Thursday, August 7, 2008

Chopsuey

The Chinese vegetable dish that complements everything. Haha.

Good for 6 persons
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes


1 whole broccoli
6 pcs. Quail egg – boiled after 5 minutes.
2 tbsp. Seaweed Hair – from Wei Wang, bathed in water for 5 minutes.
¼ cup sliced Wood Ear – from Wei Wang, bathed in water for 3 hours.
¼ cup sliced Chicken Breast
10 pcs. Shrimp Suahe (medium) - peeled
1 pc. Carrot
1 small can Button Mushroom (Narcissus brand)
1 small can Young Corn
1 tbsp. Salt
½ tsp. White Sugar
2 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Sesame Oil (Lee Kum Kee brand)
3 stalks Spring Onion
2 tbsp. of Cooking Oil
2 cups of Water or Chicken Broth


Prep:
1. Remove the flowers from the broccoli. Peel the stalk. Then slice.
2. Peel the carrot, and use fancy slicer to slice the carrots.
3. Boil the carrot and the broccoli together for 3 minutes.
4. Peel the boiled quail eggs.
5. Slice the chicken breast into paper-thin pieces. Coat with 1 tbsp of the cornstarch and some cooking oil. Dissolve the other tbsp of cornstarch in tap water.
6. Chop the young corn into halves.
7. Slice the spring onion into ½ inch.

Cook:
1. Heat the oil on the wok.
2. Stir-fry the chicken breast quickly. Remove.
3. Add the shrimp, cook for 2 minutes. Remove.
4. Add water or chicken broth to the wok. Let it boil.
5. When boiling, add the wood ear and the seaweed hair. Cook for 3 minutes.
6. Put back the chicken breast and shrimp.
7. Add all of the ingredients except for the spring onion and sesame oil.
8. When everything is cooked, add the dissolved cornstarch and mix for 2 minutes.
9. Then add the spring onion and sesame oil. Mix.
10. Serve.

Pancit Canton

This is what we normally serve to our Pinoy guests during parties or potluck dinners. It is a great substitute to plain rice and it complements other dishes like barbecue well!

Good for 10 persons
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes


500 g Pancit Canton noodles (Tiffany brand)
½ kg Pork Lomo (pork tenderloin)
½ kg Shrimp Suahe (medium) - peeled
10 pcs. Fishball (for canton) – from Wei Wang
10 pcs. Dried Shiitake Black Mushroom – bathed in water overnight
2 Carrots
½ kg Cabbage
5 stalks of Spring Onion
1 bulb Red Onion
1 bulb Garlic
¼ cup Soy Sauce
Water or Chicken Broth (use chicken bone)
1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
4 tbsp. Cooking Oil
Calamansi

Prep:
1. Boil 8 cups of water with the chicken bone for 1 hour. Remove the bone.
2. Slice the pork lomo into small, thin and vertical slices.
3. Slice the fishballs into long slices.
4. Slice the mushrooms into long slices.
5. Slice the carrots into long slices.
6. Slice the cabbage into long slices.
7. Slice the spring onion into ½ inch.
8. Chop the red onion and garlic.

Cook:
1. Heat the oil on the wok using high flame.
2. Add the chopped garlic and onion until browned.
3. Remove the garlic and onion.
4. Add the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove.
5. Add the pork lomo, mushroom and fishballs together. Add the soy sauce. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the broth mixture. Let it boil. Cover the wok.
7. When boiling, add the pancit canton and the carrots. Cook for 8 minutes. Mix thoroughly.
8. Put back the browned garlic and onion and the shrimp together into the wok. Mix.
9. Add the cabbage and spring onion. Mix well for 1 minute.
10. Serve with calamansi.

Homestyle Shabu-Shabu

This is a special dish that we eat during our weekends at Tagaytay. It leaves a nice, warm and filling sensation to our tummies. We modified our version and removed the noodles so that we could have less carbs and more protein. Hehe. There are 2 ways of cooking this: with sate sauce and without sate sauce.

Both recipes are below.

Good for 5 persons
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes


Pork broth – (buy or reuse old pork bone)
¼ kg Shrimp Suahe (medium)
¼ kg Beef Sukiyaki
1 pc. Pusit Lumot (big white squid)
5 pcs. Dried Shiitake Black Mushroom – bathed in water overnight or 3 hours before cooking.
1 square Tofu
½ kg Lapu-Lapu Fillet
¼ cup Sesame Seeds – from Wei Wang/Healthy Options; toast on a pan until it turns golden brown.
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil (Lee Kum Kee brand)
½ cup Soy Sauce
¼ kg Lettuce
¼ kg Spinach
10 pcs. Fishball (for soup) – sliced
1 stalk of Leek
2 g of Togue
Water

* Needs: Shabu-shabu hot pot.


Broth:
1. Boil 8 cups of water with the pork bone using low flame for 1 hour. Use a big kaldero (pot).
2. Remove the bone.
3. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix. Taste. Add salt if needed.

Shabu-Shabu:
1. Transfer to shabu-shabu hot pot.
2. When it starts boiling, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Remove and transfer to serving bowls.
4. Add the fishballs and cook for 5 minutes. Do #3.
5. Add the fish fillet and cook for 5 minutes. Do #3
6. Add the tofu and cook for 5 minutes. Do #3.
7. Add the togue and cook for 5 minutes. Do #3.
8. Add the lettuce and spinach together and cook for 5 minutes. Do #3.
9. Add the leek, cook and do not transfer.
10. Dunk the shrimp and remove immediately if cooked. Transfer to serving bowls.
11. Dunk the squid and remove immediately if cooked. Transfer to serving bowls.
12. Arrange the beef sukiyaki on the serving bowls. This will be cooked by the broth in #13.
13. Pour the broth onto the serving bowls.
14. Serve.

Note:
After cooking each ingredient, you can wait for the broth to boil for at least 2 minutes (ipakulo mo) so that you can cook the next ingredient faster.

To make Shabu-Shabu with Sate Sauce,
• add: 2 tbsp of Peanut Butter (Lady’s Choice) and 4 tbsp of Sate Sauce (from Wei Wang)
• Change soy sauce to 4 tbsp because the sate sauce is salty as it is.
• Follow same procedure but add the 2 ingredients to the broth. Adjust with salt if preferred.

Duck Patotim

This is our mom's favorite. It's similar to the earlier recipe... but it makes use of duck meat instead of pork.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 hours


1 whole duck (pato)
1 bulb Garlic - chopped
1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
4 tbsp. Soy Sauce – adjust depending on pato size
10 pcs. Castanas (cooked) – from Little Store/Wei Wang
¼ kg Baguio Pechay
2 tbsp. Cooking Oil
Tap Water


1. Heat the cooking oil on the wok. Use high heat.
2. Add half of the garlic. When it has browned, add the sugar and stir until they form clumps.
3. Put the pato in.
4. Add the soy sauce and adjust according to taste.
5. Mix all of the sauces to coat the pato well.
6. Put water to soften the pato. Change to low heat. Continue adding water until the pato is tender. This process takes around 3-4 hours. Note that younger ducks are softer and take less time. Adjust the procedure for older-and tougher ducks.
7. Flip to other side at most 3 times, but take care that the pato will not break apart because it is now very soft.
8. Add the castanas and cook for 10 minutes. Mix in.
9. Add the Baguio pechay. Cook.
10. Add the remaining garlic for flavor. Turn off the flame.
11. Transfer to plate and serve.

Pork Patatim

A very traditional Chinese recipe that our dad and ama love because of the meat's tenderness. This is the exact opposite of Crispy Pata!

Good for 5 persons
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 -4 hours


1 Pork Pata (pork front leg)
1 bulb Garlic - chopped
1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
4 tbsp. Soy Sauce – adjust depending on pata size
¼ cup Dried Shrimp (Hibi) – bathed in water 3 hours before cooking
2 tbsp. Cooking Oil
Tap Water


1. Heat the cooking oil on the wok. Use high heat.
2. Add half of the garlic. When it has browned, add the sugar and stir until they form clumps.
3. Put the pata in.
4. Add the soy sauce and adjust according to taste.
5. Mix all of the sauces to coat the pata well.
6. Put water to soften the pata. Change to low heat. Continue adding water until the pata is tender. This process takes around 3-4 hours.
7. Flip to other side at most 3 times, but take care that the pata will not break apart because it is now very soft.
8. Add the dried shrimp and cook for 10 minutes.
9. Add the remaining half of the garlic. Turn off the flame.
10. Transfer to plate and serve.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Pan-fried Black Cod

Simple and tasty.

Good for 5 persons

1 Black Cod – you can find this at Santis / Cold Storage
Ground Black Pepper
2 slices of fresh lemon
Salt
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Dill – chopped

1. Mix together the lemon, dill, salt, pepper with the fish.
2. Heat the oil on the frying pan.
3. Put the fish on the pan on medium flame. Set aside the drippings.
4. Cook until fish becomes tender.
5. Then flip it over and cook again.
6. Add the drippings. Turn off the flame.
7. Serve.

Oyster Cake

Inspired by Mann Hann.

Good for 6 persons
Prep Time: 5 minutes.
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

½ kilo fresh oysters
½ cup Togue
¼ cup Spring Onion – sliced ½ inch
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 egg
1 cup Camote Gaogao – to purchase from Wei Wang
3 tbsp. Cooking oil.

1. Beat the egg on a bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix together the oysters, togue, onion and salt in a bowl.
3. Then add the black pepper. Mix.
4. Then add the camote gaogao. Mix.
5. Heat the oil on a frying pan.
6. Add the mixture.
7. Cook on medium flame. Spread the mixture throughout frying pan until flat.
8. Add the egg, spread throughout the pan.
9. Cook for 15 minutes. Then flip it over. Cook again for 10 minutes.
10. Serve.

Birthday Misua

The classic noodles to eat on the morning of one's birthday to receive long life. Even if you may not believe in this Chinese tradition, it's still an excuse to have a delicious breakfast!

