Mango Chicken Salad

Here's how:
Place 100 grams of chicken breast in a pan of boiling water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut according to desired size. Arrange 100 grams of romaine lettuce in a salad bowl.Top with chopped ripe mangoes, sliced grapes, seedless tomato chunks and boiled chicken breasts. Serve with ranch dressing.

Tossed Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Alfalfa Sprouts and Parmesan in Balsamin Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• a bag of mixed greens
• 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• a cup of alfalfa sprouts
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings
• balsamic vinaigrette

Procedure:

1. Arrange chopped lettuce and cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Place a bunch of alfalfa sprouts in the center.
2. Drizzle just enough balsamic vinaigrette over greens to get it wet.
3. Top with cheese shavings. Serve at once.

Bean Sprouts Saute'

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 2 squares (120g.) firm tofu, cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed finely
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 250 grams bean sprouts (togue), washed and drained
• 2 tbsps oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder, add more if you want it to be more spicy

Procedure:

1. In a pan, heat oil. Fry tokwa until all sides are golden brown. Drain. Retain oil.
2. Saute garlic, onion and tomatoes. Stir-fry until mushy.
3. Add bean sprouts, oyster sauce, fish sauce, pepper powder and fried tokwa. Cook for about a minute or until veggie is crisp tender.
4. Serve at once.

Sweet Potato and Tofu Curry

Ingredients:

• a tbsp peanut oil
• a tsp chili oil
• 315 grams firm tofu, cut into 1 cm thick slices and then fried
• 1-1/2 cup (375ml) coconut cream
• a cup of vegetable stock
• 2 tsps Thai red curry paste
• 375 grams orange sweet potato, cut into cubes
• 2 tsps palm or brown sugar
• a tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsps lime juice
• 60 grams basil leaves

Procedure:

1. In a wok, put oil, coconut cream and stock over medium-high heat. Bring to boil. Stir in curry paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until aromatic.
2. Add sweet potato, cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until almost cooked.
3. Stir in sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Put fried tofu and simmer for 2 minutes to heat. Stir in basil leaves.

Spicy Long Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps vegetable oil and for deep frying
• 1/4 kilo of long or string beans (sitaw), cut at 1" length
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 pc hot chili pepper
• 2 tbsps shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)
• 1 tbsp gin
• 1/4 kilo ground lean pork
• 2 tbsps barbeque marinade
• sesame oil

Procedure:

1. Deep fry the long beans. Drain. Set aside.
2. Saute altogether the onion, garlic and chili pepper in 2 tbsps of oil. Add the shrimp paste and stir-fry until aromatic. Pour in the gin. Put the ground pork, cook until no longer pink.
3. Add the barbeque marinade and fried long beans. Mix well.
4. Just before removing from fire, add a few drops of sesame oil for extra aroma.
5. Serve with cooked rice.

Silverbeet with Sesame Seeds

Ingredients:

• 750 grams fresh silverbeet, stalks removed
• a tbsp of peanut oil
• a tsp of sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tbsps sesame seeds
• juice of half lemon
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, place the silverbeet. Cover with boiling water and leave for about 3 minutes. Drain. Then, wash with cold running water. Squeeze out any excess water. Coarsely chopped.
2. Heat the peanut and sesame oil in a wok. Add the garlic and sesame seeds. Fry for about 2 minutes or until the garlic has begun to brown and the seeds starts to pop.
3. Stir in the silverbeet, cook until heated through. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Put the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Serve at once.

Chicken Gizzard and Liver with String Beans

Ingredients:

• 300 grams of chicken liver & gizzard
• 1 tsp of granulated garlic
• ½ tsp of black pepper powder
• 1-½ tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of barbeque marinade or worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsps of cooking oil
• 2 pcs of finely minced shallots
• 1 bundle (12 long pcs) string beans, cut at 2” length
• rock salt for mashing

Procedure:

1. Separate chicken liver from gizzard. Using the blade of a knife, scrape the yellow and slimy stuff from the gizzard. Wash. Mash with rock salt. Wash again. Drain well. Back to the liver, wash with running water. Drain well.
2. Cut the chicken gizzard into long thin strips. Cut into four the chicken liver.
3. In a plastic container, place the chicken liver and gizzard. Put the next-four ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Place inside the chiller for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. In a non-stick skillet, place over medium-high heat (heat thoroughly but not smoking hot). Put shallots, sauté for 10 seconds. Add string beans. Stir. Cover. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 3 minutes or until half-tender.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high, place the marinated chicken liver and gizzard. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Cover. Put off heat. Let it sit on top of the electric stove for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve with warm white cooked rice.

Cauliflower Con Camaron

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 250 grams shrimps
• 3 pcs dried mushrooms, soaked in water
• soy sauce
• salt
• msg
• 500 grams cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 cup pea pods
• 1 stalk celery, cut into an inch length
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in
• 1/2 cup water

Procedure:

1. Heat cooking oil in pan. Brown garlic. Add shrimps and mushrooms, simmer for a few minutes. Season with soy sauce, salt and msg.
2. Put cauliflower, pea pods and celery. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Thicken with cornstach mixture.
4. Serve at once.

