Shrimp Adobo in Coconut Milk (Adobong Hipon sa Gata)

Description:
I have received requests to post more recipes using coconut milk....so this is one more for you to enjoy! This course makes one consume a lot of hot rice!!!! Watch that waistline!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white vinegar (not too strong, and dilute if you use very strong vinegar)
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
salt to taste (or fish sauce - patis)
Ground pepper
2 12-oz cans of coconut milk (or from 2 large coconut)
1 pound large unshelled shrimps - better if it is the suaje breed!
Seasoning (aji, or Mrs. Dash)

Directions:
In a medium size stockpot, prepare the marinade of vinegar, water, pepper, garlic, fish sauce, or salt.

Add the shrimp and let stand for at least 1 hour or more.
Cook in the same pot with the lid off, turning the shrimps often, until the pot is almost dry.
Stir in the coconut milk and allow the sauce to thicken, for approximately 20 minutes over low fire!
At serving time, top with toasted fresh garlic!

Laing

Description:
The same can be used for any kind of vegetables---sitaw, kalabasa---langka, labong, etc.!


Ingredients:
20-50 gabi leaves
* 1/2 kilo pork belly (liempo) or shrimps (shelled or not shelled)
* 1/2 head garlic, finely minced
* 2 tbsp. finely minced ginger
* 6-8 green pepper (long, slender variety), minced - siling mahaba or labuyo
* 1/4 cup bagoong alamang
* 1 tsp aji
* 2 large onions, chopped
* 2 large coconuts, grated- the bigger the coconut the better - or use canned coco milk...the more the better para magmantika!
* salt to taste - just a little since you already put bagoong


Directions:
Shred gabi leaves into small pieces. Optional: Set aside -6 big leaves for wrapping the meat---Do not follow this if you wish to make your cooking easier

Dry shredded leaves under the sun for 1 day or more, until wilted.--the drier, the better.

Add 1 cup lukewarm water to grated coconut and extract cream. Set aside. For the second extraction, add 2 cups lukewarm water.

Mix together shredded leaves, pork, onion, pepper, bagoong, ginger, garlic and season with salt and vetsin. To this mixture add the 2nd extract of coconut cream.

In each whole gabi leaf, wrap 3-4 tablespoon of mixture. top with 1 tablespoon thick cream (1st extraction). Form into a square and wrap tightly. Tie with a thin string or strip of the peel of the gabi stalk.

In a large pan pour leftover of the 2nd extraction cream. Bring to a boil. Then, arrange wrapped mixture on the boiling cream. Cover. After 5 minutes, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until cream is reduced to one half.

Add the 1st extraction or the thick cream, simmer until the cream thickens,a and oil comes out of the cream

Consistency should be VERY THICk-and the oil from the coconut must be visible on tope of the cooking pan.

Herbed Fish w/ Avocado Sauce

Description:
This is an outdoor dish that is perfect for Tilapia or Sole or any fish fillet. If you do not have a griller, use a grill pan, but best to use is a grill basket so that your fish won't break into pieces.

Ingredients:
Juice of 2 limes (lemon, or big calamansi) - divide juice into 2
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dired oregano leaves
2 tsps. olive oil
4 fish fillet about 4 to 6 ozs. eac (tilapia, halibut or sole)
1 ripe avocado peeled and pitted
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsps water
4 to 6 large lettuce leaves, spinach leaves or any kind of lettuce leaves
1 alrge ripe thinly sliced tomato

Directions:
1. Combine the lime juice, tyme, oregano and oil oil.
2. Brush on each side of the fish
3. Preheat coals and allow to burn down
4. Lightly oil your grill rack.
5. Grill fish for 2 to 4 mins per side, or until done and fish flakes easily. (Be careful as your turn the fish, use a flat turner if you are not using a grill basket)
6. Blend avocado, onion, water, and the 2 tbsps lime juiceuntil smooth.

Arrange lettuce leaves--and arrange fish and sliced tomatoes over lettuce. Drizzle fish with lime juice and top with avocado sauce!

