus. With a very sharp knife, slowly remove the meat of the fish from the skin through the opening cavity below the head. Remove the spine by snapping off the bone at the base of the tail and head. Use a long spoon to scrape all the meat from the skin. Marinate the head and skin in lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper. Boil in 1/2 cup of water the bangus meat with some salt for 5 minutes. Saut the garlic and onions until slightly brown then add the tomatoes and carrots until tender. Add the chopped ham, cooked peas, raisins and the bangus meat to the mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a beaten egg to the saut and mix well. Stuff the mixture inside the bangus skin and head. Sew the cavity if needed. Fry in oil until golden brown. slice slightly diagonal (1 1/2 inch thick) and serve. Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Stew) Recipe Estimated cooking time: 45 minutes Tinola Manok Ingredients: 1 kilo whole chicken, cut into pieces. 1 small young papaya or sayote, cut into small pieces. 2 tablespoons ginger, crushed and slliced into strips 1/2 cup dahon ng sili (chili leaves) or mallunggay leaves 1 liter of water 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 red onion, diced 4 tablespoons oil

 2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce) Tinolang Manok Cooking Instructions: In a stock pot, heat oil and saut garlic, onion and ginger. Add water and the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is almost done. Season with patis Add papaya and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until papaya softens but not overcooked. Add sili leaves then turn off the heat. Serve steaming hot on a bowl with plain rice on the side. Pork / Chicken Adobo Recipe Estimated cooking time: 50 minutes. Adobo is the most popular Filipino dish enjoyed by all classes. Adobo is typically served with steamed white rice. Adobo Ingredients: 1/2 kilo pork cut in cubes + 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces or choice of either 1 kilo of pork or 1 kilo of chicken 1 head garlic, minced 1/2 yellow onion, diced 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 cup vinegar 2 cups of water 1 teaspoon paprika 5 laurel leaves (bay leaves) 4 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil 2 tablespoons cornstarch Salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons water

Adobo Cooking Instructions: In a big sauce pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil then saut the minced garlic and onions. Add the pork and chicken to the pan. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, paprika and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or when meat is tender. Remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan and on another pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and chicken for a few minutes. Mix the browned pork and chicken back to the sauce and add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken. Add salt and/or pepper if desired Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot with the adobo gravy and rice. Adobo Cooking Tips: You have the option to add crushed ginger to the onions and garlic when sauting. Ginger adds a unique flavor to your pork/chicken adobo. Filipino Leche Flan Recipe Preparation time: 30 minutes Estimated cooking time: 1 hour Leche Flan Ingredients: 1 can (390g) evaporated milk 1 can (390g) condensed milk 10 egg yolks 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence

For the caramel: 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup water Leche Flan Cooking Instructions: In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize. Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds. Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender. Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick. Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil. Steam for about 20 minutes (the traditional way to make Leche Flan is by open-air steaming on either an open cooking fire or stove top) OR Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking. Let cool then refrigerate. To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top. Cooking Tips: You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife -if it comes out clean, it is cooked. Halayang Ube (Purple Yam Jam) Recipe Estimated preparation and cooking time: 2 hours Halayang Ube Ingredients: 1 kilo ube yam root 1 can (14 ounces) evaporated milk 2 cans (12 ounces) condensed milk 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (optional) On a pot, boil the unpeeled ube yam in water and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool. Peel and finely grate the ube yam. Heat a big wok in medium heat. Melt butter or margarine, add the condensed milk and vanilla flavoring. Mix well. Add the 1 kilo grated ube yam, Adjust the heat to low Keep on mixing the ingredients for about 30 minutes or until sticky and a bit dry (but still moist). Add the evaporated milk and continue to mix for another 15 minutes. Let cool and place on a large platter. Refrigerate before serving the halayang ube.

Halayang Ube Cooking Instructions:

Cooking Tips: You may spread additional butter or margarine on top of the jam before serving. For the sweet toothed, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the jam after placing on the large platter. Instead of manually grating the ube, you may cut it in cubes and use a blender to powderize the ube.