LOIDA’S MISA DE GALLO SPRING ROLLS

Ingredients

1 tsp. garlic, diced

4 tsp. soya sauce

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, diced

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 medium to large carrot, grated

2 celery stalks, diced

½ cooking onion, diced

3 green onions, chopped

2 eggs, both whisked separately

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

1 pkg. spring roll wrappers

1 cup oil for frying

Method

1. Chop all vegetables, ginger, and garlic and set aside.
2. Combine ground pork and beef in a bowl, mixing with fingers until well-combined.  Add all chopped vegetables to the meat mixture as well as garlic, ginger, soya sauce, and salt and pepper.  Mix together gently with fingers until combined.  Add one whisked egg to the mixture and combine.
3. Place your spring roll wrappers on a plate with one of the corners pointing north so that you have a diamond shape in front of you.  Measure out a good tablespoon of the meat mixture, place it 2/3 of the way down the wrapper, and work it lightly into a lengthwise shape, about 2” lengthwise.  Pull the bottom tip of the wrapper over the meat mixture, and then fold the left and right corners over, one at a time.  You then roll this “package” upwards almost to the end.  Paint a small amount of the second whisked egg on the top tip of the wrapper then fold over onto the package.  Place each roll on a plate until you have finished all of them.
4. In a standard sized frying pan, heat vegetable oil on medium-high until it is hot enough to fry the spring rolls.  Carefully placing each roll in the oil, not crowding them, let them fry on one side for 2 - 3 minutes.  When the rolls are golden brown on this side, turn them and allow to fry for another 2 – 3 minutes.  When both sides are an even colour, remove from pan and place on a plate with paper toweling so that excess oil can be absorbed.  Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes, and then serve.
5. The rolls can be eaten alone or served with a sauce.  Simple ketchup is sufficient, but you can also make one with soya sauce, chopped ginger, sesame oil and sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

Buko Salad is the Filipino version of fruit salad, and it's made with young coconut, fruit cocktail, and condensed milk.  It is one of my favourite all-time desserts, and around Christmas you can find it everywhere in the Phillipines.  Super-easy and quick to make, you can have it ready and on the table within half an hour!  Try it out and let me know in the comments what you think!  Bon appetit!

LOIDA’S BUKO SALAD

Ingredients

4 cups canned fruit salad, drained

2 cups cubed apples

1 cup sliced grapes

1 cup young coconut strings (macapuno)

1/2 cup palm fruit, drained

1/2 cup coconut gel (nata de coco)

1 can thick cream, 5.7 oz.

1 can condensed milk, 10 oz.

Method

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the fruit salad with the apples, grapes, coconut, palm fruit, and coconut gel.
2. When well-mixed, pour in the table cream and condensed milk and stir just enough to distribute the cream and milk evenly.
3. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to 2 hours, and then enjoy!