Mexican Menudo Rojo

This is my version of Menudo. I want it not too spicy and hot. Just add more chile according to your taste. I feel like tomato gives another flavor to the soup so I added some. Otiginal recipe includes beef or pork feet but I omitted it and use pork meat instead. 

Ingredients:

For the soup
2 lbs pork butt
3 lbs beef tripe

3 cloives garlic, 

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 lime

1 T salt

7 to 8 quarts water
28 oz can white hominy

For the red chili sauce

2 Chile Ancho 

5 Chile guajillo or arbol

2 tomatoes

3 cloves minced garlic 

1 small onion

2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 tsp ground cumin 

salt and pepper to taste 

For the condiments
Limes
Chopped onion
chopped cilantro
dried oregano

chicharon

Directions:

1. Cut the tripe  and pork into bite size and wash thoroughly in warm water. 
2. Place tripe in a large pot. Boil and  discard  water. Add more water, boil and discard water again.   

3.  Cover with water.  Add minced garlic, chopped onion, oregano, salt and squezed in 1 lime.  Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer  for an hour. 

4. Add the pork. Remove the foam formed over the meat while boiling.

5. Add the hominy. Continue cooking for an hour or until pork and tripe is  tender. Add more water if needed.

6. While waiting for the tripe to cook, prepare the red chili sauce. Remove seeds or  leave it, if you want. Rinse well. 

7. Place chilis and whole tomatoes in a bowl. Submerge in boiling water, cover  for at least 30 minutes.
8. Place the shilis and tomatoes  into a blender with a ladle of the  chili water. Add  the remaining cloves of garlic, oregano, onion and the ground cumin. 

9.  Blend until smooth. 

10. Strain and  add  into the soup. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

11 Add salt and pepper to taste.
12. Serve the  soup with the condiments and flour tortilla on the side.

Pork Sinigang ( Pork Sour Stew)

Sinigang or pork sour soup is one of the most popular dishes in the Philippines. My mom used to cook it with fresh unripe tamarind, boiled in little bit of water and squeeze the pulp then strain to get the sour juice. But nowadays, people make sinigang using powdered sinigang mix, making it easier to prepare. Pork can be substituted with beef, chicken or shrimp. If you are living in another country where Filipino vegetables are not available, any vegetable like carrots, cabbage, spinach, kale or lemon as souring ingredients can be substituted. Sinigang is eaten with boiled white rice and fish sauce with calamansi or lemon juice. One of the secrets of cooking a delicious sour soup is to include the bones. Remember cooking is an art, you can either change the vegetables or tweak it according to your preference. The soup is eaten together with boiled white rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. pork belly (or bone-in pork chop or pork ribs)

• 1 bunch kangkong leaves (water spinach)

• 3 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 bunch chinese long beans or green beans, cut in 2-inch length

• 2 pieces medium sized tomato quartered

• 3 pieces chili (or banana pepper)

• 2 liters water

• 1 large onion quartered

• 2 pieces taro root (gabi), quartered

• 1 pack sinigang mix

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.     Cut pork into 2 inch pieces and wash.

2.     In a pot combine pork and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, skimming off scum that accumulates on top.

3.     Once broth clears, add tomatoes, onions, salt, and fish sauce.

4.     Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until meat is tender, add more water to cover the pork.

5.     Once the pork is tender, add half of the sinigang mix and taro, then simmer for 20 minutes or until taro is cooked

6.     Put-in the rest of the vegetables and chili, and simmer until all the vegetables are half cooked.

7.     Add more sinigang mix, salt and pepper according to your taste.

8.     Put-in the water spinach, mix well, turn off the heat, and cover the pot. Let the spinach cook using the remaining heat in the pot.

Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Ingredients: 4 servings

• 1 c. brown lentils 
• 4 c. cool water 
• ¼ c. olive oil 
• ½ c. onion, dice 
• 2 garlic minced 
• 4 c. Swiss chard leaves 
• ¼ c. cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped 
• 3 T. lemon juice 
• TT salt and pepper 

Procedure:

1. Wash the lentils well remove stones and discolored. Drain. 
2. Cover with cold water and bring to boil, then simmer for 1 hour, or until soft. 
3. Heat the oil, sauté onion, stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds longer. 
4. Add the shredded Swiss chard and fry, stirring often, until wilted. 
5. When the lentils are soft, add the onion and Swiss chard mixture. Add the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for a further 15–20 minutes. 
6. Serve the soup in deep plates, with lemon wedges for squeezing into the soup according to individual taste. 
7. Serve with lemon wedges and Khoubz or other bread.

Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum is one of Thailand most popular soup. The soup is characterised by its distinct spicy hot and sour flavour that defines Thai flavor. Basically the broth is made of stock and fresh ingredients but because of the availability, There is a ready-made tom yum paste or tom yum cubes sold around the world but I never tried one.

Sauteed Mussels (Ginisang Tahong)

Sauteed Mussels can be served in many ways. It can be an appetizer, soup or side dish. I like to serve it with rice as an entree. In my area, only  frozen mussels are available, but works just fine.

Chicken Macaroni Soup

Chicken Macaroni soup is  one of the most popular soup in the Philippines. The soup is so easy to prepare and can be cooked in many ways and with whatever ingredients you have in the pantry along with the macaroni and chicken. It can be a breakfast, snack, an appetizer or a meal itself. Growing up, my mother always cooks this for us.

Chicken Sotanghon Soup (Vermicelli soup)

Who does not love sotanghon and who says it is only served on special occasions? Sotanghon is very affordable just like the pancit bihon and canton and can be cook anytime we want and not for special day only.