BOILAR BONEY-BONEY CON GOOLASH

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BOILAR BONEY-BONEY CON GOOLASH
(Filipino: Pinakuluang Buto-Buto Tinambakan ng Gulay)
(English: Boiled Bones Dumped with Veggies)
Start of nationwide classes and everybody’s pockets
are now almost empty.
Tuition fees, miscellaneous needs, uniforms, gadgets & paraphernalia
and allowances drained our once deep money pouch.
Time to create “austere” but mega healthy dish that our “schoolers”
will enjoy for lunch or lay-in center during family talks over dinner.
The cooking method is different in which sequence is hereby
exposed to deliver desired flavor extraction from ingredients.
Get your cleavers (chopping knives) ready.
MEAT:
1 kilo “buto-buto”- chopped
(throw-away bones of pork (or beef) with little lean, cartilage
or tissues still attached)
VEGGIES:
1 small carrot – de skinned & sliced
3 pieces “ripe saging na saba” – de skinned chopped into 2 per piece.
(Cardava Banana or Saba Banana)
3 pieces “kamote” – de-skinned, wedged into 4 per piece
(sweet potatoes)
1 small bunch “bok choy” – cleaned & end joint-stem removed.
(Chinese cabbage, bok choi, pak choi)
1 small bunch of “wom bok – cleamed & end joint-stem removed.
(Chinese Napa cabbage or Baguio pechay)
½ of small cabbage – cut squarely
6-8 pieces Baguio beans – cut into 2 per piece
(or any beans you wish)
SAUTEING SPICES, CONDIMENTS & OTHER NEEDS:
1 medium white onion – sliced
2 grams ground black pepper
20 ml. “patis” (fish sauce)
15 ml. soy sauce
5 grams fine salt
25 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Tap water
PROCEDURES:
1.   With just enough tap water to cover meat, boil “buto-buto”
to desired tenderness. Remove from broth.
Set aside drained meat & broth for later use.
2.   Heat EVOO and fry to almost well done state
your bananas & sweet potatoes. Remove from oil & set aside.
3.   In the same frying pan, sauté onion till translucent.
4.   Add in boiled meat, fried banana & sweet potatoes.
Tumble and mix well for 2 minutes.
5.   Add in “patis”, soy sauce, ground black pepper and salt.
Tumble and mix well for 3 minutes to ensure
full flavor absorption by meat.
Add in more EVOO if need be.
6.   While on this stage, bring broth to a boil.
7.   Once boiling, add in all in raw mats
from the sautéing pan into broth.
Continue boiling for another 2 minutes.
8.   Before end of 2 minutes, scoop in 2 pieces each
banana & sweet potato.
Crush to paste consistency and
pour back unto boiling broth.
(this system gives extra flavor & a bit of viscosity to soup.
9.   Pour in other veggies. Turn off stove.
Veggies will be half-cooked but nutritively crunchy.
10.  Season with additional “patis”
and/or black pepper if so desired.
11.  Serve to loved ones a dish
that is so healthy and highly economical.

Gramp’s Salad. (…just a term. Also designed for young ones)

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GRAMP’S SALAD
Constantly communicating and exchanging ideas
on just right & proper ingredients’ usages
to Chef Ma, a culinary professor, down mid part of archipelago, in Visayas.
Had given her some recommendations on the kinds of
ingredients, food grade chemicals & preservatives to be used in:
sauces, cooked canned Filipino per-serve recipes and bottled-flavored iced teas.
An extra perk, in exchange for my recommendations,
she developed a “super easy & quick to prepare veggies salad”
dedicating the apt nomenclature to me:
“GRAMP’s SALAD”
Simple as they are, I adjusted some ingredients,
removed un-needed ones and introduced “quick blanching” into veggies.
“Quick boiling water blanching” does not take away crispness,
it, in fact, retains, & enhances the green color of veggies
while acting as “bactericidal” medium (killing bacteria)
that may be present in raw ones as amoeba.
Thus, “amoebiasis”, in big essence, is prevented.
And I was excited to take snaps of it…so here:
INGREDIENTS:
1.    8-10 pieces of processed meat product you wish.
Slice into strips and fry to your desired done-ness. Set aside.
2.    1 medium broccoli (stalks included) cut to bite size
3. 4-6 leaves of sliced lavander cabbage
4. 4-6 whole leaves of green cabbage – 2 to serve as “bed” & 2 sliced
5. 4 whole leaves of lettuce (any type) – 2 also to serve as “bed” & 2 sliced
6. 1 small carrot – julienned
7. 2 cloves crushed garlic
8. 5ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
9. 20 grams oyster sauce
10. 5 grams salt
11.2 grams black pepper
12. 15 ml. tap water for dressing
13. 250 ml. tap water for blanching
PROCEDURES:
1). Saute crushed garlic in heated EVOO.
2). Pour in 5ml. tap water & oyster sauce.
Toss. Simmer. Set aside.
3). In a pan pour in 250 ml. water. Add 1/2 of salt. Boil.
4). In strainer gather all veggies and
blanch in boiling water for just 1 minute.
5). Create “bed” of blanched whole veggie leaves in plate.
6). Pour on top sliced vegetables.
7). Top with fried meat strips.
8). Dress with simmered oyster sauce.
9. Again & again, best enjoyed with loved one.And so, beside lightly lit candle, pairing red or white wine,
your night will spell a very healthy simple dinner.
Not filling.
But satisfying.
Utterly memorable.

