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.

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.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

1/4 butter
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
12 slices cooked/sweetened ham
6 slices cheddar or quickmelt cheese
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
salt
ground black pepper
cooking oil

Beat eggs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside

Pound chicken breasts to flatten them. Rub chicken breasts with butter, salt and pepper.

Top each chicken breast with cheese and ham.

Roll the chicken breast from edge to edge, securing the edge with toothpicks.

Dip the rolled chicken breasts in beaten eggs until all sides are coated Then, coat with bread crumbs.

Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and deep-fry the chicken breast until all sides are browned. Remove from heat.

Then fry the remaining chicken rolls.

Remove the toothpicks from the fried chicken roll.

Slice according to desired slices, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

And serve your elegantly golden fried CHICKEN CORDON BLEU.

CHICKEN CURRY is an unusual dish originated from South Africa, yet a cultural intersection appears that Mediterranean, British, Dutch, African and Indonesian refinement contributes to its taste. And our country also embraces Chicken Curry dish into our palates. My father who worked in Bahrain for more than ten years introduced us to the original Mediterranean experience of real Chicken Curry packed with much turmeric, curry and cumin spices and lots of red peppers. A very different from the Chicken Curry of which Pinoys cook. Though poles apart, the curry in the dish throw in the very essence of the dish which is the Curry.

PINOY CHICKEN CURRY

1 1/2 kilo chicken, cut-up
2 tbsp. cooking oil or unsalted butter
3 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons dry mustard
3 tbsp. curry powder
1⁄2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onions.

Raise the heat to very low and cook, stir frequently, until golden and soft,

Add the garlic and fresh ginger.

Stir in the curry powder, ground ginger, black pepper, and raise the heat to medium and cook about 20 seconds.

Add in the coconut milk and water, then add the chicken pieces, submerging them in the liquid. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer and cover.

Reduce the heat to low, and cook slowly for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is very tender or almost falling off the bone.

Remove any visible fat off the surface of the sauce. And serve.

TINOLANG MANOK WITH AMPALAYA

1/4 cup cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 heads onion, peeled and quartered
1 large fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 kilo chicken, cut into slices
3 tbsp. patis (fish sauce)
3-4 cups water
2 medium ampalaya, seeded and thinly sliced

Heat a large work or pot over medium heat.

Swirl in oil. Saute garlic, onion and garlic for about 2 minutes.

Add in chicken. Cook and stirring constantly until chicken flesh turn white.

Pour in water, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked and tender.

Add sliced ampalaya and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Season with fish sauce. Serve with steaming white rice.

CREAMY CHICKEN MACARONI SOUP is commonly known as SOPAS and is Filipino favorite soup dish for breakfast or merienda. It is an all-in one meal in a bowl. Macaroni pasta for your carbs, chicken chunks for protein, carrots and red bell as your veggies and milk as creamer for your vitamins and minerals.

SOPAS or CREAMY CHICKEN MACARONI SOUP

3 tbsp. cooking oil
2 heads garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
½ kilo chicken breast, finely chopped
½ kilo elbow macaroni (or any pasta will do)
2 liters of water
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
3 medium red bell pepper, unseeded and finely chopped
1 small can evaporated milk
3 tbsp. Knorr Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Knorr Chicken Cubes
salt and pepper

Heat a large soup pot over low heat. Swirl in the cooking oil then add garlic and onion. Cook slowly, stirring often about 4 minutes.

Add the chopped chicken. Raise the heat to medium-high. Stir constantly until chicken turned white.

Add water. Bring to a full boil.

Add elbow macaroni. Raise the heat to high, stirring often until macaroni is cooked.

Add cream of chicken soup, chicken cubes, carrots, red bell peppers and evaporated milk.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes and serve your Creamy Chicken Macaroni Soup while hot.

Nope, this is not a Halloween Edition of Hungrynez’ recipe. I know that to some the picture is a yucky, deadly and scary image of chicken feet yet a yummy feast to some just like me. I like to categorize ADOBONG PAA NG MANOK (CHICKEN FEET ADOBO) as one of the exotic foods of Philippine Islands. I believe Asians are much acquainted with Chicken Feet since it is one of Asian Dimsums I find in Chinese Restaurants. And since our country has this influence of Chinese culture, chicken feet are familiar to Filipinos as we serve and eat Chicken Feet as a main dish, finger food or as a street food.

The best part of the Chicken Feet is its edible meat, yeah, it has meat! Its skin and tendon with its gelatinous texture gives a different yet excellent experience far out of the usual chicken meat we usually eat. Chicken feet can be fried, steamed, boiled, stewed, grilled but the best recipe for me is to cook them just as the Philippine’s National Dish, Adobo – cooking Chicken Feet with soy, vinegar, whole peppers, sugar and bay leaves. Scared or dared? You better try some!

ADOBONG PAA NG MANOK (CHICKEN FEET ADOBO)

1 kilo chicken feet
3 heads garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp. ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. black pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
3 pieces bay leaves (laurel)
salt
optional: red chili peppers (minced)

Wash chicken feet thoroughly. Drain.

Rub chicken feet with salt and chop off nails.

Wash with running water. Drain.

Place chicken feet, garlic, onion, ginger, soy sauce, pepper, water, sugar and bay leaves in a pot. Bring to boil and lessen heat.

Simmer for 40-50 minutes until chicken feet are cooked through and tender.

Season with salt and vinegar.

Add water or sugar according to taste.

Add red chili peppers and cook until sauce thickens.

Serve as a finger food or serve with rice as a main dish.

My mom was invited by her former high school friends to a potluck lunch party last weekend. She was hesitant to buy a potluck dish since she wanted to bring something she specially prepared for them, yet uncertain to cook because she didn’t want to go under the tedious process of buying, peeling, chopping, waiting for the meal to be cooked, seasoning, and everything. So, I suggested that I will lend her my turbo broiler so she can make a TURBO BROILED CHICKEN. I am glad she took my suggestion.

Everytime Royce and I got to be invited to potluck parties or expecting some friends for a lunch or dinner, our turbo broiler is the rescuer. Turbo Broiled Pork, Turbo Broiled Fish or TURBO BROILED CHICKEN is a winning potluck dish as secret reveals in the marinade and freshness of the meat or fish.

This TURBO BROILED CHICKEN recipe, a great Lechon Manok or Grilled Chicken imitator, makes the work in the kitchen half the time yet creates fun, fun, fun! Fun to make, fun to eat and fun to those who are watching their diet.

I got a great technique from my mom that instead of marinating the meat in a container which only marinades one side of the chicken and requires turning the meat on the other side to be marinated, she places the marinade mixture and the chicken on a clear plastic bag and seal it with a rubber band so the marinade will cover the whole meat or if not enough to cover the whole meat, just turning the plastic on the other side will automatically marinade the other side of the meat.

TURBO BROILED CHICKEN

1 whole chicken
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 cup onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup calamansi juice (lemon juice)
3 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsps. catsup
1 tbsp. hot sauce
chili powder (optional)
1 tsp. ground pepper

butter or cooking oil

In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, calamansi juice, oyster sauce, soy sauce, catsup, hot sauce, dash of chili powder and ground pepper.

Prick chicken all over with a fork to make opening for the marinade to be absorbed thoroughly. This trick will also help the heat quickly absorbed, making helping the chicken evenly cooked.
Place chicken in the marinade sauce, rubbing on the sauce inside and out. Transfer chicken and marinade sauce in a clear plastic bag, seal and marinade in the fridge for 4-8 hours, or overnight for best flavor. Do not place marinated chicken in the freezer.

Place garlic and onion inside chicken. Rub chicken with butter or oil.

Transfer chicken and marinade mixture in turbo broiler.

Broil chicken to 250 degrees for 30 minutes.

Turn to the other side, baste chicken with marinade and broil for another 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve whole or chopped with steaming hot rice and marinade sauce on the side.

I favor the Pan-fried Chicken (Pritong Manok) for its simplicity and home-cooked style for deep-frying skin-on chicken with seasoned flour in a hot oil. To have successful Pan-Fried Chicken, make sure chicken should go strain from the flour to the hot oil. If flour sits,the breading will turn gummy. We ate Chicken Adobo last night and Pan-fried Chicken this time. I feel I can fly. I feel I can soar… flightless with this delightful Pan-fried Chicken recipe.

PAN-FRIED CHICKEN (Pritong Manok)

1 whole chicken, cut into desired pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 to 6 cups vegetable/canola oil
salt to taste

Place flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix together. Set aside.

Heat a very large frying pan or skillet. Set fire on medium-high heat. POur enough oil, about 2 inches up the sides of the pan.

Drop the chicken pieces into the flour mixture. Make sure to coat chicken pieces well.

Slip the chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry about 10 minutes or until browned.

Turn chicken pieces with metal thongs. Continue frying until crisp all over.

Transfer Pan-fried Chicken to a wire rack and let stand for few minutes before serving.

Enjoy Pan-fried Chicken with sweet chili sauce or tomato catsup.

ADOBONG MANOK (CHICKEN ADOBO)

2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 kilo chicken, cut into desired pieces
1 cup vinegar
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 small head garlic, peeled and pounded
2 tsp. soy sauce
4 pcs. bay leaves (laurel leaves)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. brown sugar
¼ cup water
whole black peppers
ground black pepper
½ cup potatoes, peeled and sliced (optional)

Clean chicken with running water and cut into desired sizes. Drain.

In a wok or saucepan, marinate sliced chicken in soy sauce, onion, garlic, vinegar, bay leaves, salt, ground and whole black peppers and sugar for half an hour.

After marinating the chicken, cover and place saucepan on a medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Add potatoes and water and continue to simmer with frequent stirring until chicken is tender and liquid somewhat evaporated.

Add cooking oil and sugar. Cook until sauce thickens.

Remove from fire and serve Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo) immediately with rice.