Pickled Green Mustards

Here's how:
Finely chop green mustards (mustasa) and soak in salted water overnight. Squeeze the juice of mustasa well. Rinse and drain. Use for side-dish or for salads.

Cucumber Canapes

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 chorizo de Bilbao, diced
• 3 pcs sweet ham, diced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp each of fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano, finely minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Slice cucumbers lengthwise. Scoop out seeds then slice into bite-size boats. Set aside.
3. Saute garlic and onion n olive oil ntil aromatic. Add chorizo and ham. Saute for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken stock. Follow with crushed tomatoes and herbs. Mix well. Bring to boil then simmer until almost dry. Season to taste.
4. Scoop a small amount of cooked mixture on each cucumber boats. Top with cheese.
5. Bake until cheese melts and lightly browned.

Asparagus and Mint Fritatas

Ingredients:

• 200 grams fresh asparagus, chopped
• 2 whole eggs plus 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsps light sour cream
• 2 tbsps skimmed milk
• 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsps mint leaves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Blanch asparagus in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Dain and cool in an ice bath. Drain well and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Get a nonstick muffin pan and divide asparagus equally in each cup.
3. In a bowl, beat whole eggs and egg whites together with sour cream and milk. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into muffin pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until firm and lightly golden.
5. Carefully remove fritatas from the pan and cool slightly before serving.

Laing

Ingredients::

• 450 grams pork belly, cut into 2”x ¼” cubes
• 1 tbsp of rock salt
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• A thumb sized ginger
• 2 tbsps fish paste (bagoong isda)
• ½ pack -45 grams of dried authentic taro leaves
• 6 pcs finger chilis, cut diagonally
• 2 pcs chili pepper, minced
• Coconut cream (kakang-gata):
• 2 pcs (800 g) coconut, grated
• 1 cup warm water
• Coconut milk (pangalawang gata):
• Coconut used in extracting coconut cream
• 3-2/3 cups warm water

Procedure:

1. Foremost, extract the coconut cream. Then, follow the coconut milk. Set aside separately.
2. In a bowl, combine the first-two ingredients. Mix well. Set aside. Meanwhile, pound together the garlic and ginger with a mortar and pestle until finely crushed.
3. In a pan, over high fire, put the cooking oil. Add marinated pork. Lightly fry both sides of pork. Remove from pan.
4. Back to the pan, reduce fire to medium-high, sauté the garlic and ginger until golden brown. Pour the fish paste. Saute until oil sizzles. Add the coconut milk and dried taro leaves. Stir lightly. Let it cook over low fire until all liquid evaporates or taro leaves are soft.
5. Put the coconut cream, chillies and fried pork. Mix lightly. Simmer in low fire until desired thickness of coconut cream.
6. Best serve with cooked rice

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Ingredients:

• 12 cups spinach leaves
• 24 strawberries, halved

for the dressing:

• 1/2 cup nan-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate or juice from 2 oranges
• 2 tbsps poppyseeds
• 1 tbsp honey
• salt and pepper to taste.

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the first-four ingredients for the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Put the spinach and strawberries in a bowl. Cling wrap. Chill until ready to use.
3. Drizzle with the dressing, just before serving. Toss well.

Ensalada De Aroz

Ingredients:

• a can of corn kernels, drained
• 2 cans of tuna, drained
• 2 cups cooked white rice, mashed to separate grains
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, cubed
• 1 apple, cored & cubed
• 4 tomatoes, deseeded & cubed

for the vinaigrette:

• 5 tbsps olive oil
• 3 tbsps vinegar
• a good pinch of salt

Procedure:

1. Mix the vinaigrette ingredients until well-blended.
2. Toss all the salad ingredients together.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad.
4. Serve at once.

Pear and Orange Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• a bag of mixed greens
• 1 large orange, segmented or 1/2 cup canned mandarin oranges
• 1 pc pear, peeled & cut into thin wedges

for the dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• a clove of minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, mix salad greens and fruits. Set aside and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bottle and shake well or whisk in a bowl.
3. Drizzle dressing over chilled salad. Toss well. Serve at once.

Grape Walnut Salad

Here's how:
In a bowl, sprinkle seedless grapes, walnuts and feta cheese on a bed of lettuce leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Munch on!

Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• a tbsp of oil
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• a stalk lemongrass, chopped
• 3 red chilis, chopped
• 1/2 kilo of ground chicken
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• a tbsp fish sauce
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• a cup of coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsps shredded basil leaves
• lettuce leaves

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in frying pan over high heat. Add the ginger, lemongrass and chilis. Cook for a minute.
2. Add the ground chicken, stirring to break any lumps until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool slightly.
3. Combine the lime juice and fish sauce. Pour the mixture over chicken. Finish with onion, coriander and basil.
4. Serve salad in small bowls with side plates of crisp lettuce leaves to accompany it.

