This dish was inspired by my keen ability to buy too many bananas. Almost every time I shop at the market I over estimate my banana consumption by roomy margins. Recently, I have been trying to only buy enough for 1-2 days in order to avoid a mushy brown mess in my fruit basket. Still failing.

So what can you do with those extra bananas? When I was in the United States I used to throw them in the freezer and then make banana bread on a rainy day, but most homes in the Philippines don’t have ovens, mine included. Here is a dish in the opposite direction, a pudding with a little spice and everything nice.

Ingredients: (makes about 3 servings)

• 3-4 medium sized bananas (overripe preferred)
• Small knob of ginger (estimate it to be 1tbsp)
• 2-3 calamansi limes

Preparation:

1. Peel the knob of ginger and roughly chop. Use a mortar and pestle to pound it into a paste. You should have about 1tbsp of ginger paste. If you don’t have a mortar & pestle just chop as finely as you can. 

2. Peel and roughly slice your bananas into a large bowl. Then mash using the back of a fork until it’s fairly smooth.

3. Juice the calamansi into the mashed bananas, being careful to not loose the seeds. Add the ginger paste and mix thoroughly.

4. Taste for sweetness. If the bananas were overripe it shouldn’t need anything, but you can add sugar or agave syrup to taste.

5. Place the pudding mixture into a mold. I used a 1/2c measuring scoop. You could also use a cupcake sheet, small glass or just make one large pudding in a bowl.

6. Place the pudding into the freezer or fridge for 2+ hours to freeze or chill. When finished remove from mold by turning mold over on plate and lightly tapping till the pudding slides onto the plate. You do not have have freeze/chill the pudding, but it really makes it more of a special treat, especially on a hot day.

Spicy, tangy and sweet! Enjoy!

Their menu is almost entirely seafood. That is what they are famous for and that is what this post is about. Not so much what we ordered, but how we ate it. The dishes in question here were Curry Crabs and Spicy Chili Shrimp.

What may not be immediately visible in the picture (forgive me, I had a point & shoot…and a few beers) is that the shrimp were still entirely inside the shell – head to tail. This is pretty common practice in the Philippines. It’s something that has so often irritated me, the extra work necessary to get that tiny morsel off the plate. So I began the task of hatching them from their shells using everything at my disposal: fork, spoon and fingers. After a few messy successes I turned to my table mates and shared my frustration. Leah, my American counterpart seemed to empathize. Francis kind of looked at me with a cocked head and told me I could eat the whole thing.

The whole thing?

I kind of froze mulling this over while jerkily turning my head in every direction noticing other patrons putting whole shrimp into their mouths. Indeed friends, it is true, head to tail, shell and all. You can eat the whole thing.

When in Rome…or Cebu in this case, do as the Cebuanos do. I placed a shrimp onto my spoon with a complimentary amount of rice…maybe a bit of extra rice for the sake of my uncertainty, and popped it into my mouth.

The first thing I noticed was that I was not dying. The second thing I noticed was how crunchy it was, a texture that seemed so appropriate for the Philippines where things like fried pork skin are a delicacy. This country likes its crunch. The third thing I noticed? That it tasted great! Gimme some more! I continued on my shrimp mission for a while, though I admittedly still removed most of the heads. Never been much of a cranial-structure consuming type of person.

And then there were crabs…

These were not my crabs, they were Francis’ crabs, but he was kind enough to offer me some. I told him that I love crabs, but I just felt intimidated by the Philippine version. I was used to Alaskan king crab legs that come straddled with crab crackers, a mallet and a lobster pick. I just didn’t understand how one got into the legs of these miniature beasts.

Francis was kind enough to give me a brief tutorial.

You put the whole thing into your mouth and chew.

Kidding! Do not do that. That would not taste good.

First take a leg, do not separate the cartilage from each piece…my first mistake. Place the smallest section in between your teeth and break the shell in one or two places.

Now pick away a few bits of the shell to reveal your perfect and delicious bit of crab. Note that this is seriously messy business.

Eat and enjoy!

Success should look something like this:

Today, I have aired my inexpertness, which extends to many areas, including astrophysics and grammar. As a foodie there is always something to learn! There are no gastronomic Buddhas and I’m so happy to have great people around me to share in new adventures.

