Escabeche (Sweet and Sour Fried Fish)

Growing up as a child of the Martial Law years and into the recession of the '80s, I grew in a mindset of cost-cutting and zero wastage, especially when it comes to food.  The downside of that was, sometimes we'd think we'd never see the end of a particular food (especially if there'd been a lot of leftovers); the upside was that this made us resourceful and creative especially in giving food some bagong-bihis.  I've carried the habit over the years, and I always pore through the contents of my refrigerator for what I can put together into a "new" dish before I even take something out of the freezer.

This dish is one of such 'upcycled' ones. :)

ESCABECHE

What's In It?

Leftover fried fish (preferably fleshy ones like dalagang bukid, alumahan, hasa-hasa)
3-5 T cooking oil
2 T peeled and sliced ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 large scallion/red onion, peeled and sliced
2 finger chilis, sliced into rounds
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 c water
2 T brown sugar
2 T fish sauce
1/3 c white or cane vinegar

Kitchen Conjugations:

In a wok or deep pan, heat oil.  Reheat left-over fried fish until crispy.  Remove from heat and transfer onto serving dish.  Set aside.

Onto the waiting hot oil, add in ginger, and let fry in hot oil for half a minute.  Add in red onions and stir fry for another half minute.  Add in garlic and finger chili and continue sautéing for  15 seconds.

Pour in brown sugar and fish sauce and stir to combine.  Add in water.  Let boil then pour in vinegar. DO NOT STIR. Let mixture boil then lower heat to simmer for 3 minutes.  Check seasonings, add sugar or fish sauce or ground black pepper or vinegar, to achieve the right balance of sweet-sour-salty and spice.

Remove sauce from heat and pour over fried fish. Serve hot with steamed rice.  Enjoy!

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PS:

1.  Some opt to add the fried fish into the simmering sauce to allow the fish to absorb the taste of the liquid. For me this makes the fish soggy, which I don't like, so I opt to pour the sauce right before serving.  But of course you can always have it either way. :)

2. It is important NOT TO STIR vinegar when it has not yet boiled, as otherwise it will taste raw.

Sayote Tops Guisado

As you get older, you tend to shy away from what's complicated and drawn towards what's simple and no-frills. Or am I just speaking for myself?

Anyhow, I found that I no longer drool over fatty, cholesterolic food and crave more whole, organic and healthy fare. I don't know if it's just in my head, but after eating a hearty (read: fatty) meal, I feel battered and really exhausted; which is ironic because food is meant to replenish and energize.

Because of this we've shied away from meat as much as possible and eat more vegetables like Chayote Tops Guisado, or Ginisang Talbos ng Sayote. 

GINISANG TALBOS NG SAYOTE

What's In It?

1 bundle of chayote tops, leaves separated from the stalks, hard portions discarded
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 large ripe tomato, washed and sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
3 tablespoons cooking oil
diced cooked meat (pork, chicken, beef), fish or seafood (optional)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
a pinch of ground black pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vinegar (optional)

Kitchen Conjugations:

Wash sayote leaves and soft stalks carefully.  Drain excess water then set aside.

Heat cooking oil in a wok or deep frying pan.  Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes until tomatoes are wilted. Add in the diced cooked meat.  Stir fry for a minute, then add the seasonings: fish sauce, black pepper and oyster sauce.

Stir fry for another minute then add in the sayote leaves and stalks. Stir fry for about 30 seconds then pour in water.  Let boil then simmer for one minute.  Pour in vinegar if using but DO NOT stir until the mixture boils. Check and adjust seasonings. Remove from fire and serve.  Leaves and stalks should still be a little crisp.

Best paired with grilled or fried fish. Enjoy!

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Notes:

1. I usually use bits and pieces of left-over meat from fried chicken, pork barbecue for stir fries like this. This particular time I used left-over crispy pata.

2.  Left-over meat (and sauce) from adobo can also be added to this dish.  Doing so will give a new and interesting dimension to the dish.

3. If you want a little kick, go ahead and add a chopped siling labuyo during the saute.

Espasol

We had lunch in Tagaytay last Sunday and decided to make a quick stop to buy some beef at the Mahogany market.  While we waited for my husband to finish with his marketing, we were approached by some vendors who offered us an assortment of Filipino sweets -- panutsa, calamay, pinipig, ube and espasol. Because we were still busog-lusog from lunch yet I wanted to help the peddlers out, I bought a pack each of the sweets.  Then we drove on home.

So it was so much later when we found out that masarap pala 'yung nabili naming espasol and we were so bitin, and it wasn't hard for my son Gabriel to convince me to make some from the recipe I found in the 'net from a long time ago.

So, here it is!

ESPASOL

What's In It?

1 1/2 cups ground glutinous rice flour
1 cup coconut cream
3/4 cup washed sugar (segunda)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup macapuno or buko strips, diced finely (optional)

Kitchen Conjugations:

In a wok, toast the ground glutinous rice flour until light brown over low to medium heat.  Set aside.

In another wok or pan, combine the coconut cream, sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Let boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid curdling.  Add in the diced macapuno or buko strips, and simmer for half a minute (still stirring continuously).

Measure 1 cup from the ground glutinous rice flour and add it into the coconut cream mixture.  Stir to incorporate the rice flour into the mix, until the consistency is like playdough. Remove from heat and set aside.

