Foodtrients by Balikbayan Magazine

B A L I K B A Y A N S I T S D O W N W I T H G R A C E O —T H E E N T R E P R E N E U R , C O O K B O O K A U T H O R , A N D C R E AT O R O F F O O D T R I E N T S , O N E O F T H E F A S T E S T G R O W I N G H E A LT H M O V E M E N T S I N T H E W O R L D .

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

GRACE O’S FORMULA FOR AGING WELL FoodTrients® is a revolutionary, age-defying concept created by Grace O. It’s not only a cookbook and website, it’s also a resource, and even a philosophy, built around the power of foods to heal and to help us age beautifully. Her new cookbook -- The Age GRACEfully Cookbook: The Power of FOODTRIENTS to Promote Health and Well-being for a Joyful and Sustainable Life -- is the product of a lifetime of research and work that began at an early age in the Philippines. Her father was a physician who taught her the value of a healthy diet. Her mother, the founder and owner of a culinary school, taught her the value of great tasting food. Grace was 19 when her mother died of cancer and she had to take over as the culinary school’s directress. Grace O’s success as a chef and culinary teacher led her to open three restaurants

in Metro Manila where she also launched a number of food trends. When she moved to the U.S. in 1992, Grace entered the business of healthcare. She was so quick to learn the business that within two years she was managing a skilled nursing facility in Los Angeles. She is now the owner and CEO of three skilled nursing facilities in California specializing in geriatric care. Throughout her years in healthcare, Grace has also been focused on the importance of good nutrition for patients. After spending 23 years in healthcare, Grace found herself at the center of a new food movement – food as medicine. Her curiosity and extraordinary culinary skills were the impetus behind the development of FoodTrients®. We sat down with Grace recently to learn more about her cookbook and FoodTrients.com.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

Q: What is a FoodTrients®? GRACE O: I needed to come up with a term to encompass the anti-aging properties of various foods. So I call them FoodTrients. Think of them as nutrients that lead to our overall wellness and help us age gracefully. Q: How did you come up with the idea for a FoodTrients cookbook? GRACE O: The inspiration for my empowering FoodTrients® program—the website, the cookbook, my board of advisors—really came from my father. He was a physician and he had a way of looking at food as though it could heal us. He understood the value of the vitamins and minerals found in fresh foods and how those elements could supplement our health. Food like organic fruits and vegetables, wild fish, and humanely raised animals have so many good things in them: antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory agents, fiber and anti-bacterial compounds. After I turned 50, I had my own health issues. I have struggled with my weight – working hard to lose it only to gain it back again. I have had problems with my knees, which have made it hard to exercise. I knew I had to do something and, believe it or not, all of the work I have done on FoodTrients® have helped me stay healthy – my cholesterol is normal, all of my bloodwork is normal. I don’t take any medication, but I do make sure I have plenty of FoodTrients® every day. Q: How do you come up with your recipes? GRACE O: I start creating a recipe only after I find a fruit or grain or spice that has something beneficial to offer my body. For instance, I know that the spice turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric can therefore reduce swelling in the arteries. Arterial inflammation leads to things like blood clots and strokes. Turmeric is a bold yellow spice that also keeps nasal passages from swelling too much during an allergy attack. So I know I want to get turmeric in my diet. But how? Unless I eat Indian food every night, I don’t normally come across this spice. Here’s where I get to work. I taste, I experiment, I make meal after meal until I hit upon a delicious recipe or two that incorporates this beneficial food. One of the recipes I created is Turkey in Turmeric Sauce recipe. It’s in the cookbook.

01 Lemongrass Tea 02 Anti-aging spices 03 Almond-Blueberry Gelatin Parfait

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

01 Artichoke 02 Chia seeds

Q: Tell us about your background. GRACE O: I have been cooking and baking professionally and recreationally all of my life. As a child growing up in the Philippines, I learned the art of cooking from my mother. After moving to America and spending over 20 years in healthcare, I have seen the connection between healthy food and the diseases of aging. I wanted to create flavorful foods, using the finest ingredients, that ultimately lead to good health. My recipes are low in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, but are high in flavor. I inject spices from all over the world to enliven my dishes, with the goal of serving food that is different and delicious. Q: Does the quality of ingredients matter in your dishes (organic, no chemicals, no preservatives)? Grace O: Yes! I try to use organic produce as much as possible. I particularly pay attention to the Environmental Working Group’s list

of Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Produce Guides available on EWG.org. Certain fruits and vegetables, like strawberries, tomatoes and apples, have higher concentrations of pesticides so if you can buy them organically grown, it’s better for you. Q: How can FoodTrients® help us? Grace O: The right foods, herbs and spices can help us detox, lose weight, improve our skin and live longer, more vital lives. Q: How do FoodTrients® help us look younger? Grace O: I believe that food can be just as effective at fighting aging as the most expensive skin creams. Certain FoodTrients like omega-3 fatty acids and the vitamins C & E are very good for building collagen, hydrating skin, keeping skin elastic, and helping to build strong nails and hair. Some of my favorite beauty-enhancing recipes from my FoodTrients cookbook are my Turmeric Orange Juice, Sweet Potato and Jackfruit Delight, Papaya Salsa, and Home-Smoked Fish.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

03 Spices add flavor and an anti-aging kick 04 Ginger tea

Q: What foods can help us detox our bodies? Grace O: We can overwhelm our liver and its ability to pull toxins out of our body; yeast and parasites can inhabit our bowels; and secondhand smoke and air pollution can affect our lungs. I try to detox every few months, but there are things you can eat and drink that will help every day: • Pure water • Green tea • Turmeric • Citrus fruits • Garlic • Okra • Chia seeds and flaxseeds • Fresh watercress, cilantro, and parsley • Artichokes Q: How do FoodTrients® work like medicine? Grace O: Just to give you a few examples: Garlic contains the FoodTrient allicin, which is an anti-inflammatory that reduces the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and cancer. So if you have trouble with rashes, allergies, swelling, or atherosclerosis add garlic to your meals whenever possible. Ginger plant’s root has its own very special FoodTrient called gingerol. Gingerol has the power to alleviate nausea (a side effect of many medications) and reduce

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

the risk of cancer. It’s also an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. Parsley and other bright green grassy herbs—such as watercress and wheatgrass—contain lots of chlorophyll, a FoodTrient that protects against certain cancers. Green and black teas are full of the catechins, which are super-antioxidants that help reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Those at high risk for heart attack should consider drinking a cup of tea at least every day. The catechins in tea also help prevent cavities, promote weight loss, and protect against certain cancers. Turmeric (found in many curry powder mixes) is rife with curcumin— curcumin is a strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory that works in the body to reduce swelling of the skin, arteries, brain (as in Alzheimer’s disease), bowel (especially in irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease), joints (as in arthritis), and nasal passages (as in allergies). It therefore helps reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Q: What sets this book apart from other cookbooks? GRACE O: This is really an anti-aging cookbook. It’s not a diet book or a meal program. It’s full of recipes that utilize powerful and even exotic ingredients

like turmeric, bitter melon, açai, soursop, and jackfruit, all of which help keep you looking young. Q: Are the recipes hard to make? GRACE O: Almost every single one of my recipes has 7 steps or fewer. They don’t take a lot of time to prepare—minutes, not hours. They aren’t overly complicated and often can be made in just one pot or pan. I want people to see how easy it can be to get really good, anti-aging foods into their diets. Q: Where do you get the exotic ingredients you use in your recipes? GRACE O: Well, I’m very fortunate to live in southern California where so much produce grows. I found a man in Sherman Oaks, California who grows moringa plants, but there’s a website – Moringa for Life.com – that sells a variety of moringa products. And even though I can stop into Asian or Latino markets on any corner in Los Angeles and find fresh turmeric or bitter melon or soursop, I know that most people across the country aren’t so lucky. For them, I recommend visiting Melissas.com. Don’t miss Grace O’s blog, Age Gracefully, on FoodTrients.com! The FoodTrients cookbook is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

THE AGE GRACEFULLY COOKBOOK The Power of FoodTrients® to Promote Health and Well-being for a Joyful and Sustainable Life

oodTrients® is a unique approach to fresh, nutritional, and age-defying foods, which was originated by Grace O. FoodTrients® is her name for the natural anti-aging properties of food. Delicious foods and rejuvenating nutrients combine to create The Age GRACEfully Cookbook, a collection of enticing and nourishing recipes that promote health and well-being for a joyful and sustainable life. The recipes are built on the foundations of modern scientific research and ancient knowledge of medicinal herbs and natural ingredients from cultures all over the world. There are many books about super-

foods and supplements, but few provide at-a-glance guides in each recipe detailing key ingredients and how they increase health and longevity. Grace O’s cookbook focuses on five categories of FoodTrients® that are essential to healthful living: • Antioxidant: prevents and repairs oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals • Anti-Inflammatory: reduces inflammatory process in cells, tissues and blood vessels, helping to slow aging and reduce risk of long-term disease • Immunity Boosters: support the

