Here are 2 Filipino dishes that are very good, healthy, low carb, low cal, low fat, easy to make. Can eat it over rice or by itself. You can also substitute chicken and/or shrimp for the beef or pork. Instead of cabbage or bok choy, you can use fresh green beans. If you don't want potatoes in it, just eliminate the potatoes.
Beef Sinigang
1 lb stewing beef--cubed
1 lb beef ribs
6 c water
1/2 c patis (fish sauce)
1 large onion
6 medium sized tomatoes
3 medium sized white potatoes or 6 gabi
6 tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 c radishes without the stems/leaves
1/2 head of cabbage
1 c spinach
Pepper to taste
Green chili pepper (optional)
Place beef & water into large stewing pot on high heat and cover. Add lemon juice or radishes. While bringing to a boil, cut onion into fourths, tomatoes into halves. Add last two ingredients into the pot.
Once boiling, skim off the foam and discard. Lower the heat and let simmer til beef is tender. (About 2 1/2 to 3 hours)
Cut the potatoes or gabi into 1-2 inch chunks. Slice the cabbage head into fourths.
About 1 1/2 hrs into the boiling time, remove the mash (tomatoes, onion, radishes) and discard. Add the patis, potatoes, & pepper. Continue to simmer for the remaining time.
Add spinach, cabbage and the whole green chili (optional). Take off heat after 5 minutes.
Serve hot with white rice or by itself. Makes 6 servings.
If you don't want to make the broth from scratch and wait hours, you can use the following recipe:
6 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 red onions, cut into wedges
1.4 lbs. pork country-style ribs
1 eggplant
1 bunch kangkong (Cabbage or can use Bok Choy or substitute fresh Green Beans), bottom tough stems cut off, and discarded. Cut the rest of the tender stalks and leaves into 2" lengths...
1 packet Knorr sinigang mix aka *tamarind soup mix* (can be found in soup aisle or ethnic/international aisle at most grocery stores)
Fish sauce (patis)
Sautee mashed garlic, tomato, red onion in a scant bit of oil; add the spare-ribs, cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with some patis. Cook until the pork browns somewhat. Add about 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Skim off any of the sludgy foam that rises to the top of the soup. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes. Check a few times, add some more patis to taste.
Add the eggplant and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the kangkong (Cabbage or Bok Choy or Green Beans) and let simmer until wilted. Halfway through, when the kangkong (Cabbage or Bok Choy or Green Beans) is on the verge of losing its bright green vibrancy to the dull olive colour of cooked greens, stir in the soup mix. Cover, and let simmer for 6-10 minutes.
Here is an additional site that offers another variation on the beef recipe Recipe Zaar Sinigang
Shrimp Sinigang
10 cups water
2 onions quartered
4 tomatoes, seeded and quartered
2 daikon (radishes, peeled and sliced diagonally into discs)
12 long green beans (sitaw), cut into 2-inch lengths
4 green chili peppers (sili) (optional)
35 ounces prawns or shrimps, trimmed
14 ounces spinach or Asian watercress (kangkong, cabbage, bok choy)
1 pouch (1.76 ounces) Mama Sita's Sinigang (Tamarind Seasoning) Mix or Knorr Sinigang mix (Tamarind Soup mix)
Bring water to a boil. Add onions and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add daikon (radishes), long green beans, chili pepper (optional), fish sauce, and Mama Sita's Sinigang mix or Knorr Tamarind Soup mix.
Continue to simmer for three minutes, uncovered. Add the shrimps and simmer for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the spinach or kangkong (cabbage, bok choy). Cover to steam-cook the vegetables. Serve with fish sauce.
