Philippine Picnic Foods: Picnic Recipes

Bored on a sunny weather on weekends or on your spare time? Escape the stress brought by work and unwind outdoor. Picnic is one of the best things to do when you want to have a good time with your friends or families. Aside from having a good time, food is always the ultimate highlight of this getaway. It never went excluded on the plan especially when you want the experience to be pleasant as possible. Foods can make or break your venture. Mostly people would spend a huge time in preparing the foods. Finger foods, sandwiches, barbecues and salads are the usual picnic recipes. Nevertheless, choosing picnic recipes must be given the full concentration and must be dealt with care.

There are foods that are usually set for picnics and these foods are considered as the traditional picnic foods. But that doesn’t keep anybody in preparing their own choice of foods. Though there are some points that must be considered. First is food safety. Since it would take time before you eat the packed foods, you have to make sure that the food will not get spoiled easily. Weather also plays an important part in keeping your picnic foods safety. Bacteria love to expand their population in a moist place. The best picnic recipes are those that don’t get spoiled easily, effortless to store and to prepare, and most especially, luscious.
Here are some of the best picnic recipes in the Philippines.

Puto cheese

This recipe is the same with the regular puto or rice cake. Puto cheese only uses flour instead of ground rice, and so the texture is smoother. The name Puto Cheese is taken from the cheese that is added as a topping. Filipinos usually paired puto cheese with a hot chocolate or coffee during breakfast.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cake-flour
1/2 cup all purpose-flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar (divided)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup water
2 pcs egg yolks
2 pcs egg whites
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
cheese (sliced into small strips)

Directions:
Sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Do this thrice then set aside for a while. Beat the egg yolks until its color would turn lemon yellow. Then slowly add ½ cup of sugar while beating constantly.

Fold in the flour mixture, alternately with milk and water, to the beaten egg yolks. Add vanilla to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Continue beating the yolks until soft peaks are formed. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and go on beating the mixture until stiff. Fold in the egg batter. Mix well and pour mixture into a puto molder about ¾ full.

Put the slices of cheese on the top then cover with clean cheese cloth. Steam for 25-30 minutes. You will determine if the puto cheese is already cooked when you insert a tester at the center and comes out clean. Let it cool for a few minutes before removing from the puto molds to retain its shape.

Chicken Adobo 

This recipe is just one of the many varieties of adobo. This is a good choice for those who love chicken. Chicken adobo can be served both on ordinary days and on occasions such as picnics.


Ingredients:
1 kilo dressed chicken (cut into serving slices)
3 medium-sized potatoes, quartered (optional)
1 onion (diced)
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 head of garlic (peeled and crushed)
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/8 cup vinegar

Instructions:
Slice the chicken and place it on a large pan. Pour vinegar on it and add peppercorns, garlic and bay leaf. Cook until it boils. Then slowly turn the pieces of chicken over. Leave it uncovered until all the vinegar has been absorbed. Stir the chicken slowly until its fat comes out. Fry the chicken until it turns golden brown. Take out the excess oil and add potatoes and soy sauce.

Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Every once in a while, check the liquid. If you noticed that the chicken seems dried up before fully cooked, add about ¼ cup of water. At the end, the chicken adobo should be quite dry.

These two picnic recipes are just a couple of many recipes you could choose from. There are no limitations on the number of recipes you could bring on your picnic. Some ingredients of the two recipes can be modified with regards to your preference. You can skip some ingredients or better find an alternative. The most important thing is to always take into consideration the number of servings you would make and surely it will satisfy you.

Enjoy these simple yet luscious meals on your picnic.

Puto Pao Puto Siopao

Puto And Siopao Equals PutoPao

Puto is another popular Pinoy’s native delicacy. The puto has evolved to countless versions they now come it various sizes, colors, flavors, topping and they even made with filling. One of the variations of the Puto is called Puto Pao.

Puto pao is cross of the Chinese steamed bun called siopao. Puto pao is a variation from the traditional steamed delicacy because it has a filling, usually asado.

Puto Pao Siopao Image Credit: Ms B Photo Blog

Puto Pao Recipe - Asado Style

Note: Below recipe can make up to 50 pcs of puto pao.

