Spicy Minced Pork With Long Beans

See the little slices of bird's eye chillies (Siling Labuyo) on the dish? That's a warning for you... this dish is very, very hot! And we like it that way. Bird's eye chillies are the small, tapered, red or green chillies that are pungent and very very hot! Do not be deceived by its small size (around 1 inch in length), it packs a lot in the hotness scale! Once when we treated a Korean friend to a Filipino dinner, our table was given an assortment of condiments for us to pour and mix ourselves. There were bottles of fish sauce, vinegar, calamansi and of course the bird's eye chillies. Our Korean friend asked what the small chillies were, after we told him the name, he promptly popped one into his mouth! We did not even have time to warn him. We know Koreans are used to eating hot dishes but still, this friend was so shocked by the hotness of the bird's eye chillies, he had to gulp it down with a cool drink.

Sometimes, we crave for a hot, spicy dish. Are we masochists or what? Eating a spicy dish in this hot tropical weather that will make us break out into sweat!? But it tastes good, specially good when paired with a bowlful of warm fragrant rice!

Of course, you can always tone down the degree of hotness of any dish by decreasing the amount of chillies you put in or change bird's eye chillies into finger chillies or even bell peppers!


1/2 K lean ground pork, marinated in
1 T soy sauce
1 T fish sauce
2 T cornstarch

1 bundle (around 200 gms) long beans (aka Baguio beans), trimmed, sliced
1 carrot, peeled, julliened
3 - 5 pieces bird eye chillies
1 can coconut cream (or make coconut cream -Kakang gata - from scratch)
4 T cooking oil
2 slices ginger
4 T garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat up some oil in a non-stick wok or cooking pan. Saute ginger and garlic until fragrant but not burnt. For a fiery dish, you can add chillies at this point or you can add it later.

2. Add in the marinated ground meat. Stir fry for a while until cooked.

3. When meat is nearly cooked, add in the long beans, carrots and chillies. Stir fry for a while until vegetables are nearly cooked. Add in the coconut cream. Let boil.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Rice Noodles Stir-Fry (Bihon Guisado) - A Leftover Delight

Be forewarned by the title. This dish is simply a medley of leftovers.

Is it just me? Or do you also experience leftovers? Do you sometimes have a small amount of leftover cooked foods that are too small to be considered one serving? And, by left-overs, I do not just mean left-over foods that we cook ourselves, or from take-outs, but also a little of unused ingredients, here and there. For example, you buy a bundle of carrots, only to use 1 or 2 sticks for a recipe then, stuff the rest in the refrigerator until they languish into oblivion?

Long before the "going green, zero waste" revolution, my grandmother would practice zero waste in her kitchen. This is probably because she has first hand experience of World War II (sounds so long ago?), and the difficultly in rebuilding life in the aftermath of the war. She knew how it hard life could be, such that even when we were already living in the times of plenty, she would train us to be cheapskates and not to waste anything - specially food!

Thank God for grandmothers! Now that the world is experiencing a food crisis, I think my grandmother's training is worth it! I am trying to be more conscious of our food choices, food portions, food management and definitely, food left-over management. I have to be more creative: how to transform leftover foods to leftover delights.

Here are some little things from my refrigerator this weekend: 1 stick of carrot, 2 small bell peppers, a small amount (probably around 1 cup) of leftover pork stew (adobo) with bamboo shoots, the meats (laman) of a Soup No 5 (this is a popular soup here with 5 major ingredients. Will do a post on that soon!), some Bok Choi (pechay) leaves ... definitely Bihon Guisado material.

Bihon is a type of thin rice noodles (Pancit) very popular here in the Philippines but definitely it has Chinese origins. The name itself came from the Chinese words "rice flour." Guisado literally means stew, but in this case, it is used loosely for stir frying as well. This dish is easy to cook, and very versatile. You can use any kinds of meat or seafood. You can use any kinds of green leafy vegetable. That is why any leftovers can be used. If you do not have any leftovers, you can simply add fresh ingredients. The flavoring sauce are simply made from soy sauce, fish sauce (patis), and the finished dish is sprinkled with calamansi (Philippine lime).

