Recipes that are sure to welcome Nutrition Month in a hearty, delicious, and nutritious way!
Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) is thrilled to present dishes throughout nutrition month that will pack July full of flavor without sacrificing the nutritional content of any meal. The combination of superfoods with the umami flavor—one of the basic five tastes, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter—would be a match made in heaven for obtaining the ideal amount of nutrients while also indulging in such delectable cuisine. The word “umami” in Japanese refers to a flavorful, savory taste. It is sometimes described as a savory, meaty goodness that enhances the flavor of each bite.
Gourmet cuisine is frequently described as flavorful and delectable, but can the same be said of superfoods? Though flavor-wise, these food kinds are not as well-liked, they do offer other advantages such as nutrients that prevent heart disease and cancer-fighting capabilities. If you’re wondering why they’re so frequently referred to as “superfoods,” it’s because they have more benefits than merely satisfying hunger. Superfoods are rich in fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants that support and feed your body, according to study.
Luckily here in the country, these superfoods are easy to find, convenient to grow, and readily available anywhere. Considering that here in the Philippines, there is always a local store or sari-sari store that carry them as products. Examples of these superfoods found locally are moringa leaves or known locally as malunggay, guava, or bayabas, calamansi, sitaw, pomelo or suha among many others.
With all these superfoods found ready and available locally, there’s just no excuse not to live a life where you’re not able to Eat Well and Live Well. Just be sure that you are well stocked with these superfoods!
Here are some recipes you can use for your next family meal, baon at work, or even just a simple dish preparation to satisfy your random cravings.
Orange Tofu with SARSAYA® Oyster Sauce
Those who love the Chinese restaurant staple orange chicken or lemon chicken are in for a treat with this recipe! You can begin with your sliced tofu cubes as you coat them with cornstarch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Make sure to coat all sides! That will ensure that perfect crunch! Afterwards, you may now concoct your special orange sauce by heating cooking oil and sautéing the garlic. Add orange juice and our SARSAYA® OYSTER SAUCE, give it a whisk until well incorporated. Add cornstarch and water mixture to thicken sauce and set aside.
Now we make our tofu crispy! In a deep pan, heat oil and deep fry coated tofu cubes until crunchy. Finally, we mix cooked tofu onto the orange saucepan. Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions. Then transfer this perfect meat alternative dish onto a serving plate and enjoy!
Cheese and Malunggay Fish Fillet Rolls
Ah, a fried dish that everyone will surely find joy in preparing and devouring. Who doesn’t like fried rolls? It’s time you add Cheese and Malunggay Fish Fillet Rolls to your mastered recipes because this dish was made for people of all ages. Your cooking adventure begins by seasoning cream dory with garlic, ginger, AJI-GINISA®, parsley, and lemon. Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes. Our cream dory fish filets will absorb the meaty-gisa taste from our AJI-GINISA®. Once you’re through with the first step, it’s now time to roll by placing mozzarella and malunggay leaves in the middle of the fish filets and roll. Time to get that crunch! To achieve this, you must make sure that you coat fish filet rolls with flour, egg then breadcrumbs well, before your last and final step, deep fry, and serve! Now fried food lovers have their own favorite sauce pairing, and with this dish, ketchup, mustard, or maybe even sweet & sour sauce should do it!
Tamarind for souring agent? Done that. Vinegar as a sour base? Love that. But do you know what special souring agent you can try? Ripe guava or hinog na bayabas is waiting to be your grand champion for these types of dishes! But we’re sharing an exclusive tip for you guys, sour soups or bases can be leveled up by adding AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning! To prepare, begin by boiling water in a pot. Place ripe guava, tomato, and whole peppercorn and cook until you can mush it with fork. Add the bangus to the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Add fish sauce then boil for another 5 minutes. Drop the okra, green chillies, and kangkong leaves to the pot. Season with AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. Finally, close the lid and let it rest for 5 minutes before transferring onto a serving bowl for everyone to savor!
Umami and superfoods are indeed a formidable pair for meals that are supposed to make you feel good and nourish your body. These recipes are up to you to modify, and you can do it even after Nutrition month because superfoods are abundant in our homeland, and Ajinomoto products that carry the umami flavor are definitely easy to find, it’s so easy that even your nearest sari-sari store or community store has it.
In honor of the global commemoration of Nutrition Month, APC would like to share with you some simple dishes that we hope will become a regular feature in your home. Naturally, with a personal touch! Philippines, happy Nutrition Month!
Go to Cookmunity by Ajinomoto Philippines for additional recipes. For further updates, you can also get in touch with us on Facebook and Tiktok.
To learn more, visit www.ajinomoto.com.
