Newsletter – Page 178 – Hālau 'Aha Hui Lānākila

Vegan Foodstyles: Filipino Giniling

December 1, 2017December 1, 2017 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

This dish has many names around the world, and many variations. In Latin countries its called Picadillo; in the Philippines its called Giniling. I’ve seen it soupy or the drier way I make it. You’ll see in my notes below, the different options, such as adding red bell peppers or golden raisins. I left out the bell peppers because I’m not a fan. When I’m making savory empanadas, then I’ll add the raisins to the dish.

VEGAN PICADILLO {aka Giniling – Filipino Food}

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red potatoes, cubed
1 medium carrot, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12 ounce) package Veggie Protein Crumbles (I used Lightlife’s Smart Ground)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup frozen green peas

Directions

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan with high sides over medium heat.
Add the potatoes and carrots, cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly browned. Stir occassionally.
Add the onions and minced garlic, cook for another minute.
Add the veggie protein crumbles, break apart and stir.
Add the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Mix well, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir occassionally.
Turn off heat. Add the frozen green peas and mix well.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Notes

Keep the skin on the potatoes.
The veggie protein crumbles are already cooked – time saver!
I always have the 4.5 ounce tube of tomato paste in the fridge at all times for dishes like this. You can also buy the small can, and freeze the rest.
You can add 1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced, if you like; when you add the veggie protein crumbles. But I’m not a fan of bell peppers, so I left it out. Thank goodness so is our friend who I made this dish for.
You can also add a 1/2 cup of golden raisins after you add the tomato paste, etc. My mother doesn’t consider this recipe complete without raisins. I chose to leave this out because I’m not making empanadas, and this recipe is the base recipe for empanada filling. (That’s for another recipe.)
Do not cook the green peas. Add the frozen peas as they are, to keep its vibrant color. Once mixed in, the dish will take care of the peas.

Asian Foodstyles: Malaysian Chicken Curry

November 24, 2017 Hālau ʻĀha Hūi LanakilaLeave a comment

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1kg chicken thighs
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
400ml coconut milk
100ml chicken stock
1 tsp palm sugar (or soft brown sugar)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
400g green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
Handful of coriander leaves, roughly torn
FOR THE CURRY PASTE:
5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4 or 5 long, red chillies, trimmed, deseeded and roughly chopped
3 lemon grass stalks, trimmed with the outer leaves removed and thinly sliced
5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
4 large shallots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 or 3 tbsp groundnut oil
FOR THE COCONUT RICE:
300g jasmine, Thai fragrant or other long-grain rice
200ml coconut milk
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
Pinch of sea salt

Method

First make the curry paste. Put the garlic, chillies, lemon grass, ginger, shallots and turmeric in a food processor and whiz to a paste. With the motor running, trickle in a little groundnut oil and blend well, scraping the sides of the processor several times. (Or you can pound the ingredients together in batches using a pestle and mortar).
To make the curry, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat the groundnut oil in a large cast-iron casserole or heavy-based pan. Tip in the curry paste and stir over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until they are beginning to soften.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and stir to coat them in the spice paste. Add the lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, coconut milk, stock, sugar, soy and fish sauces and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
For the rice, rinse the grains in cold water to get rid of any excess starch. Drain and tip into a heavy-based pan. Add the rest of the ingredients with 200ml water, stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Leaving the lid on, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve while still hot.
Skim off any excess oil on the surface of the curry. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Tip in the beans, put the lid on and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes until the beans are tender. Scatter the coriander leaves over the curry and serve with the coconut rice.