Spicy Curried Chicken Salad

Herbed and Rosemary Crackers served with Spicy Curried Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is a great relief from the old boring, plain salad.  And you can serve it anyway you want… Great with garden salad or serve it with your favorite crackers and of course as sandwiches!

Note:  If you are short on time… you can buy whole roasted chicken from the grocery store or at Sam’s Club.  You’ll save a dollar or two if you buy it at Sam’s Club.  Or you can also use canned chicken chunks.

The skins of these roasted chicken are great to eat – crunchy, when they first came out of the oven.

Shred or chop roasted chicken…

What you need to make Spicy Salad Dressing…

Make the dressing…

Mix the chopped chicken and dressing…

Serve Spicy Chicken Salad over a bed of garden salad…

Serve Spicy Curried Chicken Salad with your favorite crackers.
These are Herbed and Rosemary Crackers served with Spicy Curried Chicken Salad…

Spicy Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts halves (about 2 pounds) – roasted, skinned, deboned, and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ of small red onion – diced

2 TBSPs. hot banana pepper rings – chopped

Curried Chicken Salad Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise

1 TBSP. no sugar added sweet relish

1½ tsps. hot madras curry powder

1 tsp. kosher salt (less if using regular table salt)

¾ tsp. smoked paprika

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 TBSP. spicy brown mustard

½ tsp. hot sauce (optional)

In another bowl, combine dressing ingredients.

Pour curried dressing mixture over the chicken.  Stir to mix until dressing coats the chicken pieces.  Add the chopped celery, red onion and hot banana peppers.  Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Serve over garden salad, with crackers, and as sandwiches.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Orange Ginger Chicken

Crispy.  Well seasoned and slightly spicy. This Orange Ginger Chicken will rival the ones you’d get from Chinese restaurants.  Maybe better.

This idea was inspired by our trip coming back from Fort Myers three weeks ago.  We stopped by at Kentucky Fried Chicken and order chicken bites with Orange Ginger Sauce.  So I decided to recreate the sauce at home.  My son thinks my sauce tasted better and without all the chemicals and preservatives…

In this photo… I used chicken breasts, which I sliced and pound.  But I also used boneless chicken thighs… and these did not need pounding.  I don’t like to do extra work… so I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs…

What you need…

kosher salt and spices

pounded and seasoned with kosher salt and spices

all purpose flour with kosher salt and spices

dredge seasoned chicken with the seasoned flour

allow the dredged chicken to sit for at least 10 minutes before frying.  this process allows the breading (seasoned flour) to adhere to the chicken.

fry breaded chicken in hot oil

Make the Orange Ginger Sauce. You will need the following:

combine sauce ingredients, EXCEPT the cornstarch in a small sauce pot

And bring to a boil over medium heat.  Let boil, uncovered for 3 minutes.

mix cornstarch with water

And drizzle over the boiling sauce, while whisking constantly.

I’m supposed to have the photo of the sauce here… but forgot to take a photo of it by itself…

So here’s the finished product – the fried chicken and Orange Ginger Sauce with Crispy Sweet Potatoes Tempura.

fried chicken breasts with orange ginger sauce and crispy sweet potatoes tempura

Orange Ginger Chicken

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP. smoked paprika

1 TBSP. kosher salt

½ tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. ground clove

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup cooking oil for frying

Combine paprika, kosher salt, cayenne, ground clove and nutmeg in a bowl.

Generously season chicken thighs with the combined spices.  Set aside.

In medium size mixing bowl, combine flour with the remaining seasoning.

Prepare the Orange Ginger Sauce before while you let the chicken thighs absorb the seasoning.

Orange Ginger Sauce:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice ( 3 medium oranges)

1 TBSP. honey

2 tsp. grated ginger

½ tsp. mustard powder

Pinch ground black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne or less depending on hotness desired

1 tsp. soy sauce

¾ tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 TBSP. water

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small sauce pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let the sauce boil, uncovered for 3 minutes. Stir the cornstarch mixture and drizzle it over the boiling sauce.  Remove sauce from heat and cool the sauce.

Heat a large skillet and add the cooking oil.  Heat oil just before it starts to smoke.

Dredge the seasoned chicken with the seasoned flour.  Shake off excess flour and fry chicken thighs in the hot oil.  Fry chicken about 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until cooked.  Drain fried chicken over paper towels.

Serve chicken with the Orange Ginger Sauce on the side for dipping.

Serve chicken with Crispy Sweet Potatoes tempura.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Chicken Turkey Meatballs

Gingery and garlicky.  The best thing is – I did not fry them in the pan.  I don’t like frying meatballs.  Because I don’t like oil splatters and I especially don’t like it when the splatter lands on my arms.  So… I always like to bake my meatballs.  Always! Easier this way.  And no splatter.  Simple and hassle free.

These meatballs are loaded with flavors.  And can be served as appetizer by itself or with brown gravy over noodles.  Really.  You can serve these meatballs anyway you want.

Here’s what you need…

Ground chicken and ground turkey.  Or you may use chicken only or turkey only.  Your choice.  You could even use ground beef or pork if you like.  Of course the the seasonings and spices.  They’re what make these meatballs tasty.   Then you’ll need ginger, garlic, onion, green onion, cilantro (not in the picture) and carrot.

I almost forgot… Ground cumin is one of the key ingredients for these meatballs.  The spice alone dictates the taste for this dish!

Peel and finely chopped ginger.  Smash, peel and minced garlic.  Chop onion and green onion.  Peel and shred the carrot.

Then… we need to mix these all up!

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken and turkey.  Then add the seasonings and spices.  Drizzle Worcestershire sauce.  Stir to mix using a long handled spoon or spatula.

Add ginger, garlic, onion, cilantro, green onions and shredded carrot.  (When I made this batch of meatballs… I did not have cilantro on hand.  That’s why it’s MIA from this photo.  So don’t be like me.  Remember the cilantro!)

Mix well with your hands.

And form the mixture into balls.

Place the meatballs on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  Be sure to have a bit of space in between the meatballs.

Bake 375°F for  45 – 50 minutes.

And there you have it.

Chicken and turkey meatballs.  Serve warm.

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Chicken Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

1 pound ground turkey

½ – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsps. cumin powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

3 tsps. coarse sea salt or 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 ½ TBSPs. worcestershire sauce

1 inch piece peeled ginger – finely chopped

5 cloves garlic – smashed, peeled and minced

¼ medium onion – finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro – finely chopped

2 stalks green onions – finely chopped

1 medium carrot – peeled and shredded

Preheat oven at 375°F.  Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken and turkey.  Add the seasonings and spices:  cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, ground black pepper and salt.  Stir with long handled spoon to mix well.  Drizzle worcestershire sauce over the mixture.

