Spicy Mixed Seafood Soup

Filipino Style Recipe: spicy mixed seafood soup is another seafood dish that usually served by Filipinos mostly during rainy season. Another simple recipe but very healthy dish.

Estimated time of preparation: 10 minutes
Estimated time of cooking: 10-15 minutes
Good for 3-5 persons.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo mixed seafood(fish balls, kikiam, squid, scallops, shrimps, etc)
2 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
1 onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
2 pieces red chili pepper, sliced diagonally
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups water
1 stalk lemongrass, crashed and tied(optional)
1 Chinese Cabbage, quartered(optional)

Procedures:
1. in a saucepan, pour water and bring to boil.
2. Add ginger, onion, tomato and lemongrass. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add mixed seafood and red chili pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes or until seafood is tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add Chinese cabbage and simmer for a minute.
7. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with celery then serve.

Tips:
1. You may also used kimchi to add color and spicy flavor.
2. You may also add mushrooms and other seafood if you desired.

Chicken and Green Beans with Spicy Peanut Sauce

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Filipino Style Recipe: Chicken and green beans with spicy peanut sauce is one of the low carbohydrate dish. Normally the chicken stir fried and then cooked with green beans and peanut mixture.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 20-30 minutes
Good for 2-3 servings

Ingredients:
250 grams chicken fillet, cut into serving pieces
250 grams fresh green beans, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili paste or chili flakes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons toasted peanuts, grind(optional)

Procedures:
Part 1
1. In a pot, cook green beans over boiling water for 5-8 minutes or until tender and crisp.

Part 2
1. In bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, chili paste, lemon juice and chicken broth. Mix well.

Part 3
1. In a pan, heat oil and cook chicken until golden brown and tender.
2. Pour the peanut mixture, simmer until sauce is slightly thickened.
3. Add steamed green beans, adjust seasoning according to taste.
4. Continue cooking until sauce is almost absorb.
5. Remove from heat. Transfer to serving bowl then garnish with toasted peanut. Done!

Spicy Green Beans and Pork

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Filipino Style Recipe: I first tried this dish when we went to Beijing for a vacation. It was winter then, so the spicyness of this dish is perfect for an additional heat. I tried it when I got back home and they loved it. You can adjust the chili garlic sauce depending on how spicy you want it to be. If you are not a fan of green beans, you can replace it with asparagus.

Estimated time preparation and cooking: 35 minutes
Good for 4 persons

Ingredients:
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
500 grams fresh green beans, trimmed and dried well

Pork Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 green onions, minced
250 grams ground pork
2 tablespoons Asian chili garlic sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

Procedures:
Step 1
1. In a large work, heat 2 cups of vegetable oil. Carefully add the beans and fry then stirring occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes  or until the beans are blistered.
2. Dip the beans out with a strainer and quickly rinse them in cold water.

Step 2
1. Leave 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and remove some of the oil from the wok. Heat in a medium heat.
2. Saute garlic, ginger, and green onion then add ground pork. Cook and stir the color of pork turn to brown.
3. Add chili garlic sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Step 3
1. Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl then pour and stir into the pork mixture
2. Simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
3. Gently stir the green beans into the pork sauce then heat through.
4. Remove from heat, transfer the spicy green beans and pork to serving plate. Serve with steamed rice.

Laing

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Filipino Style Recipe: Ginataang Laing(Taro leaves in coconut milk) is one of the local dishes in the Philippines. It is popular mostly in Bicol region, they made this dish fiery hot and absolutely delicious though it can an acquired taste to the Western palate.

The main ingredient of “laing” is dried taro leaves(dahon ng gabi) cooked with coconut milk and red chili. You can include shrimp paste with pork but some used a bits of minced daing, tinapa, shrimps or anchovy paste. If you are health and diet conscious, the plain Laing recipe alone will be the best choice for you.

Estimated time of preparation and cooking: 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
25 pieces taro(gabi) leaves, dried and shredded
1/2 kilo pork, diced
1/4 cup shrimp paste(bagoong alamang)
1 cup coconut milk(kakang gata),(1st extract)
2 cups coconut milk(gata),(2nd extract)
3 pieces green chili pepper(siling haba), sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
2 tablespoons of oil
salt and sugar to taste

2-3 pieces red chili(labuyo)(optional)
1/4 kilo shrimp, boiled and peeled(optional)
1/2 teaspoon MSG(optional)

Procedures:
1. In a casserole, saute garlic, ginger and onions.
2. Then add the pork, continue sauteing until color turns to light brown.
3. Add in the taro leaves. Pour in the coconut milk(2nd extract) but do not stir. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add green chili pepper and shrimp paste.
5. Sprinkle with salt and sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Add the remaining coconut milk(1st extract) and continue to simmer until oil comes out.
7. Remove from heat and Serve hot.

Notes:
1. Do not stir the ingredients while cooking so that itchiness of the taro will not spread on the dish, otherwise it will cause an itching sensation in your tongue when eating this cuisine.
2. You can replace the fresh coconut with coconut milk in can or coconut powder. However, you have to remember that fresh would always give the best results.