Mild, tangy chicken adobo is one of the national dishes of the Philippines. The meat stews in a vinegar sauce cooked slowly over low heat. When University of Miami author and creative writing professor Evelina Galang asked me “Why aren’t
Mild, tangy chicken adobo is one of the national dishes of the Philippines. The meat stews in a vinegar sauce cooked slowly over low heat. When University of Miami author and creative writing professor Evelina Galang asked me “Why aren’t there more Filipino restaurants,” I decided to create this quick dinner. This shortened version has the flavors without the hours.
The chicken is cooked in the sauce, removed and sauteed a few minutes.
Filipino chicken adobo
Serves: 2
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken legs
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
Add chicken, onion, vinegar, soy sauce, honey and garlic to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, do not boil, and cook covered 10 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook covered another 5 minutes. Meanwhile make the microwaved rice. Remove chicken from the saucepan. Raise heat to high and reduce the sauce. Meanwhile pat chicken dry. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a nonstick skillet and add chicken. Brown on one side 1 minute, brown on second side 1 minute. Divide between two dinner plates and serve sauce on top. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 339 calories (31 percent from fat), 11.6 g fat (2.5 g saturated, 5.8 g monounsaturated), 162 mg cholesterol, 35.5 g protein, 22.9 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g fiber, 678 mg sodium.
Microwave rice
with red bell pepper
1 package microwaveable brown rice to make 1 ½-cups cooked rice
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 scallions, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2 cups and set aside the remaining rice for another dinner. Add the red bell pepper, scallions, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 214 calories (25 percent from fat), 5.9 g fat (0.9 g saturated, 3.8 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 4.3 g protein, 36.1 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, 11 mg sodium.
