Cold Shredded Chicken

Need an easy appetizer? This is it...

Shredded Chicken
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Green onion and/or cilantro
Sesame seeds 

Just mix all together and chill. Wish I had shredded jelly fish to add. I think thin cucumber slices would go well in the mix as well. 

Crunchy Bbq Chicken Thighs

OK I should've plated it before taking the photo...But oh well. It was fuzzy anyways (hence using a small picture to make the fuzziness less apparent.) Goes into the tummy all the same and now I don't have an extra plate to wash. =)

I used quick BBQ marinade with chicken thighs, added panko on top and baked it for 35min. With a 2 minute broil at the end to ensure the panko browns.

Easy. Crunchy. Yummy. Enjoy!

Classic Chicken wing stew

Stews make easy meals as well...I can chop veggies during Baby's early afternoon nap and then during the early evening nap I put everything into a pot/slow cooker/thermal cooker and let it simmer for a couple hours until Hubby's home and it's all ready to eat. And if the stew is chocked full of veggies then I don't have to prepare that either. Just make rice and enjoy!

Here I actually pan seared the wings first, added the veggies, a bit of stock (not too much because the veggies let out a fair bit of water too) and seasoning and then covered for 45min on low heat. Chicken wings cook pretty fast...especially if seared already. 

Chicken Wings

Various veggies you can find: Carrots and Green & Yellow zucchinis were in my fridge this time

Soy sauce (dark and light)

Sugar

Cornstarch (to dust the chicken wings in before searing)

Cooking wine

Sesame Oil

Enjoy!

Pita Pockets

 

It was one of those days where I couldn't think of what exactly to put together. I had bits of everything but not enough of one thing to make a main dish out of it. And then I was inspired by the  pita pockets I saw in my fridge....filling the pockets only require a little of everything to fill. And it's yummy. So I just cooked each thing separately and we filled our own pockets the way we liked.

Paprika sautéed mushrooms

Sautéed zucchini
Sautéed kale & onions
Pan seared chicken
Pita pockets
Chipotle mayo
Mayo

Tip: Warm or slightly steam the pita pockets first if they're coming straight out of the fridge. They tear easily otherwise.

Kimchi Tofu & Chicken Stew

 

I've made some pseudo kimchi stews, but this is more like the real thing...though maybe less soupy than I've had it at Korean restaurants. Makes perfect use of the leftover kimchi juices when the tub of kimchi is finished. 

Chicken

Tofu
Carrots
Onion
Green onion
Soy sauce
Kimchi juice 

The chicken is marinated in soy sauce and some kimchi juice, then pan seared separately. In a pot I browned the onions then added carrots as those take the longest to cook. Tofu cubes added and once the pot has warmed back up to a simmer, I added chicken and more kimchi juice to the level of soupiness I want. Green onions added last so it retains the green color. I didn't need to add extra water because a lot of moisture comes out of the tofu once you cook it. 

Enjoy!

BBQ Green Drumsticks

Who doesn't love BBQ in the summer? I've got to watch it though...though the charred bits make for a very nice smokey flavor, I read somewhere that burnt food is carcinogenic. Granted it seems just about everything can be carcinogenic these days, but I don't want to take too many chances. Anyways, onto a more palatable topic....remember the cilantro chutney that I marinated steaks in? Well it also makes a fantastic marinade for chicken. So that's all I used. Just add salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy!!

Leftover Makeover: Maple Crunch Chicken Strips

How about a MEAT recipe for once! =) I've been posting a lot of vegetarian fare because that's where I'm exploring right now. I have a lot of meat dish go-to's and haven't been as creative. Especially come summer...it's marinated wings, steak and ribs. I think I've already featured those. Anyways....

So you know when you finish a box of cereal there's all the broken and sugary bits at the bottom of the bag? I always feel like it's such a waste to throw it away since I paid more to buy healthier cereal but it'd be gross to eat it straight with milk. Well, I found an answer....I coated chicken strips in them and then pan fried it. I could do it shake and bake style too, but pan frying was faster. And it's so good!!

Chicken
Marinated in corn starch and a bit of soy for the savory aspect
Remnants of three kinds of cereal (Ancient Grains, Maple Crunch, Harvest Crunch)...this adds the sugar to the marinade so you don't need to add more.

