Sizzling Chicken Sisig

Main or Bar Chow/Tapas:  Chicken

Sisig has been part of Philippine cuisine since the 1700s. Sizzling PORK Sisig as how the Filipinos know it now was created by Aling Lucing in the mid 1970s.  She served this famous dish among drinkers and non-drinkers in a carinderia/VERY casual & VERY basic roadside eatery in the central part of Luzon. To be exact, right along a railroad track (!!) in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Aling Lucing's original recipe used de-boned pig's head which included the snout and ears. In the absence of pig's head, others use lechon kawali (pork belly deep fried in a wok) or bagnet (the Northern Luzon/Ilocos version).

In my family's quest to eat more healthily without sacrificing flavours we love, I found this chicken version from +Panlasang Pinoy.

Hope you enjoy it too as either a main dish served with sinangag (fried garlic rice) or as tapas or bar chow.  Honestly, best with ice cold beer :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 1/2 pounds grilled chicken breast then finely chopped when cooled
2. 1/4 pound chicken liver, chopped
3. 1 cup (yes, 1 cup) minced white onion
4. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
5. have ready beside the stove soy sauce, liquid seasoning, tabasco, salt & pepper
6. 4-5 tablespoons mayonnaise
7. some white vinegar & lemon or calamansi (small lime) juice
8. 1/4 cup or half a stick of butter
9. 2 (or more) long green chilli sliced diagonally
10. 1-2 eggs; depending on how big your cast iron pan is. If you want to be authentic about it, sisig is served on a sizzling plate but I don't have one and am happy with the results on my cast iron pan.

• PROCESS:
• Ideally, do this the day before you will serve the sisig so that there will be time for the flavours to properly integrate.
• - heat cooking oil in a non-stick pan
• - saute onion until soft; add garlic
• - add chicken liver; cook until it browns (about 4 minutes)
• - add chopped grilled chicken; constantly stir for 3-4 minutes
• - add soy sauce, liquid seasoning, tabasco, salt & pepper; mix well
• - add the mayonnaise and stir right away until all the ingredients are well incorporated. This happens fast, like a minute max. Remove from stove and cool.
• - when cool, transfer to a pyrex bowl and mix in vinegar & lemon juice to taste. Cover & refrigerate.
• Right before serving, ensure your blower is on full blast and windows are open :)
• - heat very well your cast iron pan
• - plonk the butter and let it melt but not burn!
• - transfer your room temperature pre-cooked chicken/liver concoction and stir fry until it's dry; it splatters but not as much if you use pork
• - crack egg/s on top; arrange the sliced chilli
• On the dining table or patio table, or wherever you'll serve the sizzling chicken sisig, have on the side bottles of tabasco & liquid seasoning plus lemon juice or calamansi.
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  The eggs are cooking from the residual heat
  of my Sizzling Chicken Sisig.

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Sour Cream Coffee Coffee Cake

Dessert:  Coffee Cake

I saw this recipe from +mylifeasmrs blog post.  It originally came from her granny.  Thing is, whenever I read "coffee cake", I always imagine it to be coffee-flavoured.  Am weird like that. Coffee cake is described as cake you eat with coffee like during breakfast or coffee klatch.

Anyway, I made adjustments on the original recipe to incorporate a hint of coffee flavour in this cake, thus, Coffee Coffee cake :)

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker brand)
1 cup sour cream and I mixed in a tablespoon of lemon juice 
4 lightly beaten eggs
1 small instant vanilla pudding packet (well hello Jell-o)
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Process:

• pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
• grease and flour a pound cake or bundt pan; my bundt pan is made of silicone so I just lightly greased it

The Bundt pan is ideal for dense cakes like pound or coffee cake with indentations for a decorative finish.

• in a stand mixer with paddle attachment, pour in the cake mix, sour cream, eggs, pudding mix, coffee and oil
• start on low and increase speed to medium until well combined.  Stop mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides and bottom; it's pretty sticky. A total of about 5 minutes.
• in a small bowl, mix together the sugar, nuts, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
• line liberally the bottom & sides of the bundt pan with the nut mixture
  

• reserve 2 tablespoons of the nut mixture and fold in the remainder in the batter
• pour batter in the bundt pan and top with the reserved nut mixture
  

• bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Do toothpick check for done-ness
  
  
  

  

  Coffee Coffee Cake happiness.

Creamy Mango, Tinned Tuna & Clams Pasta Sauce

MAIN:  SEAFOOD PASTA SAUCE

Third week of Lent and we are still sticking to our meatless Friday tradition.  A struggle for this meat-loving family.

Am really craving for fried fish with tomato/ preserved egg ensalada on the side.  Unfortunately, am too scared of frying things and it takes days for the fishy smell to dissipate in the house.  Still too cold to leave the windows open for long periods.

Did a desperate call for meatless dish suggestions near Lent last year and one of my foodie friends, +Bujit Guttierrez-Tesoro, shared this recipe which immediately became a family favourite. So good that we have it even if it's not the Lenten season.

The well-travelled Tesoro family who appreciate & prepare
really good food.

We worked & partied with Bujit & Jake in Shanghai when we were still childless couples.  The dishes Bujit brought during pot-luck get-togethers were always consumed immediately.  I was just starting then to develop my culinary skills.

Parmesan-Crusted Fish Fillet

MAIN:  FISH DISHES

The Lenten season will kick off tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. Am rounding up again seafood-based recipes I have collected through the years from cookbooks, friends and restaurants.

Following dish is so easy, from prep to serving, definitely less than 30 minutes.  Would serve as a main for family of 4.

The original recipe calls for tilapia.  But with all the flak tilapia is receiving and me not being really sure whether it is farmed or wild (are there wild tilapia even??!?), decided to look for other white, lean and firm fish.  For tomorrow's Ash Wednesday, I used dover sole fillets.  Alternatives would be Alaska pollock, grouper, haddock, Pacific cod, Pacific halibut and striped bass.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I reco you use your handy mandolin)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (mandolin along with the parsley)
• 4 fish fillets (about 1 pound)

Process:

1. pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
2. grease lightly your baking dishes
3. in a shallow dish, combine the cheese, minced garlic, paprika and parsley; season with salt and pepper
4. drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture
5. lay out the fish on your baking dishes; just one layer so all parts will be baked at the same time
6. bake 10-12 minutes until the thickest part of the fish is opaque
7. serve the baked fish with lemon wedges

Grocery-bought dover sole fillet.

Lay out the fillets on your baking dish.  Ensure that they don't over-lap.

Baked parmesan crusted fish fillet.  Remember your lemon wedges!