Curried Chicken And Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken breast, roasted and cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T all purpose flour
2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
6 to 8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T red curry paste
1/3 cup of coconut milk
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt and freshly ground pepper

herbed biscuits or dumplings

Garnish: Dry roasted peanuts or cashews, chopped
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Ingredients for dumplings:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Optional: Ground coriander and/or ground ginger, chopped cilantro

Preparing the pot pie:
Saute the onions and carrots in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper until soft.

Add the flour and saute a few minutes to cook out the rawness. Add the chicken broth and heat until it starts to thicken.

Add the red curry paste and coconut milk and stir until incorporated.

Add the mushrooms and peas and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the chicken, cilantro and lime juice just to heat a few minutes before serving.

Cut a biscuit in half and ladle some of the stew over the bottom half of the biscuit. Top with the other half of the biscuit, garnish with a few more cilantro leaves, chopped nuts, and serve.

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Preparing dumplings:
Combine ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls on top of boiling stew. Cover tightly and steam for 12 minutes.

Serves 3

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Star Anise Flank Steak With Watercress, Mint, Orange And Fennel Salad

Ingredients for orange star anise sauce:
1 T vegetable oil
1 shallot, cut in half and sliced
2 star anise, whole
1 Thai red chile, slit lengthwise, seeded and kept in one piece
2 cups store-bought orange juice
zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 T fresh smashed ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 T fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 whole star anise, ground in mortar and pestle
1 T unsalted butter, cold
kosher salt

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Ingredients for flank steak:
1 flank steak, cut into 1/4-inch slices across the grain
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 T garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 star anise, crumbled up in a mortar and pestle
vegetable oil, for frying
orange-star anise sauce
kosher salt
watercress with crispy garlic

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Ingredients for orange-fennel salad:
3 oranges, peeled and segmented
1/2 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/2 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
1/3 cup, sliced almonds
kosher salt

* * * * * *

Ingredients for watercress salad:
2 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches watercress, rinsed and dried
kosher salt

Preparing the orange star anise sauce:
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, tossing until they are golden brown, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Add the star anise and chile. Deglaze with all of the orange juice. Add the ginger, sugar, the rest of the orange juice and stir. Reduce the sauce over medium-high heat until a syrup consistency, approximately 5 minutes. Strain into a smaller saucepan, and return to the stove. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, ground star anise and orange zest. Cook over medium-low heat until the orange zest is tender, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, stir to incorporate. Season the mixture with salt.

* * * * * *

Preparing the flank steak:
In a large, wide-based pot, heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Prepare a sheet tray lined with paper towel.

Place the cornstarch, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and half of 1 ground star anise in a bowl. Lightly dredge the flank steak slices in the cornstarch mixture in batches.

Fry the flank steak slices in batches. Remove the steak from the oil and place on a lined tray. Fry the remaining flank steak, repeating the process. Place the flank steak in a large bowl, toss with the orange star anise sauce and season with the other half of the ground star anise and salt.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the orange fennel salad:
In a bowl, add the oranges, fennel, red onion, and vinegar. Season with salt and mix well. Add the fresh mint leaves and sliced almonds just before serving.

* * * * * *

Preparing the watercress with crispy garlic:
In a saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Fry the garlic, tossing constantly, until golden brown, ensuring the garlic does not burn. Add the watercress and toss. Cook until just beginning to wilt, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Serves 4

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Grilled Korean Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 T honey
1 heaping tablespoon Korean chili paste (Kochi Chang brand, preferred)
2 T grated fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 (3-pound) chicken, butterflied
flour tortillas, warmed

Preparing the chicken:
Whisk together the soy, vinegar, honey, chili paste, ginger and garlic in a bowl and divide the mixture in half. Add 1 half to a large baking dish, then add the chicken, turning to coat. Cover and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours. Add the green onions, sesame oil, black pepper and sesame seeds to the remaining half of the mixture. Reserve it as a dipping sauce for the finished chicken.

Light a grill, making sure to include a zone of indirect heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and put it over the charcoal, skin side down. Grill until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Relocate the chicken to the indirect heat zone, lower the cover and grill until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the grill to a cutting board and carve. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and serve wrapped in tortillas, if desired, with dipping sauce on the side.

