Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon

I started Nashville Filipino Restaurant in 2103 primarily as a hobby. I love writing and cooking and combining the two into an online journal seemed the natural thing to do. Through God’s grace and your continued support over the years, the blog grew in wonderful ways I could have only imagined, but as it evolved into a business, my creative process has sort of shifted. My posts turned from personal with anecdotes of life and family to practical with cooking tips and keyword targeting.

I am not sure if that’s a bad thing because you’re here for the recipes and not for my narratives. I know providing the history of the dish or adding helpful kitchen hacks is better for user experience than talking about how Norman Reedus is the tastiest, I mean, the sexiest man on the planet.

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Still, I miss interacting with you on a more intimate level, kind of like two friends sitting down over coffee sharing tales of triumph, adventure or heartache (with me doing the most talking, unfortunately). So, today, I’m putting this ginisang munggo at sotanghon I first published on June 16, 2014, back on the forefront not so much for the recipe but the story.  Please humor me. It’s going to be a long read.

Betrayal by someone who meant the world is always a dark and consuming emotion, so I am grateful for all of who felt the feeling with me. Most of you commended me for being able to forgive and look past the hurt. Although I’d like to agree with you and believe I am a good person for being able to do so, I think the ability to forgive completely does not come from being good but from being happy. I am in a better place, I love and am loved by a better man so letting go of the one who wronged me is easy. You can choose to be bitter and vindictive or choose to rise above it and find peace.

Here’s the old post as I wrote it four years ago. Thank you for listening.

Leche flan is my most trafficked and commented recipe on Kawaling Pinoy. Is it a good recipe? Yes. As I’ve said, it is the smoothest, creamiest flan you’ll ever have the pleasure of trying. Is it unique? Not really. There are hundreds of versions online which are, if not the same, very similar. What is its draw? I am guessing it was the his(her)story behind it.

The story is a story anyone can relate. It had all the juicy stuff of divorce, loss, heartbreak and eventual healing. Did I share it for visits and pageviews? No. Those were raw moments, from cooking the flan to writing down the recipe. If I may quote Rose Kennedy, “It has been said,  time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.” I told you my story because I needed a space to place the grief that lingers.

All through the last five years of the crumbling marriage we were trying to rebuild, I kept hounding my (now ex) husband to admit if he fathered a child with the woman he had an affair with but he was adamant in his denials. Although I had nothing concrete to stand my suspicions on and I desperately needed to believe him,  the nagging fear was relentless and felt very real.

We were divorced less than a year when I eventually found my bitter answer on…wait for it…Facebook! The brute did have a child. Outside of our marriage. During our marriage. You know how it is, a mutual friend comments on a picture on Facebook and it appears on our news feed. Well, there it was, a picture of his then five-year-old boy with a caption “my junior” to seal the deal.

Lord, that was tough! My knees buckled under my feet. My heart jumped to my throat. Then I turned mad. Enraged. I wanted to slap the little mongrel silly and beat the hell out his dad. But the beauty of life is, it evolves, and along with it, feelings change. With a bit of time and a lot of tears, we make it even through the cruelest situations. After a while, we learn to treat ourselves better than the past did.

I regularly see pictures of his boy now. My knees no longer buckle under my feet. My heart no longer jumps to my throat. I no longer want to slap the now eight-year-old mongrel silly. Nor do I longer want to beat the hell out of his dad. In fact, I think the rugrat looks adorable. I actually am happy for my ex.

In forgiving, I have devoid him of the power to hurt me. There is nothing more in this world he can do to devastate me.

In honor of a man who was a lousy husband but a great dad, I cooked ginisang munggo at sotanghon on Father’s day. Ginisang munggo at chicharon was how we preferred these mung beans prepared, but occasionally, he would request that I cooked munggo the way his mother did when he was growing up, with minced shrimp and cellophane noodles.

Munggo, in themselves, are cheap peasant fare. Chopping the shrimp into bite-sized pieces and adding sotanghon are ingenious ways to extend servings further.

Try this tonight; it’s hearty, tasty and the ultimate comfort food!

4 from 1 vote

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Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon

Prep Time

15mins

Cook Time

1hr20mins

Total Time

1hr35mins

Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon made extra delicious nashville filipino food with cellophane noodles and minced shrimp. It's hearty, budget-friendly and tasty served with steamed rice.

Course:Main Entree

Cuisine:Filipino

Servings: 6Servings

Calories: 238kcal

Author: Lalaine

Ingredients

• 2ouncessotanghon
• 1cupdried munggo (mung beans), washed and drained
• 2quartswater
• 1tablespooncanola oil
• 1medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 3clovesgarlic, peeled and minced
• 1large tomato, chopped
• 1tablespoonfish sauce
• 1/2poundshrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1bunchfresh spinach, stems trimmed
• salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a bowl, soak sotanghon in warm water for about 1 to 2 minutes or until just softened. Drain well and set aside.

2. In a pot over medium heat, combine beans and water. Bring to a boil, skimming off the froth that accumulates and beans that float on top. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 1 hour or until beans are softened, and skins have burst.

3. In another pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and onions and cook until tender and aromatic.

4. Add tomatoes and cook, mashing with the back of a spoon, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until softened and release juice.

5. Add shrimp and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until color changes to pink.

6. Add fish sauce and continue to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Add cooked mung bean including liquid. Bring to a boil.

8. Add sotanghon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are translucent. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

9. Add spinach, turn off heat and cover pot for about 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach are just wilted. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts

Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g5%

Cholesterol 95mg32%

Sodium 597mg25%

Potassium 866mg25%

Total Carbohydrates 34g11%

Dietary Fiber 7g28%

Sugars 3g

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A110.5%

Vitamin C28.8%

Calcium17.7%

Iron27.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.