'Purely experimental' archive

Braised tilapia

To braise means to cook in a little sauce that gets absorbed by the seafood or meat turning it highly flavorful. In Asia, the sauce in which fish, chicken or meat is braised is always supplemented with herbs, spices and aromatics. So, basically, you put some sauce in the pan, you add the herbs, spices and aromatics, you add the fish, chicken or meat, you cover the pan and leave everything to simmer.

It’s so simple, one wonders why not many people take advantage of the braising method of cooking.

Chicken and mangoes in yogurt

Cooking meat in milk is not new. There was a pork cooked in milk recipe in a 1970s something cookbook that came with our SEB pressure cooker when I was a little girl. I tried it, liked it, and I’ve cooked it many times before. Jamie Oliver has a chicken in milk recipe which has been tried and enjoyed by a mom in Kuwait. I saw a photo from her entry in Food Gawker yesterday and decided I would do my own version. With a twist, naturally. Yogurt instead of milk and with cubes of fresh ripe mangoes.

How did it turn out? Can I brag just this one time?

Capsicum halves stuffed with chicken, cheese and vegetables

This is my second attempt at making stuffed capsicum (or bell peppers, if you prefer to call them that) and I finally did it right. The first time, I stuffed the peppers with raw ground meat mixed with raw vegetables. The juices from the meat and vegetables soaked the peppers during baking, making it very soggy. This time, I cooked the filling first, stirred in lots of grated Parmesan and stuffed the sticky gooey mixture into the cavities of the halved peppers. I baked them only long enough to brown the tops and to cook the bell peppers just until they were tender-crisp.

Aromatic (and tastier!) spring roll wrappers

I used to cook my spring roll wrappers on medium-low heat. Yesterday, I realized that if the batter is poured into a very hot pan and the wrapper is cooked over medium-high heat, the bubbles create a better texture and pattern. The wrapper browns better too. But that wasn’t the only thing I learned yesterday. I also discovered that adding finely sliced herbs to the batter makes the wrappers aromatic and tastier. Those are bits of fresh tarragon peeping through the spring roll wrappers. Next time, I’ll experiment with some other herb.

Chicken, mushrooms and potato salad

If all low-fat meals can be this good, I won’t miss lechon kawali and crispy pata. It was a borne out of a split second of inspiration which struck as I was simmering chicken for last night’s chicken and vegetables soup. Before adding the cabbage and chayote to the pot, I took out a large piece of chicken thigh and decided I was going to make a salad with it. And so, I did.

Chicken and pesto quesadillas

These chicken and pesto quesadillas were the last decent things I cooked before I fell ill. Just so you understand the unusually long interval between this entry and the one before it.

Chicken and pesto quesadillas? You’d probably raise your eyebrow a little higher when I tell you that those quesadillas in the photo had lots of kesong puti (native white cheese) inside them. Yes, seriously. Like I always say, never be afraid to experiment and use unorthodox combination of ingredients.

When tofu met pesto

It was a whim. A last-minute whim and a decision that took all of a split-second to make. What I really intended was to saute the spinach leaves with a little Kacep Manis then use them as a bed for the fried tofu and fish fillets. I was already taking out the bottle of Kecap Manis from the fridge when my eyes went past the small jar of pesto that I made a couple of days ago. I said, “Why not?” And because pesto is much milder than Kacap Manis, I decided that a little more kick was in order — two pieces of chili picante. That was how I discovered that pesto is not an enemy of tofu.

Chicken and potatoes in yogurt

You know that baked creamy chicken and potatoes that so many readers have tried and enjoyed? Okay, if you’re new here, check out this link and note that the baked creamy chicken and potatoes entry consists of three pages. So, it’s become quite popular. My kids love it and many of you say the same. Now, I wanted something similar that will be just as kid-friendly and, at the same time, a dish that adults — especially those who carefully monitor their fat intake — won’t be scared to have a second helping of. Enter this chicken and potatoes in yogurt recipe.

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House On A Hill

Chicken dishes

• Roast turkey with rice stuffing
• Cliff sandwiches
• Chicken and macaroni salad
• Buffalo chicken wings
• Speedy’s chicken burgers
• Chicken salad sandwich and cheese sticks
• Chicken & Broccoli Pasta
• Baked creamy chicken and potatoes
• Rainy day grilled chicken and pasta Alfredo
• Pollo con queso

Superb soups

• Serving idea for store-bought siomai (pork dumplings)
• Chicken and misua soup, version 2
• Chicken soup for a rainy day
• One pot of broth, 2 soup dishes
• Kalabasa (squash) and potato soup
• Kalabasa (squash) soup
• Save the meat from the soup bones
• Clams and malunggay soup with coconut milk
• Cooking with leftover turkey
• Beef, misua and upo soup