I made the dish extra special by adding a can of Chinese Pork Leg Stew, and some slices of shiitake mushrooms.


1 pack (around 250 gms) Rice noodles, washed, soaked for around 10 minutes
1 C leftover meats (or fresh chicken meat, or seafood)
1 can Chinese Pork Leg stew
5 pcs dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water to soften, sliced
1 stick carrot, peeled, sliced
2 bell peppers, seeded, sliced
1 bunch Bok Choi (pechay)
4 T cooking oil
4 T garlic
3 slices ginger
4 T soy sauce
1 C water
salt and pepper to taste
slices of calamansi

1. In a wok or cooking pan, heat up some oil and saute ginger until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not burnt.

2. Add the Chinese pork leg stew and mushrooms. Add in all the leftover meats as well. Stir around for a while. Then add the carrots and bell pepper.

3. Add in the cup of water and the soy sauce. When the mixture boils, add in the softened rice noodles (drain and discard the soaking water!). Mix everything up, making sure that all the rice noodles are mixed evenly with the sauce.

4. Continue stir frying and mixing once in a while until the noodles are cooked. Add in some amounts of water if the sauce dries up.

5. Serve warm with calamansi slices if preferred.


Because I did not have seafood in this dish, I did not flavor the dish with fish sauce (patis). Otherwise, the fish sauce would have added more flavor. Instead of bell peppers, you can also use cilantro or leeks.

Maybe somebody should start a Leftover Blogging event... any takers? :)

Chicken with Mango

This is my version of Chicken with Mango, inspired by Wandering Chopstick's Chicken Mango. Her Chicken Mango looks so delicious, I knew I just had to try it.

I used the commercially available white chicken, since the flavorful native chicken is hard to find. But the mango and fish sauce were able to add in full flavor to the chicken well. I also did not have bell peppers on hand, so I substituted with green onion leeks instead.


1/2 Kilo Chicken, sliced
2 mangoes, seed removed, meat sliced
3 T cooking oil
2 slices ginger
3 T garlic, minced
2 T fish sauce
1 T cornstarch
2 T water
1 bunch leeks, sliced into 1 inch length
salt and pepper to taste

1. Marinate chicken meat in fish sauce. Add in cornstarch just before cooking.

2. Heat up the wok. Add in the cooking oil. Saute ginger and garlic until fragrant but not burnt.

3. Add in chicken slices. Stir fry for a while. Add in a little water. Continue stir frying until meat is cooked. Add in the mangoes. Stir fry a little more, this time gently so that the mangoes will not be squished.

4. Add in the leeks. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dish up. Serve warm.


The result? It may not look as good as Wandering Chopstick's Chicken Mango, but it surely tastes good. Hubby and kids finished everything in one sitting!

Seafood EggDrop Soup

My family loves soup. Don't you? We love all kinds of soup. It can be clear soup or thick soup. It can be cream soup or Sinigang (Sour soup) or Chinese soup or Japanese soup or Filipino soup... Of course a soup can be comforting on a rainy wet day. Do you find it wierd that we also love to have hot soups in the middle of summer? But we do love soup regardless of the weather! I'm sure almost every Filipino and Chinese have one kind of soup or another with all their meals, rain or shine. We do not consider the soup as a mere starter. For us, the soup itself is already a viand (ulam). We spoon the soup over our rice and eat the contents - usually meat and veggies (laman) with our rice.

Here is another easy to do, nutritious thick soup. Need I mention it is flavorful and yummy?

200 gms fresh shrimp meat, chopped
300 gms fresh fish fillet, cut into small cubes
5 pcs kani sticks, cut
a bunch of chinese spinach (polunchay), washed, chopped
2 eggs, well beaten
4 slices ginger
4 T garlic, minced
4 C water
salt and pepper to taste
3 T cornstarch dissolved in 3 T water

1. In a lightly oiled wok or pan, saute ginger until light brown. Sute garlic until fragrant but not burnt.

2. Add in the seafood. Stir fry for a while. Then add the water. Cover and let boil. Simmer until the seafoods are cooked.

