124 years of Freedom. Thanks to National Heroes like Gat Jose, Gat Andres, Gat Emilio, Gat Apolinario, Gat Marcelo, Tandang Sora, Gabriela Silang, and Lapu-Lapu. (There are still several personages considered as National Heroes that I have not mentioned here. Pardon the non-mention)
Upon waking up to this significant day in history, the song ‘Nosi Ba Lasi’ by Sampaguita kept on playing constantly in my head. And I feel it is quite timely. This song has always had a place in my heart as I resonate with the lyrics. To not care about what others say and to remain true to oneself. People will always have an opinion on things, people and situations, both in the positive and negative light. So, as long as you know you are not causing any harm, be true to yourself!
This is what I consider as Freedom. And sampaguita being the National Flower of the Philippines, I just had to smile to myself. Me and how my brain works. Hah.
And to celebrate this day, I am sharing one of my go-to dishes. It’s a relatively easy recipe, but definitely not quick to prepare. The ingredients scream Filipino, or what I prefer to call ‘Katutubo’. The process is somewhat similar to how our heroes fought for freedom. It took time (patience), effort and a whole lot of grit and courage.
The dried taro leaves, from harvesting, to drying, to transportation to soaking, to the coconut cream that needs grating and squeezing and the preparation of the dried shiitake, all these steps need patience and perseverance. Just like how our national heroes persevered in their fight for freedom!
I believe that this taro dish is more katutubo compared to adobo, which came from the adobado of the Spaniards. But this is just me.
This vegan Laing (taro leaves in coconut cream) is gluten and soy free. Packed with umami flavor of the shiitake with the saltiness of black beans, the added heat of red chillies blend well with the creaminess of the coconut cream. A perfect prep ahead dish which is great to make on a weekend.
I usually double or triple the batch, let it cool and then pack them in single serve containers for freezing. If prepared and frozen properly, this dish can keep in the freezer for 3 months. Although it never lasted this long in this woman’s freezer as I tend to have a theme with my food cravings and intake. LOL.
You can serve this with black rice or rice of choice or turn it into a noodle dish. Aherm. Me and my love for noodles knows no bounds.AT.ALL. Top it with some crispy kangkong, or vegan okoy (Filipino vegetable fritters). And if you do not have any aversion to tofu, fried tofu or tofu puffs is also a good topping.
Time to test your patience and perseverance and get that hot booty of yours in the kitchen to create this Katutubo vegan Laing, Amrey-style. And to stick to today’s celebration, listen to some songs by Asin or Sampaguita! Remember, sharing is loving. Kindly give me a shoutout on IG @amreyskitchen if you decide to make this dish and share your amazing photos!
Let’s keep on spreading LOVE with an Amrey’s kitchen treat and keep on #GREENing.EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!
*current playlist whilst writing: ASIN*
Happy cooking, lovelies!
Amrey's Kitchen 