LUTONG PINOY – Easy to Cook Filipino Foods

Ginisang Ampalaya (Sauteed Bitter Melon) Ingredients: 1 bitter melon (ampalaya); sliced 2 eggs; beaten 3 cloves garlic; minced 1 medium onion; sliced 1 medium tomato; sliced Salt to taste Cooking oil

Tortang Talong (Stuffed Grilled Eggplant Omelet) Ingredients:

2 Japanese eggplant (the narrower the better, as they will cook faster)
Vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1 medium onion, cut in small dice
10 ounces ground pork
1 large plum tomato, cut in small dice
1 tablespoon fish sauce (Keefer prefers the Thai brand Tiparos)
4 medium eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tortang Talong (Stuffed Grilled Eggplant Omelet) Procedures:

* On a grill or open flame, scorch eggplant skins until blackened. (Using stem as handle, try to turn eggplants on every side to char as much of the skin as possible.) Place them whole in a heatproof dish and cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Let eggplants steam in the residual heat until they turn limp. Once they have had a chance to cool, gently peel away skins and discard. Set peeled eggplants aside.

* In large pan, heat about 1 tablespoon oil until a smoky haze appears. Add onion and saute until softened and caramel in color. Mix in ground pork and saute until cooked. Add diced tomato and cook until softened. Add fish sauce and cook until it evaporates or until the sharp fish smell disappears and is replaced by a more mellow aroma. Remove mixture from flame and set aside to cool until needed.

* In medium bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add both eggplants, laying them side by side with stem ends sticking up and out of the bowl together. Using a fork, mash eggplant meat until flattened. Add pork mixture and make sure it and eggplant are well-coated with beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

* In 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon oil until a hazy smoke appears. Carefully slide eggplant and egg mixture into pan, once again with stem ends sticking up together. Lower flame to medium heat. Once egg mixture looks opaque around edges, cover pan with a large plate (should be at least 1 inch bigger than pan circumference) and quickly turn pan upside down so the eggplant mixture lands on the plate (the cooked side should be on top). Return pan to stove, add a little bit more oil and heat until a hazy smoke appears. Carefully slide the torta, uncooked side down, into the pan. Lower heat to medium and cook until eggs are cooked through.

Filipino Spaghetti Ingredients:

1 kilo spaghetti noodles
3/4 kilo ground beef
1 carrot; minced
1 small can evaporated milk
1 can liver spread
1/4 kilo hotdog slices
4 cloves garlic; minced
1 onion; minced
2 bottles of banana catsup
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil

Filipino Spaghetti Procedures:

* Boil spaghetti noodles with salt and cooking oil for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside in a platter.

FOR THE SAUCE MIXTURE:

* Sauté garlic and onion.

* Add ground beef and cook until meat turns light brown. Season with salt and pepper.

* Season with salt and pepper.

* Add banana catsup and tomato sauce.

* Simmer for 10 minutes.

* Add hotdog, carrots, sugar, liver spread and milk.

* Simmer for 5 minutes.

* Pour the mixture on top of the spaghetti noddles. Garnish with grated cheese.