Let Us Dance The Beat of Avocado Salsa

Avocado Salsa

As part of my continuous recovery, I am oblige to discover healthier foods that are locally available here in the Philippines. Every Sunday, it is my routine to go to the market to buy stocks for the whole week, this will lessen the time and prevent hassle in preparing what to cook for every meal. I discovered that there were lots of ripe avocados that can be buy from the street vendors. Maybe it is their season of abundance. One of the vendor had offered me and without any second thought I bought 2 kilos. My daughter asked me what shall I do with it and I said, just watch and eat. She was only familiar with adding sugar and milk. Sometimes she doesn't want avocado because of its bitterness and color.

Some nutritionists conducted studies that Avocado contains carotenoid lutein, carotenoids, zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene,and even significant amounts of vitamin E that can combat prostate cancer.

They believe that it also have high levels of phytonutrients or phytochemicals – plant compounds thought to have health-protecting qualities – that are often found in dark colored fruits and vegetables. This compound can prevent Oral Cancer.

For diabetic person, avocado can also be good for them. Avocados also offer vitamin E that helps neutralize free radicals, folate that may lower homocysteine levels in the blood, and fiber that helps regulate blood sugar levels. All of these functions offer important benefits for people with diabetes. Ounce-per-ounce, avocados rank highest in monunsaturated fat, vitamin E, folate, potassium, magnesium, lutein, beta-sitosterol and glutathione, compared to other commonly eaten fruits. (http://einron.hubpages.com/hub/avocadocuresprostateoralcancer)

After we arrived from the market, I immediately prepare a recipe which I think it can be interesting for the whole family since this is not common for us.


Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados (sliced and cut into cube)
• 3 tomatoes (smaller size than the avocado)
• chopped fresh cilantro (it depend on how many cup that you want)
• shallots or onion (sliced)
• squeeze juice of lime (kalamansi)
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or virgin coconut oil)
• 2 pickled jalapeno chili, minced
• fresh ground black pepper
• big pinch salt

Procedure:

• Toss all ingredients together in a bowl
• Leave it for 4 hours to let the aroma combine with its other.
• Best serve if you have pita bread, nachos or tacos. 

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The Famous Ensaladang Pako

After experiencing a two times of seizure, I was more conscious of my food intake. I make sure that there is always a vegetable and fruits in every meal, I limit the rice in my plate to one scoop and increase those recipe that I know it can boost my health.

As I researched thru the internet, I came across this rare recipe which is almost unknown to the young generation. They call this as Ensaladang Pako or Pako Salad. The main ingredient of this recipe is the fiddle-head fern combined with a twist of different Philippines available mixture.

I have tried to copy the photo that had captivated my attention. And when I tasted it, I found out that it turns-out to be nice. So I am sharing to you the Ingredients and preparation in making it.

Ingredients:

• Paco Tops / Fiddle-head Ferns
• Sliced Shallots or Onions 
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Salted Egg (Itlog na Pula) 
• Vinegar (preferably apple cider)
• Kalamansi
• Orange Zest
• Kesong Puti (Caraboa's Milk Cheese)
• Fish Sauce 
• Sugar

Needed Materials:

• Hot water
• Ice cubes

Preparation:

• Submerge fiddle-head fern into the hot (boiling) water for about a minute.
• Transfer the fern in a cold water with ice cubes to stop from being cook.
• Remove the fern from the water and drain it thoroughly.
• From a separate bowl, mix vinegar, sugar and fish sauce to make a vinaigrette.
• Combine the fern with sliced shallots and tomatoes.
• Toss it with vinaigrette.
• Squeeze with some kalamansi.
• Then top with sliced salted-egg and kesong puti.
• Lastly, designed and scattered the orange zest.

 Photo from http://fennelbulb.blogspot.com

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The Two Variations of Ilocandia Empanada

Here on earth, everything have its own contrast. They might be the same in physical aspect but totally different its innate ability or maybe they have the same name but the outside look speaks for itself.

