Vegan Nilaga

Nilaga is a filipino dish which literally means "Boil" and it's traditionally made with any type of meat and vegetables. I love eating this dish with rice, especially on an a cold rainy day. My version of this dish is made with tofu and vegetables, but it is just as comforting and satisfying in any type of season.

Ingredients
1/4 of a medium onion, sliced
3 stalks of scallions or green onion, cut in 2-3 inch length
2 of the 32 oz boxes of vegetable broth
8 small or 3 cups of red potato, quartered
1 cup of green beans, cut in half
2 stalks of celery, sliced diagonally
1 small napa or chinese cabbage, stem side cut, sliced into 2 to 3 inch pieces
2 carrots, sliced
2 pkgs of extra firm tofu, 1 inch cube
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large cooking pot, place the onion, scallions, vegetable broth and potatoes. Give it a good stir and cover it with a lid then cook it on med-high heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the green beans and celery. Give it a stir and cover it with a lid then simmer it for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the napa cabbage, vegetable broth and carrots. Cover it with a lid and cook it for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the vegetable broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, give it a stir, cover it with a lid and bring it to a boil.
5. Turn off the heat. Mix in the cooked tofu and give it a final stir. Serve it with rice and enjoy.

Vegan Monggo or Mung Bean Soup

Monggo or Mung Bean Soup is a filipino dish that is eaten with rice and sometimes paired with fried fish. Mung beans is primarily cultivated in some parts of southeast asia. It is small, has a greenish color and is dried up for longer shelf life. It is also made into a sweet or savory dish. In this video, I'm showing you my vegan version of this dish by substituting meat and with tofu for a healthier alternative to the traditional monggo.

Monggo (Mung) Soup - Vegan Style

Ingredients:
4 to 5 cups of water
1 cup of mung beans
1 to 2 pkgs of extra firm tofu
1 box of vegetable broth
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 carrots, diced
2 cups or 6 to 8 roma tomatoes, diced
3 to 6 bunches of bok choy

1. Boil 4 to 5 cups of water in a large cooking pot, cover it with a lid and turn the heat on high.
2. Add 1 cup of mung beans into the boilng water, cover with a lid and simmer it for about 25-30. *Make sure to rinse beans before cooking it.
3. After the beans had finished cooking, give it a good stir and set it aside. Check to make sure that the beans are soft enough to eat.
4. Next, cook, sear or fry the tofu on a fry pan and set it aside. (How to pan sear tofu without oil - http://youtu.be/u9n_30hpKEg)
5. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth on a pan and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots and tomato, then give it a good stir. Cook it for about 15 minutes.
6. Add the tomato mixture to the cooked mung beans and pour the rest of the vegetable broth into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste then give it a good stir.
7. Place the bok choy on top and cover with a lid without stirring then smimmer it for about 5 minute.
8. Finally add the cooked tofu, give it a good stir and turn off the heat.

How to Pan Sear Tofu with NO Oil

Tofu - How to Pan Sear with NO Oil

Cutting down on calories could be very challenging but there are ways to substitute food with less fat. In this video, i'll show you my way of searing tofu with no oil and less sodium. This is also a good alternative to any dish that calls for fried tofu. For this recipe I'm using extra firm Tofu and vegetable broth.

1. Turn the heat on high and start placing the tofu on a pan.
2. Let the liquid from the tofu dry up first before adding the broth.
3. Once the broth has been added, let it sit for about 30 seconds
4. Shake the pan to loosen up the tofu.
5. Then start flipping the pan or use a spatula to turn over the tofu.
6. Do this procedure several times until all sides are completely seared.
I hope you enjoyed this video, thanks for watching and see you next time.

How to cook Tapioca Pearls (Mini Sago)

How to cook Tapioca Pearls (Mini Sago)

Tapioca pearls are these chewy, tiny gelatine like balls which are added to bubble tea drinks or tapioca pudding. In this video, I'll show you how easy it is to cook tapioca pearls.

Measurements
1 cup Tapioca pearls to 4 - 5 cups water
For additional cups of tapioca pearls add 3 - 4 cups water
Cooking Time
8 to 10 minutes - Hot Drinks or Deserts
10 to 13 minutes - Cold Drinks or Desserts

Ingredients
1 cup of tapioca pearls
4 to 5 cups of water

1. First, pour water in a sauce pot and cover it with a lid. Turn the heat on high and wait till it boils.
2. When the water starts boiling, uncover the sauce pot. Pour the tapioca pearls slowly in a swirling motion. Cover it with a lid and cook it for about 8 to 13 minutes depending on its use.
3. After it's done cooking, make sure to give it a good stir so, this will help loose some of the tapioca that are sticking together
4. Pour the cooked tapioca pearls on a strainer under running water to stop it from cooking. Make sure to drain any excess water and set it aside for about 5 minutes.
*Add it to your favorite drink or dessert for some chewy goodness and enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this video.