3. Add in the spinach. Stir the dissolved cornstarch into boiling liquid until thickened.

4. When the soup boils again. Add the beaten egg while slowly swirling the laddle in the soup to spread the egg around. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.






This easy to do and delicious warm soup with its high protein seafood and eggs is another entry to this month's Eat Healthy:Protein Rich event launched by Sangeeth of The Art of Indian Cooking. Please check out her round-up of healthy recipes by the end of the month.

Stuffed Eggplant

Hubby does not particularly like eggplants (also known as aubergine or talong). For him, a vegetable should be leafy and green. And the eggplant is neither leafy nor green! In a way, he is partially correct. The eggplant is not a vegetable. It is a fruit! It belongs to the berry family, distantly related to the tomato. The eggplant is the glossy, deep purple fruit that grows on vines. It is almost always available throughout the year.

This fruit is commonly cooked as a vegetable, as it cannot be eaten raw. It is so versatile it can be cooked in a lot of ways. It can be stewed as in the French ratatouille or the Philippine Pinakbet, or it can be made into a parmigiana. It can be roasted where the pulp can be used for a varitey of dishes or sauces and chutneys. It can be sliced, battered, stir fried, mashed, etc. Because of its versatility and availability, most people just take it for granted!

Do you know that studies have shown that the eggplant is effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol? It can block the formation of free radicals, as it contains phytonutrients that have antioxidant properties. It helps in preventing cellular damage that can promote cancer; and lessening free radical damage in joints, which is a primary factor in rheumatoid arthritis. It is a source of folic acid, potassium, Vitamin B1 and B6 and fiber. For more information on the eggplant, please click here.


200 gms ground lean beef
4 pcs long oval eggplants
2 T minced garlic
2 T chopped onions
2 T soy sauce
2 T corainder leaves or cilantro
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil eggplants in water until wrinkled and softened. Remove or peel off the skin. Flatten each eggplant by open the eggplants into half, and spreading the meat out.

2. Marinate the ground beef in soy sauce and pepper.

3. Heat up a wok or a skillet. Add some cooking oil. Saute the garlic and onions until softened and fragrant but not burnt. Add in the ground beef. Stir the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and more soy sauce (if preferred). Cook until done.

4. Put some meat mixture onto the flattened eggplant. Dip into the beaten eggs. Lightly skillet fry in some oil until egg is cooked. Dish up and drain in some paper towels to remove some of the oil.

5. Serve warm garnished with chopped leeks or parsley.



Although stir frying or stewing are easier ways of cooking eggplants, my picky eaters prefer their eggplants cooked like this. Hubby and kids are more willing to eat their eggplants this way because it is now made more flavorful by beef. Maybe my repertoire of cooking eggplants are limited. Do you have any flavorful ways of cooking eggplants?



This is my entry to the Weekend Herb Blogging, a word-wide foodie event launched by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen to celebrate different herbs and vegetables available around the world and the dishes we cook using these ingredients. This week's host is Archana of Archana's Kitchen. Please check out last week's round-up beautifully done by Simona of Briciole.

Native Chicken in Four-Herb (Sibut) Soup

I am very honored when Katie of A Merrier World invited me to join her food event: Let Them Eat Chicken. This event aims to raise awareness about the broiler rearing systems of commercial chickens, and help us make informed food choices. Please check out her site if you want to learn where your chicken comes from. She gave an informative post on this topic.

For some time now, I have been aware that our commercially available chicken - the chicken meat we serve on the dinner table are called 45-day chickens. These chickens reach the desired weight and size by 45 days, hence the name. They are fed with anti-biotic laced poultry food mix. They are kept in unsanitized cages, where light, heat and ventillation are controlled to limit movement and maximize weight gain. I have also heard that often times they are deliberately made blind or crippled so that the chickens in the cage will not fight, or hurt each other (lest their meat be bruised.)

