Mongo Guisado Style Stew

Boston Strong. Just quickly, I'd like to give a shout out to the cities of Boston & Watertown who have been so resilient throughout the past week. Also if I could I'd hug every single law enforcement official who worked tirelessly since the explosions putting their lives on the line for the safety of the people. Condolences to those lost and injured from the attack. 

 I rejoice with you all as I was glued to the TV as well as twitter for hours following the coverage of the manhunt up until the very end as they captured the perpetrator. 

Cheers to Boston!

Visit the American Red Cross website for details on you can help the victims of Boston, Texas, as well as those in my home state of Illinois who recently experienced historic mass flooding.

^_^

No excuse. So it's been quite some time since I last blogged. To be honest, inspiration has eluded me. I know that's no excuse. Inspiration is everywhere if you just look.

With a new educational adventure to be had in just less than a month, I decided to post not only one of my favorite Filipino dishes (I seem to say that about every one I've posted so far bahaha), BUT an amazingly healthy dish that I also find quite comforting for those long nights of studying as well as traveling. .  It not only does the soul good, but the body as well.


Some health benefits of mongo (mung) beans include, but are not limited to the following:

• Low in cholesterol, high in dietary fiber
• Low glycemic index for those with diabetes or are moderating sugar intake
• Contains protease inhibitors, which work to prevent tumors from forming
• Great source of protein 
• Contains high amounts of potassium and very low sodium which is ideal for controlling blood pressure.

Preference. I've seen this mongo dish cooked many different ways. I've seen it in more of a soupy consistency. I've seen it cooked with shrimp. I've seen it used with different greens (more commonly spinach). My dad cooks this with collard greens as well, but my favorite so far has been kale. I also prefer this dish to be slightly thicker--almost like a stew, so if you're Filipino and you come across this post, you're probably thinking "Whaat??" lol If that's the case, go ahead and add more broth or water to thin it out a bit.

Mongo Guisado Style Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Cups (or 1 package) green mongo beans (mung)
• 1 medium sized onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1-2 Cups pork diced
• 1 tomato chopped
• 3-4 Cups kale chopped
• 4 Cups water or broth
• 1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
• pinch of pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Cook mongo beans in boiling water until tender. Separate 1/2 Cup of cooked beans in a bowl and mash (to thicken stew).
2. In a sauce pot, saute onions and garlic in some canola oil over medium-high heat. Add pork and continue sauteeing. Once pork is no longer pink. Add water, patis, kale, and beans.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and continue to simmer until desired thickness is reached.

Serve over white (or brown) rice or alone. Enjoy!

Get Your Feast On!