**If you are interested in doing some incredible diving with Hukas divers while in Cebu you can contact Francis at  09189.438.938 & 09223.293.838 or by email at francisrobertabelgas@gmail.com.

I rarely make, buy or order sweet breakfast foods. I’ve just always been on the savory side of the table when it comes to morning eats. But occasionally I just need something a little different. Today it was the perfect collision of bread, eggs and milk in one fried up little toast-let!

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings…multiply as necessary)

• 6 slices of loaf bread – I just used basic Julie’s, but anything will work!
• 1 egg
• 1/4c milk – powdered or fresh (fat is flavor…and if your market is like mine, you wont have any other options!)
• 2tbsp butter or oil – butter will add a much nicer flavor to the end result, but oil will do the trick too
• 2 medium bananas
• 2tbsp mango jam
• Optional: cinnamon or nutmeg

4. Let the slices brown 2-4 minutes on each side. Slice the banana while you wait.

5. When finished, remove toast to a plate and top with the banana. Serve mango jam on the side.

When I do indulge myself in french toast or pancakes I’m a dipper not a drizzler. So if you so desire you can always spread that jam on your toast-lets! Enjoy!

The Philippines new tourism campaign has gone viral!

If I had to name a dish that defines my Peace Corps experience it would likely be lechon. For Filipinos that eat pork, lechon is the food of celebration! It’s what you serve at weddings, parties, holidays, birthdays, welcomings and despedidas. Lechon is a delicacy, a specialty, an expertise. The island of Cebu, where I currently reside, is known nation wide as having the best lechon. Wealthy Filipinos literally fly in lechon from Cebu to their parties.

For the typical American, on the other hand, the sight of a whole roasted pig can be a bit unnerving. Western culture generally disguises animals by keeping any identifiable body parts off the table. Feet, heads and eyes usually are not in grocery display cases and have to be specially requested from the butcher. Whole fish and shrimp are even rare. A whole pig is not easily misidentified.

Lechon never really bothered me from a visual standpoint, but it did intimidate me. Often at these events I was asked to go through the buffet line first…how does one approach a whole pig?! With a knife. Aggressively. After a few parties I  adapted. Frankly, I love lechon. I have learned how to push my way into a line of lechon swarming Filipinos and get the best parts! Ribs. In fact, I recently said out loud after eating some lechon “that is the best pig skin I’ve ever had!”, that was a phrase I never expected to say.

Method of Preparation:

1. Pick out your pig! In order to properly cook lechon there is a weight limit. You cannot cook a pig much over 40kilos otherwise the deepest cuts of meat will never fully cook without burning the skin.

2. Slaughter pig. Though I have never been present for this part of the process, and never intend to be, I have a pretty good idea of how this happens. The pig must be bled out without damaging its physical structure. The point of lechon is to present a beautiful whole pig on the table. Therefore the pig is bled via a slit in the neck. The only time I have actually purchased my own lechon, when my mother visited the Philippines, I picked out my pig, sent it love and thanks for its life and left. Though I am a meat eater, I don’t particularly like the dirty work. I don’t even kill spiders in general.

3. Clean pig via large cut in stomach. Remove hair on skin with razor blade.

4. Rub body cavity with salt. Place lemongrass, onion leaves, onion and garlic inside the body cavity and sew up.

5. Place pig on spit for cooking.

6. Slowly turn the spit over hot coals until meat is cooked evenly. The time depends on the size of the pig, but takes many hours. Be careful not to burn the skin, but make it a crispy, golden texture.

7. Remove spit and serve HOT on platter adorned with a banana leaf!

Method of Eating Lechon:

1. Follow the swarm of people.

2. First break off a piece of the crispy skin. This is one of the most favored parts. When fresh, it’s crunchy and delicious, even bacon-esque. Although I do love this part of lechon, I limit myself to a small piece. Let’s be real, it’s basically all fat. Not even basically, it’s all fat.

3. Use a knife and your fork to pull out some pieces of juicy, tender meat from various parts of the pig. I find the rump to be a safe bet. More meat, less fat.

4. As the pig is carved and the ribs are exposed, grab some! Fast! They are, by many, considered the best part. Because they are so close to the body cavity filled with and spices they have a strong, savory flavor.

My host sister Marthina eating the BEST Part! Start 'em early!

