Chicken Afritada + Quinoa

To start with, Chicken Afritada is a Filipino chicken stew cooked in tomato sauce, with carrots, potatoes and bell pepper.

In my version, I cooked it as a “slightly” adobo first. Meaning, after sauteing garlic, onions and chicken (I prefer the thighs and wings because it adds more flavor), I put in a bit of soy sauce and vinegar, and simmer for a while to cook. This is to tenderize the chicken, add more flavor and extend the life span of my afritada because of the vinegar. When the food is tomato-based, it has the tendency to get spoiled in a span of a week. Also, in my version, I added some chili powder that was always supplied to me by my Thai friends from Bangkok to add some kick. Hi-yah! Since I love vegetables and I still have some of it in my fridge, I added string beans in it, too.

I was getting ready to eat when I found out that I don’t have cooked rice anymore and I no longer have any stock.

I decided to try something new. So even if the nearby Asian grocery is just a few steps away from my apartment, I have thought of trying quinoa. The bio-grocery is on the other side so I went off for a mission. According to the articles I read in Google, these small seeds are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Also, even small portions are enough to eat because it fills you up faster. This will be my first time to cook quinoa for myself. Also, living here in Europe limits the options of Asians who misses Mama’s homecooked meals because of the lack of ingredients available (that kangkong in the Asian grocery for sinigang frustrates me most of the time).

So, here I am, a Pinay who will try to do this. I know I’m maybe not the first to try it, but I want to share the experience. Haha. 🙂

1. First, I washed 1 cup quinoa seeds using a strainer on a cold, running water

2. In an old-fashioned Asian way, I used my rice cooker. I put the quinoa in it, along with 1 3/4 cup of water and 1tsp of salt.

3. Then just let it cook. That’s it. Once done, wait for about 5 minutes and then, fork the quinoa to let it breathe some fresh air.

When everything is good and ready, I put them together on my plate for dinner. It looks like only a small portion for me when I took the photo but after eating, I realized that it was all I need. I am full already!