Truly sad. But we have accepted the reality that these chicken were bred specifically to satisfy our demand for meat, healthy meat at that. Since everybody considers white chicken meat a good source of complete protein (without the skin, of course, which is full of cholesterol.) But if you think about it, how healthy could they be if they are eating artificially prepared food laced with anti-biotics? Would we not ingest these things as well?

Another sad reality is that in this city, in most markets and supermarkets, only commercial white chicken are available. If I need a native chicken (this is what we call the free-range chicken), which we consider healthier and more nutritious, I have to go to a specialty market in downtown Manila (quite far, and heavily congested) or to weekend markets where farmers from the provinces come up and display their goods - only during weekends.

I remember when I was still a young girl, my grandmother would often buy a native chicken, dress it herself and cook it in soups. Maybe the native free-range chickens were more available then, since farms are closer before. Now that more and more agricultural land near mega-Manila are being converted to cities or industrial use, the farms are getting farther and farther. Hence, we have less access to native chickens.

Grandma would usually cook the native chicken in soup because their meat is tougher, and would take a long time to get tender. She believes that the native chicken is very nutritious and very flavorful. (Just proves grandmas know better.) If we add herbs to the native chicken, and then simmer the soup for a long time, the healthy benefits will increase. So, more often than not, we would get Chicken Soup with Chinese Herbs. I would usually associate this nourishing soup with my grandmother. So, whenever my own family now is experiencing some stress or if we need some nourishment for the whole body, I would go out and hunt down a good native free-range chicken (from the specialty market, of course :) and serve this comforting soup to my family.

This is Grandma's favorite Chinese herb formula composed of these four herbs designed to invigorate the blood, and nourish the whole body. I think these herbs are readily available in Asian markets, and Chinese groceries.

Angelica Sinensis or Tang Gui. this root tonifies and invigorates the blood.

Ligusticum/Cnidium or Chuan Xiong. this root also improves the blood as well as alleviates pain, so sometimes it is used for treating headaches.

Peony Alba or Bai Shao. the root of the peony plant can be used to treat various blood imbalances, poor blood circulation. It is used to stop bleeding and prevent miscarriages.

Chinese Foxglove/Rehmannia or Shu Di. This is blood and yin-tonifying root that is used to treat symptoms of pallid face, palpitaions, insomnia, excessive bleeding, night sweating, dizziness and irregular mentruation.



1 whole native or free range chickens, (around 1 kilo,) chopped to serving sizes
5 slices ginger
5 T minced garlic
1 pc Shu Di or Chinese foxglove
2 pcs Tang Gui or Angelica Sinensis
several pieces of Chuan Xiong or Ligusticum
several pieces of Bai Shao or Peony Alba
a handful of Chinese wolfberry or Guo Qi Zi
8 C water
salt and pepper to taste


1. Wash the chicken pieces very well. Wash the Chinese herbs too. Set aside.

2. Heat up some oil in a big pot. Saute the ginger and garlic until fragrant but not burnt. Add the chicken pieces. Stir fry for a while until the meat changes color.

3. Add the water. Let boil. When it boils, add all the Chinese herbs. Simmer until tender, around 2 hours.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dish up. Serve hot.


Alternately, you can put all the ingredients in a crockpot or slow cooker. Cook it in the morning and when you come home, you already have a warm, nutritious, and nourishing soup waiting for you!

Please check out Kate's A Merrier World in a few days to see many different ways we can cook the nutritious native chicken. We should start making healthier choices for ourselves and our family.

Lemongrass Tea

These are the lemongrass plants growing profusely in pots of my balcony 'garden'. This fragrant plant is easy to grow, I have more than enough that I need for everyday cooking. I often share with family and friends several stalks at a time or else, the pots would not be able to hold all the leaves!

I am happy I have this plant so that I can easily get them fresh. Most of what are available in the market are already dried ones. They do not lose their flavor though, so even the dried lemongrass can still be used for cooking.

