October is Indigenous Peoples Month: Yeti’s Sweet and Spicy Chicken Adobo | Amrey’s Kitchen™

Yeti's Sweet and Spicy Chicken Adobo

Today’s recipe is another take on Philippine Adobo. Adobo is known as the National Dish of the Philippines. Of course, there are several ways of personalizing and dressing up your classic adobo. One good thing about adobo is that you don’t have to worry about how to preserve the dish (no need for refrigeration) when you find yourself having leftovers. That is if you do get to have leftovers though. As far as I know, whatever style of adobo is served, people will always have seconds. And if the rice ran out, then they’d go to their next carbohydrate of choice: tinapay (bread). That’s just how innovative Filipinos get when it comes to food. #notofoodwaste

If memory serves me well, the chicken dish I had when I was in Lake Sebu (which I failed to ask the name of) is another adobo dish with herbs and coconut cream. Yes, just like our Southeast Asian neighbors, we do enjoy our coconuts! Adobo, is a style of cooking, similar to nilotnot, and paksiw. Hence the different variations and proteins used. However, I consider chicken to be the most popular meat used in adobo. And since it is one of the easiest to raise for food (I often see native chickens roaming about during my immersions), I think it is also one of the most practical and somewhat cheapest food source to use in cooking. In the Cordilleras, Pinikpikan is a dish (and type of food preparation/cooking) that uses the entirety of one native chicken. The preparation is something I would not want to witness again, however, do note that having pinikpikan is not an everyday thing as it is usually attached to a ritual. Of course, I’d be more than willing to immerse and know more about the different rituals being practiced to date by our IP communities, both up North and down South. Although native chicken takes more time to cook to make it tender, it has a remarkably distinct texture and taste that can not be compared to the everyday chicken we get from the supermarket.

This chicken recipe does not use native chicken. Hah. Just like as much as I wanted to recreate nilotlot na manok sa gata (Chicken Nilotlot in Coconut Cream), certain ingredients aka native chicken is not accessible to me right now, and it’s really not practical. I’m still all for #conveniencecooking, after all. 

This Sweet and Spicy Chicken Adobo is to honor Yeti, my emotional support dog (ESD), and all the dogs out there. I’ve noticed that the majority of communities and IPs have dogs. The reason is, in the Philippines, dogs serve as guards aka ‘bantay’. At least, that was what I knew of whilst growing up. With the heavy influence of the West, most dogs nowadays are very domesticated, and well pampered (treating them as ‘kids’), making them a part of the family in a whole new context. 

Whenever I visited IP communities, I noticed how the dogs, usually an ‘aspin’ (asong Pinoy) in Mindanao and Aspin-mix in the Cordilleras, roam about freely, helping their owners on the farm. Afternoons are spent playing with the children during community sessions. By nightfall, they are on duty, guarding their specific yards. It’s like the dogs are not just being raised solely by one family but by the community. In the city though, depending on your neighborhood, the dogs are mostly being raised by a family. I never really thought of having a dog for myself. I used to care for dogs though, but they were not mine. I also did not understand how pampered most dogs are nowadays what with all the clothing and accessories… until I had Yeti. Hah. (The only accessories I made him wear were booties, and his collar. Oh, and a hair tie or two for his top bun/s. Haha.) Now, it is safe to say that this little boy has me wrapped around his paws! Although I am still just a pawnt (paw aunt) to him, what can I say, ei? 

Anyway, Yeti loves his chicken like it’s nobody else’s business. His favourite treat is Chicken Liver-Chia by Pawntee’s Grub™ Holistic Pet Nutrition. He may not be as fierce as that of a community dog since he’s very much staying at home for the most part, but he still is as alert as ever and ‘guards’ the unit, just like any dog would do. 

Of course, he cannot enjoy this dish for himself as it is loaded with garlic and has sugar, sodium, and chili. Every time I prepare this dish, I steel my heart so as not to fall prey to his ‘puppy eyes’! But he gets to enjoy his usual Chicken Veggie n’ Greens or Chicken Veggie Rice together with his son, Kisig, whilst I enjoy my meal. Happy dogs and a happy #WHOOman chomping down some chicken! Ah, this is the life!

As always, I can’t wait to see your take on Yeti’s Sweet and Spicy Chicken Adobo on IG @amreyskitchen (#amreyskitchen #amapolism). And if you have dogs, Yeti, Kisig, and I would all love to see them too! Remember, sharing is loving. Let’s keep spreading LOVE with Amrey’s Kitchen™ mindfully crafted recipes and creations!

The music you’ll be hearing with the reels for the whole month of October will be the digitized recordings and collection of my movement mentor in ‘Sanghabi’, Orlan, who has already passed on. With his teachings, and knowing that his spirit is always with us, I am truly grateful to have learned from him. And now that I am ‘digitizing’ his cassette tapes, I can’t help but be nostalgic and very ‘sensitive’ these past few months.

Happy cooking, lovelies! #mettalove