A Lumpia Like No Other

Smoked Alumahan and Salted-Egg Spring Rolls

YES!   I am so excited sharing this recipe.   I am not only happy my experiment turned out to be a success and my lumpia is delectable, but also my High School friends and I were able to set up a group of food lovers at Facebook.   We named our-selves "Food-Trippers."
So you ask why this lumpia is different.   For one, it is not the typical pork lumpia or lumpiang shanghai.   Let me tell a story first on how I had discovered this.  I was invited to a marketing stint of Alveo.   They have pulled up an event where they had envisioned a community to near perfection, with that they had invited three of the country's celebrated chefs, and with the chefs expertise they created a special menu distinct to the Alveo's products.   To know more about this you may read my other site.   Here is the blog and the link:  Three Different Southern Adventures with ALVEO.
Going back to my lumpia...  Inspired by Chef Florabel Co-Yatco's Smoked Bangus and Salted Egg Spring Rolls, mine was recipe out of what I tasted from that event, since there would be no way I could get grab a copy of Chef Florabel's recipe.

So here are the ingredients:
2 packs (4 pcs. medium-sized) tinapang Alumahan (smoked Alumahan)
3 salted eggs
1 packet of Rebisco Whole wheat crackers
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small scallion or red onion, chopped
olive oil
spring onions, about 4 stems, chopped
lumpia wrappers
Procedure:
Just like any other lumpia, you cook the filling and fold it in the wrapper and fry.
Anyway here is my version.
1.   Flake or shred the meat of the smoked fish.   Careful of  any fish bones not to mix with the meat.
2.   Removed the shells of the salted-eggs and chop.
3.   Saute garlic, onion on olive oil, once they are cooked, put the flakes and the spring inions.  Remove from fire after 5 minutes, do not overcook or burn the fish flakes.
4.   On a bowl, mix well chopped salted-eggs, the sauted fish flakes, crumbed Rebisco Whole-wheat crackers, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. 
5.   Get a tablespoon of the mixture and wrap it with the lumpia wrapper.
6.   Fry till golden brown.
7.  Serve with Mango Salsa or Cucumber salad or Atchara.

   For this I guess the best Smoked fish to use is the Boneless Smoked Bangus.   It was hard flaking the ones that have lots of fish bones.   I also have done a Shanghai Spring Roll with Flaked Tuna instead of ground pork.   Yen Arceta, a  friend of mine have made a very nice version of Lumpiang shanghai, see it here:
 http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=130166267055739&set=a.124657287606637.23306.100001870983884&theater
Thanks for posting that picture Yen, I just hope you are  reading this, this really pushed me to blog about this!

Fried Milk Fish (Bangus) with Indian-mango Salsa

We were at the Food Expo at World trade Center last Sunday, Feb. 27.   I love going to Expos and trade centers, because you get to discover new products, meet people and find stuffs that you are looking for but are hard to find.  I have the report on the 10th Philippine Food Expo at my other blog site (gastronomybyjoy.com). 

So blessed that we were able to buy foods for my daughter who is Type 1 Diabetic, and so much more at practically everything in factory price.

So when we got home ,I got so inspired to prepare a lot of dishes.  Here are some.

Fried Milk Fish with Indian-mango Salsa

Coating mix for the fish:

Mix 1/4 c flout, salt, pepper, paprika, Majic Sarap seasoning powder, 

chopped fresh basil leaves and a pinch of ground oregano. 

Coat bangus belly and fry on high heat, then reduce to medium heat, Serve once fish is light brown.

Indian-mango Salsa:

Mama Sita's Soy-stir, about 1 Tbsp

Indian mangoes, chopped 

ripe tomatos, chopped

2 leaves of basil, chopped

The finished product.

For Dessert, Chef Tony's Original Caramel and Cinnamon Popcorn

For Snack:

Soyami, Soya Chips with Green Apple Mayo Dip

in Pizza Flavor (red Chips) and White Cheese (White Chips)

Green Apple dip:

1/2 green apple, chopped

1 basil leaf, fresh and chopped

1 tsp olive oil

grated parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

Just mix everything up!

   The Basil plant, which I had for a along time at our rooftop, died, so I've been dying to go to Gourmet's Tagaytay to buy another one and take care and hopefully cultivate.   But since I am so busy I can't have the pleasure to do so.   Thank God, Gourmet's was one of the participant/retailers who was there.   So I bought one. 

  Also, I got to buy the Bangus belly, the new Mama Sita's Soy-Stir Sauce, Chef Tony's buy-one-take one pack, Soyami Soya Chips .

We didn't only had fun at the expo but we were able to share in the bounty of our country's very own world class products!

Home-made SASHIMI

These are the things you would be needing to enjoy a simple Japanese dish.

 However, if you are not daring enough to try out a raw fish, don't try to buy them, else you will just waste valuable kitchen must-haves.

A slab of frozen pink salmon, this one I bought at SM Frozen goods section.

 For the sauce, you will need Kikkoman Sushi sashimi Soy sauce, Wasabi paste, and calamansi juice

All you need to do is thinly slice the fish, and mix all the ingredients for the sauce.   Easy.

Enjoy it with steamy jasmine rice. or just plain local white rice...

Aloha Tuna Sandwich

    What makes the tuna spread special? The usual dry tuna sandwich spread turned Hawaiian!
I bet you've guessed that it has pineapple bits.

To make:

Mix ingredients in a bowl:

1 can of tuna in vegetable oil, medium
1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1/8 cup of diced celery, about 3  9- inch celery strips, the green part only
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, here, since what I have in my cupboard is a can of pineapple tidbits, I diced it really small
1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo (Miracle whip is the best to use)
pinches of salt, pepper and curry powder (optional)

Once everything is mixed up, you can use a portion to spread on your breads.
I make jars of this in advance so anytime we would have guests or just want to have a different snack, I just get some out the refrigerator.  I sometimes add with diced nuts, or raisins or parmesan cheese.  You can go wild and add chopped jalapeno or green pepper.

More Variations: You can replace tuna with chicken, ham or bacon.  or if you don't have these cheese will do...Yum Yum!

An Easy Fish Recipe

The worst experience I ever had was cooking, oh, that's frying fish in the kitchen.  I've heard that it is all about timing when it comes to fish cooking.   Guess I'm not of a chef to be thinking about techniques though.   I love fish, it has less cholesterol, very versatile component when comes to meat cooking.    But I only know a really few dishes, which I would do at home and just what my kids eat.

Here is a dish that is very easy to prepare and do.   Just make sure you get a fresh fish for this...always do!

SIMPLE FISH STEAK

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Kilo Imelda fish or Maya-maya
2 medium red onions or shallots
3 cloves minced garlic
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp calamansi juice
thinly sliced green bell pepper, optional
a dash salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter

What to do:

1.   Marinate the sliced fish with 1/3 of the garlic, leave some
for frying, and soy sauce, calamansi juice.  For about 15 to 30
minutes or just 5 minutes if you're in hurry.
2.   Heat pan with butter, once you see smoke coming up,
fry the rest of the garlic and fish, once the fish is brown at the bottom flip it and do the other side.   Once the bottom side is
brown, put the marinate on the pan. 
3.   Let simmer for 5 minutes and put the onions and bell
pepper slices.

4.   After 5 to 10 minutes, turn the heat off and serve.