Add ginger, garlic, onion, cilantro, green onions and shredded carrot.  Mix well with your hands.

Lightly oil your hands and make the meatballs according to your preferred sizes.  Mine are about 1 ½ inch balls.  Not too small and not too big.

Place meatballs on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for  45 – 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve meatballs warm.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

1. Making meatballs can be a messy business.  So I have 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a saucer.  Lightly oil the spoon and your hands before forming the patties.  I also wear disposable gloves to keep my hands clean.   (I always keep a box of non-latex gloves in the kitchen.  And they are much cheaper at Sam’s Club – $9.99 for a box of 100 gloves.)
2. You can use ground beef or pork for this recipe in place of chicken or turkey.

Easy Green Chicken Curry

This is going to be the easiest green chicken curry you’ll ever make.  Can be done in less than 30 minutes with simple ingredients.  It’s like going to your favorite Thai restaurant… except more economical…

I could use some cilantro here… but I didn’t have it on hand.  And really… this was a last minute dish.  So… I have to live with what I don’t have…

Ingredients:

Season chicken with 1 tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper.  Set aside.

Sauté garlic and ginger.

Add green curry paste sauté for a few minutes.  (As you can see… I am very generous with the green curry paste.  These are heaping tablespoons… So you can imagine how spicy this curry was!)

Add coconut milk.

Stir until curry paste is well incorporated with the coconut milk.

Bring coconut milk to a boil.

Add seasoned chicken and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Taste to see if you need more green curry paste.  Otherwise, stir in chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with a bowl of rice.

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Easy Green Chicken Curry

2 large chicken breasts – cut into bite size pieces

kosher salt and ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves – minced

2 inch piece ginger – minced

1 – 3 tablespoons green curry paste*

2 cans coconut milk

2 TBSPs. olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Season chicken with 1 tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper.  Set aside.

Heat a medium size skillet and add olive oil.  Sauté garlic and ginger.  Add green curry paste sauté for a few minutes.  Add coconut milk.  Stir until curry paste is well incorporated with the coconut milk.  Bring coconut milk to a boil.

Add seasoned chicken and bring to boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.  Taste to see if you need more green curry paste.  Otherwise, stir in chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with a bowl of rice.

Tess Kitchen Secret:

Green curry paste is hotter than red curry paste.  So start with 1 tablespoon.  You can always add more later once the chicken is cooked.  The 3 tablespoons of green curry paste I used here makes this chicken curry very spicy!  But my husband likes his curry this way.

So here’s the scale of hotness in this curry, based on the number of tablespoons of green curry paste you use on a scale of 1 – 10:

1 tablespoon = 4 (good average heat)

2 tablespoons = 7 (hot, above medium heat)

3 tablespoons = 10 (superhot)

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Butter Dipping Hot Sauce

Forget Church’s.  Forget Popeyes.

Make chicken tenders better than these two popular fried chicken depots!

Crunchy on the outside… Tender and juicy on the inside…

That’s exactly what these babies are!

My family loves chicken tenders… And we often buy them at Popeyes Chicken or Church’s Chicken… But after countless visits to these places… And after eating hundreds of chicken tenders, which most often were overly breaded.  Over fried… and stale… I had to figure out a way to make chicken tenders at home.

I have experimented with different recipes for chicken tenders.  My goal was to exceed or at least come close to what Popeyes and Church’s sells.

My first few were good but not quite the chicken tenders I had envisioned.  And then one day, I finally got it!

I finally came up with chicken tenders that are crunchy on the outside… tender and juicy on the inside… Perfectly cooked.  Perfectly breaded.  And spicy!

My husband is absolutely thrilled about my new concoction… He simply loves these chicken tenders… and so does my son…Goodbye Popeyes.

Goodbye Church’s.

Hello… Finger Lickin’ Spicy Chicken Tenders!

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NOTE:  If you expect the same result as I have gotten… You must use chicken tenderloins and NOT chicken breasts.  They are a bit pricy – around $3.40 per poun.  But it’s cheaper to make them at home than buying them at these fast food chains which they charge about $1 a piece!…

Here’s what you need and the recipe…

4 pounds chicken tenderloins.

seasoned flour. (see recipe below)

canola oil.

Garlic Butter Hot Sauce. (see recipe below)

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How To Make ‘Em and Fry’em

First you need to make the hot sauce…

two bottles hot sauce.

combine two bottles of hot sauce in a medium size sauce pan.

sea salt, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, ground, coriander, ground cumin, and ground ginger.

add sea salt and spices to the hot sauce.

mashed garlic.

add the mashed garlic to the hot sauce. mix them up.

And then…

measure exactly one cup of the hot sauce and set it aside.

add butter to the hot sauce mixture and simmer hot sauce over low heat…

And while the sauce is simmering…

place the chicken tenderloins in a ziploc bag.  and remember that cup of hot sauce you measured and set aside… ? pour that over the chicken tenderloins.

Close the bag and shake ‘em around so the sauce will coat the chicken tenderloins.   Have this bag sit while you season the flour…

combine the flour, kosher salt, spanish paprika, granulated garlic, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander.

take out those happily marinating chicken tenderloins from the ziploc bag and coat them with the seasoned flour.  four or five pieces at a time.

place the coated chicken tenderloins on a platter for about 3 minutes before frying them in hot oil…

fry the chicken tenderloins in hot oil 350°F (for 6 – 7 minutes or until cooked and crispy.

drain on paper towels and serve…

btw… you can also use chicken wings, if you like wings…

Please note:  if using bone in wings, fry the wings 8 – 10 minutes or until cooked.

The RECIPE…

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Garlic Butter Dipping Hot Sauce

Ingredients:

4 pounds chicken tenders

Seasoned Flour – see recipe below

4 – 5 cups canola oil

Garlic Butter Hot Sauce:

1 bottle (17.5 ounces) Texas Pete Buffalo Style Barbecue Sauce

1 bottle (12 ounces) Luisiana Hot Sauce

6 cloves garlic – peeled and minced

2 tsps. cayenne pepper

1½ tsps. ground black pepper

2 tsps. coarse sea salt + 1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

¾ stick unsalted butter

In a medium size sauce pan, combine hot sauces, garlic, cayenne, ground black pepper, coriander, cumin and ground ginger.  Stir until smooth and free of lumps.  (You will add the butter later.)

Place chicken tenders in a gallon ziploc bog.

Measure exactly 1 cup of the hot sauce mixture and pour over the chicken tenders.

