Tilapia in Oyster Sauce and Veggies - Escabeche Style

Like many other people all over the world, Filipinos extensively eat tilapia because it is a good source of protein; especially one with a low saturated fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate and low sodium. Additionally, tilapia meat is a sure provider of essential vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, niacin, selenium, vitamin B12 and potassium. You are right, that’s half truth. Not many people knew about that health benefits stuff. We eat tilapia because it is delicious, widely available and relatively inexpensive, sort of within the Third World’s average family budget. Okay, okay, it’s cheap. That’s it! :-) But tasty, huh!

Tilapia, St. Peter’s fish and pla-pla when large, are just some of the names referring to the third most important fish in fish farming or aquaculture worldwide, next to carps and salmons. The top three fish, along with European seabass, catfish and cod, comprised the top six farmed fish in the world feeding hundreds of millions of humans, for quite a long time now.

However, due to large size, rapid growth, easy production, tolerance to high stocking density, high profitability and palatability, tilapia have been the focus of major farming research and developments and it will just be a matter of time before they become the leader among the most important cultured fish all over the world.

Another good thing about tilapia is that it can be cooked in so many ways. I have previously featured one way to enjoy this farm’s bounty by cooking it into zesty “paksiw na isda”. Similarly, like pony fish, “pompano” and “talakitok” it can also be cooked as “pangat" or "pinangat” or “pesa” and “ginataan” like “dalag” or mudfish. Even simpler, the fish can also be grilled, fried, steamed, stewed and baked, all requiring very few basic ingredients.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Chicken Barbecue

I love barbecue. I love grilling. Yeah, I know the blog title says it all. I gain joy while barbecuing. In spite of the process being somewhat messy, it’s fun and rewarding. There is something in it that lightens my spirit. The smoky smell that it generates while the meat cooks. The dripping sauce that causes the familiar barbecue aroma as droplets touches the hot coal. The gorgeous lightly charred skin of the meat. The tender and luscious meat with a combination of sweet, salty, sourly, earthy and many other flavors quite difficult to describe which all-together, encompass that exquisite taste that can only be experienced in a true barbeque. Expectedly, I have been preparing this dish on a regular basis.

Recently, I prepared a chicken barbecue which I marinated overnight but due to heavy rain, I was not able to grill it outdoors over charcoal fire and settled to cooking it inside the oven instead. Remarkably, the chicken came out still very juicy and delicious. The recipe I used there is basically the same as the one I applied in my pork barbeque post long time ago with just slight improvements, particularly on the amount of brown sugar.

Since I am now very pleased with this barbecue recipe, I decided to transform it into the next level; by creating a barbeque sauce which can be prepared early on, keep ready inside the fridge and use any time when the need arises……simply and easy. It will serve as a handy topping or dipping sauce and a marinade at the same time. Pretty much like the usual barbeque sauce we can buy from groceries and supermarkets, except that it is homemade, using all-natural ingredients, no extenders, no added preservatives, no artificial coloring and most importantly, it does not cost a fortune. You can use the huge savings in buying more meat instead. :-)

Tofu and Mushroom Delight

I hated tofu or "tokwa" during my younger years. Probably most kids of my generations, and even other generations before and after ours, shared the same feeling. But that changed when I grew up and learned to explore with food, outside the boundaries of usual family dishes. I developed an appreciation of its health benefits and eventually its unique taste that it only acquires from various flavoring ingredients that it is cooked with. It is basically tasteless on its own and requires good batter or sauce or broth to be truly enjoyed and admired as a main food.

Although I have already posted two tofu recipes here before such as the simple fried tofu or “pritong tokwa” and the much elaborate sizzling tofu in oyster sauce, I am still in constant search for new ways to get pleasure from the rather bland but healthy and energy-packed food from China. Interestingly, other nations have also noticed and showed acceptance of the food item as an exciting addition to their cuisines. It is either for health reasons or due to its wide usage and applications to vegan principle (not using or consuming animal products) and vegetarian (plant-based) diets.

