Pancit Bihon Guisado

A Filipino celebration would not be complete without it.


  • 1/2 kilo rice stick noodles (bihon)
  • 1 medium sized chicken breast, boiled & shredded
  • 1/4 kilo pork pigue or kasim, diced
  • 1 cup uncooked shrimps, shelled and de-veined (optional)
  • 1 small cabbage, shredded
  • 1 medium carrot, julienned
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 4 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
PROCEDURE :
1. Put the rice stick noodles in a clean basin and soak in water to soften.
2. In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft.
3. Add the pork and stir fry for about 3 minutes or until cooked.
4. Add the chicken, shrimps and vegetables and continue stir frying until the shrimps turn pink and the vegetables are half cooked.
5. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and soy sauce and simmer for about 1 minute.
6. Remove half of the ingredients from the wok and set aside as topping for the noodles later.
7. Remove the noodles from the soaking water and add to the ingredients remaining in the wok.
8. Stir constantly until the noodles are cooked and dried.
9. If it becomes dry before the noodles are cooked, you can add the remaining broth as needed.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Arrange the cooked noodles in a big platter and put the topping.
12. Serve with slices of calamansi.

Pinakbet

Native vegetables such as eggplant, okra, string beans, and squash, among others are cooked together in shrimp paste (bagoong) to come up with this exquisite recipe.


  • 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into small pieces
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 2 medium ampalaya, cut into serving pieces
  • 2 medium eggplants, cut into serving pieces
  • 1/4 medium squash, cut into serving pieces
  • 5 pieces string beans, cut into serving pieces
  • 6 pieces okra, halved
  • 6 pieces tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 1 big onion, diced
  • 1 small ginger, juliened
  • 4 tablespoons sauteed shrimp bagoong
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
PROCEDURE :1. In a skillet, saute the pork in oil until lightly browned, set aside.
2. Saute ginger, garlic, onion, and tomatoes in the skillet and mix in the pork.
3. Add the water and shrimp bagoong and let boil.
4. Add the ampalaya, eggplant, okra, squash, and string beans and simmer until cooked.
5. Season with pepper and MSG to taste.

Laing

Taro leaves cooked in coconut milk, from the Bicol region.


  • 20 pieces gabi leaves, dried and shredded
  • 1/2 kilo pork belly, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small ginger, minced
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 5 jalapeno pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup coconut cream (kakang gata)
  • 2 cups coconut milk (gata)
  • 1/4 cup shrimp bagoong
  • 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, mix together the gabi leaves, pork, garlic, ginger, and onions.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add jalapeno, bagoong, MSG, and salt to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the coconut cream and until oil comes out of the cream.

Ginisang Munggo

This is one way of cooking mung beans that Filipinos, for some reason, loves to cook during Fridays.


  • 1 cup munggo, washed
  • 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into small pieces
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 4 pieces tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 cup malunggay leaves
  • 1 Knorr pork cube
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, put water, munggo, and Knorr pork cube.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the munggo is cooked.
3. In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the garlic, onion, and tomatoes.
4. Add the pork and saute until lightly browned.
5. Add in the munggo and stock.
6. Season with pepper and add the malunggay leaves.

Sinigang Na Bangus (Milkfish)

The pinoy national fish (bangus) cooked in sour soup base.


  • 1 piece large bangus, cleaned and sliced into serving pieces
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 small ginger, sliced
  • 2 pieces tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 2 medium eggplants, cut into serving pieces
  • 5 pieces string beans, cut into serving pieces
  • 2 cups kangkong leaves
  • 1 small pack tamarind powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, bring water to a boil together with the ginger.
2. Add the bangus, tomatoes, and onion and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tamarind powder and salt to taste.
4. Add the eggplant and string beans and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add the kangkong leaves, and let stand covered for 5 minutes.

Fish Escabeche

Fried fish, such as lapu-lapu or tilapia, with sweet and sour sauce.


  • 1 large fish such as lapu-lapu or tilapia
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 each of red and green bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 cup grated unripe papaya
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, julienned
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon MSG or vetsin
  • 1 cup cooking oil
PROCEDURE :
1. Clean the fish and rub with salt and vetsin.
2. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the fish until golden brown.
3. Place the fish in a serving dish and set aside.
4. Remove the used oil from the pan and put in about 1 tablespoon of fresh oil.
5. Saute the garlic, ginger, and onion.
6. Add the bell peppers and grated papaya and saute until half-cooked.
7. Put this mixture on top of the fish in the serving dish.
8. Return the pan to the heat and put the vinegar, salt and sugar.
9. Bring to a boil and thicken with the dissolved cornstarch.
10. Pour this sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Tokwa't Baboy

This dish goes well with porridge or a cold bottle of beer.


  • 1/4 kilo pork (preferably the ear and face part)
  • 2 big pieces tokwa (dry tofu)
  • 2 cups cooking oil
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 small onions
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
PROCEDURE :
1. Put the pork in a small pot or casserole and pour in enough water to cover the pork.
2. Add in 3 cloves of garlic, 1 whole onion, the whole peppercorns and salt.
3. Bring to a boil skimming off scum as it rises, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool.
5. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pork broth for the sauce.
6. In a small pan, heat the oil and fry the tokwa (dry tofu) until golden brown on both sides.
7. Drain the fried tokwa on paper towels and let it cool.
8. Mince the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and 1 onion.
9. In a large bowl, prepare the sauce by thoroughly combining the minced onion and garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ground black pepper, and the reserved pork broth.
10. Slice the pork and the tokwa into 1/2-inch cubes and combine with the sauce.
11. Serve with porridge, or a cold bottle of beer.

Pork Barbecue

The tangy sweet favor of this grilled street food is a favorite among Filipinos.


  • 1 kilo pork belly (liempo), sliced to desired size
  • 1 cup 7-UP
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup banana ketchup
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)
PROCEDURE:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and marinate for at least 8 hours.
2. Use barbecue sticks to skewer the meat or you may grill the meat as it is, if the pork slices are big.
3. Grill the meat until well cooked.
4. Enjoy with or without rice. Use vinegar as dipping sauce, if preferred.

Paksiw Na Pata

Pork leg (including the knuckle) is used in this favorite sweet-sour recipe.


  • 1 large pork leg (pata), sliced
  • 2 cups vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 1 piece laurel leaf
  • 12 whole peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dried banana blossom (actually dried lily buds)
  • sprigs of dried oregano
  • salt to taste
  • MSG or vetsin (optional)
PROCEDURE :
1. Place the pork leg pieces in a casserole together with the vinegar, water, garlic, peppercorns, laurel and oregano.
2. Place casserole over medium heat and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. (Alternatively, you can also pressure cook for 15 minutes)
3. Add the soy sauce, sugar and banana flower and continue simmering until the sweet-sour broth thickens.
4. Add salt and MSG to taste, if desired.
5. Serve hot with rice.

Menudo

This dish is obviously derived from Spain that colonized the islands for more than 300 years.


  • 1 kilo pork, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 large tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 cups chickpeas, cooked and peeled
  • 3 medium potatoes, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
PROCEDURE :
1. In a skillet, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, and tomatoes.
2. Add the pork and soy sauce and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the water, cover the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add potatoes, chickpeas, bell pepper, and bay leaf.
5. Continue cooking until sauce thicken.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Kare-Kare

Native recipe of meat cooked in peanut sauce and served with shrimp paste (bagoong).



  • 1 kilo oxtail, cut into serving pieces
  • 2 eggplants, slice diagonally
  • 5 pieces string beans, cut into 4 cm length
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
  • 1 medium sized onion
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 cups water
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoon sauteed shrimp paste (bagoong)
PROCEDURE :
1. Put the meat, water, and salt in a casserole and simmer for 60 minutes.
2. Remove the meat from the casserole to a plate.
3. Put the string beans and eggplant in the casserole and boil until cooked.
4. Remove the vegetables from the casserole into another plate.
5. In a large skillet, saute the garlic and onion in hot oil until brown.
6. Put in the meat in the skillet and saute.
7. Transfer the meat back to the casserole with the stewing water and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the peanut butter and simmer for another 5 minutes.
9. Serve with the cooked vegetables and bagoong on the side.

Chicken Tinola

There's nothing like a hot Chicken Tinola to warm you up especially when you are under the weather.


