El Nido, Island Hopping - Palawan Food Trip Part 1

El Nido, Island Hopping - Palawan Food Trip Part 1. I would like to take a break on posting recipes. This time I want to share in pictures our El Nido, Island Hopping Food Trip. By posting our El Nido, Palawan Island Hopping Trip, I hope in a way it could help our readers that are planning to go to El Nido.

Last December we finally have change to go to El Nido, Palawan on an island hopping adventure. The El Nido, Palawan Trip was supposed to happen this year. We originally have planned to first visit Coron and Calauit, Palawan with a side trip to the Underground River in Sabang. But then because Coron was directly hit by super typhoon Yolanda we decided to take the El Nido trip instead and hopefully go to Coron and Calauit this year.

I will not be posting so much on the island hopping experience on this blog that is reserved for a posting on our travel blog, Overseas Pinoy Travels. Instead I am only highlighting the food experience and adventures on our stay at El Nido and the foods that our tour guides have prepared during our island hopping tours.

Tour - A Lunch at Simizu Island

Tour - B Lunch at Snake Island

To get the most out of the trip we have planned to take at least 3 of the standard island hopping tours that are available.



Tour A - Visit the 3 lagoons on Miniloc Island. Small Lagoon, big Lagoon and Secret Lagoon, snorkel around Simizu Island and enjoy the white Sand on Entulala Island.



Tour B - A visit to Snake Islands, Cudugnun Cave, Catherdral Cave, Lagen and Pinabuyutan Island.



Tour C - Snorkel tour at Matinloc, Tapuitan Islands Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Hidden Beach and Helicopter Island. Tour C was eventual abandoned halfway because of high waves due to bad weather.



We have opted to DIY itinerary instead of going to travel agents that offers tour packages this way we have more control on our time, places to visit and free choice on where to stay. With the exception of our island hopping tours, all our bookings are made online. Our island hopping tour booking was made upon our arrival, you may choice to book your tours on recommendations from your transport van driver or from your hotel either way it is cheaper than booking thru a travel agent in Manila.



Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airlines fly to Puerto Princesa City daily, we have opted to take Cebu Pacific.

Land travel from Puerto Princesa City to El Nido takes about 5 to 6 hours. There are a lot of shuttle vans and RoRo aircon buses that run between Puerto Princesa City and El Nido. But do remember that the travel time is about 5 hours or more if you are taking the bus which departs at certain times only. I you are not comfortable to travel on a smelly and awfully cramped shuttle vans then I would recommend taking the Daytripper Transport Palawan, service includes airport or hotel pick up, comfortable seats with leg room and snacks, clean 10 and 12 seater vans and you could book and pay online.



Our hotel booking was made thru Agoda, there are good pension houses to stay if you are on a limited budget. We stayed at Zaniya Pension House, there is no point staying on an expensive and overrated hotels at El Nido there is not much difference on quality, anyway you will be out island hopping most of the day and when you return to your hotel you will be dead tired and want to sleep right away. Be warned that electricity in El Nido is only on from 2PM to 6AM, chose a hotel or pension house that have generator.

Dining and breakfast is not a problem, the town may be small but there are some good places to eat. For breakfast there are plenty of choices from the restaurants and eateries that line the beach front, just be there early before the boat boarding times of your island hopping tours, these beach front restaurants and eateries are also convenient for a quick snack after returning from your island hopping trip and before heading to your hotel.



For dinner obviously because we stayed only for limited time we were able to try a couple of restaurant in the town and at the beach front.



We had freshly made brick oven pizza pasta and salad at Altrove Trattoria.

Dinner Altrove Trattoria

At El Nido Art Cafe we had a feast of Filipino food.

Dinner at El Nido Art Cafe

El Nido, Island Hopping - Palawan Food Trip Part 1 is the first part of our food adventure on our recent trip to Palawan.

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Purple and Pink Butterfly Birthday Card

I found some cute stickers in Paperchase recently that had butterflies and a few sequins inside a clear rigid square so the butterflies move around if you shake the card. I decided to make them the focus of this card and covered a white square blank with patterned paper then placed three butterfly stickers along the top third line of the card (if you imagine the card divided into three with a line across each third). I used several round shiny stickers from another sticker pack to make three rows along the bottom of the card, graduating the colours from purple to pink. Finally I added a happy birthday outline sticker.

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Cheesy Lumpiang Shanghai

Cheesy Lumpiang Shanghai. The use of cheese in Pinoy cooking has become common. Cheese is being added to some Pinoy dishes that our grandparents would not imagine during their time. In fact I have some of my recipes in the archives that I have tweaked with the addition or adding extra amount of cheese. Click the links below to find the recipes of some of the Cheesy dishes that I have made.



