Tinola (Filipino chicken soup)

My family consists of great cooks. Especially my Lola. Unfortunately for me, I never really watched her cook. I was 9 years old when I left the Philippines and my grandparents behind. But I took with me fond memories of how great her food tasted. I learned most of my Filipino cooking from watching my dad. From him, I learned that the essence of Filipino cooking starts from the basic sautee of chopped garlic and onions. This recipe is an example of that, which I learned from him. The traditional recipe calls for chayote, but my husband really isn't a big fan of it. So I've substituted it with potatoes instead.

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch of ginger, sliced into strips

1 lb. chicken (I used drumsticks and wings)
2 medium sized russet potatoes (peeled and quartered)

8 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat oil in a stock pot. Add onions and garlic. Sautee for about a minute (make sure garlic doesn't burn). Add ginger and continue sauteeing until the onions become opaque (about a minute).

2) Add chicken and sautee until it starts to brown. Add potatoes and chicken broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken cooks through. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with steamed white rice.