I love my CHICKEN and POTATO with FRESH TOMATOES. It is one of my solutions for a quick cooking chicken meal. It is somewhat similar to CHICKEN AFRITADA minus the tomato sauce and some ingredients like bay leaves or laurel leaves, carrots and red bell pepper. The combination of tons of tomatoes and fresh garlic absorbed in your chicken meat makes it hearty and robust in your palates.

Royce and I had a very hectic and tireful week. Royce and his team have been working almost 24 hours/ 6 days a week to finish contracts. I was also stucked with trainings and supervising the new store we just recently opened. And it will be again a very busy busy with these coming days because we will open our 3rd branch before the month ends. We are tired, nervous and stressed. So meanwhile, we decided to travel for 5 days to Cebu, Bohol and Iloilo. We are both excited to visit Cebu again. There is always a wonderful spirit travelling and staying in Cebu. We will be visiting Bohol with some friends and we don’t have any plans yet for the trip but we will just let our friends do the planning. Then, we will fly to Iloilo for a couple of days to attend an Entreprenurial Convention of Academy for Creating Enterprise. It will be another fun and food travel. So stay tuned to my posts!

Going back, let us cook CHICKEN AND POTATO WITH FRESH TOMATOES. You will never go wrong with these recipe. So let me know of your thoughts.

You can also try CHICKEN CORDON BLEU, BAKED CHICKEN IN CREAM and TURBO BROILED CHICKEN.

CHICKEN AND POTATO WITH FRESH TOMATOES

1 kilo fresh chicken cut-ups, washed and drained
8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
5-7 medium tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed
4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 cups water
Italian seasoning (optional)
salt
pepper

In a medium pot, combine 2 cups of water and tomatoes. Cook over medium fire, allowing the tomatoes cook slowly, about 5-8 minutes. When tomatoes are soft, mash them with laddle.

Add your fresh garlic. Then season with salt and pepper. Let it cook for about 3-5 minutes. Let the garlic flavor blend delicately with your tomato sauce.

Then add chicken cut-ups. Add water as needed to assure the chicken is completely covered. Cook in low fire for 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.

Then add the sliced potatoes. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until meat and potatoes are tender, on a low fire, stirring occasionally.

Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Adjust flavor according to taste.

Serve your CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH FRESH TOMATOES with steaming white rice or mashed potatoes.

This CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN FILLET recipe is from my Aunt Sassy who experimented for a long time before finally convinced herself that this recipe is a great way of marinating and frying a chicken fillet. Her ultimate tip is to buy a chicken from a reliable supplier who can give you a fresh chicken cutlet. And the rest is just a preparation and frying procedure like a traditional way of frying chicken. No doubt she had tons of compliments on this crispy fried chicken fillet dish each time she serves it on our party table. You got to try this basic and simple recipe for this will surely be a star family favorite.

A practical technique in cooking quickly a piece of chicken fillet is to pan-fry the meat. Some stores sell boneless chicken breast which is a good buy even if its a little bit pricy than buying a bone-in chicken yet letting you do all the kitchen work of trimming off the fat and removing the bone from the meat. But if you really, have that heart of doing those, then, I bet you get to enjoy the chore anyway.

I prefer taking the skin off for some health reasons. And this will ensure that it gets crispy outside, browns evenly and delicately juicy white chicken meat inside. Nobody is made to be guilty after eating tons of CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN FILLET, bone and skin removed. You just get to consume 161 calories after eating a half of chicken breast. And that is very easy to burn the calories away.

There are tons of ways to use your leftover fried chicken fillet. Just remove the skin of the chicken, if you had it chicken on, and coarsely chop the chicken meat. Then you can plunge the chopped chicken meat in your Creamy Chicken and Ham Fettuccine, Chicken Sotanghon Soup, Pasta Carbonara, Cheesy Chicken Tortilla.

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN FILLET

cooking oil
4-6 pieces chicken breast, boneless, halved
3 tbsp. lemon juice or kalamansi juice
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 or 2 pieces egg
flour, about a cup
salt

Wash sliced chicken breasts thoroughly with running water and drain well or pat with paper towel to make sure no excess water on your chicken meat.

Place the chicken breasts in a medium bowl. Pour melted butter, salt and lemon or kalamansi juice. Mix thoroughly until all sides of chicken breasts are covered with the seasoning. Cover the bowl with plastic and place in your fridge, not freezer, for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Then, remove seasoned chicken breast from the fridge. Now, repare your the coating by beating egg on a medium shallow bowl and season with a little salt, and mix some flour and a little salt on a medium plate.

Prepare to heat your non-stick frying pan. Then add oil.

Now, dredge the chicken breast in egg, then dredge both sides of chicken fillet with flour mixture. Just do this method with the rest of your chicken breast, making sure to fry then in batches so that you will not over crowed your pan in frying your chicken breasts. Let it fry, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes for the first side to brown. Then carefully flip each chicken breast and fry until done.

Serve with rice or bread and dipping sauce.

Sun came out today ! And it is pretty hot right now after the cold and rainy days that were warmed by soups and baking. Perfect time for roasting, grilling and frying with this kind of weather. So instead of cooking a nourishing Chicken Tinola, I made this BREADED CHICKEN FILLET and poured with easy and tasty MUSHROOM SAUCE.

Chicken Fillet is a chicken breast piece with no bone or rib in it. Just plainly a chicken meat. Chicken fillet is lean and is more faster to cook. It is very easy to fillet a chicken meat from its breast. Just cut or slice the breast from the chicken. Then cut the fleshy meat part of the breast. And you may slice the chicken fillet according to your desired sizes. Just make sure to slice them in even or uniformed sizes. You may also cut your chicken fillets into thin strips so it will be cooked thoroughly and faster. Using a non-stick pan or skillet is better in frying a chicken fillet as to reduce the amount of oil or fat to be used. I also suggest you fry your chicken fillet with its skin on for a more flavorful fillet, then you can just remove the skin later if you are not into eating chicken skin. Lastly, leave about a half inch space between your chicken fillets while frying to cook them evenly and to have a perfect brown chicken fillets.

BREADED CHICKEN FILLET WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

for BREADED CHICKEN FILLET

frying oil
1/2 kilo chicken fillet
1 egg
3 tbsp. lemon juice or kalamansi juice
salt
pepper
bread crumbs

Marinade you chicken fillet with salt, pepper and lemon juice  or kalamansi juice for about 1 hour.

Heat oil in a a pan over medium-high heat.

On a small bowl, beat egg. On a separate shallow bowl, place your bread crumbs. Dip chicken fillet on egg. Then drop the fillet on bread crumbs, covering both sides. Do with the rest of chicken fillets.

Then, carefully place the coated chicken fillet in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Drain your BREADED CHICKEN FILLET on paper towels and set aside.

for MUSHROOM GRAVY

1 pack Knorr Cream of Mushroom
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. butter
1 small can sliced mushroom

Dissolve and cook Knorr Cream of Mushroom according to cooking instruction. Add soy sauce, sliced mushroom and butter 3 minutes before removing from heat. Then pour over BREADED CHICKEN FILLET.

Mang Inasal is now open in Dagupan City!

Royce and I were so excited we can barely delay to be at Mang Inasal on opening day. Not because we craved for Mang Inasal’s specialty which is the Chicken Inasal, but we just wanted to check how Dagupeños responded to one of the many food stores that opened recently in the city.

Mang Inasal is truly surprising. Though several Chicken Inasal with Unlimited Rice local stores already emerged in the city, still Mang Inasal caught people’s attention as over hundred of people came to dine. As we arrived, we were welcomed with a Dinagyang Festival Dance of Ilo-ilo where the first store was opened. The store was jam-packed and it took us about 20 minutes to be at the counter and have our orders taken. Crowded as it was, the store managed to cope with the flow of the customers as they placed extra tables and chairs outside the store. Again we waited another 20 minutes to grab a table. An added 15 minutes for our meals to be on our tables. It seemed it was a disastrous experience but it surely was a great and successful opening day for Mang Inasal here in Dagupan City.

So if you are tired of gobbling burgers and fries, why not try eating something healthy like Mang Inasal’s charcoal grilled chicken marinated in local spices and herbs with rice wrapped in banana leaves and served with steaming Sinigang Soup. Mang Inasal also offers Bangus Sinigang, Beef Sinigang, Bangus Sisig, Pork Sisig, Pork Barbecue, Boneless Bangus, Lumpia Sardines, Mais Con Yelo, Saging Melt, Sago’t Gulaman and many more. Mang Inasal in Dagupan City is located at Metro Plaza, AB Fernandez Avenue, just infront of Dagupan City Hall.

