Maja Ube (Purple Yam)
Topic: Desserts
In the Philippines, basically ube or purple yum is cooked with sugar and eaten as a sweetened dessert or jam called halaya ube which is a bright violet color. Gradually, it became an ingredient in many desserts like the fruity halo halo, cakes, cookies, candies,jams, ice cream, maja, etc. Here's my recipe for Maja Ube.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sweetened and mashed purple yum (I used the bottled one)
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup coconut cream (thick)
2 cups thin coconut cream
1/2 cup milk powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
roasted coconut

Directions:
1. Dissolve the cornstarch and milk powder to the thick cream, add vanilla. Stir until all cornstarch are dissolved well.
2. In a pan, combine sugar and thin coconut cream. Add ube and cook over medium heat. Keep stirring while cooking.
3. When boiled, lower heat and add cornstarch mixture. Continue stirring until well blended. Cook until thick.
4. Pour in a wide serving dish, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve with toasted coconut on top.

Stuffed Crab
Topic: Crabs
Stuffed Crab is very common in many restaurants especially in the Philippines, there are also many variations in cooking this dish, some add meat, chicken or shrimps. They also add some vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and many strong herbs. Another variation is adding breadcrumbs, bread cubes, mayonnaise , cream. cheese, etc. However none of the above-mentioned fillers seems to interest me. I tasted many variations but the most simple one is the best for me, I like the stuffed crabs to be very natural in taste, I mean really crab. Did you got me? ƒ? To make the very real and natural tasting stuffed crab, here's the ingredients that I used:

Ingredients:
Crabs, boiled or steemed
Some chopped onions
Crushed ginger
Crushed garlic
Chopped tomatoes
Black pepper powder
Light soy sauce
Chopped jalapeno
Green onions
Eggs
Oil

Directions:
1. Remove crabmeat from shells. Flake evenly, set aside.
2. Saute onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes in hot oil. Add crabmeat, green onion and jalapeno. Season with light soy sauce and pepper. Set aside.
3. Clean the crab shells. Moisten with beaten eggs and fill with the mixture.
4. Pack each shell firmly then dip in beaten eggs. Fry bottom side down in hot oil. Baste top with hot fat until top puffs up and turns golden brown. Drain and serve hot.

Spicy Chicken
Topic: Chicken
If you are looking for saucy hot and spicy chicken, then this is good for you. Try it.

Ingredients:
600 g chicken, sliced into serving portions
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. grated ginger
2 tbsp. tomato ketchup
2 tbsp. hot and spicy banana ketchup
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (carrots and green peas)
1 bell pepper cut into strips
1/3 tsp. black pepper powder
2/3 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. cooking oil

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a skillet, fry the chicken until lightly brown. Add the garlic, onion and ginger. Stir for few a minute then add broth. Let it boil until the liquid is reduced.
2. Add the ketchup and the sauces, stir and mix well with the chicken, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cook with occasional stirring until done, about 5-7 minutes. Serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Topic: Noodles
There are many variations in cooking chicken noodle soup, some used egg noodles while others used rice noodles. Adding vegetables was also very common. This is the very basic chicken noodle soup that I cooked the other day for our Iftar.

Ingredients:
400 g chicken, sliced into serving portions
120 g flat rice noodles
2/3 cup carrots, julienned
1/4 head of medium cabbage, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp. shredded ginger
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
water or chicken broth (enough to cover the whole ingredients)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped green onions for garnish

Directions:
1. Place the chicken into pan and cover with water or chicken broth if you have. Add the onion, ginger, celery and salt. Simmer until done.
2. Add carrots, cabbage, sugar and fish sauce. Cook until the vegetables are half done, then add noodles to the soup and cook until the noodles are tender, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped onions.

Chicken with Black Beans
Topic: Chicken
I like black beans so much since I was in my childhood years, especially when I am eating Aroz Caldo, it is really a good appetizer for me but not for my husband, he never touch it when I served it on our meals separately. When I cooked this dish the other day I added sugar and lime juice on it so that the black beans taste will not be noticed directly, fortunately he ate it when I served it in our dinner, so my technique was indeed successful.


Ingredients:
500 g chicken breast fillets
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 small capsicum, diced
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1/4 cup canned black beans
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. lime juice

Directions:
1. Combine chicken, lime juice and black beans, set aside for 10-20 minutes. Drain chicken and reserved the black beans and liquids.
2. Heat oil in a wok, stir fry the chicken fillets until brown then add garlic. Stir.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking until done. Season with salt and pepper.