Here are some of our favorite—healthy— Filipino dishes!
Chicken Tinola
Known for its flavorful tastes, chicken tinola is a famous dish in the Philippines — an epitome of health and taste in one bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1 1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 pounds chicken legs and thighs, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
- 1 chayote squash, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head bok choy, chopped
- ½ pound spinach
Here’s How:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir the onion and garlic in the hot oil until fragrant.
2. Quickly stir the ginger and fish sauce into the onion and garlic mixture before adding the chicken; cook together for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth over the mixture and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Add the chayote to the mixture and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the bok choy and spinach; cook until the spinach is just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Chicken Sotanghon
Known for its flavorful tastes, chicken tinola is a famous dish in the Philippines — an epitome of health and taste in one bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and julienned
- 1 pound chicken wings, tips removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup Chinese celery (kinchay), chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon atchuete powder
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces (about 2 coils) sotanghon
- ½ head napa cabbage, shredded
- 3 hardboiled eggs, peeled and halved
- green onions, chopped
Here’s How:
1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened. Add chicken and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and juices run clear.
2. Add celery and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until softened. Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, skimming any scum that floats on top. Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through.
4. In a bowl, combine about ½ cup of the hot broth and atsuete powder. Stir until atsuete is dissolved. Add atsuete water to pot.
5. Add carrots and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until half-done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add sotanghon noodles and push down into broth to soften, stirring gently to separate. Ladle soup into bowls and top with boiled eggs, fried garlic bits and green onions. Serve hot.
The Healthy Option 