Golden Shrimp Torta (Philippine Shrimp Omelette)

TS:
For some reason or other, we had a defrosted bag of small shrimp in the fridge. They were too small to fill a starring role in any dish, so we had to think of some application for which they were suited.



TS:
After hemming and hawing for a while, we couldn't really think of anything, and just wanted something fast and easy, as well as comforting to eat. So finally, I thought, why not make our favorite Golden Egg Torta, but with shrimp instead of pork?

OK, then.



TS:
I chopped the shrimp into small pieces, then added it to some beaten eggs, along with green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and some cornstarch.



TS:
They were cooked à la pancakes, and dinner was ready!



JS:
There's something about the combination of shrimp and eggs that just feels so right and tastes so good. Simple, delicious alchemy.


Yaya's Greatest Hits
Philippine-style Hamburger
Philippine Pork "BBQ"
Philippine Chicken "BBQ"
Golden Egg Torta

eatingclub vancouver Torta (Omelette)
Golden Egg Torta
Oyster Torta
Torta with Pork and Kecap Manis
Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish "Omelette")
Golden Shrimp Torta (Philippine Shrimp Omelette)

Some eggy eatingclub dishes
Piedmont Marinated Eggs
Golden Egg Torta
Oyster Torta
Tarragon-Carrot Deviled Eggs
Torta with Pork and Kecap Manis
Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish "Omelette")
Curried (Easter) Egg Salad
Torta (Mexican Sandwich)
Stir-fried Egg and Tomato
Taiwanese Stewed Eggs (滷蛋) with Stewed Minced Pork (魯肉 or 肉燥)
Longsilog (Longganisa + Sinangag + Itlog)
Hunanese Stir-fried Eggs with Green Peppers
Mr. Zheng's Soupy Tomatoes and Eggs with Tofu
Golden Shrimp Torta (Philippine Shrimp Omelette)

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Recipe
Golden Shrimp Torta
Serves 4 as a main dish

6 eggs
1/4 kg small shrimp, chopped finely
1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (up to 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 stalks green onion, chopped

Scramble the eggs. Add all the ingredients into the eggs and mix together. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into the pan and cook until the bottom half of the torta is cooked. Flip over.

The size of the torta is your choice. Make one big one or several small ones.

You may want to do a tester torta first, then adjust the seasoning (soy sauce, salt, black pepper, sesame oil) of the mixture according to taste.

Cook torta in batches until all the egg mixture is used up.

Serve with condiments such as ketchup, sweet chile sauce, etc., if you wish.

Eggplant Dandan Mian (擔擔麵)

JS:
There are so many versions of dandan mian as there are eaters of dandan mian that I'm not even claiming this to be a definitive version, even within the limited confines of our household.

First of all, there's eggplant in this dandan mian! How did that happen?

Well, I happen to have some eggplants around and I thought it would be a good way to use eggplants. The creaminess of mushed eggplants seem to be a natural fit in dandan mian.

This is a more a dry, sesame-y version of dandan mian, rather than a broth-y, more vinegar-y version.



JS:
Given that during this time we were trying -- in our delusion, still trying -- to eat within "healthy" guidelines, I thought that I could cut down on the amount of oils and sesame paste by using the creaminess of eggplants in its stead. I even bought whole wheat noodles to use in this dandan mian to push up its health-quotient.

Please note that I don't think our diet is particularly unhealthy. Our problem is we like to eat, and when we eat, we tend to have no self-control and eat to our hearts' desire. We like to eat different cuisines -- and some of these cuisines have not gone over to the "light" side of whole grains and lean meats.

I tried, oh yes, I tried, but gosh darn it, lean meats are just not as flavourful as those intermarbled with fat!

It's pork belly or bust in this household.

Whole grains? Well, as I have lamented before, sometimes whole grains just cannot be substituted for their white counterparts. I mean, there's got to be a reason why we've milled and sifted flour to be white. Doesn't it taste so much better as a pizza crust?

Forgive the circuitous route to the procedural portion of this eggplant dandan mian.



JS:
I started by adding garlic to a scant 2 tablespoons of chili oil and stir-frying the eggplant. Following Fuschia's recipe for a version of dandan mian, I thought I'd add some Tianjin preserved vegetables as well so I stir-fried that with the eggplant as well.

(You can use Sichuan preserved vegetables instead of Tianjin, if you have them.)


left: diced eggplant; right: Tianjin preserved vegetable

(We've used Tianjin Preserved Vegetable in Mama's Fish Head Soup. The post has a picture of the jar.)



JS:
I added some Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, and water to the pan. I covered the pan and let the eggplants steam until they were soft and creamy.



JS:
Meanwhile, I roasted some Sichuan peppercorns in a separate pan to be ground in a mortar and pestle. I like my dandan mian with a more than generous sprinkle of ground Sichuan peppercorns.



TS:
That above are the whole wheat noodles. We simply boiled them until done.

Actually, I don't mind whole wheat noodles. I actually quite like them! But I guess, as mentioned before in our Brown Rice Bibimbap post, it depends on the application.



JS:
To make the second part of the sauce, simply mix soy sauce, chili oil, and sesame paste. As we were trying to cut down on the fat, we were a tad skimpy with the oil and the sesame paste. Rest assured that the recipe below reflects corrected amounts for maximum deliciousness.

I don't know what we were being so skimpy about, as it would have only an extra 120 calories per serving, according to TS' calculations.



JS:
After cooking the eggplants and boiling the noodles, the dandan mian is simply a matter of assembly.

TS:
Our whole wheat noodles went in first, followed by cucumber shreds, the eggplant, then the sesame sauce. Each bowl was finished with chili oil and ground Sichuan peppercorns.