5. Well, by now your plate should be full of lechon, rice, bam-i, humba, escaviche, empanadas, fresh mango and banana. It’s time to eat! If available you can put some banana catsup or sweet chili sauce on the side of your lechon and indulge yourself in the pleasure of food.

6. As more parts of the pig are picked over some adventerous eaters will begin taking the ears and tail and so on. After everyone has finished eating, the host will often bag any leftover pieces to send home with guests as a gift such as the head and legs.

The Philippines is about family, community and togetherness. Food is a huge part of that experience. So eat together and love together. LECHON!

I use canned beans for this dish. Over the past few months, canned bean purchasing has become somewhat of a compulsion for me. They cut prep and cook times for meals significantly and are a fantastic source of vegetarian protein. Also, beans and are a healthy and low glycemic alternative to carbohydrates like white bread and rice. Sometimes I eat spiced black beans on the side of an egg for breakfast instead of the typical toast.

So these days if I find a can of beans, I stock up. In the Philippines I’ve found that there is little predictability to what beans will be available in grocery stores, but upscale shops like Rustan’s and Healthy Options in Cebu City generally carry a lot of variety. I used white beans and kidney beans in this dish. I found the white beans at Rustan’s for about php50 and the kidney beans at Fooda Mart in Consolacion for about the same price. You could replace the beans I used with whatever is available near you or in your pantry. Don’t shy away from trying this with mung beans!

Ingredients:

• 1 can kidney beans – drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 1 can white beans – drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 6-8 small red tomatoes
• 6-8 small red onions
• 1 ear of corn – husked and washed
• 1 lechon manok (rotisserie chicken) (leave this out for the vegetarian/vegan option) 
• 3-5 cups of filtered water
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cube chicken stock
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Preparation: (makes 6-8 servings)

1. Cut ends off the onions, slice in half, remove skin and slice into half moons. Set aside in bowl.

2. Separate and peel the cloves of garlic, chop roughly. Add to bowl with onions.

3. Slice the kernels of corn off of the cob. I find this is most easily done by taking my knife around the middle of the cob, as if to cut it in half, then using my hands to break it from my small incision. Then placing one of the flat ends into a bowl and slicing off the kernels. The bowl helps to catch jumpy bits that may be aiming for the floor.

4. Seed and roughly dice the tomatoes, leaving them in large chunks. Set aside with the corn. To save time, I chose not to peel my tomatoes, but this can be easily done by quickly dropping them in boiling water for 5-10 seconds, removing them to a bowl and taking off the skins by hand.

5. Peel and roughly chop the carrot.

 6. Heat oil in a deep & heavy pan over medium heat. Drop a piece of garlic in to test heat, when oil starts to bubble around it, dump in all of the onions and garlic. Sauté for 10-15min until the onion and garlic start to caramelize and brown. WHILE the onions are cooking shred the rotisserie chicken into a bowl. Using rotisserie chicken saves time and adds a nice smokey flavor to the broth. You can decide to use all of the chicken in the chili or just half, saving the rest for sandwiches or salads. 

7. Add about 3 cups of water to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock cube and stir until dissolved. Use spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan, releasing tasty bits of onion and garlic that may have become stuck.

8. Add carrots to the pan. Cook for about 3min, stirring occasionally.

9. Add the tomatoes, corn, beans, chicken chili powder, cumin, a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 3min, stirring occasionally. Add water if it becomes too dry. The consistency should be very thick, like a stew. So don’t add too much!

10. Remove from heat and taste for salt & pepper.

11. Serve it up! This is complete meal on its own, but can be accompanied by some toasted bread or other craved additions.

Alternatives to Try/Add:

• chopped chayote squash
• green beans
• eggplant
• white potato

The family who owned it taught me this recipe after I purchased some fresh okra and explained that I wanted to try something beyond frying it. They enlightened me with this delightfully healthy alternative.

So far as I’m aware all of the ingredients for this dish are available everywhere in the Philippines. So, commit to those New Year resolutions and eat a little healthier!

