Okra Adobo
Serves: 4

WINNER: Jumuna B. Vittal of Livingston, NJ
Okra is considered a "brain food" because it contains phosphorus. Adobo is the method of cooking with vinegar, pepper and garlic. Ms. Vittal is a retired professor, who enjoys gardening and cooking a variety of international foods.

Cooking Method:

Steam okra. Set aside. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion and garlic. Stir until onion is golden brown. While stirring, add steamed vegetables, then salt, and red pepper flakes. When well mixed, add vinegar. Mix again. Remove from heat. Serve hot over rice.

Guinataany Talong
Serves: 4

WINNER: Alexandra Petilla

3 Asian eggplants
1 small onion
1-1/3 tablespoons palm vinegar
salt
pepper
8 ounces coconut milk

Preparation:

Prick eggplants in several places with a fork. Roast in 325 degree oven until fork tender. Slice onion very thinly and saute over low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Peel eggplants and mash pulp. Add to onion. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add coconut milk and stir over low heat about 5 minutes, then serve.

Health Nut's Rainbow Dream
Serves: 4 - 5

WINNER: Roosebelt Balboa
Mr. Balboa enjoys writing poetry and fiction.

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sibuyas Tagalog (native onions), sliced
1/2 cup tomatoes, sliced
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ube (purple potato), cubed
1 large carrot, cubed
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sitaw (yardlong beans), cut into 2-1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)
1 siling labuyo (hot chili pepper)
1 tablespoon dayap (native lime) juice
1 cup alokon flowers and young leaves
1/2 cup malunggay (horseradish) leaves
1/2 cup ampalaya (bitter melon) leaves

Cooking Method:

Saute garlic and sibuyas Tagalog in hot olive oil in a large saucepan. When garlic is brown and sibuyas Tagalog is transparent, add tomatoes and water. Boil for 2 minutes. Add ube and cook over medium-high heat for 9 minutes. Add carrots, broccoli, eggplant, sitaw, bagoong alamang, siling labuyo and dayap juice and stir. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Toss in alokon and cook for 2 minutes. Stir. Add malunggay and ampalaya leaves and cook briefly until wilted. Serve with rice.

Spinach Delight
Serves: 4

WINNER: Rafia Q. Shah

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 bunch fresh dill, chopped
2 medium size potatoes, cut in 1 inch squares
1 onion, chopped
1 inch ginger, mashed
4 flakes garlic, mashed
2 or 4 whole red chili peppers (depending on taste)
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (optional)
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon butter

Cooking Method:

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onion and fry until onions become transparent. Add chili peppers, mix for 2 minutes until peppers change their color. Add mashed garlic, ginger, chili powder, salt and fry for a minute. Add chopped dill and spinach. Mix well, then turn heat to low and cover skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes. When only a little water is left, add the potatoes. Let cook until potatoes are done. Turn off heat and add vinegar, mix well. Transfer this to a warm serving dish; serve with a dash of butter on top with either rice or hot rolls.

Pan Fried Tofu with Peas
Serves: 8

WINNER: Ruchira Handa

1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu
8 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely cut ginger
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Cooking Method:

Drain and wash tofu. Spread a towel on a cutting board and cover with 3 layers of paper towels. Cut tofu in small pieces and spread on the cutting board. Put two layers of paper towels on top. Put the board in a slanting position in the kitchen sink. Press to squeeze all the water out.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and ginger. Cook until pink or light brown; add yogurt, coconut milk, soy sauce and vinegar. Add tofu pieces and mix very carefully so as not to break the tofu. Cover and cook on very high heat for 5 minutes. While stirring, add salt, pepper, green pepper and cilantro. Add peas, stir well. Lower to medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat off, leaving pan on hot burner until it stops simmering. Serve hot.

Atsara (Philippine Relish)

WINNER: Antoinette G. Angeles
In the Philippines, this relish is made with grated raw unripe green papaya. It is an accompaniment to fried or broiled meat or fish dishes.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tablespoons salt (2-1/2 teaspoon)
1 quart sauerkraut (32 ounces)*
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 piece ginger, 1 inch thick, sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup carrots, sliced thin julienne style
1 green pepper, sliced julienne style
1 red pepper, sliced julienne style

Preparation:

Wash and squeeze sauerkraut 4 to 5 times until dry. Bring vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil in a stainless steel pot. Add garlic, ginger and onion. Let boil a little, then add carrots and peppers. Bring to a boil while mixing so vinegar mixture is evenly distributed. Remove from heat and bottle in clean jars.

* I prefer "Vlassic Old-Fashioned Sauerkraut".

Broiled Marinated Vegetables with Noodles

WINNER: Dr. S. Jayasankar of Leesburg, FL
Dr. Jayasankar has a Ph.D in Horticulture, and enjoys photography and cooking ethnic foods.

2 small red onions
1 eggplant
2 garlic heads
1 yellow bell pepper (seeded)
4 small zucchini
2 endives
4 ounces egg vermicelli
1 teaspoon olive oil

Marinade:
basil leaves, fennel fronts, cilantro-trimmed and chopped roughly
1 tablespoon chopped ginger root
1 teaspoon chopped green chili
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Puree the marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth. Cut zucchini, endive and eggplant lengthwise. Cut the onion and garlic crosswise and yellow bell pepper into quarters. Apply the marinade over the vegetables, sprinkle with olive oil and marinate overnight. Broil the vegetables in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes brushing with olive oil until tender.

Cook the vermicelli and drain. Arrange broiled marinated vegetables over top and serve.

Tofu with Cashews
Serves: 4

WINNER: Sivagama Sundhari Sikamani

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon green chilies
4 scallions
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews

Marinade:
14 ounces tofu pressed dry and drained, cut into 1/2" cubes
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Method:

In a bowl, mix the tofu slices with hoisin sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Marinate this for two hours. Cut the scallions, separate green and white, make lengthwise shreds. Heat peanut oil in pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic and ginger, stir fry until garlic turns brown. Add chilies, the green part of scallion, and mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Heat the remaining peanut oil in the pan, stir fry the remaining garlic and ginger. Add the marinated tofu and the mushroom-scallion fry. Mix well until the sauce coats well over the mushrooms. Stir in cashews and white part of the scallions. Sprinkle sesame oil on top.

Pansit
Serves: 4

WINNER: Gita Bantwal

Preparation:

Cook noodles according to directions on package. Heat oil. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute about 2 minutes until onions are brown, stirring occasionally. Add bok choy, oyster sauce, pepper and 1/4 cup water. Cook 2 minutes. Place warm noodles on a platter and pour onion bok choy mixture over noodles. Garnish with minced green onions.