Archive for CHAMORRO DISHES

Corned Beef with Corn and Tomato Sauce

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Chamorros love canned corned beef!  It’s called Latan Kåtne (canned meat) in Chamorro. Corned beef can be prepared many different ways, depending on the ingredients you have on hand.

I love to gisa (in Chamorro, this means to stir fry) corned beef with onions, garlic, and eggplant.  For another variation, try adding cabbage or fresh green beans.  My dad used to grow winged beans–this is delicious with corned beef too.  The options are virtually endless!

This is a photo of winged beans, in case you’ve never heard of them before.  Just slice them into small pieces and saute them with a can or two of corned beef; add some onions and garlic and you’ve got yourself a yummy meal.  Serve with hot white rice, of course. 🙂

winged beans

My recipe below calls for canned corn with tomato sauce.  A slight variation to this is to omit the tomato sauce entirely (follow the directions below, and omit the part where you pour in the tomato sauce).  My husband actually prefers it this way, without the tomato sauce.

Either way you make it–with or without tomato sauce–it’s delicious.

Give my recipe a try.  I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Corned Beef with Corn and Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cans corned beef
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cans whole kernel corn (15.25 oz. each), drained
  • 2 small cans tomato sauce (8 oz. each)

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Directions:

To make it easier to open, pierce the top of the corned beef can.  *Make sure to rinse the top of the can first — there can be lots of dirt or dust on it from sitting on the grocery store shelf.

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Place the corned beef into a medium sized skillet; sauté over medium high heat.

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Add the onions to the skillet.

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Add the garlic powder and black pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

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Add the corn.  Stir to combine.

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Pour in the tomato sauce.

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Stir to combine, then cook for a couple of minutes, just to heat the sauce and corn.

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Serve with hot white rice.  ENJOY!

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Posted in Beef, CHAMORRO DISHES, Dinner, Lunch, MEALS, MEAT, Totche (Meat)

Corn Soup

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Chicken corn soup is a classic dish on Guam.  It’s made many different ways, from cutting corn kernels off fresh ears of corn to using canned or frozen corn.

As with most recipes nowadays, you can find fresh ingredients right in the freezer section of your grocery store–ingredients frozen right at the peak of ripeness so that we can enjoy them year round.

My version of chicken corn soup is relatively quick and easy to make.  On a side note, I have an even simpler version of corn soup that I’ll share soon.  In fact, it’s so super-simple that I call it “Cheater Corn Soup”.  Come back soon for that one. 😉

Cook a pot of my chicken corn soup.  It’s perfect when you’re craving comfort food, or if you want something to warm up your insides on a cold, blustery day.

Give my recipe a try.  I think you’ll like it. 🙂

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Posted in CHAMORRO DISHES, Chicken, Kådu, MEAT, SOUPS & STEWS tagged with

Fresh Salmon Kelaguen

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Kelaguen in Chamorro describes a dish that’s prepared by mixing the main ingredient (usually chicken, beef, deer, or seafood) with lemon or lime juice, onions, salt, and hot pepper.  Chicken kelaguen is usually prepared with cooked (grilled, broiled or boiled) chicken.  The other types of kelaguen–beef, deer, shrimp, and various types of fish–are most often prepared raw, with the meat or seafood getting cooked with the addition of an acid, usually lemon or lime juice.

Kelaguen is a staple dish at Chamorro parties.  Sometimes, especially on Guam, an entire table is devoted to several types of kelaguen.

Salmon kelaguen is a favorite in our house.  I know, I know…I’ve said a lot of the dishes I make are favorites.  But really…this one is a REAL favorite (after shrimp kelaguen, that is). 😉

I prefer fresh salmon with this recipe.  If you’re in a pinch, canned salmon kelaguen is also tasty, but I still prefer fresh salmon any day.

Give my recipe a try.  If you like sushi, ceviche, or any type of kelaguen, then I know you’ll like this. 😀

Fresh Salmon Kelaguen 

Salmon Kelaguen - Annie's

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds fresh salmon (red salmon, preferably)
  • 4 stalks green onions, sliced
  • The juice of 5-6 limes, more or less, to taste (or you can use lemon powder, mixed with a little bit of water)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, diced
  • Hot pepper, optional

Directions:

1.  Rinse the salmon filet.  Pull out any salmon bones.  Remove the skin, or leave it on if you prefer.  I like the skin removed for kelaguen.

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2.  Cut the salmon into small pieces.

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3.  Thinly slice the green onions.

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4.  Mix the salmon and green onions together in a small bowl.

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5.  Squeeze about 1 cup of lime juice over the salmon and onions.  Sprinkle salt over the mixture; start with about 1 teaspoon.  Stir gently to combine all the ingredients and to dissolve the salt into the lime juice.  Add more or less lime juice and/or salt, to taste.

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6.  Stir in the diced tomatoes.  Optional:  Add hot pepper, as much as you like.  Serve with hot rice or titiyas.  ENJOY!

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Posted in CHAMORRO DISHES, Kelaguen, Roland's Recipes, SEAFOOD

Pot Roast, Chamorro Style

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Whenever I find myself feeling a bit homesick, I think of something to cook that soothes my longing for my island home. Chamorro Pot Roast is one of those dishes. This is a dish that was usually on the menu for Chamorro gatherings. I remember going to parties when I was younger, and before the table was opened, I’d check to see if there was any pot roast. If there was, the ONLY things I’d have on my plate were rice (red or white), pot roast (with as much gravy as I could scoop up), and lots of fina’denne’. These days, I use a crock pot to cook my pot roast. Set it and forget it…what could be easier?

