Kitchen

A Twist on Family Favorites: 3 Easy and Heartwarming Vermicelli Recipes

by Diane Go
May 28, 2024

Amid bustling lifestyles, renowned cookbook author Nina Daza-Puyat shares easy and heartwarming recipes that invite families to slow down, gather, and savor.

This story appeared in the Modern Parenting Mother’s Day and Father’s Day May 2024 issue.

The hustle and bustle of modern lives call our constant attention. It’s easy to get swept up in a whirlwind amid hectic day-to-day routines, endless work obligations, and keeping households in shape.

That said, there is a welcome respite in preparing home-cooked meals for our families. Beyond sustenance, this age-old practice serves as the cornerstone of familial connection, love, and well-being, as our kitchens become the sanctuary where recipes come to life. More than a chore, cooking can be therapeutic and healing — even more so when it comes to preparing a dish from scratch.

Whether guided by a recipe or our intuition, we pour our heart and soul into each process as we rhythmically chop vegetables, simmer sauces, and fire up the grills.

Choosing only the best

The process of cooking is an art form in itself and starts with choosing ingredients — even the very act is deliberate. After all, our family’s best interests take precedence, and we have to give them the best of what we can provide.

Heritage brand Sapporo Products Inc. understands this need well. The company has established its name as the country’s premiere manufacturer and distributor of quality vermicelli, pancit canton, spaghetti, and bihon.

Borrowing from shared traditions, Sapporo believes that great noodles can bring everyone together at the table while fostering the spirit of human connection, happiness, and peace through the shared experience of a delicious meal.

Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli, the brand’s flagship product, is proof. Developed in 1991, these versatile noodles are gluten-free and Halal-approved, as their familiar taste and supple texture make them a well-loved favorite among people of all ages.

But more than its ease of cooking, the Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli comes in eco-friendly packaging that is not only good for the environment but also good for home cooks and kitchen mavericks, who can easily store their noodles after use.

In the true spirit of Sapporo’s commitment to culinary excellence, renowned cookbook author and former Appetite Editor-in-Chief Nina Daza-Puyat shares her take on family favorites that make these noodles shine. With her expertise and passion for flavors, Nina elevates the humble vermicelli into family favorites that can be easily prepared and enjoyed with loved ones.

Garlic Shrimp Vermicelli using Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli — *Garlic Shrimp Vermicelli*

Spicy Bulalo Noodle Soup using Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli — *Spicy Bulalo Noodle Soup*

Lumpia Bags With Black Bean Vinegar using Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli — *Lumpia Bags With Black Bean Vinegar*

Garlic Shrimp Vermicelli

Now part of many home-cooked meals, Nina shares with Modern Parenting that this recipe “bubbled up in my head when I served gambas with chorizo to my family one Sunday night.”

“I served it with slices of baguette so we could sop up the sauce, but I also served it with rice because we eat it as a viand, too,” she explains. “I drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil just before serving and since it was extra saucy, I thought that it could also be a pasta sauce. Why not, right? I made a mental note to do that next time.”

Taking this idea with her, she made a comforting and hearty dish that the family could enjoy. “It was a bold idea, but it was worth a try. Using the shrimp shells and heads, I made sure to prepare a strong shrimp stock to fortify the flavors,” she adds. I relied on Spanish paprika, garlic, and red bell peppers to keep the Spanish elements going, and surprisingly, it worked!”

“I was pleasantly surprised and, of course, proud to have created a fusion Asian noodle dish,” she says, adding that the recipe for success is to also “buy fresh-from-the-market shrimp — not frozen, processed shrimp.”