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 kilo fresh okra – washed. Pick over the stock carefully looking for any serious malformations or rotting. Deteriorating okra often has slimy spots on the outside.
• 1/4 kilo fresh red tomatoes – washed
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tbps olive oil (or flavorless oil)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Cumin (optional)
• Cayenne (optional)

Preparation: (Makes 4-6 servings)

1. Seed and dice the tomatoes. To seed a tomato: Begin by slicing off the top (end that was connected to the plant). Then slice tomatoes in half so that the seeds are visible. Now take a spoon and slide it below both sides of the seeds, this requires you to force the spoon under the white that separates the seeded sections. Over a trash can or cutting board, starting from the sliced end, pull to the other side removing everything.  

2. Peel and mince the whole head garlic.

3. Remove both ends of the okra and slice to about 1/2in pieces. Okra is a slimy, sticky mess inside so I always save it for last otherwise it just kind of lurks around on your cutting board while you are trying to do other things.

4. Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the garlic and sauté for 2-4 minutes until it’s beginning to soften and becomes fragrant.

5. Add the okra to the pan. Stir occasionally for 8-12 minutes. The okra will start at a dull green and eventually become a much more vibrant tone, signaling its level of preparation. Make sure you cook it long enough to become softened, but not a limp mess. Taste a piece or two to make sure you achieve your desired level of doneness.

6. Add the tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes just to lightly cook them. Remove from heat.

7. Stir in the salt and optional cumin and cayenne to taste.

8. Serve! This dish goes great with rice. I chose to use black rice, an heirloom variety grown here in the Philippines. It’s much healthier than white rice and frankly it’s just really beautiful.

Heirloom Rices: Admittedly, these types of rice can cost twice as much per kilo compared to white rice. However, they also have almost twice the nutritional value. Unmilled rices reduce your chance of getting diabetes and have a lower glycemic index. They are incredibly good for your health and whenever possible I would suggest finding brown, red or black rice instead of white. Brown is the much cheaper alternative, only a few pesos more than white.

I was able to find my heirloom varieties at a fair trade store in Cebu City located a few blocks down from the Crown Regency hotel (near Fuente Osmena Circle). They carry both black and red rice, which are also organic! So many wins in one purchase. It’s produced by Bukidnon Organic Products (BOPC) and distributed by SouthernPartners and Fair Trade Center. I know this store also has a branch in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

Happy rice hunting!

As per usual there are a lot of different spices in the pork. Use what you can find! These should be available at most grocery stores, but things vary from island to island.

Pork Patties: (makes about 9 patties)

• 1/4 kilo ground pork
• 1 egg white
• 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced – All of the whites & about 1in of the greens
• 1 head of garlic coarsely chopped – Yup. The whole thing.
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp sage
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne - Or to taste
• 3 tbsp canola oil - Or other tasteless cooking oil

For the Sliders:

• 10-15 pieces pan de leche
• 1 apple
• 4-5 kalamansi
• 1 red onion
• Sliced cheddar cheese (optional – but such a delicious option)

Cranberry & Mango Chutney - taken from a recipe from Chef Annacia at Yummly (you can use this recipe OR use any store bought chutney)

Preparation:

1. Prepare chutney ahead of time and let chill in fridge or cool to room temperature. If using store bought remove from fridge and bring to room temperature.

2. Add all pork patty ingredients to bowl and mix thoroughly

3. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Make sure oil fully covers the bottom of the pan, if necessary add more oil.

4. Shape pork mixture into small patties 1.5-2in in diameter. Carefully place patties into hot oil and let cook for about 4-5 min on each side. Turn when slightly browned. Add oil as necessary. Remember, pork must cook all the way through.

5. While the patties are cooking, thinly slice the red onion & apple. Slice kalamansi in half. Add apple to airtight container and add juice from the kalamansi. Cover with lid and shake to cover all apples with kalamansi juice. This will improve the flavor and prevent the apples from browning.

6. When the patties are done cooking remove to plate covered in paper towels.

7. Slice or rip the pan de leche in half.

8. On each sandwich place in this order:

• cheddar cheese (if using)
• 1 patty
• 1 slice onion (the entire half moon)
• 1 slice apple
• dolop of chutney

Serve these sliders open face with the remaining piece of bread on the side. They are quite dramatic when plated and you wouldn’t want to ruin the beauty by covering it up immediately! If eating with friends, prepare enough for each person to have 3-4 sliders. Of course, after tasting this dish they may want a few more! Enjoy!

