Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw

It's Buwan ng Wika (celebration of Filipino Language Month) and what better way to join the celebration than to feature a truly Filipino recipe and post in Filipino. So here goes...

By the way, if you're not a Filipino speaker and would like an English version of this post/the recipe, leave a request at the Comments section. (",)

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Kapag umuulan, may sasarap pa ba sa mainit na kanin na kinakain ng pakamay? Yung umuusok pa at bahagyang nakakapaso, na lalo pang pinainit at pinalinamnam ng ginataang ulam na maanghang?

Tsa-raaannn! Ipinakikilala ang ulam namin dalawang (maulang) Sabado nang nakakaraan: Ginataang Sitao at Kalabasa.

Noong bata pa ako, dahil mga Bikolana ang lola at nanay ko, hindi nawawalan ng ginataang ulam sa bahay namin. Noong medyo malaki na ako at abot ko na ang kalan, naging assignment ko na ang paghahalo ng gata habang hinihintay ang pagkulo nito, para maiwasan ang pagkurta. Siempre dahil nandoon lang ako sa may kalan, nakita at namemorya ko ang mga ingredients at ang mga magic ng pagluluto ng mga ginataang ulam.

Kapag Sabado at may naabutang alimasag si Mommy, siguradong magluluto ng Ginataang Malunggay na may Alimasag. Minsan, tilapya ang ginagataan at pinapatungan ng mga dahon ng petsay o kaya'y mustasa. Kapag buwan ng Hunyo at panahon ng santol, nagluluto ang lola ko ng ginataang santol at pinapartneran ng galunggong na prinito hanggang malutong. Hay....sarap! (Nagulat ba kayong malaman na ginugulay pala ang santol? At nasabi ko na ba na maanghang pa 'yun?)

Kung hindi ginataan ang ulam, malamang na isisingit naman ang gata sa mga pang-himagas (dessert). Nakatikim na ba kayo ng Minatamis na Bayabas o kaya'y Minatamis na Munggo, Bikol version? Siempre, may gata ang mga 'yun.

Mga ilang linggo na ang nakakaraan, ayun nga at binalikan ko ang masayang bahagi na ito ng aking buhay at nagluto ako ng ginataan. Hala! Siempre nag-kanin din ako! Patay ang diyeta, tadtad ng kolesterol ang pinagkakakain ko. Heto na ang kauna-unahang resipi ng ginataang gulay na matutunghayan sa blog na ito. Pinatrneran namin ito ng pritong daing na bangus.

GINATAANG KALABASA AT SITAO

Ano'ng meron doon?

• 2 hiwa ng Kalabasa, hinugasan ng maiigi at hiniwa pakwadrado (iwanan ang balat)
• 1 bungkos ng sitao, piniraso sa mga tig-2" na hati
• 1 sibuyas, binalatan at pinag-apat
• 1 maliit na luya, binalatan, hiniwa at pinitpit
• 1 ulo ng bawang, binalatan at pinitpit
• 3-5 siling labuyo (bawasan kung hindi kaya ang anghang!)
• gata ng 1 malaking niyog, o dalawang maliit
• 100 gramong taba ng baboy (opsyonal)
• dilis, tuyong alamang (opsyonal)
• asin (ayon sa panlasa)

Trabaho sa Kusina:

Pakuluin ang gata, sibuyas, bawang at luya (at taba ng baboy, kung nais) sa kawali sa ibabaw ng bahagyang apoy nang hindi tinitigilan ang paghalo (para hindi magkurta ang gata). Pagkulo, ihalo ang mga pinirasong kalabasa at hayaang kumulo, hinahalo paminsan-minsan. Kapag bahagya nang lumambot ang kalabasa, idagdag ang sitao at mga siling labuyo, at pakuluin hanggang sa magpawis at maging bahagyang luto ang sitao. Timplahan ng asin at budburan ng sili, tinapa o kaya'y halabos na hipon. Kung matapang-tapang sa anghang, basagin ang mga sili sa gilid ng kawali at ihalo sa gata.

PS

Kailangan ng 6 hanggang 8 tasa ng gata para sa resipi na ito. Gumamit ng instant gata kung nais makatipid sa oras. Kung nais magpaka-bayani, bumili ng niyog, kudkurin sa kudkuran, lagyan ng 6 na tasang maligamgam na tubig at magpiga. Huwag kalimutang salain! :P Oo nga pala, kung may natira ka pang kadakilaan, maari mong gawing bukayo ang sapal ng niyog. :)

lasangpinoy

Baked Ziti

"Mommy Anne, sa susunod, gan'on uli ha?" Robyn said as she kissed me goodbye.
"Okay!"
"Baliktad uli, ha?" She was on her way out the door.
I chuckled, then called out after her, "Okay!"

Robyn was referring to the "rearranged" meal sequence we had when they came to visit. Their father, my brother Ryan, hankered for lunch at 9 am, complaining he didn't have breakfast.

"'Kala ko ba nag-drive thru kayo? (I thought you had drive-thru breakfast?)" I asked him.
"Eh ako kaya ang nagda-drive! (But my hands were on the wheel!)"

