Lunch Recipes

Beef Nilaga Recipe

Beef Nilaga or Nilagang Baka is literally translated as “Boiled Beef”. This is a simple soup dish best served during rainy and cold weather. Have you noticed the similarity of this dish to that of the Bulalo and Beef Pochero?

I highly recommend this dish to those who are learning how to cook because it takes almost no effort at all to prepare (just have patience in tenderizing the meat). This was actually the first dish that I’ve tried after fried egg ;).

Try this simple Filipino food: Beef Nilaga

Homemade Beef Tapa

Beef Tapa is dried cured beef similar to “Beef Jerky”. This is traditionally prepared by curing the meat with sea salt and letting it dry directly under the sun for the purpose of preserving the meat. Nowadays, commercialized Beef Tapa are often cured but most do not undergo drying.

Tapa is usually fried and is best served with vinegar. A popular combination called “Tapsilog” is commonly served in eateries called tapsihan and gotohan. Tapsilog is an abbreviation for Tapa, Sinangag (Fried Rice), and Itlog (Fried egg). Other meats used to make tapa are: Carabao’s meat (tapang kalabaw) , Deer’s meat (tapang Usa), Wild Boar’s meat (tapang Baboy Ramo),and horse’s meat (tapang kabayo). Speaking of tapang kabayo, Matty’s tapsilogan in Don Galo, Paranaque serves one of the best tapang kabayo in the Las Pinas-Paranaque-Muntinlupa area.

This tapa recipe does not entail the use of any preservatives. This is intended for home consumption and is a good “pambaon” for school and work.

Try this easy-to-prepare Filipino Food : Beef Tapa.

Inihaw na Pusit Recipe (Grilled Squid)

Finally, Summer has arrived. I decided to welcome Summer by preparing something that reminds me of what I usually do during this wonderful season; grill. There are several Summer foods that I want to feature and the first that crossed my mind is Inihaw na Pusit or “Grilled Squid” . This dish is very easy to prepare and does not take much of your time to complete.

When I was still in the Philippines, grilling has become a weekly habit. I make sure that I get the best meat or seafood in the market to grill. I also remember some fast food spots in the food court of malls selling this dish (though freshness is questionable sometimes). And yes…how could dampa in Paranaque and even the one in Sea Side in Macapagal slip my mind. They serve the best Inihaw na Pusit in their respective cities. Haven’t tried the Sugba na pusit (I’m not sure if it is called this way, maybe you can help me out :)) in Cebu and some parts of Mindanao yet but a lot of people who have tried gave it two thumbs up. Are you familiar with the “SuToKil” (Sugba, Towa, Kilaw) ? They say that its a must-try when going to Cebu and Mindanao.

How about you guys? What’s kind of meat or seafood do you love to grill?

Lets grill some Squid !

Chopsuey Recipe

Chopsuey is a dish made-up of meat (chicken or pork) and seafood (shrimp or fish) cooked with different kinds of vegetables. This dish is considered to be of Chinese origin but there are claims that Chopsuey is of American – Chinese origin that was made famous by Chinese immigrants in America.

In the Philippines, Chopsuey is a common dish and considered to be one of the top vegetable dishes. The local variation includes chicken liver, shrimp, and seasoned vegetables.

I usually thicken the sauce of my Chopsuey to bring out its Chinese influence. Do you prefer it the same way? Let me know what you think by commenting on the box below this post.

Let’s discuss ideas and share our knowledge to our “kababayans”.

Embutido Recipe

Embutido is a type of meatloaf prepared Filipino style. Though a well known dish for the holidays, Embutido can be enjoyed everyday without any hassle. Several meat processing companies now produce this meatloaf for commercial purposes; all you have to do is grab one from your favorite grocery store.

For those of you who want to enjoy the naturally prepared Embutido, this is the recipe to go for. My version (or should I say my Mom’s 🙂 ) focuses more on giving this dish the wonderful taste and aroma that can’t be found in commercialized Embutido. You can serve this as a cold cut or you can even fry it after steaming. Do whatever you want but don’t forget to put the Banana Catsup on the side.

Try this delicious Embutido recipe.

Beef Pochero Recipe

Beef Pochero is a Filipino Stew similar to that of “Nilaga” (commonly known as boiled beef). This dish is complimented by the sweetness of the “Saba” (Cavendish banana) and a unique sour blend is brought-in by the tomato sauce. A very enticing dish that is worth craving for, Beef Pochero brings-out the delightful taste of our Spanish influence.

Try this Beef Pochero recipe.

Longanisa Recipe (Filipino Sausage)

Longganisa (or longanisa, or longaniza) are Filipino chorizos. These cured sausages are famous in almost every Philippine region. The famous varieties of longganisa are : Vigan , Lucban, and Guagua which were named according to the town that they came from. Pork is the most common meat used in making this sausage; Chicken, beef, and even tuna are sometimes used as alternatives.

Homemade Pork Tocino Recipe

Tocino is a cured meat product native to the Philippines. It is usually made out of pork and is similar to ham and bacon although beef is also used. It is often reddish in color and has a sweetish taste. Its name is derived from the Spanish word tocino, which is used to describe bacon or cured meat.

Chicken Tinola Recipe

Tinola is a ginger and onion based soup with chicken as the usual main ingredient. This is an authentic Filipino main dish and best complimented with green papaya wedges (an alternative is chayote) and chili pepper leaves. As a traditional dish, the chicken is usually cooked in low heat for quite some time to bring out the natural flavor. This dish is best served during cold and rainy weather because of the warming effect of the soup.

Try this Chicken Tinola recipe.

Pinakbet Ilocano Recipe

Pakbet or pinakbet is a popular vegetable dish that originated from one of the northern provinces of the Philippines, Ilocos. The vegetables used on this dish are usually grown in the back yard of every villager and are available almost all year long. Bitter Melon, eggplant, okra, and string beans are just some of the vegetables that make-up this delightful dish. Pakbet is cooked in a clay pot called “Palayok” and Anchovy sauce (bagoong isda) is used to add flavor.

As the fame of this dish grew, several versions have sprouted. In the National Capital Region (Manila and the near by cities), Pakbet is cooked with squash (kalabasa) and bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) is used to give flavor to the dish. This variation is known as “Pakbet Tagalog”.

A very easy-to-cook dish packed with different vitamins and minerals (just limit the bagnet if you are conscious of your health), Pakbet is a dish that is really worth trying. By the way, having an extra cup of rice around might help.

Try this delicious Filipino Food : Pakbet.

Filipino Fried Chicken Recipe

During regular days and busy days as well, most of us do not bother to plan what to cook for dinner. After long hours of work, we just head to our favorite drive thru and get our favorite piece of meal. It can be a regular routine for some while others would only buy cooked food when nothing edible is left in the kitchen. I’m sure that no one would go out to buy dinner if there were only left over food in the house or some easy- to- cook food is around.

Sinigang na Salmon Recipe

“Sinigang na ulo ng Salmon” is translated as Salmon head cooked in a sour broth of tomatoes and tamarind. Sinigang is the term used to cook meat or seafood by boiling it with a sour base such as tamarind. Other variant bases are available depending on the region where sinigang is cooked.

Laing Recipe

“Laing” (or Natong) is a spicy dish that is Coconut milk (or cream) based with dried taro leaves. This originated from the Philippine’s Bicol region (south most part of Luzon island). Because of its really great taste and budget friendly cost, this dish became well known.

Fish Fillet with Tausi

There are a lot of recipes in the world’s cuisine that make use of Fish Fillet. The only way to identify the dish’s origin is by looking at the other ingredients that comprise it then associate them with the continent, country, or region where these are often used. In this Fish Fillet recipe, we’ll be using “Tausi” (Chinese Black Beans). Tausi is directly associated with the oriental or Chinese cuisine and is known to provide extra amounts of saltiness to the food. This Asian inspired recipe brings out the oceanic taste of the fish less the smell.

Try this Fish Fillet with Tausi recipe.

Lengua Estofada Recipe

Lengua Estofada (sometimes called Lengua Estofado) is stewed Ox tongue cooked in tomato sauce. This dish is of Hispanic origin; it has been adopted by the Filipino Palate (Panlasang Pinoy) due to Three Centuries of Spanish colonization.

Some people look at this dish as something exotic or unusual. Adjectives like “gross” or “yucky” are sometimes used to describe it. When I was still a child, I personally despise Lengua. Back then, it was hard to understand why many people enjoy eating cow’s tongue. As years passed by, I learned to appreciate this delightful dish. I just imagined that the meat I’m eating is beef brisket (believe me, it worked). Did you know what my first impression was after tasting this dish? An upscale version of the Beef Kaldereta

Try this great tasting Filipino recipe : Lengua Estofada.

Pancit Bihon Recipe

Pansit or Pancit Guisado is a Filipino noodle dish and is a staple second to rice. This was brought by the chinese and was localized since then. This dish uses “Bihon” or rice sticks mixed with pork, chicken, and vegetebles.

Pork Hamonado Recipe

Pork Hamonado is simply pork sweetened in pineapple sauce. You can typically find sweetness in some Filipino dishes and this is just one of them. This dish is usually served during the Christmas season along with other sumptuous dishes that I plan to feature soon. Some of you might be thinking if sugar can really go well with meat (just like with this recipe); I invite you to try and see for yourself. Please be the judge and let me know what you think.

Lunch Recipes

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