This hash-esque dish is a simple and healthy vegetarian main or side. I tend to prepare it when I’m feeling like something hearty that wont cause me guilt. Also, the spices like thyme and rosemary always remind me of home. They’re cozy, gosh darn it! Something every Peace Corps volunteer needs every now and then.

I’ve included three different herbs in my version. Feel free to use what is available in your area or what you have on hand. All are unnecessary, though delicious.

Ingredients: makes 2-3 servings

• 2 medium sized camotes (or sweet potatoes) – available widely throughout the Philippines or the latter in the West. Camote comes in a variety of colors. Any one will suit this dish perfectly. My personal favorite is purple…because it’s purple.
• 2 small red onions
• 2 tbsp canola oil (or other tasteless cooking oil) - If thou art the lucky volunteer with olive oil on hand then HAVE AT IT!
• 1/2 tbsp Thyme
• 1/2 tbsp Rosemary
• 1 tsp Sage
• Cayenne to taste (optional but HIGHLY encouraged. come on. just a dash)

1. Slice the onions into half moons

2. Wash the camotes under water removing as much dirt as possible. Then peel. A good peeler is an essential kitchen utensil. I’ve sometimes found that ones in Filipino department & grocery stores dull and rust quickly. I suggest buying one at a higher end cooking store when you are in the city or having one sent in a care package from home. If you do not have a peeler, carefully use a pairing knife or other small kitchen knife.

3. Chop the Camote into small cubes.

4. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once heated, add camote and onion. Stir occasionally to cook evenly. Continue for about 10-12min or until the camote start to turn a toasty, golden brown.

5. When the potatoes have begun to brown around the edges add the thyme, rosemary, sage and cayenne. Stir into dish until well incorporated. Keep stirring for 1-3 minutes until the spices become fragrant. Remove from heat.

Time to eat! I hope this dish brings you as much joy as it brings me.

Another great thing about mung beans is that they don’t require soaking. So, it’s easy to be spontaneous with your bean cooking. I prefer a spontaneous bean if I can find one. Also, they only take about 30 minutes to prepare. Inexpensive, quick and healthy: the Peace Corps meal trifecta!

In a traditional version of this dish you would cook the curry ingredients like cardamon pods, bay leaves and cumin seeds in ghee (clarified butter). This is not realistic for a Peace Corps volunteer. This recipe uses curry powder and extra cumin as an alternative. It also leaves out the butter for a fat-free dish. If you feel so inclined, add some butter for enhanced flavor!

Ingredients: Makes 5-7 servings

• 1/2 cup mung beans
• 4-6 cups water
• 2 ears corn – husked & washed
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp curry powder – available at most grocery stories either in bottles or in spice packets
• 2 tsp cumin powder – available at most grocery stores in bottles
• 1/2 tsp salt - or to taste
• 1 small red onion OR 4-5 sliced green onions
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional) – maybe harder for rural volunteers to find, but it should be widely available at major grocery stores. Careful! Turmeric is a master at staining…my stovetop is proof.
• cayenne (optional) – to taste. You can also use fresh, crushed chilies.

Preparation:

1. Put mung beans on a flat surface, preferably white, to pick out any rocks or bad beans. This is one situation where homogeny is preferred.

You can check them in the pan for rocks and bad beans

2. Wash the beans 2-3 times just like you would rice. You can do this in the pan or in colander.

3. Place beans, 4 cups of the water & turmeric (optional) in the pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to keep beans from sticking to the bottom. After about 30 – 40 minutes start tasting the beans. They should be mushy soft. No toughness at all. If they need to cook longer add more water. **You can choose the consistency for your curry. Less water will obviously create a more soupy dish while letting more of the water boil off will create a thicker texture. Personally I prefer the latter. Also, keep in mind that after you remove the beans from heat they will thicken a bit more.

4. WHILE THE BEANS ARE COOKING prepare the vegetables:

• Cut the corn kernels off the cob
• Julienne the ginger – thin strips, similar to matchsticks
• If using red onion – slice in half and then thinly slice into half circles.
• If using green onion – thinly slice the whites and about 2in of the greens

5.When the beans are done, add the corn & ginger and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. If necessary, add a little water.