Close the freezer bag and shake or toss the toss until chicken is well coated with the hot sauce.

In the meantine, place the sauce pan with the hot sauce mixture on a stove over medium low heat.  Add the butter.  Simmer sauce until boiling, stirring occassionally.

Turn off heat.

Seasoned Flour:

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsps. kosher salt

2 tsps. Spanish paprika

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

In a deep dish or bowl, combine flour, salt and spices.

Dredge chicken tenders, one piece at a time, with the seasoned flour.  Place dredge chicken tenders in a large plate and allow them to sit for 5 minutes.  This process allows the breading to stick to the meat.

Using a deep heavy bottomed pot or large skillet, heat 4 – 5 cups canola oil until it reaches 350°F.

Fry chicken tenders, 5 or 6 pieces at a time, for 6 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm with Garlic Butter Dipping Hot Sauce on the side.  Or Dunk the fried chicken tenders in the hot sauce before serving.  Serve with potato salad, baked beans, and or red beans and rice.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – Adding the hot sauce mixture to the chicken without the butter seasons the chicken well, and allows the breading to adhere to the chicken.

#2 – Fresh garlic, and granulated garlic, gives the sauce a double dose of garlic flavors.

#3 – Ground cumin, coriander and ginger give the sauce a nice surprise.

#4 – If you want them to be restaurant style… dunk them in hot sauce before serving.  But if you want to control the heat… serve the sauce on the side.

#5 – If using wings, please fry them 8 – 10 minutes.  One of the best ways to tell if the wings are cooked… is when the wings starts to float on the oil instead of them being at the bottom.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Braised Spicy Chicken with 40 Garlic Cloves

Forty garlic cloves sound like a lot of garlic!  Some of you probably wonder how pungent or garlicky this dish is… Considering the large amount of garlic cloves in it.  If you are slightly worried… don’t be.  Because the garlic cloves are left whole and undisturbed.  Peeled of course!  The garlic remained mild and slightly sweet in flavors.  Not too strong at all.  The dish gives a nice surprise… And it makes you look forward in anticipation… to have at least one garlic clove in every bite.  Maybe I should have called this dish Garlic Lovers’ Delight with chicken… (chuckle).

So for garlic lovers out there… this dish is for you…

Kitchen equipment or tools needed:  Oven proof pot or skillet with lid or a large baking dish.

Ingredients:

3 ½ – 4 pounds chicken drumsticks or other parts you like

40 large garlic cloves – about 3 large garlic heads

1 medium onion – sliced

Zest and Juice of 1 large lemon

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 TBSPs. cornstarch

2 cups chicken broth or boiling water + 2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 TBSPs. chili garlic sauce (or to taste)

3 TBSPs. olive oil + 1 TBSP. vegetable oil

Spices and Seasoning:

3 tsps. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. ground cumin

Combine seasoning spices and seasoning in a small bowl. Set aside.

Wash chicken and pat excess water with paper towels.  Generously sprinkle spices and seasoning mixture on the chicken pieces, patting lightly for it to adhere. Set aside.

Place garlic cloves in a large bowl and pour hot water over them.  Let it stand for about 2 minutes.  Immediately pour the water off the garlic.  Peel the garlic cloves and trim the root end.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a large, deep, oven proof pot or skillet and the olive and vegetable oil.  Just before the oil starts to smoke… brown the chicken pieces on all sides.  Transfer browned chicken to a large dish.  Set aside.

Using the same pot or skillet… sauté the peeled garlic cloves until wilted.  Remove wilted garlic to a platter and set aside.

Sauté the sliced onions until translucent.  Deglaze the skillet with the boiling chicken broth, scraping the browned bits and pieces stock at the bottom of the skillet. Add dried thyme and lemon zest.  Stir and simmer the broth over medium heat.

In a small bowl… combine cornstarch with one tablespoon water.

Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture into the simmering broth.

Place the browned chicken pieces back into the skillet.  Stir to make sure the chicken is somewhat submerge in the broth.  Transfer this skillet into the preheated oven and bake chicken for 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and stir the chicken.  Add the wilted garlic cloves and chili garlic sauce.  Stir to combine.

Bake the chicken for another 15 minutes.  Taste for additional salt and black pepper.

Serve with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes or  Rosemary Red Roasted Potatoes Or Mashed Potatoes.

Sorry guys.  I don’t have step by step instruction photos for this dish.   I will have to put this on my “to do” list.

Rosemary Red Roasted Potatoes

Creamy Wasabi Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes (about 4 pounds) – scrubbed and skin intact

3 TBSPs. butter

¾ – 1 cup warm heavy cream – start with ½ cup and go from there

½ – 1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 TBSP. Genuine Wasabi paste (or according to taste.  I use S & B Brand.)

Boil potatoes in their skins until tender, about 45 – 50 minutes.

Peel potatoes while still hot.  (I use a tong to hold the potatoes so I don’t burn myself.)

Place in a large bowl.  Add butter and mash the potatoes.  Add warm heavy cream, salt and black pepper. Fold in to combine.  Fold in the Wasabi paste.

Serve warm.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Lemon Baked Chicken

I don’t like bland food.  And chicken is one of those meats that needs to be seasoned generously. At least this is my experience here in the U.S.  The chickens are lacking in flavors.  And this may explains why it is common to see chickens sold in the supermarkets having labels that say:  “injected with chicken broth to enhance flavors.”  Huh.  Why?

I usually avoid this type of chicken.  Because I don’t know what flavors have been injected into the chicken.  And I much rather know.  So I buy the plain ole chickens with no flavor enhancements.  And seasoned them myself.

When I was a young girl, we had several chickens running around in our yard.  And on special occasion, we would feast on one of these chickens.  We would have to catch the chicken, the night before, while the chicken is asleep.  Usually, up on a tree branch.

I remember the chicken tasting so good…

The chicken we ate was organic and fresh that it didn’t need plenty of seasoning.  In fact, we only had salt and lemon grass.  It’s either that the chicken tasted so good.  Or, that we did not eat much poultry or other meats.  So that when eat meat, our senses are awakened.  We inhaled the sweet aroma.  We savored every bite.  And we licked the bones clean!

And we were hungry for more.

During those days, I especially loved chicken livers.  Each time we’d kill a chicken, I’d asked dad if I could have the livers.  “Please, please, Tatay… Can I have the livers? Nobody should get them but me! I demanded.”  I didn’t care for the other parts.  I only liked the livers!

Later I found out.  The chicken livers I thought I was getting, weren’t livers.  They were chicken blood!  Chicken blood!  I was shocked.  I felt cheated!

