Vegetable and Seafood Recipes

During Holy Week, Catholics usually abstain from eating beef, pork and chicken in observance of the Lenten Season instead they prepare vegetables and seafood dishes. Being a Catholic since birth I do observe same practice. Below are some recipes I’d like to share with you which I usually prepare during Holy Week.

DAING NA BANGUS (pickled milkfish)

Ingredients: *1 bangus (milkfish), cleaned *2 tsp salt *¼ cup vinegar *½ tsp black pepper

*2 cloves garlic, crushed with skin attached *1/3 cup cooking oil

Procedures: Cut the fish lengthwise along the back without damaging the skin. Place the fish in a shallow dish or marinating container, outer skin side down. Combine the other ingredients separately, except the oil, and pour over the bangus. Marinate it then put in the refrigerator overnight. Turn the fish over once to marinate the open side as well. Before frying drain the bangus. Heat oil in a kawali or large frying pan. Fry the fish until golden brown. Serve with hot rice and atsara.

GRILLED SQUIDS

Ingredients: *fresh large squids *calamansi juice *powdered pepper *salt *vetsin

*1 tbsp cooking oil

Procedures: Clean squid, put shallow slits on both sides. Mix salt, pepper, vetsin, cooking oil and calamansi juice. Marinate squid 3-4 hours before grilling. Brush the squid with the mixture while grilling. Serve grilled squid with pickled papaya.

FISH ESCABECHE

Ingredients: *1 large fish lapu-lapu *1 large onion, thick slices
*2 red & green bell pepper, strips *1 cup grated papaya (unripe)
*4 cloves garlic, crushed *1/2 cup water
*2 tbsp. ginger strips 1 cup vinegar
*1 tbsp. salt *3 tbsp. sugar *1 tbsp. cornstarch

Procedures: Clean fish. Rub salt and let stand for 1-2 hours. Prepare vinegar sauce. Add salt and sugar to vinegar and boil. Thicken with cornstarch (dissolved). Blend well then set aside. Sauté garlic, ginger strips, and onion. Add bell pepper and grated papaya. Sauté until half-cooked. Fry fish until golden brown. Place in serving dish and while still sizzling hot, top with sautéed mixture and pour on the vinegar sauce. Serve at once.

PINAKBET

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons cooking oil

* 3 cloves garlic, crushed skin detached

* 2 pcs. Medium size onions, chopped

* 3 pcs. ripe tomatoes, chopped

* ¼ squash, cut into desired shapes

* 1 piece medium size ampalaya (bitter melon), clean and cut diagonally

* 5 pieces medium size eggplant, cut diagonally

* 6 pieces sitaw (string beans), tops and tails removed, cut

* 10 pieces okra, tops and tails removed and cut into half

* 1/3 cup bagoong alamang (salted small shrimps)

* 1/2 cup hot water

* Fish sauce to taste

Procedures:

Saute garlic, onions and tomatoes (do not overcooked). Add hot water together with ampalaya, okra and sitaw simmer for 10 minutes. Separately boil squash and eggplant for 5 minutes. When 10 minutes is over add half-cooked squash and eggplant together with bagoong alamang. Simmer for another 5 minutes uncovered. Add fish sauce to taste.

***To avoid bitterness of ampalaya, after slicing sprinkle it with rock salt, mix then wash under running water.