Pork Siomai

"Siomai" is a traditional Chinese dumpling served in dim sum. Its filling is a combination of seasoned ground pork, whole and chopped shrimp, and Chinese black mushroom in small bits. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet of lye water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of roe or diced carrot. Although a green dot made with a pea may also be used. The decorative presentations vary from restaurant to restaurant.

Ingredients:

• 400 g ground pork
• 3/4 cup shelled shrimp
• 1 pc. carrot
• 1 pc. onion
• 2 stalks spring onions
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chinese wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 eggs
• wanton wrapper (100 pcs)
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup soya oil

Procedures:

For the filling:

1. In a bowl, place the ground pork and shelled shrimp.
2. Peel and grate carrot, squeeze out water and add to the pork mixture.
3. Chop onion and spring onion and add to the mixture.
4. Add in all other ingredients to the pork mixture.
5. Mix well until blended.

Molding and Cooking Siomai:

1. Place a tsp of the mixture at the center of the wrapper.
2. Bring corners to the center and press to make an open top pouch.
3. Set one whole green peas on top of each siomai and brush with oil.
4. Place in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.
5. Serve hot with soy sauce and calamansi dipping sauce.

Pichi-pichi

Pichi-pichi is a traditional Filipino dessert. Pichi-pichi is made from grated cassava or cassava flour, water and sugar. The mixture is then steamed, then cut into pieces and then rolled in grated coconut.

Equipment:

• Cassava Grater
• Blender
• Steamer
• Small Tin Cups
• Coconut Grater
  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cassava, grated (kamoteng kahoy or balinghoy)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• food coloring (optional)
• grated coconut
• 1 tsp. lihiya (lye)
  

Procedures:

1. Peel cassava and grate finely with a metal grater over a large bowl.
2. Add water and sugar. Mix well.
3. Process cassava mixture in a food processor to get a smooth texture. Add food coloring if desired.
4. Pour mixture into a small tin cups. Arrange the tin cups in a steamer and steam over a medium heat for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove pichi-pichi from tin cups. Coat with grated coconut.
6. Serve with hot or cold drinks.

Puto Pandan

Ingredients:

• 8 cups All Purpose Flour
• 4 cups white sugar
• 6 tbsp baking powder (Calumet)
• 7 cups pandan juice or 5 cups pandan juice and 2 cups evap milk
• 1/2 bar dairy cream
  

Toppings:

• 2 salted eggs
• 1 bar buttermilk (cheese)
  

Procedures:

1. Sift flour
2. In the mixing bowl, add the sugar, baking powder, dairy cream and pandan juice. Mix well to blend.
3. Fill the molds 3/4 full and top with toppings with the choice of egg or cheese.
4. Place in a steamer and steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Achara (Pickled Green Papaya)

Achara, or atsara, refers to the pickled green papaya. Carrots, ginger, onions and bell peppers are also added to turn it into achara. The pickling solution is a mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt–preserves the papaya and the vegetables. In air-tight jars, achara will keep even without refrigeration. After the jar has been opened, however, it is best to refrigerate achara. Achara is the Philippine contribution to the world of Asian pickles.

This relish is the perfect compliment to barbecue, meat, poultry and fish. Make sure to pick the green ones which are firm and not yet ripe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups green papaya, peeled
• 2-4 tbsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup sugar cane vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 large carrot, cut into strips
• 1 head garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsp ginger strips
• 20 pcs red shallots, whole and peeled
  

Procedures:

1. Divide papaya in half and shred into strips.
2. Mix 2 tbsp coarse salt with shredded papaya.
3. Mash and squeeze shredded papaya to extract juice. Add remaining salt as needed.
4. Place squeezed papaya on a clean cheesecloth and squeeze again. Set aside.
5. Put vinegar and the 2 kinds of sugar in a saucepan. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Add sugar to sweeten the taste, if desired.
6. Add papaya, carrots, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger and shallots to the vinegar-sugar mixture. Allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Transfer achara into sterilized bottles. Let cool before covering.

*Note: You may use cookie cutter to cut the vegetables into decorative pieces.

Cassava Chips

Cassava or "kamoteng kahoy" or "balanghoy" is a woody shrub commonly grown in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Cassava is the third largest source of carbohydrates for human food in the world.

The flour made of the roots is mainly prepared as a dessert. It is also steamed and eaten plain. Sometimes it is steamed and eaten with grated coconut. The most popular dessert is the cassava cake/pie, which uses grated cassava, sugar, coconut milk, and coconut cream.

Here is another recipe made out of cassava which i'm sure you would also like.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo cassava
• 1 tsp. vetsin
• 2 1/2 tsp. barbecue spice (for flavoring)
• 3 tbsp. and 1 pinch salt
• 9 1/2 cups water

Procedures:

1. Wash cassava well, peel and slice very thinly.
2. Soak in 2% salt water with flavoring.
3. Spread on a tray and steam for 5 minutes.
4. Dry in a solar drier at 60°C for 5 hours.
5. Seal in plastic bags until ready for frying before serving.

Siopao Making

Siopao business is mushrooming everywhere because it only require a little capital to start this business. However, the most important factor in this business is the knowledge in siopao making.