Ingredients:

SEASONED SHRIMP:

½ kilo fresh shrimp* (small or medium-sized)
½ tsp. rock salt
¼ tsp. Spanish paprika
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 small bundles Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli

SHRIMP STOCK:

1 tsp. olive oil
Shrimp heads and shells
4 cups water

SAUTÉ MIX:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, chopped
1 finger pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste

GAMBAS SAUCE BASE:

4 cups shrimp stock
¼ tsp. Spanish paprika
¾ tsp. rock salt
2 Tbsps. fish sauce (patis)
A dash of hot sauce
A dash of liquid seasoning
4 small bundles Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli, soaked in water
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Fried garlic, to garnish

Procedures:

Peel and devein the fresh shrimp. Reserve shells for stock. Season peeled shrimp with rock salt, Spanish paprika, garlic powder, and olive oil. Set aside until ready to cook.
Soak the Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli bundles in a bowl of water for 15 minutes.
Make the shrimp stock. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil in a saucepan. Toss in shrimp shells and cook until shells turn orange. Add 4 cups water. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. When done, pour into a strainer to remove shells and reserve shrimp stock.
Make the base for the gambas sauce. Heat olive oil in a large wok. Toss in chopped garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Pour out the garlic into a strainer and return the olive oil to the pan.
Toss in red bell peppers, finger chili, and red pepper flakes. Next, add tomato paste and cook for a minute.
Next, add the shrimp. Pour in shrimp stock. Season with Spanish paprika, salt, hot sauce, and liquid seasoning.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the soaked Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid.
Transfer cooked noodles to a platter and garnish with fried garlic and chopped fresh parsley.

Spicy Bulalo Noodle Soup

Bulalo is a well-loved, comforting Filipino dish that has graced many family meals. While seemingly simplistic with slow-cooked beef broth paired with chunks of beef and a medley of vegetables, it is hearty as it is nourishing — evoking fond memories of home.

Elevating the classic broth with a twist, Nina borrows elements from pho, a Vietnamese noodle dish that she loves. “I like how one has to customize their bowl with bean sprouts, fresh mint, fresh basil, cilantro leaves, fresh chilies, a squeeze of lime, and a squirt each of hoisin sauce and Sriracha chili sauce,” she shares fondly. “There are a lot of complex and layered flavors going on, compared to our simple beef nilaga or beef bulalo.”

“I thought of experimenting with beef bulalo by introducing noodles, a squeeze of lime, and a spicy patis condiment on the side,” Nina explains. “Filipino families, after all, love our calamansi-patis–siling labuyo combo as sawsawan anyway.”

That way, the humble Filipino bulalo is heartier. “I decided to keep this dish more Filipino than Vietnamese. Using beef shanks simmered for three and a half hours, I made a bold but clean-tasting beef broth to provide a solid base for the noodles,” she says of the cooking process.

“For color and texture, I kept the yellow corn and cabbage in the mix so that the dish is still recognizable as a bulalo. The Spicy Patis Dipping Sauce is very close to the usual Pinoy sawsawan, although instead of calamansi, I suggest [using] lime to brighten up the dish.”

Ingredients:

SOUP BASE:

2 slices beef shank
5 onions, peeled and quartered
2 stalks onion leeks, sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
2 finger chilies, halved
10 cups water
1½ Tbsps. rock salt
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 cobs yellow sweet corn
3 bundles Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli, soaked in water for 15 minutes
2 Tbsps. fish sauce (patis)
¼ head cabbage, sliced thinly

SPICY PATIS DIPPING SAUCE:

1 green finger chili, sliced
2 red chilies, sliced
1 whole lime, squeezed
¼ cup fish sauce (patis)
2 Tbsps. water
1 Tbsp. sugar

Procedures:

First, make the soup base. Place the beef shanks in a large pot. Add the onions, onion leeks, tomatoes, and finger chilies. Pour in 10 cups of tap water. Season with rock salt and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil and cover the lid. Simmer for 3 hours, minimum.
When done, remove the beef. Strain out the solid aromatics, reserving the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce (patis) as needed.
Add the corn on the cob and Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli in the pot, then simmer for another 10 minutes.
To make the Spicy Patis Dipping Sauce, mix the green and red chilies, lime juice, fish sauce (patis), water, and sugar.
Add shredded cabbage, and then turn off the heat. Serve the Spicy Bulalo Noodle Soup piping hot with the Spicy Patis Dipping Sauce.