6. Add the curry powder, cumin, salt & cayenne (optional). Stir until well integrated. Taste for salt and seasoning. Add more if necessary. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

7. Serve in a bowl topped with some the sliced onions. If you have extras throw them in a bag for later use.

The finished product

Serving Ideas:

• BREAKFAST IDEA - Cook an egg sunny side up and top with the curry. **Claire’s favorite!
• On it’s own! This is dish can stand alone and is plenty filling.
• With rice or bread.
• Plate with additional fresh vegetables like steamed camote tops or green beans.

If you are fond of playing around with ingredients, feel free to replace the corn and/or ginger with other fresh items like:

• green beans
• tomatoes
• kalamungay leaves
• camote tops
• chopped squash
• garlic

Hanging rice - The "to go" version of rice in Cebu

One food item no Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines will ever suffer from lack of is rice. My Filipino co-workers have never let me live down one Facebook update where I suggested I was under assault – “Rice Attack!!” They like the joke and also enjoy inquiring about my rice eating habits.

The Philippines is built around rice. Any food eaten without rice can only be considered a snack. No rice? Not full!

When I first arrived in country I was waiting for the day I would reach my rice limit. I imagined it would play out like a thermometer where each bite would gradually raise the bar until there was simply room for no more. However, it’s been 15 months and I’m still eating it. In fact sometimes I even crave it – an unforeseen plot twist!! The rice patty thickens…

Most volunteers I know actually own rice cookers. I was once gifted a rice cooker, however the gift-giver innocently forgot to include the electrical cord. It now lives in the cupboard under the stairs. It is my Harry Potter. Because of this I sometimes I kick it old school and go stove-top, but most of the time I lazily buy cooked rice from food vendors.

Not having the Filipino stomach for rice means that I usually have plenty left over. I’m often left with little, lost bags of cooked rice scattered throughout my fridge. There was a time when this was just a holding area before the trash. Leftover rice is not as tasty as it is fresh. It can get dried out and it simply looses the rice-iness you expect. Technical term: rice-iness.

In order not to be wasteful it is important to find a way to jazz it up a bit. I am not the first person to realize this – hence the conception of fried rice! It is the cottage pie of Asia. A dish in which all of our leftovers can thrive again in a delicious creation of…whatever you have lying around. Fried rice isn’t picky. Frankly, it has low standards.

This is also a really quick meal. Meaning, in its simplest form, you can go from prep to plate in about 15 minutes. It just depends on how complicated you want to get. I’ve set up an ingredients list that is flexible with vegetable and meat categories from which you can pick and choose – or branch out on your own. Just because it’s not listed doesn’t mean it doesn’t go!

You will notice a lot of the ingredients are optional. Choose with the hedonism of your taste buds. They know what they like.

Ingredients (makes 1-2 servings):

• 1 cup leftover rice – if using fresh, let it cool.
• 1 tbsp canola oil – or other flavorless cooking oil
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 4-5 Green onions sliced (whites & 2in of greens) OR 1 small red onion diced 
• +/- 1tbsp of soy sauce (to taste)
• Leftover meat or vegetables (optional)- anything pre-cooked like corn kernels or leftover barbeque. You can also chop and cook before hand if you don’t have anything lying around . See options at the end for more ideas.
• Toasted sesame oil (optional)
• Fresh crushed, hot chillies OR cayenne (optional)

Diced red onion & chopped pork BBQ

Leftover Pork BBQ

There are so many options for this dish. Below, find some ideas you can consider. This is an abbreviated list. Use your leftovers and creativity!

Chef’s Tip: try not to add more than three meats & vegetables – otherwise the dish starts to seem a little overwhelmed.

Vegetables Ideas: remember these should be pre-cooked before you add them to the pan.

• Corn kernels sliced off the cob
• Sliced green beans
• Diced carrots
• Canned vegis (not ideal, but they work!)
• Diced eggplant
• Diced squash

Meat Ideas: remember these should be pre-cooked before you add them to the pan.

• Leftover BBQ – like chicken or pork. They work great if your eyes ended up buying more than your stomach could handle
• Shrimp!
• Lechon manok (rotisserie chicken) – just shred into a bowl using your fingers
• Bring house! – This goes by many different names in the Philippines, but if some kind soul sends you home with a bag of food from their party this is an easy way to use it beyond just reheating.

Enjoy and please share any fried rice revelations your encounter!