De-boning a chicken?

One thing about buying chicken on the bone is, it's cheaper and the bones can be used to make homemade chicken stock. When deboning a chicken all you need is sharp knife and the know-how.

Left-over Chicken?

Photography by Donna Samonte

I always look for new ways to create old things and when you'd a baked chicken and leftovers from roasting or simply nilaga, this is a perfect 2nd time around. In tagalog..."pang-gat" in a different style.

In a newspaper interview, 3 top NY chefs agreed on the characteristics of a fine cook: He/she could chop an onion, roast a chicken and creatively use up left-overs from a refrigerator. A left-over can be anything from a surplus of a bountiful serving.


Chicken Salad Spread

Ingredients:
2 c. chopped boiled chicken (or any left-over from roasting or nilaga)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3 tbsp. chopped, scraped celery
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
3 tbs sliced scallions

Preparation:
Cook chicken in 1 cup water, adding a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Simmer until cooked. Then chop in small chunks.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except scallions and mix gently. Then sprinkle scallions on top. Serve with bread of your choice.

I like using french bread and even crackers! :P

Simple Chicken Parmigiana

Photography by Donna Samonte

Here's another recipe to share. Very simple but delicious and yet can be served in either easy dinner and/or for fancy gathering.

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breast halves without skin
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
Dash of Oregano and Rosemary
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups homemade
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Put chicken between pieces of wax paper, or in a food storage bag; pound gently to flatten for even cooking. Combine bread crumbs, oregano, rosemary, pepper and salt. Set aside.

Dip chicken into egg then into crumbs to coat. In skillet over medium heat, in hot butter, brown chicken on both sides. Add sauce then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and parsley. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, until cheese melts.

Can be serve with pasta.

Mother's Cooks Best

Once, I was talking to my eldest son Bien who was then 12, was on the phone and he asked a question. He asked if frozen food can be sent from the US to Manila, I answered yes, of course! He knew that my mother was about to go home in a couple of weeks then, so further asked if I can cook "Pininyahang Manok" and "Chicken Curry" freeze it to send home. The recipes are very common, I bet those who cook knows the recipe by heart. I asked my son what's the difference why he wanted my recipe, he simply....."Ma, their recipe is different!" So all being said...please let me share my simple recipe, with a difference. Originally, milk is used for "pininyahang manok" but my recipe is quite different... :)

As the saying goes, "Mother's cooks best!"

Pineappled Chicken (Pininyahang Manok)

Ingredients

2 lbs of Chicken ( breast or drumstick)
1 small can Reno Liver Spread
1 medium can Pineapple tidbits (Delmonte brand)
2 gloves of minced Garlic
1 small chopped Onions
1 tbs sliced ginger

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste, oil
1/2 cup bell pepper( red or green)

1/4 cup green peas (optional)

Preparation:

Drain pineapple tidbits and marinate chicken with pineapple syrup. Put oil in a skillet and saute ginger for 10 seconds then add garlic till golden brown and add onions When onion is silvery in color, add reno liver spread and marinated chicken (making sure syrup is added too), add water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add pineapple tidbits and season with salt and pepper according to your taste and cook for 4 minutes more. Garnish with bell pepper and green peas.

Back to cooking...

It's been a while since my last recipe post...errrr...i've been so involved with my photography.

Anyway, I'm sharing another easy recipe that you'll enjoy. Chicken is always easy to cook and kids love it. This is a very simple dish, made easy for moms who are busy.

Chicken Pastel

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 potatoes, cut in cubes
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. can Vienna sausage, cut in half
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. butter
1 red pepper, cut in strips
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 c. water
1/2 c. milk
Salt to taste

Preparations:

Saute garlic and onions in oil until brown. Add chicken, soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper. Cook 5 minutes until chicken is half done. Add water. Let boil and add potatoes, Vienna sausage, butter and bell pepper. Cover until done. Add milk, cook a few minutes until sauce thickens. Serve hot.

Can be served with steamed peas and broccoli.