I enjoyed this over salad with half an avocado. Used the go-to honey mustard dressing (but no garlic this time).

Pesto Chicken Pizza

The pizza dough recipe I used can either make one thick crust pizza or two thin crusts...so here's what I did with the second crust:



Pesto paste
Sauteed chicken slices
Sliced mushrooms
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Basil after baking



To no surprise the crust was still harder than I'd like...but this was a yummy pizza! Loved the fresh basil on it!

I also didn't have very good pizza baking trays. I'd love a pizza stone one day. In this case, I used the BACK of a rectangle baking sheet. The crust actually turned out better than the one baked on the round pizza sheet. A rolling pizza slicer would also be really handy...but I'm trying to avoid adding anymore utensils or apparatuses into our packed condo kitchen. One day...when we have a house and more cupboards.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

I was venturing into making my own pizzas from scratch. It seemed so easy whenever I watch it on TV. Or even when I watch people make it from scratch at restaurants. Restaurants charge some $17 for a simple thin crust pizza and I'm SURE the raw supplies cost $4 tops. Anyways...so this is my first attempt:



I mixed BBQ sauce, ketchup and sriracha for my base sauce. Topped it with sauteed chicken slices, mushrooms, peppers, sauteed onions and some smokey gouda. (I would've used mozzarella but I didn't plan ahead and again, didn't have any.)



End result was really tasty actually! THOUGH....you know how I don't like baking? Well the dough for the crust (I don't remember which site I got the recipe from...I just ran a search for "thin crust pizza dough") didn't turn out as well as I'd like. I think I killed the yeast mixture or maybe I didn't pour it into the flour right. It's just not my thing. The dough didn't bubble and was pretty hard. Almost like a soft cracker. BUT, it still tasted really good!

Chili Taro chicken

Taro root...it was a favorite of mine growing up. Hawaiians eat it and is called "poi"...but I found the way they prepare it to be rather bland the two times I've tried. I like taro in stew-type dishes as well as in pastries and desserts. Taro takes on flavors of whatever you're cooking it in rather well. It's also got an aromatic earthy taste if you eat it whole and freshly cooked. I love it.

Fermented chili bean paste
Sugar
Soy sauce
Chicken
Taro

 

I used small taro bulbs rather than the large root. With the small bulbs, I boiled them whole until soft enough to poke through with a fork. The skin is peeled off once it's cooled enough to handle. And then it's cut to bite sizes and added to the cooking meat/stew around the same time I make the sauce.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Are we sick of turkey? Any great meal ideas to share?? =D

So I didn't get a picture for this one...but don't let that stop you from trying it out! Chicken thighs were the meat of choice...I'm freezing the leftover turkey for the New Year. While trying to think of a flavor to try, I found half a lime and a bunch of cilantro that was threatening to brown in my fridge. I liked lime and cilantro in guacamole....why not try it here?

Chicken
Lime juice
Cilantro (finely chopped)
Garlic
Cumin
Salt & pepper

It was really tasty!! And also a bit of a palate cleanser with the citrus. The only negative was that the cilantro turns a muddy brown after you cook it for a while so the dish isn't the prettiest when done. Nevertheless, my tastebuds don't discriminate... =)

Spaghetti Squash Pasta

This time I made the spaghetti squash one of the mains instead of a side....and ate it as "pasta" to go along with some pan seared, soy sauce marinated drumsticks. I tossed it with a few more veggies so it was a little heartier but otherwise, it's similar to the previous spaghetti squash side.

Spaghetti Squash
Onion
Tomato
Broccoli
Gouda (You can tell what block of cheese we've got in the fridge because that's all I'll use until it's gone.)
Dried herbs

Drumsticks
Light Soy Sauce
Dark Soy Sauce (this gives it the dark caramelly color)
Honey (to drizzle over after it's cooked)

Date Honey'n Garlic Chicken

Here's a simple one...marinate, pan fry, drizzle, serve.

Soy Sauce - light & dark
Garlic
Cumin
Date Honey

Drizzle with date honey after the chicken's been pan fried. If you cook it with the honey, there's a chance it'll char beyond the nice caramelly look it's got now. The flavors work together really nicely and goes great with rice. Leftovers can be cut up and put into a salad with a sesame dressing. Ymm!

