From Harvest to Table | Seafood Tinola

If you are about to harvest peppers in your backyard, pick the PEPPER LEAVES as well!

Cooking with pepper leaves is not common here in Canada but in the Philippines, the leaves are as valuable as the pepper itself. The most popular dish with pepper leaves is a soup called "TINOLA". Like the adobo, every region is the Philippines has its own version of this comfort food.  

"Tinola" is basically a stew flavoured with onion, garlic, ginger, chicken and of course pepper leaves {lots and lots of it!} The mild and fresh peppery flavour of the green leaves is achieved by adding the leaves to the boiling broth at the end of the cooking process. As I am writing this post, I couldn't help but reminisce the aroma every time I open a steaming pot of "Tinola" .... ahhhh. ... the smell of mom's kitchen in my childhood home!

Since hubby and I are limiting {then hopefully totally eliminating} our meat intake, I used pasta clams and shrimps for my version of "Tinola'. Another twist is the addition of glass noodles, making it a one-pot-meal. 

Seafood Tinola

Ingredients
{good for 2-3 person}

1 tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb size fresh ginger, julienned
10-15 pieces pasta clams, cleaned
10-15 pieces shrimps, peeled and deveined
2-3 cups water or seafood broth {depending how much liquid you prefer in your soup}
1 piece {37 grams} glass noodles [1 pack usually contains 8 pieces]
2 cups fresh pepper leaves
1 sweet banana pepper {optional}
salt and pepper

Procedure

Wash glass noodles in cold water then set aside
Heat oil in a large-sized soup pot
Saute onion and ginger
Once onion is translucent, add garlic and  saute for few more seconds
Add pasta clams and shrimps.
Stir and coat the clams and shrimps with the sauteed onion, garlic and ginger
Add 1/2 cup water or broth
Reduce heat to medium and cover the pot. Let it simmer.
Once pasta clams are open, add glass noodles and stir
Add sweet banana pepper and the remaining water or broth
Seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
Cover the pot and let the noddles cook well {about 2-3 minutes}
Add pepper leaves to the boiling broth
Stir well.
Put the lid back and turn off heat
Let it stand for another 3 minutes or until the leaves are wilted
Serve hot with crusty baguette.

Linking with : Treasure Hunt Thursday
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