Good for 7 persons
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 box birthday misua – Long Life brand
1 pc. Chicken breast
3 pcs. Dried scallop – bathed in water overnight.
5 pcs. Dried Black Shiitake mushroom – bathed in water overnight.
¼ kilo of Shrimp Suahe
1 small bag Toasted Peanuts
4 Eggs - Scrambled
3 sprigs of Spring Onion
3 Garlic bulbs - sliced
1 Red Onion bulb - sliced
3 Tbsp of Cooking Oil
3 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
Salt

Prep Directions:
1. Boil the chicken breast using 5 cups of water and then shred. Set aside the broth.
2. Shred the scallop.
3. Slice the mushrooms thinly.
4. Peel the shrimp.
5. Slice the scrambled egg.
6. Slice the spring onion into small pieces.

Misua:
1. Put 5 cups of water to boil.
2. Toss in the uncooked noodles then remove immediately. This is just for softening and not for cooking.
3. Strain the noodles then wash with tap water. Set aside.

Cooking:
1. Heat the oil in the wok.
2. Put the garlic and onion in the wok until golden brown.
3. Remove the garlic and onion and place on a plate.
4. Put the shrimp in and cook. Add salt to taste.
5. Remove the shrimp and put it together on the plate.
6. Put the chicken, scallop and mushroom all together on the wok. Cook.
7. Add soy sauce.
8. Add together the shrimp from the plate.
9. Mix quickly.
10. Remove everything.
11. Put the chicken broth on the wok. When boiled, toss in the half-cooked noodles.
12. Add salt to taste if preferred.
13. When noodles are fully cooked, transfer to serving plate.
14. Add the cooked toppings. Add the eggs, nuts and spring onion.
15. Serve.

Pork Barbecue

The Sprite is used to soften the meat and make it tender to the taste.

Good for 5 persons – yields 20+ sticks
Prep Time: 2.5 hours
Cook Time: 10-20 minutes

1 kilo Pork Loin
½ can Sprite
3 garlic bulbs
1 tsp. Ground Black pepper – McCormick brand
¼ cup Soy Sauce – Coconut brand
3 Tablespoons of cooking oil
Barbecue Sticks
2 bags of Coal

Directions:
1. Slice the pork loin thin and long.
2. Ground the garlic using a pestle.
3. Mix the garlic, black pepper, Sprite and soy sauce into a bowl.
4. Put the pork into the marinate bowl.
5. Put the oil in as well.
6. Marinate this mixture for 2 hours.
7. Then put the pork into the barbecue sticks.
8. Then fire the coal under the grill.
9. Cook the pork on the grill until golden brown. Flip on the other side.
10. Baste the drippings from the marinate bowl on the pork barbecue using a brush.

Fresh Lumpia

This is the lumpia you normally buy at Little Store or at Green Patio Restaurant... but ours has a fresher taste, and our ingredients have greater variety. We usually serve this only on special occasions like when our ama comes for lunch because it's quite tedious to cook. We usually lay on the dining table the wrap, garnish and stuffing and wrap the lumpia by ourselves.

Good for 5-7 persons
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours

Stuffing:
1 kilo Carrots - grated
1 big Singkamas -
2 pc. Chicken breast – boiled then shredded
½ kilo Shrimp Medium or Suahe - peeled
5 pc. Tokwa – sliced very small
¼ kilo Togue
½ kilo Green Peas – sliced very small diagonally.
2 pc. Red Onion
1 bunch Garlic
Salt

Garnish:
Fried Sotanghon with Hoti
Peanut Powder
Chopped Garlic
Yensuy

Wrap:
Lumpia Wrapper
Green Lolo Rosa Lettuce

Directions:
1. Ready one kaldero (pot) and one wok. Put ½ cup water inside the pot and leave it to warm.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the wok. Use high flame.
3. Then put in the garlic and onion. Wait for them to brown. Put salt to taste.
4. Toss in the shrimp. Cook in the shrimp until pink. Then transfer them to the pot for warming. Do #2 and #3 again.
5. Toss in the shredded chicken until cooked. Then transfer into pot. Do #2 and #3 again.
6. Then toss in the tokwa until cooked. Then transfer into pot. Do #2 and #3 again.
7. Then the carrots until cooked. Then transfer. Do #2 and #3 again.
8. Then the singkamas. Then transfer. Do #2 and #3 again.
9. Then the togue. Then transfer. Do #2 and #3 again.
10. Then the green peas. Then transfer. Do #2 and #3 again.
11. In the pot, mix everything. Then put to medium heat. Cook for 2 hours. Mix every now and then. Mix the vegetables well.
12. Transfer to strainer in the serving pot. (Use a serving pot w/ a built-in strainer)
13. Ready the garnish and wrap.
14. Serve.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Tan Family Cookbook!

You've stumbled upon the place where we store our family's best kept secret... our delicious home cooked food with recipes that originated from our angkong and ama (grandpa & grandma), adapted by our dad and passed on to our cook!

As cooks grow old and memories dim with the passing of time, it's a shame to have these recipes forgotten.

And that is why we've decided to keep a record of them in here... so that we may pass them on not only to the future members of our family but to you as well. :)

We hope you enjoy your stay!