Spa day with my best bud

My best friend Jhon-ann came over today for our monthly spa session. This is our second month. We both hope that we can continue this bonding tradition forever...ha ha ha :-)

I was on a time crunch today. Aside from my spa appointment with my BFF, hubby and I confirmed to attend two other parties. Whew, what a hectic day. Last night we had dinner with hubby's friends and I didn't have time to go to the supermarket to get more inspired on the menu.

I would have preferred to serve a six-course menu but I was on a time crunch and just settled for something simple and easy.

For starters, we had shrimp pomelo salad in thai dressing. I've made this countless times so we didn't even bother taking a photo. This is always a hit. BFF is allergic to shrimps so I served it on the side.

I also made Chicken Relleno (Chicken Gallantina). I had the chicken deboned from the market last weekend so it was on standby in my freezer. The rest of the ingredients were already in my pantry. Here's the recipe (approximation only since I didn't measure anything):



Chicken Relleno

1 whole chicken, deboned
1/2 kilo ground pork
1 chorizo de bilbao, diced
1-2 green bell peppers, diced
2-3 tablespoons pickle relish
1 beaten egg
2-3 whole hard boiled eggs, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Sauce:
2 cups water
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
cornstarch

1. Wash chciken well and pat dry.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the ground pork, chorizo, bell peppers, pickles, salt and pepper. Add beaten egg.
3. Stuff the chicken, legs first and then half of the breast. Insert 2-3 boiled eggs. Fill with the rest of the stuffing. Seal with a toothpick.
4. Brush chicken with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Bake, covered in foil, for about 2 hours.
6. Open the foil and bake for another five to ten minutes until brown.

To make the sauce:
1. Dissolve chicken bouillion cubes in water, add soy sauce and let simmer.
2. To thicken, mix cornstarch with a little bit of cold water and gradually add to the simmering mixture until you get the right consistency.

For dessert we had some Buco Sherbet served in melon cups. Yummy!



After such a filling lunch, we burned it off by having a two-hour massage at our favorite neighborhood spa. Bliss!

Can't wait for next month!