So I made brunch. I wanted Baked Chicken Macaroni (I even poached and flaked chicken to boot), like the ones mom used to make at Christmas, but alas, I only had ziti in the house. Baked Ziti it was.

Then, at 11 am, Gambel, who didn't have any of the ziti, asked for pancakes and so I made some and served them at lunch time. So, as Robyn put it, baliktad. We had lunch at 9 am, and breakfast at lunchtime!

Then again, we enjoyed both eatings.


Baked Ziti

What's In It?

400 g. ziti, cooked al dente
5 T canola or olive oil
1 chicken breast, poached and flaked
5 salami slices, diced
1 large onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, minced
1 t salt
1 large pack (750 ml) spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella or quickmelt cheese

Kitchen Conjugations:

Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions until almost translucent, then add garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds more.

Add chicken flakes, diced salami and bell pepper, then stir fry for one minute. Season with salt, then pour in spaghetti sauce. Let boil then simmer for another 30 seconds. Stir in cooked ziti and toss to coat.

Transfer into a baking dish and top with mozzarella or quickmelt cheese, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes at 250C or until cheese bubbles and/or has melted. Serve with garlic bread toast or biscocho. :)

Nasi Goreng

To unwind from a stressful week we had the Ardetas and the Gomezes (where my friends Malou and Jeng, respectively, reign queens ) over for a potluck dinner-videoke party last night. Malou brought Donna Mae's Lechon Manok (roast chicken) while Jeng brought Pancit Molo soup, where the molo was especially flown in from Iloilo, with matching garlic bread toast. (Both were superstars by the way. The Donna Mae Lechon Manok was a revelation; I'd dare say it was better than Andok's.)

To round up the meal I made Asuhos Tempura, Mustasa Greens Salad and Nasi Goreng. Mike served up some chilled reds (Jacob's Creek Merlot and later, a Trivento Malbec). For the kids and everyone else, 'twas Red Iced Tea. :)

Note that cold rice, preferably cooked at least 5 hours before frying, is better for any fried rice dish. This is because cold rice is less sticky and will not get soggy from frying. So for the recipe below, be sure to pre-cook the rice hours or the day before.

NASI GORENG (Indonesian Fried Rice)

What's In It?

• 10 cups cold, cooked rice
• 3 T cooking oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 100 g. ground pork
• 100 g. shrimps, diced
• 6 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 Shrimp broth cube
• 2 T brown sugar, dissolved in
• 4 T light soy sauce
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 T hot sauce or 2 chilis, seeded and sliced (optional)
• 5 stalks spring onion, chopped, for garnish
  

Kitchen Conjugations:

Heat oil in a large wok. Pour in beaten egg and swirl to spread it thinly across the surface of the wok (like making a thin omelette). Remove omelette from wok. Shred into strips.

Saute the onions and garlic, then add the ground pork, stirring once in a while until the pork is cooked (after about three minutes). Add in the shrimp, stir fry for one minute, then add in the seasonings (shrimp cube, soy sauce with sugar and soy sauce). Allow to simmer for half a minute, then add in rice. Toss to allow the seasonings to coat the grains, stir-frying for about a minute.

Transfer onto a serving dish and garnish with the shredded omelette and spring onions.

Notes:

1) The original recipe calls for 1) Kecap Manis, or sweet soy sauce and 2) Trassi (dried shrimp paste). Since I don't have them I substituted with the light soy sauce and sugar mixture, and the shrimp broth cube. :)

2) For a more festive touch, you can add garnishings: tomato wedges, cucumber slices and kropeck (shrimp crackers).

3) You can substitute the ground pork with pork or chicken strips.

Unposted

Musicians call unrecorded performances Unplugged. Me, I have unshared kitchen conjugations which I now call Unposted... all from times I was too busy to post, or just didn't feel like telling the story behind what was recently on our table. :)


Top to bottom, left to right: Squid with Basil, Bunch of Lunch, Cucumber-Pineapple Salsa, Thai Whole Fish with Garlic, Steamed Surgeonfish and Chapchae, and Chili Butter Shrimps.

So what's it gonna be? Which recipe do you want to see first? Which story do you wanna hear? Let me know at the Comments section. :)

Banana Pancakes

I planned on making Banana Cake this weekend, having found Señoritas at the Carmona Public Market, but somebody ate the bananas and left me only three pieces! So I made what was left of the Señoritas into pancakes instead, to the delight of the kids in the house. :)

When I was a little girl I used to help my mom make pancakes for merienda every Saturday afternoon. Back then maple syrup was beyond our budget range and wasn't as available as it is now, so we used to top our pancakes with sugar and evaporated milk. I did the same for my pancakes today and boy, did I love it still! (Million times better than syrup!) My boys and my nieces tried their second helping of the pancakes with milk and sugar and became instant converts. :)

Here I made the batter from scratch (because I have ingredients for cake), but you can always use store-bought mixes and stir in mashed bananas. Of course, you can substitute the bananas with blueberry or strawberries, whatever have you. :) And you can always have it plain. :)

Banana Pancakes

What's in it?

