another girl-must-have

We love bringing bags and where to put them when dining out is always a dilemma. I am always thrilled to find restaurants that understand this tiny predicament and put hooks under the table or a ledge beneath the tabletop (like in Dencio’s at the Fort when they were still open).


But not all restaurants are sensitive to girls’ needs. So am thrilled to discover the bag hook or the purse hangers. You can bring this anywhere and use it to hang your bag on the edge of a table.

I am so excited about this find that I even use it in the office. That’s my office desk in the photo.

Found the hooks in the World Bazaar which ran last week at the World Trade Center. They sell for P280 and they’re the perfect little presents for our girl-friends.

penne with creamy chicken

Here’s the other chicken dish that we had for the new office lunch.

Ingredients:
¼ kilo ground chicken
1 cup tomato sauce
1 pack all purpose cream
1 cup milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Quick melt cheese (grated)
250 grams penne

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil and butter. Add ground chicken and chicken bouillon. When chicken is almost brown, add the tomato sauce, all purpose cream, and milk. Put chicken broth or water then simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook penne according to package instructions.

Toss the cooked penne in the simmering sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Transfer to a casserole, top with grated cheese and pop it in the microwave at medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts.

The office lunch was my first time to cook this dish. With encouraging reviews and the fact that it’s a breeze to prepare, have made it twice since for two more gatherings.

chicken green apple green salad

Here’s the salad that I have been preparing for home dinners with friends and family.

Last time I made this was early December when we transferred to our new office. I made penne with creamy chicken to go with the salad for the five of us in the department. I’ll post it next. Chicken was my main ingredient for both dishes as our boss is allergic to almost all types of meat except, you guessed it – chicken.

Among the five of us, we finished the large bowl of salad which I took to be a good indication that my colleagues liked it.

Salad:
2-3 pcs Chicken breast fillet (seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme & rosemary then pan roasted)
Croutons or 1 pack Oishi bread pan
Salad Greens (packed and ready to serve)
Green apple (check that it’s fresh and crisp, sliced into strips)
Queso de bola (grated)
Seedless grapes (optional, cut into halves)

Dressing:
Any bottled ceasar salad dressing will do or if you want, you can try to make it more homemade by adding a few more ingredients and whisking them together.

Ceasar salad dressing – 4 to 5 tablespoons
Olive oil (add in slowly while whisking)
Garlic crushed – 2 to 3 cloves
Lemon juice from 2 lemons
Slankie cheese spread - 3 tablespoons
Queso de bola – 4 tablespoons
Mustard – 1 to 2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper to taste

Open the pack of greens and place in a salad bowl. Mix in the green apple strips and toss. Top with croutons, slices of roasted chicken breast fillet and halved seedless grapes, which is entirely optional. Sprinkle with grated queso de bola. Add dressing and toss just before serving.

As an aside, my hubby who hates veggies even in his Mc Chicken learned to eat salad with this recipe.