#49: Piri-piri(-inspired) Chicken

"Tinola, fried chicken, adobo, afritada, caldereta... Ano pa nga ba? Nakukurta na utak ko!" 

I remember this to be the woe of my grandma when she can't think of anything else to do with good old chicken. And I know a lot of battle-scarred Pinoy kitchens suffer from the same chicken-again fatigue.

So to make our chicken-loving selves enjoy some variety, I have a number of other chicken dishes that is not a typical Pinoy household fare such as Pollo al Ajo and Chicken Florentine. There are a few others that I am still too lazy to write about but today, Igot inspired to share my experiment that brought yet another refreshing dimension to our favorite bird. This recipe is inspired by a barbecue sauce called Piri-piri made of a chili called, well, Piri-piri. :-) This version is the pan fried one. Not very authentic but hey, this is definitely manageable for our busy schedules and an absolutely good eats for the family.

#48: Sweet Chili Ribs - Your Way

I had a sudden inspiration. I realized if you are inspired and feel like some edible artwork are coming out the tips of your fingers, then just go for it! Really, cooking should not be uptight. We only say one cup of this or 2 teaspoons of that for the sake of estimation. But as with any art, it's all about what feels right. Now I am not saying all art are touchy-feely or that that logic and reason plays no part in it. Of course it has to be balanced out with what will sensibly turn out right and delicious. But go ahead, go wild. 

#43: Spicy Stir-Fried Pork

I am slowly warming up to experimenting on Asian flavors. It's ironic that I am Asian yet I am totally foreign to the flavors of our neighbors like kaffir, galangal, coriander, rice wine, lemongrass, cardamom, and many others. What I usually find in groceries are ingredients that lean towards Western cooking. So in a quest for new flavor dimensions, I recently tried an Asian-inspired salad and this delectable stir-fry dish.

This flavorful stirfry may take some time to prep but is a breeze to cook. The secret to quick stir-fry meals is having ingredients that are cut in smaller pieces so the heat can go through it quicker. Guess what else?

#35: Coffee Roasted Chicken

Coffee.. I am so in love with it that I even add it to my chicken! Haha! you may think that this will taste funny but really, what coffee adds to this is the smoky flavor without the actual carbon crust on the chicken. This is so delicious and simple, you can almost do this even if you don't have any cooking experience at all. And, it adds a truck load of pogi/ popularity points if you serve this to your friends. Little do they know that it is made of only 5 ingredients. 

#17: Pininyahang Atay ng Manok (Sarap nito!)

Perhaps I was treated to a death-by-tomato-dishes when I was young that is why I'm more inclined to prepare coconut or milk-based sauteed dishes now that I have my own kitchen. I still loooove kalderetang baka (the type that has peanut butter, and cheese and coconut milk *sigh*. I'll share the recipe for that soon!) but there is something refreshing and light about this Pinoy dish that we're going to bring to life this time.


This is an attempt to make you liver-haters to love the luscious, buttery, slightly bitter and earthy taste of our featured ingredient: chicken liver. Chicken liver is much smoother and lighter on the palate than pork or beef liver. Its rather eccentric characteristics are balanced out by the beach-loving, tangy flavor of pinapples that is sweet, sour and fruity at the same time. Then the whole marriage is tied by the rather subtle but creamy contribution of milk, both cow's and coconut (or whichever is available in your pantry at the moment). This nutritious and friendly viand could easily become a favorite in your repertoire of good food.