•

body’s resistance to infection and strengthen immune vigilance and response Mind and Beauty: enhancers that encourage vibrant skin and hair and improve mood and mental agility Disease-Preventing: reduces risk factors for common degenerative and age-related diseases

The beautifully illustrated recipes incorporate all the ingredients you need to look and feel younger, not only on the inside, but also on the outside.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

CELEBRITY CHEF HELPS LAUNCH COOKBOOK IN STYLE

01 Grace O, Barbara Weller, Eric Greenspan, Robb Weller 02 FoodTrients® Main Courses [Photos by Matthew Fried]

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

Grace O’s new cookbook was launched in style with a Los Angeles press event at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills on September 17. Food Network star Chef Eric Greenspan, winner of Iron Chef and Celebrity Cutthroat Kitchen, was on hand to participate in the allFoodTrients® tasting menu, which included samplings of Grace O’s delicious appetizers, salads, main dishes, desserts, and drinks. Chef Eric prepared the appetizers and joined the FoodTrients® panel, which was moderated by TV producer and host Robb Weller. The panel discussed Grace O’s new cookbook, The Age GRACEfully Cookbook, her newly designed website, and how her recipes can help us all age beautifully. The event was attended by dozens of writers and reporters from the media including the Los Angeles Times, The Asian Journal, and the Huffington Post, and by some top food bloggers. According to Chef Eric, “I was impressed with all of the flavor that Grace O brings to her dishes, and was introduced to moringa for the first time.”

Some of

Grace O’s FoodTrients F A V O R I T E S

ASHWAGANDHA Ashwagandha, a traditional Ayurvedic herb that is used for conditions ranging from arthritis and anxiety to liver disease and sleep issues, is trending strongly in the natural products market. Known for its powers of helping the body adapt to stress in the environment, ashwagandha supports the immune system and may help reduce inflammation. Because of the ability to help the body achieve selfregulatory balance within various systems, this herb is often used to prevent the effects of aging and to treat systemic or hormonal conditions such as fibromyalgia or fertility disorders. With clinical trials as evidence for the efficacy of ashwagandha, this is certainly an herb to know more about in the future. REISHI MUSHROOMS Mushrooms are a major FoodTrient® food! Both edible and medicinal mushrooms contain properties including anti-

inflammatory, antioxidant, immune boosting, and disease prevention effects. Two mushrooms backed by research that contain potent health benefits include Reishi and Turkey Tail. Reishi mushrooms aren’t something you will find in your local grocery store. Though all mushrooms have health promoting properties including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and immune-boosting compounds like betaglucans, some mushrooms are more edible than others. Because of their bitterness, Reishi is often taken in capsule or extract form, but now they are showing up in drinks and other natural food products. I like Rebbl’s Chocolate Reishi drink. These medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use in Chinese and folk medicine but are now gaining popularity in the U.S. due to the body of research that continues to develop about the health benefits associated with Reishi.

(On this page) Rambutan is a delicious and healthy fruit option (On the next page) Longan boasts plenty of health benefits

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

mangosteen drinks and add the ground pericarp to mangosteen juice. If the juice is more pink than white, you know the pericarp was added. Mangosteen supplements are widely available. These mostly contain the pink pericarp, dried and ground. RAMBUTAN Another exotic fruit that I love to eat is rambutan (also available at www.melissas.com). These Malaysian fruits, which mean “hair” (rambut), look like small, red, hairy monsters. The somewhat rubbery brownish-red outer shell is peeled away to reveal a white, moist oval that is very similar to a lychee. It’s sweet, juicy, and subtle in flavor, not unlike the mangosteen. Rambutans are botanically related to lychees. They contain the vitamin C, iron, and phosphorous. Vitamin C helps the body resist infection, helps prevent cataracts, and aids in tissue regeneration to keep your skin young and fresh looking. Vitamin C also reduces the risk of some cancers and stroke. Sufficient iron intake ensures that your red blood cells are distributing enough oxygen to your tissues. Phosphorous helps muscles contract, builds protein, and keeps nerves functioning properly.

ASHITABA Ashitaba has been used for thousands of years for many conditions and is known as the ‘longevity herb.’ It shows evidence of exhibiting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This herb is native to Japan, and though used primarily in Asia both in the diet and as a dietary supplement, is gaining popularity in the U.S. because of its promising health effects. There is some evidence that ashitaba is effective for gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and peptic ulcers because of its ability to reduce stomach secretions. Ashitaba has also been shown to exhibit anti-cancer effects. Ashitaba has also been studied for its role in cardiovascular health including decreasing blood pressure, as an antithrombotic (anti-clotting agent) and to increase good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease triglycerides. Finally, there appears to be potent anti-

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

platelet activity in ashitaba compounds meaning that it could be a helpful blood thinner for those prone to excessive clotting. Unfortunately, there have not been extensive human studies performed on ashitaba so its safety and effectiveness are largely unknown, but studies have shown that the extract was safe when tested on rats. MANGOSTEEN The flesh of the mangosteen has antiinflammatory properties and is full of antioxidants, including the FoodTrient vitamin C. Mangosteen rinds contain xanthones, which kill cancer cells in the lab. More tests are being done with animals and humans to see if the xanthones can work as well when ingested. My fruit purveyor ships fresh mangosteens from Southeast Asia, but you can purchase them online at www.melissas. com. Some companies manufacture

LONGAN Longan fruit can be eaten raw, dried or even frozen to enjoy later. No matter how it is used, the health benefits are plentiful. It’s similar to the popular lychee. • Great source of vitamin C – Just one half cup provides 80% of your daily vitamin C requirements. Iron absorption depends on vitamin C and combining longan fruit with meat increases your iron levels. • Antioxidants – Longan fruit is rich in antioxidants and can protect against heart disease, chronic inflammation and may even help prevent some cancers. • Better skin – Used in Chinese Medicine for many years, this magic fruit adds luster, shine and suppleness to the skin. • Other benefits – Longan helps with blood production, most likely through the iron content needed to produce new red blood cells. It has been used for over 2,000 years as a sexual health tonic. Longan fruit is also known to improve energy and impart a sense of calmness to the spirit

Asian Fusion: A Fistful of Flavors In Southeast Asia, where Grace O grew up, the cuisine has been influenced by many countries: China, Japan, Spain, France, America, and to some extent the Middle East and Northern Africa. So she has been practicing fusion cooking her whole life. Grace O’s mother ran a cooking school and her family operated multiple restaurants. Her recipe for shrimp on sugar-cane skewers is a perfect example of Asian fusion food. It became very popular in their restaurants and then spread all over the world. When she sees it on menus in restaurants today, it makes her smile. Asian fusion cooking is about using Mediterranean or American ingredients and, possibly, French techniques in classical Chinese, Thai, or Filipino recipes. Grace O likes trying new and exotic ingredients and enjoys looking at trends in the healthy cooking sector. Then she adds her own delicious Southeast Asian spin to create new recipes. Take quinoa, which is a very trendy ingredient right now because of its many health benefits. For Grace O, it has almost no flavor, and because she won’t

eat something just because it’s good for her, she has to find a way to cook it so that she would crave it. So she did. She took that crunchy Incan grain and added some sautéed shrimp, onions, scallions, and orange bell peppers. This was a nice start, but quinoa, like rice and pasta, really benefits from a sauce because it’s so naturally flavorless. Luckily, Grace O discovered a food company called Sosu (http://sosusauces.com) that makes an incredible ketchup with a kick. They’re based in San Francisco. The young owner, Lisa Murphy, experimented with ketchup until she found a really delicious recipe based on the original Chinese formula brought to Britain in the eighteenth century. She makes a spicy sriracha-laced ketchup called Srirachup. Grace O added it to her sautéed shrimp with vegetables. Then she spooned the concoction over the cooked quinoa. Success! If you can’t get your hands on Srirachup or if sriracha is too spicy for you, try making a Thai-flavored sauce using a purée of roasted red peppers, orange tomatoes, a pinch of curry powder, and a dollop of lemongrass.

ASIAN FUSION SHRIMP AND QUINOA

Ingredients: 2 cups water ¼ tsp. pink Himalayan salt 1 tsp. crushed garlic 1 cup quinoa (red, or black, or white or a combination thereof) 4 Tbsp. coconut oil 1 lb. shrimp, peeled (or skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes) ½ cup chopped red onion 4 scallions, chopped 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 (8-ounce) jar Sosu Srirachup (or your own favorite sauce) Procedure 01. Bring water, salt, and garlic to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan with a lid. 02. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. 03. Sauté shrimp (or chicken cubes) in the coconut oil in shallow pan with all of the veggies over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. (If using chicken, sauté for 5 minutes.) 04. Add sauce and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and the veggies halfway between crisp and tender. 05. Spoon sauce over the cooked quinoa.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

Mangoes: All Hail the ‘King of Fruits’! For those of us who grew up in Southeast Asia, mangoes are as common there as apples are here in North America—they are everywhere and in just about everything. Grace O’s mother encouraged her to eat mangoes every day and she was happy to oblige. Originally cultivated at the foot of the Himalayas 4,000 years ago, mangoes are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Mangoes are low in calories (135 for a whole mango), they have been found to help to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers, can lower cholesterol, promote eye health, help your skin, improve digestion, regulate blood sugar, and boost your immune system. There are hundreds of mango varieties grown throughout the world, and six of them are the main varieties available in the United States. Grace O is very

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

partial to the Ataulfos which are a lot like the ones in the Philippines. They are golden in color and have a relatively small seed, so there’s more of the juicy flesh, and they don’t have the slight aftertaste that some mangoes have. Ataulfos are available fresh March through July. The Kent variety is mostly green on the outside and very good for juicing. It’s available January to March and June to August. The most commonly grown mangoes in the U.S. are the Tommy Atkins, which have green skins with a pinkish-red blush. Semiripe mangoes are tarter that fully ripe ones and hold their shape better. Grace likes to use them in her Mango Shrimp Cocktail, mango shakes and mango preserve. If you like more sweetness, use ripe mangoes instead of green ones.

MANGO SHRIMP COCKTAIL

( Serves 4 ) ½ cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup sliced scallions 2 tsp. sliced jalapenos 1–2 tsp. sea salt 1–2 tsp. hot sauce 2 cups diced green (semi-ripe) mangoes 1½ cups diced Roma tomatoes 1 cup julienned young coconut meat ¼ cup minced cilantro 2 cups medium wild shrimp, steamed or grilled Tortilla chips 01. In a glass bowl, combine the lime juice, scallions, jalapenos, salt, and hot sauce. 02. Fold in the mangoes, tomatoes, coconut meat, and cilantro. 03. Carefully fold in shrimp. 04. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 05. Spoon into martini glasses. NOTE: Depending on your taste for spicy foods, you can adjust the amount of hot sauce and jalapenos.

Debunking the Myth of Coconut

SWEET POTATO AND JACKFRUIT DELIGHT (Serves 6–8 ) • ¼ cup tapioca • 2 cups water • 1 can (8 oz.) jackfruit, drained of syrup • 4 cups coconut milk • 1 lb. peeled and cubed yellow and orange sweet potatoes • ¼ cup sugar 01. Place the tapioca in cold water in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until tapioca is translucent and soft, about 1–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Cut the jackfruit into strips and set aside. 02. In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and boil until tender, about 5–10 minutes. 03. Add the jackfruit, sugar, and tapioca to the sweet potato mixture and cook an additional 5 minutes. 04. Serve warm or chilled.

While growing up in the Philippines, Grace O would only occasionally eat coconuts, drink coconut water or cook with coconut oil because she had always been told that the fat in coconuts were bad for her health. Only after she moved to America and started hearing that coconuts might actually be good for her and help in losing weight, she started researching the subject. Grace O concluded from this research that coconut does not at all deserve its negative reputation. Coconuts do have a high fat content, as do avocados and olives. The fat in avocados and olives is monounsaturated and therefore good for our bodies. It doesn’t contribute to bad blood cholesterol. The saturated fat in coconuts is made up of medium-chain fatty acids versus the long- chain fatty acids found in meat and dairy products, and is easy for the body to break down and turn into energy. Dr. Nicholas Perricone talks about the virtues of coconut oil in his book, Forever Young. He says, “Virgin coconut oil is a medium-chain saturated fat (MCFA) that speeds weight loss, lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart attacks, and improves diabetic conditions.” Not bad for an oil that’s been wrongly maligned for years because of its high fat content. Coconut oil and coconut milk also contain lauric acid, which has antifungal and anti-bacterial properties. In Grace O’s Sweet Potato and Jackfruit Pudding recipe, she cooked yellow and orange cubes of sweet potato in coconut milk before adding bright yellow strips of canned jackfruit—the world’s largest tree-fruit that tastes somewhat like mango and is high in antioxidants. It can be eaten warm or cold, as a breakfast dish or as a dessert.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

Atchara Pickle Is Great Digestive Aid Papayas contain papain, an enzyme that helps break down proteins. Vinegar can lower blood sugar and may help with weight loss because it helps you feel more full and satisfied. Unfortunately, most of the olives and pickles on store shelves have been pasteurized and are probiotic free. That’s why it’s worth making your own.

Seafood Is a Recipe for Building Bones Bone-building protein is in abundant supply in meats and dairy products, such as yogurt and cream. Seafood also has plenty of protein per square inch. Seafood chowder with cream and potatoes is very good for bone health. Beans are an excellent vegetarian source of protein. A lentil and kale salad is a significant source of both protein and calcium. You can even combine all of the above nutrients into a bone-building recipe or two. Try making a seafood gumbo with beans, collard greens, and miso paste. Or create a fruit salad of kiwi fruit, figs, apricots, and bananas to spoon over yogurt.

Enjoy it with a glass of soy milk and say a toast to your healthy snack. Be sure not to drink too much cola, however (more than two drinks per week), because the phosphoric acid in them might leach calcium from your bones. The anti-inflammatory properties of fresh cilantro, ginger, and olive oil help keep skin looking young. Grace O prefers to make this fish recipe using tilapia fillets, though you can substitute any firm, whitefish fillet. Using banana leaves to wrap the fillets will impart the full flavor of the fish, but the use of aluminum foil alone will also work.

TILAPIA FILLETS WITH CILANTRO ( Serves 2 ) • 2 banana leaves • 2 tilapia fillets • Sea salt and ground pepper to taste • 1 lemon, cut in half and seeds removed

• •

01. Preheat grill or oven to 350 degrees. Lay a banana leaf on top of a large square of aluminum foil (about 8“x 8”). Place a fillet in the middle of the leaf. Repeat.

04. Wrap the banana leaves around the fillets to create a square packet. Wrap the packet with aluminum foil.

02. Add the salt and pepper and squeeze the juice from the lemon over the fillets. 03. Top the fillets with the tomato, ginger, onion, and scallions. Drizzle with olive oil.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

• • • •

½ cup seeded and sliced tomato 1 Tbs. peeled and thinly sliced gingerroot ¼ cup chopped onion 2 Tbs. chopped scallions 2 Tbs. olive oil ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

05. Bake fillets at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or grill for 20 minutes on each side. 06. To serve, remove the aluminum foil wrap and transfer the fillets to a plate. Top packets with cilantro and serve with banana leaf.

(Serves 8–10 ) • 8 cups coarsely grated green papaya (or cucumber if you can’t find green papaya) • 1/4 cup coarse salt • 8-10 cloves of garlic (from one head), peeled • 1/4 cup julienned fresh ginger • 1/2 cup pearl onions, peeled • 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips • 1/2 cup green bell pepper strips • 1/2 cup carrot florets or strips • 1/2 cup jicama strips Pickling solution • 3 cups white balsamic vinegar (champagne or seasoned rice vinegars will also work) • 2 tsp. salt • 3/4 cup white sugar (for a sweetand-sour pickle, double the sugar) 01. Place the papaya shreds in a colander and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. 02. Make the pickling solution by combining ingredients in a porcelain or glass pan (don’t use a metal pot) and simmering for 10 minutes or until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 03. Squeeze any remaining water out of the papaya shreds. Toss together with garlic, ginger and the remaining vegetables and place into wide-mouth pickling jars. 04. Pour the cooled pickling solution over the vegetables. If the solution is too warm, the vegetables will cook. Top off the jars with water if necessary so that the vegetables are completely covered. Close jars tightly and put in the refrigerator overnight to cure.

BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM