Chicken Arrozcaldo (Lelut manuk)

I am posting this dish because my son Kim really likes this dish. He wants to learn how to cook it so that when he goes to Europe he will have a diet of Arrozcaldo :)

I remember when I was a young girl growing up in the Philippines, whenever one feels under the weather, this dish is the one that will cure everything. This is our answer to every sickness we feel. And sometimes, if we don't have chicken to put in there, we just put a simple egg. Of course, chicken is a lot tastier, but hey, it does the trick.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo of chicken (thigh fillets are the best if using chicken without bones, but preferably wings because it's a lot tastier) chopped into bite size pieces
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 head of garlic, minced finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 tsp of minced ginger
1 - 2 tsp of fish sauce (salt can be used but does not taste as good as fish sauce)
1 cup raw rice (rinsed)
pepper
spring onions, sliced thinly
calamansi or lemon


Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan.
2. Add the minced garlic, cook until brown. Remove from the pan to be used as toppings later.
3. Add the onions, cook until translucent.
4. Add the ginger, stir.
5. Add the chicken, and mix thoroughly.
6. Add the fish sauce.
7. Put the rice in and mix thoroughly again.
8. Add water. Make sure it covers all the rice and chicken.
9. Keep stirring until the chicken and rice are cook and tender. Keep adding water if you think it's getting dry.
   
10. Check for seasoning.
11. Then serve with the fried garlic, spring onions and some calamansi or lemon, pepper and extra fish sauce. Enjoy
    

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have posted Sweet and Sour Pork already, but I thought this sweet and sour chicken is a lot simpler. It's also a lot quicker to cook, in my opinion.

I was craving for some chicken necks, don't know why, I guess it's because I saw them at Coles Supermarket the last time I was there. So I sent the hubby to buy some. And he came home with marinated chicken thigh fillets. He said the butcher didn't have any chicken necks. I wonder what they did with them? Hmmm ... Anyway, I didn't really want to bake the chicken thigh fillets, so I thought I better make a sweet and sour out of them.




I must admit, it turned out really well, considering they have been marinated in some sort of sweet chili garlic God knows what else. The hubby was quite pleased with the outcome as well. He was quite proud of himself in buying the chicken thigh fillets.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thigh fillets, cut bite size
4 tbsp of cornflour
salt and pepper for seasoning
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 capsicum (red or green) sliced
2 medium carrots, cut round
1 can of pineapple, cut into bite size pieces

Sweet and Sour Sauce (mix these ingredients thoroughly)

1/4 vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt or thereabouts


Directions:

1. Mix the cornflour and chicken and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a wok then fry the chicken, until slightly cook. Remove the chicken from the wok and put on a plate with absorbent paper.
3. Cook the garlic in the remaining oil (add some more oil if necessary).
4. When the garlic is brown, add the onions. Cook the onions until translucent.
5. Add the carrots, capsicum and pineapple pieces.
6. Cook until carrots are tender.
7. Return the fried chicken and add the mixed sweet and sour sauce.
8. Keep stirring until it boils, then thicken with cornflour if you desire.
9. Serve with rice. Enjoy.

Chicken and Mushroom Curry

This dish is one of our favourites. It's a very simple yet very tasty dish. Whenever I cooked this one, guaranteeed, there won't be any left over. I always like a glass of wine with this one, my favourite accompaniment for this dish is crimson cabernet. I love my wine sweet.

Ingredients

½ kilo of chicken thigh fillets, sliced
3 tbsp of cooking oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp of minced ginger (I used the one from the jar)
2 medium carrots, sliced
½ red capsicum, sliced
1 tsp curry powder or to taste
Dash of thai seasoning (optional)
1-2 tsp of fish sauce or to taste
Chillies (optional)
Button Mushrooms, as much or as little as you like, sliced
1 can of coconut milk. If using coconut cream, use only ½ a can. If you like it creamy, use the whole can

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan.
2. Add and brown the garlic. Add the onions and ginger.
3. Add the curry powder and thai seasoning, if using. Stir thoroughly.
4. Add the chicken pieces, stir then season with fish sauce. Cover and cook the chicken for about 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Add the carrots and capsicum. Stir and cook for another minute.
6. Add the mushroom and mix it thoroughly.
7. Add the coconut milk and the chillies. Add the chillies whole, if others don't like it spicy
8. Let it boil. As soon as the mushroom is tender, it’s ready.
9. Serve it with plain rice.