Tilapia Filipino Style

I worked with a Filipino woman many years ago and I was lucky to get this recipe from her, that she often brought for lunch.  This can be baked in foil but I've found it's much easier to cook it stovetop.  Tilapia is coated with a little oil then seasoned with salt and pepper.  Chop some green onions, Roma tomatoes, ginger, cilantro and thin sliced lemons and place in a pan along with the fish.  Drizzle with a little soy sauce and sesame oil and cook until the fish flakes.  Serve on top of rice.

Soy Sauce Eggs

Where have these seasoned eggs been all my life?  I ran across this Asian side dish in my YouTube recommendations and I'm so glad I did.  Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari, 1/4 cup water and 1/8 cup of sugar.  The recipe would need to be doubled or tripled depending on how many eggs you're marinating.  Add sliced spring/green onions including the green parts.  Marinate hard-boiled eggs (shells removed) for at least six hours or overnight.  Slice in half and serve over rice with the sauce.  I also used this marinade for grilled salmon and the two together made a healthy and flavorful dinner.

Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Shumai

I love Dim Sum and shumai is one of my favorites things on the menu.  Today I "made" shumai from Trader Joe's.  I have found that many types of dumplings from Trader Joe's or any Asian store are just about as good as made from scratch.  I steamed the shumai in a bamboo steamer and made a dipping sauce that consisted of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and salt.  I made Jasmine rice to go along with it and had a very satisfying dinner without having to wait to go to a Dim Sum restaurant.

Korean Teriyaki Hot Dog

I bought a package of Filipino red hot dogs at my local Asian market with the intention of having them with rice and eggs for breakfast, a dish posted here in March called Hotsilog.  I wondered how else they could be cooked and I discovered a recipe on Omma's Kitchen on YouTube.  This is possibly one of the best fast food dishes I've ever made.  The hot dogs are cut on the diagonal and stir-fried with onion and garlic, then a small splash of soy sauce and sugar are added, just a scant teaspoon of each.  Served with an egg and you have a quick and easy lunch. 

Egg Fried Rice with Scallions and Ginger

My biggest challenge in the kitchen is to use everything I buy and to not waste food.  A friend of mine who was born in France but came to the U.S. at the age of 20, learned life long lessons about food and never allowing a single thing to go to waste.  She's the only person I know who is like that and it seems everyone I talk to says they too can do better about not wasting food.  So today, instead of having my usual hash brown patty with a fried egg on top for breakfast, I used up some rice from several days ago, and some scallions that looked like they were close to being put in the disposal, and I made a wonderful and simple fried rice.  I cooked the rice, scallions and a little fresh minced ginger in canola oil until it was a little crispy in places then tossed in a whisked egg.  It only takes a few minutes for the egg to set and breakfast is ready.  I topped it with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and salt and before I had finished I wanted a little spice so I added a dash of Sriracha.

Filipino Sour Soup

This soup called Sinigang is made with Knorr Tamarind soup mix and is so easy to make.  It's a staple in the Filipino kitchen and can be made with variations using different meats such as shrimp, beef and pork, and many different vegetables.  However, the soup is always made with tomatoes and onions.  I used baby back pork ribs that I bought from my local Asian market, and my vegetable choice was baby bok choy, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), and Daikon radish.  In a large soup pot, onions and ginger are sauteed in oil for a few minutes then the pork and tomatoes are added and browned for 15-20 minutes.  Fifteen cups of water is added along with the Tamarind mix and simmered for about an hour.  Add sliced Daikon radish and simmer another 30 minutes, then at the last minute add the bok choy and gai lan just long enough to wilt a little.  Serve over rice and enjoy this soup chock full of healthy vegetables with a slightly sour taste.