HOTOTAY SOUP (the more technological cooking approach).

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HOTOTAY SOUP
(The More Technological Cooking Approach)
HOTOTAY Soup is typically of Chinese kitchen origin fully accepted by Pinoys to be part of their own.
Modifications are introduced into it converting the “new version” as that of modifying-region’s native recipe.
I grew up knowing and hearing my old folks talked about HOTOTAY as an
“energy boosting meal”.
Being full of healthy ingredients, it was (or still is) served to women who had newly given birth,
or to people who just came from sick-bed and wished to recuperate faster
or to any one wishing to partake healthy meal.
I believe (IMHO) it was the inspiration behind the concoction of “Iloilo’s Batchoy”,
the “Lomi” of Batangas and the now very popular…
”TANTANMEN Noodle”.
Allow me to deal on these at the end.
The recipe herein detailed spells the different stages of its prep
creating a dish full of extracted flavor and taste rounded-ness
without the “bara-bara” dousing of millions of ingredients.
(wanton and blindfolded addition of un-needed materials)
I did not add fresh egg at the last-for I have a different idea how to offer it.
Other raw mats like: mushrooms, garlic, green onion leaves, oyster sauce etc.
are optional and dependent unto your call.
Let’s start this real health-focused complete dish.
Good for 2 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
Pork:
¼ kilo all-lean. Boil to tenderness in 500 ml. tap water added with
2 grams fine salt &
2 grams ground black pepper
Once done, remove from broth cut to cubes.
Broth will be used as the main soup later.
Chicken:
1 small breast, de-boned and cubed.
Shrimp:
6 pieces,  head & tail cut, de-shelled, de-veined.
Pork Liver:
100 grams, sliced.

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Egg:
1 piece, scrambled, fried, sliced thinly.
Veggies:
100 grams sliced cabbage
50 grams cubed “sayote”
50 grams sliced carrots
1 medium white onion sliced roundedly
2 bunches cleaned “baby bok choy” or Chinese Pechay, end joint-stalk cut

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Other Ingredients:
10 ml. “patis” (fish sauce)
15 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 grams fine salt
2 grams ground black pepper
3 ml. sesame oil
PROCEDURES:
(for truer flavor rounded-ness, please follow the sequence closely)
1. In suitable pan, fry chicken cubes in heated EVOO. Toss & tumble until brown-about 5-8 minutes or to desired done-ness. (this process fries & cooks the chicken to palatability).
2. Add in boiled lean pork, carrots, “sayote”, sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Continue tossing for 5 minutes. (this cooks the otherwise tough carrots & “sayote” while disseminating to the whole batch the flavor of seasoned-boiled taste of pork while, also, all tossed ingredients absorb salt & pepper)
3. Add in white onion, shrimp and liver. Tumble for 2 minutes. (almost last stage of sautéing as onion, shrimp & liver are softer & cook easily)
4. Add ½ of “patis”. Continue mixing well. (salt renders saltiness in full while “patis” shares off little saltiness & full seafood-or fish- flavor).
5. Set aside.

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6. Summon the pork broth and bring to boil.
7. Once boiling, pour in cabbage and “baby bok choy”.
8. Add in remaining ½ of “patis” and cook veggies in boiling broth for 15 seconds. (over boiling green veggies will render “un-palatable sight” to dishes.
9. Pour unto desired serving bowl, arrange veggies and meat to be “desirably sumptuous to the eyes”.
10. Scatter sliced scrambled egg…pour in sesame oil.
11. Enjoy the bliss of healthy offering.
NOTES:
1. I did not add mushroom pieces. It’s your choice.
Should you wish, you can add such together with the batch of onion, shrimp etc.
2. I did not add garlic and green onion leaves as doing so
will make the HOTOTAY tastes like “MAMI”. But again, your choice.
3. Oyster sauce (IMHO) will render the dish a “stew” like profile and NOT  “soup”.
VARIATIONS POSSIBLE:
1. Add in boiled noodles, “chicharon crumbs”, fried garlic & sliced green onion leaves on top will make it…like…
LA PAZ BATCHOY.
2. Change pork into fried ground beef (with little of its oil), add noodles of your choice
and top with green onion leaves’ slices for…the now very famous…
TANTANMEN NOODLE SOUP.

