Chicken Arrozcaldo (Chicken Arroz Caldo Soup)

The best Filipino comfort food on any given rainy day. Arroz caldo falls in the category of the lugaw, rice soup or congee.

1 cup rice
1 small chicken (chicken breast preferable)
1 inch cube ginger, thin slices
2 segments garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsps. Butter
2 tbsps Patis (oriental fish sauce)
6 cups water
2 stalks onion leeks or green onion

Quarter the chicken breast or cut into convenient bite size pieces. Saute garlic, ginger and onion on the pan. Add the chicken and season with 2 tbsps of Patis. Cover the pan and simmer a few minutes under low heat.

Add the rice and water, stir the ingredients to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. Cook in low heat for over 20 minutes until the chicken and rice are cooked. Add the green onions. Salt to taste. Place in soup bowls.

You may put toppings or garnishings such as fried garlic bits, chicharon bits (deep-fried pork poppers), green onions, sliced boiled eggs to your liking.

Fish with Mustasa (Isda na may Mustasa)

Mustasa is a green leafy vegetable that's abundant in the Philippines and often pickled (buro, fermented, soaked in salt or brine). You may consider it as a watercress type veggie, but I guess in English its called Mustard leaves.

2 cups fish fillet (any fish of choice, less bony more meaty)
1 cup Mustasa leaves, cut into three
½ cup water
3 tbsps cooking oil
2 tbsp tausi (black seeds or fermented black beans)
¼ cup green onions
2 tbsp cooking oil

Heat pan and sauté the fish then add the mustasa leaves. Followed by the onions and tausi. Add the water. Cover the pan, continue to cook the dish in low heat. When vegetables are tender, place in serving platter. Enjoy!

Isdang Sarciado (Fish Sarciado Recipe)

If you like your fish dish ma-sarsa (saucy!) then this Filipino recipe is for you!

1 kilo fish
(these type of meaty fishes work well: tilapia, dalagang bukid, apahap, lapu-lapu, salmon, trout, bacoco )
3 tbsp cooking oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
1-1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsps green onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Clean fish, remove fish cuts and rub in salt and pepper. Set aside for an hour then drain well. Heat oil in frying pan. Fry the whole fish in medium heat until light brown, do not overcook.
Saute garlic in 3tbsps cooking oil until light brown. Add the onions until they turn transparent in texture. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking over low heat, cover the pan, stir occasionally until sauce is a semi-thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Place fish on platter then pour over the sauce then top with the green onions. Serve hot.