Beef on Tamarind Soup Base (Sinigang na Baka)

We all call her "Mama" our grandmother, and I could remember that she would always expect her children to visit her during Sundays at her home. My family and I would travel almost an hour and a half just to visit her and she would always prepare the most delightful food and set it on the table especially when it comes to my Dad's favorite Filipino dish, "Sinigang na Baka ( Beef on Tamarind Soup Base). This very delectable kind of sour, and spicy kind of dish that makes the Filipino eat more, because, not only that it smells good and healthy but it also taste so good.
I remember, when I first learned to cook this dish that I was so afraid to add the Tamarind because I do not know how much sourness it would need. My mother guided me through the cooking and fortunately, I was able to perfect this dish. Whenever my Dad would ask what's for lunch and I say "Sinigang na Baka" po, my Dad's response would always be...Wow!!! =)

Let me share my recipe and hope you can try it at home and make your family a wonderful and delightful Filipino dish that has been an all time favorite.


"Beef on Tamarind Soup Base" (Sinigang na Baka)

Ingredients:

1 kilo beef [for stewing, cut into cubes]
12 pcs. sampaloc [tamarind] or 1 pack of Tamarind Soup Base powder
2 onions [diced]
6 tomatoes [quartered]
2 pcs. radish [sliced diagonally]
4 pieces gabi [yam, peeled and cubed]
2 pieces eggplant [sliced diagonally]
1 bundle sitaw [stringbeans, cut into 2 inches in length]
1 bundle kangkong leaves
4 pieces green sili
6 cups water
Salt and Patis (fish sauce) to taste

Procedures:

Boil tamarind to soften. Pound and strain all juices and set aside.
In a large pot, bring beef to a boil, lower fire and simmer for an hour or two until beef is tender.
Take out all scum that rises to the surface.
Add onions, tomatoes and tamarind juice, followed by gabi, and cook for a few minutes.
Add in eggplant, sitaw and green sili (jalapenos)
Season with salt and patis to taste.
Add in kangkong leaves. Remove from heat and serve hot.

"Cooking is never far to treat a family during Sundays."

A Little Mexican in You

Filipino's just like the people of Mexico loves to eat "taco". I still remember the first time I tasted a Mexican Taco when I was 9 years old. My mother use to take me to this supermarket in Cebu City named Foodarama Supermarket. This was one of the famous supermarket located in Mango Ave., in the early 80's and every time my mother would pick me up from school we would stop by this store to get some groceries and she would treat me to a very delicious Mexican taco. That was the first for me and since then Taco was a popular food for me and my friends. Another food store that served Mexican Taco was Orange Brutus. It was located also at Mango Ave., but just across my school and my friends and I would just cross to dine during our lunch break. Orange Brutus served different kinds of burgers, a wiener and the best ever tasting Mango shake was a fad during those days...just a few more months, Mexican Tacos arrived served with different flavors. Tacos were always known for its crunchy taco shells, ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. This was simple but Orange Brutus came up with fillings that were to die for and it certainly was popular for a lot of Cebuano's who loved to eat Mexican food. As I grew older my family and I moved here to Manila and with my cousin's who were more of the outgoing people invited me to dine at Tacomio. This food joint served soft taco and crispy taco that made my curiosity grow. I was really thinking how would a soft taco look like and taste like? I ordered up and the difference was it looked more of like a tortilla or a quesadilla...very Mexican but very delicious too. Tacomio would serve them just the way you like it and the Hot Salsa is hot as ever. This Mexican Taco inspired a lot of Filipinos to appreciate the Mexican style of cooking. I have my own version of my very own soft tortilla Tacomio.

A Healthy Quesadilla

Ingredients:

1 pack of tortilla (pita bread)
1 whole chicken breast boiled
5 tomatos chopped into small pieces
1 big white onion chopped into small pieces
1 whole water lettuce
1/2 cup of grated cheese
parsley chopped
1 can of sliced mushrooms cut into small pieces
salt and pepper
1 bell pepper green or red (you may use more than 1 depending on the size of the vegetable)
1 bottle of Mexican Salsa (your brand of choice)

Procedure:

Bring chicken breast to boil until cooked and remove from water then shred chicken mix with salt and pepper and put aside. Get tomatos, onions, bell pepper, parsley and mushrooms and chopped into small pieces then set aside. Grate 1/2 cup of quick melt cheese set aside. Prepare 1 whole leaf of water lettuce and 1 piece of Tortilla.
Take a tortilla and place a leaf of water lettuce then get a small amount of shredded chicken and some tomatos, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, parsley and grated cheese, add Mexican salsa to taste. Fold the Tortilla into half and on a skillet bring Tortilla to toast until cheese would melt. Do the rest of the Tortilla. Serve hot.

Note: All ingredients would depend on your serving.

