Filipino Recipes For The Holy Week

Since its Holy Week, Filipinos, specifically, the Catholics, are now starting to practice the good old lent tradition. We, Filipinos are very much known as a solemn observer of the Holy Week. This just shows how faithful and religious we are. This is the Filipino way of reflecting God's lessons and sacrifice that are written at the Holy Bible. Holy Week, according to the traditional beliefs, is the season of repentance and mending of immoral living for many Filipinos.

Image Credit : http://htreading.blogspot.com/2010/03/holy-week-services.html

There are certain sacrificial acts done during the observance. This includes Fasting or limiting one's food intake to one full meal a day and Abstinence or avoidance of eating meat from warm-blooded animals. So meaning to say, Filipinos usually eats fish and vegetables during this season.

Here are some vegetable recipes that you may find interesting, easy and practical to cook during the Holy Week.

Pinakbet
Pinakbet is the contracted form of the Ilocano word pinakebbet, meaning "shrunk" or "shriveled". The basic vegetables used in this dish include native bitter melon, eggplant, tomato, ginger, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers , parda and winged beans. A Tagalog version usually includes calabaza.

Laksa
Laksa Laksa or Bean Noodles with Vegetables is also an all time favorite of mine. This recipe or dish is best partnered with steamed rice and fried fish. This Filipino vegetable recipe is known to be a healthy food and perfect for diet conscious persons.

Ginisang Toge
Ginisang Toge is a healthy vegetable dish or recipe. It is a sauteed Mung Bean Sprout with carrots, bell pepper, shrimp, and tofu.

Adobong Kangkong
Adobong Kangkong is one of the authentic Filipino dishes that I really love. It was pretty easy and basic to prepare and cook, and for sure, you will love this recipe too.

You can check out and find more vegetable recipes at my Filipino Vegetable Recipes category.

And for the Fish recipes, here they are:

Fish Sarciado
Fish Sarciado is a kind of Filipino dish wherein the mixture of garlic, onions and tomatoes enhances the flavor of the sauteed fish. This is one of the most finest recipe of the Filipinos. This recipe is also perfect for this lent season.

Sinigang Na Bangus

Paksiw Na Bangus
Paksiw na Bangus is one the of the easiest bangus (milkfish) dish to make. Paksiw na Bangus is a native Filipino fish dish wherein, the milkfish (bangus) is cooked with the sour aroma of vinegar and spice of ginger, onion and garlic.

You can check out and find more fish recipes at my Filipino Fish Recipes category page.

Hope this post helps you out into picking the right dish this Holy Week. Enjoy.

Chop Suey Recipe

Chop Suey - Sautéed Mixed Vegetables

Chopsuey is a very popular vegetable dish. Filipinos have come up with their own individual variation that suits individual taste and the availability of ingredients. There are no exact measurements of ingredients. You could always adjust the ingredients base on what ever available or base on your preference.

ChopSuey Image Via AngSarap.Net

Estimated cooking and preparation time: 45 minutes

Chopsuey Recipe Ingredients:

1/4 kilo pork, sliced into small pieces
1/4 kilo shrimps, shelled, deveined and halved
1/4 kilo chicken liver and gizzard, sliced to small pieces
1/4 kilo cauliflower, broken to bite size
1/4 kilo string beans
1/4 kilo snow peas (sitsaro)
1/4 kilo cabbage, cut into squares
2 stalks of leeks, cut into 2" long pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 2" long pieces
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 onions, diced
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 piece red bell pepper, cut in strips
1 piece green bell pepper. cut in strips
2 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
2 cups chicken stock (broth)
3 tablespoons of sesame oil
3 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)
4 tablespoons of corn oil or vegetable oil

Chopsuey Cooking Instructions:

1). In a big pan or wok, sauté garlic, onions then add in the pork. chicken liver and gizzard.

2). Add 1 cup of stock, pinch of salt and simmer for 15 minutes or until pork and chicken giblets are cooked.

3). Mix in the shrimp then all the vegetables.

4). Add the remaining 1 cup of stock, patis and the dissolved cornstarch. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are done. Add the sesame oil.

5). Add or sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!

Note: Image is just for presentation purposes only. It may vary with the end result of this recipe.