MY FIRST E-BOOK " A COLLECTION OF FILIPINO RECIPES - AN INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Food has always been a part of my life as far as I can remember.  Growing up in the 80's meant making incursions into the kitchens of my grandmothers on both sides to observe the plethora of food being prepared and sniffing the aroma of home-cooked meals. Both my grandmothers were excellent cooks. My grandparents on my father side were entrepreneurs and from 1947 to 1954, their main business was restaurants, with my grandmother in charge of the kitchens. While both grandmothers cooked Filipino dishes very well, they prepared our favorite dishes when we came to visit. We visited my Dad's parents on Saturdays and my Mom's parents on Sundays. 

Thus was the inspiration of me becoming a chef.  While I do admit that Filipino Cuisine has not received worldwide attention unlike other Asian cuisines such as Thai and Vietnamese, I do believe of its potentials and I strongly believe this decade will mark the presence of  Filipino cuisine in the culinary stage.

I have gathered twenty of our most popular Filipino dishes and compiled them in this E-Book.  Hopefully, during your free time, you can give our dishes a try and experience the wonderful flavors Filipino ingenuity has come up with.

THE FOLLOWING 4 POSTS ARE DIVIDED INTO :

Soups / Appetizers

Sinigang na Hipon (Sour Tamarind Soup with Vegetables and Shrimp) 

Lumpiang Sariwa (Filipino Crepes filled with Fresh Vegetables) 

Ensaladang Talong (Eggplant Salad) 

Kilawin (Filipino Ceviche) 

Tinolang Manok ( Traditional Soup of Chicken and Papaya) 

Noodles / Rice Dishes

Pancit Lucban (Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Vegetables and Pork) 

Pancit Palabok (Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Crab and Shrimp Sauce) 

Bringhe (Filipino version of Paella) 

Goto  (Rice Porridge with Tripe) 

Sotangon Guisado (Stir-fried Vermicelli Noodles with Vegetables) 

Main Dishes

Adobo (Stewed Pork and Chicken in Soy Sauce and Vinegar) 

Seafood Kare Kare (Seafood Stew of Peanut Sauce and Vegetables)

Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Pork Trotters) 

Pinakbet (Stewed Vegetables with Bitter Melon and Shrimp Paste) 

Caldereta (Filipino Beef Stew) 

Desserts

Halo Halo (Frozen Dessert of Mixed Fruits, Milk and Shaved Ice) 

Leche Flan (Caramelized Egg Custard) 

Turon (Deep Fried Banana Springrolls) 

Cassava Cake 

Sans Rival (Meringue Gateau with Buttercream) 

A COLLECTION OF FILIPINO SOUPS AND APPETIZER RECIPES

SINIGANG NA HIPON (SOUR TAMARIND SOUP WITH SHRIMP)

Considered to be the national soup dish of the Philippines, this soup traditionally flavored with tamarind juice and cooked with proteins such as shrimp, bangus ( Philippine Milkfish) or pork ribs and is most often served in a claypot.  Seen below is my version of Sinigang with Shrimp.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb shrimp (with head)

1 bunch water spinach (kangkong), cut in 3 inch length

1 cup string beans (sitaw), cut in 2 inch length

1 radish, peeled and sliced

2 pieces medium-sized tomatoes, quartered

200 grams tamarind

1 large white onion, quartered

8 cups water

2  long green pepper

3 tbsp fish sauce (patis) to taste

Cooking Procedure

1.    Pour the water in a large cooking pot and bring to a boil. Wash tamarind and place in a separate cooking pot with enough water to cover.  Gently simmer tamarind until skin can be peeled easily and fruit is soft enough.  Place the softened tamarind in a strainer extracting the juice. Pour the juice in the cooking pot with the boiling water.  Add onions, radish and tomatoes and cook until texture becomes soft.  Add the pepper and string beans and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add the shrimps and fish sauce then simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the water spinach, turn the heat off, and cover the pot. Let stand for 5 minutes.  Serve hot with steamed rice.  You can adjust the spiciness of the soup by adding more long green peppers or the sourness of the broth by adding more tamarind juice.

