As much as possible, I always make sure that my family eats healthy foods on weekends. These are the only times when I can cook without hurrying for work and can choose recipes that fit my mood. 😂🤣
This morning, during my routine weekend hike, I came across a stall in our market that sells pure coconut milk, and it felt like I wanted some creamy and milky viand for breakfast. I checked the fridge before I left and found some slices of Tulingan (Bullet Tuna). I bought half a kilo of coconut milk and went home.
I took the Tulingan out of the fridge, and I started to work in the kitchen while the kids were still sleeping. I had never tried the idea I had in mind. I used to cook ginataang tilapia, but never tried tulingan yet. So this recipe was an experiment, actually. 🤣😁
Recipe: Fish & Eggplant Stew in Coconut Milk Ingredients: 1/2 kg of sliced Tolingan (Bullet Tuna) 1/2 kg pure coconut milk 3 pieces medium-sized eggplant 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 medium onion (chopped) 1 medium-sized bell pepper 1 medium-sized ginger (chopped) 1 piece of tomato A few pieces of siling labuyo A dash of salt A pinch of monosodium glutamate 1/2 cup water
Method of Cooking: 1.) Fry the tulingan slices and set them aside.
2.) Wash the eggplants thoroughly and cut them horizontally.
**3.) Wash and prepare the spices as they are described in the ingredients section of this recipe.
4.) Grab a cooking pot, and arrange the eggplant at the bottom of the pot.
5.) Layer the fried fish on top of the eggplant slices, followed by the rest of the ingredients, excluding the coconut milk.
6.) Cover the cooking pot and cook it over medium fire for 5 minutes, ensuring that the eggplants at the bottom are well-cooked.
7.) Remove the cover of the pot and add the pure coconut milk. Simmer for a minute or two and remove from the fire. Make sure not to overcook the coconut milk, or it will turn into oil.
8.) In a bowl, serve the savory and creamy fish and eggplant stew and enjoy.**
🍲 Nutrition Highlights: Fish & Eggplant Stew in Coconut Milk
✅ Protein-rich – from tuna (for muscle repair & energy) ✅ Healthy fats – from coconut milk (for energy & satiety) ✅ Fiber – from eggplant and vegetables (for digestion) ✅ Vitamins – A, C, B-complex, and B12 (for immunity & energy) *✅ Minerals – iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium (for blood, nerves & bones)*
So overall, this dish is protein-rich, has healthy fats from coconut milk, and is boosted with fiber, vitamins, and minerals from the vegetables.
We had a very healthy and delicious breakfast, which we enjoyed together. The dull and dry fried fish that we usually do with our tulingan was upgraded into something new and savory. The kids loved it more than the usual fried tulingan.
In the end, this recipe turned out to be more than just food. It was a new way of enjoying tulingan, a healthier dish for my family, and a fun experiment that worked. Cooking without hurry gave me time to be creative, and sharing it with my kids made it even more special. Weekends may be short, but meals like this make them truly worth remembering.