Green Tips

As a child, mom never or rarely cooked asparagus. It wasn't a popular vegetable then and scarce to find. Now, I see them everywhere - from our local wet markets to the vegetable sections of the groceries.

The vegetable always facinated me with how it looked, its color and texture, to how it could be cooked and eaten. It reminds me of the tribes that used those long wooden spears. These spears though have a scalloped design at its tip. It also reminds me of miniture artichoke hearts.

Korean Beef

My aunt, dad's elder sister, is one of the best cooks I have met. She practically taught most of my cousins, my siblings and me to cook specifically the art of baking. Every Christmas we would get one of her baked goodies which she passed down to us.

This recipe of Korean Beef was passed down to us when we couldn't get enough of it. She would prepare this dish on special occasions only. My family had to beg to get a copy of this recipe. Wonderful scents of sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, ginger and garlic stewing in a pot of soy sauce and chilli with cuts of beef brings my mouth watering (the whole family too) everytime I would cook this dish.

When I went to the States and cooked this recipe, my co-workers loved it that they claim the sauce is good enough to eat with rice. Thank you Tita for sharing this recipe.

1 kilo beef brisket

1st Step:

salt to taste
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried chilli
3 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 garlic head, minced

2 inches ginger, sliced

2nd Set

2 Tbsp. ground sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame oil (opt)

1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp. toasted whole sesame seeds
sliced leeks

Procedure:

Stir fry beef in oil for 5 minutes.Add Step I ingredients and enough water to cover beef. Simmer for 1 hour.Add Step II. Continue to simmer until beef is tender. Add water when necessary.Adjust the taste by adding more sugar to sweeten, soy sauce for more taste.Turn off when sauce has been reduced to half. Serve with toasted whole sesame seeds and sliced leeks leaves.

Ginataang Langka

Who doesn't love jackfruit? But not everyone knows that the young fruit can be cooked and served as one of the main dishes. We prepared this with coconut milk and finger chillies. In the photo, paired this with pan-fried pork loin and hot rice.

300 grams young jackfruit, sliced, boiled until tender

coconut extract of 2 coconuts (separate the first and second extractions)

1 medium red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 finger chillies (siling haba)

salt or fish sauce to taste

2 tbsps. cooking oil

Saute garlic and onions in medium heat until lightly transparent. Add the young jackfruit and stir for about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the second extraction of the coconut milk and season with salt or fish sauce. Let it simmer until the liquid has reduced in half. Add the first extract and let simmer until the sauce thickens.