Dear parents and caregivers! April here helping you relax into motherhood from my tropical island home.
Today we bring Ilocano-inspired flavor to a modernized pinakbet using ingredients familiar to busy families.
Ginisang Pinakbet Tagalog, or “sauteed Tagalog mixed vegetables”, uses the same bounty of greens and pods as traditional pinakbet but with a lighter, more accessible twist. Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones. This quick and easy pinakbet saves time by using precut garden vegetables and shrimp, while still delivering all the classic Filipino flavors moms and kids love. (yeah, debatable but I do succeed in making them eat a few slices at a time)
Ginisang Pinakbet Tagalog is a mixture of Filipino Vegetables but unlike in its original version, there is no Alamang (shrimp paste) or Bagoong (fermented fish) as a flavoring. It is usually sauteed in pork. This version is sauteed in ground beef and I also threw in some small shrimps that I happen to have but this is not necessary.
Instead of shrimp paste or salted fish, our version is seasoned simply with ground beef and common patis (fish sauce). The meat adds a savory depth of flavor while keeping the vegetable stars front and center.
This is also stir-fried, unlike the Pinakbet Ilocano, which is stewed or boiled.
General guidelines for cooking Pinakbet
To make this speedy pinakbet, start by cooking 6 minced garlic cloves and 1 chopped onion in 2 tablespoons oil until fragrant. As Uncle Roger always says, we can never have enough garlic!
Add 1/2 pound ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce) and stir to combine.
Add 1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes.
Add your hearty vegetables like squash, camote, and eggplant and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then stir in the softer greens like sitaw, okra, and ampalaya and cook for 3 minutes more. The trick is not to overcook the vegetables – you want them to remain crisp-tender.
Finally, if desired, scatter chicharon (pork cracklings) on top for extra crunch and umami. Serve the pinakbet immediately with steamed rice and lumpia rolls for a complete Filipino feast.
For a vegan option, simply swap the meat for chopped tofu and use vegetable broth in place of the oil. The tangy sauce and mix of textures will satisfy any pinakbet craving.
Freshness is key! Channel your inner “Finding Nemo” Dory and remember, “Just keep it fresh, just keep it fresh!” Using fresh, locally sourced vegetables is the foundation of an outstanding Pinakbet. In Marinduque, our fields and vibrant markets offer an array of delightful produce.
Pre-cut garden vegetables mix like eggplant, string beans, okra, squash
Buy shrimp already peeled and deveined to save time
Beef or pork belly for flavor
Pantry items
6 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp patis
Instructions
Prepare your vegetables. (I bought the precut ones)
Saute garlic and onions in oil.
Add ground beef and mix until meat is giving off juice. Mix in patis.
Add shrimp.
Add the hard vegetables first (such as squash, camote, etc.). Let cook for 5 minutes.
When almost cooked, add the greens, okra, ampalaya, sitaw). Let cook for 3 minutes. Don’t overcook the vegetables.
You may top with chicharon (pork cracklings) if you wish. Serve.
Notes
Pair with: Serve with steamed rice and lumpia rolls for a classic Filipino meal. Vegan option: Replace meat with chopped tofu. Omit shrimp. Use vegetable broth instead of oil.
This foolproof pinakbet recipe simplifies the cooking process so busy parents can still enjoy classic Filipino vegetable stir fries with their families. Let me know how this quicker spin on pinakbet turns out! For more kitchen shortcuts and hacks, sign up for my newsletter at relaxlangmom.com.
I hope this simple yet satisfying modernized pinakbet brings moments of togetherness to your weary table, mama. Please let me know if you’d like me to adjust or expand on any part of the recipe to better resonate with your needs.
...I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down.
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
