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Oxtail and Vegetable Stew (Kare-Kare)

This dish is native to the Philippines. It's an easy to follow recipe. For a newbie in the kitchen, the ingredients might be a little intimidating but don't be because I provided a set of instructions for you.

This dish is flavored with ground peanuts, which creates the savory peanut sauce. It is also served with shrimp paste on the side. The shrimp paste is necessary to add sufficient saltiness to the dish, however, shrimp paste is not for the faint of heart.

Creamy Chicken Macaroni Sopas

There's just something so comforting about creamy soup especially during cold winter nights. This soup brings back memories of my grade school days!

This is the Filipino version of chicken noodle soup. If you have not tried this soup yet, I would recommend making it if you are under the weather or just want some comfort food during this time of the year - cold and gloomy.

Pancit Canton (Stir-Fried Noodles)

Pancit Canton is a stir-fried noodle dish made from flour sticks or Lo mein and was strongly influenced by Chinese cooking. Everyone has their own spin on it but here's my version of pancit canton.

Arroz a la Cubana

Arroz a la Cuban or Cuban-style rice with meat sauce and plantains - This rice dish has a strong Spanish influence. It consists of ground meat and vegetables in a delicious sauce with fried or baked plantains and of course fried egg (optional).

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/8 cup raisins
2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden brown. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent; add the tomato and cook until soften
Add the ground beef, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked or browned
Add the raisins, pepper flakes, salt and pepper; stir constantly
Add the fresh or frozen peas, and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked.
Remove from the heat and set aside
Fry the eggs, sunny-side up
Make a place with rice, meat, baked plantains and fried egg (optional)
Serve hot!
Yields: 4-5 servings

Baked Plantains

Meanwhile preheat oven to 400º Fahrenheit, place the sliced plantains in a bowl, add the 2 tbsp. of coconut oil and toss them gently until completely coated
Arrange the plantain slices on a baking sheet and place them in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes then carefully flip the plantains
Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until both sides have caramelized
If you want the outside to be a little bit crispy, turn the broiler on when you have 4 minutes of baking left. Make sure to keep an eye on them.
Remove when both sides are looking nice and caramelized

Sour Beef Short Ribs Soup (Beef Short Ribs Sinigang)

Sinigang uses sour or tangy ingredients such as tamarind, lemon, tree sorrel fruit (kamias in Tagalog) or calamondin (kalamansi) to create that deliciously tart and spicy broth.

This recipe reminded me so much of my college days. One of my college best friend’s mom always enjoyed making a huge pot of this sour soup to feed her family including myself. She used the freshest greens and tart-souring agent to make this heartwarming soup filled with chunks of tender beef short ribs. I make this recipe every now and then and every spoonful I gobbled warmed my heart and reminded me how much I missed those simple moments. Of course, a Filipino dish is not complete without rice so make sure you have steaming jasmine white rice ready.

Chicken with Coconut and Moringa (Ginataang Manok with Malunggay)

Coconut milk is one of the most popular and widely used ingredients in Filipino cuisine especially in the Bicol region or southernmost tip of the Philippines. I grew up in this part of the Philippines so I know that most foods from Bicol are known for its heavy use of coconut milk and chili peppers. It is similar to chicken curry but without the use of curry paste or powder. It’s easy and only uses a few ingredients.

One of the ingredients in this recipe is called Moringa (malunggay). I grew up eating this so I know what it tastes like but for those who have not tried this vegetable, don't be afraid to try.

You can find this in most of the Asian stores. My husband and I found a local farm that grows moringa or malunggay. The farm is called Last Organic Outpost. Please check it out and support local farms.

Back to Moringa - this vegetable has been around for hundreds of years and has been called the superfood because of its amazing health benefits. It is native to Africa and Asia. Raw Moringa leaves have a slight bitter and spicy taste, much like horseradish, or mustard greens. When cooked, moringa leaves have a much milder flavor, definitely more palatable.

For more information about this vegetable, please visit here

Cassava Roll or Cassava Suman with Crunchy Coconut Filling

This is one of my favorite kakanin or sum an (goodies). Suman or kakanin is not a dish my family would normally make unless it's for a special occasion. Cassava sum an is a classic Filipino snack or dessert.

Growing up, we had cassava suman on holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Eve. My family would make them in huge quantities to share with family and friends. If you're feeling a little adventurous, you can buy the cassava, peel and grate them. But if you're like me, I just buy the grated cassava, grated young coconut and coconut milk at the Asian store. They're usually in the freezer section.

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Filipino Cuisine