Of course, it's up to you, but the more chili oil, the better. For the chili oil, use Sichuan Peppercorn Chili Oil, or Red Chile Oil (紅油), or a combination of both!


close-up of Sichuan peppercorn goodness

TS:
For a "healthy" version, this wasn't too bad at all. ;)

eatingclub Sichuan/Sichuan-inspired (Szechuan)
Red Chile Oil (紅油)
Sichuan Peppercorn Chili Oil
Spicy Sweet Sichuan Popcorn
Gong Bao ("Kung Pao") Chicken (宮保雞丁)
Eggplant Dandan Mian (擔擔麵)
Sichuan "Crossed Hands" Wonton Dumplings 抄手, Two Ways (in Broth and with Chili Oil Sauce)
Sichuan Ma Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
Water Boil Fish (水煮魚) or Water Boil Beef (水煮牛肉)

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Recipe
Eggplant Dan Dan Mian (擔擔麵)
Serves 4

2 tbsp chili oil
8 cups eggplants, diced (3 Asian eggplants)
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp Tianjin preserved vegetable, roughly chopped
(you can use the Sichuan preserved vegetables, if you have it)
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water

1 pound wheat noodles (white or whole wheat)

"Sauce"
6 tsp soy sauce
8 tbsp chili oil
6 tbsp sesame paste
roasted Sichuan peppercorns, ground

Garnish
chili oil
bean sprouts
shredded cucumber

For chili oil, make either Red Chile Oil (紅油) or Sichuan Peppercorn Chili Oil.

Heat chili oil in a wok. Add garlic. When garlic has released its fragrance, add eggplants. Add Tianjin preserved vegetables. Add Shaoxing wine, vinegar, soy sauce. Add water and cover. Cook until eggplants are soft.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While noodles are cooking, make the sauce. Mix soy sauce, chili oil, and sesame paste in a separate bowl and stir until the ingredients have blended together.

To serve, coat noodles with sauce, add eggplant mixture, add bean sprouts and/or shredded cucumbers, and top with more chili oil and ground Sichuan peppercorns as desired.

Mama's Philippine-style Fruit Salad

JS:
We usually end our Filipino-inspired gatherings with Mama's Philippine-style Fruit Salad. This is an extremely popular item among our guests.

"Hinahanap-hanap itong fruit salad."

My mother is always in charge of this dessert and I always know that she has finished making her fruit salad by the number of colanders out and near the sink. For a seemingly-simple recipe, my mother uses quite a lot of implements. Or actually, she just really likes using colanders. LOL.


canned condensed milk and canned thick cream

TS:
This really is super-simple to make; it's a matter of assembly. One needs only 3 items.

One, canned thick cream. Yes, canned cream.

Then, condensed milk. I heart condensed milk!

The third component, the fruit portion of this dish, is canned fruit cocktail. We prefer using canned "Fruit Cocktail", as opposed to "Fruit Salad", or "Tropical Fruit", or "Fruit Mix", or any other such things. Yes, there is a difference!

The USDA actually regulates "fruit cocktail", listing the correct percentages of which fruits go into canned "fruit cocktail".

Wikipedia: Fruit Cocktail

My mother also likes to supplement fruit cocktail with toddy palm. These also come canned. If they are whole, she slices them. If they come sliced, then she saves herself some work!

Image of Canned Toddy Palm Seed

I also like extra macapuno (meat from "mutant" coconuts) in fruit salad, but Mama doesn't like them for some reason, and thus, never adds them to her fruit salad.

Learn more about macapuno (mutant coconut) in our Lime Macapuno Bar post.

I supposed one can go wild and add other tropical fruits: jackfruit, rambutan, lychee, longan, mangoes...

But, fruit cocktail with toddy palm is my mother's classic combination.



TS:
To make Mama's Philippine-style Fruit Salad, simply open your cans of fruit cocktail and toddy palm and drain.

Hence, the colanders!

Although, I don't know why Mama has to dedicate one colander for the fruit cocktail and one for the toddy palm. Why not put both things in one colander?

If your toddy palm is whole, you may want to slice them first. If using other canned fruits, drain them as well.

Then, open your canned cream and your condensed milk, and mix everything together. This goes into the refrigerator until the end of dinner.


party-sized

JS:
Mama always makes this recipe enough for one platter for the party and a take-home box for one of our guests, much to everyone else's resentment.

"How come he always gets his own personal stash of fruit salad!?!"

TS:
Teehee.

There you go. That's the power of Mama's Philippine-style Fruit Salad: it causes building resentment among party guests. =)



Mama Dishes
Mama's Silkie Chicken ("Dyong Kwe")
Mama's Philippine-style Fruit Salad
Mama's Cilantro Beef Shin
Mama's Black Peppercorn Shortribs
Mama's Fish Head Soup
Mama's Giniling
Mama's Giniling, v4 and v5
Mama's Ampalaya (Bitter Melon)
Ma-Kut (Pork Bone) Soup

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Recipe
Mama's Philippine-style Fruit Salad

1 big can fruit cocktail (1 can = 2.84L/100 fl. oz)
2 cans toddy palm/toddy palm seed (1 can = 560mL; net weight: 20oz/565g)
1/2 can condensed milk (1 can = 300mL)
1 can thick cream/sterilized cream (1 can = 170mL)

Note:
This is Mama's preferred combination of fruits and cream/milk. Feel free to adjust fruit levels, creaminess levels and sweetness levels according to your tastes.

Note:
This is half the amount Mama would prepare for a party.

Drain canned fruit cocktail and canned toddy palm well. If whole, slice toddy palm. If using other fruits, prep them: cut into pieces; drained canned fruits, etc.

Mix together drained fruits with condensed milk and cream. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours (make sure the dish is well-chilled). Mix/stir right before serving.