In Asian Markets, they often sell tamarind powder mixes that can be used instead of using fresh tamarind

  

LUMPIANG SARIWA (ROLLED CREPES FILLED WITH SAUTEED VEGETABLES)

Often described as one of the Philippines’s more healthier dishes, Lumpiang Sariwa is popularly known as our local version of crepe.  Far different from the French version which is more often eaten as a dessert filled with sweets, our version is eaten as an appetizer filled with vegetables.  Usually found on our Fiesta celebrations, this is traditionally dipped in a sweet sauce and topped with ground peauts.

Ingredients

Vegetable Filling:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ kilo ground pork

¼ kilo shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced

2 tablespoon fish sauce

100 grams green beans, french cut

1 small cabbage shredded

1 large carrots, julienned

10 romaine lettuce leaves, cut into 2 horizontally

1/2 cup water

Salt and Pepper

Crepe:

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

2 cups milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:

¾ cups brown  sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup  soy sauce

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Garnish and Toppings:

6-8 cloves garlic

1/2 cup peanuts

Cooking Procedure:

Vegetable Filling:

Saute garlic and onions in oil. Add pork and saute until fat begins to render. Add shrimp and fish sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Add water and simmer until pork is tender and has reduced. Add vegetables and stir-fry 5-10 minutes, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain in a strainer and cool.

Wrap:

Combine eggs and salt. Gradually add flour, alternating with milk. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Beat in oil gradually. Refrigerate batter 1 hour.

To cook, brush a nonstick pan with oil and place over low heat. Ladle in 2 tablespoons batter, swirl to cover pan and pour off excess. Cook until the wrapper can be lifted with a spatula without sticking (if batter bubbles, the pan is too hot). Turn and cook just to warm the other side. Set aside and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a small pot and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Garnish and Toppings:

Remove the brown skin on the peanuts and pulse in a food processor or grinder until finely chopped. Toast garlic until crisp and brown. Combine crushed peanuts and toasted garlic and set aside.

To Assemble:

Place a lettuce leaf in the center of a wrapper. Add 2 tablespoons filling. Fold bottom of wrapper over filling; wrap one side over filling and roll to the other side. The edge of the lettuce will stick out. Seal edge with water. Wrap each lumpia in wax paper. Serve with sauce, minced garlic and chopped peanuts.

ENSALADANG TALONG (GRILLED EGGPLANT SALAD)

Usually served as a side dish to grilled meat or fish, this easy to make salad can be eaten without any accompaniment.

Ingredients:

8 pcs eggplants
2 pcs Tomato, sliced in cubes
1 medium Onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsps of salt

Vinaigrette
8 tsp of spicy vinegar

1 cup olive oil
1 tsp of black pepper

2 pcs red duck eggs

Cooking Procedure

Prepare eggplant. The best way is to grill the washed eggplants over hot coals and grill on all sides until soft.  Peel eggplants preserving much of the flesh then mash the pulp. If you prefer to use oven, bake at a preheated 350F oven. Chopped the tomato, onions and garlic, then combine with the mashed eggplant.  For vinaigrette, emulsify olive oil and vinegar.  Season with pepper.  Mix with the eggplant mixture. Cool for half an hour to optimize flavor before serving. Serve with slices of red duck eggs.

red duck eggs are commonly sold in Asian groceries

KILAWIN (FLIPINO CEVICHE)

The Filipino version of ceviche, this side dish usually consists of minced pork or fish that is mixed with vinegar that does the cooking process.

Ingredients:

750g Tangigue meat (Philippine Swordfish)

1/4 cup vinegar for washing fish meat

1/4 cup vinegar for ‘cooking’

2 tbsp rock salt

2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

red bell pepper, julliened

cucumber, julliened

green chili, thinly sliced

lemon, cut 1/2 into wedges and squeeze the other half

pepper to taste

Cooking Procedure:

Dice tanigue meat and then wash with vinegar. Put in rock salt and  mix thoroughly to remove strong fish odor  (you will know if the fish has been removed of any odor once the fish has oxidized or when the color has turned opaque).  Chill for 15 minutes. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. Put in rock salt and pepper. Once washed fish meat is chilled and is free from any fishy odor, remove the vinegar and salt solution and add the vegetables. Add fresh vinegar and squeeze in half of the lemon.

  

TINOLANG MANOK ( SOUP OF CHICKEN, GINGER AND GREEN PAPAYA)

This national dish is mostly served during fiestas and family gatherings.  Easy to cook and yet rich in flavor, this soup can be eaten as a main course as well.

Ingredients

500 g chicken

3 T Oil

1 Onion thinly sliced

2 T minced garlic

2 T minced ginger

4 C water

2 T fish sauce

2 C cubed green papaya

2 C fresh pechay (Bok Choy)

Salt / pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium flame. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until lightly browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Next add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the water to cover, fish sauce, salt and pepper bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add back the browned chicken pieces and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any scum that rises to the surface.  Add the cubed papaya and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and stir in the Bok Choy. Serve hot with steamed rice.

A COLLECTION OF FILIPINO RICE AND NOODLE RECIPES

PANCIT LUCBAN (STIR-FRIED EGG NOODLES WITH FRIED PORK BELLY AND CHAYOTE)

This is a specialty dish of Lucban, a city of the Quezon Province south of Manila.  The noodles used in this dish are made in the factories of Lucban that specialize in this product.  This dish is usually placed in a banana leaf and is eaten with no utensils and is usually sucked by the locals. 

250 g. pork belly
200 g. medium size shrimp, shelled
1/2 k. Lucban miki noodles
1 medium size carrot, sliced
3 big bundles pechay (bok choy), cut crosswise
200 g. sitsaro(snow peas)
1 medium size sayote (chayote), sliced
1/2 head garlic, minced
1 medium size onion, chopped
1/2 cup patis (fish sauce)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
cooking oil
kalamansi (local lime) juice

Cooking Procedure:

Wash pork belly and boil in a cooking pot with enough water to cover.  After boiling, dry pork belly with  paper towels and deep fry in hot oil until crispy outside.  Set aside prok belly reserving the stock used in cooking the pork belly.. In a large wok, sauté onion and garlic. Add  shrimp stir for 2-3 minutes, Add soy sauce, patis and black pepper and stir cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 6-8 cup of broth from boiling of pork and shrimp shells and heads, let boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add in miki noodles stir and cook for 5-10 minutes or until noodles are soft and have absorb most of the broth add more stock if necessary. Add all the vegetables stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are just cooked. Chop fried pork belly and place on top of the noodles.  Serve with kalamansi.

PANCIT PALABOK (RICE NOODLES WITH CRAB / SHRIMP SAUCE)

Pancit Palabok can be considered our version of Italian Spaghetti.  But instead of tomato sauce, this dish makes use of a sauce from the juice and fat extracted from crabs and shrimps and is tinted reddish orange with annatto seeds.  Also served during fiestas, the dish is most often served in a bilao (wooden plate) and is topped with a myriad of toppings such as smoked fish, chicharon (crushed deep fried pork rinds) and hard boiled eggs

Ingredients:

½  kilo rice noodles

Palabok Sauce:

½  kilo small crabs

½ kilo shrimps

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons of atchuete seeds or oil

2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)

4 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in water

1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)

1 1/2 cups of water

Palabok Toppings:

Tinapa flakes (smoked fish)

Cooked shrimps, shelled

Cooked squid, sliced into rings

Pork chicharon, grounded

Spring onions, chopped

Hard boiled eggs, shelled, sliced

Fried garlic, minced

Fresh calamansi (lemon), sliced

Extract fat and meat from clean crabs , set aside. Meanwhile, shell shrimps reserving the meat. Boil the shells and heads until the shells have turned red.  Set aside. Pound crab and extract juice using 1 ½ cups of the shrimp stock. On a pan, sauté garlic and onions until golden brown then add crab fat, crab meat, shrimp, 1 ½ cups of crab shrimp stock, patis and MSG. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add corn starch and continue to simmer while constantly stirring until thick.  Put miki noodles in a strainer and dip in boiling water for 5 minutes or until cooked.  Lay drained noodles on a platter and pour the palabok sauce. Garnish with toppings and serve.

BRINGHE (FILIPINO PAELLA)

A national rice dish that is very similar to the Spanish Paella.  Ingredients are slowly simmered in coconut milk making sure to bring out the flavors this dish is well known for.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 kilo chicken , cut into serving pieces

¼ kilo shrimp, shell and deveined

100 g cooked ham
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 cups glutinous rice
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups coconut cream
1 medium size red bell pepper,cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons raisins

100 g peas

6 eggs

Cooking Procedure:
In a nonstick paellera, heat oil and saute garlic and onions. Add chicken and ham. Season with salt, pepper and turmeric powder. Add glutinous rice and continue sautéing.  Pour in chicken stock and coconut cream. Place the shelled shrimp on top and allow to simmer over low heat until rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.Add the red bell pepper strips, peas and raisins.When rice is cooked, let pan sit over low heat for one to two minutes or until a golden brown crust forms at the bottom of the pan. Serve Bringhe in the paellera garnished with slices of hard boiled eggs.

