Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Chicken & Upo


Some of you might be thinking....."What the heck is upo?". Well, for those of you that don't know, it's a light green squash (kind of like a giant zucchini) that's used in a lot of Asian dishes, like Filipino dishes.

No, I didn't cook this dish myself, even though I know how to. I visited my sister and her family today and they apparently made a Filipino dish called "chicken and upo".....at least I think that's what it's called. Upo goes well with chicken in a stew type of dish like this one. Served over rice, this meal is delicious.

Here are the ingredients:
  • whole chicken chopped up into different pieces (you can any parts you want)
  • upo
  • tomato
  • garlic
  • onion
  • chicken stock (optional, there's already enough water from the chicken and veggies)
  • patis (fish sauce.....but also very optional and only in a small amount)

Just brown the chicken in a pot, making sure it's covered during the process because you don't want to lose any of the water. After they look brown and halfway cooked, chop up the upo into small cubes, dice up the other ingredients and throw them all in the pot. Let simmer until the chicken is tender. Enjoy!

7 comments:

  1. yum! i thought at first you cooked this dish.

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  2. I don't know how to cook too many Filipino dishes, but I'm learning. I'll eventually perfect the basic specialties like chicken/pork adobo, pinakbet, etc.

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  3. I love mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes together. I love eating the fresh mozzarella with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.Yummm...

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  4. Hey - do you have a good pansit recipe?

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  5. Hey Foodie. I actually don't have one of my own. I just went online and typed in "pancit bihon recipe". The bihon is the type of pancit that uses rice noodles. There are other types like palabok, which is totally different. The pancit bihon is the one that everyone usually knows. Here's the first recipe I found online. Some things to note are that you can use any type of meat like pork or chicken (I think they usually use chicken), and I've seen people throw in Chinese sausage pieces (very tasty with this dish):

    Ingredients :

    · 1 tbsp. cooking oil
    · 1/2 lb. pork, sliced
    · 2 cloves garlic, minced
    · 1 onion, sliced
    · 1 large carrot, julienne
    · 1 red bell pepper, julienne
    · patis (fish sauce), salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste
    · 2 cups chicken broth or water
    · 1 cup cabbage leaves, cut into thin strips
    · 1/2 lb. pancit bihon (rice sticks noodles)
    · wedges of lemon or calamansi, for garnish

    (Cooking Conversion Chart)

    Cooking Procedures :

    1. Rinse pancit bihon with tap water. Drain. Set aside.

    2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry pork slices until no longer pink in color.

    3. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until soft.

    4. Season with patis, salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste.

    5. Add julienne carrots and red bell peppers. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

    6. Add chicken broth or water. Correct the seasoning.

    7. Heat until boiling and add the drained pancit bihon.

    8. Let it simmer and stir to loosen the noodles (separate noodles by using a fork and a ladle)

    9. Add a little more water or broth if you notice that is almost dry up and noodles ("pancit") are not yet cooked well. You may also add soy sauce if you find it pale and taste bland.

    10. Add cabbage leaves (do not overcook) and then turn off the heat. Mix well.

    11. Serve with lemon wedges or calamansi. Enjoy!

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  6. I don't make pancit, I leave that to my dad, but I'll try your recipe!

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  7. Yeah, most of the authentic Filipino dishes I leave up to my parentals. I'm about to attempt to perfect the chicken adobo recipe very soon though. I hope your pancit recipe turns out the way you want it.

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