An alternative way of preparing the food is in combination with the tasty abalone or oyster mushrooms cook in mayonnaise and soy sauce. While the resulting dish will resemble the one with oyster sauce, its taste will be distinctly sourly and salty as oppose to sweet and salty of the sizzling tofu. Appreciation to this dish will then be a matter of taste preference. While I am biased over the one using oyster sauce for I really love that dish, this remains a stimulating option, especially for the daring and adventurous in taste.

Paksiw A La Lechon Paksiw (Pork Stewed in Vinegar and Lechon Sauce)

Don’t get confused with the title. This is the same method of cooking I used in preparing “paksiw na pata” or pork knuckle stewed in vinegar before. This time though, I will be using a leaner pork leg cut instead of “pata” or hock and double the quantity of “lechon sauce” to flavor the dish. As suggested by the name, this is more like "lechon paksiw”, only the pork is neither roasted (“lechon”) nor deep fried (“lechon kawali”).

Whilst I also like the simple type of “paksiw” that is soupy and cooked without sugar and soy sauce (sourly-salty type), I am now more biased with this version (sweet-salty-sourly type) with a rich, gravy-like sauce. But both will always generate cravings in me, which of which is depending on my mood for eating.

When your taste buds seem overwhelmed with the usual tomato-based pork or beef dishes, this is the right dish to perk up your appetite. Whilst this involves several hours of slow cooking to be assured of a tender meat, only a few very common ingredients, which most families Filipinos or otherwise, already have in their kitchen or pantry, are needed.

Pesang Lapu-Lapu (Grouper Stew in Ginger with Vegetables)

I can’t think of a better way to cook my “lapu-lapu” catch in my recent shore fishing adventure than by the popular Filipino stew dish called “pesa”. I first ate and since then has been heavily exposed to “pesa” in the “Capampangan” area of the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac lying in the central part of the Luzon island of the Philippines. In the region, “pesa” is a regular table fare for the whole family, particularly for fishes such as the ferocious freshwater snakehead called mudfish or “dalag” or “bulig”, the bony but tasty milkfish or “bangus” and yes, the rather pricey but very delicious grouper or “lapu-lapu”.

Basically, “pesa” is boiled or stew fish infused with the strong flavor of ginger and added with some vegetables. The pungent flavor of ginger is required to counter the stench smell and taste of the fish and provide a tasty broth. In addition, fish are sometimes slightly fried first to further remove the stench prior to stewing. The soupy dish is served with an accompanying somewhat salty sauce made from either Chinese fermented soybean cake called “tahure/tauri” or fermented black beans called “tausi”, or sometimes using the Japanese fermented condiment called “miso”, mashed and then sauté in chopped onions and tomatoes.

Bhut Jolokia Chili Garlic Sauce - The Hottest Chili

You might have known it already from the news, but let me once again present “bhut jolokia”, the 2007 Guinness World Record certified Hottest Chili of the World. Why am I excited? Well, I have tasted this chili some 3 years ago when an old tea woman of our office gave me some harvested from her backyard. I could vividly remember that ignorantly tasting it was one tragic incident which immediately resulted to profusely watering eyes and running nose. The bad experience prompted me to throw away the rest of the chilies and never to consider the vegetable in any of my kitchen adventures.

But after having read many informative articles about the regarded “king of chilies” with more than a million Scoville units (SHU), the scientific measurement of a chili's spiciness or pungency, and its perceived tremendous potentials not only as a culinary item but in other fields as well like in medicine, food manufacturing and self-defense and military weaponry, I decided to make a second scrutiny of the thumb-sized but very lethal vegetable.

Nachos - Nacho Cheese & Fresh Salsa Tortillas

Nachos refers to the popular corn-based food that was credited to Mr. Ignacio “Nacho” Andaya of Coahuila, Mexico for concocting tortilla chips locally called “totopos” covered with melted cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeno peppers and serving it as a snack. Just like many surprising food creations, he invented the dish out of necessity when he needed to serve snacks with very limited ingredients at hand to a group of about a dozen US soldiers at Piedras Negras City, just over the Texas border. He called the dish “Nachos Especiales” which means Nacho’s special dish in English. The popularity of the dish quickly spread throughout Texas and later on all over United States and Mexico, earning nachos a special place in the Tex-Mex cuisine.

