I think I have to say "time out!" from SOME on the list of my cancer prevention regimen, since I have an obligation to fulfill especially to the Diaz side members of my clan, which is to serve the traditional dishes of the clan. I had to temporarily remove the traditional desserts that take long to cook because of the high electricity rate, so I was left with just one traditional dish: Russian Salad.
The recipe was passed by my mother to me, so we assumed it was passed by her mother, the late Remedios Diaz-Balolong. In 1993, I saw an article in Sunday Times Magazine authored by a culinary expert, Benjie Diaz (the sister of Gloria Diaz and Mom's cousin), featuring some dishes for Christmas with recipes, and I was amused to see it included some of our traditional dishes like ham and Russian salad. I didn't bother though to check what ingredients were used in her recipes.
This is the version of my recipe with slight change from the original...
Boil the following until soft enough to be pricked with fork, cool then peel and cube:
1 kilo potatoes
1/2 kilo carrots
1 medium sized sugar beet
100 grams kidney beans (Baguio beans)
150 grams green cabbage
150 grams red cabbage
1 small breast of chicken, boil separately with salt, flake after cubing, removing any bone that may be present
Chop the following:
One small red onion
One small yellow onion
1-2 stalks celery
Mix all the above in a large bowl and add the following:
2/3 to 3/4 of the contents of a 700 ml. Miracle Whip (80% less fat)
2 tsps. pickle relish
1 can medium sized drained pineapple tidbits
3 juiced calamansi (remove the seeds), this serves as preservative
1/2 tbsp. salt
Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and get a portion on a saucer and taste whatever is lacking. Add salt only if lack of it is significant, or mix some more. The taste can change after a while, when the ingredients react with each other. Chill before serving and don't use a bowl that is too large for serving so that a fresh batch from the ref is always served.
The recipe was passed by my mother to me, so we assumed it was passed by her mother, the late Remedios Diaz-Balolong. In 1993, I saw an article in Sunday Times Magazine authored by a culinary expert, Benjie Diaz (the sister of Gloria Diaz and Mom's cousin), featuring some dishes for Christmas with recipes, and I was amused to see it included some of our traditional dishes like ham and Russian salad. I didn't bother though to check what ingredients were used in her recipes.
This is the version of my recipe with slight change from the original...
Boil the following until soft enough to be pricked with fork, cool then peel and cube:
1 kilo potatoes
1/2 kilo carrots
1 medium sized sugar beet
100 grams kidney beans (Baguio beans)
150 grams green cabbage
150 grams red cabbage
1 small breast of chicken, boil separately with salt, flake after cubing, removing any bone that may be present
Chop the following:
One small red onion
One small yellow onion
1-2 stalks celery
Mix all the above in a large bowl and add the following:
2/3 to 3/4 of the contents of a 700 ml. Miracle Whip (80% less fat)
2 tsps. pickle relish
1 can medium sized drained pineapple tidbits
3 juiced calamansi (remove the seeds), this serves as preservative
1/2 tbsp. salt
Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and get a portion on a saucer and taste whatever is lacking. Add salt only if lack of it is significant, or mix some more. The taste can change after a while, when the ingredients react with each other. Chill before serving and don't use a bowl that is too large for serving so that a fresh batch from the ref is always served.
This should be yummy! Serves 10-15 people.
