WARNING: there is no way I'm going to call this "authentic" - but damn is it good... and easy to cook, too! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef, pork, or chicken (your choice :))
3 eggs
5 cups of cold cooked brown rice (cook with about 1/8 less water than package recommends)
2/3 cup of diced carrots
2/3 cup of cooked English peas
1/4 cup of diced water chestnuts
2/3 cup of diced fresh pineapple
1 1/2 cup of diced scallions, green and white parts
2 tbsp. of chili garlic sauce
3 tbsp. of oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. of soy sauce
2 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cumin
3 tbsp. of canola or other neutral oil
Directions:
Cook ground meat until fully browned, removing all of the fat from the meat, set aside.
Soft scramble the three eggs and set aside.
In a large wok, heat the oil over high heat. Add all of the other ingredients except for the scallions and pineapple to the hot wok. Stir constantly for about 90 seconds. Add the ground meat and the cold cooked rice to the wok and blend all of the ingredients thoroughly. Cook, stirring like once every minute, for about 6 - 8 minutes. Add the eggs, pineapple, and scallions, blend together thoroughly, and continue cooking for another 60 seconds. Serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Recipe: Roasted Eggplant, Scallion, and Poached Chicken Pizza
I'm sure you can find a recipe online for pizza dough if you really want to make your own dough... but, I didn't have the patience to make my own dough this evening, so I used a great refrigerated pre-made pizza dough I picked up at Whole Foods. Makes this recipe come together a LOT quicker ;)
Ingredients:
14 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried sage
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. cracked red pepper
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast filets
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 lb. refrigerated pizza dough
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Place sliced eggplant slices flat onto a olive oil coated baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and drizzle olive oil over the top of all slices. Place into oven for about 30 minutes until the slices have browned.
In a large pot, place the chicken breasts and and fill with water until the breasts are fully covered plus 1 inch. Sprinkle kosher salt generally into the pot. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue simmering for approximately 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water and using forks shred the chicken finely. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, sage, and garlic together. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 12-13 inch diameter. Place the dough on a lightly oiled pizza pan and press the dough out to cover the diameter of the pan. Pour the tomato sauce mixture out onto the dough and using the bottom of a ladle, spread the sauce out evenly across the full surface of the dough. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese out evenly across the surface. Top with an evenly distributed layer of the roasted eggplant, poached shredded chicken, and the chopped scallions. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle the cracked red pepper evenly across the top.
Raise oven temperature to 450. Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 15 - 16 minutes until the crust browns and the cheese is melted.
Makes 8 servings/slices.
Ingredients:
14 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried sage
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. cracked red pepper
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast filets
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 lb. refrigerated pizza dough
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Place sliced eggplant slices flat onto a olive oil coated baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and drizzle olive oil over the top of all slices. Place into oven for about 30 minutes until the slices have browned.
In a large pot, place the chicken breasts and and fill with water until the breasts are fully covered plus 1 inch. Sprinkle kosher salt generally into the pot. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue simmering for approximately 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water and using forks shred the chicken finely. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, sage, and garlic together. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 12-13 inch diameter. Place the dough on a lightly oiled pizza pan and press the dough out to cover the diameter of the pan. Pour the tomato sauce mixture out onto the dough and using the bottom of a ladle, spread the sauce out evenly across the full surface of the dough. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese out evenly across the surface. Top with an evenly distributed layer of the roasted eggplant, poached shredded chicken, and the chopped scallions. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle the cracked red pepper evenly across the top.
Raise oven temperature to 450. Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 15 - 16 minutes until the crust browns and the cheese is melted.
Makes 8 servings/slices.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Cocktail Recipe: Classic Manhattan
Ingredients:
2 parts Knob Creek or other good Kentucky bourbon
1 part sweet vermouth
4 splashes of Angostura bitters
3 cherries, pits removed, soaked in cognac or other brandy at least overnight
Directions:
Fill a tall cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters to the cocktail shaker. Drop the drunken cherries into the bottom of a standard martini glass. Shake the cocktail mixture vigorously and then pour through a strainer into the glass. Serve immediately... but sip it slowly... you have been warned! :)
2 parts Knob Creek or other good Kentucky bourbon
1 part sweet vermouth
4 splashes of Angostura bitters
3 cherries, pits removed, soaked in cognac or other brandy at least overnight
Directions:
Fill a tall cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters to the cocktail shaker. Drop the drunken cherries into the bottom of a standard martini glass. Shake the cocktail mixture vigorously and then pour through a strainer into the glass. Serve immediately... but sip it slowly... you have been warned! :)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Recipe: Georgia Fried Chicken
This is about as close as I can get to the way my grandmas make fried chicken since I can't get them to write down a recipe... but it's good... so there... ;)
Ingredients:
4 half-breasts of chicken, bone-in, skin on
4 chicken thighs, skin on
1 quart of buttermilk
Sea salt
Black pepper
2 cups of all-purpose flour
3 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cups of peanut oil (for frying)
Directions:
Place the chicken in a big bowl. Coat generously with sea salt and pepper on all sides. Pour buttermilk into the bowl until the chicken is covered and fully submerged. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
In a plastic 1 gallon re-sealable plastic bag, place the flour and all of the spices, adding 2 tsp of sea salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Close the bag and shake to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Heat the peanut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the buttermilk soaked chicken pieces into the plastic bag with the flour mixture (2 pieces at a time) and shake to fully coat the pieces. To determine if the oil is hot enough, sprinkle a tiny bit of the flour into the hot oil. If the flour immediately bubbles and floats to the top, the oil is ready. Place the chicken into the hot oil. Work in batches, no more than 4 pieces in the cast iron skillet at a time. Fry for approximately 6 - 8 minutes on one side, turn, fry for an additional 6 - 8 minutes. Place the chicken on a brown paper bag to drain off excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining chicken. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 very hungry people (1 breast + 1 thigh) or 2 Georgia boys and 1 sneaky dog ;).
Ingredients:
4 half-breasts of chicken, bone-in, skin on
4 chicken thighs, skin on
1 quart of buttermilk
Sea salt
Black pepper
2 cups of all-purpose flour
3 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cups of peanut oil (for frying)
Directions:
Place the chicken in a big bowl. Coat generously with sea salt and pepper on all sides. Pour buttermilk into the bowl until the chicken is covered and fully submerged. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
In a plastic 1 gallon re-sealable plastic bag, place the flour and all of the spices, adding 2 tsp of sea salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Close the bag and shake to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Heat the peanut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the buttermilk soaked chicken pieces into the plastic bag with the flour mixture (2 pieces at a time) and shake to fully coat the pieces. To determine if the oil is hot enough, sprinkle a tiny bit of the flour into the hot oil. If the flour immediately bubbles and floats to the top, the oil is ready. Place the chicken into the hot oil. Work in batches, no more than 4 pieces in the cast iron skillet at a time. Fry for approximately 6 - 8 minutes on one side, turn, fry for an additional 6 - 8 minutes. Place the chicken on a brown paper bag to drain off excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining chicken. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 very hungry people (1 breast + 1 thigh) or 2 Georgia boys and 1 sneaky dog ;).
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Wine Tasting: 2007 Roshambo "Ezekiel" Viognier
Awesome spicy food wine. Great dry finish, nice acidity. All of what I love in a Viognier is there - hints of melon and honey flavor, maybe a little bit of peach if you stretch a bit. Fermented entirely in steel, which is how I actually prefer my Chardonnays. My apologies to all of you out there who like the typical buttery, oak/steel-fermented California style of Chardonnay... I absolutely ABHOR the buttery taste that produces in white wine. If I am going to choose a white wine (I mostly choose reds), I want it to be nice and crisp and light and dry - usually to pair with spicier Asian dishes. So, I usually end up gravitating towards Viognier over Chardonnay because it has a similar body to Chardonnay, but without that buttery-ness that can come with partial fermentation in oak. As you can tell, I love this wine and this varietal. Enjoy!
Cocktail: Hail all Metros!
Ingredients:
3 parts Hangar One vodka
1/2 part cranberry juice (NOT "cranberry juice cocktail" - 100% cranberry juice only)
1/2 part pomegranate juice (again, 100% juice only, no blends)
Generous squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Pour into standard martini glasses. Serve with a lime wedge on the edge as a garnish.
3 parts Hangar One vodka
1/2 part cranberry juice (NOT "cranberry juice cocktail" - 100% cranberry juice only)
1/2 part pomegranate juice (again, 100% juice only, no blends)
Generous squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Pour into standard martini glasses. Serve with a lime wedge on the edge as a garnish.
