Tinola sa America

Wow... it's been more than a month since I posted something here. Not that I wasn't busy in the kitchen. I just thought maybe my recipes wasn't good enough to share. Anyway, here's a very simple Filipino dish which my daughter and husband really love. Tinola is a comfort food, and great to eat during a cold or rainy weather. But a couple of ingredients of tinola is not that easy to find here in the States - the green papaya and siling labuyo (Philippine chili pepper) leaves. So I'm sharing you the substitutes to those ingredients, which can make your tinola nutrition packed for your little ones.

Chicken Tinola

Ingredients:
1/2 chicken (whole chicken butterflied and halved), cut into about 6-8 pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1-inch ginger root, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup patis (fish sauce)
8 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
2 medium-sized chayote squash
1 bunch spinach
1/4 tsp ground black pepper


In a non-stick skillet or pan, sear chicken pieces over medium-high heat. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a medium stockpot, heat oil and saute the garlic and ginger root. Add the chicken, fish sauce and bouillon cube. Add water. Adjust your stove to medium-high heat and let the stock boil for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the chayote squash in quarters lengthwise. Peel and remove the seed. Cut each quarters in 2 or 3 pieces crosswise. Add the chayote squash to the pot. Let it simmer until the chayote squash are tender.

Wash thoroughly the bunch of spinach, removing the root ends. When the chayote squash is tender, add the black pepper and the spinach leaves to the pot. Add some salt if necessary. Turn off the heat. Serve with steamed rice.