Pickled Ampalaya

Vegetable Mix Ingredients:
2 medium sized Ampalaya seeded
1 medium sized onion, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
4 cloves of garlic
Pickling Solution:

Pickling Solution Ingredients:
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
6 tbsp sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 tsp fine salt
Directions

Instructions:

1. Wash Ampalaya. Cut in half lengthwise to remove pulp and seeds with spoon. Slice into 5mm thickness.
2. Mix in 2 tbsp. salt. Rinse after 15 minutes Drain well.
3. Combine carrots, onions, and garlic.
4. Prepare boiling solution by boiling vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Set aside for it to cool down. Note: When sugar substitute is being used instead of sugar, add sweetener only during the cooling period.
5. Pour pickling solution over vegetable mixture. Toss.
6. Place in a jar. Serves best when cold as a side-dish.

Ginisang Ampalaya with Egg

Ingredients:
3 medium size amapalaya (bitter melon)
crushed 1 clove of garlic
1 sliced onion
3 diced tomatoes
4 eggs, beaten
some salt or patis (fish sauce) and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Slice ampalaya or bitter melon thinly (put in a bowl with water to lessen the bitter taste)
2. In a pan, saute garlic, onion, and tomatoes until the tomatoes have juiced out. While doing this, add some patis (fish sauce), or salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add ampalaya and 1/2 cup of water. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
4. When ampalaya is quite tender, stir in the beaten eggs and cook for another 5 minutes. Then it's ready to be served.Note:
5. Do not over cooked the vegetable so it will still have a distinct crunchy taste when you eat.

Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts

Ingredients:
4 tbsp cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 medium-sized tomato, chopped
1/4 kilo pork, cubed (optional)
2-3 blocks bean curd or tofu
1/2 kilo bean sprouts, washed
1 medium-sized carrot, julienned
100 grams green beans, julienned
3 tbsp soy sauce
a pinch salt and pepper
1 cup water

How to prepare:

1. On a skillet in medium heat, fry bean curd in hot oil until slightly brown. Remove from heat, drain excess oil in paper towel. Cut into cubes. Set aside.
2. Reduce oil from the skillet leaving about 1 tbsp. (If not adding pork, continue on step 3.) Fry pork until medium brown. Set along the side of the skillet creating some space in the middle.
3. Sauté garlic, onion, and tomato. Stir in pork.
4. Add carrots and green beans. Stir fry for about 5 minutes.
5. Add water. Season with MSG, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Add bean sprouts. Simmer while stirring occasionally until the liquid is almost dry and the vegetables are cooked. Bean sprouts cook fast. This would take about 5 minutes.
7. Add the fried bean curd. Add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
8. Serve with rice or as a vegetable side dish.

Crispy Kangkong or Spinach

Ingredients:
2 bunches kangkong or spinach leaves, washed
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Procedure:

1. Mix flour, cornstarch, ground pepper, onion powder, and salt in a big bowl and dissolve in cold water to make a thick batter.
2. Coat each leaf with the batter and fry until crispy. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:
5 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
1 tbspn vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
To make the dipping sauce, just mix all ingredients together.