While nachos are originally created as a quick snack, it can be made into a full meal by just adding many more ingredients such as chicken or beef meat, refry beans, many types of vegetables and fresh or cooked salsa. Nachos with an abundance of toppings are sometimes called "loaded nachos" or "super nachos". This type of dish is usually served as an appetizer at bars or restaurants and considered a really big meal. The dish is prepared by arranging the tortilla chips on a big platter, adding the meat and refried bean toppings and smothering the entire platter with shredded cheese. The platter is then put into a broiler or microwave to allow the cheese to melt. The platter is then covered with cold toppings such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, jalapeños, etc. and served at once.

The other week, we bought a large pack of good quality tortilla chips. In order to serve it to our group better than with just a simple cream dip, I decided to prepare a fresh salsa and home-made nacho cheese to make our own nachos which could go well with our favorite drinks.

The first thing to do is to cook the “nacho cheese”, which is a form of processed cheese mixed with peppers and other spices and often used in place of freshly shredded cheese in a large-scale production settings, such as schools and universities, shopping malls, movie theaters, sports venues, carnivals, nature parks and theme parks. Such processed cheese, referred to in the US as "nacho cheese", provides a relatively cheaper and more convenient source of cheese to top nachos.

While there are many recipes of “nacho cheese’” ranging from simple to very complicated ones involving many ingredients, I decided to make a relatively easy nacho cheese which can be easily done by anyone, after all, Mr. Nacho Andaya concoct the dish in a very simple form.

The ingredients needed for an easy- no fuss nacho cheese, as shown above, are: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 cup fresh milk, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, to be diced and ½ tsp salt. To cook it is likewise very simple. In a thick sauce pan melt the butter over low flame. Add the flour and stir to mix evenly. Then add the milk and continue cooking with regular stirring until it has a thick and creamy consistency.

Add the diced cheese and continue cooking until all has melted. Add salt and continue stirring until all ingredients are well blended. It’s done.

Transfer in a deep bowl, let it cool and do the salsa. Secretly, you can also dip your finger and have an advance taste of the wonderful nacho cheese. Just don’t let anyone see you. :-)

For the fresh tomato salsa, we need the following ingredients: 3 pcs plum and firm tomatoes, 1 medium onion, a bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro, 1 medium lime, 2 mild chilies (I don’t have jalapeno or serrano chili peppers), some iodized salt and ground pepper (optional) to taste.

To prepare, finely dice the tomatoes and onion. Remove the rib, stems and seeds of the chilies and finely dice as well. Extract the juice of the lime. Remove the stem and finely chop the cilantro.

In a mixing bowl, dump the diced tomatoes, chilies and onion. Stir to mix evenly. Add the cilantro and continue mixing. Add the lime juice and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Transfer in a bowl and keep inside the fridge for about 30 minutes for the taste to fully develop.

In the meantime, prepare your tortilla chips. When it’s time to serve, arrange the chips in a large serving plate. Top with the fresh tomato salsa then with lots of the nacho cheese. That’s it…..Enjoy! Our group munched this while watching an action movie over some light drinks.

Make your own nacho cheese and fresh salsa……… enjoy the wonderful nachos made right in the comfort of your own kitchen. My better half love this so much, especially the huge and heavy “loaded nachos”. c“,)

Ginisang Bagoong Alamang (Sauteed Shrimp Paste)

The first thing that will flash in the mind of a typical Filipino upon seeing a freshly picked matured greenish yellow mango is “Bagoong Alamang”. It’s but natural. The combination of the still sour but slightly sweet crunchy mango which is called “manibalang” in Filipino and the salty earthy “Bagoong Alamang” is just so good………..perfect if you wish. While it may seem an awkward pair at a glance, the combined taste it creates when eaten together is something extra ordinary. It has the ability to rejuvenate appetites and cravings. It can even make one to salivate by the mere sight of it being eaten or even by just thinking about it. :-)

“Bagoong Alamang” refers to Filipino shrimp paste made from minute shrimp or krill called “alamang”. As I mentioned above, it is commonly eaten as a topping on crunchy green mangoes or used as an important cooking ingredient in Filipino cuisine. “Bagoong Alamang” is essentially a shrimp and salt mixture left to marinate and ferment for several days, under specific conditions, until the salty and earthy flavor develops.

