Browsed by
Author: vscson

Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken

Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 4

Adapted from: Woks of Life

Ground chicken is the key to making Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken that cuts out chopping and deep-frying steps without compromising flavor!
Prep: 20 Cook: 15

For the chicken:

  • 1lb ground chicken
  • 2tsp Shaoxing wine
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ¼tsp ground white pepper
  • ½tsp sesame oil
  • 2TBS AP flour
  • ⅓cup cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • ⅓cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 3½TBS brown sugar
  • 1TBS light soy sauce
  • 2½tsp rice vinegar
  • 1tsp dark soy sauce

For the rest of the dish:

  • 3cups broccoli florets (about 8 oz)
  • 4TBS neutral oil
  • 3-5dried red chili peppers (optional)
  • 2cloves garlic (minced)

In a medium bowl, mix the ground chicken with the Shaoxing wine, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate while you prep the other ingredients. (Or if making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Make the sauce:

To a measuring cup, add the chicken stock, brown sugar, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce. Set aside. Set water to boil for steaming the broccoli.

While that’s happening, add the flour and cornstarch to a shallow dish, stirring with a fork or whisk to combine. Break up the ground chicken into pieces on top of the cornstarch, then use your fingers to break up the ground chicken into nuggets/large chunks and toss them in the cornstarch flour mixture.

Heat your wok or skillet over high heat. Add the oil and ground chicken in a single layer and fry until golden. Once a golden crust has formed, use a wok spatula to flip the chicken and let it brown once more undisturbed. Repeat until the chicken is uniformly seared. Remove from the wok, leaving behind any oil.

Add the broccoli to the steamer and steam for 5-6 minutes until crisp tender.

With the heat on medium-high, add the red chili peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Stir up your sauce and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, toss until the chicken is coated and the sauce is caramelized and sticky. There should be very little standing sauce.

Serve immediately with the steamed broccoli and steamed rice!

Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chick-Fil-A CopyCat

Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chick-Fil-A CopyCat

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 6 -8

Adapted from: Delish

Chick-fil-A’s chicken tortilla soup boasts a (very!) dedicated fan base – as soon as sweater weather hits, people line up for this seasonal menu item. I can see why: It’s packed with rotisserie chicken, beans, corn, and a blend of cozy spices, making it the perfect comfort food to warm up with.
Prep: 30 Cook: 40

Chicken tortilla soup:

  • 2(15-oz) cans white beans, divided
  • 2TBS neutral oil
  • 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1TBS ground cumin
  • 1TBS smoked paprika
  • 1tsp (or more) chipotle chili powder
  • 1(15-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilis
  • 1(15-oz) can black beans, drained, unrinsed
  • 4cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2TBS masa harina
  • 4cups shredded cooked chicken (from about 1 rotisserie chicken)
  • 1cup frozen corn kernels
  • ¼cup full-fat sour cream
  • 3TBS fresh lime juice

Tortilla strips & assembly:

  • 4(5″) corn tortillas, sliced into ½” strips
  • 1TBS (or more) neutral oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, shredded cheddar, and lime wedges, for serving (optional)

In a blender or food processor, blend 1 can of white beans plus their liquid until smooth. Alternatively, in a medium bowl, mash white beans with a potato masher or large spoon until smooth.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, for about 7 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and chili powder and cook, stirring and adding more chili powder if needed, until fragrant, for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, for about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pureed beans, black beans, broth, and remaining 1 can white beans and their liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors meld, for about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix masa harina and 2 TBS water until combined, stir into soup. Add chicken and corn, cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, for about 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and lime juice, season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Tortilla Strips & Assembly:

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, toss tortilla strips with oil, adding a little more oil if needed, until well coated. Spread on a baking sheet.

Bake strips, checking at the 7-minute mark, until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with tortilla strips, cilantro, avocado, and cheddar (if using). Serve with lime wedges alongside (if using).

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 4

Adapted from: NY Times

This lighter take on hearty sausage soup is cozy with chicken sausage, delicate tortellini, fennel and whatever green vegetables are gracing your market. Fennel is a late winter-early spring crop that works triple time for us here: The bulb is sweet and soft, sliced stalks are crisp-tender and the fronds are chopped for an herb garnish. While fully cooked chicken sausage adds just enough richness, feel free to use any fresh or fully cooked chicken or pork sausage you have and like (just remove fresh sausage from its casings before browning).

  • 3TBS extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12-16oz fully cooked chicken sausage, any flavor, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1large fennel, bulb coarsely chopped, stalks thinly sliced, fronds finely chopped
  • 4garlic cloves, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 1½quarts (6 cups) chicken broth
  • 10-12oz (approx.) fresh or frozen cheese, spinach or mushroom tortellini
  • 2cups chopped vegetables (such as snap or snow peas, green beans, asparagus, kale, spinach or escarole), or frozen peas
  • Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high.

