Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

Spicy-sweet chicken on pasta, the kind of spicy that hits you right between your eyes. When I make my spicy chicken pasta I like using dried chili which I make by roasting fresh chilis in the oven for 20 minutes until they shrivel up and dry to a dark-reddish hue. The spiciness is tempered by the sweetness so this makes a good contrast.

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Breast Fillet 1/2 kilo

Corntarch 1/4 cup

Canola Oil 1/4 cup

Garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon

Dried Chilis, chopped 1 teaspoon

Ginger Powder 1/2 teaspoon

Spring Onions 1 Tablespoon

Soy Sauce 1/4 cup

Sugar 2 Tablespoons

Vinegar 2 Tablespoons

Dry roasted Peanuts 1/4 cup

Cooked Pasta

In a bowl, coat chicken filllet pieces in cornstarch. Set aside. Preheat pan with canola oil. Pan-fry chicken until no longer pink. Set aside. In same pan, saute garlic, ginger, spring onions and dried chilis. Pour in vinegar, soysauce and sugar. Cook until mixture thickens add back chicken and cook further. Top over pasta and garnish with roasted peanuts.

Chicken in Red Wine

Whole Wheat Spinach Pasta to top with Coq au Vin

Here's another recipe for my friend. He was wondering what a good recipe for chicken is and I suggested he cook it in red wine. This is a distinctly French recipe but I tweak it a bit to suit the taste of my family, still staying true to the essence of the recipe. I adapted this recipe from Culinaria (European Specialties).

COQ AU VIN (Chicken In Red Wine)

Chicken 1 whole (cut into pieces)

Carrots 2 pieces

Celery 2 Stalks

Onion 2 pieces

Garlic 3 cloves

Bay Leaf 2 pieces

Thyme 1/4 teaspoon, dried

Black Peppercorns 6 pieces

Red Wine 1 bottle

Butter 1/4 cup

Flour 2 tablespoons

Mushrooms 1 can

Bacon 4 strips

Marinate chicken pieces, carrots, celery, onions, bay leaves, thyme and garlic in red wine overnight in the refrigerator. On the day you are planning to cook it, bring out chicken, drain and reserve liquid. Fry chicken pieces in oil until golden brown but not crispy. Set aside. In a deep pan, saute carrots, celery, onions. Dust with flour. Add bacon and continue cooking about 2 minutes. Add back chicken and marinating liquid (red wine) and mushrooms. Cook covered for 1 hour until liquid has simmered down and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Coq au vin is yummy when served over pasta :-)

Making an Omelet

Making a proper omelet was one of the things I really wanted to learn. And through the years of going to culinary school having my apprenticeships in major hotes, I can proudly say I know how to make a proper omelet. A friend of mine asked how I made my omelets--so instead of just writing down the instructions and trying to visualize it, I decided to post it. I always make omelets with 3 eggs and 2 tablespoons of milk, and whatever filling I feel like putting (or whatever is in my kitchen). For today, I will put onions, tomatoes, red bellpeppers, greenbellpeppers and diced ham, I ran out of mushrooms--so sad.

I whisk 3 medium eggs with 2 tablespoons fresh milk (or skim milk if you want) Cook this over a low fire on a teflon pan with a little bit of canola oil. When it's already cooked, but not dry, I sprinkle cheese and set it aside while I cook the filling.

In another non-stick pan (I like using non-stick pans because it minimizes putting oil) I saute onions, tomatoes, red and green bellpeppers and ham until the vegetables are slightly wilted and the ham is cooked.

And lastly, I add the cooked vegetable on top of the cooked egg (with the now-melted cheese) and fold it neatly and slide it onto a plate--and there you have it, a fat omelet! Yummy with toast and a cup of coffee for breakfast or for anytime of the day :)

Brunch

Spicy Beef Caldereta Lasagna

Beef Caldereta is a spicy beef stew (sometimes goat is used) that is a well-known party food in the Philippines. The beef is cut into cubes and the meat is braised to make it tender. I experimented with ground beef and made my version into lasagna. But instead of using pasta, I used thinly-sliced potatoes, topped it with bechamel and baked it for 30 minutes.

Spicy Beef Caldereta Lasagna
Canola Oil 2 Tablespoons
Ground Beef 500 grams
Onion, minced 1 piece
Garlic, minced 2 cloves
Bay Leaf, dry 2 pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dried Chili Flakes 1/4 teaspoon
Liver Spread 4 Tablespoons
Tomato Sauce 4 Tablespoons
Carrots, small dice 2 pieces
Green Pitted Olives 100 grams
Potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly 500 grams

Preheat pot with oil, add onion, garlic and bayleaf. Cook until fragrant. Add in ground beef, and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add tomato sauce and liver spread. Pour in carrots and olives. Cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Take out bay leaf.

Peel and slice potatoes thinly layer potato slices in pyrex dish, top with a layer of beef mixture, make another layer of potatoes and top with the rest of beef mixture. Spread evenly. Top with bechamel and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

BECHAMEL
All-purpose flour 2 tablespoons
Butter 2 tablespoons
Milk 1 cup
Cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 cup

Cook butter and all purpose flour until paste is thick and comes together, be careful not to burn. Set aside in chiller. Heat milk until bubbles appear on the side. Add cooked butter and flour mixture, stirring until mixture is well combined. Cook until thick. Add in grated cheese. Pour this over meat and potatoes.