Lumpia Bags With Black Bean Vinegar

Filipino family gatherings always feature the well-loved lumpia. A dish that spans many generations with just as many iterations, these rolls are packed full of meat and vegetables, then rolled up before being deep-fried in oil until the exterior changes into a lovely golden brown.

Nina gives this humble classic a modern take that she is sure families will love. Taking inspiration from a beloved restaurant in Malate, Manila, she made these rolls into neat little balls — reminiscent of the popular dish served in the late 1980s called Sipa.

“The lumpia bags concept was inspired by the childhood game of ‘sipa,’” Nina recalls. “We used to have a group of foodie friends called The Thursday Club — headed by Nancy Reyes — and this was one of those simple dishes that stood out because of its unique shape. It was obviously a lumpia that was just rolled differently but was more fun to eat!”

For her take, however, she makes an affordable version that uses less meat but can feed just as many people. “The noodles act as an extender and since it’s a starch, it makes it very filling. Imagine, this recipe only calls for one-fourth kilo of ground pork, and yet it can easily feed seven to eight persons!”

“Apart from the usual Lumpiang Shanghai filling of chopped carrots, singkamas (turnip), and spring onions, I added chopped dried Chinese mushrooms to give the filling heft and fragrance, and also some mashed tofu for added protein and bulk,” she adds.

But what is a lumpia without an accompanying sauce? Nina details, “I created a special dipping sauce for the lumpia bags using a black bean garlic sauce, but really, it can be enjoyed even with a spiced vinegar or a bottled sweet chili sauce.”

Gleefully, she adds, “I just found out that Wok Inn in Malate still exists and they still serve Sipa!”

Ingredients:

FILLING:

1 Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli bundle, soaked in water for 15 minutes, cooked
5 pcs. dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water until rehydrated
¼ k. ground pork
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped water chestnuts or singkamas (turnip)
½ cup chopped spring onions
2 pcs. square tokwa, mashed and mixed with 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 egg
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
30 pcs. lumpia wrappers

FOR TYING:

1 bundle spring onions, blanched
3 cups cooking oil, for frying

BLACK BEAN-VINEGAR DIP:

2 Tbsps. black bean garlic sauce
¼ cup cane vinegar
¼ cup water
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 clove garlic, grated

Procedures:

First, soak the bundle of Sapporo Long Kow Vermicelli in a bowl of tap water for 15 minutes. Simmer noodles in a pot of hot water for 10 minutes until cooked. Cut the noodles with scissors to shorten the strands, then pour them into a strainer, then let them cool.
Next, rehydrate dried Chinese mushrooms in a bowl of hot water. Cover the bowl and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes until mushrooms are fully hydrated. Cut off the stems then chop caps to make about ⅓ to ½ cup.
Make the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground pork, chopped carrots, singkamas (turnip), spring onions, chopped rehydrated mushrooms and mashed tofu. Add cooled and mix well.
Add egg, then season the mixture with soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
When the noodles are completely cooled, add to the pork mixture and mix well. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to fry.
When ready to cook, peel off the lumpia wrappers one by one. Place 2 Tbsps. of the filling in the center, gather the edges of the wrapper, and twist at the neck to seal. Tie bags with spring onion leaves. Repeat until all the filling is used up.
Heat cooking oil in a wok, about with oil about 3 inches deep. Fry the lumpia bags for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Set on a wire rack or paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot and crispy with Black Bean Vinegar Dip or Sweet Chili Sauce.
To make the Black Bean Vinegar Dip, combine Black Bean Garlic Sauce, vinegar, water, sugar, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Enjoy!

To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day and Father’s Day 2024 Print Edition—available on sarisari.shopping. Download the e-magazine from Readly or Press Reader for more exclusive features and stories.

Words DIANE NICOLE GO

Photography KIM SANTOS of KLIQ, INC.

Food Stylist NINA DAZA-PUYAT

Sittings Editor DIANE NICOLE GO assisted by SHEM BARINAGA

Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA, SAMANTHA ABIERA, MAE SICAT, and SHEM BARINAGA