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.

Coleslaw or Slaw (Cabbage Salad)

If you like KFC coleslaw, then you will probably like this coleslaw version of mine. I thought of making this salad as an accompaniment to the fried chicken dinner we had last Sunday. With a deep-fried chicken that taste like Max’s and coleslaw that taste like KFC’s (that sounds very boastful though, not very like me) what could we possible ask more for a dinner? None really, except for a cool cola drinks and probably some vanilla flavored ice cream at the end of the meal. :-)

Coleslaw or simply slaw in some American dialects is a vegetable salad mainly consisting of shredded raw cabbage. Sometimes different varieties of cabbage, such as red cabbage, as well as shredded carrots are used for better color and texture. Other variations of the dish include the addition of other ingredients, such as pepper, onion, grated cheese, pineapple and apple. What distinguishes coleslaw from cabbage as a condiment is that it is mixed with a dressing which traditionally consists of vegetable oil and vinegar or vinaigrette.

Coleslaw is a side dish generally eaten with fried chicken, barbecue, fried fish fillet and potato fries. It is also widely used as a sandwich ingredient like in hamburgers and hotdogs. With its popularity, many variations exist. Some U.S. variations contain buttermilk and/or mayonnaise, prepared mustard and sometimes ketchup and vinegar in lieu of mayonnaise. In Sweden, there is a version that is made with vinegar and oil and usually served with pizza. Interestingly, there is another variant called broccoli slaw where broccoli is used in place of the cabbage.

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. :-)

Igado Ni Nanay Consuelo (Pork, Heart & Liver Braised in Vinegar & Spices a la Mommy Consuelo)

When most of us think of good food, one that is comforting and truly satisfying, one that we have enjoyed over a long period of time and became part of our system and one that is perpetually inculcated somewhere within the small patches of our brain, we remember our mothers or grandmothers. No, not mothers in-law, I’m speaking of tasty food in general, not just bitter gourd or “amplaya”, nor palm vinegar or “sukang paombong” nor green mangoes without “bagoong”. Okay, okay I’m just kidding with that second sentence. I love my mother in-law. :-) But seriously, mothers and grandmothers are the ones responsible for the memory of the foods we loved growing-up with. And they too, always remind us of such wonderful table fares they can create.

While there are some exceptional mommies and grannies out there who prepare “suffer” rather than dinner, they are, in a larger context, our heroes or heroines when it comes to delicious everyday food……most probably the ones that sustained our growth. My mom in particular, has her really tasty “pansit bihon” or Filipino rice noodles in soy sauce as well as her luscious “nilaga or linaga” or pork stew with vegetables, which my daughter love so much, to mention just a few. I remember my granny or “lola” preparing the best ginger tea or “salabat” with purple yam or “ube” during the cool season of Christmas. I haven't had that for quite a long time. Everyone has such a recollection.

A colleague for one, has a mother who knows how to prepare dishes that one can really be proud of. On several times, we were lucky to have sampled her “igado” or a Filipino dish composed of chopped pork, liver and heart braised in vinegar and we have been always ecstatic to have it again. The mother whom everyone calls Nanay Elou or Nanay Consuelo is so kind to share her secret formula in cooking her yummy “igado” for all the people who are fortunate to have stumbled upon this blog. If you are one of them, enjoy this rare opportunity.:-)

Estopado - Pata (Pork Knuckle Braised in Pineapple Juice)

For the first time in 5 years, we chanced upon some cut up pork knuckle and hock in the supermarket here in the southwestern Sri Lanka. Spontaneously smile appeared on our faces …………as if we saw a long lost friend ……………an ally of sort not seen in a long while……and instantly flashes of good memories started to come in……… at an exponential speed ………just like a state-of-the-art computer generating a rather vague but nostalgic images from the not so distant past. Then I saw my mom, my sisters, my aunts, my cousins and many other family members and friends who for so many times I’ve seen joyfully devouring on this particular cut of pork called “pata” in the Philippines.

No, we did not buy a kilo. We bought 5 lbs or more than 2 kilograms. It’s much yes but who cares, we might not find them again next week. And we want to make the most out of this rare opportunity to enjoy the food we have been craving for some time. We thought of “paksiw”……… “kare-kare” ……… “pata tim” ………… and finally………”estopado”. After all, it’s been a while since we have that Filipino braised and stew dish called “estopado” in our dining table. With the delicate and gelatinous fat and skin as well as succulent muscle meat with layers of tendons of pork knuckle, “estopado” is a likely source of a meal made in heaven.

“Estopado” is a sweet-tangy Filipino pork dish where pork, usually with layer of fat including the hind, is braised and then simmered in pineapple juice and spices and slightly sweetened with brown sugar. Slices of ripe bananas are usually added and sometimes even chunks of pineapple for variation. While there are several distinct recipes in the internet and cook books that use the same name, this version here is the kind of “estopado” that I am familiar with. Variations using other meat such as ducks and other exotic game birds and poultry are usually spicy, no longer including bananas and cooked until dry and oily or with just a small quantity of sauce that remains.

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.

CSN Stores - Your Need is Just a Click Away

With the proliferation of so many internet-based stores selling rather inferior and almost regrettable goods, it is such a relief to find one that carries high quality and admirable product lines such as gorgeous dutch ovens. I am referring to CSN Stores, a fast-growing, on-line shopping company providing shoppers and customers, ranging from the budget–conscious to the luxurious, with easy access to the best home, office and school and outdoor products.

A visit to the CSN Stores website will enchant you with its 200+ stores and wide-range of goods which categories include furniture, home décor, housewares, home improvement, outdoor living, baby & kids, school & office supply, shoes, bags & luggage, pet and health & fitness. Yes, it’s remarkably a lot………..under a single site.

My navigation of their website came out easy and fun. The photos are crisp and clear and you can truly appreciate the looks of the products. To provide you with a quick glimpse of what their stores are offering, here are just a few of my most exciting finds: