03.08.10
Posted in Chinese, Cuisines, Meats, Poultry, Veggies at 3:21 pm by julie
I’m always looking for new ways to cook chicken, especially recipes that are quick to make. Nolan loves chicken stir fry, so I make that pretty frequently with a basic recipe, adding or subtracting depending on what veggies and flavorings I’ve got on hand. But variety is the spice of life, so here are three stir fry variations we’ve tried out recently.
First up is a chicken satay stir fry with a peanut butter based sauce meant to emulate the dipping sauce used for satays. I don’t really care for peanut sauce, but Jeremy does, and we had most of the ingredients on hand, so I thought it was worth giving it a shot. This recipe was alright, although the peanut butter still gives the sauce a little strange texture for me; at least it wasn’t spicy. I did have to use orange juice from concentrate, and dried zest in the rice. I also substituted broccoli for the snow peas.
Next up is a recipe that looks remarkably similar, but tasted completely different. It was based on a Real Simple recipe that seemed to be a cross between a soup and a stir fry, based on all the liquid and the direction to simmer the chicken and veggies in it. For me, the Brussels sprouts were what really set the recipe apart, but a liquidy sauce didn’t appeal to me, so I made some adjustments.
Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Stir Fry
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
8 oz Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 C unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 C soy sauce or tamari
3 T brown sugar
1 C homemade chicken broth
1 T cornstarch, plus 2-3 T water
Toss chicken with 5-spice and saute in a hot wok or skillet with a little oil, until opaque. Add the onion, carrot and Brussels sprouts, then add ginger and garlic, and saute just until fragrant. Then add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken broth, and simmer until broth has reduced slightly and vegetables are tender-crisp. Add cornstarch slurry, and continue to simmer until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.
This recipe is in some ways similar to the last. I adapted this recipe because Jeremy just wanted something like teriyaki and broccoli, and I wanted to incorporate the sweetness of some fruit juice into it. Usually I’d reach for orange juice, but we were out, so instead I used some of the big bottle of pomegranate-blueberry juice we’ve been making into smoothies. It actually came out pretty well, and may be worth repeating, with the ginger toned down a bit (it was pretty strong!).
Pomegranate Chicken Stir Fry
2 T olive oil
1 T brown sugar
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T grated ginger
1 tsp dried orange zest
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
2 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 C pomegranate-blueberry juice
1 C broccoli florets, steamed
1 T cornstarch, plus 2-3 T water
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir, using a wooden spoon, until sugar darkens just slightly. Toss the chicken pieces with the 5-spice, add to the skillet and stir well to coat. Cook chicken for a few minutes until the outside of the chicken pieces turn opaque. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and orange zest; cook, stirring, for a few minutes until shallots and garlic have softened a bit. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and juice. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly reduced. Add cornstarch slurry, and continue to simmer until sauce has thickened. Toss with broccoli and serve over rice.
Source: Adapted heavily from eHow.
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02.08.10
Posted in Chinese, Cuisines, Dinner, Meats, Poultry, Sides, Veggies at 10:17 pm by julie
This was a good use for boneless chicken and some basic pantry ingredients. It is a riff off of traditional Chinese red cooking, which takes its name—and its color—from gentle braising in soy sauce and brown sugar; afterwards, the braising liquid is reduced almost to a syrup that gets tossed back together with the meat. This recipe calls for red wine in place of the traditional shaoxing, which helps to underline the color. The recipe calls for thigh meat, but I used breasts because that was what I had, and it worked out fine; I also used shallot in place of the green onion. The sauce, once reduced, packs a big punch; it was a little salty for our taste due to the soy, so I think we might tone that down a touch next time. I served my chicken with rice and some mildly Asian roasted carrots.
Double Red-Cooked Chicken
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp five-spice powder
2 1/2 C dry red wine
6 large scallions—white and light green parts cut into 2-inch lengths, dark green tops finely chopped
1/2 C soy sauce
1/3 C light brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 T finely grated fresh ginger
1 dried red chile (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)
1 T sesame seeds
In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the five-spice powder.
In a large, nonreactive saucepan, combine the wine with the scallion pieces, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and chile and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is just cooked, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and scallions to a plate.
Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 1 cup and glossy, about 12 minutes. Return the chicken and scallions to the saucepan and stir to coat with the sauce. Transfer to a bowl. Garnish with the chopped scallion tops and sesame seeds and serve.
Source: Food and Wine.
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02.04.10
Posted in Cuisines, Dinner, Leftovers, Meats, Mexican, Pork and Ham, Sides at 7:42 pm by julie
You know, I’ve never been able to buy pork shoulder from my regular grocery store, which is such a shame because there is such a proliferation of braising recipes I want to try that call for it. Costco carries whole ones, but I’ve never been able to bring myself to purchase quite such a large chunk of meat for our little family, considering our limited freezer space, and the same goes for many of their enormous cuts of beef. However, we’ve had pretty good luck cooking their boneless country rib options in both the pork and beef. I seem to be accumulating quite a few recipes for dealing with these cuts, so look for quite a few posts discussing them in days to come.
My go-to recipe for dealing with these pork ribs in the past few years has been braising it Hawaiian style. But I think one of my new favorite applications is making carnitas. The recipe couldn’t be simpler. Essentially you braise the meat until it is meltingly tender and all the liquid has evaporated, then you sear it a little bit in the fat that is left behind, to give it even more flavor and texture. I served with homemade flour tortillas, jack cheese and a simple rice salad with corn and black beans, but you could take the toppings in any direction you like, or use the meat for quesadillas, burritos or what you will. Frankly, thinking back on this pork is making me hungry, so I won’t drag out the post any longer… dinner time!
Pork Carnitas
3 lb boneless pork shoulder or country ribs, lightly trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (leave some fat on)
Olive oil
Water
1 T salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, diced
2 tsp ancho chile powder
Salt and pepper
Drizzle a heavy wide pan (I used my big red Le Creuset) with olive oil, season the pork with salt, pepper and ancho, and sear on all sides. Pour in just enough water to cover the meat, add the garlic and onion, and bring to a boil, uncovered. When the liquid reaches a boil, lower the heat, and continue to cook at a gentle simmer until all the liquid has evaporated, about two hours. At this point, the meat should be cooked through but not falling apart. Lower the heat a little more and continue cooking the meat until all the fat has rendered out of it. Keep turning the meat until it is lightly browned all over, about 15 more minutes. Makes a lot, but the leftovers are possibly even tastier than the first day.
Source: Slightly adapted from Food Network.
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01.24.10
Posted in Beef, Breakfast, Cookies & Candies, Dessert, Dinner, Meats, Persnickety Bits, Pies & Tarts, Poultry, Quick Breads, Sides, Veggies at 7:34 pm by julie
It’s been a few months since I’ve managed to post anything on the blog. I wish I could use the busy holiday season as my excuse, but that really isn’t the case. In truth, I’ve been faithfully cataloging our meals by date, complete with edited photos and recipe notations. However, when it comes time to write up a finished post, I stall out trying to find some way around the admission that most of the food I cook these days is purely utilitarian. I cook largely from the pantry because getting to the grocery store is often problematic, and my pantry is stripped to the basics for financial reasons, so most of the time I feel like the little Dutch boy, constantly plugging the gaps in my recipes with substitutes. I’m also trying to cook for, and around, a 22-month old who is simultaneously going through a picky phase and cutting his 2-year molars. I like to say that cooking is the only hobby I can make time for these days, but it’s not true if I define the hobby aspect as pushing my boundaries with new ingredients and techniques. It’s all I can do to get a coherent meal on the table these days, and writing it in black and white on the blog just drives that point home.
I know I’m not the only one out there whose financial and family responsibilities sometimes overshadow the fun parts of cooking, so I’ll try to get past my writer’s block and get back to the posts. They may not always be exciting or challenging, but hopefully they may help some people who are in a similar predicament. I’ll start by filling in a few of the gaps since the holiday season.
We didn’t cook Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving this year. We were invited up to eat with my husband’s relatives, and shared a great day with them. Nolan ate heartily and had a fantastic time sharing toys and kisses with everyone there. I brought along a batch of whole wheat-walnut butterhorns, a loaf of pumpkin bread with a banana cream swirl (leftover cannoli filling, actually), and two pies, white chocolate pecan and cinnamon crumble apple. We came home with just some the desserts leftover, and the refrigerator almost seemed haunted by a lack of turkey and sides; the extra pie disappeared far too quickly for our health.
About a week later, I gave into my itch and made a mini-Thanksgiving dinner centered around a roasted chicken. I used some pre-mixed turkey brine to flavor the chicken, but miscalculated the percentages, because the chicken came out extremely salty, so much so that the gravy I made from the drippings was nearly inedible. At least it was just a 4-lb chicken, and the sides helped balance out some of the overseasoning: steamed broccoli, apple and onion cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, pureed sweet potatoes with sherry and fried onions, and yeasted pan rolls left over from a previous meal. We didn’t much care for the stuffing, which was a little dry and gritty for our tastes, but I may not have added enough liquid. I liked the sweet potatoes quite a bit because they walked that line of sweet and savory; Jeremy thought they were good, but left off the fried onions. For dessert, I made a caramelized walnut tart that was very tasty and roundly appreciated. I should note that all of these items were made from the freezer and pantry.
The week before Christmas, Jeremy came home from Costco with an 11-lb turkey. I admit that my heart fell when I saw it, because we had talked about doing some sort of beef roast for Christmas dinner, and I thought he was changing the menu without a consult. As it turns out, there was just such a good deal on turkeys that he couldn’t pass it up: something like $10 for a turkey that size. This time I avoided the brining, and rubbed my turkey with miso butter; I also baked a loaf of bread in advance so we would be able to have our standard slow cooker stuffing, and tried out a carrot souffle since we were out of yams. The turkey made for great leftovers and stock, but was generally forgettable. The carrot souffle was interesting and worth making again with a few tweaks. I didn’t have sharp cheddar so I just used medium, which costs less. Although I minced the onion as finely as possible, we found their texture to be unpalatable in the otherwise smooth souffle, since they are added raw after the carrots are pureed, and didn’t cook through in the oven; next time I would either grate the onion on a microplane, saute it minced, or possibly cook it along with the carrot. It would definitely be a good change of pace for us from time to time, though, since I always seem to be working my way through a big bag of organic carrots from Costco.
I wasn’t able to make my Daring gingerbread house in December because I ran out of most of my baking spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and vanilla), and needed to save what little I did have on hand for edible baked goods, like molasses spice cookies. The latter were addictive, made from my last little bit of freshly ground whole spices, plus organic molasses and demerara sugar. I also made my personal favorite, pecan snowballs, and tried out some cinnamon-kissed chocolate oatmeal cookies from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking.
With all those cookies in the house, we forsook a fancy dessert to go with our Christmas dinner, which was made all the more festive by my parents’ arrival at the airport at 4pm on the very day. I had anticipated making as much of the meal in advance as possible, and splurging on a beef tenderloin roast that would take less than an hour to cook, but the cost of a standing rib roast was so much more reasonable that I adjusted the plan. The roast was dry-brined overnight in the fridge, and removed to room temperature as we walked out the door for the airport. Upon returning, we opened presents and nibbled on stuffed mushrooms and fresh bread with white bean hummus until the roast and fixings were ready. I went with a porcini jus, sweet potato puree with goat cheese and truffle oil, mustard roasted potatoes, and the cream braised Brussels sprouts that I’ve made for my folks before. The roast beef came out delicious and perfectly cooked, the Brussels sprouts vanished in a flash, the roasted potatoes were adequate, and Jeremy thought the goat cheese masked the flavor of the sweet potatoes (which may have been why I thought they were pretty good).
The leftover prime rib made for excellent sandwiches in the days after Christmas, but the most interesting meal we had was not one I cooked. My father was kind enough to share his new speciality with us: ebelskivers. He’s made many varieties of these tiny round pancakes, both sweet and savory, usually with a dollop of filling hidden inside like a treasure. This time, he filled the ebelskivers with a cinnamon apple filling, and topped them off with powdered sugar. They made perfect, tender little bites, and we all loved them, so much so that I really wish I had an ebelskiver pan now.
That pretty much brings things up to speed. Since Nolan started cutting his 2-year molars just after New Years, he’s barely been eating at all. Suggestions on how to fatten up a scrawny toddler greatly appreciated!
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11.24.09
Posted in American, Beef, Cuisines, Dinner, Meats, Sides, Veggies at 5:34 pm by julie
This meal came from wanting barbecued boneless beef short ribs on a shorter time frame than my usual oven-braising method. Jeremy was skeptical, but they were very meaty cuts without too much fat or connective tissue, so I thought I could get away with grilling. They tasted great and I thought they were pretty tender in the end, though of course nothing beats braising in that arena.
The last time we went to the grocery store, I got some sweet potatoes just because my husband likes them. Personally, I still really have a hard time eating them, but I’m working on it, and I think this recipe helped a lot. The sweet potatoes are cubed, simmered and sauteed, then tossed with caramelized onion, spices and a splash of sherry vinegar. They had a good balance: tender but not mushy, flavorful without being overly sweet.
Darned Good Grilled Ribs
This recipe seems to call for using a gas grill with a lid and adjustable temperatures. All I’ve got is an electric tabletop model that has no on/off switch, much less a temp control. I just turned my ribs a lot and covered them with foil.
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 C smoked paprika
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 1/2 T kosher salt
2 1/2 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T granulated onion
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 lb boneless beef short ribs, connective tissue removed
1 C thick barbecue sauce
In a medium bowl and blend together both sugars, paprikas, salt, pepper, granulated onion, and cayenne. Sprinkle the short rib pieces liberally with this mixture until coated on all sides. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Oil the grill racks. Preheat your grill using all burners set on high and with the lid closed for 10 to 12 minutes. Place the beef ribs on the grill, close the lid, and reduce the heat to medium. (I just covered my meat with aluminum foil because I use an electric countertop grill.) Turn the ribs every 3 to 5 minutes or so, so that every side gets slightly caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes total, or a bit less if your ribs are small. The ribs should yield easily to the touch, not unlike a medium-rare steak or the way the tip of your nose feels. Reduce the heat a little more and brush the ribs with the sauce. Cover the grill and let cook for a minute or two for the sauce to set up, and then continue to turn and brush until all sides of the ribs have been glazed. Remove to a platter and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, covered with foil. Serve.
Virginia Pruitt’s Perfect Barbecue Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 C sugar, white or brown
1 C ketchup
1/2 C distilled white vinegar
1/4 C yellow or Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C Worcestershire sauce
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Thin with water if it gets too thick. Serve on anything your heart desires. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Makes about 2 cups.
Source: Epicurious.
Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Onions
2 large Spanish onions
3 large sweet potatoes
4 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, slivered
1/4 C water
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
Peel and chop the onions. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large heavy frying pan or 4-quart pot. Sauté the onions slowly over medium heat until they are turning amber, then darker brown – about 15 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, add the sweet potato chunks and garlic. Continue cooking over medium heat, turning up the heat a little if the potato does not brown at all. Cook until the potatoes are also slightly browned and golden.
Add the water, turn the heat to low, and cover for about 10 minutes, or until the potato has softened. Remove the lid, turn the heat back up, and add the ginger, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Splash with vinegar, and sauté just a little longer, then remove from the heat and serve.
Source: The Kitchn.
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10.19.09
Posted in Dinner, Meats, Poultry, Sides at 9:22 pm by julie
I watched the most recent season of The Next Food Network Star mostly out of boredom, and because it was in season, as it were. I had no special interest in any of the candidates until the very last episode, when Melissa d’Arabian demonstrated an easy 4-step chicken dish with a side of individual potato gratins baked in a muffin tin. The chicken looked like a good repertoire dish, very adaptable and easily made with pantry staples, but the mini-gratin idea was genius. I, along with—let’s face it—practically every other person on the planet, love a good potato gratin. The problem is making them without mishap in a reasonable amount of time. Until now, every gratin I’ve tried has come out undercooked and soupy in the middle, usually requiring extra baking time that overbrowns the top of the gratin and throws off the timing of the rest of my food. But these individual gratins take just half an hour to bake and come out perfectly crisp on top and done underneath, not to mention scaling seamlessly to any number, so long as you have the muffin tin to contain them.
I have used both Yukon gold and red potatoes for versions of these gratins, though I’ve stuck with the onion and Gruyere cheese; I’ve no doubt you could tuck other veggies in between the potato slices as well, or use whatever cheese you prefer. The reds are the perfect size circumference for my muffin tin; you might have to trim down a russet. This is a great assembly-line recipe if you have helpers, or you could probably prepare it in advance and store in the fridge for a bit if you use low-starch potatoes like reds. I sliced my potatoes with a mandoline rather than dirty my food processor, but you could slice them by hand also if your knife skills are good. I also usually forget to put on the foil, and they still come out just fine in my oven.
I realize I’ve been blathering on and on about the potatoes, but the chicken was actually also very tasty. I’ve done two different variations so far, first making a lemon-onion sauce with peas, and then a dijon-thyme sauce.
5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins
Vegetable spray
2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced (or Yukon Gold, red, etc.)
1/2 C grated Swiss cheese (or Gruyere, cheddar, etc.)
2 green onions, finely chopped (or sweet onion, etc.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 C heavy cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup, finishing with a layer of potato topped with cheese. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.
Source: Food Network
Update 11/30/09: I finally tried making these with russet potatoes. It worked fine, but I do think I prefer the texture of the red and Yukon potatoes better for this, as they hold up without getting mealy or mushy.
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Posted in Dinner, Meats, Poultry, Soups at 6:11 pm by julie
It’s that time of year: I’ve been itching for soups, stews, chilis, or anything warm and comforting. They aren’t Jeremy’s favorite, but I can talk him into soup every so often, usually with the offer of fresh bread or biscuits for dipping. I made a chicken stew with Dijon mustard and kale a few years back, and it was just sounding really good to me. It is delicious in its original form, but I decided to tweak it and use up what I had in the kitchen already. That meant onions, boneless chicken breasts and baby spinach, with a squirt of whole grain mustard and a pinch of thyme for good measure.
Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale
4 tsp olive oil, divided
2 C sliced leek (or onion)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 C all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 C dry white wine
3 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 T all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C water
3 T Dijon mustard
1 T whole-grain mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
2 C (1/2-inch) cubed peeled red potato (about 1 pound)
5 oz loosely packed torn kale or baby spinach (about 8 C)
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek or onion; sauté 6 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon mixture into a large bowl.
Place 1/3 cup flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned chicken to leek mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken mixture, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine 1 cup broth and 1 tablespoon flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, water, thyme, and mustards to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken mixture, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in potato. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in kale; cover and simmer 10 minutes. (If using spinach, add immediately before serving.) Garnish with crushed red pepper, if desired.
Source: Cooking Light
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10.18.09
Posted in American, Chinese, Cuisines, Dinner, Meats, Poultry at 6:09 pm by julie
I’ve been trying for a while to track down a recipe that emulates the orange chicken from Panda Express, which I’m sure is loaded with fat, corn syrup and other naughty things. This recipe comes pretty darn close to that sweet-heat flavor and crisp-gooey texture, and I’ve already made it several times. I did make a few slight adjustments, most notably orange juice concentrate in place of the orange juice, which kicked up the orange flavor markedly. When I had no more orange juice concentrate, I made it myself just by boiling down about 1/2 C prepared orange juice to 2 T before adding the rest of the sauce/marinade ingredients. I also omitted the green onion and substituted dried orange zest and some chips of dried ginger in place of fresh; they imparted plenty of flavor as the marinade cooked.
As for the chicken, I am rarely organized enough to know what I’m making for dinner hours in advance, so my chicken just marinated for about half an hour. I use a Tupperware container for that, and also to shake it with the flour so I don’t waste a Ziploc. I also just throw all the marinade in with the chicken instead of separating some for the sauce; it boils down at high heat afterwards, so I don’t worry too much about contamination. I also added some lightly steamed broccoli to the dish at the end, just in time to toss with the chicken and sauce.
Crispy Orange Chicken
1 1/2 C water
2 T orange juice concentrate (or 1/2 C juice boiled down to 2 T)
1/4 C lemon juice
1/3 C rice vinegar
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T grated orange zest (or 1 tsp dried)
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 T chopped green onion (optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 T cornstarch
2 T water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 T olive oil
Pour 1 1/2 C water, orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag or container. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 C of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
Wipe out the skillet, and add the remaining sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 T water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Source: AllRecipes.
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10.04.09
Posted in Dinner, Meats, Poultry, Veggies at 3:16 am by julie
I made this meal back in July or August when zucchini were plentiful, and I had a guest coming over. It was very flavorful and the marinade was quick to prepare in advance; all I had to do when we started getting hungry was toss everything on the grill and make up a pot of quinoa. Grilling zucchini is also a good way to handle it texture-wise, because it cooks quickly and tends to retain some toothiness rather than turning to mush.
I did make several adjustments to the original recipe to use what I had on hand. The marinade called for fresh lime juice, but I ended up using ponzu (the soy-free sort) instead. I’d love to try it again with lime as the ponzu had a pretty delicate flavor against the hoisin. I also omitted the sambal oelek because I can’t handle that level of heat, and used only boneless skinless breasts.
Hoisin-Ponzu Grilled Chicken and Zucchini
1/4 C plus 1 T grapeseed or canola oil
1 T minced garlic
1 T peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 C hoisin sauce
1/4 C ponzu
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 C white parts of scallions cut 1/8 inch thick, plus 2 tablespoons julienned or chopped green parts, for garnish (optional)
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise into fat spears
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Two hours or up to 24 hours in advance (the longer, the better), combine about 2 cups of the Hoisin-Lime Sauce with the chicken and scallion whites, and toss well; reserve some marinade for garnish. Marinate, refrigerated, turning the chicken at least once. Thirty minutes before cooking, add the zucchini, and stir to coat well.
Prepare a grill and heat to hot, or preheat your broiler; spray a broiler pan with nonstick spray or coat the grill with 1 tablespoon of grapeseed or canola oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill or broil it, turning once, until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork, 8 to 12 minutes for breasts.
About 5 minutes after the chicken has begun to cook, add the zucchini and cook, turning once, until brown, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board.
Slice the zucchini and chicken breasts on the diagonal and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining Hoisin-Lime Sauce, and garnish with the scallion julienne, if using.
Source: Adapted from Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals
, by Ming Tsai.
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09.30.09
Posted in American, Cuisines, Dinner, Leftovers, Meats, Pies & Tarts, Poultry at 11:23 pm by julie
The weather here is on the verge of turning cool and wet, and we were in some serious need of comfort swathed in pie crust, so last week I set about making homemade chicken pot pies. I’ve never made them from scratch before, and I have never been a big fan of the frozen version—as with frozen quiches, I find the soggy bottom crust of most potpies appalling. I decided to make individual mug pies with top crusts only. Because I was out of shortening, I was unable to use my new standard pie crust from Baking: From My Home to Yours, so I picked an all-butter crust from Tyler Florence instead, and it did the trick.
For my potpie filling, I went with an adaptation of Ina Garten’s chicken pot pie, scaled back and simplified with boneless chicken breasts. Still, it’s a pretty involved recipe that takes a little while to complete, so you would be best served making lots and either refrigerating or freezing what you won’t be eating right away. This recipe made enough crust and filling for 6 large mugs, and I imagine it would double well. I baked all of them at once, and refrigerated half for another night, covered in foil; they reheated nicely in the oven at 350F for 20-30 minutes, keeping the foil on to protect the crusts from over-browning.
This recipe is extremely adaptable: put in whatever meat and veggies you like, season it up with herbs, wine, or mustard, go nuts. We all really liked it—Jeremy commented about how he wanted to gnaw the crust off the edges of his mug—so I’m sure I’ll make it again sometime this winter.
Chicken Mug-Pies
For the crust:
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1/2 C ice water, plus more if needed
For the filling:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 C chicken stock, preferably homemade, divided
1 C yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C medium-diced carrots
6 small red potatoes, medium-diced
1/2 C frozen peas
4 T unsalted butter
1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C heavy cream
For the crust: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and pulse just enough to bind the dough into a ball. Squeeze a small amount together, and if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Flatten the dough into a 1″ thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the recipe (feel free to make the dough the night before if you prefer.)
For the filling: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook on both sides just until golden brown. Add about 1/2 C chicken stock, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and stock has cooked down. Remove chicken from the pan, cool, and shred with two forks; set aside in a large bowl.
In the same skillet, pour in another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, and add the onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, saute until they get a little bit of color. Add about another half a cup of chicken stock, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are just tender and the stock has cooked down, about 4-5 minutes. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the chicken.
Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or two to cook out the raw flour taste. Add the remaining chicken stock and cream to this roux, and whisk to incorporate. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning, then pour over chicken and vegetables; add the frozen peas to the bowl also, and toss well to combine.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls or 6 mugs. Divide the dough into 4 or 6 pieces respectively, and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.
Source: Food Network.
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