When it first began (several years ago now) I would watch Survivor regularly. But over the years, it seemed like it was the same old same old, so I stopped watching it altogether. (I actually prefer Amazing Race). However, this season’s Survivor is located in the Philippines. I am intrigued to watch it as I am familiar with the culture and food that are likely to be featured there. This year’s show was also filmed on an island near where my hubs and I spent part of our honeymoon, and I am longing to see some familiar landmarks.
So, in honor of Survivor Philippines I thought I would post some past Filipino recipes. My hubs is Filipino so we make a lot of these dishes in our home regularly. (PINOY, for those of you wondering, is a term that Filipino’s use to refer to themselves).
BULALO
(bone marrow beef stew)
Bulalo simply means marrow. It’s a hearty and filling beef stew made with root vegetables, spinach, bone marrow, (usually plantains), and a touch of coconut milk for depth of flavor.
MUNGGO
Sprouted Mung Bean Stew (with optional shrimp)
Munggo is another hearty stew but is thickened by pureeing the cooked mung beans. I added curry flavors to this recipe which is not really traditional Filipino (which is usually just a ginger and coconut flavor), but we love curry and this is the perfect dish for it!
PUTO
Mildly Sweet Rice Cake
Filipino Puto (not to be confused with what puto means in Latino cultures) 
is a mildly sweet dessert made of rice soaked in coconut milk for 12-18 hours. It took me forever to learn how to make it, but I finally figured it out — on my own. I was so proud of myself!
COCONUT CHICKEN ADOBO
Technically, Chicken Adobo is not made with coconut milk but my husband’s family started making it this way and it is delicious and just slightly sweet. It calls for soy sauce but I use coconut aminos and it works just fine.
SHRIMP FRIED RICE
(use pork, chicken, beef, or veggies too)
Fried Rice of any kind is a simple way to use up veggies, leftover meat, and extra steamed rice. This is a go-to meal in our house.
MARINATED GRILLED PORK BELLY
(tastes like Lechon, so says the hubs)
Lechon is baby pig that has been slow roasted in a fire pit. It is a Filipino staple at parties and celebrations. So when my hubs told me that my Marinated Grilled Pork Belly tasted like Lechon, I was so pleased.
ARROZ CALDO
(thick chicken ginger soup)
The picture is not quite representative of what Arroz Caldo looks like. It is supposed to be a little soupier. (The liquid continued to absorb into the rice). However, it was still extremely delish! This is SOUPER easy to make.
PORK MENUDO
(thick tomato based stew with root vegetables)
Menudo is so easy to make. Often it is made with a soy sauce (which I don’t use because I am sensitive to soy) and I would ordinarily use coconut aminos to substitute. However, this day I decided to reduce the chicken stock to create a thick, salty base and my hubs thought it tasted the same (even slightly better, but I don’t know if he was just being nice)
TURON
Plantain/jack fruit wrapped in rice paper
This is a sweet treat that I love to make! Just make you you source real rice paper and not wheat based ‘fake rice paper’. There’s a link to find it on Amazon in the recipe.
SHRIMP HEAD STEW AND BROTH
It may sound gross, but the hubs actually likes to suck on the shrimp heads so I leave them in many dishes that I make with shrimp (although it is getting harder to find wild-caught shrimp with the head on!). Apparently, the head is where all the flavor is. I will have to take his word for it.
I actually have a few more recipes however our new recipe widget is acting up and those recipes are not available at the moment. But I did write a guest post for Ruth @Ruth’s Real Food regarding my conversion to making Filipino foods titled: Even a Stubborn American Can Learn New Tricks. Follow the link in this intro post to take you there.
And this gross food is BOUND to be one of the things they make the Survivors eat. Check out my video with me TRYING to eat BALUT.
MABUHAY!
Post links to: Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back, Friday, Fill Those Jars,Monday Mania, Homestead Barnhop, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Scratch Cookin’, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Frugal Days, Fresh Food Wednesday, Keep It Real,
Funny, I had planned to make Chicken Adobo today for dinner! I just make it the usual way, but sometime I’ll have to try it with coconut milk. The thing I really want to try is Puto! I haven’t had it before, but since I love all things rice-related, this sounds really good. Thanks for the great recipe round-up!
Glad you liked the recipes Jana. And don’t follow any of the recipes online for puto . . . . NONE of them work. I had been trying for 12 years before I finally got it right. This one should work out well for you.
Miss you chica! Haven’t seen you around lately.
Oh I’ll definitely be using your recipe for Puto! It sounds so good. Yeah, I been laying low for a while
.
And right back atcha
Can I come over for dinner please?
You’re welcome anytime Tessa.
Wow. Just started making MAJOR changes to my diet about 2 weeks ago. Seeing some good things, but still pretty puny feeling. Trying new yummy recipes makes it fun. Eating as much as I need has actually been problematic. Looking forward to these.
@Alene, so glad this list is helpful for you. It sometimes can take a few months to feel like you are seeing big improvements. I started almost 20 months ago and I feel like I finally have hit my stride. Just try to source quality meats, eggs, and produce as much as possible. You can do it.
what a wonderful collection of filipino recipes!
i also watch survivor. amazing race fan for sure, but i feel like survivor is trying to make some changes to the show this season because it was getting a little stale. i’m really cheering for lisa.
thanks for sharing with us at the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link-up! I hope to see you again this week with more seasonal & whole/real food posts! xo, kristy.
I’m cheering for Lisa too! Her tribe is nasty to her. I so hope she can pull through it.