Give my recipe a try.  I think you’ll like it.  🙂  

Chamorro Pot Roast

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Ingredients:

  • 1 2-lb chuck roast (look for one that is nicely marbled with fat)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 whole garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped into large chunks
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (you can use white vinegar instead)
  • 2 tablespoons Dashida seasoning (Korean beef soup stock)
  • 1 teaspoon Accent or Ajinomoto
  • 1 cup water (if cooking this on the stovetop, use 2 cups water)
  • 4 tablespoons corn starch plus one cup water

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Directions:

1.  Place a large skillet or dutch oven over high heat.

2.  Using a long, sharp knife, CAREFULLY cut 8 deep slits into the sides of the roast. Push a whole clove of garlic into each slit.

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3.  Rub the sides of the roast with salt and pepper.

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4.  When the pan is hot, add half of the oil into the pan. Brown the roast on all sides then remove it from the pan and place it into a slow cooker or crock pot set to HIGH.

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5.  Add the remaining oil to the pan used to brown the roast. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.  Add the sautéed onions and garlic to the slow cooker.

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6.  Into the crock pot, add:

the tomatoes with juice…

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the Dashida seasoning…

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the accent or aji…

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the balsamic vinegar…

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the soy sauce…

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and 1 cup of water (see note below) plus any remaining salt and pepper.

NOTE:  If making this on the stovetop, add 2 cups of water instead (a lot of water will evaporate as the roast cooks).

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7.  Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH setting for 2 hours then lower the heat to LOW and cook for an additional 2 hours then turn off the slow cooker.  If cooking this on the stovetop, cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 2 hours.

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8.  When the roast is done, remove the roast to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing (don’t cut it sooner that this or all the juices will flow out and leave your roast dry).

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9.  In the meantime, while the roast is resting, prepare the gravy. Using an immersion blender, purée the chunks of vegetables in the gravy until it is completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer all of the gravy (the liquid and all vegetables) from the slow cooker to a blender and blend until smooth.

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10.  Pour the puréed mixture into a small pot; bring the mixture to a boil.

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11.  Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 1 cup of water.

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Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the gravy and return to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.  Turn off the heat once the gravy has thickened.

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12.  After the roast has rested, use a serrated knife or very sharp carving knife to slice the roast into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.

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Pour gravy over the sliced roast beef.

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Serve with hot white rice and Enjoy!  I love to “drown” my pot roast and rice in lots and lots of gravy!  🙂

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Posted in Beef, CHAMORRO DISHES, Dinner, Easter, MEALS, MEAT, Totche (Meat)

Chamorro Bistek (or Bisteak)

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Bistek (or Bisteak) is a favorite Chamorro dish.  The addition of achote (or annatto) gives a unique flavor, along with the tanginess of the added vinegar.  

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If you have it, I prefer using achote water made with fresh achote seeds.  Fresh is always best, but of course, using achote powder works quite well too.  This is what the packet of achote powder looks like.  As with the Sazon Goya seasonings, achote powder is another item that is commonly found in either the Asian aisle of most grocery stores.  If your local store doesn’t carry it, try looking for it in your local Asian supermarkets.

 

goya achoteIf you don’t have fresh achote seeds or achote powder, you can substitute with Sazón Goya seasoning that contains achote.  This is what the packaging looks like.  It’s a common item in the Hispanic aisle in most grocery stores.

 

 

 

This dish usually includes peas as a main ingredient.  Some think that if you DON’T add peas, it isn’t Bistek, but my family prefers this dish made WITHOUT peas.  We like using fresh or steamed green beans or sugar snap peas instead.  It’s all up to you, really.  With peas (or vegetables, for that matter) or without, it’s still a very tasty dish that is a must-add to your list of menu choices.

Scroll all the way to the bottom to find my recipe.  Give it a try.  I think you’ll like it.  🙂

Chamorro Bistek (or Bisteak)

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Place thinly sliced beef into a large frying pan.  I like to use minute steak for this.

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Add Dashida seasoning, minced garlic, black pepper, and thinly sliced onions.  Stir to combine all the ingredients.  Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned.

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Add to the pan white vinegar and soysauce.  Stir to combine.

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Add water to the pan.  Add more or less water, depending on how much gravy you like.  We like a lot of kådu (gravy)–adding about a cup of water will yield a lot of kådu.  Cook for a couple of minutes–just long enough to reheat the gravy–then stir in achote powder (the achote powder will dissolve better if the liquid is HOT). 

NOTE:  You can substitute the water and achote powder with achote water made using achote seeds.

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Cook for another couple of minutes then stir in fresh or frozen peas (OPTIONAL).  My family actually prefers to use fresh sugar snap peas.  Cook for a few more minutes, or just long enough to either reheat the frozen peas, or to cook the sugar snap peas to your liking (we like it al dente, or cooked but still crisp).  You can also use fresh green beans instead of peas.  In the photo below, I used steamed sugar snap peas.

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After the vegetables are cooked/reheated to your liking, remove the Bistek from the heat and serve with steaming hot white rice.  ENJOY!

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Chamorro Bistek (or Bisteak)

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds thinly sliced beef
  • 4 tablespoons Dashida beef flavored seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup water*
  • 1 packet achote powder*
  • *If using achote seeds, make enough achote water to yield 1 cup
  • Optional:  1 cup frozen or fresh peas, sugar snap peas, or green beans

Directions:

1.  Place the beef, Dashida, garlic, black pepper, and onions in a large pan.  Cook until the beef is browned.

2.  Stir in the vinegar, soy sauce, water and achote powder.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

3.  Stir in your vegetables.  Cook long enough to reheat the vegetables (if frozen), or until the fresh vegetables are cooked to your liking.

4.  Serve with hot white rice and ENJOY!  🙂

 

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Posted in Beef, CHAMORRO DISHES, Dinner, MEALS, MEAT, Totche (Meat) tagged with
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