Simplified Recipe for Svelty

Sorry Minnette, I was so successful in avoiding your food blog, I totally forgot to mention it in a previous entry. I made the necessary correction.

To those who don't know, I am an avid reader of food blogs, which definitely include Minnette's. However, I only read Lafang List once or twice a week if I can help it because it's detrimental to my diet. What makes it different from the other food blogs and so bad is that Minnette can make even instant, if not junk food, seem so enticing! Imagine my stomach grumbling after reading her entry on instant noodles and I think it was just after lunch!

Anyway, here's my first instalment on requested recipes. As Lars and I were chatting last night, it struck me how enthusiastic she was about learning how to cook. It was almost like the joy of a child! However, there were things I took for granted and were misinterpreted by the novice cook, e.g. the raw onion in mashed potatoes almost-catastrophe, hehehe!

So, in an attempt to make life easier for dear Svelty, I'll simplify the first recipe. It's almost child's play and shouldn't take more than a few minutes. When I gave similar instructions for a friend who was taking his fellowship in Bonn, I told him I won't include my usual complicated instructions in proportioning spices according to the senses, though I believe those are essential in achieving the right balance to taste. The proportions I indicated in the recipe are just approximations of the average. Personally I am very extravagant with the use of spices. If there are no measurements specified, it means one can use as much as wished. Therefore, dear Svelty the experimenter, use your own judgement. If at first attempt, it doesn't taste the way you want it, then good luck next try!

By the way, Svelty, I'll use European names as much as possible to lessen your time Googling the ingredients, hehehe! Example: capsicum is our bell pepper.

Chicken Afritada

1 1/2 k. chicken, sliced to desired sizes (not too small though)
garlic, finely crushed
onion, finely sliced
1 small can of tomato sauce
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 capsicum, sliced (preferably one green and one red for presentation purposes)
1 small can of chick peas or two handfuls if using dried, soaked overnight then boiled till half-cooked
bay leaves
peppercorn, crushed (don't grind)
cooking oil
salt to taste

1. Fry cubed potatoes until golden brown, capsicum till you can smell the aroma, then set aside.


2. Sautee garlic, then onion till transparent.


3. Add chicken (plus bay leaves, oregano and peppercorn) and simmer till tender.


4. Pour tomato sauce and thicken over low heat.


5. Add chick peas, fried capsicum and fried potatoes.


6. Simmer for around 5 minutes.

That's about it Svelty! If you don't wish to fry the potatoes beforehand, you can just include them with the meat but it lessens the fritada taste. Frying potatoes also lengthens their shelf life.


שּׁלוס