Roast My Chicken

And who said that chicken isn't an all time favorite for a lot of Filipinos? Filipino people would die for a delicious food like chicken. Our country is known for all the popular fast food stores like Jollibee, McDonald's, Kentucky, and one of the best tasting chicken is Kenny Rogers Roasted Chicken. It came to the Philippines in the early 1990's and I could remember I was still in college that a lot of Filipinos were curious of its taste. Surely we have the old time Baliwag and Andoks Roasted chicken that is being sold on the streets of Manila, but with Kenny Rogers Roasted Chicken, it has its distinctive wonderful taste that a many Filipinos opened their minds to a delectable, delicious taste of roasted chicken matched with healthy side dishes that inspired a lot of Filipino family nationwide. From popular supermarkets around the Metro roasted chicken made it a household name. With my own version of roasted chicken inspired by Kenny Rogers Roasted Chicken, let me share my recipe from my kitchen to your home.

Le Citron de poulet et Poivre (Chicken Lemon and Pepper)

Ingredients:

1 kilo whole chicken
parsley chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can of whole button mushrooms
1 lemon fruit sliced
lemon zest
fresh ground pepper
pandan leaves
salt (optional)

Marinade:

1 bottle Italian dressing
1 bottle honey dijon dressing
1 bottle balsamic vinaigrette
1-2 tsp. lemon juice and pepper

Procedures:

For the marination: Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Marinate 1kilo of chicken (overnight for best results).
After marinating the chicken, stuff pandan leaves, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Prepare a baking dish. Place 2 tbsp of olive oil to avoid chicken from sticking to the baking pan. Bake chicken for 1hr. and 30mins. at 3750F. Make sure to cover marinated chicken with foil to lock in the taste. Cook first for 45mins. and check chicken if cooked well. Remove cover and put back chicken to oven and cook with remaining minutes until golden brown.

On a serving dish lay baked chicken and garnish with button mushrooms, lemon zest, chopped parsley and sliced lemon fruit.

Tips: For tastier marination, put chicken in a zip lock food plastic to lock in the taste and refrigerate marination overnight. Turn over marinated chicken once in a awhile.
Be creative in preparing cooked food on a serving dish.

Have fun in the kitchen. Explore the beauty of your thoughts for food! Did I not just say that chicken is an "All Time Favorite?".

Apprécier votre repas!

Cuisine du' Ciel Yummy Sandwich!

One of the best food that me and my partner would like to have is a good healthy sandwich. I remember those times that we would crave for a "Subway" sandwich, one of America's well known sandwich store wherein I remember my Mother use to work here when they were still new in the United States. Here in Manila we can see Subway stores at popular malls in the city but unfortunately, Filipinos aren't grown to accepting bread as a popular staple food because "rice" is always known to be one. Let me share my own version recipe for a healthy sandwich that inspired me during "Subway Sandwiches" days.

Dégonfler le Sandwich de Salade (Chicken Salad Sandwich)

Ingredients:

1 pack of sliced wheat bread
3 cuts of chicken breasts (no skin)
lettuce
cucumber
tomatoes
parsley
spring onions
2 tablespoons of mustard sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup of grated cheese
salt and pepper

Procedures:

Boil chicken breast until well cooked. Shred chicken breast for filling and set aside.
Prepare lettuce, you may get 6 leaves from the lettuce or it depends on how much you can consume. Take them out from stalk and chop them to fine pieces (like we use for coleslaw). Slice cucumber to thin bite slices, do the same with tomatoes but make sure to remove the seeds. Chop parsley and spring onions and grated cheese.
In a salad bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, parsley, spring onions and grated cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl mix 2 tbsp. of ketchup and mustard sauce very well. Then, combine the ketchup, mustard sauce mixture with the chicken salad. Make sure that you mix ingredient altogether to get its rich healthy taste.
Prepare the wheat bread. Place an amount of chicken salad on a slice of wheat bread and place a wheat bread on top to make a sandwich. Put pressure on the sandwich just to seal the bread a little. Heat a non-stick skillet and put Chicken Salad Sandwich on top to toast. Cheese will slowly melt on salad and toast.

* This recipe will depend on how much you can consume in one preparation. Do not burn bread while toasting them to avoid carcinogens.

Enjoy this healthy meal with your family and this is also good for people who are weight conscious.

Apprécier votre repas! (Enjoy your meal!)

Chai du' Ciel

I had learned to cook when I was in elementary. I remember at school during home economics that our teacher would always make us bring ingredients for our homework, so the next day me and my classmates would start preparing for the food that we would be cooking on that day. As the day ends, I come home and I would watch my Mother cook at her kitchen and I would start to ask so many questions and my Mother would start to teach and tell me which comes first and what comes last for the ingredients. As I grew older, learning how to cook was a requirement for my Father. During the Spanish era women are made to serve their husbands, so you must consider cleaning, taking care of the children and the most important thing is to cook for the family. As they say “ One way through a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Filipino women during the older generations were known to be this type of individual. This is why with my father, it is important that his daughters learned how to cook. I for one developed more of this cooking not only because it was inspired by my parents and ancestors but because I love to cook as well.

“Good Food Leads to a Healthy Lifestyle.” My partner in life is a Certified Head Fitness Trainer. He has been very keen about the food he eats and the combination of ingredients mixed on a certain recipe. Although, he allows me to explore my interest as long as I keep a balance in whatever I prepare. I would be sharing some of my recipes and food inventions that has been inspired from the food that I have tasted, the food that I had eaten and through memories of such delightful taste that it be cherished through times.