Usually, we use the stalk, the white part near the root (where there is more concentration of the citrusy smell) as flavoring for cooking soups, curries or stews. It is used for stuffing roast chicken, for pounding into sauces. What about the leaves? Sometimes, we include those into cooking as well. But more often than not, we infuse the leaves into tea.

It is very simple actually. I use 10 leaves, cut them up into 2 to 3 inches. Wash them well and boil them in a liter of water. The resulting liquid is very fragrant, rich lemon gold in color, very refreshing!



You can drink it hot or cold. (I prefer it hot, no sugar added.) You can drink it as is, or add a simple sugar syrup, or add a sugar substitute such as stevia, if preferred.

To make sugar syrup, just boil 1 cup water with 1 cup whit sugar until sugar is melted and the liquid turns a little syrupy consistency. Add to any of your preferred drinks.

Last week, a friend forwarded to me an email citing a study done by the Ben Gurion University at Negev, Israel. The study shows lemongrass can be a cure for cancer. Read the full transcript here. The study says that lemongrass contains "citral" the component that gives lemongrass its citrusy scent and aroma; and that this component causes the cancer cells in our body to die. The cancer cells die while the healthy cells live, thus helping the cancer patient to be healed.

Hubby and I tend to believe that the anti-cancer properties of the lemongrass is true, not just because of the testimonies of many people but because we believe that God has indeed gifted us many natural herbs and medicines that can be found in nature, in plants. Further studies are being conducted to confirm this initial findings. Meanwhile, we can enjoy this delicious, refreshing lemony tea that may have healing effects on our bodies as well.



This is my entry to Grow Your Own, a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products. This event is launched and hosted by Andrea of Andrea's Recipes. Please check out her blog after the 15th to see the delicious round-ups.

Roast Pork Soup with Chinese Herbs

I have posted a recipe for Pork Soup with Ling Zhi and Chinese herbs before. But the focus of that post was on Ganoderma Lucidum or Ling Zhi and its anti-cancer properties. This time around, I want to present the other ingredients which are also very nutritious. Chinese herbs are known to have medicinal properties, if not for treating illness, herbs can be used for maintaining wellness.









Chinese Wolfberry
or
Gou Qi Zi




Qi Zi has been renowned in Chinese herbal cooking for its potent tonic and aphrodisiac properties. It is used for treatment of general weakness and impotence. This is my mother-in-law's favorite herb because she believes this not only increases our stamina, but also nourishes and brightens the eyes, strengthens our lungs and nourishes our liver and kidneys. It is mildly sweet. This 'neutral' herb can be added to a variety of soups without affecting the taste or smell.







Chinese Red Dates
or
Hong Zao




Red Dates are considered a tonic for the spleen and stomach, so this herb is used for improving digestion. It also increases available energy, so it goes very well when added with Qi Zi. Red dates are known to be effective in countering fatigue, anaemia and low energy. They are commonly used for building up strength and blood. It has a naturally sweet taste.

Red dates can be made into teas; or added to chinese wine and kept for a long time to enhance the flavor of wine. This wine is good for drinking or it can be used to flavor dishes.









Chinese Wild Yam
or
Huai Shan




This is one of the children's favorite Chinese herbs. It is crunchy even when cooked and simmered for a long time. Wild yam is known for enhancing the immune response, so it a good herb for the whole family. Recently, I found out that it also boosts hormone production so it benefits women greatly when taken during mentruation, or menopause and for those who needs to boost their fertility. It can also relive morning sickness.


We had some leftover Lechon or roast pork. The meat, we can make into Paksiw ( a stew made with vinegar and the Lechon sauce). But the bones from ribs and legs parts are also tasty as well. What better way to 'recycle' them but to cook them in soup!

around 1 kilo roast pork bones with some meat

a handful of Chinese wolfberry or Qi Zi
4 -5 pcs red dates or Hong Zao
5 pcs Chinese wild yam or Huai Shan

10 C water
salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the water in a pot. When it boils, add in all the ingredients.