Unlike in other Southeast Asian countries as well as in Southern China though, where the shrimp are fermented beyond recognition or ground to a really smooth consistency, the tiny shrimp in the Filipino “bagoong alamang” are still evident and identifiable. The sauce itself although commonly referred to as paste, is actually coarse and has a chunky consistency.

Whilst it can be used or eaten in its fresh form or right after the fermentation, like “bagoong na isda” or fish paste which I posted earlier, shrimp paste is usually sautéed with select spices and vegetables such as garlic, ginger, onion, tomatoes, chili and some other condiments to make it more aromatic, appealing and ready to use as dip, sauce and even ingredient for other food preparations. Its flavor can range from salty to sweet and spicy and its usage depends on the type of food it will go with.

For this “Ginisang Bagoong Alamang” preparation, I prefer the salty type as I intend to use it as side dish for a main meal of rice. For me, it could pretty complements such dishes as fried or grilled fish, grilled meat, steamed, boiled or grilled vegetables and of course, chopped up fresh mango, tomatoes and onion. :)

For about 3/4 cup of shrimp paste, the other few ingredients needed are 2 tbsp vegetable oil, about 5 pcs plum tomatoes, chopped, 1 large onion minced, 6 gloves garlic, peeled and minced, 1 thumb-size ginger, julienned and some chili pepper, minced, which I did not use but you can if you like it spicy. Since this is for a salty type, no sugar will be used. Since I’m using a lot of tomatoes vinegar is not necessary.

The first thing I usually do is to cut off some of the salt content of the fresh shrimp paste by thoroughly extracting the salty juice out. You can do this by pressing the paste against a fine strainer using the back of a large spoon until the liquid is drained out and you have this:

The next step is a simple and straight forward sautéing process. In a small pan on medium flame, heat the oil and sauté the garlic, add the ginger followed by the onion and continue cooking until onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and continue sautéing until mushy and liquid comes out. Add the chili pepper if you are using. You can add a little amount of hot water if it’s drying up.

When the vegetables are almost dissolve, pour the strained “bagoong alamang”, stir and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Stir once in a while to evenly mix and cook. When the liquid is reduced, it’s done.

Transfer in a bowl and serve in a meal. You can also put it in a jar, keep in the fridge and reserve for future use……hopefully for “kare-kare”. :-)

It is so good with grilled fish, grilled vegetables and a plateful of steaming plain rice. To enjoy it with green mangoes and boiled or grilled eggplant is a splendid idea like during our Family Boodle Feast. I’m starving ………. really starving. c“,)

Sizzling Tofu in Oyster Sauce

In my fried “tokwa” (fried tofu) post earlier, I already provided some interesting facts and details about tofu, the healthy food from China which has gained wide acceptance all over the world over the years. Since I have learned to like it so much as well, I should have other ways of preparing it. One of the several ways I cook it is with oyster sauce. While I usually do it in sizzling plate, I don’t have one here so I just have to prepare everything very hot when I arrange them on a plate to somehow make them sizzle from their own heat, tofu and sauce, when combined.

The other important ingredient in this recipe is oyster sauce. Sorry but there is no substitute, otherwise we need to change the title. :) Oyster sauce is a viscous dark brown sauce commonly used in Chinese, Filipino and Thai cuisines. It is particularly common in Cantonese food. It is prepared from oysters, brine, and “umami” flavor enhancers and was invented by the owner of the company Lee Kum Kee in Guandong, China. The company continues to produce oyster sauce to this day along with a wide variety of Asian condiments.

Oyster sauce adds a savory flavor to many dishes, making it an ideal choice for flavoring meat, seafood, vegetables and yes, the basically bland tofu. The sauce is a staple for much Chinese and Filipino family-style cooking. It is commonly used in noodle stir-fries, such as Chinese chow mien and Filipino “pansit miki” or “pansit canton”. It is also found in popular Chinese-American dishes such as beef with stir-fried vegetables. Oyster sauce can also be used as a topping for some dishes as well.

The savory flavor of oyster sauce is perfect for tofu that depends to other ingredients for the final taste of the resulting dish. This is why I find this tofu preparation close to perfect combination. To prepare this savory tofu dish, we need about 2 blocks of firm tofu just like what I have here:

To cook the dish, we need several ingredients which I grouped into 2 categories for easy remembering. The sauce ingredients needed are: ¼ cup oyster sauce, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 cups broth, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp corn starch or corn flour, ½ tsp ground pepper and 1 tsp sesame oil.

In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and stir to evenly mix everything and attain a slightly thick sauce that looks like this:

The vegetable ingredients needed are 4 gloves garlic, peeled and minced, 1 pc large onion, peeled and minced, 1 pc small carrot, peeled and minced, 2 tbsp minced celery, stalk and leaves combined, 1 pc mild chili pepper, minced, 2 tbsp minced green onion leaves and ½ to ¾ cup minced mushroom which is important but unfortunately, I don’t have at the moment.

In a large pan or wok, heat about 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and sauté garlic, followed by onion. Add the carrot when the onion is translucent. Continue cooking then add the celery when the carrot is cooked through, followed by the mushroom (if using) and green onions.

When all veggies are already cooked, pour the sauce mixture. Continue cooking while stirring to have a smooth consistency. Cook until the sauce thickens. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.

In the meantime cook the tofu. If you have sizzling plate, heat the plate in the stove until very hot that droplets of water will disappear in an instant. Add some oil and cook the tofu by slightly browning, first on one side then on the underside. Then pour the sauce to create that wonderful sizzling-smoking effect.

Since I don’t have sizzling plate here, I slightly fry the tofu in a small pan. Then I arrange it on a plate and pour the still hot sauce on top. As I said above, this is better with the sizzling plate as the cooking with the sauce and the tofu will continue with the residual heat. Browning the underside and creating a slightly smoky flavor. But without it, the dish will still be sumptuous and delicious. :)

Serve immediately. Rich, tasty and healthy. Enjoy!…. c“,)

Ginisang Bagoong (Fish Paste Saute in Tomato)

“Bagoong” is a Filipino fish paste made from small fresh fish or shrimps that is salted by mixing in brine then cured and fermented for several months until it breakdowns into bubbly and smelly thick paste with salty liquid on the top. The resulting thick brown paste is the “bagoong” while the salty liquid is the fish sauce called in the Philippines as “patis”. Both “bagoong” and “patis” are serve as condiments and use as flavorings in many Filipino dishes. They are excellent natural MSG and good sources of important nutrition, containing Omega-3.

“Bagoong” is also popular in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific. In the Ancient Rome, they had a similar product called “garum”. The difference is that, they used mainly fish intestines to make them while in the Philippines they use the whole fish. “Bagoong” was made originally from several types of fish, the most common of which is anchovies about two inches long. Sardines, “padas” and goby are also sometimes used.

In the Philippines, people use it to complement vegetables, fish, meats and even fruits. Filipino dishes such as “kare-kare” (stew in peanut sauce), “pinakbet” (a vegetable dish) and of course “binagoongan” (pork in fish paste) is totally incomplete without “bagoong”. Filipinos learned to eat green mangoes and sometimes “singkamas” (jicama or Mexican turnip) with “bagoong” just like butter to bread. Some people, like me, even appreciate “bagoong” with plain steamed rice. :-)

Many Westerners may be appalled by the murky look and pungent smell of “bagoong”. But for the Filipinos, the concoction is fragrant and really makes food taste even better.

To make the “Ginisang Bagoong” we only need about 2~3 tbsp of the fish paste. The other ingredients are: 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 large onion, peeled and chopped, 5 pcs ripe tomatoes and about 2 tbsp chili pepper (optional).

With such very basic ingredients, expect to have very basic procedures. In a small pan on medium flame, heat the oil and sauté the garlic, add the onion and continue cooking until onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and continue sautéing until mushy and liquid is rendered. Add the chili pepper. You can add a little amount of hot water if it’s drying up.

When the vegetables are almost dissolved pour the “bagoong”, stir and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir once more to evenly mix. Transfer to a bowl and serve in a meal.

It is so good with a plateful of steaming plain rice and a simple vegetable dish like grilled eggplant.

And even better if serve along with freshly grilled fish.

And even more fish. No salivating please. And give me more rice. c“,)

Simple foods are sometimes just what we need to feel good. Really good! :)