Filipino Adobo Chicken — outside the recipe box

Prep Time: About one hour (30 minutes hands-on time)

Meal Notes: Not to be confused with the Spanish adobo seasoning, Adobo Chicken is the national dish of the Phillipines and indigenous to that country. The adobo stewing method is ancient, with the vinegar originally serving to preserve the chicken in the tropical heat of Southeast Asia. This recipe is as sweet and tangy as the classic verison, but much quicker and easier. Serve this as a one-pot meal over white rice or consider adding a simple vegetable, such as suateed kale.*

Source: Cooking Light Global Ktichen cookbook by David Joachim

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon canola oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1 large onion
5 garlic cloves
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons water
3 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions

Prepare Ingredients: Skin chicken breasts. Dice onion. Mince garlic.
Saute chicken: Heat canola oil in dutch oven (or other large, heavy-bottomed pan). Add chicken and sautee for 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and sautee for 3 minutes. Then add garlic and sautee for another minute.
Simmer chicken: Return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce, water, white vinegar, honey, black pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boil then reduce heat to medium , cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Then uncover and cook for another 20 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce thickens. Disregard bay leaf and sprinkle with black pepper before serving.

*Sauteed Kale: Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add two cloves minced garlic and sautee for about a minute. Add kale, about 1/4 cup water, and season with salt and pepper. Sautee kale on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until water is evaporated and kale is tender.