Shrimp Gambas

Filipino Style Recipe: Shrimp Gambas is another mouth watering shrimp dish that usually served as main dish or pulutan(finger food). The shrimp marinated in lemon juice then sauteed and cooked in a tomato sauce together with bell peppers, carrots and chili.

Estimated time of preparation: 15 minutes(plus marinating time)
Estimated time of cooking: 10-12 minutes

Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
250 grams tomato sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour(dissolved in 1 cup water)
1 carrot, cut into slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup lemon juice(optional)
a dash of chili flakes(optional)
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, marinate shrimp in lemon juice for 15 minutes.

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic and onion.
2. Add carrots, mushrooms, and bell pepper then continue sauteing for a minute.
3. Add tomato sauce, chili flakes and dissolved flour then simmer for 3 minutes or until thicken.
4. Add shrimps then season with salt and pepper then cook for 2 minutes or until tender.
5. Transfer to serving plate then serve immediately with garlic rice.

Spicy Shrimp in Coconut Milk and Cilantro

Filipino Style Recipe: Spicy shrimp in coconut milk and cilantro is another quick yet tasty and creamy shrimp stew. The shrimps are cook in a blend of coconut milk, red bell pepper, chili, tomatoes, and cilantro.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 20 minutes
Good for 2-3 persons

Ingredients:
12 pieces jumbo shrimps, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro(kinchay)
2 pieces red chili(labuyo), chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chili sauce(optional)

Procedures:
1. In a pot, heat olive oil then saute red bell pepper until soft.
2. Add garlic, cilantro, chili and tomatoes then continue sauteing for a minute.
3. Add coconut milk, chili sauce, salt and pepper then cover and simmer for 5 minutes in low heat.
4. Add shrimp and lime juice then cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Adjust seasoning according to taste and continue cooking until sauce is thicken.
6. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Binakol

Filipino Style Recipe:Chicken binakol or binakol na manok is another chicken soup popular in Visayas Region specially in Iloilo. This is similar to tinolang manok, instead of regular water we used coconut water and coconut meat. This simple Filipino dish is traditionally cooked inside the bamboo and they used native chicken to give more aroma and taste.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 45 minutes. Good for 4-6 persons.

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 pieces green papaya or chayote(sayote), cut into serving pieces
1 cup chili leaves or malunggay leaves
1 thumb-sized ginger, cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoon fish sauce(patis)
6 cups coconut water
1 cup coconut meat
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
5 stalks lemongrass(tanglad), cut into 1 inch and pounded

Procedures:
1. In a sauce pan, heat oil then saute ginger, garlic, onion and lemongrass.
2. Add chicken and continue sauteing until light brown then season with fish sauce.
3. Pour coconut water, coconut meat then simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add water if necessary.
4. Add in papaya then simmer for another 5 minutes or vegetables are tender but not overcooked.
5. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
6. Add chili leaves then turn off the heat. Let stand for a few minutes to cook the leaves.
7. Transfer to a serving dish and serve. Enjoy!

Chili Cheese Sticks(Dynamite)

Filipino Style Recipe: Chili cheese sticks AKA dynamite is a simple and popular cheese sticks in Bacolod. Chili cheese stick is made of finger chili(siling haba) stuffed with cheese strips then wrapped in spring roll wrapper, deep fried until golden brown and crisp and served with your favorite dipping sauce.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:
20 pieces finger chili(siling haba)
1 block cheddar cheese , sliced into small strips
Spring rolls or lumpia wrappers
cooking oil for deep frying

Procedures:
Part 1
1. Using a sharp knife, slit each chili vertical cut then scrape out the seeds. Rinse and drain.
2. Stuff the chili with cheese then wrap and roll the wrapper, use a bit of water to seal the edges.

Part 2
1. In a frying pan, heat enough oil then deep fry the rolls for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
2. Drain on paper towel then serve with preferred dressing.

Notes:
1. You may also add strips of ham together with cheese if you prefer.

Sizzling Gambas

Filipino Style Recipe: Sizzling Gambas is a spicy sizzling shrimp that usually served as appertizer(pulutan). Normally the shrimp marinate in lemon juice then sauteed and cooked in a tomato sauce, hot sauce together with bell pepper and chili.

Estimated time of preparation: 15 minutes(plus marinating time)
Estimated time of cooking: 10-12 minutes

Good for 3-4 persons

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 gloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
250 grams tomato sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 cup green chili, sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup mushrooms(optional)
1 carrot, diced(optional)
1/2 cup green peas(optional)
4-6 pieces hard-boiled quail eggs(optional)
1/4 cup lemon juice(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a bowl, marinate shrimp in lemon juice for 30 minutes.

Part 2
1. In a pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic and onion.
2. Add carrots, mushrooms, green peas, green chili and bell pepper.
3. Add tomato sauce, hot sauce and bread crumbs then simmer for 5 minutes or until thicken.
4. Add shrimp and quail eggs then season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until tender.
5. Transfer to hot sizzling plate then serve immediately.

Tinolang Manok

Filipino Style Recipe: Tinolang Manok(Chicken Tinola) or Filipino chicken ginger soup is one of the common dish in the Philippines. A simple Filipino recipe that is relatively easy to cook. Here is the basic and easy to follow recipe. Happy cooking!

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 45-50 minutes.
Good for 4-6 persons.

Ingredients :
1 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 pieces chayote squash(sayote) or green papaya, cut into small pieces
1 cup chili leaves or malunggay leaves
1 thumb-sized ginger, cut into strips
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoon fish sauce(patis)
1 litre of water or rice washing
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt to taste

Procedures :
1. In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat then saute ginger, garlic and onion.
2. Add chicken, fish sauce, ground pepper and continue sauteing until the color chicken turn to light brown.
3. Pour water then simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is tender.
4. Add in chayote then continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
5. Adjust seasoning according to taste then add chili leaves then turn off the heat.
6. Let stand for a few minutes to cook the leaves then transfer to a serving dish and serve. Enjoy!