Media Releases

Pinaksiw na Boneless Bangus Belly with a Twist
(Simmered Bangus belly with Roasted Garlic in Balsamic Vinaigrette and Ampalaya sauce with Organic Brown Rice) *serves 2-4

For the Bangus
¼ Kilo Boneless Bangus Belly in quarter
¼ tsp freshly coarsed ground pepper
¼ tsp rock salt

Combine freshly coarsed ground pepper and rock salt and rub over bangus belly and let to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. After marination, combine with the Roasted garlic in Balsamic Vinaigrette and Ampalaya sauce and cook as directed below

For the Roasted Garlic
1 big head Garlic
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 Basil Leaves
½ tsp Muscovado Sugar
Aluminum foil - approx the size of a coupon bond paper

Peel the outer layer of the garlic head but still keeping the outer covering of each clove and slightly cut the top portion of the head. Place the garlic head on the aluminum foil. Rub the head with the Muscovado sugar and wrap with the Basil leaves and drizzle with the olive oil, then wrap it with the aluminum foil and place in the preheated ( 300F) oven to roast for 8 minutes or until slightly soft. When done remove each clove and set aside for the Balsamic Vinegar and ampalaya sauce.

For the Balsamic vinegar with Ampalaya sauce
30 ml Balsamic vinegar
1 cup Water
2 tsp Ginger in fine strips
10 strips Red Bell pepper Medium
¼ cup Blanched ampalaya strips (cut into finger size)
1 Head Roasted Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ tsp Freshley Ground Course Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Rock Salt
1 tsp Muscovado Sugar
3 Basil Leaves

Combine all ingredients except the basil leaves with the bangus belly and bring to a boil uncovered. Then cover to simmer for 5-10 mintues more until bangus is cooked. Remove the Bangus,Roasted whole garlic cloves, ampalaya, bell pepper and ginger strips for plating. Then add the basil leaves on the concentrated sauce.

For the Brown Organic Rice
1 cup Brown Organic Rice
3 cups Water

Combine water and rice and bring to boil, then lower heat to gently simmer until brown rice is cooked. Once cooked, scoop into a rice bowl.

To Plate
Place Bangus belly on one corner of the square plate, then top it with the ginger strips,roasted garlic cloves and coil around the bell pepper strips on top of the garlic cloves. Then on one corner of the plate arrange remaining bell pepper strips to form several antennae and the lower ends touching the bangus belly, then garnish it in between with the basil top leaves. Then arrange the ampalaya strips in groups of three with roasted garlic clove in between on the remaining sides of the fish.Then drizzle it with the reduced sauce and place the brown rice bowl on the opposite corner as pictured.

Pasta Pilipino

This recipe calls for the following locally available produce:

¼ kl of Angel Hair Pasta
¼ kl of Mussels
¼ kl Clams
¼ kl of peeled Oyster
¼ kl Cherry Tomatoes
Virgin oil or palm oil for
sautéing
Kesong Puti
Sili Leaves (optional)

PROCEDURE:
Clean and boil mussels, clams, and peeled oysters for 3 minutes without any seasoning let the natural taste of sea produce comes out. Drain and set aside mussels, clams and oysters also save a cup of the broth. Boil the pasta based on package direction.

In a separate sauté pan heat enough virgin oil or palm oil and sauté garlic, onion and cherry tomatoes then add mussels, clams, and oysters then put the cup of broth allow to simmer and mix the cooked pasta into it, to infuse flavor. Top some slices of kesong puti and fresh sili leaves.

SUMMARY OF THE RECIPE:
This recipe totally uses the natural flavor of all the ingredients without having to add table salt. The flavor was enhanced and infused by the natural salt fresh from the sea and some from the cheese. The saltiness has been neutralized by the sweetness of the red cherry tomatoes that makes it flavorful and healthy especially with the use of extra virgin oil.

Lumpiang Hubad

Even with little salt, this dish has been made flavorful through the use of the shrimp stock. Moreover, the ground peanuts and sugar mixture adds a sweet-savory kick to the already flavorful healthy mix of vegetables. Low-sodium diet adherents wouldn’t feel that their missing out on flavor with my version of this Filipino classic.