GOTO (RICE PORRIDGE WITH TRIPE)

A dish that is hearty, this is commonly eaten during merienda (mid afternoon snack).  Often described as the Filipino version of Congee (Chinese rice porridge), our version consists of tripe and is often garnished with hard boiled eggs and crushed fried pork rinds (chicharon)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1 tbsp ginger, crushed and julienned

1 piece medium-sized onion, chopped

½  kilo tripe, cleaned

6 cups water

2 tbsp fish sauce (patis)

1 piece chicken bouillon cube

salt, pepper, and MSG (vetsin) to taste

2 cups uncooked rice

Garnish :

4 cloves garlic, minced and toasted

2 pcs hard boiled eggs

Crushed fried pork rinds

Cooking Procedure :

Clean tripe under running water.  Place in a cooking pot with enough water to cover.  Boil tripe until tender. Cut tripe into strips.  Set aside.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic, ginger, and onion in oil. Add the cooked tripe.. Cook for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.Add water. Add all the seasonings. Bring to a boil.  Add rice. Cook while stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary. Taste if more seasoning is needed.Serve in a bowl. Top with toasted garlic, sliced hard boiled eggs and crushed fried pork rinds. Serve with kalamansi (local lime).

SOTANGHON GUISADO ( STIR-FRIED VERMICELLI NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES )

Another noodle dish that is very popular.  This one is most often served at children’s parties.  Another way of serving this dish is wrapping it in spring roll sheets and deep frying it dipped in sweet and sour sauce.

Ingredients:

2  garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, minced

200 g shrimps, deveined and shelled

1 carrot, diced

1/4 cup snow peas, sliced

120 g. of dry sotanghon (vermicelli) noodles

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 green onion, sliced

1 pound chicken

½ cup tengang daga(mushrooms), soaked in water to soften

Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water by about 2-inches. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken, skimming off any foam that forms. Cook until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the Pancit Sotanghon noodles in warm water for 10 minutes or until soft. Cut into 4-inch pieces. When the chicken is done, remove from the pot and let cool.Strain the broth and set aside. Remove chicken skin and cut meat into thin strips.In a wok or skillet, heat the oil. Saute the garlic and onion until soft. Add the shrimp, and cook until pink. Add the chicken meat and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth.Add tengang daga(mushrooms). Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the carrots and snow peas. Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the Pancit Sotanghon noodles. Season with the soy sauce and fish sauce. Simmer until the noodles are heated through, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with green onion slices and its ready to be SERVED.

A COLLECTION OF FILIPINO MAIN ENTREE RECIPES

CHICKEN / PORK ADOBO (CHICKEN AND PORK STEWED IN SOY SAUCE AND VINEGAR)

The Philippines pride and national dish.  Every household knows how to prepare Adobo and it seems that every region in the country has its recipe.  Nevertheless, Adobo would always contain these basic ingredients listed below.  Eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner; eat it fried or stewed, the Filipinos love for adobo will never fade.

500 grams pork belly

500 grams pork shoulder or other cut for stewing

500 grams of boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (or bone-in chicken legs, thighs)

2 heads of garlic

2 tablespoons of black peppercorns

1 cup cane vinegar (or palm, white)

1/2 cup Filipino soy sauce (or reduced-salt)

4 dried bay leaves

Barely enough water to cover the meat

1 teaspoon of oil

Prepare the meat. Slice everything into chunks (about 1.5 inches).Remove garlic cloves and mash. Heat the teaspoon of oil on high heat in a deep pan. Saute garlic just until soft. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, vinegar and soy sauce. Add  the meat into the pan and turn to coat all the pieces. Pour in just enough water just enough to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour (or until desired tenderness is reached). Turn off the heat. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Pour the sauce into a separate heat-proof bowl. From here, you can choose whether to serve the adobo as it is or fry it until crispy to make adobo flakes

Adobo Flakes: Take 3-4 chunks of pork shoulder. Shred them into small strings or flakes. Heat a deep-fryer or about a half-inch of oil in a wok. When hot, fry the flakes until crispy. Dry the flakes on paper towels. These can be sprinkled on top of the adobo just before serving for an added crunch.

