Turbo Chicken with Fresh Garlic and Rosemary

We prepared this dish in our Nutrition and Food Safety and Basic Food Preparation and Presentation month - Day 2 ( Caregiver Training ).

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and procedure is easy to follow. This dish exudes a wonderful aromatic flavor.

2 whole chickens
1 head garlic, pounded
1 tablespoon coarse salt (add more if needed)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fried minced garlic (optional)


1. Split chickens into half length-wise, then pound to flatten. In a small bowl mix the garlic, salt, and pepper and rub thoroughly inside and outside the chickens. Put fresh rosemary sprigs inside the cavities.

2. Rub olive oil all over the skin and sprinkle some dried rosemary leaves on top. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Arrange the chicken pieces in a pan lined with foil. Bake in over or turbo broiler for 45 minutes, ir until done, turning the chicken pieces every 15 minutes and basting them with fat and cooking juices that collect in the pan.

4. Or, if not in a hurry, bake chickens in 325F over for 1 hour on one side and another hour for the other side, skin side up, basting occasionaly with the pan juices, for more tender chickens.

5. Arrange on a serving platter, and sprinkle fried garlic on top. Pour pan juices over the chickens before serving.

6. If desired serve with roasted potatoes.




* In our preparation, we prefer not to split the chicken into half when we baked it just for the sake of our presentation. :)

Watermelon Basket

A rich variety of shapes and colors makes this light dessert very appealing. Suggested fruits include banana, apple, papaya, pineapple, honeydew melon and grapes.

1 medium watermelon
2 cups diced fresh or canned fruit
1/2 cup sweetened orange juice
grated cheese (optional)

1. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of the watermelon so it will sit flat ( don't cut into the fruit ).

2. Make zigzag wedges on watermelon. With a sharp knife cut watermelon following the outline.

3. Scoop out all the flesh with a melon baller, trying to remove as many seeds as you can.

4. Wrap the empty watermelon bowl in a plastic wrap to keep it moist.

5. Refrigerate until ready to fill with fruits. Use fruits with a variety of shapes and colors.

6. If using canned fruit, drain fruit well and discard syrup. Combine watermelon balls with other fruits.

7. Drizzle orange juice on fruits. Spoon fruits into prepared watermelon basket.

Upo Guisado

Guisadong upo is one of the sautéed vegetable dishes popular in Philippines more commonly on provinces where bottle gourds are abundant. This cheap and simple dish usually is made out of 3 main ingredients which are pork, bottle gourd and tomatoes. A simple yet rich dish which is enjoyed as mains paired with rice.



2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup pork, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shelled shrimps
1/2 cup upo (bottle gourd), sliced thinly or cubed
1 cup shrimp juice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet then saute garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add pork and cook until lightly browned. Add shrimps and cook until it changes color. Add the upo and shrimp juice. Simmer until tender but not overcooked. Season to taste.

Herbed Loin of Tuna

Here is one of the recipes we tried during our Caregiver Class. It is a mouthwatering Asian tuna dinner fit for any table..

Prep time: 15 minutes    Cooking time: 1 hour    Yield:  4-6 servings

1/2 kilo whole loin of tuna

oil

juice from 1 lemon

1 onion, choppeed

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 lemon, sliced thinly

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 375F.

2.  Make a shallow cuts on the top and sides of the fish.

3.  Spread some oil on a baking tray.  Place the tuna and drizzle with the lemon juice.

4.  In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper.

5.  Fill the shallow cuts on the tuna with this herb mixture.

6.  Pour the wine over the fish.  Sprinkle the remaining herb mixture all over the fish.  Top with lemon slices.

7.  Cover the pan with foil and bake the fish for about 40 minutes.  Uncover and baste with the pan juices.  Continue baking until done.

* Serve it with Red Wine.

Fried Lumpia / Lumpiang Prito

Lumpiang Prito literally means fried spring roll. It consists of a briskly fried pancake filled with bean sprouts and various other vegetables such as string beans and carrots. Small morsels of meat or seafood may also be added. Though it is the least expensive of the variants, the preparation – the cutting of vegetables and meats into appropriately small pieces and subsequent pre-cooking – may prove taxing and labor-intensive. This variant may come in sizes as little as that of lumpiang shanghai or as big as that of lumpiang sariwà. It is usually eaten with vinegar and chili peppers, or a soy sauce-and-calamondin juice mixture known as toyo-mansi.  But I prefer eating friend lumpia with vinegar and lots of garlic.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup sliced onions

1/4 kilo lean pork or chicken, chopped

1/4 kilo shrimps, chopped

1 cup carrots, cut into julienne strips

2 cups bean or mongo sprouts (optional)

2 cups singkamas, cut into julienne strips

1 cup cabbage, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

lumpa wrappers or spring roll wrappers

Vinegar Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup white vinegar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in skillet and saute garlic and onions until tender. Add pork and saute until browned. Add vegetables and cook until tender, yet crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with soy sauce. When mixture is cool, add bean sprouts. Salt to taste.

2. To assemble lumpia: Carefully separate wrappers. To prevent them from drying out, cover unused wrappers with moist paper towel. Lay one wrapper on clean surface. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling near the edge closest to you. Roll edge towards the middle. Fold in both sides and continue rolling. Moisten opposite edge with water to seal. Repeat with other wrappers. Lumpia can be frozen until ready to use.

3. Deep fry at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet sour or vinegar and garlic dipping sauce.

4. Vinegar Dipping Sauce: Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 1/2 hour. Makes 1/2 cup.