Merienda

Foreign influences have penetrated Filipino culture when it comes to food. One example is the habit of taking light meals between lunch and dinner which is called merienda. Filipinos are fond of eating foreign foods during merienda. However, traditional Pinoy merienda remains despite the abundance of these foreign foods. In the provinces, the usual merienda is made of boiled banana, camote or balanghoy (cassava) paired with a hot or cold beverage.

Merienda is equivalent to Americans’ coffee break and the English’ afternoon tea.
This page features two traditional Pinoy meriendas - arrozcaldo and saging turon. This recipe is easy to prepare with inexpensive ingredients.
Chicken Arrozcaldo

Ingredients:
•    2 tablespoon olive oil
•    1 small yellow onion, sliced
•    2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and diced small
•    3 cloves of garlic, minced
•    2 tablespoon All Purpose flour
•    3-4 cans fat free chicken broth (14.5 oz)
•    1 ½ cups rice
•    3/4 pound chicken breasts
•    Salt and pepper to taste
•    2 sprigs of scallion,  chopped

Procedure:
Heat the oil in a large pan, add onions and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and flour and continue to cook until flour and onion become slightly brown. Add rice and 3 cans of broth and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add chicken and continue to boil for another 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Add another can of broth or plain water if rice is not soft yet and cook for a few minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped scallions.

Recipe source: http://www.ebenta.com/story.php?title=Pinoy_Chefs_Recipe_mdash_Chicken_Arrozcaldo-1

Saging Toron

Ingredients:
•    20 pieces of ripe banana (saging saba)
•    langka (jackfruit) quartered
•    3 cups brown sugar
•    20 pieces lumpia wrapper
•    cooking oil

Procedure:
Cut ripe banana lengthwise into half and put in the jackfruit. Lay banana at one end of lumpia wrapper. Fold the sides of lumpia wrapper then roll tightly and seal. In a frying pan heat cooking oil with 3 cups of brown sugar. Bring to boil and stir in wrapped bananas. Drain and let cool.

Recommended site:
www.cebu-food.com
Search for your favourite pinoy merienda recipe on this site. The recipe contents are easy to understand and some are written in Tagalog. Other traditional pinoy foods like budbud, ginataang mais or balanghoy in latik recipes are also featured on this site. Appetizers and desserts are available too.