Ingredients
Yield: 5 pax

2 cloves garlic
1 whole onion
200 g carrots
200 g sweet peas
200 g ubod
200 g firm tofu
200 g shrimp
150 g assorted salad greens
50 g skinless peanuts
1 tbsp brown sugar
Pepper and patis to taste
Cooking oil for sautéing and
deep-fat frying

Mise en Place (Preparation)

wash onions, garlic, carrots, sweet peas, ubod, lettuce
peel onions and garlic and chop finely
slice carrots and ubod into sticks
blanch carrots and sweet peas in boiling water until cooked
slice tofu into sticks and deep-fat fry until golden brown
roast skinless peanuts and ground finely with brown sugar
remove shell and devein shrimps and cut into cubes
make a stock from the shrimp heads and shells. In a pan, add the shrimp heads and shells with a cup of water, season with a little patis and pepper, then bring to a quick boil and lower the temperature in a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Strain and let cool.

Method

sauté onions and garlic in little oil
season shrimp with pepper and sauté quickly
toss in carrots, sweet peas and tofu
add the shrimp stock and simmer for 2 minutes
turn off the heat, add the ubod at the last minute
serve the sautéed vegetables over the lettuce and top with ground peanut-sugar mixture

Eggplant-Malunggay Lasagna

Ingredients
4 pcs Large eggplants
(thinly sliced)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 pcs White onions, sliced into
rings
6 pcs Fresh tomatoes, sliced
into wedges
¼ kg fresh tuna flakes cooked
in olive oil
Olive oil from cooked tuna for
frying
1 cup Malunggay leaves
(without stems)

Procedure:

Cook the fresh tuna in oil in very low fire for 5 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove the tuna from the oil using a strainer and set aside.
Slice the eggplant thinly and fry in the oil until it becomes golden brown. Set aside.
Saute the garlic, onion, tomato and add the tuna in the remaining oil. Stir in the malunggay leaves.
In a small glass pan, place a layer of fried eggplant at the bottom, then spread a layer of the tuna-malunggay mixture on top, followed by another layer of eggplant. Alternate the layers of eggplant and tuna until ingredients are used up.
Serve with sliced lemons.

Yield: 4 servings

Note: This dish uses the natural rich taste of tuna, tomatoes and malunggay sealed in olive oil, and does not need added salt to become palatable. The mono-unsaturated fat from olive oil, fiber and iron from malunggay leaves and the omega-3 rich tuna also aids in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Chicken Rhapsody
(Chicken with Basil-infused Coconut Cream Sauce)
yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients
1 kilo Free-Range (native) Chicken cut-ups (if free-range chicken are
hard to find, grocery-chicken or SASSO can be used)
80 gms. peeled, sliced and pressed fresh ginger root (use mortar
and pestle )
10 cloves peeled and mashed fresh garlic
5 pcs. shallots coarsely chopped
3/4 kilo freshly grated coconut
3 cups warm water
1 tbsp. annatto oil (1 tbsp. seeds fried in 1 tbsp. olive oil)
5 -8 tbsps. olive oil
3/4 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black peppercorns
1 large size eggplant coarsely chopped
100 gms. fresh basil leaves (native are the best!)
100 gms. chicken liver, finely diced
100 gms. green onions, cut into 2 inches strips

Procedure:

In a bowl, prepare the coconut cream by adding warm water into the grated coconut. Extract the cream. Pass through a sieve and set aside.
In a medium casserole, carefully heat up the olive oil then saute gently the garlic, shallots and half of the ginger root pieces. Stir until fragrant. Add in the chicken cutlets and cook the pieces to medium brown on both sides.
Add in the coconut cream, annatto oil, chicken liver pieces and the chopped eggplant. Stir, increase to high heat and bring the mixture to boil.
Pressed together in a mortar and pestle the salt, black pepper and the remaining ginger until juice is extracted and flavors are merged. Add all into the chicken mixture including the green onions and basil leaves. Reduce the heat to medium and cover for another 15-20 minutes to fully cook all chicken pieces. Remove from heat. Serve hot.
This unforgettable chicken dish is best served with cooked fine corn grits.

To Plate:
In an elegant plate or modern china bowl, arrange a half cup of freshly cooked corn grits. Top with a chicken cutlet. Pour enough coconut sauce on top of the chicken and around the corn grits. Arrange the basil leaves, chicken liver and eggplant pieces naturally. Finish the look with a basil crisp to bring height to the plated dish.

Note: This recipe is amazingly a myriad of flavors brought about by the fresh Coconut cream, ginger, native basil, black pepper plus the clean tastes of chicken and chicken livers. By pressing together the black peppercorns, ginger and salt using the humble mortar and pestle, flavors are merged and produce better seasoning.

This dish is at its best when paired with cooked fine corn grits which is a staple to most cebuanos (instead of rice). The dish is a collection of colors, textures and flavors.

Picadillo with Pito-Pito Herbal Tea and Malunggay Leaves
Serves: 6-7 persons

Ingredients:

2 ½ C Boiling Water
1 ½ tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3 tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
2 pcs. Large White Onion, Chopped
4 Medium Tomatoes, Chopped
3 Medium-sized Carrots, Chopped into small cubes
½ C Young Malunggay Leaves
½ tsp. Black Pepper
2 Pito-Pito Herbal Tea Bags
1 K Lean Ground Beef
1 ½ tbsp. Vegetable Oil
18 Garlic Cloves, pounded
2 Large Potatoes with skin, Chopped into small cubes
1 ¼ tsp. Rock Salt

Procedure:

In a small saucepan, boil the cups of water. Turn off the heat. Dip the pito-pito tea bags repeatedly into the hot water until the water’s color turns dark yellow green. Leave the tea bags in the saucepan for a few minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags. Set the pito-pito tea aside.

In a large pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil. Add the lean ground beef and cook until no longer pink Remove all the liquid that comes out from the ground beef to cut down on the dish’s fat content. Continue cooking the ground beef until it becomes dry and crumbly in texture. Add the light soy sauce and mix the ground beef until the soy sauce evenly coats the beef and is colored brown. Transfer the ground beef on to a separate plate and set aside.

Using the same pan or wok, heat the remaining oil. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions turn translucent and the garlic turns slightly brown. Add the cooked ground beef and mix until the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the tomatoes into the mixture. Add the pito-pito herbal tea and let it simmer for around 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots, and cook until they soften. Lastly, add the malunggay leaves and season the dish with a little rock salt and black pepper. Serve hot with rice.

Note: Using the tea and malunggay for the picadillo gives the dish a woody-grass bitterness that balances out the natural sweetness of the dish’s carrots and onions, as well as the tartness of its tomatoes. This helps in harmonizing the dish, so that with its well rounded flavors, you only need to use minimal rock salt to further enhance the dish. I also put plenty garlic in the picadillo since garlic adds spice and sweetness while giving the illusion of saltiness without adding sodium. Taking out the liquid from the lean ground beef as it cooks, and frying the ground beef until it is dry before adding the broth, also reduces the fat content of the picadillo, making it non-greasy to the palate. All in all, this is a light, flavorful, and satisfying low-salt dish that anybody can cook, eat, and enjoy.

Pesang Bangus with Sesame Seeds and Tomato-Onion Sauce
Yield : 3-4 servings

Lemon grass - together with ginger that is grated instead of sliced and ground pepper instead of peppercorns - adds fuller flavor to the soup and fish; a small amount of Thai patis mixed with sauteed tomatoes, garlic and onions go a long way to complementing the salt-less clear Pesa soup. Toasted sesame seeds add a surprising nutty twist to Pesa.

Bangus, when not available, may be substituted with 4 small pieces of tilapia or bagaong.

Ingredients:
4 cups water
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp thinly sliced and minced
lemon grass roots
2 pieces finely chopped onions
a dash of ground black pepper
1 medium-sized fresh bangus,
cleaned and sliced into 4 pcs.
1 piece sayote, peeled and
sliced into 6
½ head small cabbage, cut into
4 sections
2 pieces siling haba
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Procedure:

Place water, ginger, lemon grass, onions and pepper in a large casserole and cook over high heat till boiling.
Add bangus and cook for 3-5 minutes till flesh turns white in color.
When bangus is almost done, add sayote and cook for about 2 minutes followed by cabbage.
Add sili. Remove from heat when vegetables are tender but not overcooked. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve piping hot with steamed rice and tomato-onion sauce.

Tomato-Onion Sauce:
Yield : 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
6-8 large pieces tomatoes, finely chopped
2 large pieces onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons Thai patis*

Procedure:

Heat cooking oil over medium heat in a small saucepan.
Saute’ garlic in oil till golden brown.
Add tomatoes and onions. Stir, cover and cook till very tender and mixture is almost pasty in consistency. Stir occasionally as needed.
Add patis and remove from heat.
Serve as sauce for pesa.

*Regular patis may be used but Thai patis is preferred for flavor and use of less salt.

Tokwa’t Galunggong in Spicy Balsamic–Honey Vinaigrette

This is the healthy version of Tokwa’t Baboy. There is no salt and fatty pork. The sweet-sour tangy taste of Balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil and the spices made this dish so delectable that putting salt to it is not necessary anymore. Plus the omega 3- packed unsalted pan-grilled Galunggong is perfect with rice for lunch. Balsamic vinegar is made from grape must which is very high in antioxidants while extra virgin olive oil is the first pressing of olive making it the concentrated source of Monounsaturated fat which is very good for the heart. Tofu is loaded with antioxidants and the healthiest protein from Soya.