Add the sausage and cook, stirring once or twice, until browned and crisp all over, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the chopped fennel bulb and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, scraping up the browned bits as you go, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the broth is flavorful, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions.

In the last three minutes of the tortellini cooking, add the chopped vegetables and up to ½ cup sliced fennel stalks. (For some tortellini, that might mean adding the vegetables with the pasta.)

Remove from heat and stir in up to ¼ cup chopped fennel fronds.

Serve in bowls topped with parmesan and more black pepper.

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 3 to 4

Cook! Stacey Cook

Marinate:

18-24 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thicker parts cut and spread out to thin.

4 TBS mirin

4 TBS sake or Shaoxing rice wine

4 TBS soy sauce, mix and set aside for 1 hour.

1 tsp brown sugar

Cook:

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add

1 TBS oil, add

Marinated chicken and cook until bottom is golden brown, then turn over. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove cover and turn heat to medium. Let it cook until the juice starts to caramelize. Turn to get both sides nicely brown. Remove to plate.

Add remaining marinade and add brown sugar if you like it sweeter. BTB to thicken.

Cut chicken into strips and drizzle with sauce.

Serve.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 4

Adapted from: https://natashaskitchen.com/cilantro-lime-shrimp-recipe/

Impress everyone with this easy shrimp recipe that’s bursting with fresh summer flavor. This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, and you’ll wish you made a double batch because it’s THAT good! Whether you choose the grill or the skillet, this Cilantro Lime Shrimp recipe is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.

Note: A double batch just may be a good idea. We both liked this quite a bit. The only question was what should we have for sides? This time it was steamed rice and green beans, but the beans didn’t go so well. Maybe sauteed zucchini or black beans, and possible Spanish rice.

 

  • 1lb large shrimp, 21-25, peeled and deveined
  • 2TBS extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1TBS lime juice, plus more to serve
  • 1TBS cilantro, finely chopped, plus more to serve
  • 1garlic clove, finely minced
  • ¼tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½tsp ground paprika
  • ½TBS honey
  • 1lime, cut into wedges for serving, optional

In a bowl, combine 1 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS cilantro, 1 tsp garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp paprika, and ½ TBS honey, and stir together to combine. Add the shrimp and stir to coat.

To sauté:

Preheat a large non-stick, non-reactive skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 TBS oil to the pan and once the pan is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and sauté for 1-2 minutes per side or just until cooked through.

To grill the shrimp:

Start by preheating the grill to medium/high heat and soak wooden skewers for 10 minutes to ensure they won’t burn on the grill. Oil the grates to prevent sticking. Combine the shrimp with the marinade then skewer them. Grill for 1-2 minutes per side or just until cooked through.

Finish:

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then immediately transfer the shrimp to a serving dish to prevent overcooking. Garnish with more cilantro if desired and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Pro tip:

You’ll want to cook right away after the shrimp is combined with the cilantro lime marinade. Do not marinate for longer than 10 minutes or the shrimp will turn rubbery from the lime juice.

Serving ideas fo cilantro lime shrimp:

These flavorful shrimp taste great in so many dishes! These are a few of our favorites. Don’t forget the sliced avocado, Homemade Salsa, and Guacamole for dipping and topping!

  • Stuffed into Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
  • In quesadillas with homemade Flour Tortillas, Pico de Gallo, and sour cream
  • Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
  • Served in Shrimp Cobb Salad, Taco Salad, or our Chickpea Salad
  • Spooned over Cooked Rice
  • Topping Creamy Mashed Potatoes
  • Mixed into Quinoa
  • Paired with Roasted veggies

 

Steak Marsala

Steak Marsala

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 2

https://www.sipandfeast.com/beef-marsala/#wprm-recipe-container-22586

There’s nothing more impressive than tender and juicy Beef Marsala. Made with marsala wine, mushrooms, and filet mignon, this is the perfect steak recipe to delight your dinner guests. Start with a reverse sear. Slowly roast filets mignons in a 275-degree oven for about 25 minutes until they were just shy of medium-rare and then we browned them in a hot skillet.  Cook: 20

Note: The Marsala sauce was good.

  • 21″ thick filet mignon steaks about 6-8 oz each, removed from fridge 1 hour prior to cooking
  • 4TBS olive oil divided
  • 1oz dried gourmet mushrooms sliced, reconstituted in hot water then drained (optional)
  • ½lb cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 2large shallots minced
  • 3cloves garlic minced
  • 2TBS AP flour
  • ¾cup dry Marsala wine
  • 1cup low-sodium beef stock
  • 2TBS unsalted butter
  • 2TBS flat leaf Italian parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275°F.

Roast steaks:

Pat steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Place steaks in a 10- to 12-inch oven safe nonstick skillet and roast until steaks register 115°F (for medium-rare), about 25 minutes, or 125°F (for medium), 30 to 35 minutes.