But for several years, until I was in my teens.  I thought I was eating livers.  Then one day, I ask my dad: “Tatay… why there are plenty of livers on our chicken…?”  “Oh.  They’re not livers.  They’re blood.  Chicken blood.  They just looked like livers once they’re cooked.” Tatay replied.

Chicken blood dropped into the boiling soup, in the pot.  Once it’s cooked, the large droplets of blood clumped into a liver like specimen.

We only had the luxury to feast on a single, mature chicken.  And I always wonder why there seems to be a number of livers floating in the pot.

But I liked the livers.  I mean the blood.  No. The livers! They tasted so good.  I didn’t know they were blood.  I thought they were chicken livers.  Tasty chicken livers!

But then I had another revelation…

Back in 1996, 15 years ago, when we went home to the Philippines .  Willie and I were on a protein diet.  So we ate mostly meats:  pork and chicken.  I noted a great difference in taste on the chicken and pork meats.

Our maid was cooking the chicken and pork simply.  Pan fried, with minimal seasonings – salt and black pepper.  Yet, it tasted so good.  It was shockingly good.  Tastier and more flavorful compared to the ones we were consuming back in Okinawa, Japan.  The ones we buy at the USAF Commissary.  The Tyson Chickens from Arkansas.

What’s the difference? A lot.  I’m sure.  Farming methods.  Feeds.  Etc.  And I could probably write another blog on these issues.  But I’m not going to do that, so I’ll just stop here.

But here’s one fact:  I often wish the chickens and pork here in America would taste as good… and flavorful as the chickens and pork I have eaten in the Philippines.   I kept wishing…

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Lemon Baked Chicken.  This is a fairly simple chicken recipe that’s full of goodness.  It is lemony.  And good.  Real good!

Leg quarters.  Washed.  Pat dried with paper towels.

Lined up in a heavy duty baking sheet lined with heavy duty aluminum foil.  Or you can use a large glass baking pan.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice drizzled all over the chicken.  And generously seasoned with herbs and spices.

Baked in a preheated oven at 350°F for one and a half (1½ ) hours.

Serve them with the juices over the chicken.

The Recipe…

Lemon Baked Chicken :

6 pieces Chicken leg quarters

Juices of 2 large lemons (about ½ – ¾ cup)

1 whole lemon – thinly sliced

1 TBSP. kosher salt

1 TBSP. Spanish paprika

2 tsps. Garlic granules

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 TBSPs. olive or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash chicken and pat them dry.  Place in a large glass or ceramic baking pan.

Drizzle half of the lemon juice over the chicken leg quarters on one side.

In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic granules, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle half of this seasoning over the chicken.

Turn the chicken over to the other side and drizzle the remaining half of the lemon juices.  Sprinkle the remaining half of the seasoning.

Scatter the thinly sliced lemon over the chicken pieces, and drizzle olive or vegetable oil.

Bake chicken in a preheated oven at 350°F for one and a half (1½ ) hours.

Serve warm with sauce drizzled over the chicken.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – Allow the chicken to marinate in lemon juice and spices for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator, before baking. This process allows the chicken to absorb lots of flavor from the lemons and spices.  Which makes a great difference in enhancing the flavors of the chicken.

#2 – Freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Please.  Do not use the bottled, artificial lemon juice.

#3 – The herbs and spices.  All the herbs and spices give the chicken plenty of flavors.

 

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Chunky Mexican Chicken Soup

I’m on a roll with soups lately.

It must be because it’s starting to get cold.

And soup seems like a good way to stay warm.

Am usually not fond of dishes with tomatoes or tomato sauce.  Though I like them in soups as long as fresh or whole tomatoes are used.   In this case I used whole peeled tomatoes in a can.

Yeah…  I could have used fresh tomatoes and peel them myself.  But I was feeling lazy.  And I didn’t feel like blanching and peeling the tomatoes  myself.  So whole peeled canned tomatoes were my second best choice.  A dependable stand in.

This version of the soup is thick and hearty.  Though my husband prefers it to be lighter with less chicken next time.  I agree.  I’m not too crazy about thick soups either.  And I know that has to do with how we ate soups when I was growing up.  Thin and light.  With clean, crisp taste.  And that’s only because we had to make do with what we had.  Soup was a great way to feed a large family of 10.

So… if you like thick and hearty soup, just increase the chicken and corn tortillas.  And if you like your soup heartier, top each serving with cheddar cheese and sour cream, in addition to the chunks of avocados.

Here’s what you need:

You need 3 or 4 large split chicken breasts.  Bone and skin on.  About 4 – 5 pounds.  Only use 3 split chicken breasts if you want a thinner soup.

Remove chicken from the package and rinse them under cold running water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  And place chicken in a heavy-duty baking sheet.

Pour a little bit of oil – canola or olive oil, on each chicken breast and rub the oil all over the chicken.

Generously season the chicken breasts with kosher salt and ground black pepper.  I used about 4 teaspoons of kosher salt and 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper.

Don’t worry.

This might seem a lot of salt to you.  But all this salt is not going to penetrate the meat.  Its just going to make the chicken breasts well seasoned on the outside.Season chicken breasts on both sides.

And roast them, skin sides up,  in a preheated oven at 400°F for 50 minutes.

After 50 minutes in the oven, the chicken breasts are cooked and the skins are crispy!

As you can see… I have way too many chicken breasts here.  I should only have roasted three.  Four the most.  And so I used the rest of the chicken for “chicken club salad sandwiches” .  Another recipe I will post in the future.

But, like I said though… if you like a thicker, heartier soup, use four large split chicken breasts.

Oh by the way… the skins are really crunchy and tasty.   And you can start munching on them if you are feeling hungry and need a quick snack.

Tear the chicken meat off the bones and shred them into chunks.  Place chicken chunks in a bowl.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.

Discard the bones and skins.

Or give the skins to your puppy.  She’ll love you for it.

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Other ingredients you need for the soup:

Vegetables: 3 large celery sticks, 4 – 5 medium carrots, 2 medium size onions, 4 – 5 jalapenos, cilantro and lots of garlic.

Halves the  celery

And  chop them.

Peel and halves the carrots.

And chop them.

Quarter the  jalapenos

And remove the ribs and the seeds.

The hottest part of the jalapenos reside along the ribs.  That means if you want your soup to have a “kickasss” attitude, keep the ribs and only scrape the seeds.

And chop them.

Onions – peeled, and chopped.

Garlic – smashed, peeled and chopped.

Olive oil. 3 tablespoons.

28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes.

4 cans chicken broth.  About 6 cups.  Plus 2 cups water.

