Paksiw na Bangus (Milkfish Stew)

Very delicious! Especially when hot. Great alternative for our daily food menu. This dish is greatly recommended for those people with high blood pressure. The milkfish is cooked in vinegar with a little twist of chili. Wheww!!! You’re really sweat it out!

Ingredients:

• 1 big bangus (milkfish), cut into pieces
• 2 ampalaya (bittergourd), cut into pieces
• 2 eggplant, cut into pieces
• 3 pcs. long green pepper
• an inch of ginger, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups vinegar
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:

1. In a pot, arrange bittergourd at the bottom.
2. Add in the fish and the eggplant.
3. Then, put in the pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and vinegar. Bring to a boil.
4. Add in the water. Simmer for a few minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot

Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a vegetable dish known all over the Philippines, but no one cooks as deliciously as the Ilokanos. The original Ilocano pinakbet uses bagoong, of fermented monamon or other fish.

The basic vegetables used in this dish include native bittergourd, eggplant, tomato, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers , parda and winged beans. A Tagalog version usually includes calabaza. Most of these vegetables are easily accessible, and are grown in backyards and gardens of most Ilocano households.

Ingredients:

• 300 g bagnet (pork crackling), sliced
• 2 tsp oil
• 1.5 tbsp crushed garlic
• 150 g shallots
• 500 g ripe tomatoes
• 75 ml bagoong isda (anchovy sauce), strained
• 150 g okra
• 150 g small ampalaya, quartered
• 300 g eggplants, sliced

Procedures:

1. Heat the oil in a casserole and saute the garlic, shallots, tomatoes and pork crackling until the liquid has completely reduced, then add anchovy sauce. From this point on, do not stir.
2. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thick, then add the okra, ampalaya, and eggplant. Cover the casserole and cook for a further 5 minutes.