Take the remaining ground glutinous rice flour and sprinkle it over a tray or plate lined with waxed paper (or banana leaves).  Take about 3 tablespoons of the espasol and roll it out into a tube.  Cut the espasol tube into smaller cylinders then roll them out over the toasted ground rice flour to coat.

Your espasol is now ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. This recipe makes about 15 2-inch cylinders.
2. I made this espasol without buko or macapuno because we didn't have any in the house. It still tasted the same, although I suppose it would have been heaps better had there been macapuno or coconut bits in my espasol.
3. If using sweetened macapuno, reduce sugar a little.
4. If using white sugar, reduce the amount as it is a lot sweeter than washed or brown sugar.
5. I think you can also use toasted coconut flakes (available under the 'Buco' brand in supermarkets) in place of fresh young coconut.

Gising-Gising

I don't know exactly how and why this dish got its name. Perhaps it's because its level of spice is enough to jolt one to wakefulness (gising) :D

In my house, when we make Sinigang, the next meal will most probably have Gising-gising.  That's because Gising-gising makes use of the kangkong stalks left over from taking the kangkong leaves for Sinigang.   This time though I decided to make it using Baguio beans, which works just as well.

GISING-GISING

What's in it?

400 g Baguio beans, sliced into thin rings
1 medium scallion (red onion), peeled and sliced
1/2 head garlic, peeled and mashed
a thumb of ginger, peeled and diced finely
3-5 pcs Thai chilis (cayenne pepper), or green chilis (pansigang), sliced
100 g ground pork or leftover grilled pork, diced
1 shrimp broth cube (or 1 1/2 teaspoons of shrimp powder)
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
3 T cooking oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Kitchen Conjugations:

Heat oil in wok over medium heat, and saute onions until soft and translucent.  Add in ginger and garlic, stir fry for half a minute, then add in chilis and ground pork.  Season with a small pinch of salt. Stir fry for two minutes or until the ground pork loses its pinkish tint.

Pour coconut milk into the mixture, then allow to boil while stirring to prevent coconut milk from curdling. Add in shrimp broth cube, crush to make it blend with the mixture. Lower heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about a minute.

Stir in the sliced baguio beans.  Let boil then simmer for about two minutes or until the beans are cooked.  Check and adjust seasonings and spice if needed.

Great with steamed rice and fried or grilled fish. :)

Note: Feel free to add tinapa (smoked fish), shrimps, crabsticks or even crablets if you have them.

Maja Mais

I am not sure where this dessert originated, if it's actually Filipino or Spanish. What I know is that it's such a cinch to make, and very cheap too! Great for when you're in a hurry or simply lazy, or when you've been assigned to bring dessert for potluck. :)

What's in it?

2 c thin coconut milk
3/4 c corn kernels
3/4 c washed sugar (segunda)
1/2 c cornstarch
latik or sugar toasted coconut

Kitchen Conjugations:

In a saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in coco milk.  Stir in sugar and corn kernels.  Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously until thickened (but not lumpy).   Remove from fire and pour into molds.  Let cool until set.  Sprinkle latik or toasted coconut bits.

Serve with salabat or tea. Enjoy! :)

Notes:

1. Sugar toasted coconut (green pack in photo) is available in leading supermarkets. But if you have time and energy, feel free to make latik for topping! :D

2.  The original recipe for this (which I got from the cornstarch box), asks for the corn kernels to be pureed in a blender or food processor. I opted not to because doing so will turn the mixture yellow, and I like my maja white. 

Plus, skipping the step saved time, electricity, soap and water for washing the blender/food processor.

3.  I used instant gata powder for this batch (50 g), dissolved in 2 cups filtered water.

4. If you don't like corn, try using macapuno, sweetened langka or ube. :)

Pichi-pichi with Cheese

I found grated cassava at South Supermarket Alabang which cost only P20.00 per icebag (makes about 2 cups) and made Pichi-pichi.  I didn't have grated coconut at home so I decided to make it with cheese.

Thanks and kudos to South Supermarket for stocking this item. Making pichi-pichi, cassava pudding, cassava suman is now possible minus the hassle of peeling and grating the cassava (which can be difficult considering the hard peel and the hefty flesh).  From the 20.00-bag you can make 20-25 pieces of pichi-pichi. Such a cheap thrill!

PICHI-PICHI WITH CHEESE

What's in it?

1 bag frozen grated cassava from South Supermarket (about 2 cups)

1 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup washed sugar*

1 tsp pandan or vanilla essence (optional)

grated cheddar cheese or grated coconut

Kitchen Conjugations:

In a bowl combine all ingredients except cheese. Stir well. Mixture will be runny. Pour into an aluminum or microwaveable tray or dish. Set aside.

Boil about 5 cups water in a pot.  When water gets to a running boil, place the dish inside the steamer.  Steam mixture for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture gels.

Remove from heat and lift by spoonfuls onto your plate of grated cheddar cheese or coconut.  Toss to coat each piece.  Serve with tea or ginger brew.  Enjoy!

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I prefer using washed sugar (slightly brown) because I find it more flavorful and it's being less refined than white sugar gets it more points in the health department. :)