Puto Pao Recipe Ingredients:

For the filling
* 1/2 kilo ground pork
* 25 pcs. boiled quail egg
* 1/2 head garlic, chopped
* 1 cup pineapple juice
* 1/2 cup red wine
* 1 pc. star anise
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 1 tbsp. sugar
* cooking oil
* salt

For the batter
* 4 cups all purpose flour
* 4 tbsp. powdered milk
* 4 tbsp. baking powder
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 3 cups water
* 1/4 cup butter

For the toppings
* 1/4 cheddar cheese,
* 2 salted eggs

Puto Pao Cooking Instruction - How To Make Puto Pao:

For the filling:

1). In a sauce pan, place and stir fry garlic until fragrant, add in ground pork and stir cook for 3-5 minutes.

2). Add in red wine and stir cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3). Now add in pineapple juice, sugar, staranise and 1 cup water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is reduce to half.

4). Add in cornstarch diluted in 1/2 cup of water and boiled egg, stir cook for another 2-3 minutes.

5). Season with salt to taste. Remove from pan and set aside.

For the batter and steaming:

1). In a big bowl, shift all purpose flour, milk powder, baking powder and sugar. Slowly whisk and blend in water. Now whisk in butter until fully blended.

2). Fill 1/4 full the cupcake moulds with batter. Put in the middle of the mould half quail egg and 1 tsp of the filling then fill in more batter to nearly full. Top with strips of cheese and salted egg.

3). Repeat the process for the rest of the cupcake moulds. Arrange filled moulds in a steamer, place cheesecloth in between each tray to avoid water drips. Put enough water and 1 tbsp of vinegar on the steamer and steam for 20-25 minutes.

4). Remove from tray and mould. Served warm.

Puto Bumbong

Puto Bumbong Season

Typically, Christmas can be seen with the colors of red and green. But, to us, Filipinos, Christmas is somewehat associated with the colors of of lilac and yellow. Why? because Christmas heralds the season of the puto bumbong and bibingka.

Puto Bumbong Image Via tipsnikatoto.blogspot.com

Puto Bumbong

Puto bumbong is formed by two words and characteristics; “puto” (steamed glutinous rice) and “bumbong” (bamboo canon or cylinder).

Puto bumbong is considered a delicacy and a part of Philippines Christmas atmosphere that has a unique preparation. It makes use of a “lansungan,” a heat steamer mounted on a pot of boiling water. It is kettle shaped with (ordinarily) two tubes that protrude and hold the “bumbong” or bamboo tubes filled with the needed ingredients and steamed through.

It takes only seconds for the puto bumbong to cook and the speed at which it is done is almost as fascinating as the taste.

Puto Bumbong Recipe Ingredients

* 1 kg Malagkit/galapong (glutinous) rice, mixed with 125 grams ordinary rice
* 1/5 tsp. Lilac or violet food coloring
* Pandan leaves
* Salt
* 1 pc Shredded mature coconut
* Butter or margarine
* Banana leaves
* Water
* Sugar

Puto Bumbong Cooking Instruction - How To Cook Puto Bumbong

1). Soak pre-ground malagkit/galapong or glutinous rice and ordinary rice mixture in salted water with lilac/violet food coloring for 1-4 hours. Let dry overnight by putting inside a flour sack.

2). Put something heavy on top to squeeze out water.

3). Mixture is ready for cooking the following morning.

4). Or to manually grind rice mix – Slowly grind using a stone grinder or manual grinder. Do not put too much water in while grinding. It will delay drying of milled ingredients. Too much water on the other hand will cause the mixture to be sticky. Put milled ingredients onto cotton cloth and tie corners of the cloth. Let drip. When the mixture is almost dried, press by using a heavy object to remove excess water. Let stand overnight.

5). Place pandan leaves in water to be steamed. Heat steamer (lansungan) with enough water.

6). Put a small amount of rice mixture inside bamboo tubes (bumbong) about3/4’s full.

Enjoy your puto bumbong!

Puto Filipino Recipe

Puto is pronounced "poo too" in most Filipino dialects. There are many ways to make it as there are many variations. From family to family, they taste similar even if the recipes vary.

Puto is always associated with dinuguan. The "puto and dinuguan" combination is a major part of Filipino eating tradition. Puto is "dunked" on the thick sauce dinugan, then eat it together with the pork pieces. Puto is a great pairing food with many of our Filipino dishes.

It can be also paired with Pancit bihon, Pancit palabok and any other pancit or noodles variation.

PUTO

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