KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 56: Chicken and Mushrooms in Oyster sauce

Mushrooms have always been a favorite vegetable of my kids, this is why I always add it to their favorite dishes like carbonara, salads or even simple sautéed pork and beef dishes. Little did I know that mushrooms are good for the heart since they have chemicals that prevent the formation of plaque from forming in the arteries. They also help boost the immune system and have anti-cancer properties. A study in 2006 revealed that eating ½ cup of button mushrooms daily can stop the growth of breast cancer tumors. They also protect the body against colon and prostate cancers. Button mushrooms were found to contain Vitamins C, D and B and the minerals copper, selenium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. For me though, the number one benefit of button mushroom is their low calorie content – so they’re truly great as meat substitutes or extenders because they don’t have the same calorie content as meat!

This next recipe that I cooked for the kids’ baon came from another fave food blogger (Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa). You can get the exact recipe from his site just look for Chicken Mushroom in Oyster Sauce. The ingredients are chicken (fillet or any part you want), a can of mushrooms, calamansi juice, garlic, onion, sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper (to taste) and of course, oyster sauce. The dish called for marinating the chicken pieces overnight in salt, pepper and calamansi juice. Then the next morning, I pan fried the chicken pieces in oil until no longer pink and set aside.

Then, the garlic and onion are sautéed. Mushrooms are added, the chicken returned to the pan then the water (inside the can of mushrooms) and finally the oyster sauce. Add a bit of sugar and let the liquid boil until reduced. You may opt to add cornstarch in a little water to make the sauce thicker. Turn off the heat and serve hot. Or cool them a bit before placing in covered containers for the kids’ baon. Thanks Dennis for another delicious dish that my kids will surely love!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 53: Chicken, bacon and macaroni casserole

For our dinner tonight, I decided to cook a pasta dish that would not be so light as to resemble a snack but something a bit heavy that could stand as a meal by itself - so we had chicken, bacon and macaroni casserole (for the exact recipe just browse the Casa Veneracion blog). First, I marinated the chicken fillet in a little salt and pepper. Then, I cooked the macaroni in a little salted water for just five minutes, drained it though it wasn’t cooked through yet because it would be cooked a bit more later.

Then, I melted a bit of butter in a pan and cooked the bacon for two minutes. After that, the chicken, carrots, bell peppers and peas were added to the pan (but since I didn’t have any peas, I substituted corn). I poured in about a half cup of water and just let it boil. When the mixture simmered, I lowered the heat and cooked it uncovered until the liquid is reduced. More salt and pepper may be added, if needed. Next, the undercooked pasta was added and I just continued stirring until the mixture is almost dry. The dish called for condensed mushroom soup but I didn’t have any so I substituted cream of mushroom soup. I let it boil for a few minutes more, then I turned off the heat and served it at once. My family says it tastes good even if it looked a bit like dried-up sopas. What’s more, they lament that the bacon was a bit soft, they would have preferred it to be a bit crispy. But I countered that the recipe did not exactly call for crispy bacon since it is only cooked for two minutes in butter. Oh well, at least I’ll need to remember that the next time I cook it.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES 41: BRAISED CHICKEN

Here’s my first kitchen misadventure installment for the year – Braised Chicken for the kids’ lunchboxes. I got the recipe from Connie Veneracion’s blog (CASA VENERACION) so if you want the recipe just check out her site. I marinated the chicken the night before so the flavors would all be incorporated into the chicken the next day. I only substituted calamansi juice for the lemon since it’s quite difficult to get that here in our place. Then, in the morning I just boiled the chicken in its own marinade, added a bit of water and let it simmer slowly until the chicken was cooked. After about 30 minutes, I added the hoisin sauce and voila – another easy and delicious dish from Connie! My kids loved it and said it tasted a bit like chicken tocino - imagine that!?! Now I can give them all the chicken tocino they want without the unnecessary preservatives!!! Hurrah! Hurrah!