Chicken and Avocado Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 whole chicken breasts, boiled & cubed
• 2 apples, washed, cored & sliced
• 150 grams seedless grapes
• 1 avocado, deseeded & cubed
• a tbsp dill leaves, finely chopped & more for garnishing
• salt & pepper

for the dressing:

• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tsps honey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp celery seeds

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, toss together chicken breast cubes, apples and grapes. Add the avocados and dill leaves.
2. In another bowl, mix together all dressing ingredients. Lightly toss this with chicken and fruits, taking care not to mash the avocado. Season carefully with salt and pepper.
3. Chill for 2 hours before serving. If desired, top more with dill leaves.

Romaine Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• a bunch of arugula
• a big bag of romaine lettuce
• 2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced thinly

for the dressing:

• 2 tbsps mustard
• a tbsp of honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• a tbsp of calamansi juice

Procedure:

1. Mix together arugula, romaine lettuce and carrots in a bowl.
2. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a another bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad greens shortly before serving to keep greens from getting soggy.

Yellow and Red Watermelon Salad with Cilantro and Mint

Ingredients:

• a cup each of red & yellow watermelon, sliced & chilled
• 200 grams romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup peanut cracker nuts
• a handful each of cilantro and mint leaves

for the dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• a tbsp of shallots
• 2 tbsps calamansi juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Combine ingredients for the dressing. Mix well.
2. Toss the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle dressing. Combine well.
3. Serve immediately.

Steamed Baby Spinach

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. baby spinach
• a tbsp water
• 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
• minced garlic
• a tsp brown sugar

Procedure:

1. Place spinach and water to a microwavable bowl. Cover tightly and cook for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
2. In a pan over medium heat, add Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic and brown sugar. Stir until it thickens. Pour over veggies.
3. Serve immediately

Garbanzo Salad

Ingredients:

• 2-16 oz. cans of cooked chickpeas or garbanzos
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• a tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• a clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons
• a tsp of salt
• a dash each of cumin and pepper powder

Procedure:

1. In a colander, pour out the chickpeas and rinse quickly with water. Allow the beans to drain completely.
2. In a arge bowl, mix the parsley, mint leaves, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Add the chickpeas and combine thoroughly. Sprinkle with all the spices. Mix well. Adjust taste to your liking.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garlicky Chayote

Ingredients:

• 9 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 3 pcs (950 grams) chayote, sliced at 1/8” thick and 1/2” wide
• 2 pcs chicken cubes

Procedure:

• Remove skin of garlic. Pound the garlic with mortar and pestle until well crushed. Transfer to a chopping board. Finely mince.
• In a skillet, over medium fire, put oil. Heat very lightly. Place garlic. Reduce heat to low. Slowly sauté the garlic until it turns rich golden brown in color.
• Add chayote and chicken cubes. Increase slightly the fire to medium-low. Cover. Let it cook for a few minutes until soft but not overcook. Stirring every now and then, to have even cooking.
• Best as a hot side dish.

Crab Salad with Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lime juice
• a tbsp of fish sauce
• 2 tbsps muscovado sugar
• 2 cucumbers, seeded and sliced thinly
• a cup of shredded papaya or mango
• 2 cups crabstick, flaked
• 1/3 cup mint leaves
• 1/3 cup coriander leaves
• lime wedges for serving

Procedure:

1. Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, cucumbers and papaya together. Sit for 10-12 minutes.
2. Put the crabstick and herbs on top.
3. Serve with lime wedges.

High-Land Veggies Stir-fry with Quail Eggs”

Ingredients:

• 15 pcs quail eggs
• salt
• 2-½ tbsps cooking oil
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1 medium sliced white onion, saute’-cut
• 1 small head, 175 grams, cauliflower, cut into flowerettes
• 1 small head, 125 grams, broccoli, cut into flowerettes
• 1 small, 100 grams, carrot, julienne
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, cut into chunks
• 1 pack, 125 grams, snow peas, removed both ends
• sesame oil
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/3 tsp ground black pepper, add more if you like
• 2 tbsps oyster sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ¾ cup water

Procedure:

1. In a small pot, put quail eggs and salt. Level with water. Place over medium-high heat. Bring to boil. Boil for a minute. Remove from fire. Let it sit for a few minutes. Remove water. Change water until eggs have cooled. Remove the shells.
2. Meanwhile, peel and cut the vegetables.
3. In a bowl, combine the last-five ingredients. Mix well until free from lumps. Set aside.
4. In a wok, using high heat, put oil. Sauté garlic and onion until soft. Add all the veggies. Stir-fry for a minute or until half-tender. Add the mixture of spices. Cook until it thickens or veggies are done. Remove from pan. Drizzle lightly with sesame oil.
5. Serve immediately.