For our first recipe this year, I decided to share one of my favorite dishes — Adobo Flakes — which is another variation of the popular adobo. This recipe and our version of Adobong Tuyo has a few similarities in flavor. Both dishes exude the distinct aroma and savory of garlic. The big difference is in the texture because Adobo Flakes is shredded.

Another interesting reason why I love this recipe is that you can turn most leftover pork and chicken meat into Adobo Flakes. Your leftover Chicken Tinola or Pork Sinigang can be instantly transformed into this adobo version without the conflicting taste in your mouth. Garlic and vinegar are strong enough to overpower other flavors. Why throw and waste your food if you have ways to save time and money with leftover recipes like this? All you need is a little bit of kitchen prowess and, well,  this recipe.

Adobo Flakes can be served as toppings on rice (or fried rice) or as filling in bread. Add fried egg or salted egg and fresh sliced tomatoes on the side. Prepare it using your weekend leftover food and bring it to your school or office for lunch on Monday. You may now stop wondering how those yummy Adobo Flakes in fancy restaurants are being made. Read on to learn how.

» Read the rest of this entry «

Let’s take a short break from the food events that have flooded my blog for the past weeks. It’s been a while since I posted a recipe here. But don’t worry, I will find time to post more of the events that I attended soon (I’m crossing my fingers). Writing a food blog is never easy, especially if it’s a recipe blog. It’s not like our family eats gourmet food everyday, you know. Plus the fact that I have to write the recipes and edit the pictures. I always want to make every post special so that you, the readers, would find it enjoyable every time you go to this site. But, yes, it does take time.

Anyway, for today’s recipe, let me give you one of my favorite Chinese dishes that I learned from my Tita — Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables.

Turn your ordinary day into something really special with Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables. Don’t feel intimidated by the list of ingredients on the recipe. This is, in fact, a quick and easy meal, which is what many Chinese dishes are known for. Your senses will be delighted with the combination of the sweetness of fresh vegetables and soothing aroma of ginger roots and soy sauce — very typical of many Asian dishes.

» Read the rest of this entry «

Warning: the story of the origin of this dish is a tad nasty, but it has to be told. In case you cannot stomach such morbidity, please skip the proceeding paragraphs and go straight to the recipe below.

Okay, you’re still reading this, so I presume you have a huge appetite for adventure or probably you just don’t really care. Either way, I congratulate you for having great tolerance and unwavering courage in discovering the truth behind the everyday food that we greedily devour. Give yourself…er…a pat on the back!

Seriously, Chicken Talunan, as the name suggests, are “supposedly” fighting cocks who have lost their battles during cockfights. Talunan is a Filipino word that literally translates to defeated or in a more demeaning term — loser. In short, the chicken meat used in preparing this dish traditionally comes from cocks who are defeated or who died because of the fight. I don’t really know how cockfights are being played, (and, personally, I’m not a supporter of the game), but I presume the losing cock would go to the winner. That is when the dish Chicken Talunan was born.

That wasn’t much of an icky introduction, was it? Actually, if I’m not mistaken, the same term is also used for defeated horses. But that’s another story altogether.

Anyway, the meat in our Chicken Talunan recipe did not come from the battle ring, thank God. We bought them straight from the supermarket. The way it is prepared is so easy probably because it is meant to be a quick meal to be served immediately during victory celebration after winning the cockfight. In other words, as a pulutan.

The way Chicken Talunan is prepared is like a combination of Adobo and Paksiw, except that it has ginger and the meat is not fried in oil. Right, some Paksiw recipes have ginger, but your argument is still irrelevant. Fast and easy, it is almost a one-step recipe because the ingredients are dumped in all at once.

Try it out yourself at home without learning how to cockfight. I just hope you haven’t lost your appetite yet. Here’s the recipe for Chicken Talunan:

» Read the rest of this entry «

Aah, rainy days. It’s Saturday morning. No work. Too lazy to get up. You just nonchalantly decide to spend your entire day under the warmth of your blanket. Or perhaps, you just sit carelessly on your couch, watch your favorite old movie on DVD or maybe read that book you haven’t touched since you bought it from the thrift shop last year. What else could be more pleasant than these?

A cup of coffee?

A hefty serving of sopas?

What about a nice warm bowl of tasty and gratifying Chicken Arroz Caldo, no? Now we’re talking.

Arroz Caldo is a Spanish phrase which literally translates to “rice broth.” It has many names: rice porridge, congee, lugaw…the list goes on. It’s a common merienda/minandal (snack) in the Philippines which can be served both in the morning or mid-afternoon. I’m almost sure there’s always a gotohan (a casual restaurant; an eatery that serves a variety of meals especially rice congee) within your neighborhood that serves this. Okay, maybe not. However, since this meal includes chicken and rice, a staple food in many Asian countries, it is a complete meal by itself which can actually be served any time of the day.

The recipe below is a plain Chicken Arroz Caldo dish. There are a number of side dishes that you can serve this with. You can enjoy Chicken Arroz Caldo with hard-boiled egg, lumpia (or sumpia as we call it in Malabon which is commonly known as Spring Roll), tokwa’t baboy (fried tofu and pork), etc., and your common condiments would be patis (fish sauce), pepper, calamansi, soy sauce with vinegar, garlic, and onion.

Hey, you want it, right? Then get up and start cooking! Here’s the recipe for Chicken Arroz Caldo:

» Read the rest of this entry «

I have a tooth ache since last night. It’s nice to know that we have chicken sopas (soup) for dinner. I know, I know, this is best served during the rainy or chilly seasons, but who cares? I want to enjoy a warm bowl (or two) of sopas despite the blistering weather lately. Besides, I can only chew on one side of my mouth, so this is the best option, or I starve to death.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. In my case, I’m waiting for my tooth fairy.

» Read the rest of this entry «