Filipino Cooking

Image via Wikipedia

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


            Here is what Miriam Razon-Estrada, the chair of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department of the Adventist University of the Philippines has to say with Lutong Pinoy or the so-called Filipino way of cooking.

            Surely, there is no place like home. And one of the things we miss whenever we leave home is the home-cooked food. Filipinos who now reside in other countries surely miss Filipino cooking.
            Filipino foods have numerous indigenous and foreign influences. They can be characterized as a fascinating blend of Spanish, Malay, Arab and Chinese cuisine. Spanish-inspired dishes are paella, caldereta, and morcon. Chinese influence is evident in such dishes as pancit canton, lumpiang Shanghai and hopia.
            The regions in our country have their culinary specialties. But the indigenous coconut cookery is the most common and popular.
            Coconuts are used generously in Filipino cuisine. Coconut dishes originated from the Malay culture. Filipinos are fortunate because fresh coconut milk come cheap, the Philippines being the world's second largest producer of coconut products.
            All food groups can be cooked in coconut milk - meat, fish, poultry, root crops, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Coconut milk is also great for mouth-watery desserts like biko, suman, and bibingka. With the demand of coconut-based dishes, manufacturers have made them available in cans like the "Bicol express," sardines gata, and tuna in coconut milk.
            Coconut is rich in fat. Fat is concentrated source of energy, giving 9 kilocalories per gram. Of all the nutrients, fats may have the worst reputation, but like carbohydrates and proteins, they are indispensable in the diet. It is generally recommended that 20-30 percent of the total energy allowance should come from fats.


ENSALADANG LANGKA


You will need:


1/4     kilo  young langka meat, cubed
1        medium onion, chopped
3        medium tomatoes, diced
1        tablespoon calamansi juice
1/3     cup coconut cream
          Green onions, chopped
          Salt to taste

Here's how:


1. Boil langka until tender.
2. Drain water and slice langka meat thinly.
3. Add onion, tomatoes, calamansi juice, salt and coconut cream.
4. Toss.
5. Garnish with green onions.

Related articles

• Haupia (Coconut Pudding) (iguanaisle.wordpress.com)
• Recipe: Ginger and Coconut Chicken (christiescorner.com)
• Fish and Coconut Milk Soup (theshallowkitchen.wordpress.com)

Kangkong

Image via Wikipedia

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


        You have to read what Aida Alarcon has to say with the Filipino kangkong and you will be surprised what kangkong can do for you and she even included a palatable dish she prepared for her section in "Food for the Family".


       Kangkong, though called swamp cabbage or water spinach, is not really a cabbage or a spinach. It grows practically everywhere-in ditches, ponds, and dry land. Kangkong comes in varieties ranging from purple-stemmed ones with narrow leaves to white-stemmed ones with broad leaves.
      Kangkong is usually used as an ingredient in sinigang (sour stew). It can also be cooked as salad, adobo, and other appetizing dishes.
      A good source of carotene which, in turn, can be converted to vitamin A by the body, kangkong, is, beneficial especially to persons with hypertension, said Dr. Miguel Cornejo Jr., a heart specialist. When ingested as roughage, it helps eliminate fatty deposits in the alimentary canal that would otherwise lodge in the blood vessels.
      Known to be the poor man's vegetable, kangkong does not exactly appeal to the business executives and to the rich. The declaration of President Gloria Arroyo to make this leafy green vegetable our national vegetable, however, has stirred the hornet's next in certain sections of our society.
      Declaration or none, however, eating kangkong will never be a disadvantage to us.


KANGKONG SALAD


You will need:


1/2     kilo kangkong, blanched and drained
4        hardboiled eggs, wedged
2        medium sweet potatoes, boiled and cubed
4        pieces tomatoes, sliced
2        medium red onions, chopped
1/2     cup calamansi juice
1        small garlic head, minced
1/2     teaspoon sugar
1/4     teaspoon salt

Here's how:


1. In a big wooden or crystal platter, arrange the kangkong according to artistic taste.
2. Top with eggs, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and onions.
3. In a bowl, combine calamansi, garlic, sugar, and salt.
4. Serve kangkong with the calamansi dressing.

Related articles

• The Many Faces of Adobo (friendseat.com)
• Pork Sinigang Filipino Recipe (notecook.com)
• A Vegetarian Dish from the Ocean (familydailymenu.blogspot.com)

For Your Energy Needs

Image via Wikipedia

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


        I really love sharing with you some articles that are not only informative and beneficial but full of ideas in making you and your family healthy in every way.

       Here is another one that I found and I wish to share it with you because the recipe that is included here is really truly another Filipino delicacy that you will greatly love!

       Carbohydrates may come cheap but they are the chief source of energy. They are commonly known as sugars and starches. Carbohydrates, however, have gained a bad reputation. Some people regard them as undesirable or unnecessary dietary components that must be eliminated if a person wishes to lose weight or avoid diet-related diseases such as obesity or diabetes.
       Truth is, carbohydrates have essential functions to perform. They provide most of the energy in the diet and supply an appreciable amount of protein. About 50-57 percent of our calories should come from carbohydrates, to supply us with energy to keep us alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic!
       Found almost exclusively in plant foods, carbohydrates are abundant in root crops, cereals, grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. Milk is the only animal-derived food that contains significant amounts of carbohydrates.
       Root crops that have high starch content include cassava (kamoteng-kahoy), taro (gabi), sweet potato (camote), white potato (patatas), goayam (toge), purple yam (ube). Of these rootcrops, cassava has the biggest amount of starch (34 percent). Tapioca is the commercial term for cassava starch.
       Cassava is commonly served as suman or plain boiled, topped with sugar and grated coconut. One can also turn cassava into a special treat for parties, potlucks, and family meals. Make an easy-to-do and economical cake that tickles the Pinoy palate.
       Cassava cake is delicious and provides significant amounts of carbohydrates to supply the energy needs of the active child, growing teener, busy housewife, and working father.

CASSAVA CAKE


You will need:


5      cups cassava, grated
2      cups sugar
1      cup powdered whole milk
2      eggs, beaten
5      cups coconut milk

Toppings:


Cheese, grated
Condensed milk

Here's how:


1. Mix thoroughly the first four ingredients.
2. Add coconut milk and mix well.
3. Pour into a greased baking pan.
4. Bake in moderate heat for about 45 minutes or until the top is almost dry.
5. Remove from oven.
6. Pour condensed milk evenly on top of cassava cake then sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake again until golden brown or until cheese and milk melt.


    

Related articles

• How to Diet With Low Carbohydrate Recipes and Stick to It. (familydailymenu.blogspot.com)
• Researchers Reach a Breakthrough for Protein Levels in Key Staple Crop (isaaa.org)
• What can get from cassava (wiki.answers.com)

Find The Best Cake Decorating Hints For Kids

Image via Wikipedia

By Emily Diaz

If you wish to have quality time with your family, think about getting into kids cake decorating. When you engage the children in an activity like this, you allow them to learn skills that will come in handy later in their life while at the same time you are having fun with them as well. This way you can together create cakes that look and taste good, too.