Serves 4

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Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Wings Over Rice Noodle Salad

Ingredients for peanut butter chicken wing marinade:
2 cups smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 Lime
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
juice of 2 limes

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for peanut butter chicken wings:
24 chicken wings
peanut butter chicken wing marinade

* * * * * *

Ingredients for peanut crunch:
peanut oil, for frying
2 red finger chiles, halved, seeded, and sliced
2 shallots, peeled, halved, and sliced
5 T cornstarch
1 cup finely chopped toasted peanuts
salt

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the rice wine vinegar dressing:
1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the rice noodle salad:
1 8-ounce package vermicelli rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
rice wine vinegar dressing
peanut butter crunch
2 cups bean sprouts
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 bunch green onion, sliced thin on a bias
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, leaves picked

peanut butter chicken wings

Preparing the peanut butter chicken wing marinade:
For the peanut butter chicken wing marinade:
Put peanut butter, brown sugar, garlic, lime zest, cayenne pepper, black pepper, soy sauce, water, and lime juice in a large bowl, stir to incorporate and reserve.

For the peanut butter chicken wings:
Score the chicken wings to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat. Put the chicken wings in the peanut butter marinade. Massage the wings in the marinade and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to a maximum of 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

Put the wings on a tray and bake in the oven, turning them over half way through the cooking time, until the meat is cooked and the wings are crisp and golden brown, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

For the peanut crunch:
Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with enough oil to 1/3 full. Using a deep-fry thermometer to read the temperature, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking tray with paper towel.

Put the chiles in a bowl, coat well with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and fry until golden brown. Remove the chiles from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined baking tray and season with salt, then set aside.

Put the shallots in a bowl, coat well with 3 tablespoons cornstarch and fry until golden brown. Remove from the oil, put on a paper towel-lined baking tray and season with salt, set aside.

Put the crispy fried chiles and shallots on a cutting board and finely chop. Combine the chopped peanuts, fried chiles and shallots in a bowl and set aside.

For the rice wine vinegar dressing:
Put the seasoned rice wine vinegar, garlic, lime zest, sesame oil and salt in a bowl, stir and set aside.

To assemble:
Put the rice noodles in the center of the plate and dress with 1/2 the rice wine vinegar dressing.

Scatter the peanut crunch over the rice noodles. Put the bean sprouts over the rice noodles. Put the carrots around the outside of the rice noodles and bean sprouts. Scatter the cucumber and green onion over the carrots then pour the remaining rice wine vinegar dressing over. Put the peanut butter chicken wings on the rice noodles and garnish with fresh picked cilantro.

Serves 4

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Grilled Japanese Pork Chops

Ingredients:
1/4 cup red miso
1 T sake
1 T mirin
2 teaspoons red yuzu kosho
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts)
1 T plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Preparing the pork chops:
Mix together the miso, sake, mirin, yuzu kosho, scallions, and sesame oil in a bowl to make the marinade. Pour three-fourths of the marinade into a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan and reserve the rest. Lay the pork chops in the marinade and flip them 4 times to generously coat all over. Marinate the pork chops for 12 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.

Preheat a grill to a two-zone fire (medium and hot). Grill the pork chops for about 10 minutes this way: Start on hot heat for about 1 minute, then shift the chops to medium heat. After about 4 minutes, flip the chops and repeat the two-zone grilling on the other side. When the pork is ready, it'll be glossy and juicy on the outside. Cut into pork chops to see if they're done. Let the pork chops rest for about 2 minutes and serve.

Serves 4

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Miso Soup

Ingredients:
12-ounce block firm silken tofu
2 quarts dashi
6 T dark or red miso
2 T light or white miso
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparing the soup:
Wrap the block of tofu in 2 layers of paper towels and lay on a plate. Invert a second plate on top of the tofu and weigh down with a 28-ounce can. Leave for 20 minutes then cut the tofu into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.

Heat the dashi in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When the dashi reaches 100 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, ladle 1 cup into a small bowl. Add the miso, and whisk until smooth.

Bring the remaining dashi to a bare simmer, approximately 10 minutes. Add the miso mixture and whisk to combine. Return to a slight simmer, being careful not to boil the mixture. Add the tofu and scallions and cook for another minute or until heated through. Remove from the heat, ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 8

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Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
2 T minced garlic
4 teaspoons grated ginger
4 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 teaspoons hoisin sauce
3 teaspoons orange blossom honey
4 T peanut oil, divided
2 pounds beef flap steak, thinly sliced across the grain [partially freeze the beef for easier slicing]
4 T cornstarch
2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

steamed white rice, for serving

Preparing the beef and broccoli stir-fry:
Combine the garlic, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and honey. Mix well and set aside until ready to use. Preheat a wok or a large skillet. Once it has reached a medium heat, add 1/2 of the peanut oil. Dredge the beef in the cornstarch, lightly shake off any excess cornstarch and add 1/2 of the beef to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add half of the broccoli to the pan and shake frequently.