Why I have said that statement? Well, it's because our feature food for today is all about this. Although this food has came from the northern part of Ilocos. It has its own unique quality which differs from each other. I am talking to the mouth watering street food empanada.

Empanada has become popular in the Philippines through the introduction of the colonizers, the Spaniards. It was believed that this food came from Galicia, an autonomous community in northwest Spain.

According to Wikipedia, Empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried.

The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, cheese, huitlacoche, vegetables or fruits among others.

With this definition, there is no definite ingredients as to what are these specifically. It might be an absence or a presence of one of those composition but the one that wrap the food may define the food as empanada.

Looking back at the origin of empanada, the Ilocanos have been one that were influenced by this food. So they created their own unique style of preparing this food with the characteristic that may define their palatable taste.

Ilocos is divided into two, the Norte and the Sur. They have the same dialect but different in preparing the empanada. The Norte which specifically from Batac, empanada's are cook using a thicker crust of dough. Livelier color attracts also the eater because they are using "achuete" to make it into orange. While the Sur version from Vigan is the opposite of the one I mention. Thinner with crisper crust even when its cold and has a pale color.

Basically, this two kinds of empanada have the same compositions, rice flour for the crust dough, fresh egg and mongo sprout filling, grated green papaya and Ilocos longanisa (take note there are also different version of longanisa from both places). The cooking procedure is the same, it is deeply fried on a boiling cooking oil.

In Vigan they dip the empanada in Ilocos black vinegar (Sukang Iloko) while in Batac they use catsup as a sauce. This variations make them totally different when it comes to taste.

Although I have tasted them both, I found it very arousing and I am dreaming them again rolling inside my mouth.

Here are two videos of two different types of cooking empanada from Ilocandia:








Photos from www.flickr.com

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My Darling Laing

Today, the authenticity of every Filipino food wouldn't really matter, as long as it will suit your taste or it is a delectable dish this will be the issue.

Just like Laing which originally came from the Bicol region, today, this delicacy is also known all over the country with different ways in preparing it. But you can really enjoy a dish when you taste the authentic one. Bicolanos are consider as one of the country's greatest cooks, they have the origanal way in preparing this food, a distinct taste that others couldn't copy.


The basic ingredients of this recipe are the dried leaves or stalks of taro(dahon ng gabi), coconut milk (gata) and red chili peppers (siling labuyo). The dahon ng gabi will be slowly cooked using the coconut milk and other ingredients.

GINATAANG LAING

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp peeled and minced garlic
• 2 medium peeled and minced onion,
• 1/2 kilo sliced porkloin
• 1 kilo dried gabi (taro leaves and stalks)
• 4- 5 cups coconut milk
• shrimp paste (bagoong)
• 3-4 pieces sliced red chili peppers (siling labuyo)

How to Cook:

• In a casserole, Add the pork meat. Let it cook until it turns red.
• Sauté garlic, ginger and onions together with the meat.
• Mix in the gabi leaves.
• Pour in the coconut milk or gata. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add the chili (siling labuyo), shrimp paste bagoong, salt. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Add the coconut cream and continue to simmer until it excreat oil comes.

Photo: From Flickr

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My Ilocano Pinakbet

Pinakbet (pakbet or pinakebbet, meaning "shrunk") is a popular Ilocano dish from the Northern part of Luzon. This vegetable dish is more known as a regional food. But today, almost the whole country has a different way of cooking this dish.

The original Pinakbet Ilocano uses fermented fishes called bagoong or bugguong. This is to bring-out the distinct taste of the vegetables. Some part of the country invented to used bagoong alamang.

Pinakbet used basic vegetables such as bitter melon, eggplant, tomato, okra, string beans, chili peppers, parda, patani, squash. Others include root crops like sweet potatoes. In Ilocos, they even include the young pods of marunggay. It is usually spiced with ginger, onions, or garlic.

In some cases, lechon, chicharon, or other meats (most commonly pork) are added. It is considered a very healthy dish, and convenient in relation to the harsh and rugged, yet fruitful Ilocos region of the Philippines.

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