Guinisang Ampalaya (Sauteed Bitter Melon)

When I was little I never liked Ampalaya (bitter melon) because of the bitter taste. But I remember my mom had a way of somewhat eliminating some of the bitterness so my siblings and I will eat it. She sprinkled the sliced bitter melon with enough salt and sort of carefully massaging them for few seconds to make them sweat. Then she would rinse off the salt thoroughly and throws out the bitter juice secreted from the process. When I got older, I just developed the taste for it and it became one of the favorite vegetables I eat. We usually use bitter melon in Pinakbet and Guinisang Ampalaya (Sauteed Bitter Melon). This is how I make my Guinisang Ampalaya based from my recollection of how my mom did it and just added my own twist. My British hb loves eating this dish too ;-)

GUINISANG AMPALAYA

INGREDIENTS
2 medium pieces of Ampalaya, sliced thinly
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 pcs tomatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil

PROCEDURE
1. Saute garlic, onion, and tomatoes until tender for about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in ground pork, add salt and pepper and cook until meat is tender.
3. Add the bitter melon and broth and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes making sure not to overcook the bitter melon.
4. Pour in the beaten eggs in a swirling motion and carefully stir to incorporate in the meat and vegetable.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

Menudo For Potlucks

I have attended two get-togethers with two different groups of friends and I brought a favorite Filipino dish Menudo (Diced Pork with Potatoes and Chick Peas) as my potluck contribution. Cooking Menudo is not really difficult. Just the prepping of the ingredients is time consuming because you need to slice the ingredients and the meat in somewhat uniform sizes.

I brought Menudo to our recent Dinner Club Meet - a group of multi-cultural people joined together with their love for food. In our last meeting we brought food from our own country with green ingredients in it. I used green bell pepper among other things. Then again, I brought the same dish to a Going Away Party of our good friend who is moving to South Carolina with her family.

In my first Menudo, I didn't put liver because my hubby doesn't eat them. He is not a picky eater but liver is not on his list. But in my second Menudo, I did put liver to make it really authentic. Menudo is not a menudo without liver, don't you think?

MENUDO

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups diced pork
1 cup diced pork liver
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red ripe tomatoes, cubed
2 cups diced potatoes
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
1 can cooked chick peas
1 package of Mama Sita's Menudo Mix

PROCEDURE:
1. Pre-fry the potatoes and bell peppers in 1 tbsp of oil. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, pour in the rest of the oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft.
3. Mix in the cubed pork and liver and cook stirring constantly until opaque about 5 minutes.
4. Mix in the Mama Sita's Menudo Mix dissolved in water and let it boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
5. Then mix in the pre-fried potatoes and bell pepper and chick peas. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Add salt to taste.