Ground coriander seeds, ground cumin, and dried basil.

One teaspoon of each.

Five or six 6-inch white or yellow corn tortillas.

I was kicking myself when I got home from the store, when I realized that I had bought flour tortillas instead of corn.

I was having a senior moment at 43!

But I used them anyway.  Wishing, while kicking myself, that I had corn tortillas.

Slice tortillas into one inch strips.

And them chop into one inch squares.

Oh.  Don’t forget the avocados.  You will need 3 large, ripe avocados.

One-half (1/2) avocado per serving.

And cheddar cheese and sour cream.  Only if you want a richer, heartier soup!

And your favorite corn tortilla chips to serve on the side.

~~~

How to prepare the soup:

Heat a large pot (I am using a 5 quart pot) and add 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Saute chopped onions until translucent.

Add garlic and saute few more minutes.

Add chopped celery, carrots, and jalapenos.

Stir and saute for five minutes.

Add the whole peeled tomatoes.  Break ‘em into chunks using a spatula.

Stir and add the chicken broth.  Plus 2 cups water.

Add the ground coriander and cumin and dried basil.

Cover pot and bring soup to a boil over medium heat.

Add the chopped corn tortillas into the pot.

Reduce heat to low and simmer soup until vegetables are tender. About 20 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro.

Add the shredded chicken to the soup.

Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Simmer soup for another 15 minutes.

Serve soup warm.  As is…

With your favorite corn tortilla chips…

Or…

Top each bowl with avocado chunks.

And to add more excitement and personality to soup -

And to make it richer and heartier -

Top each bowl with shredded cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese and sour cream along with the avocados.

I have to be honest…

I was reluctant at first to use the avocados.  So when I served the soup for the first time, I served it with sour cream. To be on the safe side.

But I made a big pot, like I always do, because I’m lazy like that.

So the next day when I served the same soup again, this time, I bravely added chunks of avocados in each bowl.

And you know…

I’m glad I did because the avocados made the soup taste creamier, even without the cheese and sour cream.

The avocados were subtle, yet surprisingly seductive and intriguing that makes the palate hunger for more…

Here’s the recipe:

Chunky Mexican Chicken Soup

Serves 4 – 6 people

Ingredients:

3 or 4 large split chicken breasts – bone in, skin on

3 TBSPs. canola or olive oil

4 tsps. kosher salt

2 tsps. ground black pepper

3 TBSPs. olive oil

2 large onions – peeled and chopped

6 garlic cloves – smashed, peeled and chopped

4 jalapeno peppers – seeds removed and chopped

4 medium size carrots – peeled and chopped

2 large stalks celery – chopped

1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried basil

4 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth or 6 cups chicken stock

2 cups filtered water

5 (6 inch) white or yellow corn tortillas – sliced and chopped into 1-inch squares

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 tsps. coarse sea salt or to taste

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Corn tortilla chips – to serve on the side

Optional Toppings:

3 large ripe Avocado – peeled seeded and cut into chunks (allow ½ avocado per person)

Grated sharp cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese

Sour cream

Remove chicken from the package and rinse under cold running water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  And place chicken in a heavy duty baking sheet.

Pour a little bit of oil – canola or olive oil on each chicken breast and rub the oil all over the chicken breast.

Generously season the chicken breasts with kosher salt and ground black pepper.  Season them on both sides.

Preheat the oven at 400°F.

Roast chicken breasts at 400°F for 50 minutes.

(Prepare all the vegetables needed while the chicken is roasting in the oven.)

Tear the chicken meat off the bones.  Shred the chicken with your hands or tear them into chunks.  Place chunks or shredded chicken in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Discard bones and skins.

Heat a large pot and add 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Saute chopped onions until translucent.

Add garlic and saute few more minutes.

Add chopped celery, carrots, and jalapenos.

Stir and saute for five minutes.

Add the whole tomatoes.  Break ‘em into chunks using a spatula.

Add the chicken broth, plus 2 cups of water.

Add 1 tsp. ground coriander seed, 1 tsp. ground cumin and 1 tsp. dried basil.

Stir the  mixture.

Cover pot and bring soup to a boil over medium heat.  Once the soup is boiling, add the chopped corn tortillas.

Cover and simmer soup until vegetables are tender.  And soup is slightly thick.  About 20 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken to the soup and simmer again for another 15 minutes.

Taste to see how much salt is needed.  Otherwise, add 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Serve warm with your favorite corn tortilla chips on the side.

Top each bowl of soup with chunks of avocado.

And for richer, heartier soup, top each bowl with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – Avocado chunks make this soup taste creamier.  The creaminess comes when you take a spoonful of the soup with a small chunk of avocado.

#2 – Shredded Cheddar or Pepper Jack Cheese takes this soup to another level.

#3 – Corn tortilla chips is a great accompaniment to the soup.  It makes the soup less serious, even though it is.  And makes the soup fun to eat.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

Biggest Chili Pot In the World

We’ve been here six years.  And every year, on labor day weekend, people at Dyess talk about the chili and barbecue cook-off at Buffalo Gap. We’ve been wanting to go, but always overslept on the days of the event.  So we always say… “Oh well.  We’ll just go next year.” And then next year comes and the same thing happens.  And then finally, after hearing about it for the past five years, Willie said “OK… we’re going to that chili and barbecue event on Saturday.  Jason said he is going to cook chicken and ribs for the contest.”  Jason is Willie’s colleague at work, a manager for another contracting company.

So, Saturday we went.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve tasted a really good barbecue from a  restaurant around here, so I was hoping to sample all types of barbecue.  Good barbecue.

My expectations were a bit too high.  I had imagined the place was going to compose of all these booths competing for the cook-off.  And we are going to sample plenty of barbecued chicken, ribs, and brisket.  Or at least I was hoping for all these things.

Two dollars per person, to get in.  That’s all we knew.  But then when we got there, all bets were off.  We also had to pay for tickets to taste the food from the participating booths.  That’s the key word “participating.”  There may have been 90 contestants for the cook-off.  But I did not see 90 booths or tents there. There were only a handful of booths who had the “People’s Choice” signs.  Which are the ones that gave away samples. At the gate, we were told these people had cooked extra food for people to sample.  Where are these people?  Where’s the food?

The samples were  tiny morsels of food.  Leftovers or extras from what they submitted for the contest. WTF.  Can I at least get one rib? A chicken wing?  Something!

OK… I was the fool that expected too much.  Food is not cheap.  And these people – the contestants paid $60 or more to enter the contest, plus the cost of the meat and woods or charcoal to cook it. I thought of this the night before we went.   But I ignored my feeling.  I hoped for something exciting.  Something that’s going to blow my mind.  In Abilene Texas?  I have been living in my head too long!

Unless you are a business, or owns a restaurant to participate in this cook-off, all the cost is a personal expense.  And if you don’t win the $4,000 top price? Better luck next time.

As far as getting food for nothing… No such thing.  There were commercial booths inside the camp ground that literally priced and sold their foods.  I don’t think they were among the contenders for the cook-off.  I think they were there to cash in on people who thought they were going to get food for cheap.  Instead the got hungry.

We were among the attendees who were highly uninformed.  We weren’t told much at the gate as they took our money.  After stamping our arms with the word SAT.  Which means our entry was for Saturday only.  We were waved through with no additional information.  It felt like we have been lured into this place.  And now that we are in, the harvesting begins.  They even forgot to tell us about the truck they were giving away.  The raffle ticket was $20 and you had to come back the next day for it. Nah.  That’s OK.  I’ll take the zero.

We did ate a few ribs.  The best ones we had there, and even the best compared to the ones we’ve had in a restaurant here.  That was Jason’s ribs.  They were amazingly tender and juicy.  Willie thought they were perfect.  I though they were awesome too.  But it needed a bit more seasoning.  Just a tiny adjustment.  And yes.  They would have been perfect.  Still.  Even with the tiny adjustments needed, they were still the best ribs we’ve had in a long time.  Even his chicken was moist.  Cold chicken that is.  Left over from what he submitted for the contest.

For Sunday, they also plan to submit an entry for the brisket and desert.  Bill, Jason’s friend was excited about his dessert.  “Yeah.  I’m going to make my pineapple upside down cake in my dutch oven.  They are gooood.  One thing I can brag about.”

Ironically, Jason’s entries did not place.  Not even his ribs.  We found out Tuesday when Willie saw him at work.

Willie sent him the pictures I took at the cook-off.  Which he was glad to have.  And even offered to tell me how he cooked his ribs if I wanted to know.  And he said, “Yeah.  For next year.  I’d like you guys to be my official tester.  You’ll be a priority and you’ll get more food next time.”

Alright.  We earned a position for next year’s events!

Oh… as we were living, I found out that the judges were picked from the crowd.  If you are near, or around the judging pavilion, at the time of “judging.”  They could pull you to become one of the judges.  I think I will hang around the judging pavilion next year.  It would be fun to judge!

This is where the event was held: Old Settlers Reunion Grounds in Buffalo Gap, Texas.

Abilene Fire Fighters Association was responsible for cooking a 500 gallon pot of chili – the World’s Largest Chili Pot.   The cooking began on Thursday night, September 2nd, with 1,750 pounds of ground beef and 200 pounds of chopped onions.

Helping the cause.  Willie and Ramon got two small bowls of their famous chili – $4 each bowl.

The chili was OK. Willie ate his.  Ramon didn’t.  The chili was all meat.  A typical of Texas chili.  I had a tablespoon off Willie’s bowl.  It was too meaty and a bit gamy for me.   We like our chili with kidney beans.

That’s Jason in green and his friend and cooking partner, Bill.  That’s their station.  They slept in small tents the three nights during the event.

The ribs smoking in Bill’s 50 gallon drum.  The ribs were seasoned 30 minutes before it hits the smoker.  And then they are smoked for one hour before transferring them to a a grill.  They are slow cooked for three to four hours.

The ribs after four hours of slow cooking.  Once cooked, they are placed in aluminum foil, apple juice is poured over it and wrapped.  Kept over the grill until time of submission. I think the apple juice is what made the ribs very moist.

Jason.  Carefully slicing the ribs for the contest.

They boys.  Just hanging out.

Many contestants had custom made propane tank smoker.

