Elena's Recipes

I am pretty sure that my love of cooking comes from my mom. She cooked. Boy did she cook. When her friends had parties, she was the one they called to cook. Her Philippine Club had a picnic it was my mom who roasted the pig. Once when I was a young teenager, she had brought home a baby pig, for the picnic. She wanted me to hold it while she slit its throat.........I ran as far as I could and I never ate barbque pig after that. Even today. But the Philippine foods she would cook, oh it was always soooo good. I have memories of weekends sitting watching black and white TV while mom was in the kitchen cooking up a storm and all the windows were fogged up. Pepsi was always on the table. Philippine friends were always over speaking Tagalog with mom. And the house was filled with her laughter. I miss moms laughter and cooking.

This year, I had my daughter and her boyfriend Mike over for dinner and I invited my brother and his family too. I made some of my mothers famous recipes. Many childhood friends now reacquainted on Facebook all commented on how they loved the things my mom cooked. So for the second time in my life, I made Panciet and Adobo, Leche flan and Lumpia.

I cooked all night, the Moday before the dinner. Just like mom did. I had the music on and it was exhausting work!!! But then Jerry Vale started singing and I knew, mom was there looking over my shoulder. Jerry was her favorite singer.

So here is the copy of recipes I shared with all the women in the family Tuesday night so they can practice cooking like their Grandam Elena.

Lumpia

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground pork

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup minced carrots

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon soy sauce

30 lumpia wrappers (eggroll wrappers)

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1.    Place a wok or large skillet over high heat, and pour in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Cook pork, stirring frequently, until no pink is showing. Remove pork from pan and set aside. Drain grease from pan, leaving a thin coating. Cook garlic and onion in the same pan for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked pork, carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

2.    Place three heaping tablespoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.

3.    Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil to 1/2 inch depth, and heat for 5 minutes. Slide 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Pancit

Ingredients: 

1 8 oz. pack rice  noodles

1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water

1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips

1 onion, pealed and sliced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces

1 carrot, sliced into strips

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

3/4 cup diced celery

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak the rice noodles to soften for 10 minutes

2. Grease a large pan or wok with oil. Sauté garlic and onions.

3. Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken breast and all the vegetables until cooked.

4. Mix in the rice noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken or Pork Adobo

1 chicken pieces pork peices

5 or 6 large garlic cloves  (chopped)
  vegetable oil
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 whole black pepper cloves
3 dried bay leaves

   shredded fresh ginger
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup vinegar
7-up or Sprite (optional)

Remember to wash your chicken very well. We recommend using   lemon to scrub all over the chicken parts and rub some salt into it as well.

Heat oil and add all of the garlic, and cook until garlic is lightly browned. Add chicken and sauté until the chicken is beginning to tenderize.

Add ground black pepper, whole black pepper cloves, bay leaves, soy sauce, and vinegar, and let simmer for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is done.

Taste and adjust to suit your taste (should be a bit tangy). When chicken is tender, you may add some 7-Up or Sprite if you prefer a sweeter taste, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve over rice.

Leche Flan

Caramel:

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Put sugar and water in a saucepan. Caramelize in medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour into flan molds or custard cups, tilting the mold to make sure the whole surface (about less than 1 cm) is covered. The more caramel you pour into the molds the sweeter the leche flan.

Custard:

8 egg yolks
1 can evaporated and 1 can condensed sweetened milk
1 tbsp. vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine all custard ingredients. Stir lightly when mixing to prevent bubbles or foam from forming. Strain slowly while pouring into caramel lined flan mold.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cover mold with tin foil. Put molds into a bigger tray filled with water. Bake in oven for one hour or until mixture is firm. cool before unmolding on a platter.

Put molds in a bigger tray/ baking pan filled with water.

Bake in oven for one hour or until mixture is firm. Cool before unmolding on a platter.

Mom (Elena) covered with mandarin oranges.

It was really hard work and I couldn't wait to melt into my memory foam, in anticipation for the next day. The dinner was really nice. The food turned out really good. It was wonderful to spend time with my family and we went through my mom's small suitcase of pictures that I recently was reunited with. Baby pictures and wedding pictures. For a short time the windows were steamed up and there was laughter in the house.