Ginisang Upo (Bottle Gourd)

I bought 2 bottle gourds at the Asian store in Fort Worth when hubby and I went there last week. I cooked it a few days ago and hubby and I ate it with rice. I cooked it with ground beef and not pork because I removed pork in our diet more than 2 years ago. My nutritionist told me that pigs are scavengers and so pork is not good for our health. Anyways, the ginisang upo that I cooked was good though it was not as good as my aunt's cooking in the Philippines. I still have to do a little more practice before I can match her cooking. I gave the other bottle gourd to my friend Ann when she and her hubby came here the other day.

Ingredients:

* 2 tbsps cooking oil
* a cup (200 grams) ground beef
* 4 cloves garlic, finely crushed
* 2 medium onions, minced
* 1 large (1.8 kg) bottle gourd, cut into 1"x 1/8" cubes
* 3 tbsps fish sauce
* 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
* knorr beef cubes

Procedure:

In a large wok, over medium-high fire. Put the oil and ground beef. Stir-fry until beef is lightly brown. Remove from pan the ground beef. Retain the oil. Put the garlic. Saute until golden brown. Follow with onions. Saute until soft. Put the bottle gourd. Stir-fry for a minute. Add in the fish sauce. Sprinkle the pepper. Mix. Cook until aromatic. Pour water. Put the beef cube and fried ground beef. Mix well. Cover. Cook until veggie is soft. No need to add water because this veggie is watery