~~~

Since I can’t grill outside.  Let me just leave you a recipe for a Lime Balsamic Marinated Roasted Chicken on a bed of Chipotle Teriyaki Tomatillo Dressing.  A very tasty combination.

Lime – Balsamic Marinated Split Roasted Chicken

1 – 4 ½ to 5 pounds whole chicken – split in half

Lime – Balsamic Marinade:

2 TBSPs. fresh rosemary – finely chopped

Zest of 1 ½ large limes

Juice of 2 large limes

5 garlic cloves – peeled and grated or smashed

1 ½ tsps. dried thyme

20 black pepper corns – whole

2 bay leaves – torn into pieces

1 TBSP. kosher salt

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup teriyaki sauce

¾ cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Wash the whole chicken… and remove the chicken wings.  Split the whole chicken using a cleaver knife from the back down.  Also… it’s easier to split the breasts from the inside and work towards the front. (Please note that I removed the wings on purpose.  I like to remove the wings because they obstruct heat that should be directed to parts of the chicken breasts.)

Place the split chicken and the wings in a gallon freezer bag (I prefer Ziploc) and pour the marinade in the bag with the chicken.  Marinade the chicken for at least an hour at room temperature over overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Line a large – heavy duty cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Place a stainless cooling steel rack over the lined cookie sheet and arrange the chicken halves – skin sides up.  Remember to include the wings. Place them on the side, next to the chicken breast.

Roast the split chicken for 15 minutes at 450°F… then baste.  Roast another 10 minutes… then baste.  Reduce the oven to 350°F and roast for another 25 minutes… then baste.  Turn off the oven and let the roasted chicken rest for 10 minutes in the hot oven.  Serve 3 – 4 people.

You can serve this roasted chicken anyway you want.  For me I decided to serve this with Avocado slices on a bed of Chipotle – Teriyaki Tomatillo Dressing.

Chipotle Teriyaki Tomatillo Dressing

2 to 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – depending on how spicy you want

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

1 TBSP. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

½ cup olive oil

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves

8 tomatillos – washed, husk removed and chopped coarsely

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce come in a 7ounce can.

To maximize the taste from the chipotle peppers and its sauce, spoon 2 to 4 peppers into a mixing bowl.  Add red wine vinegar and teriyaki sauce.  Carefully rinse the peppers with the vinegar and teriyaki sauce and remove the peppers unto a chopping board.  Split the peppers, remove the seeds and chop finely.  Add chopped chipotle peppers back into the mixing bowl with the vinegar and teriyaki sauce.

Add balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt, dried basil leaves.  Whisk all ingredients to combine.  Gradually add the olive oil… whisking until lightly creamy.   Add chopped tomatillos and cilantro leaves and stir until well combined.

Line slices of avocados around the plate and scoop about ½ cup of Chipotle Teriyaki Tomatillo Dressing into the plate.  Top with one or two pieces of roasted chicken.  Serve with warm, crusty garlic or sesame bread.