Cheesy Pineapple Chicken

Cheesy Baked Embutido

Cheesy Pinoy Lasagna

Making a Cheesy Lumpiang Shanghai is not much different from your ordinary Lumpiang Shanghai recipe if you already have one. All you have to do is add generous amount of cheese, I just used cheddar cheese, I am not too sure it quick melt cheese will work it may just melt and ooze out from the wrapper and burn during frying. Roll the Cheesy Lumpiang Shanghai in a manner that the fillings are sealed, use large lumpia wrapper this will effectively seal the ends of the rolls.



For those who love cheese here is the recipe of my version of a Cheesy Lumpiang Shanghai.

Ingredients:



1/2 kilo lean ground pork

1/4 kilo shrimps, finely chopped

1 big block cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

1 medium sized onion, peeled, finely chopped

1/2 head garlic, peeled, finely chopped

1 large carrot, skinned, cut into small cubes

1 small bundle kinchay, trimmed, finely chopped

2 large size egg, beaten

3 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper

large spring roll wrappers

cooking oil

Cooking procedure:



Mix all filling ingredients thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. of filling on one side of wrapper and wrap tightly, secure wrapper by lightly dabbing water on wrapper edge. In a wok deep fry lumpia at medium to low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until wrapper turns to golden brown and filling is cooked. Serve with sweet and sour sauce or sweet chili sauce.





You may want to check these rolls recipe;



Lumpiang Sariwa, Lumpiang Ubod, Fresh Vegatable Roll

Pinoy Ham and Cheese Bread Roll

Chili Cheese and Ham Stick

Cheese Sticks

Chicken Cordon Bleu Rolls

Lumpiang Isda, Lumpiang Galungong

Ngohiong, Ngo Yong, Cebu’s Fried Lumpiang Ubod

Lumpiang Gulay, Lumpiang Togue

Lumpiang Shanghai

Turon Fried Banana Roll

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Lumpiang Hubad, Naked Spring Rolls

Lumpiang Hubad, Naked Spring Rolls. Lumpia or Lumpiang shanghai is the Pinoy version of Vegetable Spring Rolls. The vegetable ingredients varies and dependent on the available vegetables or on one’s personal choice of vegetables. Lumpiang Hubad, Naked Spring Rolls is the version without the spring roll wrapper. It served with rice as a vegetable viand topped with Pinoy Style Peanut Sauce similar to the topping sauce of Fresh Lumpia, Lumpiang Sariwa, another version of Vegetable Spring Rolls, fresh because it is serve without deep frying the rolls, and serve with the Pinoy Special Peanut Sauce. Cooking is basically the same with any vegetable spring rolls which involves sautéing and stir-frying the ingredients together. A word of caution, because of the large selection of vegetable ingredients watch out for the quantities, I myself most of the time end up cooking more than what we can eat because of the desire to add every type of vegetables that are at hand. The good thing is you do not need to have all the vegetable ingredients you may use only the vegetables that are available.

For the peanut sauce I have innovated outside from the traditional soy sauce and cornstarch type of sauce, instead I used the readily available oyster sauce and crunchy peanut butter spread. I do advice also to refrain from using the oily sweet version of peanut butter, otherwise reduce the amount or altogether omit the sugar ingredient of the sauce.

Here is the recipe of my own version of Lumpiang Hubad, Naked Spring Rolls, enjoy.





Ingredients:



For the Vegetable (Filling)



100 grams boiled pork, cut into thin strips

100 grams medium sized shrimps, shelled and cut lengthwise

2-3 cups bean sprouts

1/2 head of a small cabbage, cut into thin strips

2-3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally into thin strips

1 small bunch green beans, trimmed, sliced diagonally into thin strips

1 medium sized carrots, skinned, cut into thin strips

1-2 medium size yellow sweet potatoes

1 small sized singkamas, peeled, cut into thin strips

1 small sized sayote, skinned, cut into thin strips

1-2 cups ubod, cut into thin strips.

1 medium sized bell pepper, deseeded, cut into thin strips

1/2 head garlic, crushed, chopped

1 small size onion, chopped

1/3 cup fish sauce

salt and pepper

cooking oil

For the Peanut Sauce



1/2- 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup oyster sauce

1-2 cup water

1-2 tbsp. sugar

For the Toppings



1/2 cup toasted and unsalted peanut, finely crushed



1/2 cup fried chopped garlic

Cooking procedure:



For the Vegetable (Filling), in a large wok or pan sauté garlic and onions. Add the pork and shrimps, stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the fish sauce and continue to stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then start to add in the vegetables, start with the ubod and sweet potato, stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. At this time you may need to add some water about 1/2 to 1 cup, then add in the carrots, green beans, singkamas, sayote and celery, continue to stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the cabbage and bell pepper, continue to stir cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add in the bean sprouts and stir cook for another minute or so. Season with salt (saltines of the peanut sauce may be enough), and pepper to taste.



