Almost Pinakbet

Eggplant, bitter gourd, red squash

With the all-meat Christmas holidays and the costly fish in the first ever month of 2011, the Chef really has no more stomach to continue this carnivorous eating escapade.  That is why, if you notice, his immediately preceding recipe was the Garlicky Butter-Grilled Cream Dory, trying to steer toward a healthy meal.

Returning one afternoon, he paced quite a while in the kitchen and looked many times inside the refrigerator.  What he found were two lonesomes -- bitter gourd (ampalaya) and eggplant -- and a big chunk of red squash. (Light Bulb!)

And what transpired next is this recipe he named "Almost Pinakbet," because of the lack of other ingredients to complete a real Pakbet or Pinakbet.

Cut the vegetables into bite sizes

Drizzle chicken and pork with Knorr Liquid Seasoning Original

An Ilocano staple dish, Pinakbet usually comprises of the following ingredients: bits of pork or beef, bitter melons, eggplant, string beans, okra, tomatoes, spices such as ginger, garlic and onion, and bagoong isda or bagoong alamang (shrimp paste or fish paste) to perfect the flavor.  Some cooks use  real shrimps, which the Chef highly recommends.

Cooking 'Almost Pinakbet'

In the absence of the other needed elements, the Chef sauteed in two tablespoons of oil handfuls of pork and chicken slices until they were brown, before adding about two cups of bite-sized cuts of squash. 

After two minutes of stir-frying, he poured two cups of water, put a half of Knorr shrimp cube, and added salt and pepper. He covered the pan and waited for the squash to become a bit tender then topped it with the ampalaya, eggplant, tomatoes, and red bell pepper. He placed back the lid and counted to about five more minutes while the dish simmered, and then, it's all done!

Chef Andrey's "Almost Pinakbet"

It seems like the Chef cannot really shy away from meat, in what ever form they are. But, with 'Almost Pinakbet', he surely was able to accomplish creating a very nutritious meal, despite of the meager ingredients available.

--- Ireen ---