Chicken Afritada

My daughter, Liane, who is 16 years old, is my biggest support in this www. com endeavor. She also happens to be my loudest reality check call. I asked her today to log into my website control panel so I can start editing. I was busily sauteing when her voice boomed into the kitchen-”Mama, you had O (like zero, zilch, nada, wala) page visits on 11/2/2007 and 10 today (these 10 are probably because of me checking and editing pages!). Well, what can I say? What is there to visit? I have but 10 recipes posted and all but 2 pages! Ok, ok. I admit I’ve been arriving short of my goal of 5 to 10 posts a week! It’s not like I haven’t been cooking. I cook everynight. It’s just that I thought sinigang pork, or ginisang mung bean, or even this chicken afritada we had last Friday are so familiar every filipina aunt and sister knows how to cook them. But I realized we all have our own little tricks in the kitchen and they are all worth sharing. Good example is this chicken afritada. I don’t use canned tomato sauce as called for by most recipes. I use fresh tomatoes, lots and lots of tomatoes! So, there! I am posting every dish that comes out of my kitchen!

A few hours ago, I defrosted an almost 4-pounder cut-up chicken. I cooked half as curry and the other half as afritada. Both dishes work with the same principle-the sauteing with onions and the addition of potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Chicken curry is put together by coconut milk and chicken afritada by tomato sauce.

Makes 4 servings

2 lbs bone in chicken, cut into serving pieces
6-7 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 small red bell pepper, sliced into small squares
1/2 small green bell pepper, cut into small squares
5 cups water
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Heat oil in skillet. Fry potatoes and carrots until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Saute garlic and onions until translucent. Add chicken parts and brown slightly.
Add tomatoes and continue sauteing until tomatoes are mushed up.
Juice from chicken and tomatoes will seep through.
Add water.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes.
Cover and lower heat. Simmer until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer until tender. Sauce will be reduced and will slightly thicken.
Add bell peppers. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot.

TIPS:
1) Traditional afritada comes with green peas but as my daughter doesn’t like it, it was omitted from this recipe.