Food is one unquestionable topic everyone can talk about- except veggies, it seems. An often debatable viand choice, vegetables are just that one type of food where no one can agree on their worthiness as a genuine favorite or their place as a sole healthy meal to follow a fast food binge. Not all people can enjoy eating them at their basic state- which is why we're here to present you a better and easier way to enjoy eating them.

With a little bit of culinary creativity and practice, you'll see how easy it is to add any flavor to any pure veggie dish. The recipes we have compiled all take less than one hour to prepare and have easily replaceable ingredients with Filipino alternatives.

1. Chop Suey

Background picture: Akis, E. (2019). Eric Akis: Easy-peasy chop suey [Digital picture]. Retrieved from https://www.timescolonist.com/life/eric-akis-easy-peasy-chop-suey-1.23953092

Recipe: Hadice. (n.d.). Vegetable Chop Suey Recipe. Retrieved from https://www.food.com/recipe/vegetable-chop-suey-114625

Many people have surely tasted one of the more well-known Chinese dishes, chop suey. If you are not familiar with it, though, don’t worry. Chop suey is not as taxing to create as it sounds. The key ingredients are surprisingly only a little bit of sauce and stock broth (like chicken or pork broth), which are both common ingredients. As soon as you add them together with your choice of vegetables, the result levels up into an attractive blend of simplicity and flavor. This dish is definitely a good go-to for fast home-cooked meals with little to no high-profile ingredients required.

2. Pinakbet Tagalog

Background picture: Merano,Vanjo. (n.d.). Pinakbet Tagalog Recipe. Retrieved from https://panlasangpinoy.com/pinakbet-tagalog-recipe-knr-sc/

Recipe: Merano,Vanjo. (n.d.). Pinakbet Tagalog Recipe. Retrieved from https://panlasangpinoy.com/pinakbet-tagalog-recipe-knr-sc/

This dish originated from the region of Ilocos but there is also a Tagalog variation of the dish. Pinakbet Tagalog is much like the original recipe, only it uses kalabasa as well, which makes the dish even more nutritious. Also, it uses shrimp bagoong instead of fish bagoong.

3. Sizzling Vegetables

Background picture: Khianey, N. (2019). Sizzling steamed vegetables [Digital picture]. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/378654281160589211/

Recipe: Charishma_Ramchanda. (n.d.). Sizzling Aromatic Vegetarian Sizzler. Retrieved from https://www.food.com/recipe/sizzling-aromatic-vegetarian-sizzler-34323

For the more adventurous foodies who are never satisfied with the natural too-watery taste of veggies, we understand and are here to serve a daring duo of differing but powerful flavors when combined- a sizzling dish of vegetables. Think gambas, but replacing your usual shrimp with a healthier, greener option. Although a slightly more challenging recipe to try than the earlier options, it certainly pays off since it’s a new blend of flaming spice which puts an interesting twist on originally mild-tasting vegetables. We encourage you to try this alluringly strange combo.

4. Adobong Sitaw

Background picture: Merano,Vanjo. (n.d.). Adobong Sitaw Recipe. Retrieved from https://panlasangpinoy.com/adobong-sitaw-string-bean-recipe/

Recipe: Merano,Vanjo. (n.d.). Adobong Sitaw Recipe. Retrieved from https://panlasangpinoy.com/adobong-sitaw-string-bean-recipe/

We’re all familiar with the pambansang ulam: adobo. Adobo often comes in the more known forms of pork adobo or chicken adobo, but unbeknownst to other people, there’s also a healthier option for adobo lovers. Adobong sitaw is made up of string beans, a little meat (or none, if you're a vegan), and the same savory adobo sauce we all love. So the next time you’re craving adobo, try this healthier version instead.

5. Garlic Bokchoy

Background picture: Merano,Vanjo. (n.d.). Bok Choy with Garlic and Oyster Sauce. Retrieved from https://panlasangpinoy.com/bok-choy-with-garlic-and-oyster-sauce/.

Recipe: Merano,Vanjo. (n.d.).Bok Choy with Garlic and Oyster Sauce. Retrieved from https://panlasangpinoy.com/bok-choy-with-garlic-and-oyster-sauce/.

We first encountered this dish one day when we saw it listed in the menu of our very own UPIS canteen. Our first thought was “What is bokchoy?”

Out of curiosity, we bought the dish and to our surprise, it’s really tasty! But again, what is bokchoy anyway? Apparently, bokchoy is just another name for pechay. So if you’re into pechay and garlicky food, this dish is definitely a must-try.

These dishes surely make vegetables more exciting and delicious. So if you want a more enjoyable way to get your veggie fill, try these recipes out in your very own kitchen! If you enjoyed these dishes, do check out panlasangpinoy.com and food.com for more recipes. //by Angelia Albao and Aleana Ria Estilon

Entice. Media Center staff Erika Sasazawa and Ned Pucyutan catch the attention of Grades 1 and 2 students through a colorful visual aid to introduce them to the art of Feature writing. Photo credits: Aleana Estilon

The UPIS Media Center 2020 (MC2020) continued its Balitang K-2 workshop for Grades 1 and 2 students at the UPIS K-2 Building on Monday, November 18.

The Balitang K-2 workshops, which began on October 28, was conducted to grab children's interest in journalism early on in life. The latest workshop focused on feature writing.

The program opened with an icebreaker led by Grade 12 students Erika Sasazawa, Joy Asuncion, Cyñl Tecson, James Tolosa, and Ned Pucyutan. It was used to connect Feature writing with possible favorite topics that the students could write about. The students were shown pictures belonging to various categories they might like and asked to pick their favorite object from them.

The icebreaker led to a quick introduction on Feature writing handled by Sasazawa and Pucyutan. They brushed over the most important components of feature writing such as the types of Feature articles and potential topics they can write about. The students were then given handouts to write and describe their favorite character to integrate them further into the style of feature writing. They were also encouraged by the MC2020 staff to present their chosen characters.

Awardings for the workshop and certificates for participation were given to the students and MC2020 staff respectively by K-2 teachers Ms. Vicka Siddayao and Ms. Sarah Gonzales at the end of the program. //by Aleana Ria Estilon