CHICKEN TINOLA

There is such comfort in a bowl of chicken soup, which is probably why so many different cultures have a version of it—tinolang manok is the Filipino take. This iconic dish is said to have been invented in the 1800s, with some believing is was developed even earlier. According to CNN Philippines, “the oldest record we have of tinola is from Jose Rizal, who loved the dish so much he wrote it into the first scene of ‘Noli Me Tangere.’”

Growing up, various members of my family would make their version of this dish when someone was feeling under the weather or when it was especially chilly out. The generous amount of ginger adds a little spice and intensity to the dish which I especially love now as an adult. I like to throw in some extra vegetables because we always needs more veggies in our lives, and I also highly recommended enjoying this with some rice because rice is life.

❤️Jane

TRICIA’S BATCHOY WITH UMI ORGANIC NOODLES

This is a Filipino noodle dish that originally comes from the province of Ilo Ilo, and more specifically, from the town of La Paz. It originated from the Chinese community that settled there. The name of the dish comes from the Chinese (Hokkien) Ba-chui, meaning pieces of meat. Traditionally it is made with pork and pork offal cooked in a beef and pork stock, it uses egg noodles and is topped with chicharron, fried garlic, scallions and a raw egg that cooks in the hot broth. It is a nourishing soup that is full of umami coming from a rich bone broth and shrimp paste. This version is a variation of that dish I use at home made for how we live now with the ingredients around us and I find it is amazing with Umi Organic’s ramen because of the noodle’s amazing bite. I take the time to develop a really good beef broth and use a favorite roast pork recipe as a topping that was developed by my Tita Lydia (which is amazing on its own). I omit the chicharron because my roast pork has a crispy skin that gives it the texture contrast I love; however, if I happen to have it at home, I top it with chicharron anyway. It definitely brings it over the top.

This recipe was originally developed for and published by Umi Organic. Check it out through this link and also check out their ramen. It’s a personal favorite of mine and locally made in Portland. The owner and founder is Lola Milholland and is also part Filipino. She is definitely an inspiration.

♥️Tricia

MISWA AT BOLA BOLA

As April comes to a close and cold and wet weather permeates in Portland, our soup craving continues. One of the soups I remember having a lot growing up is Miswa at Bola Bola or Meatball Noodle Soup. Miswa is a thin wheat noodle very similar to angel hair. It’s a noodle that can be used in dry applications like Pancit but it is also amazing in noodle soups. This is a dish that is quite easy to make because it doesn’t require you to toil over the stove for hours. You can develop a lot of flavor by browning the meatballs first. This leaves fond at the bottom of the pan that you can further develop by adding aromatics then deglazing to scrape any of the brown bits off, adding flavor to your soup. Another hack is using a bouillon cube which is an instant booster. Add vegetables to make this a more substantial meal. Traditionally this soup has patola or sponge gourd. I’ve also used upo or bottle gourd. Right before serving, you add the Miswa noodles. Whether dry or fresh, this cooks quickly in the soup. I love leafy greens too so I also throw in bok choy or gai lan. You can eat this by itself or add a little steamed rice, because why not?!

As we close out Filipino Food Month, we wanted to say THANK YOU to you and to our friends that contributed (@baonkainan @brrraaady) and also joined us in cooking Filipino food this month (@ngaloppo @ehow.eats @here.portland). We hope that we inspired you to try something new with the recipes and stories we’ve shared. For us, Filipino Food isn’t just for the month of April. It’s 24/7, 365 so stay tuned for more from us in the coming months.

❤️Tricia

FILIPINO SOPAS

One of our favorite Filipino spots in Portland is Baon Kainan. It is a food cart in the Concourse Coffee pod together with Matta and No Q No! Taqueria. It is owned by Geri and Ethan Leung, originally Seattle natives who popped up with Matta a few times last year and made a go of it in Portland. In their first year, they won cart of the year which helped establish them and Filipino food in the Portland food scene. Their food is fresh and cart made and you feel the love. When we were thinking of potential contributors for Filipino Food Month, we reached out to Baon Kainan and Geri quickly replied about wanting to share her Sopas recipe. It’s a perfect dish for Portland with our weather that can turn chilly at a drop of a hat.

Sopas is a homestyle Filipino noodle soup generally made with macaroni, vegetables and chicken in a creamy, milky broth often made with stock and milk (in the Philippines, evaporated milk). There are many variations to this dish, predominantly in what protein is used. Aside from chickent, sometimes it’s ground pork, corned beef and hot dogs (or a combination of), that is almost customized by family.

As Geri describes:

“This is one of our favorite Filipino soup recipes. It’s a dish we come back to anytime we need some comfort in a pinch or when we’re feeling under the weather. It’s fast to make, allows the use of leftover ingredients, it’s great the next day and essential when feeling under the weather.”

Some notes and tips from Geri:

Using rotisserie chicken and bouillon may seem like cheating, but there’s no harm in using these ingredients as a fast way to cook a delicious and nutritious meal–great for busy professionals, parents–well, everyone!

If you want to make your own chicken stock–and you have some time–roast chicken bones (or the rotisserie chicken bones) with onions, garlic, and any herbs of your choice for 20 - 30 minutes. Then add the roasted bones and veggies in water and boil for a couple of hours. Strain the broth and discard the bones and veggies.

• You can use whatever milk for this recipe–we used oat milk for this recipe.

• This meal is meant to be easy so versatility is welcome–use whatever veggies or protein you have left over.

• Make this soup vegetarian or even vegan by substituting a plant-based milk and using vegan/vegetarian meat alternatives.

Geri learned how to make Sopas from her mom. This dish was one of her most comforting dishes and she could make it in a pinch without compromising taste. Geri would then make this for Ethan during their dating years so it’s got sentimental value on all counts. Eat it with some steamed rice, it’s comfort food in a bowl.

SHORT RIB SINIGANG

I’m from Manila, and growing up, I only really ever knew Sinigang, soured with tamarind (sampalok) or sour guava (bayabas), and with either pork (baboy), shrimp (hipon), or fish (isda). Beef was usually used for Nilagang Baka (much like a French Pot-au-Feu) or Bulalo (similar to Nilaga but with more usage of bone marrow and shanks, where the soup is rich with collagen and fat).

My world changed when a fellow Filipino in town that we met through food (Kuya @brrraaady) made a batch of smoked Short Rib Sinigang. He shared it with a handful of us since we had a canceled @tikimpdx holiday event at @magnapdx due to snow and Covid. He smoked shortribs and veggies before cooking them all together in a rich tamarind broth, and it blew our minds. The way the shortrib bones enrich the broth, giving it a palate coating texture that feels luxurious, takes Sinigang to a whole new level.

Needless to say, short ribs are now in my regular rotation for the choice of protein when I make Sinigang. Because I don’t have a @traegergrills, I sauté a little tomato paste in the fond from searing the beef as a smoky flavor hack before putting the meat back in the pot to simmer until tender. The depth of flavor in this Sinigang is addictive. This recipe is beginner friendly as it uses Sinigang mix as many households use to get the flavor right in a foolproof way. Try it out for yourself!

❤️ Nori