Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa

Pinoys love eating their veggies especially when it's cooked in coconut milk (gata). They boast of an array of coconut dishes ranging from main courses to desserts. We dearly love our coconuts! We even have a song all about this nut, "The coconut nut is a giant nut, if you eat too much you'll get very fat!" Whenever I sing this song, Claire usually quips "Like Mama Tess?!" (Mama Tess is my beloved mother-in-law who's on the heavy side :)). At home, this dish is usually served during lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

1/4 segment of a whole kalabasa (squash), sliced into squares
2 bundles of sitaw (string beans), cut into 2 inches long strips
1/4 kg pork liempo, sliced into small pieces ( you can substitute shrimps or dilis)
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup patis (fish sauce)
salt and pepper
1 whole large coconut (grated then milked)-First Squeeze (Pure coconut milk-kakang gata) and Second Squeeze (Pour water in grated coconut then squeeze out juice- Pangalawang Piga)


1. Saute garlic and onion until slightly browned and fragrant. Add in the pork pieces and season with salt and peppr. Let it brown a little.

2. Add in the squash and mix in well. Pour in the coconut milk (second squeeze). Let it boil then simmer until squash is half cooked. Add in the string beans. Pour in the first squeeze coconut milk. Add in patis to taste. Let it boil then simmer until veggies are tender.