2. Simmer for 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Or alternately, just throw everything in the crockpot or slow cooker in the morning. When you come back for dinner, you already have a nice, hot, nourishing soup waiting for you!




This warm, nourishing soup filled with the goodness of Chinese herbs is submitted to Weekend Herb Blogging, a foodie event featuring herbs and unique plant ingredients around the world. This event was launched by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. This week's host is Simona of the Italian Briciole. Please check out the delicious round-up last week done by Pam of Sidewalk Shoes.

Sweet Potato Greens (Camote Tops) Salad

Many people are familiar with sweet potatoes - the tuber we use for cooking, baking or making desserts. But do you know that the leaves of the sweet potato plant can be eaten as well? The leaves are not only edible but nutritious as well. Its nutritional content is said to be comparable to the spinach. Sweet potato leaves contain dietary fiber, lipid, and essential minerals and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron. They are also important sources of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid. The leaves are high in protein - making it a perfect dish for vegetarians.

Sweet potato tops are excellent sources of antioxidants, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. There are also many anecdotal testimonies that the sweet potato tops are the cure for dengue fever (infammatory, hemmoragic fever caused by a specie of mosquito common in Asia). Information here.

Here in the Philippines, we call the leaves Talbos ng Camote or Camote Tops. Camote is the Tagalog word for sweet potatoes, and Tops, well, because the leaves grown on top! We usually use the leaves for soups and salad. It is an easy plant to grow. It can be harvested several times a year. It is also abundant in all markets and groceries.




1 bunch (around 300 gms) Sweet potato (Camote) Tops, washed, cut into bite sized pieces
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 C rice vinegar (I used brown rice vinegar)
1 T sugar (or more if you prefer a bit sweeter taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Blanch the leaves in boiling water. Drain. Immerse in cold water bath. Drain again.

2. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together.

3. Arrange the sweet potato leaves on a platter. Top with tomatoes and onions. Drizzle with the vinegar-sugar mixture.


This is the basic salad recipe. For variation, we can add fruits such as mangoes, avocadoes or watermelon cubes.


This highly nutritious, absolutely yummy, totally vegetarian dish is my entry to the Healthy Cooking foodie event. Head over to Mansi's Fun and Food blog to learn more healthy and yummy recipes. After all, we have to eat well in order to live well.

Brocolli and Cheese Egg Bake

This is such an easy breakfast or brunch dish to prepare. Very tasty and healthy too! I got the recipe from South Beach proponent and Weekend Herb Blogging chief Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, original recipe here. Of course her picture is much prettier than mine. :)

I did the oven toaster version. Also, I think my oven toaster is much smaller than hers. I couldn't find a small baking dish for my toaster so I used a disposable foil baking dish. With one small head of brocolli, I was able to make 3 small casseroles. Here's my retake on the Brocolli and Cheese Casserole. Recipe for 1 serving casserole.

3 eggs
3 T fresh milk
a bunch of brocolli florettes
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese
salt to taste
some dashes of ground red pepper
some dashes of onion, ginger and chive seasoning

1. Blanch the brocolli florettes in boiling water. Drain immediately and immerse in cold water bath.

2. Lightly spray or coat the baking dish with butter or cooking oil.

3. Arrange the blanched brocolli in the dish. Top with grated cheese.

4. Beat the egg with the milk, salt and pepper and the onion-chive seasoning. Pour this egg mixture over the brocolli and cheese. This is what it's going to look like.


5. Bake in the oven toaster on high power for 10 to 15 minutes. Check for doneness. It is cooked when browned and slightly puffed up. (But it will deflate when cooled...)


You can use any kind of cheese you have on hand, or even a combination of cheeses will do. I think mozarella cheese will be perfect, but I didn't have any on hand. Hubby called this a quiche without the crust. But I think the texture is different from a quiche. However, I think this can be as versatile as the quiche. I think we can add and/or change the brocolli to mushrooms or bell peppers and we can probably add seafood or ham. Hmmm... many possibilities to do next time.