This is another version of my first Turbo Broiled Chicken where I used a secret ingredient for lechon manok and lechon baboy which is SPRITE softdrink or you may also use 7-Up. This would make your chicken more juicy and more moist. It allows the flavor sink in to every strand of the chicken. I got this idea from a friend who worked in a lechon house few years back. You can also use the marinade recipe to broil pork and imitate the flavor of Lechon Baboy.

TURBO BROILED LECHON MANOK

1 whole chicken

Marinade for 1-2 hours with:
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup calamansi juice
1/2 cup Sprite or 7-Up
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Then, stuff with:
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium onion, sliced into two
onion leaves

Finally, place chicken in a turbo broiler and set to cook to 250 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

CHICKEN ARROZ CALDO is a part of the classic Chinese congee cuisine introduced to Filipinos yet the Spanish word of Arroz Caldo, which literally means rice sould, shows that Filipino cuisine is vastly influenced by foreign migrants of the country. Filipino’s term for this bowl of meal is LUGAW. The ingredients, instructions and method for this recipe is very plain and simple yet you can cook a great classic meal without making a mistake. You can also combine chicken and GOTO for a perfect combination of rice soup.

CHICKEN ARROZ CALDO

1 kilo chicken breast
2 liters water
6 cloves garlic, peeled, half to be crushed, and the other half to be minced
4 large onion, peeled and sliced, divided into 2
2 cup long grain rice, washed and drained
1 large ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp. fish sauce or patis
2 scallions (onion stalk), thinly sliced
salt
6-8 peppercorns
ground pepper

Wash chicken breast thoroughly with running water. Put the chicken breast into a medium pot. Add 1 liter water, crushed garlic, sliced onions, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil and cook the chicken breast, about 20-25 minutes. Remove scum with a big spoon. Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool. Set aside chicken broth.

If chicken breasts are cool enough for you to hold it, debone them and discard bones. Remove the chicken skin and slice with knife into small strips. Shred the chicken meat with your fingers, according to your desired size, separating each shred from one to another. Place the shredded chicken meat and sliced chicken skin on a large shallow bowl. Set aside.

In a large heavy pot, heat cooking oil and saute garlic, ginger and onions until aromatic. Add the chicken meat and chicken skin. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring often.

Add 1 liter of water and the chicken broth, bring to a full boil, covered.

Add the rice. Cook, stirring often, covered, about 20-30 minutes. You may add additional water, depending on you desired consistency.

Add scallions and season with fish sauce and pepper. Add salt if needed.

Serve while hot. You may drizzle a teaspoon of calamansi juice or garnish it with toasted garlic.

CHICKEN SOTANGHON SOUP was my recipe last night, just like my mother used to make, despite of the hot weather. This is one of Colby’s favorite soup dishes where I added some bitter gourd, locally known as ampalaya, for a nutritious meal. Chicken Sotanghon Soup is considerably will give you and your kids enough nourishment without causing any trouble in your tummy.

You can also try the Chicken Sotanghon Guisado for merienda or as a party dish.

CHICKEN SOTANGHON SOUP

cooking oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 medium onions, peeled and sliced
250 grams vermicelli noodles (sotanghon)
250 grams chicken breast
1 1/2 liter water
1 medium ampalaya, seeded and sliced
2 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
salt
pepper

Soak vermicelli/sotanghon  noodles in water. If strands are already soft, cut the strands into desired length and drain. Set aside.

Place chicken breast and 1/2 liter water in a small soup pot. Add salt and pepper. Add 3 cloves of garlic and half of sliced onions. Bring to a slow boil, covered, until chicken is cooked. Use a large spoon to skim any foam or scum off the top of the soup. Remove the chicken breast and put on a plate and cool completely. Reserve chicken stock. When chicken breast is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and take the meat off the bone; chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a medium soup pot or large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the remaining garlic and onions. Add chopped chicken, saute for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 liter water and the chicken stock. Bring to a full boil, covered.

Add the vermicelli/sotanghon noodles. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, covered.

Season with patis, salt and pepper.

Add the sliced ampalaya and serve while hot with white rice.

I got to experiment with a Homemade Hot and Spicy Marinade and blended to chicken cut-ups I have in my fridge. I wanted to try out a Mexican flavor with a dish so I added some chili powder, a Mexican seasoning, to give a different taste to a usual fried chicken Pinoys used to cook and serve. Well, good thing that it turned out so good. Just make sure that the chicken is fresh and the ingredients for marinade are complete so you won’t miss a flavor.

HOT AND SPICY FRIED CHICKEN

cooking oil
1 kilo chicken, cut into pieces

Wash chicken in running water. Drain thoroughly. Place in a clean wide container. Then pour with Hot-and-Spicy Marinade (recipe follows). Marinate for 3 hours or more. Then fry and serve with white rice.

Hot-and-Spicy Marinade
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients for Hot and Spicy Marinade.

Our househelp left last weekend and it was really such short notice. And I am now totally gaga trying to squeeze all the household chores before and after my office hours. Laundry, cooking, ironing, washing dishes, cleaning the house, everything. And I know how difficult it is to find a very reliable househelp. Good thing, Royce volunteered to watch over Caleb, our 3 month old son, while monitoring his home-based business. I cook breakfast and lunch before I leave the house so that Royce and Colby would still have a decent meal. It is tough but I really cannot jeopardize the health of my family. So, I recently cooked CHICKEN AFRITADA, easy to prepare and easy to cook meal. Left over Chicken Afritada can be placed in a container and put inside the fridge then reheat for the next meal.

CHICKEN AFRITADA is definitely one of the evidences that most of Pinoy dishes are greatly influenced by Spanish food culture. Afritada is a tangy, sweet and aromatic stew with a combination of tomato sauce, bell peppers and bay leaves. As one of the most popular dish, Chicken Afritada is easy to prepare and quick-cooking, exquisitely added with potatoes and carrots for nutritious lunch or dinner. Some say Afritada is an influence of the Spaniards, some from Mexicans and some, Italian. Well, I guess it really doesn’t matter. Any dish that Pinoy loves, it is to be considered a Pinoy dish.

CHICKEN AFRITADA

2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 heads of onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 kilo chicken, cut-up
1 tbsp. fish sauce (patis)
1 cup water
4 dried bay leaves
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp. atsuete powder (optional)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
2 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch strips
salt
pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add cooking oil. Saute garlic and onion.

Slip chicken on the skillet. Saute for about 5-8 minutes. Season with fish sauce. Cook until fish sauce blended with the chicken.

Add tomato sauce and water. Then add the bay leaves and atsuete powder.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook at a very slow bubble about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add potatoes and carrots. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Add red bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.

And serve your CHICKEN AFRITADA with steaming white rice.

Food Always In The Home. My mom would always prepare a simple to a good meal with her modest income she was earning from her small manufacturing business. She makes a simple dish to something would make us “WOW!” each time my mom puts the dish on our dining table. And it was something I almost took for granted. When I got married and had kids to prepare meals for, preparing and cooking a good food isn’t easy as it seems. It needs to have the know-how and the heart to do the dish. I have lots of kitchen disasters and disappointments but those taught and challenged me to try again until I am satisfied. A big challenge for me was baking. I had a couple of baking sessions with my mom during my grade school years. And it was not enough that I may say, “Yes, I can do baking.” When my husband surprised me with an oven as his gift for my 27th birthday, I considered myself as a newbie in baking. Excited and happy I was, challenge came in to me to do the baking. So I started with quick breads like Squash Bread, Banana Lemon Bread, Pound Cake and cookies like Oatmeal Cookies, Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Crinkles. I had some few errors at first but as I bake more, I can say I am doing better each baking. I had several bread and cookie recipes and I am again challenged to do baking main dishes with my oven. Then I thought of making BAKED CHICKEN IN CREAM which is my favorite since I was a kid.

BAKED CHICKEN IN CREAM is the simplest chicken recipe using an oven. It is easy as ABC. It doesn’t need to be an expert doing this dish as long as you put your heart in all you do in the kitchen.

BAKED CHICKEN IN CREAM

3 tbsp. butter
1 kilo chicken, cut-up (breast, thigh, leg)
1 cup Nestle lite cream
2 medium onion, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
onion spring
salt
ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375

Wash chicken with running water and dry with a clean towel.

Season chicken with salt and ground pepper. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Slip the chicken into the pan and cook partially until browned about 8 minutes, turning several times so that chicken won’t stick. Transfer on a plate and set aside.

Pour cream in a baking dish. Add onions, garlic and onion spring.Slip on and arrange chicken in the baking dish.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

And serve.