Celebrations are central to the Filipino lifestyle and food is the key to all Filipino festivities. When Filipinos are not partying or celebrating, their daily meals tend to be simpler. Just as in the other Southeast Asian countries, Filipino meals often consist of a soup, a meat dish and a veggie – all eaten together with plain white rice – and finished up with a dessert. Here is a sample Filipino meal plan:
1. Chicken Soup with Papaya and Ginger - Tinolang Manok
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This soup was made famous by Jose Rizal, founding father of the Philippines and a national hero, when he featured it in his novel Noli Me Tangere. It is a nourishing chicken broth flavored with papaya, watercress, garlic, ginger and fish sauce.
2. Filipino Green Salad - Ensaladang Pinoy
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This Filipino salad is a variation of the garden salad – it uses fish sauce instead of olive oil as the base for the dressing. All you need to do to prepare this salad is cut and toss. It is that simple to fix, no frying necessary.
3. Filipino Fried Steak - Bistek Tagalog
© Dennis K H Sim, licensed to About.com
A healthy, hearty beef stir-fry that is flavored with onion rings. This national Philippines dish is a sure winner with children who will love the gravy and benefit from the protein in the beef.
4. Milky Corn Surprise - Maiz Con Hielo
© Dennis K H Sim, licensed to About.com
Just open a can of corn and pour it on top of a bowl of shaved ice. Add some sugar and milk and you have an easy-to-prepare dessert that is sure to please. What could be simpler?