Day 70: Pancit Guisado

No, the name of today's recipe is not a typo. Pancit is a Filipino food. My hubby spent 2 years in the Philippines as a missionary. Not only did he learn to love the people, he also loved the food (well, some of it anyway). When we were first married we used to go to a Philippine restaurant in Salt Lake. Unfortunately, it is now closed. So I've turned to cookbooks and the Internet to get my Filipino fix. Filipino food is always fresh and flavorful without being too spicy or overbearing. Some of it definitely has a unique mix of ingredients. I once had a "shake" made with mango juice, jack fruit, crushed ice, milk and beans. Yes, beans, like pinto beans. Weird but good. Pancit is not a weird food. It is made with everyday ingredients that you can get at your local market. Pancit will use one of two kinds of noodles; rice sticks that you can get anywhere, or canton noodles that come from an Asian market. I used rice sticks for this recipe.

Pancit Guisado

12" dutch oven

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 onion, slice thin (I used 1 whole onion)

1/2 cup chicken breast, sliced thin

1/2 cup peeled shrimp (I forgot to buy them, so I left it out)

1/2 cabbage, sliced into thin strips

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced thin

handful of green beans, julienned

1-1 1/2 cups chicken broth

8 oz. rice sticks (I used a 6.5 oz. bag)

1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce

In your DO, saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken and shrimp and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add cabbage, carrots, celery and beans. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer until vegetables are crisp/tender. I used 18 coals for this. Meanwhile, soak the rice sticks in water to soften (about 10 minutes). Drain the rice sticks and add the soy sauce. Mix with the vegetables and cook about 10 minutes more. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was delicious. It tastes a lot like I remember it from the restaurant. My kids thought it was really good, which is a miracle considering there is cabbage in it. The noodles and cabbage were my favorite part. I really wish I had remembered the shrimp, it would have been even better. The flavor is a lot like a stir fry, but I like this a lot better, and it is nearly as easy. This will most certainly be reappearing on our table. Grade: A.