  • 1 kilo whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
  • 1 piece medium-sized unripe papaya, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup chili leaves (dahon ng sili)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, julienned
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
  • 5 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, heat oil and saute garlic, ginger, and onion until soft.
2. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.
3. Season with patis and pour in the water.
4. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.
6. Add in the papaya and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the papaya is tender.
7. Remove from heat, put in the chili leaves and cover to allow the leaves to cook.
8. Serve hot.

Chicken And Pork Adobo

This is a classic recipe with as many versions as the islands of the Philippines.


  • 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
  • 1 kilo pork butt, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup cane vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 1 head garlic, crushed and peeled
  • 2 pieces of bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
PROCEDURE :
1. Put all the ingredients except the soy sauce and oil in a casserole.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Put in the soy sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Remove the meat from the casserole to a plate.
5. Remove the sauce to a separate bowl.
6. Put the oil in the casserole and brown the meat.
7. Return the sauce back in the casserole with the meat.
8. Simmer until sauce thicken.

Bistek Tagalog

The Filipino version of the beef steak made from very thin slices of beef cooked in soy sauce and calamansi juice.


  • 1/2 kilo sirloin beef, sliced very thinly
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoon, calamansi juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG), optional
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large onions, cut into rings
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
PROCEDURE :
1. In a large bowl, mix the beef, soy sauce, calamansi, black pepper and MSG.
2. Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil and stir fry the onion rings until soft.
4. Remove the onion rings from the pan and increase the heat until the remaining oil is very hot.
5. Reserve the marinade, fry the beef slices in batches until brown, remove them to a plate as they cook.
6. When all the beef has been cooked, stir fry the garlic in the remaining oil.
7. Pour in the marinade and let it boil for about 1 minute.
8. Arrange the beef slices on a plate, top it with the onion rings, and pour the sauce over them.
9. Serve hot with rice.

Binagoongang Baboy

Delicious pork recipe with shrimp paste, but not recommended for those with Hypertension

  • 1 kilo pork loin, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup cane vinegar
  • 1/2 cup bagoong or shrimp paste
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 pieces black pepper, cracked
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 pieces siling berde or jalapeno pepper, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG), optional
PROCEDURE :
1. Place pork, vinegar, bagoong, garlic, and pepper corn in a cooking pan and mix well.
2. Cover and bring to a boil without stirring.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until the pork is tender, checking occassionally to ensure that it does not burn.
4. Mix in the sugar and MSG, then put in the jalapeno pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot with rice.

Bicol Express

You will need plenty of rice to go with this very spicy pork dish from the Bicol region.



  • 1 kilo pork, cubed
  • 1/4 cup shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)
  • 8 pieces red chili pepper (siling labuyo), whole
  • 10 pieces green jalapeno pepper (siling berde), chopped
  • 3 cups coconut milk
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 big onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
PROCEDURE :
1. In a frying pan heat the oil until hot.
2. Sautee garlic, onion, and shrimp paste.
3. Add the pork and half of the coconut milk.
4. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
5. Put in the remaining coconut milk, chili pepper, and green pepper.
6. Cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Serve with rice.

Beef Tapa

Filipino version of Beef jerky usually served with garlic fried rice and fried egg.

  • 1 kilo beef loin, very thinly sliced
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup cane vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper, ground
PROCEDURE :
1. Mix all the ingredients together and let it stand in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
2. Spread the pieces of meat in a tray and let it dry in the sun for at least a day.
3. Serve fried with garlic rice and fried egg (tapsilog).

Beef Nilaga (Nilagang Baka)

The nilaga is an all-in-one meal that combine meat and veggies in one satisfying dish.


  • 1/2 kilo beef, cubed
  • 1 small head of cabbage, cut into 4 pieces
  • 8 pieces string beans, cut into about 3 inches length
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
  • 1 Knorr beef cube
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 4 pieces
  • 10 whole black pepper
  • 8 cups water
  • fish sauce or patis
PROCEDURE :
1. Place beef, onion, black pepper, and water into a presure cooker and lock the lid.
2. Bring to a boil, lower heat, then simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Open the pressure cooker and put in potatoes, carrot, string beans and Knorr beef cube.
4. Cover but do not pressurize and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Season with patis to taste before adding the cabbage.
6. Simmer until the cabbage is cooked.
7. Serve hot.