Ensaladang Labanos (Radish Salad)

This salad is a popular side dish for seafood. Rubbing the radish in salt removes the bitterness from the radish.

INGREDIENTS

• white radish, cut into thin strips with a potato peeler
  
• tomatoes, diced
  
• red onion, chopped
  
• rock salt
  

PROCEDURE

1. Wash the radish strips, then drain.
   
2. Sprinkle liberal amounts of salt on the radish strips. Massage the salt vigorously with the radish. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
   
3. Wash the salt off the radish well. Drain.
   
4. Toss with tomatoes and red onion.
   

Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a vegetable medley cooked in bagoong or shrimp paste. While it originally hails from the Ilocos region, a lot of other regions have their own versions of it.

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized eggplants, sliced lengthwise then cut into 1-inch segments
  
• 1 medium-sized ampalaya (bittermelon), sliced lengthwise, seeded, then cut into thin slices
  
• 1 large tomato, diced
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons bagoong or shrimp paste
  
• 1 cup pork, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 cup hugas bigas (water drained from washing rice) or water
  
• Patis (fish sauce)
  

1. Saute garlic, onion, tomato, bagoong and pork.
   
2. Let simmer until pork is tender.
   
3. Add eggplant and ampalaya, then cover with hugas bigas.
   
4. Simmer until veggies are done.
   
5. If necessary, season with patis.