Pro Tips

**Chef's Tips & Troubleshooting:**

- Pat all salad ingredients completely dry so the dressing clings evenly.

- Add the dressing just before serving to keep the greens crisp.

- Cook shrimp and squid quickly over high heat — they turn rubbery in under 3 minutes.

- Use the vegetable cooking water as a light broth base instead of discarding it.

Cooking Tips

Blanch leafy vegetables in boiling salted water for 30–60 seconds, then plunge into ice water. This locks in their bright color and crisp texture. Add vegetables in stages — hard vegetables (carrots, potatoes) go in first, tender ones (leafy greens, beansprouts) at the very end. Have all your ingredients prepped and measured before you start cooking — quick dishes leave no time for chopping mid-recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

Short on time? A pressure cooker (Instant Pot) can reduce cooking time by roughly half for most braised and stewed Filipino dishes. Reduce liquid slightly since less evaporates.

Storage & Reheating

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The flavors often deepen overnight, making leftovers even more delicious. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

Metro Manila, International

Fruit Salad — fresh vegetables prepared Filipino-style with garlic and shrimp paste. A light and flavorful side dish.

Prep: 30 min Cook: 1 min Total: 31 min Medium Serves 12

Instructions

  1. Drain the juice from the fruit cocktail and transfer the canned fruits in a bowl.
  2. Combine the fruit cocktail, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and nata de coco then toss lightly.
  3. Add the condensed milk then mix lightly. Be extra careful so that the fruits will remain intact.
  4. Fold in the table cream / medium cream then mix again. Make sure that the cream is properly distributed amongst the fruits.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  6. Serve Chilled

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Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

**Chef's Tips & Troubleshooting:**
- Pat all salad ingredients completely dry so the dressing clings evenly.
- Add the dressing just before serving to keep the greens crisp.
- Cook shrimp and squid quickly over high heat — they turn rubbery in under 3 minutes.
- Use the vegetable cooking water as a light broth base instead of discarding it.

Cooking Tips

Blanch leafy vegetables in boiling salted water for 30–60 seconds, then plunge into ice water. This locks in their bright color and crisp texture.
Add vegetables in stages — hard vegetables (carrots, potatoes) go in first, tender ones (leafy greens, beansprouts) at the very end.
Have all your ingredients prepped and measured before you start cooking — quick dishes leave no time for chopping mid-recipe.

Substitutions

Short on time? A pressure cooker (Instant Pot) can reduce cooking time by roughly half for most braised and stewed Filipino dishes. Reduce liquid slightly since less evaporates.

Storage & Reheating

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The flavors often deepen overnight, making leftovers even more delicious.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
J

Chef Jun Reyes

Modern Regional

Culinary graduate focusing on modernizing regional Filipino flavors while keeping their soul intact.

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