Busy Busy Busy Monday

I know, I know...you might say...didn't I just move to a new job?  But one will never know the "fit' until you have tried it.  And I find myself wanting to move out again....(my fault---due to my haste to move out of my previous position--I did not dwell much on the job description of my current job---which is super easy---but I am not for such kind of a job---I want to be challenged and use whatever I have between my ears!!!!

So today, I hopped from one interview to the other: 8 am (a pharmaceutical company, 10:am (another pharmaceutical company, 12:noon (an accoustical and architectural woodwork company, and 3:00 pm (a law firm).  I timed these schedules giving myself 30 minutes drive time.

Well, I can say I know I fared well in all... but still I do not know if it's just the positive nature in me---or otherwise.  The companies are all b-i-g....and I found myself liking the 1st and the 3rd positions, and totally dislike the 4th.  the 2nd---well...I am not too convinced.  I just pray that God will lead me once again to a new horizon as He always did.   All I can do now is wait...

Tomorrow---back to my job!

To my dear readers and contacts, please include my quest in your prayers!  Accept my  thanks in advance. 

 

Principles of Motherhood

I did not make the following "principles" of motherhood, but I thought it is worth putting here for all mothers (and grandmothers) to read since I find these lines both amusing and very true!

     Motherhood: If it was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called labor.

     To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.

     The right temperature in a home is maintained by warm hearts.

     Raising a teenager is like nailing Jell-O- to a tree..

     Life's golden age is when the kids are too old to need babysitters and too young to borrow the family car

     Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.

     Grandmothers are similar to a piece of string -- handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of grandchildren.

     God gave you two ears and one mouth---so you should listen twice as much as you talk.

     There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone to do it, or forbid your children to do it.

     Cleaning your house while your kids are at home is like trying to shovel the driveway during a snowstorm.

     Kids really brighten a household; they never turn off any lights.

     A child outgrows your lap, but never outgrows your heart.

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers, and would-be mothers!

 

  

 

         

 

 

Ginataang Tilapya Fillet(or Azuhos)

Description:
Filipinos love any course cooked with coconut milk---this is one of them!
Tilapya is available all year round and fillets are good for this meal!

Ingredients:
4 pcs. tilapya fillet (scaled and cleaned)
crushed fresh garlic
1 sliced onion
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
2 pcs. jalapeno pepper (siling mahaba
Chopped ginger (quantity depends on your preference- the more- the spicier)
1 eggplant - sliced and cut into 1/2 inch.
1/2 medium sized squash - peeled, sliced and cut up into 1/2 inch.
Salt to taste
4 cups of thick coconut milk (kakang gata)
1 cup of not too strong vinegar (or rice vinegar)



Directions:
I. In a casserole arrange fish and spices
2. Pour in vinegar and 2 cups thick coconut milk
3. Boil only for 5 minutes (not longer or fish will be mushy)
4. (remove fish and set aside)
5. Add onions, red and green peppers
6. Add squash and let cook, until tender
7. Add eggplant
7. Season
8. Continue boiling by adding the remaining 2 cups of coconut milk
9. Put the fish back and continue cooking till sauce blends with the fish.

Fancy Mashed Potatoes

Description:
A wonderful variety of a side dish which is good for any kind of menu, pork, chicken, turkey. Young and old will love this! Yummy.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
8 tbsps. butter, divided
8 sweet potatoes (or ordinary russet potatoes), peeled, boiled and mashed.
1 cup sour cream
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seasoned salt



Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.
2. In a small saucepan, warm milk and 2 tbsp butter until butter
melts.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes and milk mixture.
4. Stir sour cream into potatoes and milk, and mix well.
5. Break cream cheese into large pieces and add, one at
a time, to potato mixture beating well after each addition.
6. Add salt.
7. Pour potato mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with seasoned salt.
8. Divide remaining butter into patties and place on top of potatoes.

(Potatoes may be refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to baking).

9. Bake 25 mins. or until edges are browed.

This may or may not be served with gravy.