In case you are not familiar with tomatillos.  These are already cleaned.  But they usually come in with husk around it.  The husk feels like corn husk.

Yours should be thicker than this.  I’ve already scooped most of this into a plate and served.  So this picture was taken a little too late.

Lime Balsamic Marinated Roasted Chicken served over Chipotle Teriyaki Tomatillo Dressing and Avocado slices.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – Roasting a split chicken cooks so much faster than the whole chicken.

#2 – Marinade always makes a roasted chicken tasty, flavorful and moist.  Here the lime and balsamic vinegar are an awesome combination which rendered the chicken its mouth watering flavors.

#3 – The dressing has that smoky and spicy flavor from the chipotle; sweetness from the teriyaki sauce and brown sugar, tartness from red wine vinegar, and the tomatillos.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

The Road to Healing is Uncovering the Scars from Years Past…

“You were an abused child just like me!” Willie would tell me in one of our discussions.

“No, I was not! My parents did not constantly beat me.  I remember getting beat only twice and that was my fault so I deserved it…” I’d reply.

I never considered myself being abused as a child.  To me, abuse is being physically beaten whenever you make a mistake, do something wrong or say something bad.  I was disciplined and controlled simply by looks… My father was master at this.   Whenever I did something he did not approve, he would tilt his head and shot me a dark, fierce look – as dark as the heavy storm waiting to unleash its fury.  I wouldn’t dare cross those stares.  I wasn’t so sure whether I would come out alive if I dared to.  There were two occasions where I blindly crossed these boundaries.  I said blindly… because I sincerely did not  know what the repercussions were.

I was about 8 years old, left alone to care for my two younger sisters: Elsa, three years old and Ale two.  My parents and my two younger brothers were at the farm, 10 miles away… they left at sunrise that morning and are not expected to be home until early that evening.  At around 11 o’clock in the morning, an old lady acquaintance, I should call her Mrs. Teofilo came…

“Helllooo… ? Anybody home…? A cracking voice outside.

I ran to the door…and stared at the lady… eying her from head to toe.  I saw her before.  She’s from the barrio.

“Is your mom and dad home?” said the old lady, while looking at me.

“No.  They’re away.  They’re at the farm.” I replied.

“What time are they going to be home?” asking me as if she has something urgent to discuss with my father and mother.

“I don’t know.  They usually come home before dark… but, I’d go get them if you watch my little sisters….” I told the old lady.

She sat down by the door, on the bamboo floor and look me straight in the eye… her dark eyes fixed on mine.  She looked around the room and fixed her eyes on my sisters, who were both on the floor playing… she said…

“OK… I’ll watch your sisters while you go get your mom and dad” the old lady assured me.

“OK.” I answered without hesitation and much thought.

I left with much gusto.  I ran across the shallow river… Walked up the hill… hopped and skipped along the way… kicked a few rocks ‘till I reached the farm…

My mom was cooking something for lunch when I announced my presence…

“Nanay! whew… I’m tired. What ya cookin’…? Looking to see what’s in the pot…

Nanay shot me a quizzical and confused look.  “Where are your sisters?” she asked worriedly.

“Ummm… there’s Mrs. Teofilo at the house and she wants to talk to you and dad…” I managed to say while catching my breath.

“You mean, you left Elsa and Ale with a stranger!!!?” My dad came out of nowhere, yelling.

“Well… we know her, Mrs. Teofilo… she’s from the barrio. And she wants to talk to you and mom…” I answered nervously.  By the sound of my dad’s voice I know I was in BIG trouble.

“Stop what you’re doing Vicenta! Jojo! Artem! Get your stop and carry a few bunches of firewood.  We need to go right now!…  Let’s go…!!!”

My dad lead the way… He walked real fast and so were almost running just to keep up with him.  He did not say another word.

My mom was behind me and she kept talking:

“Tessie… why did you leave your little sisters?  What if that old lady takes them away…? What if she gives them to the people that drive the windowless white van… and dump ‘em under the San Juanico Bridge? Why did you left them?”

“But mom… Mrs. Teofilo said she’ll watch them.  She said it’s OK…” I tried to reassure her.

“You know… your dad is very angry right now.  I don’t know what he’s going to do…”

I didn’t say another word.  I kept walking and thinking what’s going to happen to me.  I was trying to guess what my dad is going to do to me.  Is he going to chop me into pieces with his long knife…? Is he going to kill me…?  Or is he just going to spank me… ? I don’t remember getting physically punished before.  I got yelled at.  And I’ve been scared and would shiver in fear whenever he got drunk…

I admitted to myself that what I had done was bad.  My mom was right.  I shouldn’t have left my sisters with that old lady.  But I really wanted to go to the farm.  I always hated being left alone at the house with my little sisters.  We had no neighbors.  The closest barrio is 20 miles away.  I was very scared whenever I was left home.  I’d start crying along with my little sisters when darkness starts to creep in and my parents are still nowhere in sight.  I sometimes wonder if they’re ever going to come back.  What if they don’t come back?  What’s going to happen to me and my little sisters?  It’s already night time… What if there’s a witch out there…? Whoa-hoo-hoo-hoo. We’d cried in chorus.  We’d huddled in the corner and cried… until our parents came home that evening…

Finally we arrived home.

Thank god that old lady did not take my little sisters.  She, the old lady was still sitting in the same spot – by the door, when we got back.

My dad went over to talk to her.  I don’t remember what they talked about.  But she left half and hour later.  And right when she left, my dad pulled a ten foot rattan stick and started peeling the shiny outer skin off it and told told me to go fetch some water.

I did.  The stream was about half a mile away.  I took two plastic gallons and filled them with water.  When I got back, my dad was braiding a five foot whip out of the rattan he had pulled.  I knew what the whip was for.  So I asked my mom what should I do…?

“You do nothing.  You sit there until you father talks to you…” mom advised.

When my dad finished with the rattan whip… he motioned for me to come to him. “On the floor!  Lay down on your stomach… arms on the side!”

I nervously obliged.  I was wearing a short cotton dress that day and my bare legs were exposed… perfect for the rattan whip –  half inch thick and five foot long with a solid five inch handle.

I did something very bad – leaving my little sisters with that old lady and my dad wanted to teach me a lesson – to never ever do it again…

“YOU DON’T… EVER… leave your little sisters…” Weeepppoww!  As he delivered the hardest blow unto my legs with the whip.

