Champorado (Chocolate Rice Pudding)

1 cup glutinous (sweet/sticky) rice
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup (more or less to taste) unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup (more or less to taste) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sweetened condensed milk

Cook rice in a medium-size saucepan with water.
Stir constantly. When rice is ready (rice should be somewhat transparent), add cocoa, sugar and vanilla extract.
Serve in bowls with swirls of sweet condensed milk on top.

Serves 4

Crispy Pata

4 pig’s trotters
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon MSG
Oil for deep frying

Wash the pig’s trotters under running water and place in a large pan.
Cover completely with cold water.
Bring to a boil and season with salt, pepper and MSG.
Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, lower the heat and simmer gently until meat is cooked.
Drain meat.

Heat the oil in another large pan until it is almost smoking. Deep fry trotters for a few minutes until the skin is golden and crispy.

Chicken and Pork Afritada

1 (2 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1 pound pork, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Cooking oil
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 medium size onion, chopped
1 medium size tomato, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 small bay leaf
1 sprig oregano
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
4 medium size potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 1/2 ounces pimento, cut into 1-inch squares

Dust chicken and pork pieces in flour, salt and pepper.
Brown quickly in hot oil.
Sauté garlic, onions, tomatoes and tomato sauce in separate pot.
Pour 2 cups water and let boil.
Add browned chicken, pork, bay leaf, oregano and bell pepper.
Simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.

Add potatoes and cook until tender.
Add salt and pepper according to taste.
You may thicken the sauce by adding flour dissolved in water into the pot.
Finally, add peas and pimento and cook for another 3 minutes.

Serve with rice.