Oven Toastered Pork Loin

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OVEN TOASTERED PORK LOIN
Being just 2 at home, each time Pangs (wife Marilyn) and I get up,
after a short pm nap, in time to prepare for Sunday dinner,
we normally raid the ref.
As always, meat, veggies or fish, excess or left overs from
plant’s trials/production will we find.
This time found a bit big slice of pork loin.
As I usually hate prepping the range or lighting up fire via gas oven,
I normally summon other ways of cooking my food…which,
often, I will land using the ever helpful:
SMALL OVEN TOASTER.
That’s it.  Let’s get this meat ready to meet our tummy.

INGREDIENTS:
Meat:
1/2 kilo pork loin thinly sliced about ¼ inch
Meat Rub:
2 grams ground black pepper
1 gram chili powder
1 gram paprika powder
3 grams garlic powder
2 grams nutmeg powder
2 grams coriander powder
2 grams fine salt
10 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Veggies:
1 piece small carrot, de-rinded, cut into strips
1 small “sayote”, de-rinded, stripped
1 small head of broccoli, de-stemed,  quartered
2 grams fine salt
1 gram ground black pepper
1 slice butter (any brand of about 2 x 2 x 3 inches)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Except for EVOO & ½ of salt, combine all ingredients for meat rub. Blend well.
2. Rub meat well with EVOO covering all sides.
3. Sprinkle to all sides the meat rub. Toss and tumble to coat all.
4. Set toaster temp to high. Turn on top and bottom heating rods until fiery red.
5. In suitable rack or toaster’s flat bed container,  “BROAST” meat
for 15-20 minutes each side. (this depends on your done-ness preference)
6. Out. Sprinkle with other ½ of salt. Set aside. Cover with foil.
7. After quick boiling water blanching (about 2 minutes),
make bed of different colorful veggies.
8. Season with the little slice of butter on top, sprinkle salt & pepper.
9. Add in your “TOASTERED PORK LOIN”
10. Share with your loved one(s). Enjoy.NOTE: And why did I add salt at last stage which was after cooking?
When you add salt to meat, any kind, before cooking, it absorbs outside moisture
including thereat inside juices of your meat
which in fact toughens the resulting end product.
This is so if cooking medium is: grilling, broiling, roasting or frying.
But if you’re stewing, saucing or souping, then add your salt as you wish.
Believe you me.
Also, in view of the cooking medium used,
I coined the word BROAST which is
a portmanteau of the words broil & roast.

Devoid of decorative flare, eat, now, with your palate not with your eyes. SINIGANG.

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In my 37 years of experience mixing & blending food ingredients
plus creating “innovative twist” unto recipes (mostly Filipino, American & Chinese)
and their allied items (marinades, sauces, gravies, dips, bastes etc.),
I have satisfied & helped true-food-enthusiasts (including some chefs, cooks & food manufacturers)
with products & recipes they enjoy-serve-make profit from then-on until now.
We are in unity that palate-satisfying, rightly priced-food consumed in satiety comes from: (in this order)
1. the use of just right & proper ingredients,
2. the technological & systematic way of adding each & every ingredient
to optimize flavor outcome desire &
3. the eye pleasing presentation.
This shows ingredients come first…next the chronological way of cooking
while “plating” gears in last.
In short, taste is primordial. Eat with your palate first.
Question: when you design a recipe or a product, do you like “repeat consumption or orders”?
I bet your response is a reverberating yes.
In food, nobody orders repeatedly due to looks but rather due to enjoyable-satisfying taste.
Nobody likes foodies who landed in our resto just once, never came back,
but keep on posting via Facebook or Twitter that they had been in our place.
Again, in food, this is what you call: “I’VE BEEN THERE MARKET”…thus…
“I’VE BEEN THERE RESTO”.
Rule of thumb is: 1. “plate” your item well with no taste or ingredients’ fighting each other taste…
you get first timers only and seldom repeaters.
2. offer sumptuous food with no “plating” at all…you get first timers & some repeaters.
3. offer eye appealing food with outstanding taste…all first timers will definitely be repeaters…
and these repeaters will be your walking advertisers.
And so, the 3 requisites spell SUCCESS, of course.
So be it.
Above is Pork Sinigang (Tamarind Soup Based Pork)
Simple. Did no plating at all. But taste was tremendously gratifying.
In 1/2 cup palm oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves plus 8 pieces 2″x 2″ sliced pork belly fried until brown.
Poured in 1 sachet “Sinigang Mix”,
(Tamarind Soup Base Powder-available in your nearby Filipino or Oriental store)
tossed well until pleasant aroma exhumed out (about 5 minutes of tossing)
Why like this?
In lieu of the usual bland boiled pork flavor,
I wanted the blended taste of oil, garlic and acidic “Sinigang Mix” to seep into pork. Done.
Poured 2 cups plain tap water. Boiled to my desired pork tender-ness.
Added 1 teaspoon of “Patis” (Fish Sauce) and 2 grams black pepper powder. Mixed.
Turned off heat. Added on top, sliced eggplant, “kangkong” (swamp cabbage)
and quartered tomato. Pan covered.
Served as shown. A cup of steamed rice + my fave soda…solved.
Yummy sans “plating”.