Ginisang Ampalaya

Ginisang Ampalaya is transalated as Sautéed Bitter Melon. This Filipino vegetable recipe is one of the healthiest recipe around.

Bitter melon is best known for antidiabetic effects. It contains a chemical known as insulin-like peptide that is similar in shape and function to animal-produced insulin. Other chemicals, including vicine, in bitter melon may also have blood-sugar lowering effects.

Try this healthy vegetable dish: Ginisang Ampalaya.

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad or Chicken Macaroni Salad is a simple salad made from macaroni (usually elbow macaroni). This salad is prepared with a generous amount of mayonnaise and boiled chicken meat (sometimes ham is used). A regular side dish during picnics and family outings, macaroni salad is best if combined with grilled foods and barbeque.

Try this Macaroni Salad recipe.

Pork Afritada

Pork Afritada is simply “Stewed pork in tomato sauce”. This dish is similar to Menudo and Kaldereta (or Caldereta) and is usually cooked with wedges of carrots and potatoes. Bay leaves are also added for extra flavor and aroma.

Because of the similarity of Afritada to other tomato based dishes, identifying this dish is quite confusing to some. I was asked by some people (who are still puzzled on this topic) to differentiate one from the other. I felt like standing in their shoes for a while. After some time pondering, I figured out that the visual difference can obviously be seen on the cut of the meat and the additional ingredients used. As for the taste, each dish is unique even if the base ingredients are similar. I guess changing the cut of the meat and adding a few more ingredients to it gives me the right to call it “Pork Vanjito” (just kidding).

Some Pinoy Foods might look the same but inside them lays a truly unique taste capable of spelling their own name.

Tell me what you think.

Try this appetizing Filipino Pork Recipe: Pork Afritada.

Burger and Bratwurst, anyone?

Care for some burger and bratwurst?

Ginisang Pechay (Sautéed Bok Choy)

Ginisang Pechay is simply Sautéed Bok Choy. This healthy vegetable is classified as a cabbage.

Despite the popularity of this vegetable in Asia, people in Europe and parts of North America seem to have a hard time holding-on to it. In the Philippines, Chinese immigrants during the Spanish era introduced Bok Choy. After that , this vegetable spread faster than Swine Flu (H1N1) across the islands.

Try this healthy Vegetable Recipe : Ginisang Pechay (Sautéed Bok Choy).

Nilasing na Hipon

Nilasing na Hipon or Lasing na Hipon and even Drunken Shrimps to some is simply shrimp marinated in wine or liquor. Some of my friends use beer to marinade the shrimps…well, this is also fine but the use of wine or liquor is best.

This can be an appetizer (pulutan) and a main dish; it is best served with spicy vinegar (such as sukang paombong). A favorite Filipino Food and “Filipino Pulutan” of the “barkada” , this dish is almost always available in restaurants and bars. Do they also have this in beer houses in the Philippines?

For those of you who are concerned on the amount of cholesterol in shrimp, fear not. According to an article published in CNN that is based on a study published in the American Journal of clinical Nutrition, Shrimp is still good for you despite of its cholesterol content.

Try this Nilasing na Hipon recipe.