“NEVER… EVER… leave your little sisters…” Weeepppoww!  Another blow…

He whipped my legs five more times, while I kept my face down on the  floor.  When he landed his 7th lashing… I took a quick glimpsed at my legs and saw tiny lines of blood dripping from each lashes.  There was not a drop of tear in my eyes when I looked up at my father.  He looked at me with dark, turbulent eyes… piercing through mine…

Because I did not cry… to him… this was a sign of defiance.  NO… NO… NO… He can’t have a defiant daughter!  I must break… I must submit.

He took a step towards his very sharp, well tended long knife… but before he could pull it out of its wooden case, my mom jumped him…

“Please… Felix… DON’T!”

“She is just a little girl… PLEASE… PLEASE…” My mom was crying and begging for my life…

This was my first and worst physical punishment that I can vividly remember.

The second time I was physically punished was when I accidentally dropped and broke a glass bottle that held one of the stones that was part of a series of his “medicine water bottles.”  In a swift response, he delivered a forceful fist unto the back of my head… in front of several  people.  This time I was 10.  I was ashamed and humiliated… which was more painful than the pain I felt in my head…

My half older brother got it far worst that I did…

My mom had two sons with her first husband.  The youngest one died and so she had an eight year old boy when she met my dad.  His name is Benny.  Mano Benny (older brother), I called him.  I remembered when he was 13 years old and started to get beat… a lot.

My dad would order him to take the water buffalo down the water hole so it could drink some water.  But he wouldn’t do it right away.  He gets sidetracked with his friends playing with elastic rubber bands called “pinetek.”  A game where two or three boys agree to bundle equal amounts of elastic rubber bands.  And then each one would take turn in flicking the bundled rubber bands with their index finger, until one by one a rubber band would come loose.  Mano Benny was so enamored with this game that he’d completely forget what dad had told him to do… or maybe he just decided to have fun first and then work later…

Two hours would pass by and my dad would come looking for him, wondering why he hasn’t come home… And the he’d catch him… Not only he hadn’t done what he was told to do… but he’d be occupied with other boys playing games.

So… my dad would drag him home.   He’d tie his feet together with a 10foot rope; tie the rope up on the tree in front of our house, leaving Mano Benny’s body hanging upside down.   While hanging upside down… my dad would punch him several times in the stomach… He’d cry and beg.  “Please dad… I’m sorry.  I won’t do it again… Please… I’ll do what you want me to
do…”

Mano Benny would be good for a whole week.  Before he repeats the same infraction again… and again… and again.  And he’d get beaten the same way, again… and again… and again…

As a little girl… I never understood why he never learned a lesson.  I’d watch him get hanged upside down and beaten… and I’d felt sorry for him.  But what could I do?  Besides… I thought, he was being hard headed.  He did not do what he was told to do, that is why my daddy beat him.  I didn’t know how my mom felt about this… about her first born son getting severely beaten by her husband.  But I did not see her stop my dad.  And I think I know why.  She believed that it was my dad’s duty to discipline Mano Benny and her role is to support her husband and not contradict him.

We weren’t allowed to play when we were growing up, and that’s because there was plenty of things to do in the farm.  On weekends we went to the farm to sow corn, plant sweet potatoes, cassava, and other root crops.  During summer, we’d go up the mountain and make ‘copra’ or worked as hired “rice worker.” We had once planted rice in a muddy rice field, with mud rising up to our waistline.  We were all very young.  I was 11 while my younger brother was 10, and my cousins were 13 and and 11 whom my dad adopted.  Here in America… you call this child labor.  In the Philippines and in other third world countries, this is called survival.  We were obligated to work and bring some much-needed money for the family.

If you read the last three blogs I posted.  You learned how abusive my childhood was though I didn’t think it was… I loved my parents.  My dad is dead but my mom is still alive.  She’ll turn 71 years old in next month.  I don’t hold much resentments for my parents.   My true feelings are pity and sorrow.  I felt sorry for them.  I always say: it’s not their fault.  They didn’t know.  They tried their best in raising all of us… My dad was illiterate.  My mom only finished fifth grade, the most educated in her family.   They were both raised in the same ignorance and abusive environment…

For almost 40 years… I was in denial.  I will never admit to being abused as a child.  I didn’t think I was abused.  At least not regularly, physically.  That’s just how life was.  We were poor and poor people do all sorts of damn, stupid things.  But abuse, I later find out, not only comes in the form of physical but also psychological and emotional and this type of abuse far worst than the physical… It permeates into the far reaches of our minds and soul…

~~~

Chicken Soup For the Wounded Soul

Cooked Chicken and Stock:

2 large chicken breasts – with skin and bones

3 medium size carrots – cut into 2 inch chunks

3 ribs celery – cut into 2 inch chunks

3 large jalapeno peppers – stems removed and cut in half – crosswise

1 medium onion – outer skin peeled and cut into quarters

Half a garlic head – cut in half, crosswise

3 stems fresh parsley

1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon coarse Celtic sea salt

6 cups filtered water

Wash chicken breast under cold running water and place in a large pot.

Wash all vegetables and cut as directed above and add to the pot.  Add black pepper corns, bay leaf and sea salt.  Add six cups filtered water or enough to cover the chicken and vegetables.  Bring the chicken to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove chicken and cool.  Removed the skin and tear chicken meat off the bones.  Discard the bones.  Tear chicken into bite chunks.  Set aside.

Strain the broth and discard the vegetables.  Place the broth in a large clean pot and make the soup below.

The Soup:

Chicken Broth (from above) – six cups or more

Cooked chicken chunks – to be added last

1½ cups small macaroni noodles

3 medium size carrots – peeled and sliced into thin rounds

3 celery ribs – sliced into thin round

1½ cups fresh or frozen cut green beans

¼ – 1/2  tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ – 1/2 ground hot pepper – optional

½ – 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt or to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a boil.  Add the macaroni noodles, carrots, celery and green vegetables.  Reduce and simmer until noodles and vegetables are cooked and tender, about 12 – 15 minutes.  Add ground black and hot pepper.  Taste if additional sea salt is needed.

Divide chicken chunks into four to six portions and place them in individual soup bowls.  Scope the soup over the chicken.  Serve hot.

NOTE: I do not like overcooked chicken in my soup and that is why I do not boil it in the pot along with the noodles and vegetables.  Instead I place enough chicken chunks in a soup bowl and add the soup and then serve.  This soup has a clean, refreshing taste to it.  Perfect to eat for lunch or dinner.  I even eat it for breakfast.

SHORT CUT: If you are short on time, you could just buy a canned or boxed chicken broth or stock instead of making your own as I have shown above.  And you could also buy a whole roasted chicken at the grocery store.  And then make the soup as directed on the recipe.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess