Guisadong Puso ng Saging and Tortang Puso ng Saging

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 piece onion, chopped
• 1 piece puso ng saging (haba), washed, minced and squeezed thoroughly
• 3 tablespoons Mama Sita's Oyster sauce
• 1 stalk spring onions, chopped
  
• Oil for frying

1. Heat oil and saute the garlic and onion.
   
2. Add puso ng saging and cook until the liquid has dried up.
3. Add spring onions and Mama Sita's Oyster Sauce.
   
4. Mix well, remove from heat and let cool.

Makes 4 to 5 servings

Variation: You can also make tortang puso ng saging.
Makes 16 tortas (2 inch dia.)

1. Add 2 pieces (120 g) eggs, and 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch to cooled mixture.
2. Form into patties and pan-fry.

Sinigang na Bangus

Ingredients:

• 10 cups water
• 1 cup tomatoes sliced into wedges
• 1/2 cup onions quartered
  
• 1 pouch Mama Sita's tamarind Seasoning (Sinigang) Mix
• 1 piece radish sliced
• 2 cups long beans (sitaw) cut in 2'' lengths
  
• 4 pieces long green pepper
• 1 kilogram milkfish (bangus), scaled and sliced diagonally
• 1 bundle swamp cabbage (kangkong)
  
• salt to taste
  
• patis to taste

1. In a saucepan, bring water, tomatoes and onions to a boil. Simmer.
2. Pour in Mama Sita's Tamarind Seasoning (Sinigang) Mix. Increase the heat and bring to a rolling boil.
   
3. Add radish, long beans and long green pepper and patis to taste.
4. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Add milkfish.
   
6. Turn off heat and add leafy vegetables.
   
7. Cover to steam cook. Serve hot.

Makes five (5) servings

Beef Caldereta

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch Mama Sita's Caldereta Mix
• 2 cups (500ml) water
• 1 cup (190g) each potatoes/carrots cut into serving portions
  
• 1 piece bell pepper in 1 1/2 triangle cuts
• 1/4 cup (928g) pitted green olives (optional)
• 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) beef brisket cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 cup (100g) green peas
  

1. Pan fry meat until brown.
2. Add water and bring to a boil.
   
3. Lower heat and simmer until meat is tender.
4. Add Mama Sita's Caldereta Mix, stir.
   
5. Add the potatoes and carrots then simmer.
6. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until done.

Makes ten (10) servings

Tips: other meat substitutes - lamb or chicken.

M.Y San Grahams Buko Pandan

Ingredients:

For crust mixture :

• 1 cup (10 crackers) M.Y. San Grahams honey, crushed
• 8 tablespoon(1/2 225g block) unsalted butter, melted
  

For buko pandan filling :

• 1 cup all purpose cream, chilled
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1/8 teaspoon pandan extract
• 1 cup (about 1 buko) buko, shredded
• 1 bar green gulaman
• 1 cup buko juice

PROCEDURE:

1. DO CRUST. Combine crushed M.Y. San Grahams Honey and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Spread and press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan so that chill for 10 minutes.
2. DO FILLING: Whip all purpose cream until double in volume. Gently mix in condensed milk and buko pandan extract until well-blended. Stir in shredded buko. Set aside in the refrigerator.
3. BREAK and soften gulaman bar in the cup of buko juice. Boil until gulaman is dissolved. Cool pour and stir gulaman mixture into whipped cream.
4. SPREAD filling over the pie crust. chill and serve.
   

Makes eight (8) servings

Filling Expert Tip: Add 2 tablespoon of desiccated coconut for added taste.

Fried Tofu

Ingredients:

• 1 cup button mushrooms, fresh or canned quartered (optional)
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/4 cup spring onions cut into 1/2" lengths
• 5 pieces tofu cut into 1/2" x 1/2" cubes

1. Heat oil in pan and fry tofu until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pan, stir fry the mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add oyster sauce and fried tofu. Miz well and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the spring onions and stir.
   