Recipe: Seafood Risotto
I made this for a friend of mine who was here a couple of weeks ago... and still have some in the freezer that I'll get around to eating ;). It turned out really well!
Ingredients:
1 lb. of 30 - 40 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. of small bay scallops
2/3 lb. of lump dungeness crab meat
2 cups of asparagus, blanched and diced
3 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 1/2 cups of dry sherry
5 1/2 cups of chicken broth
4 tbsp. of butter
2 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of white pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano
2/3 cup shredded parmesan
2/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 tbsp. of olive oil
Directions:
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the seafood and stir to evenly distribute the butter. Add the salt, white pepper, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Continue stirring frequently, cooking the seafood. All of the seafood should cook in about 8 - 10 minutes. When the shrimp turn a nice shade of pink, you know you're done. Add the fresh basil and tarragon, stir to incorporate and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the arborio rice to the oil and stir to coat all rice kernels with the oil. Continue heating and turning frequently until the rice starts to turn a light brown color. Not all rice kernels will turn brown, but you don't want any getting too brown - those will be burnt! Once the rice has started to turn color, add the dry sherry to the pot and stir to incorporate. Continue stirring until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice - but not so much that the rice starts sticking to the bottom of the pot! Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and repeat this process - stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Continue this process until you're out of chicken broth and all of the liquid is absorbed.
Add the diced asparagus and the seafood mixture you completed earlier to the pot and stir to evenly incorporate. Add the parmesan and gorgonzola cheeses and stir to incorporate evenly. Turn off the heat and let sit for about 3 minutes. Serve as a main course.
Makes 8 main course servings.
Ingredients:
1 lb. of 30 - 40 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. of small bay scallops
2/3 lb. of lump dungeness crab meat
2 cups of asparagus, blanched and diced
3 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 1/2 cups of dry sherry
5 1/2 cups of chicken broth
4 tbsp. of butter
2 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of white pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano
2/3 cup shredded parmesan
2/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 tbsp. of olive oil
Directions:
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the seafood and stir to evenly distribute the butter. Add the salt, white pepper, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Continue stirring frequently, cooking the seafood. All of the seafood should cook in about 8 - 10 minutes. When the shrimp turn a nice shade of pink, you know you're done. Add the fresh basil and tarragon, stir to incorporate and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the arborio rice to the oil and stir to coat all rice kernels with the oil. Continue heating and turning frequently until the rice starts to turn a light brown color. Not all rice kernels will turn brown, but you don't want any getting too brown - those will be burnt! Once the rice has started to turn color, add the dry sherry to the pot and stir to incorporate. Continue stirring until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice - but not so much that the rice starts sticking to the bottom of the pot! Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and repeat this process - stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Continue this process until you're out of chicken broth and all of the liquid is absorbed.
Add the diced asparagus and the seafood mixture you completed earlier to the pot and stir to evenly incorporate. Add the parmesan and gorgonzola cheeses and stir to incorporate evenly. Turn off the heat and let sit for about 3 minutes. Serve as a main course.
Makes 8 main course servings.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Recipe: Spicy Yakisoba
Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, green and white parts loosely chopped
1 tbsp. chili sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. mirin
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
6 oz. soba noodles
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp. katsuo mirin furikake (seasoned dried bonito and sesame seeds)
Directions:
Place 5 quarts of water on a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of salt to the water. Once water boils, add the soba noodles. Boil for 6 minutes, drain, then run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed tofu. Cook the tofu until browned, turning constantly, for about 10 minutes. Remove tofu from the oil and sprinkle the katsuo mirin furikake over it. Set aside.
In the food processor, pulse all remaining ingredients until pureed. In a large bowl, place soba noodles, tofu, and sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
1 bunch scallions, green and white parts loosely chopped
1 tbsp. chili sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. mirin
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
6 oz. soba noodles
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp. katsuo mirin furikake (seasoned dried bonito and sesame seeds)
Directions:
Place 5 quarts of water on a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of salt to the water. Once water boils, add the soba noodles. Boil for 6 minutes, drain, then run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed tofu. Cook the tofu until browned, turning constantly, for about 10 minutes. Remove tofu from the oil and sprinkle the katsuo mirin furikake over it. Set aside.
In the food processor, pulse all remaining ingredients until pureed. In a large bowl, place soba noodles, tofu, and sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
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