Pakbet Tagalog and Some Awards

Whenever I cook, I am always reminded of the Philippines...not just because I got my love for food and cooking from there, but also because I miss the fresh produce that are always available in local public markets. Filipinos aren't used of stocking food in their refrigerator because any time of the day, even if you don't have your own backyard vegetable garden, you can surely get fresh and naturally grown fruits and vegetables at a not so expensive price. Fresh meat and seafood are also available all the time. I can say, getting the freshest products is truly one of the simplest pleasures you can get in the Philippines...and that's something I miss now that I'm here in TX!

Filipinos love combining fresh produce to create delectable meals that could surely satisfy anyone's palate. One of the most popular dish that is a combination of vegetables that are rich in color and nutrients is the Pinakbet or Pakbet which originated in the Ilocos region. It came from the Ilocano word Pinakebbet which means "shrunk" or shriveled". It was named that way because in the original Pinakbet, the vegetables are boiled over low heat until almost dry and shriveled. The authentic pinakbet cooked in Ilocandia is simply boiled vegetables  with fish bagoong (fish paste) topped with either bagnet (deep fried pork belly chunks) or dried fish. It became popular in the whole Philippine archipelago that other regions came out with their own version. One of them is the Pakbet Tagalog. Unlike the original pakbet, Pakbet Tagalog is sautéed vegetables with shrimp paste and has kalabasa (kabocha squash) which is not commonly used by the Ilocanos in their pinakbet.
 
Whether Ilocano or Tagalog version, pakbet is a vegetable dish, packed with vitamins and minerals that makes it really worth trying.

* I'm linking this up on Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mangia Mondays, Hearth and Soul Hop Hub, Delectable Tuesday, Tuesdays At The Table and Made From Scratch Tuesday. 
 
Prep Time: ~25 mins               Cook Time: ~35 mins                Servings: 4            
 
Ingredients:

• ½ lb pork belly, sliced in 1/2 “ thick rectangles
• 10-12 pcs shrimps, peeled and deveined
• 2 pcs eggplants, bias sliced
• 12-15 pcs string beans, cut into 2 inches long
• ½ medium sized kabocha squash, cubed
• 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, crushed
• 2 pcs tomatoes, chopped
• 3 Tbsp bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) – I used 2 Tbsp sweet shrimp paste and 1 Tbsp salted shrimp paste
• 1 ½ cup of water
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or pork oil
• ½ cup dried sardines (In a skillet, dry roast the dried sardines until crunchy then set aside.)
• Salt and pepper to taste

You can also add 10 pcs okra (cut into 1 ½ inch length) and 1 sliced ampalaya (bitter gourd). My daughters aren’t fans of these vegetables so I usually don’t use them for my pakbet.

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle pork belly with salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

2. Cook sliced pork belly in ½ cup water over medium heat until water evaporates and oil starts coming out.

3. Turn heat to low and while constantly tossing, cook pork until golden brown. Remove pork from pan and set aside. 

4. In the same pan, using 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or the oil produced from cooking the pork, saute the tomatoes, ginger, onions and garlic until the tomatoes are soft. 

5. Add shrimp paste and sauté for a minute.

6. Add squash and string beans and sauté for about 5 minutes. 

7. Add eggplant. Saute for 3 minutes.

8. Add the remaining 1 cup of water. Mix well. Cover and cook until vegetables are almost done. 

9. Add the shrimps and simmer until the shrimps turn pink. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste.

 

10. Add pork and dried sardines, saving some for toppings. Simmer for another minute.

11. Remove from heat. Serve with hot rice.

And now, for the awards...

Rachel Joy of Cool Bean Mommas gave me The Stylish Blogger Award.

Though this is the third time I got this award, I still feel so honored for having been chosen by Rachel for this. Rachel Joy is a Filipina blogger who grew up in the US and is now in the Philippines. She has an awesome sense of humor and a truly delightful way of sharing her adventures as a wife & mom which truly amaze me. Check out Cool Bean Mommas for you to see what I'm talking about! 

I've already done the Stylish Blogger Award before so I'd rather not do this again. For those who are interested to know 7 things about me, check out my previous post on this. :) To Rachel Joy, thank you so much for passing on The Stylish Blogger Award to me! I'm truly grateful to you for thinking of me! :-*

I also got two awards from my dear friend, Manu of Manu's Menu:

As some of you already know, I started Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner just 4 months ago...Jan. 14, 2011 to be exact. I must admit that at that time, I really didn't know anyone from the blogging world, and though I tried my best to make friends with other bloggers, I just find it so hard to build a personal connection with them, thereby making me feel I don't belong. Then Manu came...Manu is one of those few food bloggers who first made me feel that there's room for me in the blogosphere. Despite the distance between us, she has her special way of making me feel her support. Thank you so much, Manu! I really feel so lucky to have known you!

Though there's no rule that goes with these awards, I want to pass it on to five wonderful bloggers. I have known them just recently but I fell in love with their beautiful blogs, and what they do to make the blogosphere a whole lot better.

Adora of Adora's Box

Lexie of VoiceBoks
Lyn of My Little Messy & Cheeky

Nami of Just One Cookbook

Rachel Joy of Cool Bean Mommas

They are truly awesome with what they do! You can see from their blog how much dedicated they are not only in sharing what they got, but much more, in helping other bloggers despite their very busy life. Though the only connection we have is the blogosphere, I consider them my new friends! Drop by their pages. You won't regret it when you see what they have to offer...