Sear steaks:

Remove steaks from skillet. Heat remaining 1 TBS  oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks in center of skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Mushrooms:

Add the reconstituted mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3 minutes then add the remaining cremini mushrooms and cook until they release their water (about 5-7 minutes). Once the mushrooms release their water let them brown for a few more minutes.

Sauce:

Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining olive oil and shallots to the pan along with a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the flour to the pan and whisk in until no white specks remain.

Whisk in the Marsala wine and bring to a boil. Cook until the wine reduces by half then add the beef stock and bring to a boil once more. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken (about 2 minutes) then turn the heat down to a simmer.

Finish:

Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the steaks back to the pan and spoon the sauce on top. Flip the steaks every minute and cook until they reach an internal temp of 130-135°F or until desired doneness. Once the steaks are done remove the steaks to a plate and whisk the butter and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes:

You can cook the steaks to any temp you like but try to sear them to 15-20°F less than how you like your steak. This way they can be finished in the sauce for a few minutes before serving.

Any type of mushrooms can be used. Gourmet mixed mushrooms make a beautiful presentation and really amp up the wow factor.

Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warm.

Pullman Loaf / Pain de Mie

Pullman Loaf / Pain de Mie

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 14 to 16

Serious Eats

If you’re not familiar with it, a pullman pan (also known as a pain de mie pan) has a lid. Rather than having the flared sides of a typical bread pan, this one has straighter sides.
The lid performs several different functions. First, it keeps the bread confined, which means it can’t rise as much as it wants to. This affects the crumb structure; you won’t get big bubbles.
Second, the bread comes out of the pan with a square top. It’s actually pretty square all around. It makes nice sandwich bread and if you need to cut the crusts off for presentation, you won’t have a lot of waste.
Third, since it cooks in that confined space, the steam from the cooking bread doesn’t escape the way it does when you cook free-form, or even in an open pan.
Prep: 15 Cook: 40 Rise: 2 hrs

  • 1½cups lukewarm water
  • 1cup (5½ oz) semolina flour
  • 2TBS honey
  • 2¼tsp instant yeast
  • 2cups (9 oz) bread flour
  • ½cup white wheat flour
  • 1½tsp salt
  • 3TBS butter

Special equipment:

  • 13x 4 x 4 pullman pan

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the water, semolina flour, honey, yeast, and bread flour. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.

Add the white wheat flour, salt, and butter and knead with the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic. Flour your work surface lightly, and knead by hand briefly, then form the dough into a ball. Drizzle with olive oil and return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Turn out the dough and knead it briefly to knock out the large bubbles. Form it into a log about 13 inches long – to fit inside the pan. Place the log in the pan, seam-side down. Put the lid on the pan and set aside until the dough has risen to within about an inch of the top of the pan, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour 30 minutes proofing times vary depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen).

Bake until the loaf is golden-brown, for about 40 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Apple Galette

Apple Galette

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 6 to 8

Prep: 30 Cook: 50

For the galette dough:

  • stick (8 TBS) very cold unsalted butter
  • 4TBS ice water, divided
  • 1½cups AP flour
  • 2TBS granulated sugar
  • ¾tsp kosher salt

For the filling:

  • 1½lb sweet apples (3 to 4 medium), such as Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala
  • ½medium lemon
  • 1TBS granulated sugar, plus more as needed
  • ¼tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼tsp ground ginger
  • 1½tsp turbinado, sanding, or granulated sugar
  • 1TBS or so of honey or apple jelly, for glazing (optional)

Make the galette dough:

Cut 1 stick of very cold  butter into 16 pieces. Prepare a small bowl of ice water. Place 1½ cups AP flour, 2 TBS granulated sugar, and ¾ tsp kosher salt in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a couple of times to blend. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour, about 6 to 10 pulses. At first you’ll have a mixture that looks like coarse meal and then, as you pulse more, you’ll get small flake-size pieces and some larger pea-sized pieces too.

Add 2 TBS of the ice water and pulse, then add the remaining 2 TBS ice water and pulse and continue until all the water is in. Then work in longer pulses, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed, until you have a dough that forms nice, bumpy curds that hold together when you pinch them.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it gently to bring it together. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and put it between two large pieces of parchment paper. Immediately roll the dough into an 11- to 12-inch round. Don’t worry too much about getting the exact size or about having the edges of the round be perfect – ragged is pretty for a galette or other rustic tart. The dough will be thicker than you think it should be, and that’s fine – it’s what you need for a free-form pastry.

Slide the rolled-out dough, still between the sheets of paper, onto a baking sheet or cutting board and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Assemble and bake the galette:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF.

Peel, halve, and core about 1½ pounds sweet apples. Working with one half apple at a time, place cut-side down on a cutting board and slice crosswise into pieces that are about ¼-inch thick (a little thinner is fine). Toss the slices into a large bowl and squeeze most of the juice from ½ medium lemon (about 2 TBS) over the apples.

Add 1 TBS granulated sugar, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, and ¼ tsp ground ginger, and stir everything around until the apples are coated. Taste a slice to see if you want more lemon juice or sugar. (You can keep the apples at room temperature for up to 1 hour.)

Slide the galette dough onto a baking sheet. Remove the top sheet of parchment and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, just so that it’s pliable enough to lift and fold without cracking.

Using a slotted spoon (or your hands), lift the apples out of the bowl and mounding them in the middle of the dough.

Pick up the edges of the dough and fold them up against the apples. As you fold, the dough will bend, ruffle and pleat on itself, and that’s what you want. Don’t worry about being neat or about getting everything even. If you see any cracks, fix them by smoothing them with a little water on your finger. If there’s any liquid left in the bowl, pour it over the apples. (You shouldn’t have a lot, but if you do, just pour over 1 to 2 TBS of it.)

Brush the dough lightly with water and then sprinkle with 1½ tsp turbinado sugar.

Bake the galette until the apples are tender—poke them with a skewer or the tip of a paring knife to test, 45 to 50 minutes. (Check at 30 minutes and loosely tent the crust or the apples with aluminum foil if you think the crust or apples are browning too quickly.)

Place the baking sheet onto a wire rack. If you want to glaze the apples, warm 1 TBS honey or jelly (add a splash of water to the jelly) until it liquefies (you can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop), then brush a thin layer over the apples. Wait until the galette is just warm or reaches room temperature to serve.

Jambalaya, New Orleans BJ’s CC

Jambalaya, New Orleans BJ’s CC

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 4-6

Blackened chicken breast | sautéed shrimp | chicken-andouille sausage | bell peppers | onions | tomatoes | Cajun-spiced broth | rice pilaf
Perhaps nowhere in America is there a culinary tradition as distinctive as that of New Orleans. The origins of New Orleans cuisine come from all over: Spain, France, West Africa and the southeastern United States. Of course, you won’t have to travel far to enjoy a big bite of the Big Easy when you visit BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. The star of this show is a trio of meat and seafood. Blackened chicken breast, sautéed shrimp and chicken-andouille sausage combine to create a dish that’s bursting with flavor. Of course, it wouldn’t be jambalaya without onions and bell peppers, so we add those to the mix, along with tomatoes for a creole-style tang. Our special Cajun-spiced broth rounds things out with a spicy bite, and it’s all served over rice pilaf. Big, bold flavor like this deserves a big, bold beer to go along with it.
Prep: Cook:
Protein:

  • 1lb chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces),
  • ½-1lb andouille sausage (sliced),
  • 1lb raw shrimp (peeled and deveined).

Produce:

  • 1cup diced white onion,
  • 1cup diced green bell pepper,
  • 1cup diced celery (the “trinity”),
  • 4cloves minced garlic,
  • 1jalapeno (optional, for heat).

Tomatoes & broth:

  • 1(14-oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes,
  • 3-4cups low-sodium chicken broth.

Rice & seasoning:

  • 1-1½cups uncooked long-grain white rice,
  • 2-3TBS Cajun seasoning,
  • 1tsp dried thyme,
  • 1tsp dried oregano,
  • 1bay leaf.

Fat & garnish:

  • Olive oil or butter for sautéing,
  • green onions and parsley for garnish.


Prep and sear:

Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 TBS of oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken, then remove it from the pot. Add the sliced andouille sausage and brown, then remove.

Sauté trinity:

Add a little more oil to the pot if needed. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno. Sauté until tender (about 5-7 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Simmer:

Stir in the tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, chicken broth, and browned meats. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender.

Add shrimp:

Stir in the shrimp and cook for another 3-5 minutes until they are pink and cooked through.

Finish:

Remove the bay leaf. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped green onions and parsley before serving.

Creamed Corn

Creamed Corn

Comments 0 Comment

Yield: 4

Adapted from: NY Times

This is a sweetly comforting dish, and it’s remarkably simple to make. Fresh corn is best for this, but frozen corn would work as well. If using the latter, add a bit of water when cooking before you add the milk.
Prep: Cook:

  • 6ears fresh corn or one 10 oz bag frozen
  • 2TBS butter
  • sliver of garlic
  • sea salt
  • ¾cup milk
  • ¼cup heavy cream
  • fresh sage leaves or chopped parsley, for garnish

Scrape corn kernels from cobs, running knife edge along cobs to squeeze out juices. (If the corn is not very fresh, then blanch in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes before scraping kernels from cobs.)

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Drop in butter and melt until foamy. Add corn, garlic and juices. Season with salt and cook until kernels become tender. Pour in milk and simmer until milk is almost gone. Pour in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.