Adobong Kangkong: Filipino Water Spinach Adobo
Kangkong stems and leaves need different treatment, even in a quick adobo. Give the stems a head start in the garlicky soy sauce mixture, then add the leaves at the end so the finished plate has tender greens and a little bite.
Tortang Giniling: Filipino Ground Pork Omelet
These small tortang giniling omelets hold plenty of pork and vegetables without asking you to flip a skillet-wide round. Finely diced potato and carrot fit between the meat crumbles, while six eggs bind the filling into portions with golden edges.
Ginisang Sayote with Shrimp: Chayote Stir-Fry
Chayote is the main event in this shrimp saute: juicy slices with enough bite to hold their own against rice. Softened tomatoes, garlic, and fish sauce make a light pan sauce, while the shrimp wait until the vegetables are almost ready.
Gising-Gising: Spicy Green Beans in Coconut Milk
Finely sliced green beans make this gising-gising easy to spoon over rice, with browned pork tucked among the pieces. Coconut milk and cream soften the chiles' heat, while bagoong gives the sauce a salty depth that plain coconut milk would lack.
Ginisang Ampalaya with Egg: Bitter Melon Stir-Fry
Ampalaya does not need to stop tasting bitter to make a good egg saute. Thin slices, a brief salting, softened tomato, and gently folded eggs give that bitterness company, leaving a vegetable dish with enough texture and seasoning to eat with rice.
Ginataang Tilapia: Fish in Coconut Milk with Ginger and Greens
Ginger gives this coconut sauce a clear direction, keeping the richness from swallowing the mild tilapia. The fillets cook in one layer with a long green chile, then greens and optional coconut cream finish a dish made for spooning over rice.
Corned Beef Caldereta
Canned corned beef makes this caldereta-style skillet quick, but the potatoes and carrots still need their own head start. Tomato sauce gathers everything together, and a small handful of cheese melts in at the end to make the sauce richer.
Filipino Chicken Curry: Coconut Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
A spoonful of curry powder seasons this coconut chicken without crowding out the potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper. Browning the chicken first gives the pot a savory start; briefly cooking the powder with onion and garlic brings the sauce together before the simmer.
Adobong Sitaw with Pork: Long Beans in Soy-Vinegar Sauce
A little pork goes a long way in adobong sitaw. Browned pieces season the pan before vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic become a reduced sauce for the beans, which go in late enough to keep a little bite.
Adobong Puti: Filipino White Chicken Adobo
Without soy sauce, adobong puti puts cane vinegar, garlic, and black pepper in clear focus. Browning the chicken adds depth before the gentle simmer, and a final reduction leaves just enough tangy sauce to spoon over rice.