Arroz Caldo (Chicken Rice Soup)

Arroz caldo is a complete food in itself enjoyed by many. You can make it easily in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 ½ kg Chicken, cut into small pieces

1 cup Glutinous rice

1 cup Regular rice

1 tsp. Black pepper powder

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

2 tbsp. Safflower oil

10 pcs. Hardboiled eggs, shells removed

4 liters Water

½ cup Patis (local fish sauce)

2 tbsp. Ginger, fresh, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tbsp. Kasubha

Cooking Instruction:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic turns golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add the ginger and chicken and stir. Cook until the chicken is blanched. Add the fish sauce and washed rice. Stir for a short while then add the water kasubha, black pepper, and salt. Stir occasionally until it starts to boil. Simmer until the rice is done. When for some reason, you may add more water as the cooking progress as needed. Stir occasionally during cooking to prevent rice sticking in the bottom and burning. Add the egg and cook for an additional five minutes and serve hot with toasted garlic topping. You may also add a few drops of hot sauce if desired. Also, some people prefer to squeeze a few drops of kalamansi. Enjoy...

Special Meatball Soup

I was thinking of what else to do with meatballs and I created this recipe. Not so perfect yet but tasted nice.

Ingredients:

For meatballs -

½ kg Pork, ground coarsely

¼ kg Carrots, grated

1 tbsp. Oyster Sauce

½ tsp. Iodized salt

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

½ tsp. Black pepper powder

¼ cup large prawn meat cut into small cubes

4 pcs. Eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. Cornstarch

½ tsp. Oyster sauce

1 pc. Wongbok greens save the white hard stalks (about half of the vegetable) and slice thinly for the broth.

For soup –

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

4 cups Water

1 tsp. Iodized salt

1 tbsp. Sugar

1 tbsp. Safflower oil

Cooking Instruction:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the meatballs except the wongbok. Set aside until ready to cook.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic is golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add water and boil. Once boiling fiercely, add the salt, sugar, and black pepper powder. Spoon a large ball of the meatball mixture and wrap in the green wongbok. Fold and drop carefully on the boiling broth. Do this for all of the green part of the wongbok. Once completed, drop the shredded white parts of the wongbok and lower flame and cover. Cook until vegetable is done and serve hot. Enjoy with plain steamed buns.

Large Prawn and Crabstick Bisque

Soups are really nice when it is cold. Also, when you like something light for the evening, they are perfect. Bisques are popular food items that come in so many variations. The possibilities are endless...

Ingredients:

¼ kg Large prawn meat

5 pcs. Crabstick

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

¼ tsp. Black pepper powder

1 tsp. Marjoram (dried, minced)

2 tsp. Basil (dried, minced)

1 tbsp. Cornstarch

1 tbsp. Butter

4 cups Water

2 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil (for sautéing)

1 tsp. Sugar

½ cup Cheese (quick melting)

½ cup Mixed green peas, corn kernels, and carrots

¾ tsp. Iodized salt

Cooking Instruction:

In a small bowl, place the cornstarch and fold in the soft butter and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Fry the crabstick until all sides are browned and set aside. Next on the oil used to fry the crabstick, sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic turns golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add more of the oil as necessary. Toss in the prawns and the black pepper powder and stir. Cook for about two minutes and add the vegetables and salt. Cook for an additional time of two minutes. Add the water, salt, marjoram, basil and sugar. Lower the flame to medium heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and some of it starts to brown. Add the water and increase heat to start boiling. When it starts to boil lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the starch with butter mixture and stir. Cook until starch is done. Mix in the fried crabstick and serve hot with bread...

Special Chunky Chinese Egg Drop Soup

Nowadays, there is so much convenience with regards to almost everything. Specially food. You can prepare so much variation of food even if you are a novice. But sometimes, for the person who is really into nice cuisine, sometimes it is nice to prepare food from scratch. Nothing compares to home prepared food. There is that certain element that cannot be found in most ready to cook food preparation. Take for example the simple egg drop soup. Various recipes are available in restaurants that are also easily recreated in homes from instant food products. However, their taste will not be at par with the original home cooked variants. Even the ones in restaurant will not match home cooked meals. Especially if the cook at home is skilled that is. Anyway, I just thought of creating this recipe because I crave Chinese inspired soup but not the instant version. I think it came out really nice. I really enjoyed having this soup on a rainy day like today.

Ingredients:

¼ cup Large prawns, cut into cubes.

¼ kg Chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced.

4 pcs. Dried scallop, diced finely

3 pcs. Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and diced finely, save soaking liquid.

5 pcs. Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

¼ tsp. Black pepper powder

1 tbsp. Sugar

½ cup Mung bean noodles (cut into 1 inch length)

1 1/4 tsp. Iodized salt

3 tbsp. Mirin wine

½ cup Snow peas

5 cups Water

1 ½ tbsp. Cornstarch

½ cup Water (for suspending the starch)

2 pcs. Eggs (beaten)

1 tsp. Sesame oil

3 tbsp. Safflower oil (for sautéing)

Cooking Instruction:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic is golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add the scallop and prawns. Cook until prawn turns bright red. Add the chicken and the mirin wine. Mix and cook for about two minutes. Add the black pepper, sugar and the mushroom including the excess liquid used for soaking the same. Stir and cook for another two minutes. Add the water and heat until it boils. Lower flame to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes to fuse the flavours.

In a bowl, place the cornstarch and water. Mix well until it is evenly suspended and free from lumps. Add the sesame oil and mix well. Pour on the cooking mixture and stir the soup well. Increase the flame to start boiling. Pour the beaten eggs and stir immediately. Add the snow peas and cover. Extinguish flame and stand for about 5 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy with steamed buns...