Chicken + Fruit = Yummy Dish!

Chicken and Fruit Mix: 

Chicken with Pineapples 

& Dalandan Chicken

Chicken when combined with fruits can make a whole lot of sumptuous dishes you could ever imagine.  In other countries, they mix chicken with apples, oranges, tamarind and even berries in their chicken dishes.  Since chicken can be very versatile, many recipes have been developed and mastered using chicken combined with fruits.  For example, the Pininyahang Manok or Chicken with Pineapples.  I've tasted variations of this dish mostly in fiestas and birthday parties.  So I decided to make my own version of it.  The simpler, the better and yummier.  Here it goes...

Chicken with Pineapples (Pininyahang Manok)

Chicken with Pineapples

You will need the following:
1/2 kilo of chicken, your choice of cut
garlic, minced
onions, chopped
1 pack pineapple tidbits, 1 can (if you want more pineapples)
sliced bellpeppers (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

How to cook Chicken with Pineapples:
1.  Saute garlic and onion in oil.  Add the chicken and season with "patis".  Cook until slightly brown.
2.  Add pineapple juice from the pack of pineapple tidbits, season with salt and pepper.  Let simmer.
3.  Add pineapple tidbits, bellpepper (optional).  Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.

Dalandan Chicken
In the past couple of years, a famous Chinese fast food restaurant launched its "Orange Chicken".  I immediately rushed to the nearest mall to sample this dish.  A lover of citrus fruits and anything sour and tangy, I instantly liked the dish.

A couple of days ago, my mother-in-law sent me some dalandan and bananas.  Not knowing how to consume them immediately, I thought of experimenting on a dish I now call Dalandan Chicken.  For sure many housewives and chefs have tried playing with these ingredients, yet it feels good to cook a dish, not so ordinary yet so enjoyable to the palate.

Dalandan Chicken

Here's what you will need:

1/4 kilo chicken breasts, sliced into strips

butter

dalandan juice

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

sugar

cornstarch with water or slurry

flour

Dalandan

1. Marinate chicken in salt, pepper, soy sauce, dalandan juice and a little sugar for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil for pan frying.  Before frying chicken, dredge in a little flour.  Cook until golden brown. 

3. Add butter and dalandan juice.  Let simmer and reduce.  Add cornstarch with water depending on your desired consistency of the sauce.  Add a little sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

Dalandan Chicken

I will never get tired of discovering more chicken dishes to share with you.  Till my next dish...

Mi propia Morconito

Morcon is a meat roll stuffed with sausage or hotdog, carrots, pickles, cheese, and egg.  

The authentic Morcon

When I was younger, Morcon was always present in the Noche Buena table.

Since I realized that Christmas is just around the corner,I decided to make this practice dish using the ingredients that I have at home.  I used sukiyaki cut pork and chicken for the meat.  We always have hotdog and eggs in the fridge and I have leftover cheese and bellpeppers waiting to be consumed.

mi morconito

Let's call my version the Morconito, since its smaller and cuter.

To make morconito, you will need:

• 1/4 kilo sukiyaki cut pork or thinly sliced and pounded chicken breasts
• minced garlic
• chopped onions
• 6 pcs. kalamansi, juiced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 piece medium sized carrot, cut into long strips
• 1 piece bellpepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 4 pieces hotdogs, cut in half lengthwise and then half again
• 1 piece white onion sliced
• 3 pieces hard boiled eggs, sliced
• cheddar cheese, cut into strips

Cooking Procedure

tie meat using crochet thread

1. Marinate the meat in soy sauce and kalamansi for at least 1 hour
2. Place the meat in a plate and arrange the hotdogs, bellpepper, carrot, cheese, onion and egg on one side.  Set aside some hotdog, egg, carrot and bellpepper for the sauce.
3. Roll the meat enclosing the fillings and tie with a crochet thread to ensure that the meat will not open-up
4. Place cooking oil in a pan and pan sear the meat roll until browned.
5. In a casserole, saute garlic and onion. Once wilted pour water or broth.
6. Transfer the fried rolled beef in the casserole and then bring to a boil
7. Pour-in half of the soy sauce-lemon juice marinade.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the rest o the ingredients that was set aside earlier (hotdog, egg, carrot, bellpepper).  Cook the morconito over low fire for about 45 minutes, if you are using sukiyaki or chicken.
9. Remove the strings and slice into serving pieces
10. Place in a serving dish and add the sauce.

My own version of the Morcon

What I remember most about the Morcon?
Every year in May, when I was younger, my mom would bring us to her hometown Binan Laguna to attend the fiesta.  My relatives specialty, of course is the Morcon.  I believe the natives of Laguna make the most delicious Morcon. It is more delicious when cooked slowly under fire using wood.  We never forget to bring some home for my Dad since it has become also one of his favorites during that time.

Tita Puto's Chicken Stew Recipe

Chicken Stew
A soupy dish with a sweet and salty taste.  Its sweet taste comes from the pork and beans and potatoes.  My mom Meng usually cooks this dish on a rainy day.  She learned this dish from my Tita Puto when she lived with them when she was younger.  Today, I have learned this dish so that I can cook it anytime I miss my mother's cooking.  This has instantly become one of my husband's favorites.

Tita Puto's Chicken Stew

Chicken Stew is a family recipe that my aunt Flor (we call her Tita Puto) taught my mom.
It's basically a one pot dish.

You will need:
1/2 kilo of chicken, your choice of cut
minced garlic
sliced onions
patis or fish sauce
2 small potatoes cubed
half of a cabbage cut into strips
1 can of Pork and Beans
salt and pepper, to taste

How to cook:
Saute garlic and onions, add chicken and "patis" or fish sauce.  Brown chicken a little. Add one small can of Pork and Beans. Let it simmer before adding water.  Allow to boil before adding potatoes and carrots.  Lastly, add shredded cabbage.  Wait for the cabbage to cook.

This dish is a perfect comfort food for the rainy days and cold holiday winds too.

Enjoy it while its hot.

Sunday's Lunch: Sweet and Sour Cream Dory

Sweet & Sour Cream Dory

Also known as "Pangasius", cream dory fish has become popular in the culinary scene because of its simple yet versatile taste. 
Its white meat may taste bland, but with proper seasoning this fish could produce promising dishes.  I've tried it with lemon butter sauce, honey mustard dressing, oyster sauce, soy sauce with kalamansi and all the sauces complement well with its simple taste.  This time, I tried it with Sweet and Sour sauce.

For the fillet: Slice it into smaller pieces.  Dredge in flour, cold water and a little salt and pepper to taste.

fried fish fillet

Fry until it turns a little brown.  Do not overcook.

For the sauce: Mix water, vinegar, sugar and pepper according to you preference.  Add cornstarch and mix well.  Meanwhile, slice onions and bell pepper into strips.
Saute onions and bell pepper in very little oil.  Once it wilts, add the mixture and stir occasionally under low heat until it thickens.

Pour sauce over the cooked fish fillet and serve.

I usually buy my cream dory fillet in the supermarket. You can find it at the frozen foods section of the grocery.  It costs Php 88.00 for half a kilo.  It looks  like this:

frozen cream dory

If its not yet filleted, it looks more like this:

Pangasius or Cream Dory Fish

My 7-day Home-cooked Chicken Menu

Monday: "Ginataang Sitaw at Manok"
Anything with coconut milk is a hit.  Saute garlic and onions.  Add chicken and brown a little.  Add string beans. Cover pot and let cook for a few minutes.  Add coconut milk and put under low fire.  Let simmer and reduce sauce until it gets a little oily.

Ginataang Sitaw at Manok
(Chicken & string beans in coconut milk)

Tuesday: Chicken with Pickles
Sweet pickle relish, potatoes and chicken go well together.  Cook slowly under low fire for 45 minutes.

Chicken with pickles

Wednesday: Tinolang Manok
Tinolang manok, one of Jose Rizal's favorite dishes is also one of my husband's favorite.

Tinolang Manok

Saute ginger and onion, add the chicken, season with "patis" or fish sauce and ground pepper.  Make sure to cook the chicken thoroughly and brown it a little before adding water.  Add the sayote once it boils.  Simmer for about 20-30 minutes depending on the chicken part.  Add malunggay leaves or "dahon ng sili".  Serve hot.

Thursday: Chicken with Oyster Sauce
My Chicken with Oyster Sauce is my "lazy dish".  I simply marinate the chicken with soy sauce, a little vinegar, a little sugar, pepper and oyster sauce.  Place all the ingredients in a pot, add a little water and cook over low fire until the sauce reduces and the chicken is tender.

Chicken with oyster sauce

Friday: Kalamansi Butter Chicken
This is a version of the Lemon Butter Chicken.  Since kalamansi is readily available, I decided to use it instead of using lemon (which is more expensive).  Pan fry chicken breast fillet dredged in flour.  On the same pan, melt butter, season with salt and sugar.  Finally, add the kalamansi juice and let boil briskly before removing from fire.

Kalamansi Butter Chicken

Saturday: Adobong Matamis
I call this adobong matamis simply because I add sugar into it.  My husband loves anything sweet so he requests that the adobo be made sweet instead of sour.

Adobong Matamis

Sunday: Chicken Curry
One of my favorites!  I cook this almost every week.  I use a little cheat for my coconut milk though, I use the "Knorr Ginataang Gulay Mix Sitaw and Kalabasa".

Chicken Curry my way

Tip for a more tasty dish with potatoes: Fry your potatoes first!

fried potatoes

Who says eating chicken everyday is boring? Just learn to accept and try to eat healthy.

More home-cooked chicken dishes soon.

Let's Eat Out!: 7 Fastfood Chicken Dishes

We love trying out different chicken dishes.
We sometimes dine out when we are not too busy.

Here are some chicken dishes we've tried and loved:

1. Bon Chon Chicken
    Must try Bon Chon's soy garlic fried chicken.  Twice fried chicken soooo crispy but tender in the inside.
    Also in spicy flavor you are surely gonna love!

Bon Chon's Soy Garlic Chicken

2. Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken
    Peri-Peri's chicken is a Portugese style grilled chicken.  Variants are Lemon Garlic and Hot.
    Loved the soup at Peri-Peri! Soup of the day are Corn Soup, Shrimp Bisque, and my personal fave Pumpkin and Carrot Soup!

Peri-Peri Lemon Garlic Chicken

3. Chicboy

Chicboy's Chicken Inasal
photo courtesy of Chicboy

4. Reyes Barbecue
     One of my personal favorites! I'm not sharing if this is what I'm having for dinner, sorry.

Reyes Barbecue's Boneless Grilled Chicken
photo courtesy of Reyes Bbq

5. Jo's Chicken Inato
    This is a specialty of the Visayas Region.  They call their grilled chicken "Inato".  We sampled this one when we went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan last May 2011.
     What I specially loved about this "Inato" is its sweet flavor as if the chicken was basted with honey while grilling.  It is not too salty also.  Try this when you travel to that region.

Jo's Chicken Inato

6. Makansutra's Hainanese Chicken
     Slowly boiled chicken in ginger, lemon grass, pandan leaves and sesame oil.

Hainanese Chicken

7. Makansutra's Chicken Satay
    Chicken marinated in peanut butter, curry, soy sauce, etc.

Chicken Satay

more to come...

Tried BonChon's twice fried chicken

I already said it, I love anything chicken, especially if its fried chicken!

BonChon's Soy Garlic Chicken & Pork Chops 

On my 32nd birthday we tried BonChon's Soy Garlic Chicken and Chops.  Of course I had the chicken and my husband tried the chops.
The Soy Garlic flavor of the chicken is very delectable to the tongue and its very crispy breading complements its juicy and tender meat.
This meal is best with BonChon's Iced Tea (tastes similar to Wendy's).
I'll give it a thumbs up but it would be much better if they change the ambiance of their store.

Egg + Head = Egghead
Chicken comes from an Egg

Love Chicken? I do!

Eversince my nutritionist told me to cut on the red meat, I started eating more white meat instead.
I've learned to love chicken!
Boiled, fried, stewed or grilled, as long as its chicken I'll try it.

Baked Chicken & Mushroom Ziti

Fried Chicken with Five spice breading