Sinigang is a soup known for its sour flavor often because of the tamarind flavoring added to the soup base.  Unlike western soup where they become side dishes, sinigang is traditionally served as the main course, often with the rice being the ‘side’ dish.

Meat in sinigang includes fish, pork, shrimp and beef and is usually stewed in tamarinds, tomatoes and onions. Common ingredients in authentic sinigang include having okra, taro (gabi), water spinach (kangkong), eggplants, beans (sitaw) and topping it off with a little spice by adding green pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1 Kilo Shrimp
• Tamarind (Sampaloc) or 1 pack Sinigang Mix
• 1 diced Onion (diced)
• 2-3 tomatoes (quartered)
• 1 bundle Sitaw (String beans)
• 1 bundle Kangkong
• 3 pieces long green pepper
• 5 cups water (or more for the soup)
• Salt or Patis (fish sauce)

Instructions:

• Boil Tamarind in water to soften and then extract the juice or use sinigang powder mix
• In another bowl, boil water, Tamarind juice (or powder), onions, tomatoes and taro.
• Add in Shrimps (or other meats), Kangkong, Sitaw and green long pepper.
• Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Season with salt or patis.
• Serve hot with rice.

Puto Bumbong is a Filipino dessert traditionally made from  sticky or glutinous rice and has a purple color, soaked in water and dried and then poured into bumbong (or bamboo tubes) and then steamed.  The steaming causes the hot air to rise into the tube to cook the puto.  This Filipino specialty is usually served during Christmas time and is topped with shredded coconut.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup glutinous rice
• 2 tsp purple ube
• 2 cups water
• panutsa (sugar cane sweet) or mascuvado (raw sugar)

Steps:

• Add ube or purple coloring to water
• Soak the rice in salted water for at least 4hrs
• Then strain the excess water out with a cloth (usually let sit overnight)
• Heat the steamer with enough water
• Put the mixture in bamboo tubes (bumbong)
• Use a lansungan or steamer to cook the mixture
• Steam for about 10mins or until done
• Push puto bumbong out of the tubes
• Top with shredded coconut and serve

Boy Bawang literally means “Boy Garlic” or Garlic Boy, named for the strong garlic flavoring.  Boy Bawang is not a Super Hero in garlic form, unfortunately — but ‘he’ or it is actually corn and a very popular Filipino snack!  The only super hero contents is after you eat it, you’ll have superhero breath that will repel anyone, even mosquitos!

The snack is basically toasted corn with garlic flavoring. It also comes in a variety of flavors such as Adobo, but garlic is the most popular. The corn is toasted to be very crispy, and they come in small packages which you can find a most Filipino stores.

Boy Bawang is made from large kernels of corn. The corn is baked using a process that produces kernels with a hard outer layer covering a hollow inside.

Making your own Boy Bawang

Ingredients:

• Fresh corn kernals
• oil
• garlic salt or powder

Steps:

• Prepare corn kernel by soaking them in water (3hrs)
• Drain water and place in hot oil in deep frying pan
• Fry until brown or crunchy
• Drain oil from kernels and season with garlic salt (or flavoring of choice)

So what is Palabok? It is a well known dish in the Philippines and have been part of the Filipino family meals for decades.  Palabok is a noodle dish with a bold flavors of cream of mushroom and a balanced mixture of onions and garlic.  Palabok is a great dish to make because it takes little effort and it is something that is cooked fast. The soft white noodles mixed in with the cruchy chicharon give it a unique texture that will make your mouth water.

Here is a simple recipe which will get you started in making your Palabok specialty!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, minced [pre-cooked]
• 1 can of  cream of mushroom
• 1 can of cream of chicken
• 3-4 cups of water
• powdered atchuete [a popular brand is Mama Sita’s]
• patis (fish sauce) to taste
• crushed chicharon [pork rinds]
• fried garlic [minced then fried]
• hard boiled eggs sliced
• chopped spring onions
• sliced lemon

Procedure

1. Heat some oil and add just enough achuete powder for color.
2. Saute the onion, add ground pork and cook til brown.
3. Add 1/2 c water, simmer til dry.
4. Add minced shrimp.
5. Add the cream of mushroom and chicken, mix well.
6. Add 3-4 cups of water and let simmer for 20 mins.
7. Season with patis.
8. Cook noodles and drain well, then pour sauce over it and mix well.
9. Top with sliced eggs, onions, lemon etc.

Tapsilog is the term used when beef tapa, fried rice, and fried egg are together in one meal. It is a popular dish served in the Philippines and is usually served during breakfast.

Simple steps to making your own Tapsilog

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg beef sirloin
one clove of garlic, minced finely
3/4 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp of salt
1 Tbsp pepper

Steps:
1. Put all the ingredients together to make the marinade, then add meat (thinly sliced). Let it marinate for 1-2 days for best flavor (minimum 30mins).

2. When done marinating, fry the meat in a pan to the right crispy-ness

3. Make the garlic fried rice by frying day old rice in a pad and then add onions, seasonings and salt and pepper.

4. Serve with an egg of your choice on the side, usually sunny side up!