During my travels in the US Navy it I experienced the tastes of many countries. One of my favorite places for the food and hospitality was Subic Bay Philipines. It seemed there was never a shortage of good places to eat no matter the time of day. I enjoyed the food there whether it came from upscale restaurants, small cafe’s, or from street vendors which could be found on about every street corner in the downtown areas. If you have never tried Filipino foods, you do not know what you are missing. Filipino Adobo is different then Spanish Adobo as basically everything is cooked in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Although this recipe is calling for chicken, you can use any meat that you wish and it is still going to turn out great.

This recipe serves 8

317 calories, 19.5g carbs, 18.3g fat and 19g protein

• 8 chicken thighs
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medimu size potataoes, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 cups white rice
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with a tbsp water
• 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

1. Trim excess fat from chicken thighs.
2. Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and bay leaves in a large, non-aluminum pan. Add the chicken, coating each piece. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight is even better.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat each piece dry with paper towels. Do not discard the marinade, it will still be used.
4. Pour the oil into a large pot over medium heat. Once it is hot, add enough chicken to cover the bottom. Cook until one side of the chicken is browned, just a couple minutes, then turn it over and brown the other side.. Repeat with the rest of the chicken until it is all browned.
5. Once all of the chicken has been browned, put it back in the pot along with the marinade, potatoes, carrots, and 3/4 cup of water. Turn the heat up and bring the liquid to a boil, then decrease the heat to low Simmer until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the potatoes and carrots have softened, about 45 minutes.
6. When the dish is about ready, pour the rice into a medium size pot with 4 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down and cover with a lid placed slightly askew. Cook until the water is gone, about 20 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaves from the adobo and stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Let it thicken until the chicken and vegetables are well glazed. Serve over the rice.