How to cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker

How to cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker

What is Quinoa? It's like a grain but it's actually an edible seed. Quinoa contains a complete source of protein and is rich in calcium, fiber, iron and many more. Quinoa is very versatile, it's a good substitute for rice or couscus. It can be added to salad, stuffing or soup. In this video, I will show you how I cook quinoa using a rice cooker and with a consistency of a rice.

Measurements 
1 cup Quinoa to 2 1/2 cups water 
2 cups of Quinoa to 5 cups water 
For each additional cup of Quinoa add 2 cups of water instead of 2 1/2 cups

Vegan Buko Pandan - Filipino Dessert (Vegan Style)

The first time I ever tasted this filipino dessert was when I visited my brother in Sacramento years ago.  A friend of his made this delicious dessert for my niece's birthday party.  And since then, I was hooked on finding out how to make this yummy treat.  I didn't ask my brother's friend for the recipe because I had a feeling that he wasn't going to give up his famous Buko Pandan recipe just like that, so instead, I searched the internet for the recipe.  So when I found one, I had to put my own spin because I felt that dessert was not creamy enough.  I finally perfected it and it was always a rave whenever I bring it to a party. My husband could never get enough of this delicious dessert and would always request it every now and then for our weekend splurge.

But when my husband and I became vegans, I had to convert most of our dishes including this sweet treat. It was actually tastier than my original recipe and since it's vegan, it has NO Cholesterol.  What made it so creamy was the coconut milk.  Yes, coconut milk is fattening, but it has the good kind of fats and has more benefits than milk.  Also, this dessert is absolutely perfect for those who are lactose intolerant. 

This dessert is very similar to Buko salad (another one of my favorite filipino desserts) except for the Pandan flavoring. Buko means "Coconut". And Pandan is a type of plant that has a very fragrant smell, and sometimes it is added to rice to give it that sweet and pleasant taste.

Buko Pandan is traditionally made with Coconut Gel or Nata de Coco, Pandan flavored gelatin, Tapioca, sweetened coconut string and dairy milk. My vegan version is made with the same set of ingredients except I substituted the milk with coconut milk and almond milk.

When you watch my video on how to make this dessert, I didn't add the Nata de Coco because I didn't have it at that time. I usually add it because I really love this ingredient but it's also optional if you didn't. All these ingredients are available in your local asian or oriental market.


BUKO PANDAN (Vegan style - No Cholesterol)
 
Ingredients 
1 19 oz can of Almond Jelly, 1 inch cubes
1 12 oz jar of Nata de Coco (optional)
1 12 oz jar of Coconut String (Macapuno)
1 cup of cooked Tapioca Pearl (How to cook Tapioca http://youtu.be/vi687wMeU6Y)
1 13.5 oz can of Coconut Milk
1 cup of Almond Milk (Sweet or Unsweetened, Vanilla flavor)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp Pandan extract  
*if it's not sweet enough, add 1 or 2 packets of stevia or regular sugar to taste

1. First, place the can molded Almond Jelly on a plate and tilt it on it's rounded side then slice it into 1 inch pieces. Then, for each slice, cut it into 4 equal parts. Turn the sliced piece on a 45 degree angle and cut it into 4 equal parts again, making it 16 cubes per slice.

2. Mix all the ingredients together (almond jelly, cooked tapioca, sweetened coconut string, coconut milk, almond milk and pandan extract)

3. Give it a good stir and chill it in a refrigerator for about 3o minutes to an hour, then serve.

Buko Pandan - Filipino Dessert (Vegan Style)

How to cook Tapioca Pearls (Mini Sago)

 

Below, is my original Buko Pandan recipe for those that are non-vegans. Try it and send me your Comment, let me know which one you prefer.

BUKO PANDAN (Non-Vegan style)

Ingredients
1 19 oz can of Almond Jelly, 1 inch cubes
1 12 oz jar of Nata de Coco
1 12 oz jar of Coconut String (Macapuno)
1 cup of cooked Tapioca Pearl (How to cook Tapioca http://youtu.be/vi687wMeU6Y)
1 qt of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 14 oz can of Condensed Milk
1 to 1 1/2 tsp Pandan extract

1. Mix all the ingredients together

2. Give it a good stir and chill it in a refrigerator for about 3o minutes to an hour, then serve.