Chicken Peri-Peri (Piri-Piri)

While reading this book about various ingredients that work really well when combined together, I came across with chicken and chili.  Quite frankly, I thought that was ordinary since most Filipinos use chili in sauces and dips for almost all proteins.  Oftentimes, we mix chilis with vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce with calamansi (my personal preference). But my interest got tickled when peri-peri was mentioned in the book. I know I have not tasted it before. So that’s when I started checking Google.

With all the recipes I saw, the three most common ingredients are: oil, citrus juice (lemon) and, of course, chili. As usual, I put my personal spin into it.

Take two large chicken breasts, skin on and bone in. Place them in a large bowl then pour in 1/3 cup orange juice. Add two pieces minced shallots, two cloves of crushed garlic, one teaspoon each of cayenne powder, ginger powder (or two teaspoons crushed ginger), chili powder and paprika. Season with salt and black ground pepper, and add four tablespoons of olive oil. Lastly, toss in a handful of chopped red chilis. Mix thoroughly and marinate for no less than 24 hours.

After 24 hours…

Grease a grilling pan with olive oil. Make sure the pan is totally hot before placing the chicken (skin side first). Cook over medium fire. Brush the chicken with the marinade until it cooks. Serve with salad or any starch.

Happy eating.

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Pepper-crusted Chicken with Roasted Mushrooms and Pesto

I've tried this before. Not as a dish though, but as a sandwich. The one I tasted from a coffee shop in Manila (make a guess which one) was bland. Boom! So I thought of re-creating it into a dish that can be eaten with any starch.

So here's how you do this easy and satisfying meal.

1. Pound your chicken breasts to make it a wee bit thin. That way, it's quicker to cook.

2. Season it with the following: salt, thyme and paprika. Add chili powder if you prefer.

3. Heat about two and a half tablespoons of olive oil over medium fire. Coat the chicken with ground black pepper before frying. It should only take about 2-3 minutes to cook each side (that depends on how thin you pounded the poor breasts).

Tip: Make a small slice at the center of the chix. If the color is still pink, it's still raw. Remember, it's a major sin to serve raw poultry!

4. Once cooked, immediately toss some sliced shiitake mushrooms (use as many as you want) on the pan where you fried the chicken. Add some olive oil when needed.

5. Arrange on a plate with a tablespoon (or more) of pesto on the side.

Voila! Happy eating!

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Pan-fried Chicken Breast with Chunky Tomatoes and Basil

I don’t always find the food in the office cafeteria appetizing. But sometimes I let myself buy a cup of white rice and a viand because I failed to bring my own packed lunch. So one evening I searched through our fridge and cabinets for something easy to prepare the next day. I found chicken fillet, fresh basil and some concasséd tomatoes, which I previously prepared.

First I pounded the chicken breasts then seasoned with salt, ground pepper, crushed garlic, ginger powder and Spanish paprika.  I heated about two tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan and fried the chicken. Depending on how thin the chicken was pounded, mine took not more than three minutes on each side. Make sure it’s brown and golden.

While doing the chix, I sautéed some white onions in olive oil, added ½ cup of the tomatoes and poured in ¼ cup of chicken stock. Once simmered, I tossed some olives and fresh basil. Voila! Just top the veggies on your chicken and it’s done.

Happy eating! 

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