Crispy Pata

This is an all-time favorite. A must have for every special occasion. Be it birthdays, or fiestas, or any special day for you… Crispy Pata is a sure winner!

Ingredients:
2 pigs front legs without the trotters, preferably 600 grams each
8 cups water
2 medium-size white onions, peeled and wuartered
100 grams celery sticks, washed and discard roots
150 grams carrots
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
vegetable oil for deep frying

Procedure:

Put the pork legs into a large pot of water. Bring it to a boil. Maintain a gentle simmer for a few minutes and remove the scum that rises to the surface.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt into the pot. Cover partially and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove the leg to drain and cool.

In a heated large pot, put oil then the pork and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Carefully turn the pork over and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate to cool. Reserve the oil in the pot.

Cut the leg skin with kitchen scissors. Pierce the skin from the top then cut 1 1/2 –inch squares at about 1/8-inch deep.

Reheat the oil in the pot to a higher temperature. Put in the leg, skin side down. Fry uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until the skin is crisp and brown. Turn the leg and fry the opposite side for 1 minute. Remove the leg from the pot and place in a strainer. Allow to cool.

When it is ready to serve, reheat the oil then place the leg, presentation side up. Fry both sides of the leg for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and place in a strainer.

It is recommended to accompany crispy pata with atchara or sinamak or vinegar with soy sauce and chopped onions.

Hot Chocolate Milk

At this time of typhoons and heavy rains, having a cup of HOT CHOCOLATE MILK is a remedy for cold
 tummies. Here is a very simple recipe of tasty hot chocolate milk.

Just a short trivia... the flavonol compound in dark chocolate, which is used here, has been proven to have a positive effect on the heart.

Yummy Hot Chocolate Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup hot steamed milk

30 gms dark chocolate (preferably those with 70-72% cocoa content), grated

Ground cinnamon

Brown sugar crystals or sugar substitute

Procedure:

Add grated dark chocolate to one cup of hot steamed milk then stir until chocolate melts.

Pour into serving cup and top with ground cinnamon for a sweeter taste. If you want to have a lesser sweet blend, you may add some sugar crystals or sugar substitute. Serve immediately.

SPICY SIZZLING SISIG

Spicy Sisig, one of my personal favorites. It is often served as a pulutan to a beer. But, others also prefer to have this with rice.

Yummy Sisig

Ingredients:

8 cups water
2 cups pineapple juice
1 tbsp iodized salt
1 tbsp whole black peppercorn
4 pcs chicken liver
1/2 pig's head (cheek, ear or snout)
1 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup calamansi juice
5-6 siling labuyo, chopped
salt and pepper
1 egg

Procedure:

Combine water, pineapple juice, salt, peppercorn, chicken liver and pig's head in a stockpot. Bring it to a boil for approximately 30 minutes or until meat becomes tender.

Remove meats from the stockpot and cool to room temperature.

Slice the pork and liver and put them into bamboo skewers. Grill over a charcoal until pork and liver becomes brown and crisp.

Chop the pork and liver into small bits.

Mix the meat with onion, vinegar, calamansi juice, salt and pepper and siling labuyo.

Heat a skillet and put in the chopped mixture. You may add egg to enhance the flavor. Sisig is best served on the hot skillet.

Meal Planning

Before, I always find it hard to decide on what to cook for the day. I often had instant rush to the grocery and buy ingredients for lunch or for dinner... This kind of situation usually makes my head ache. To become hassle-free, i make time and effort to plan our weekly meals.

Through meal planning, you could have meal variants.Aside from that, it is financially-wise to plan your meals.

I will be posting weekly menus to help you. Just drop by once in a while, :)

Intro

Hi! I have always wanted to do this... sharing my cooking prowess with you, haha! Okay, okay... I really know how to cook.. I'm not the chef-of-a-hotel type.. but, i know the basics of cooking food, :)

I will be posting recipes of the ever delicious pinoy food. Watch out! :)