My version though has a caveat. I don't go for white meat so much because pre cut chicken breast is actually far more expensive than the rest of the parts (go figure), and I really like chicken thighs. They're the part near the ass (depending on how its cut), and usually involve only one large bone, making it a quick and easy to cook. And besides it's the best tasting, meatest part imho.

So here's how it looks pre - cooked.

So that's two approximately 6 pieces (I don't remember anymore) pieces of chicken thighs mixed with thinly sliced ampalaya, salt and pepper, cheyenne pepper, worcestershire, some olive oil and tomato ketchup.

My diabetic diet does not allow for the ketchup which has sugar, so I don't put too much. Also, this diet is my method of allowing ampalaya into my diet. Thinly sliced and thoroughly cooked, the bitter taste isn't as strong and is far more palatable. Chicken per se, like all meats, provide a good even taste which you then help along with spices. So pile on the spices, adding just enough of each. I like mine hot and spicy, therefore the cheyenne pepper.

You use two large pieces of aluminum foil, one at the bottom and another on top.

Crimp the sides of the aluminum foil to fold upwards like this, allowing some air inside, forming a kind of bubble.

Crimp them TIGHTLY, because the goal here is to let the chicken cook in its own juices. If there is a hole in the aluminum foil, it will allow the juices to escape, and your chicken will still cook but become dry. A hole at the bottom of the aluminum foil is even worse as the juices will pour out. Good, thick aluminum foil is key. The cheap brands are too thin and easily tear. If you can avoid tearing then I suppose the cheap ones are ok, but the thicker brands are far more forgiving and it's a super hassle to do it all over again if you tear it.

You'll need a kind of container for the whole thing so the juices if any won't spill out. I used a tin round, er.., pan (for lack of a better description). I eventually bought a pyrex one for that purpose as it is easier to clean.

Shove it in the oven for 15 ~ 20 minutes at high, I think that's approximately 250 degrees. Sorry I'm not too exact, but don't worry about over cooking it as baking meat is very userfriendly. Rule of thumb: you'll be able to judge from the smell (and there will be a wonderful, wonderful smell), if it's cooking. Once it smells great, give it approximately 10 to 15 minutes to just keep cooking.

Apologies for the ugly electric oven.

Voila!

What you're going for here is the meat - falling - off - the - bone experience. Chicken must absolutely just fall apart when you tear it slightly with your fork, leaving just the bone.

Here are other pictures of a time I prepared the same dishes with just two pieces for myself:

Just two pieces this time, with the usual salt + pepper, spices, ampalaya and green pepper. No ketchup this time.

Wrapped tight like a burrito. Don't forget to leave some air in there.

Opening it always gives me a rush. Here it is with some of the delicious chicken juices it stewed it. If you're not hungry when you started this you'd be starving by the time you tear the aluminum foil open. Just the smell will drive you crazy I promise.

A slight nudge with the fork confirms the insides free of any red or even pink uncooked areas and therefore thoroughly cooked and clean. Also the meat is just beautiful and tender. I promise you the soup it produces is heavenly. Add the wonderful feeling you get from knowing that no artificial anything is in there, none of that fake 'umami' stuff, bouillons or anything. Just the pure real thing.

And here's the bad stuff you're not putting in your mouth. The black stuff is burnt, cancer causing sugar from the ketchup (this pic is from the 1st batch above), while the yellow stuff is pure melted fat from the chicken and maybe some olive oil. Just being able to separate this from the chicken is well worth the effort.

So to conclude:

• Pros: Absolutely delicious, free of fat and carcinogens that usual pan - frying brings. Easy to prepare and actually easy to clean up after.
• Cons: Takes a lot of time to cook, so is not a 'quick - meal' solution if that's what you're looking for. In other words, not for the lazy. If you order any baked meat at a restaurant, they'll usually say it takes 15 minutes, which is nuts. A properly baked anything requires at least 2x that amount of time. This also requires dealing with an oven, so get your mitts ready and be very careful you don't get singed or burned.

Anyway, the problem persisted. I ate mostly pork, chicken and fish, I definitely needed to put some greenery in my diet. So I think I found it.

Basically you make a bed of 'hard' veggies, (in this case carrots but sometimes I use potatoes or both):

then you put in your meat or fish, in this case bangus belly, which are surprisingly cheap. One Century Tuna pack costs P99.00 and contains 2 fish which I slice into 8 pieces. I usually eat 1 piece per meal but for above pic I used 2.

Then we put some chopped pechay on top:

and sprinkle juuust a little Olive Oil to keep the leaves from getting burnt.

Then it's off to the oven for 20 mins. Good Lord the smell is so wonderful it'll drive you crazy. I know the wait sounds long but there's always something to do like take a shower or refill water bottles, etc.

Works on chicken too, which I fry on the pan for a little while until golden brown.

The carrots keep the meat from sticking on the sides of the ceramic dish.

Note how well cooked the insides are if you bake it (notice too, the professional method I use to slice it to give you a view of its insides. Expert at work.). Anyway, it's silly how a lot of people settle for eating chicken still with traces of blood in the insides. That's not only gross but surely unhealthy, with possible bacteria inside. Baking thoroughly cooks it without burning it as well as making it oh so buttery soft and just bursting with flavor.

The remaining juices along with the veggies are sublime, and will make you forget your name a few seconds.

And again the nice thing is, you're not all that filled up because most of that is veggies. I kinda learned that the hard way the first weeks I was here and cooked too much, resulting in my gaining weight since I'd eat everything cause I felt guilty throwing it away. But I've learned now and I actually feel great after a meal, I don't feel sleepy or drowsy and after a little rest I'm back to work.

I'm getting to enjoy these meals. Just before I sleep I get all excited about what I'd cook the next day. Yes it's sad.

You then put it into one of those oven ready deep dishes with some, uhmm, butter 'healthy yellow love grease' ..

Then bake it.

For approximately 20 minutes. I like the wait, there's always something to do anyway like take a shower or wash the dishes or prepare rice and stuff.

I gotta tell you, it's a real winner. No more of that ridiculous stringy over - seasoned, occasionally burnt, still blood in the insides crap we used to be force fed. Nothing but meat falling - off - the - bones, juicy, tasty, wonderful smelling covered with butter 'healthy yellow love grease' you can pour onto your rice and uhmmm uhhmmm YUUUmmm.

After which I end this post with an unrelated pic of one of the street sweepers around here, which I tip every week approximately P30 to sweep all the leaves and occasional trash that finds its way around the house somehow. Ever since I started tipping them (he's just one of them) I started to notice they hang more around here, sweeping in the mornings.

I gotta think of another name for this other than 'Fried / Baked Chicken'. Oh, I know..