GINATAANG SITAW AT KALABASA

I made this "Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa" or "String Beans and Squash cooked in coconut milk" last week which is one of my favorite dish. I like the sweet taste of coconut milk together with the saltiness of fish sauce and the hotness of long green pepper. Actually I cooked this food every month just to be reminded of the taste of the "kakang gata" (first coconut extract). Although there are other dishes which has coconut milk as ingredient, this is the most among my favorite of coconut dishes including "Laing" and "Bicol Express" to name a few.

The basic method of cooking this dish is as simple as A,B,C. It involves either sauteing the garlic, onion and ginger then boiling the rest of the ingredients. Or just simply boiling all the ingredients together till they're done or stewing them. But this is the way I do it which is the simplest, boiling or stewing all the ingredients.

Ingredients:     

3 cups cubed kalabasa (squash) 
3 cups sitaw (string beans) 
¼ kilo pork belly, small cubes 
1 cup first coconut extract 
1 cup 2nd coconuts extract 
¼ cup bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) 
3 long green peppers (siling panggisa) 
1 large onion, chopped / 4 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tbsp. minced ginger 
salt and ground pepper to taste.

Procedures:  

Pour 2nd coconut extract in large pan, add ginger, garlic, pork, onion, bagoong, and pepper. Mince 1 or 2 green peppers if a spicy dish is desired / Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid curdling of coconut cream. Add string beans after another boiling drop the cubed squash into the pan and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Finally add the thick coconut cream or the 1st extract and season with salt and pepper.. Cook until vegetables are done.

HAPPY EATING!!!