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.