Chicken & Kale sandwich

On the kale and chicken theme this week, because I had leftover from the last meal, I found a sandwich the perfect place for it to go. I sauteed the kale until it was soft to use in the sandwich. Turned leftover chicken breast into a chicken salad...add bread and cheese and voila!

Kale
Chicken
Mayo
Mustard
Cheese
Bread

Butternut Squash Soup & Kale Chicken Hash

I've always wanted to try making my own butternut squash soup. So, I bought one, baked it in the oven for 45min and then used half of it to make this soup.

Butternut squash
Onion
Curry Powder
Chicken Stock

I made the chicken stock with the carcas of a Costco BBQ chicken. Meanwhile I took its breastmeat and sauteed it with kale and some leftover potato hash. Everything went together...great comfort food! So great in fact, I just put the kale chicken hash straight into the butternut soup:



So now it's a hearty kale chicken butternut squash soup!

Both were really delicious...and will surely be made again. =)

Honey curried chicken nuggets on israeli couscous

This summer I came across a friend's post on honey bbq'd chicken wings with a hint of curry. "What an interesting combination of flavors!" I thought. I didn't have all the ingredients but what stood out for me was to have honey and curry. So I threw it together. And have made several variations on it since. It was always with wings...but this time, I had boneless skinless thighs. Why not use the same flavors right?

Marinade:
Soy Sauce
Curry Powder
Cumin
Paprika

I pan seared them...then drizzled Date Honey on top.

The Israeli couscous side was neat too. I saw it at Trader Joe's and thought to give it a try. I put some rice seasoning that I actually bought in Jerusalem into the couscous. Can't say I really knew what to do with the rice seasoning because though there was a spice scent, the taste wasn't very pronounced. I must be missing some additional seasoning...anyone know?

Chicken Soup

The weather's getting cool and that brings out a craving for a hearty chicken soup. This is probably my favorite while growing up:

Chicken carcas (I save the bones from when I buy whole BBQ chicken)
Tomatoes
Carrots
Potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Salt

I like to boil/simmer it until the bones fall apart from the joints. Using one of those handheld drink blenders to puree the veggies in the soup add to the richness of flavor too. I had two bowls already. So yum.
 

Kale chicken

I remembered a dish I enjoyed years and years ago that was some kind of sauteed chicken on a bed of deep fried spinach leaves. The chicken was delicious but I didn't care too much for the spinach leaves. They were greasy. Here's my variation on baked kale chips....I love kale chips.

Chicken thigh meat
Garlic
Soy sauce (dark and light)
Sugar
Satay paste

Kale leaves (bite size)
Olive Oil
Salt

And I had some crushed cashews handy so that went on top as well. Pretty yums!
(Espcially kale chips...I could eat a bowl of it by myself.)

Soy Sauce Wings

My favorite kind of chicken growing up was soy sauce chicken. I could eat a couple bowls of rice with it. So why not make it for my favorite part of a chicken only: the wings!

Marinade:
Light soy sauce (for the saltiness)
Dark soy sauce (for the dark golden color)
Brown sugar
Rice Wine
Cinnamon
Pepper
Ginger
Garlic

I didn't have these on hand, but would be great to add into the marinade as well:
Star anise
Green onion
Chinese five spice powder

Key is to cook it on medium low heat (30 min to cook)...never past a simmer or the wings dry out. You can use the same marinade on a whole chicken, just be sure to flip the chicken every 15 minutes (~1.25 hrs total). The delicious marinade doesn't have to go to waste either...you can strain it and freeze the liquid for use the next time...just re-add the ginger, garlic, star anise, etc. The flavors just get richer with time. YUM.

Blueberry Corn Salad

I think this is my new favorite summer salad...I'll take a picture the next time I make it.

BBQ'd corn niblets (after cutting the niblets off the cob, save it for sweetening soup stock!)
Blueberries
Arugula
Spinach
BBQ'd meat (steak, ribs, chicken, whatever)

(I would've loved some shredded mint or basil tossed in as well...but my basil plant is still tiny in its pot.)

Drizzle with this citrus-y lime vinaigrette goodness:
Lime juice
Olive Oil
Mustard
Sugar
Vinegar
Salt

The citrus dressing cuts through the rich smokey fats of the BBQ'd meat. The blueberries add a tangy sweetness. It's all very yummy.