5. Serve hot.

Fried Danggit with Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 16 pieces dried danggit
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 6 large eggs, beaten

1. Heat vegetable oil in a wok then fry danggit.
2. In a non-stick pan, saute onions in olive oil until they are translucent.
3. Increase heat to high.
4. Add beaten eggs and scramble with a wooden spoon. Cook until soft and fluffy.
5. Transfer to serving plate and serve with fried danggit and rice.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes four (4) servings

Gingered Tahong and Tahong Soup with Malunggay Leaves

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 cup ginger slivers
• 1 kg. fresh tahong
• 1/2 cup malunggay leaves, stems removed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. In a large stockpot, saute ginger and garlic in oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add tahong and 2 cups water.
   
3. Let boil, cover and allow to boil until all the tahong shells open, shaking pot occasionally to allow shells to cook evenly.
   
4. Remove from fire.
   
5. Transfer tahong into a serving bowl.
6. Pour bowl into a clean stockpot leaving behind dirt particles and ginger slivers.
   
7. Put stockpot over high heat.
8. Add 4 cups water and let boil.
9. Add malunggay leaves and simmer for 3 minutes.
10. Taste and adjust seasoning according to taste if necessary.
11. Serve hot.

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes four (4) servings
Cost per serving P14.00

Tip: Buy your tahong from vendor you know will sell fresh tahong. Cook the tahong as soon as you get home.

Ginataang Langka

Ingredients:

• 3 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons ginger slivers
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 cups young langka, sliced
• 2 cups fresh gata (unang piga)
• 2 cups gata (pangalawang piga)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup sitaw, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 siling labuyo, chopped

1. In a large pan, saute onions, garlic and ginger slivers in oil for 8 minutes.
2. Add langka, mix well.
3. Add the 2 cups gata (pangalawang piga) mix well and let it boil, lower heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
   
4. Add the 2 cups fresh gata (unang piga), season with salt and pepper then simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add sitaw and siling labuyo, cover and let it simmer for 8 minutes or until the sitaw is cooked.
   
6. Continue to simmer until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
   
7. Serve hot.

Cooking time: 40 minutes
Makes four (4) servings
Cost per serving P22.80

Tips: Puso ng saging can be a substitute for langka. Add on cillies if you want it spicy.

Chilled Buko Pandan Surprise

This is one refreshing, cold drink that you and your family can enjoy drinking during a meal or after. It can also be good to serve during snack time for the kids to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle buko pandan leaves tied in a knot
• 6 cups water
• 1 pack powdered gulaman
• 2 fresh young buko, whole

1. Boil pandan in water in a medium stockpot covered for 20 minutes.
2. Set gulaman according to instructions found in the package. Substitute boiled pandan water instead of plain water.
3. Put buko juice in a pitcher. Using the other end of a fruit baller make strips from the buko meat. If the buko meat is too tender for this, use a spoon instead to scoop meat from the buko shell.
   
4. To assemble: Cut set gulaman into 1/2 ince squares just before serving. Then pour buko juice into individula glasses, add buko meat and gulaman. Serve cold.
   

Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes four (4) servings
Cost per serving P20.35

Crispy Butterflied Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces medium size tilapia scaled, cleaned and butterflied
• 6 pieces calamansi
• 2 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups cornstarch
• 6 cups vegetable oil

1. Place butterflied tilapia on a baking tray.
2. Squeeze on tilapia the juice of calamansi.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place cornstarch on a large plate.
5. Dust with flour each tilapia on both sides, inside and out.
6. Heat vegetable oil in a wok in high heat.
7. When oil is smoking hot, fry one piece of tilapia. Make sure that you gently put the tilapia in th oil with the butterflied side lept open.
8. Fry until crispy and golden.
9. Remove from fire then transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
10. Fry the other remaining pieces.
11. Serve while still hot.

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes four (4) servings
Cost per serving P43.10

Tip: Instead of flour use cornstarch to make your tilapia crispy. Oil should be sizzling hot before frying.