Tinolang Manok or Nilagang Manok

Tinolang Manok and some called them Nilagang Manok is another filipino food dish that I usually cook here in Canada. Tinolang manok recipe is also one of the filipino recipe that is easy to cook. But as a first time immigrant in Canada, buying filipino ingredients like papaya, sayote, chili leaves or malunggay is hard to find specially if you are staying in the rural areas where Asian store is hard to find.

But as you got familiar with the place you live in and knowing the nearby cities, acquiring this hard to find ingredients is not that difficult anymore, as I have taught before. Here, in Orangeville, Ontario, the nearest Asian store is located in Brampton, an hour drive with an average speed of 80km/hr, we have travel that far just to buy filipino food ingredients. Sometimes looking for substitute for the ingredient is another best option in cooking Filipino dish like instead of chili leaves I’ve substitute them with spinach for they are abundant here.

Cooking your favorite dish from a different country is challenging but enjoyable, especially when you are with your love ones. Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Ingredients :

• 1 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces (or any choice cuts of your liking like thighs, drumsticks or wings)
• 1 thumb-sized fresh ginger root, cut into strips
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
• salt, to taste
• 4 to 5 cups water (or rice water – 2nd washing)
• 2 to 3 sayote (chayote squash), quartered (or green, unripe papaya or potatoes)
• 1 cup sili (chili) leaves or malunggay or substitute 1/2 lb. spinach
• vegetable oil

Cooking Procedures :

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add onions, stir-fry until softened and translucent.
2. Add chicken cuts. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until chicken colors slightly. Season with patisand salt.
3. Pour in water (or rice water, if using). Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer until chicken is half-done. Add in chayote (or papaya or potatoes, if using). Continue simmering until chicken and vegetable are tender. Correct seasonings and then addsili leaves or malunggay or substitute. Stir to combine until well blended. Remove from heat.
4. Let stand for a few minutes to cook the green vegetables. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

 

Lumpia Recipe (Lumpia Shanghai)

This lumpia shanghai recipe is one of the filipino recipes that my family love to cook specially during a party or get together with friends. Lumpia in Filipino are eggrolls wrapped stick of meat that are deep-fried. Lumpia meat is composed of ground or finely mince of pork, beef or vegetables. Then once the recipe of lumpia shanghai is cooked, its best served with sweet and sour sauce.

During of our party, I was busy cooking other filipino dishes, and one of my friend arrive early and help me in cooking. While doing this lumpai, She notices that the lumpia wrapper won’t stick together after it was cooked. I told her that I’ve tried everything to make this wrapper stick together from water and other type of paste but still no avail.

Since she also know how to cook; she gave me an idea in making these wrapper sticks together and she suggested using egg white as a paste in binding the wrapper together. Her technique works! Since then, my filipino lumpia shanghai looks better and even taste good.

 

Ingredients :

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 cup chopped shrimps
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 dashes of sesame oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• lumpia wrapper
• vegetable oil, for frying

Cooking Procedures :

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until well blended.
2. Wrap into thin rolls in lumpia wrapper. Fry in deep hot oil.
3. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to aserving platter. Serve with your favorite sauce make your own Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe.