Lumpiang Shanghai (Fried Pork Spring Roll)

fried is good but lumpiang shanghai is really good.

I rarely cook fried food. This one is an exception. It is my family's favorite. My husband is not a big eater but when I serve this dish, it's always a hit. He will devour it.

One key ingredient is the spring roll wrap. I use the "Spring Home" brand (see photo below) which is the best that I've used so far. Unfortunately, my local grocery does not sell it. So when we take a trip to Chinatown, I buy a couple or more and store in the freezer.

Of course, don't forget the dip...sweet and sour sauce. Making lumpia is quite a lot of work with all the chopping, wrapping and frying so I prefer using the bottled spring roll sauce. It is as good as the homemade version.

INGREDIENTS :
42 pcs spring roll wrappers
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
2 med carrots, minced
3 cloves garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
5 tbs chopped onion
3 tbs soy sauce
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 stalks green onion, minced
vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine all ingredients except oil and spring roll wrapper.
2. Using a teaspoon, scoop a mixture and lay it on the wrapper in a cylindrical shape. Wrap and moisten the end of the wrapper with water.
3. Place 3 inches of oil in a pan and heat. Fry lumpia in medium heat for about 7-10 minutes.Do not crowd the pan.
4. Drain in a plate with paper towel to remove excess oil.
5. Serve hot with sweet and sour dip.

TIP: In case you have a leftover, lumpia loses it's crispiness after a day. Warm it in an oven for 10 mins at 300C and it'll be crispy again

Nilagang Baka (Beef and Vegetable Stew)

After eating restaurant food for 3 consecutive days, I started craving for a Filipino dish. This is the perfect dish that satisfied my craving. It is a comfort food.

It needs long hours to cook but it is so easy to prepare. Throw the ingredients in the pot, let the stove do its job, wait and be patient and voila...a meal that's worth the wait!

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs beef shank, cut into 1 1/2 cubes
1/2 lb green beans
4 med potatoes, quartered
1 bunch bokchoy
1 whole head garlic, peeled
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tbs kosher salt
1 tsp peppercorn
1 tsp patis (fish sauce)
2 cubes (3.7 g) beef bouillon (I use wyler's)
8 cups of water

1. Combine beef, garlic, onion, peppercorn, salt and water in a big pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until beef is tender. Skim the fat as it is simmering.
2. Return to a boil and add the patis and beef bouillon. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
3. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and bokchoy and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Serve with hot rice.

Pork Adobo

Adobo is a popular dish in Philippine cuisine. It is a stew that is slowly cooked with vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Pork adobo, chicken adobo and combination of both are the most popular adobo. This is also a dish that can keep well without refrigeration (vinegar inhibits the growth of bacteria). Thus, it is a common dish served on feasts and packed for lunches and picnics.

Well, whenever I think of Adobo, I think of home. It is a comfort food for me and I'm sure for most Filipinos too. I don't know any Filipino who doesn't like adobo.

My favorite is pork adobo. My mom makes an amazing one. She always cooks by eyeballing the measurements of ingredients so I never got the exact recipe from her. After trial and error, I finally came up with my own concoction. I hope my mom will be proud of this.

INGREDIENTS :
 1 lb country-style pork ribs, bone-in (I prefer this because it has a little fat that makes it moist when  cooked), cut into 1 1/2" cubes
  *** substitute with a whole chicken, cut up
 5 peeled hard-boiled eggs
 4 med potatoes, quartered
 2 tbs vinegar
 1 small head of garlic, peeled and smashed
 5 Tbs soy sauce
 2 dried bay leaves
 1/2 tsp peppercorn
 1 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 C water


1. Combine all the ingredients except the hard-boiled eggs and potatoes.
2. Let it boil and turn down the heat. Let it simmer for an hour or until meat is tender. You can add water if sauce is starting to dry up. Don't forget to taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Add the potatoes and the hard-boiled eggs making sure they are soaked through in the sauce. Cook for until the potatoes are tender and turn off the heat.
4. Don't forget to serve it with hot rice. Happy cooking!