Add half of the sauce and stir to evenly coat the beef and broccoli. Cook until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes. Repeat the process with the other half of the ingredients. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Serves 4 to 6

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Grilled Coconut Wings with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients for marinade:
2 cups coconut milk
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 T crushed garlic
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground galangal (or 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger)
1 T kosher salt
20 chicken wings, jointed

Ingredients for Thai peanut sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1 T peanut oil, plus more to taste
2 fresh Thai chiles or other small chiles
1 1/2-inch-thick slice fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 T fresh lime juice
pinch salt (add to taste, as fish sauce can be very salty)
1/2 cup finely minced cilantro leaves and stems

Preparing the wings:
To make the marinade: using a food processor, grind the ingredients into a paste the consistency of thin yogurt. Reserve small amount for basting and transfer the remaining marinade to a glass bowl. Add the cleaned and trimmed chicken wings. Toss liberally, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

To grill the wings, shake off the excess marinade and grill the wings over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until crispy. Brush them frequently with the reserved marinade, and be careful not to burn the wing tips. The wings should have a crispy texture with a deep mahogany color when done.

Serve with the Thai peanut sauce.

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Preparing the Thai peanut sauce:
To make the peanut sauce, add the peanuts along with the peanut oil to a food processor. Blend, on high, until the peanuts form a rough paste. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the cilantro; blend until smooth. Stir in the cilantro and thin with peanut oil to taste.

Makes 1 cup

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Vietnamese Banh Mi-Style Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Four 8-inch soft baguettes, split
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 T sriracha (Thai hot sauce)
2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
1/4 cup sweet red chili sauce
1 to 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
2/3 English cucumber, peeled and thickly sliced
Mint and cilantro leaves
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 T seasoned rice vinegar

To make the sandwich, spread both sides of the baguettes with mayonnaise and sriracha. Arrange chicken over the bottom halves and moisten with chili sauce. Add jalapeños, cucumber, and herbs, then drizzle with more sauce. Toss the lettuce and carrots with the vinegar, add to the sandwiches, then finish with more chili sauce, if you’d like. Add top halves.

Serve with lots of napkins.

Serves 4. Per serving: 280 calories, 22g carbs, 17g protein, 40mg cholesterol, and 13g fat.

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Take-Out Sesame Noodles

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
1 T Asian sesame oil
1/2 lb. cooked and finely shredded chicken
1/4 English cucumber, peeled and cut in slivers
1/2 red pepper, diced
10 snow peas, thinly sliced across
3/4 cup bean sprouts

Ingredients for the sauce:
6 T peanut butter
5 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T warm water
1 T Asian sesame oil
1 T rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Note: For quick chicken, boil 6 cups salted water, 1 clove garlic, and 4 slices ginger; lower heat, add cutlets, and simmer until opaque.

Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender or mini food processor and whir until smooth.
Cook the spaghetti following package directions. Drain, rinse, and toss with the sesame oil and chicken. Add the sauce and mix until evenly combined.
Top with the crunchy vegetables and serve immediately.

Serves 4. Per serving: 550 calories, 56g carbs, 34g protein, 45mg cholesterol, and 22g fat.

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Shrimp & Rice Noodle Salad

Ingredients for the sauce:
1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 T water

Ingredients for the salad:
3/4 lb. Asian rice noodles, aka vermicelli, cooked and rinsed according to package directions, then cut into smaller pieces with scissors
1/3 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
4 large carrots, shredded (about 3 cups)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small white onions, thinly sliced
1 lb. peeled and cooked shrimp
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped mint
Chopped peanuts or cashews

Whisk the sauce ingredients together until blended.

Toss the rice noodles vermicelli, lettuce, carrots, garlic, and onions together in a large serving bowl. Put the shrimp in the center and scatter the herbs around them. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the salad.

At the table, toss the salad and pass the sauce.

Note: Leftover sauce is good on pork, chicken, or green salad.

Serves 4. Per serving: 440 calories, 70g carbs, 28g protein, 170mg cholesterol, and 6g fat.

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