From the 1970s to the present, Victorias Foods Products remain one of the brands of well-loved food products in the province. Made in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, the quality of their products has remained the same all these years. Aside from eating them as they are, Victorias Food Products also figure in some all-time favorites like pasta and other snack items. Here are four of them, as featured in A Taste of Negros cooking demo.

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A Taste of Negros: Recipes Using Victorias Foods Products

Negros Occidental is known for its rich culture strongly influenced by the Spanish times. We love the laidback life, the arts, good food, our siestas, and long hours of conversations with family friends.

With A Taste of Negros campaign, we got four new recipes that we could try at home using Victorias Foods Products. VFC partnered with two prominent Negrense personalities–Ms. Reena Gamboa and rising start, Chef Don Colmenares.

They held the event at the Casa A. Gamboa in Silay City.

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Negrense Recipes from Ms. Reena Gamboa

Ms. Reena Gamboa now runs the Casa A. Gamboa, their ancestral home in Silay City, Negros Occidental that she has turned into a bed and breakfast.

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She remembers her childhood in this house and the gatherings held there as well as the food they prepared. Among them are these two easy recipes that could be easily added to a party menu.

Of course, these two recipes feature the use of two famous Victorias Foods Products. Here, Ms. Reena will use Victorias Bangus Spanish Style Sardines and Victorias Cooked Ham.

Bangus Dip (Bangus Pate)

The bangus dip featuring the Victorias Bangus Spanish Style Sardines may be served as an appetizer or topping for canapes during parties. Or it can simply be a snack. Serves 15 and goes well with white wine.

Ingredients:

• 4 cans Victorias Bangus Spanish Style Sardines
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsps. pickle relish
• Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Procedure:

• Drain the bangus sardines of excess oil. Using a fork, mash the bangus in a bowl. If it is too dry, moisten the fish with some of the oil you drained.

• Add the parmesan cheese, onions, pickle relish, and black pepper. Mix well.

• Stir in the mayonnaise and chill before serving.

• Serve with soda crackers, pita, bread, or toasted pizza dough.

Tortilla de Patata con Hamon

Ms. Reena remembers eating a lot of tortilla de patata when she was still a child, as this was usually served at their home. She says that this can also be made using Victorias Smoked Bacon. Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 diced onion
• 1 kilo potatoes, sliced across
• 8 pcs. eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• 5 slices of Victorias Cooked Ham

Procedure:

• In a non-stick pan, heat the butter and fry the onions and potatoes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

• Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt. Add the Parmesan cheese and potatoes and mix well.

• In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and turn on heat to medium.

• Spread half of the egg and potato mixture then layer the slices of Victorias Cooked Ham on top. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and egg mixture.

• Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or when peeking at the bottom layer shows the omelet starting to brown.

• Remove the pan from heat and cover with a large plate. Flip the pan so that the omelet will land upside down on the plate. Then return the pan on the stove and slide the omelet back. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until set.

• Slice and serve hot with catsup or sofrito.

Recipes by Chef Don Colmenares

Chef Don Colmenares, owner of Berbeza Bistro in Bacolod, comes from a prominent Negrense clan. He showed us how to make Pasta de Sarde and Empanada, a Negrense favorite that’s famously made in Silay. In both his recipes, Chef Don used Victorias Foods Products as the main ingredients.

Pasta di Sarde

This dish may sound Italian but its main protein is the Victorias Hot Sardines and some queso de bola. Here’s Chef Don’s take on this along with a tip to make it more premium for those special intimate dinners.

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Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 tsps. capers, drained and chopped finely
• 1 bottle Victorias Hot Sardines
• Bay leaf
• 1 tsp. Victorias Refined Sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup queso de bola, grated
• Salt
• Any pasta of your choice, cooked al dente

Procedure:

• Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic until aromatic. Add the capers and cook, stirring, for a few more seconds.

• Add in the Victorias Hot Sardines (which can be whole or sliced). Put in the bay leaf and sugar. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to your taste.

• Toss in the cooked pasta over medium heat for a few minutes.

• Remove from heat, squeeze some lemon juice, mix well, and plate.

• Sprinkle with grated queso de bola on top and serve hot.

Serving Tip: You may serve the pasta on a plate with a whole sardines on the side. Or sprinkle some fish roe on top for that bright orange highlight. It tastes good and makes the dish more special.

Bangus Empanada

Empanada is a famous snack here in Negros Occidental. It is like a turnover except that it’s fried and usually filled with ground pork and vegetables.

But instead of pork, Chef Don used the Victorias Bangus Spanish Style Sardines as the main protein. And it did really sit well! Glad that I was able to try it during the Victorias Foods Cookoff.

Ingredients for the Empanada Dough

• Flour
• Water
• Oil
• Baking soda
• Salt

For the Empanada Filling

• 1 bottle Hot Victorias Bangus
• 1/4 cup carrots (sliced into small cubes and boiled)
• 1/4 cup potatoes (sliced into small cubes and boiled)
• 2 Tbsps. raisins
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 Victorias Bacon (cooked until crispy)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

How Make the Bangus Empanada

• Start with the dough. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead until smooth. Set aside with a plastic cover on to prevent it from drying out while you prepare the filling.

• For the filling, drain the excess oil from the Victorias Bangus Spanish-Style Sardines. Place them in a bowl and mash lightly with a fork to produce big chunks of bangus. Do not overdo the mashing.

• Add the rest of the ingredients into the bangus and season to taste.

Stuffing the Empanada

• Make individual portions of the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough to your desired size.

• Put enough filling in the middle and fold the dough over. Seal the edges using water as a glue or fold the edges in a nice fan design. Just make sure that you have sealed your empanada well so that it won’t get destroyed during frying.

• After you have wrapped everything, heat oil in a deep pan. Keep the heat on medium (160°C). Deep fry the empanadas until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on top of a cooling rack or paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Where to Get Victorias Food Products

In Negros Occidental, Victorias Foods Products are available in most supermarkets and groceries.

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Export-quality products of Victorias Foods Corporation. Made in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, Philipppines.