Chicken Caldereta

Caldereta is a Filipino tomato-based stew. It's very tasty and normally served on special occasions such as birthdays or fiesta. Traditionally, it is made of goat meat or the most popular option beef. My mother used to make them using chicken because she finds it easier to digest and she's not really fond of red meat.

Ingredients:
1 kgs of chicken, cut into medium serving pieces
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of pineapple juice
1/2 cup of mild cheddar cheese - grated
1 big potato, peeled and cut into medium square pieces
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and cut into medium square pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded cut into medium square pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, cored and seeded cut into medium square pieces
3 pieces of Thai chili peppers (alternatively, chili flakes will do)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped into sauteing pieces
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of tomato ketchup
1/4 cup of green olives
1/2 cup of liver pate
margarine
cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:
1. Marinate chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, pineapple juice, salt and pepper overnight
2. In a grill pan, fry potatoes, carrots and bell peppers. Set aside
3. Drain the chicken and set aside the marinade sauce. Ensure the chicken is dry before searing them in a large non-stick frying pan with very little oil. Wait until the surface is browned and set aside. This is to keep the chicken from falling apart for boiling at a long time
4. In a separate pan, saute onion and garlic using margarine. Add the chopped thai chili peppers or chili flakes
5. Add tomato sauce, tomato ketchup and the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil and skim any scum that appears on top before adding seared chicken pieces and olives. Cover and turn the heat to a medium. Let it simmer until the chicken meat is tender
6. Add potatoes, carrots and bell peppers. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Finally, add the liver pate and grated cheese. Let it cook for another 3 minutes or until the sauce has thicken a bit. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
8. Serve and enjoy! Best paired with steamed white rice

Tips: You can store this dish by freezing into tupper ware or freezer bags and it may last up to a month or two! If you decide to store it, make sure you divide into servings because it's not the best idea to unfreeze and then freeze it back again. I find it tastier when stored because the sauce has matured a bit and the chicken absorbs all the flavor