SEAFOOD KARE KARE  (SEAFOOD PEANUT STEW)

Another dish that is considered a national dish.  Just like the Adobo, it seems Kare Kare has different versions, the most popular using pork trotters.  Listed below is my seafood version.  Serve it in a clay pot for added authenticity.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup peanut butter
200 grams string beans, cut into 1/2 lengths
200 grams eggplants, sliced
1/2 kilo fish fillet, cubed
1/4 kilo squid, cleaned
1/4 kilo mussels, cleaned
1/2 kilo prawns, cleaned
1/4 kilo oysters, shucked
2 tsps. Kalamansi (local lime) juice
Patis (fish sauce) to taste
1/2 cup bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)

COOKING PROCEDURE :

In a cooking pot, sauté onions and garlic.  Add the peanut butter and shrimp paste.  Add the eggplants and seafood with enough water to cover.  Simmer until seafoods and eggplants are cooked.  Add the string beans and bok choy and simmer until cooked through.  Adjust seasoning.   Serve in a clay pot with more shrimp paste as a condiment of desired.

CRISPY PATA (DEEP FRIED PORK TROTTERS)

What could be better than slicing succulent pork fresh from the deep fryer.  Crispy Pata is the quintessential fiesta dish !! Dip the fried chunks of pork in soy sauce mixed with birds eye chili.

1 pork trotter (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles)

1 can of  lemon soda (7Up or sprite)

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)

1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)

4 tablespoons of flour

Enough oil for deep frying

Enough water for boiling

Clean the pork trotters by removing all hairs and by scraping the skin with a knife. Wash thoroughly. Make four to five inch cuts on the sides of the trotter. On a deep stock pot, place the trotter in water with soda, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil for 20 minutes and continue to simmer until pork trotters are tender and cooked through.. Remove the trotter from the pot and  thoroughly drain the pork trotter and refrigerate for a few hours.

After the above process, rub fish sauce on the trotter and sprinkle flour liberally.

In a deep frying pot, heat cooking oil and deep fry the pork trotter until golden brown.

Mix 3/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 head of diced onion and 1 hot pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.

PINAKBET (STEWED VEGETABLES WITH SHRIMP PASTE AND BITTER MELON)

The Philippines most popular vegetable dish.  Most people get put-off with the bitter melon which is an essential ingredient of this dish, but it does grown on you.  Perfect with steamed rice.

Ingredients :

1/4 kilo pork with fat (cut into very small pieces)

3 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 cup water

2 medium size ampalaya (bitter melon) (cut into 8 pieces each)

2 medium size eggplants (cut into 8 pieces each)

1 cup diced squash

6 pieces okra halved

6 pieces tomatoes quartered

1 small garlic head minced

2 small onions diced

1 small ginger sliced

4 tablespoons bagoong (shrimp paste)

Pinch of pepper

Cooking Procedure:

In a pan, cook pork until lightly crispy, set aside. Saute garlic, onion, tomatoes, and ginger in the pork fat and mix in pork. In a pot, boil water with bagoong. Add in the pork and spices.Add all the vegetables and cook. Serve hot.

CALDERETA (FILIPINO BEEF STEW)

The quintessential lutong bahay dish ( homey comfort food). The local version of  Beef Bourguignon.  This dish has many variations as well, goat meat being used by the locals as an alternative option.

Ingredients:

1  kilo beef or goat  round or chuck

¼ cup white vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

2-3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons worceteshire sauce

1 chopped onion

1 chopped bell pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups tomato sauce

2 cups stock

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup peas

 ¼ cup liver spread

¼ cup grated cheese

Mix the beef, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic together in a large bowl. Marinate, refrigerated overnight. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry, reserving the marinade. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large pot. Brown the beef in batches, removing it to a plate or bowl. When the beef is all browned, add more oil to the pot if needed and sauté the onions, peppers and garlic over medium flame until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato sauce and worcetershire sauce and  simmer for 3 to 5 mnutes. Return the beef to the pot, along with the reserved marinade and the stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Sir in the potatoes, peas, salt and pepper and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Add a little more water if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the liver spread and grated cheese Adjust seasonings to taste and serve hot over rice.