Ingredients:
250 grams Fresh Tofu (cubed
1x1cm)
6 pieces Galunggong fillet (skin
on, medium size)
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive
oil
pinch Ground black pepper
1 piece Bayleaf
10 pieces Peppercorns
2 cloves Garlic (smashed)
3-4 cups Water

For Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Garlic (finely
chopped)
1 tablespoon Red onion or
shallots (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Pure honey
¼ cup Extra virgin Olive oil
pinch Dried chili flakes
pinch Ground black pepper

To make vinaigrette:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until oil and vinegar are well mixed. Set aside.

To prepare:

In a saucepan, Put water with peppercorns, garlic cloves and bayleaf and bring to boil.

Cook tofu in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain tofu and make sure the bayleaf, pepper and garlic are removed.

Brush the galunggong fillets with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with black pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Toss the tofu in the vinaigrette. Allow the tofu to absorb the vinaigrette for couple of minutes.

On a hot non-stick pan, grill the marinated fillets 1 minute on each side skin side first.

To serve, spoon half of the tofu on the plate with 3 grilled galunggong fillets on side.

Garnish with parsley sprig or chopped spring onion.

Yields 2 servings or plates

Note: You may use the standard measuring cups and spoons to come up with the right amount of the ingredients.

Pan Grilled Sweet and Spicy Squid with Tahong Risotto and Tofu Salad with Calamansi Vinaigrette

For the Pan Grilled Sweet and Spicy Squid:

Ingredients
1 medium sized squid (approx.
200g), cleaned and skin
removed
5 T Brown Sugar
Juice of 6 Calamansi
2 pcs Chili, sliced
1 T Ginger, minced
3 T Vegetable Oil

Procedure:

cut the squid’s body so that it can form a single sheet
score the squid in a checkered pattern
in a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients to make a marinade
marinate the squid for at least 30 minutes
Grill the squid 1-2 min each side

Tahong Risotto:

Ingredients
3/4 cup uncooked rice
½ kilo mussels
4 cloves garlic, minced
30 g onion, minced
3 T Vegetable Oil
3 T Ginger, minced
3 1/2 C water

Procedure:

Sauté garlic, ginger and onion
add the mussels
when the shell opens, add water, simmer
in another pan, sauté garlic in 1T oil then add uncooked rice
stir fry the rice until coated evenly
Gradually add the mussel broth until the rice is covered, adding more broth as the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding the broth until the rice is cooked.
Top with cooked mussel

Tofu salad w/ Calamansi vinaigrette:

Ingredients
1 small cucumber, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 pc tofu, cut into small squares
2T oil
Juice of 3 Calamansi
Pepper to taste

Procedure:

Blanch the tofu in simmering water for 30-60 seconds.
Arrange the cucumber, tomato and tofu alternately stacking them upright
Mix oil, calamansi juice and pepper
Drizzle the mixture into the salad

Note: This dish was made tasty without adding salt or similar seasonings (soy sauce , fish sauce) by exploring other flavors like sweet and sour. Also adding a bit of spice made the dish more savory. Using different colors and making the presentation visually attractive will also make it more appetizing.

Easy Paella

Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 onion leeks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ kilo boneless, skinless
chicken breast, cut into strips
2 large tomatoes, sliced
2 cups long grain rice
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon saffron
2 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 lemon

Directions:

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, leeks and chicken strips for 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red bell pepper and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes. Add rice, saffron and broth. Combine well and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and continue to simmer uncovered until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender, 30-45 minutes. Garnish it with chopped parsley and lemon wedge.

Serving size: 4

Nutritional Analysis:

Calories: 345 kcal

CHO: 48 g

CHON: 22 g

FAT: 7 g

Na: 100 mg

Note: Low sodium diet is a kind of therapeutical diet which the amount of sodium in the diet is decreased according to the physician / nutritionist’ prescription.

A gram of salt has 400 mg sodium and 600 mg chloride. We can have a delectable dish using minimal or without salt by using herbs and spices. In this case, instead of using salt and/or monosodium glutamate, I used saffron, red bell pepper and unsalted chicken broth to enhance its palatability.

To remove the saturated fats in the chicken, I removed its skin before cooking. I also used extra virgin olive oil because it is rich in polyunsaturated fats that may help reduce visceral fat, blood glucose, blood clotting, triglycerides and oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

LOW-SALT RECIPE CONTEST WINNERS