• 1-1/4 cups sifted flour
• 2 T sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 T melted shortening or oil
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 T vanilla essence
• three fingers Señorita bananas, peeled and mashed to a pulp

Kitchen Conjugations:

In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg, and add in milk and oil. Stir in flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Beat until the dry ingredients have dissolves.

Stir in mashed bananas, oil and vanilla. Beat until the batter is free of lumps.

Heat a non-stick pan and pour about 1/4 cup of the batter. Flip-over when bubbles start appearing on the surface.

Top with butter, sprinkle with a little washed sugar and drizzle with evaporated milk. Top with banana slices if desired. Makes 8-10 medium pancakes.

Enjoy!

Beef with Gailan

I guess it's pretty obvious by now, but let me say it nonetheless -- I love entertaining. If I ever win the lotto* one of the things I'd probably do is have people over for a dinner party every single day! :) That after buying all the tableware and cutlery I've swooned and pined for, a la Marketman. :)

Last Sunday I had another "gotta feed people" attack and invited my in-laws over. We had:


1) Beef with Gai-lan. We were in Arranque Market again that Sunday morning and among the items we picked up were Gai-Lan (Chinese broccoli leaves) and spinach. I don't know if 'twas the recent spate of typhoons that did it, but the price of gai-lan went up 150% (from P50.00 per kilo to P180!)

My first taste of the dish was at Mr. Peter Lee's Tea House and I've tried to replicate it since. I've come up with the next best thing (I think), complete with the accompanying Chili Garlic sauce (by Lee Kum Kee). The recipe's below.

2) Grilled Tanglad-Laced Bangus, which was a concession to my fish-manic husband. And because we have pots (emphasis on the plural**) of tanglad (lemon grass), he put a few bunches in before wrapping the fish with aluminum foil sheets. The mixture of aroma from the ginger, onions, tomatoes and the tanglad steaming out when we opened the wrappings was fantastic. You would have wanted to re-open the foil wrapping over and over for a whiff. :)

3) Mustard Greens with Italian Dressing. My husband has made a similar salad before, but with a different dressing (onions in vinegar). This time we tried bottled Italian dressing, drizzled on the thoroughly washed greens garnished with bell pepper and salad onion strips. I had anticipated a slightly bitter aftertaste as there was the first time I had mustard greens but surprise -- had none of that at all! The greens were yummy!

(O magugunaw na talaga ang mundo, former out and out carnivores like myself are repenting?)

Here's what I did with Beef with Gai-Lan:

What's In It?

• 1/2 kg. beef, cut across the grain into 1/2" wide strips
• 1/4 cup glutinous rice wine (you can substitute with chinese cooking wine, dry sherry or mirin)
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 dashes sesame oil
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3-4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 1/4 kg. gailan (chinese broccoli leaves)

Kitchen Conjugations:

1. Marinate beef in rice wine, soy sauce, black pepper, sesame oil and 3 cloves garlic for at least five minutes.
2. While beef marinates, wash gailan and trim off hard parts (bottom end of stalks), separating the leaves into individual stalks. Wash in running water, or soak for 3 minutes then rinse.
3. Heat some water in a deep pan and blanch the gailan. The leaves must be kept green and crisp-tender. (Cook in boiling water for 20-30 seconds only.) Remove from heat and transfer to serving plate.
4. Heat oil in a wok. Add in onions and saute until translucent.
5. Add in garlic, saute for 30 seconds, then add in beef (without the marinade).
6. Stir-fry beef for 3 to 4 minutes over high heat.
7. Stir in cornstarch into the marinade, dissolving lumps.
8. Add in the marinade into the wok, continuing with the stir fry for 30 seconds or so, or until the sauce is thick.
9. Pour the mixture over the blanched gailan. Serve hot, with chili garlic sauce for a little kick. :)

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*That is if I ever decide to place a bet. :)

**Since we are renters, all our plants are potted; and that includes the lemon grass/tanglad. Lemon grass likes the sun and like other grasses grow fast requiring very little maintenance. What started as a single sprig has become three crowded pots of tanglad.

Shanghai Noodle Soup

For 3 days and 4 nights in Shanghai Mike and I were deaf-mute adventurers. Deaf-mutes because we can't understand or speak Chinese beyond the Suh (Yes), Poh (No), Shishi (Thank you") and Po Yung Shi (You're Welcome) that I learned from the meeting with our supplier; adventurers because we shied away from the big and better known restaurants and went out to the side streets of Nanjing to try quaint noodlehouses.

(Un)fortunately there was a dearth of English speakers among the waiters and shop owners; and only one shop had an English menu. I had to stand by the counter and look out at the trays the servers carried, pointing to the dishes that looked good, gesturing that I wanted to order them. (Can you picture how funny that was?)

In the end, since they were mostly noodle houses, we ended up eating a different kind of noodle soup each day. One of them is the dish pictured above. :)

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Noodle-mania rubbed on us, so we were still hung up on Shanghai cuisine and had noodle soup the night following our return.

For this I just put together pre-soaked rice noodles, some siomai, bok choy, chayote, strips of smoked squid, a swig of light soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil.