Fried Tilapia

Friday is the day that we abstain from meat during lent (and you might know the reason behind it). I cooked Fried Tilapia for dinner last Friday and had some bagoong Balayan (fermented fish paste) on the side – it was a blast. I might have abstained from meat that day but I miserably failed on the fasting part. The amount of rice that I consume is usually doubled when fermented fish pastes such as bagoong Balayan and guinamos (or gamos) is around.

I love to eat fried fish but I’m hesitant to have it on a regular basis. I don’t have any allergies or sort; it’s just that I’m having a hard time neutralizing the smell while cooking. It is winter here and I can’t open the windows for ventilation. All the vents are running but the smell still hang around – sometimes I need to empty a bottle of air freshener just to reduce the odor. When I was in the Philippines, I’ll just open all the windows and set the electric fan to high (number 3) for the air to circulate then the odor will be out in a few minutes.

When it comes to eating fried fish, I’m not sure if I’m doing it like most Filipino does. I eat fried fish using my hands (nagkakamay po ako) and I mix the fermented fish sauce with rice and mash it. I always have a piece of whole tomato on the plate. I first take a bite of tomato before putting the fish (with rice) in my mouth.

How do you eat fried fish? Please pardon my silly question. I just want to discover other ways to enjoy this simple dish.

Fried Bangus

Before anything else, let me first acquaint you with a section of this blog called “What’s cookin?” This section (or category) is intended to showcase simple yet delicious food that we usually prepare on ordinary or busy days.

Unlike the recipe section, this does not show details on how certain foods are prepared. The ones featured here are done using basic cooking procedures that almost everyone is familiar with. In addition, this section is also intended to promote our appreciation on simple everyday meals that most of us had while growing-up (or still having until now) and remind everyone that some good food does not need to be costly and complicated.

I was craving for pritong bangus (milkfish) since last week: it is not until today that I was able to visit the local Pinoy store to get a pack of bangus marinated in vinegar and crushed garlic. I even saw some salted eggs and was able to grab a dozen.

Steamed Lapu-Lapu

Steamed Lapu-Lapu is Steamed fish (particularly Grouper fish) stuffed with lemon and ginger with sweet lemon-ginger sauce.

Though simple, this recipe is beneficial to your health. Fish is a low calorie food that is also low in fat. Recent studies also concluded that eating fish regularly can cut the risk of death from heart disease by a third. There were even studies claiming that eating fish can lessen the risk of Prostate Cancer, Depression, and Inflamation (Omega 3 fatty acids are regarded on this).

Try this Steamed Lapu-Lapu recipe.