Pinakbet (Pumpkin Stew)

 This is one of my mother's favorite dishes because of the Ampalaya (bitter gourd 😖). I cook mine without the bitter gourd. I learned that an alternate substitute for bitter gourd is Winter Melon or Honey Dew 😦. I'm not brave enough to try it.

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 lb lechon kawali (pork belly), chicken or beef; sliced 
• 1 piece Knorr Shrimp Cube or seafood broth with 1 1/2 lb of shrimp
• 1/2 lb sitaw (string beans), cut into 2 inch length 
• 1 small kalabasa (pumpkin), cubed 
• 12 pieces okra, sliced 
• 1 piece Chinese eggplant, sliced 
• 1 piece ampalaya (bitter gourd), sliced **(optional)
• 1 piece kamote (sweet potato), cubed (optional) 
• 2 pieces tomato, cubed 
• 2 thumbs ginger, crushed (optional) 
• 1 piece onion, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed 
• 2 teaspoons bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) or 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 ½ cups water 
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil (if you are cooking with chicken or beef) or 1 tbsp butter (if you are cooking with the pork belly)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• sliced pickled jalapeños for topping
• chicharron (pork rind skins) for topping

Directions:

1. Pre-heat a large pot or wok for 10 minutes under medium high heat. Melt butter. Sauté onion and garlic until they become aromatic. Add ginger. 
2. Add the pork belly into the pot. Sauté for 1 minute. Season with ground black pepper. If you prefer to have a crispier texture for your pork belly, allow to cook until the violent fat explosions stop hissing or until pork belly is well done. If you prefer to crisp roast your pork belly first, preheat oven to 450° F. Score the pork belly fat. Take care to make shallow cuts - it's okay to go into the fat, but don't cut so deep that you go into the meat. Score the skin into a diamond pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Lower temperature oven to 275°F and let it cook for another hour.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, pour in 1/2 cup seafood broth under low medium heat. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp is tender. (For a faster option, add Knorr Shrimp Cube after pouring water over the cooked pork belly.) 
4. Pour water and allow to boil. Cover the pot and cook in medium heat for 20 minutes. Add tomato and fish sauce. Stir. Add the shrimp broth (Yes; just the broth). Cover the pot. Simmer for 3 minutes. 
5. Put the pumpkin and sweet potato into the pot. Simmer for 7 minutes. 
6. Add the string beans, okra, and shrimp. Stir. Cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. 
7. Add eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes. 
8. Serve. Enjoy with rice and a side of shrimp paste! A small pinch of the shrimp paste goes a long way. It's very salty.

Inspired by Author Vanjo Merano of Panlasang Pinoy

Eagle Brand Frozen Chocolate Mousse Pie

 Prep time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (20 cookies) finely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 14 oz Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• 1 cup whipping cream, stiffly whipped

Directions

1. Lightly butter 9" pie plate. Combine crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the side of the rim of the pie plate. Chill
2. In large mixing bowl, beat chocolate with Eagle Brand and vanilla until well blended. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared crust. Freeze for 6 hours or until firm. Garnish as desired. Freeze leftovers.

Philadelphia Classic New York Cheesecake

 Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake: 1 hour 10 minutes

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 3 Tbsp and 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 5 pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened 
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 cup Breakstone's Sour Cream
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Mix crumbs, sugar and butter: press onto bottom of 9" springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well, and add eggs one at a time at low speed. Mix until well blended. Pour over crust.
3. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set. You can also bake at 300° F using a dark nonstick springform pan. Loosen cake from the side of the pan. Cool before removing from rim of the pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Philadelphia White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

 Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake: 40 minutes

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pkgs Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 oz Baker's premium white baking chocolate, melted
• 6 oz or 9" ready-to-use chocolate flavor crumb crust
• 3 tbsp red raspberry preserves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Mix until blended. Stir in white chocolate.
2. Pour into crust. Microwave preserves in a small bowl on High for 15 seconds or until melted. Dot top onto cheesecake with small spoonfuls of preserves. Cut through batter with spreading knife several times for a marble effect.
3. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool or refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Eagle Brand Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

Did you know that Eagle Brand has over 700 recipes for every occasion? You can join their recipe club at www.eaglebrand.com

Prep time: 12 - 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes 24 - 36 bars

Ingredients

• 14 oz Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
•  1 stick of butter
• 2 cups (24 cookies) finely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs 
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp peppermint flavoring or crushed peppermint leaves
• 1 package chocolate mint candies, chopped
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a 13" x 9" baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter and pack mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 6 minutes and let cool
2. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Eagle Brand until smooth. Add eggs and peppermint. Mix well. Pour over the cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
3. In heavy saucepan or microwave, melt chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the bars. Sprinkle chopped chocolate mint candies over the top. Store covered in refrigerator.

Tinola

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small onion, peeled and chopped 

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 thumb-sized fresh ginger

1 to 2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts, cut into serving pieces

1 tablespoon fish sauce

3 cups water

2 cups chicken bone broth 

2 green chayote, pared, seeded and cut into 2-inch wedges

1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, stems trimmed or Malunggay

Dash of pepper 

Instructions

1. In a pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions, ginger, and garlic until clear, golden brown and aromatic respectively.

2. Add chicken and cook until chicken starts to change color and juices run clear. Add pepper.

3. Add water and chicken bone broth to a boil, skimming off the scum on top. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

5. Add fish sauce and chayote, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes. and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until tender yet crisp.

6. Add spinach or Malunggay and push down into broth. Simmer for 5 minutes at low heat. Serve hot.

Champorado Recipe

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Author: Vanjo Merano

Ingredients

• 8 tbsp cocoa powder or about 4 pieces tableya
• 1 cup glutinous rice malagkit
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 cups water
• condensed milk optional

Instructions

• Pour 2 1/2 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil
• Put-in the glutinous rice and allow water to re-boil for a few minutes
• Dilute the cocoa powder in 1 cup warm water then pour-in the pot. Stir continuously
• Once the glutinous rice is cooked (about 12 to 18 minutes of cooking with constant stirring), add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes or until the texture becomes thick.
• Remove from the pot and place in a serving bowl.
• Serve hot with a swirl of condensed milk on top.