For the Peanut Sauce, in a small sauce pan, heat about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water bring to a simmer then stir in the sugar, oyster sauce and peanut butter, correct the consistency adjusting the amount of water or peanut butter.



To Serve, served in a platter with the sauce on the top with crushed toasted peanuts and fried garlic.





You may want to check these rolls recipe;



Lumpiang Sariwa, Lumpiang Ubod, Fresh Vegatable Roll

Pinoy Ham and Cheese Bread Roll

Chili Cheese and Ham Stick

Cheese Sticks

Chicken Cordon Bleu Rolls

Lumpiang Isda, Lumpiang Galungong

Ngohiong, Ngo Yong, Cebu’s Fried Lumpiang Ubod

Lumpiang Gulay, Lumpiang Togue

Lumpiang Shanghai

Turon Fried Banana Roll

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Nilagang Pata ng Baboy with Patola at Mais

Nilagang Pata ng Baboy with Patola at Mais. Before the Holy Week I have posted a bulalo version with patola which turned out to be one of the best bulalo dish that I have cooked. Today I am also sharing a nilaga version of pork leg or pata ng baboy, Nilagang Pata ng Baboy with Patola at Mais. This time I did not limit the vegetable ingredients to the patola only, I have kept all my other usual vegetables that I normally add when I cook nilaga including the sweet yellow corn in cobs. The dish was superb just imagine whole pork leg boiled with all the good vegetables and flavor-fortified with patola and sweet yellow corn, you can never go wrong with these combination. With all the colorful ingredients my Nilagang Pata ng Baboy with Patola at Mais was also deliciously appealing which make every one drool.

Here is the recipe of my Nilagang Pata ng Baboy with Patola at Mais.





Ingredients:



1 pork pata

2-3 large size patola, skinned, cut into circles/crosswise

3 pieces sweet corn on cobs, divide into four each piece

1 bunch, bok choy or pechay, trimmed

1/2 small size cabbage, cut into 3 pieces wedge

2 medium size potato, skinned, quartered

1 large size carrot, skinned, cut into wedges

2 medium size onion, quartered

1 large stalk celery, trimmed, chopped

2 slivers of ginger

1 tbsp. peppercorns

salt





Cooking procedure:



Ask the butcher to saw cut pork pata crosswise at 1 1/2” thick slices. Wash thoroughly, put in a large pot, cover with enough water, bring to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes, Discard the first boiled liquid and rinse the boiled pata off scum. Now pour fresh water to cover pork pata add in the ginger, celery, onion and peppercorn, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 hour add more water as necessary. Take out all scum that rises to the surface. Add in the sweet corn and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pork are tender. Add in the potato and carrot, simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Add in the all the vegetables and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Serve with patis, kalamansi and chili dip.

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Sardinas at Misua, Canned Sardines with Misua Noodles

Sardinas at Misua, Canned Sardines with Misua Noodles. Today being Good Friday we have adhered to a simple dish for lunch. I am having Sardinas at Misua, Canned Sardines with Misua Noodles, this is no fancy dish but it is one of my favorite ginisang sardinas dish. Cooking is straight forward just sauté some garlic, onion and tomato a couple of canned Sardines in Tomato Sauce and add in some generous amount of water and some misua noodles, now you got a simple nutritious dish. Just do not add too much tomato to keep the dish from too much acids.

Here is the recipe of my Sardinas at Misua, Canned Sardines with Misua Noodles.



Ingredients:



2 small cans canned sardines in tomato sauce

100 grams of misua noddles

3-4 clove of garlic, chopped

1 small size onion, chopped

1 small size tomato, chopped

1-2 pieces chopped chili (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil



Cooking procedure:



In a small sauce pan heat some cooking oil until it start to smoke stir in the garlic and stir cook until golden brown add in the onion and tomato and continue to sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, add in the sardines including sauce, 3 to 4 cups of water and chili, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the misua noodles and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes Served with piping hot rice.





See other related sardinas recipes:



Sardinas, Upo at Sotanghon

Sardinas at Spinach

Sardine in Tomato Sauce Omelet

Sardinas at Sayote

Guinisang Sardinas

Sardinas at Sotanghon

Tortang Sardinas, Sardine Omelet

Bottled Bangus or Tawilis in Oil, Spanish Sardines Style

Spaghetti with Fried Sardines in Hot and Spicy Sauce

Fried Tawilis Sardines in Hot and Spicy Sauce

Sardinas at Pechay

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