Ginataang Gulay (Sauteed Vegetables in Coconut Milk)

I have been cooking this dish for years. Some of you know that I eat mostly vegetables. I am not a vegetarian. I still eat chicken, fish, seafood, egg and milk. Perhaps you could say I'm semi-vegetarian. But when people ask me why I stay away from beef and pork and other meat, I just say, I try to eat healthy by eating more vegetables and less meat.

One vegetables that I wasn't really fond of growing up is okra ( aside from ampalaya). I don't know, I wasn't really into it. Perhaps because it becomes "slimy" when cooked. But eating okra has a lit of benefits. It is Rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is also said that it promotes good heart health and can fight against cancer.

Funny thing is, my daughter would only eat okra if I cook it with other vegetables in Coconut milk. So I make sure I cook this as often as I can.

Here is my receipt for Ginataang Gulay

Ingredients

2       cups   okra
2       cups   green beans, cut in half
1       cup     ampalaya, cut diagonally
1       cup     kalabasa, cut into cubes
1        lb       shrimp
1        pc       tomato, diced
1        pc        onion, chopped
2        cloves garlic, minced
1         tbsp    fish sauce
1         tbsp    ground pepper
1          tsp     chili powder
Vegetable oil

Procedure

In a saucepan, saute garlic, onion and tomatoes.

Add shrimp, saute for a few minutes.

Add all the vegetables. Cook for 20 minutes.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce and pepper. Simmer for another 5minutes.

Serve with rice.

Lentil Soup (Ginisang Lentil)

For so long now I have been thinking of substituting lentil whenever I cook "ginisang mungo" or mung bean soup. Never had a chance until now but it was always at the back of my head, So finally today I was able to do it. And it turned out good, I feel like there was little difference. Maybe because they are both legumes.

Lentils and mung beans are both healthy and nutritious. They are typically low in fat, high in minerals like potassium and magnesium and both are also high in fiber. Lentils are actually more nutritious than quinoa because it has more amount of protein and fiber. It is know that lentils are beneficial for your health, especially heart health. It can be a substitute for meat when it comes to protein content for vegetarians.

So the recipe for my ginisang lentils is almost the sane as your typical ginisang mungo, but with a little twist. Below is my recipe

Ingredients

2         cups        lentils
1         pc            onion, chopped
1         pc            tomato, chopped
2         cloves     garlic, minced
6         cups        water
1          tsp          ground coriander
1         tsp          chili powder
1         tbsp         fish sauce
1         tbsp         ground pepper
2         cups        spinach
2         tbsp         vegetable oil

Procedure

Unlike mung beans, lentils doesn't need to be soaked for a few hours before cooking. It typically cooked within 30 minutes. Lentils are to be washed only before cooking.

In a pot, saute garlic and onion. Add in tomato. Cook for a few minutes.

Add the lentils.Saute for a few minutes.

Add the water, fish sauce, chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Let it boil for 5 minutes then lower heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are cooked.

Add the spinach. Simmer for another 3 minutes.

Serve with rice or crackers.

Onion rings

My daughter and I just love onion rings. We always order it at Portillos whenever we crave for it. And since you all know how I love to experiment, I planned that one day I will try to make home made onion rings. That day came a few days ago, and I have since then made onion rings three times. (Yes, I wasn't kidding when I said we just love onion rings).



The secret is always in the batter. I have to admit, Im still trying to perfect it. And have some ideas on making a different kind of batter for future experiment. But for now, here is my recipe for my version of home made onion rings


Ingredients

1        pc        large onion
1        cup      all purpose flour
1        tbsp     baking powder
1        tsp       salt
1        tsp       pepper
1        cup     breadcrumbs
1        pc       egg
1        cup     milk
vegetable oil for frying

Procedure

Peel the onion and slice across around 1 cm to make rings. Set aside

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add milk and egg. Mix thoroughly.

Dip the onion in the batter. Let the extra batter drain from the onion. Then dip the onion in breadcrumbs

Fry the onion rings until its golden brown. About 4-5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sauce. My daughter and I like to dip it in ketchup.

Sweet and Sour Popcorn Chicken

Eating just chicken and fish (and vegetables of course) can be limiting sometimes. I tend to cook almost exactly the same dishes over and over. For chicken, it is either fried, barbecued, baked, or curry. My daughter is not fond of afritada or tinola so I don't cook them. Recently I posted a blog about my orange chicken recipe. And been cooking it since, at least once a week. To cut it short, my daughter got tired of it too. So I thought, maybe she will like sweet and sour chicken. I bought a frozen dish at Walmart and she seems to like it. But I don't plan on buying frozen meal on a regular basis. So guess what, this is my next experiment.

As usual I googled the recipe and tweaked it a bit to make my own version. I made some mistakes but im sure I will be able to correct it the next time I cook it. My daughter loved it! Although she said she wants more sauce.


Here is my recipe for sweet and sour popcorn chicken

Ingredients

2        pcs        chickeen breasts, cut into squares
2        pcs         egg
1        cup        all purpose flour
1        tsp         salt
1        tsp         pepper
Oil for frying

Sauce

1         cup        pineapple chunk
1         cup        pineapple juice (juice from the chunk)
1/2      cup        green and red bell pepper, cut into squares
1/2      cup        carrots, cut into small pieces
1 1/2   tbsp       conrstarch, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
3         tbsp       brown sugar
2         tbsp       vinegar (I used Datu Puti vinegar)
1/2      cup        water
1         pc          medium onion, chopped
1         tbsp       chopped ginger

Procedure

Dip the chicken in flour, then egg then flour again. Fry until golden brown. Set aside.

In a saucepan, saute onion, ginger and carrots for 5 minutes.

Add bell pepper, pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar and water. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the cornstarch mixture and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

Serve over rice.

The recipe above was already revised. Originally I only used 1/2 cup pineapple juice. But since my daughter wanted more sauce, I thought of doubling the amount. As for sugar,  I used white sugar, it came out pale, so I added 1 tbsp soy sauce for color. But then i thought if I used brown sugar then the sauce will turn to shiny brown color due to its caramalization.  Aside from carrots and bell pepper, you can add diferent veggies like green beans and onion leaks. Otherwise, this recipe is already perfect, well, in my opinion! Happy cooking!!