Here are some expert's tips to serve as your guide in this business:

1. Make sure your products are always fresh. Customers want their siopao fresh and hot when served.
2. Produce only what you can sell in a day. Siopao is perishable, so it's a good idea to make only what you can sell.
3. Be flexible. Know what your market wants. It's important to come up with products that will suit the market.
4. Be consistent. Be careful with your mixing and preparations to produce consistently clean, nutritious , and delicious siopao.
5. Be careful with blending. The ingredients that you put into your siopao should blend very well with the dough. If not, your siopao will spoil easily.
6. Handle your products with care. Steam your siopao carefully so the dough does not get too soggy or too dry. You must check on them every time.

To make the dough:

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. yeast

For the filling:

• 1/4 kilo pork or chicken
• 4 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 cup cooked beans
• 1 tbsp. Flour dissolved in 1 tbsp. water
• garlic, onions for sautéing

Utensils:

• mixing bowl
• wide board for making dough
• square pieces of paper for each siopao

Procedure:

1. Dissolved the yeast and sugar in the warm water; set aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix together sugar, salt, oil in the mixing bowl.
3. Add the dissolved yeast and half of the flour. Mix well.
4. Add more the remaining flour and mix well.
5. Knead the dough on the kneading board until smooth and fine.
6. Make a big ball from the dough and put in the bowl lined with oil. Apply oil also on the top of the dough.
7. Cover and let the dough rise within 30-40 minutes.
8. Flatten the dough, cut and make small balls. Let arise.
9. Flatten the balls, put 1 tbsp. filling in each and close. Put the ball on the square sheet of paper to keep it from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
10. Steam the balls for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the balls.

Filling:

1. Saute the garlic, onion, sliced pork or chicken.
2. Put in the beans, soy and a little water.
3. Before removing from the fire, pour in the dissolved flour for thickening. Stir well.

Halo-halo

Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold. Halo-halo comes from the Tagalog word "halo" meaning "mix".

It is basically a mixture of sweet preserved beans(red beans, chick peas), coconut meat (macapuno), jackfruit (langka), pounded dried rice (pinipig), sweet yam (ube), cream flan (leche flan), shreds of sweetened plantain (saba), filled with crushed ice, milk (or coconut milk) and topped with ice cream. The halo-halo basically is sweet, creamy, and a filling dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons kaong
• 2 tablespoons nangka (jackfruit)
• 2 tablespoons macapuno (a variety of coconut meat sold in bottles)
• 2 tablespoons sweetened kidney beans
• 2 tablespoons sweetened garbanzos
• 2 tablespoons sweetened plantains
• 2 tablespoons ube or yam
• 2 tablespoons custard or creme caramel
• 2 tablespoons sweetened corn kernels
• crushed ice to fill glass
• 2/3 evaporated milk a scoop of ice cream on top

Serving procedure:

1. In a clear tall glass, place kaong, nangka, macapuno, beans, garbanzos and other sweets.
2. Fill glass with shaved ice.
3. Sprinkle sugar and top with either (or a combination of) leche flan, ube halaya, or ice cream.
4. Condensed milk is poured into the mixture upon serving.

Leche Flan

Ingredients:

• 12 egg yolks
• 2 can condensed milk
• 5 cans small evaporated milk
• 2 cups fine white sugar
• 2 tablespoon vanilla or
• ¼ teaspoon grated dayap rind (optional)

Equipments:

• Loaf pan or Square pan
• Steamer
• Strainer

Caramelizing Syrup :

1. In a stainless steel pan, dissolve 3/4 cups of sugar, add 1/4 cup water over low heat.
2. Pale brown means sweeter and too dark means bitter.
3. Once caramelized, pour the syrup in the pan and make sure to coat all the parts of the pan.

Custard Procedures:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the egg yolk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Remove any solids by using a strainer.
2. Pour the mixture in the pan and cover it with an aluminum foil, so that the moisture from the steam won't come in the pan as it will become watery.
3. Steam Cook for 40-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Remove the pan and let it cool at room temperature.
5. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

To unmold the leche flan- run a sharp knife around the edge and carefully invert it unto a platter or serving dish, let the caramelized sugar flow over the leche flan.

Cassava Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 Lbs Grated Cassava
• 1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
• 1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk 1 14 oz. Can Coconut Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
• 1 13 oz. Can Coconut Cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 3 Eggs plus 3 Egg Whites
• 1 Cup Grated Coconut

Toppings:

• 3 Egg Yokes
• 1/3 Cup Reserved Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Milk
• 1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Cream

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325° f.
2. In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients. Mix well.
3. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans.
4. Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes).
5. Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes.
6. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Cool cakes completely.
8. Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.
   
   

Meat Processing - Tapa (Dried Meat)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg beef
• 3 tbsp salt
• 3½ tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp prague powder
• ¼ tsp vetsin (optional)
• 1½ - 2 tsp garlic
• ½ - 1 tsp ground pepper

UTENSILS:

• knife
• measuring spoons
• chopping board
• tray
• mixing bowl

PROCEDURE:

1. Slice meat 1/8 - ½ cm thick.
2. For every kilo of sliced meat, mix salt, sugar and other ingredients.
3. Pierce meat with bamboo sticks and expose under the sun until dry.
4. Place dried meat in clean container.
5. Store at room temperature for 2 days in a clean dry place.