Sticky Chicken

Hi,

I hope you are well.

Well some recipes come and then go, never to be heard from again and then there are the recipes that come and hang around. This recipes is one of the later. I really don't know how many times I have made it. But, I like it because it's easy. I adapted this from a recipe that I think I got from the Boston Globe, but I honestly don't remember where the original recipe came from. The original recipe called for chicken wings, but I usually don't make chicken wings and usually use thighs or breasts.

3 lbs chicken thighs, legs or breasts (or a combination of these depending on what you like)

If you buy the thighs with the drumsticks attached, I like to separate them before baking. It's easy to do, just find the joint between the drumstick and thigh and with a sharp knife cut between the two. If you find the right spot, you won't be trying to cut through bone. I usually remove the skin from the thighs, but leave the skin on the drumsticks.

1 cup soy sauce
Juice from one lemon (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 chunk fresh garlic, a couple of inches long, peeled and minced
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Mix the ingredients from the list above. Place in a large glass (pyrex) baking dish, large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Add the chicken, turn to coat. Now at this point, the original recipe calls for marinating the chicken in the fridge for 4 hours to up to 2 days. Normally I don't do this, since I'm doing this right before I'm going to bake the chicken for dinner. If you're a planner, you can let me know if the chicken is different marinated.

Set oven to 400 degrees. Bake chicken for about an hour, until the chicken is cooked through and crispy and the marinated is thick and sticky.

Because the chicken is so flavorful, it's nice to serve it with some plain steamed veggies, roast squash or sweet potatoes, and maybe a simple salad or vinegared cucumbers. I hope you'll try this recipe and that Sticky Chicken becomes a recipe that comes and hangs around.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Eggplant Salad with Sesame Dressing

Hi,

This dish could possibly convert a "I don't like eggplant" person into a "I like eggplant" person. I adapted this recipe from Mark Bittman. He calls for cooking the eggplant over a charcoal or wood fire which really does lead to a lovely flavorful charred eggplant. But, since I don't have time for that type of labor intensive cooking, I use my trusty microwave for cooking the eggplant. My dear father purchased my microwave for me even though at the time I was probably rolling my eyes and thinking, "I don't need a microwave!" Well, I was wrong. The microwave has become a trusty valuable cooking item in my kitchen.

1 regular eggplant or 2 or 3 Chinese eggplants
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil

If you have regular eggplant, slice into 3/4 inch lengthwise slices. If you use the long skinny type, quarter each eggplant the long way to make long skinny eggplant pieces. Use a microwave safe shallow dish, sprinkle olive oil in dish and dip eggplant pieces in the oil, flipping to coat both sides. Arrange in a single layer or slightly overlapping. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes. Eggplant will be cooked and slightly squishy. While eggplant cooks prepare dressing.

Juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons sugar
freshly ground pepper

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. When the eggplant is cooked, cut the eggplant into 1 inch cubes or rectangular shaped rods. Mix eggplant into dressing. Here's what I usually like to add.

2-3 green onions thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped

If I have some of these available I'll also add:

2 cups arugula or fresh spinach
Salt, taste to see if needed

I hope you enjoy this eggplant salad. It's great alongside some simple baked chicken with some sauteed green beans. It also makes great leftovers.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Fried Fish for the New Year

Hi All,

Happy 2013! I hope you have been having fun cooking. It has been a challenging culinary start to the new year as my creaking disabled range finally expired. It graciously made it though Christmas, but then the next day decided it was over. So, no new recipes for cookies or cakes or anything baked or roasted until the new range is delivered.

We did have a lovely Japanese inspired New Years Eve dinner accompanied by a bottle of drunken whale sake. I've always tried making tempura and it's usually not bad but generally a lot of mess and bother. So I tried this new recipe and I think it's a winner. This recipe was adapted from Sunset's Oriental Cookbook. It delicious served with the optional dipping sauce, see recipe below.

1 pound tilapia fillets
salt and pepper

Cut the fillets into 2 inch squares. Some may be a bit more triangular and some may be a bit thicker, but it's all fine. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

1 egg

Lightly beat egg in a shallow dish or pan. Dip the fish squares in the egg, coating both sides

Panko bread crumbs

Dip the egg coated fish squares in panko. At this point you can refrigerate the fish, if you would like to fry them at another time.

Canola oil

Pour oil into a wide heavy frying pan, enough to coat bottom with about 1/8 inch layer of oil. Turn heat to medium high. Add the fish, cook until the first side is brown, then flip. While the fish is cooking prepare the dipping sauce.

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix the above ingredients and serve alongside in small individual bowls.

I would serve the fish squares with some lightly steamed spinach and some butternut squash or sweet potato for color. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did. And happy cooking for the new year!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Asian Corn and Chicken Soup

Hi,

I liked this new recipe because it's surprising and fresh. I made it with fresh corn on the cob, but I think it would be equally good with frozen corn. This recipe was adapted from Cook's Country.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

Combine the four ingredients listed above in a large soup pot. Cook stirring over medium heat until the ingredients are almost brown about 1 to 2 minutes.

3 fresh corn on the cobs (or half a bag frozen corn)

Remove the corn from the cob, if you are using fresh. Hold the cob perpendicular to a cutting board and carefully slice off the kernels. Rotate the cob to continue cutting all the way around the cob. Add the corn, either fresh or frozen into the soup pot.

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
3 cups water with 1 large bouillon cube or 3 cups chicken stock

Add the coconut milk and water or stock. Bring just up to boiling. Cook about 15 minutes. At this point if you have an immersion blender you can puree the mixture a bit at this point. If you don't have a blender, it's not vital, don't worry.

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Add the chicken and cook for about 10 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Juice from a lime
Salt and pepper
Lime wedges (optional)

Stir in the cilantro and lime juice and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. You can serve some additional lime wedges. I hope you are delighted with this recipe as much as I was. The coconut milk makes for a rich creamy soup. Hope you like it as much as I did.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Chinese Meatball Soup (Winter Melon Optional)

Hi,

We were at H Mart recently and R was intrigued with the Winter Melon. I think he thought it might be similar to a Honeydew Melon, but once we got it home and I did a little research, I found that Winter Melon is more like a cucumber in sweetness and texture. Okay, so now I had to figure out what to do with it. I found this recipe, on allrecipes.com and adapted it quite a bit from the original. I think it would be fine without the winter melon and I think in the future I plan to make it without.

Preheat over to 400 degrees. First you have to make the meatballs.

1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 egg

Mix all the ingredients listed above together until well mixed. Form the mixture into golf ball sized balls. If you have some around, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, to make clean-up so much faster. Place meat balls on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 400 degree oven until browned, around 15 minutes. While the meatballs brown, continue working on the soup.

6 cups water
2 pounds Winter Melon, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 slices fresh ginger
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
black pepper (healthy amount)
1/2 bag frozen spinach
(bok choy or celery, thinly sliced)

Add the above ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes or until the veggies are cooked, but still a bit crispy. The original recipe didn't call for anymore veggies other than the winter melon. I felt like it needed more veggies, so I added 1/2 package of frozen spinach. I think you could also add some fresh bok choy or thinly sliced celery.

(thinly sliced green onions and cilantro)

When the meatballs are browned add to the soup and simmer gently for 10 more minutes. Check to see that the meatballs are cooked through. I ended up simmer the soup for longer and the meatballs started to fall apart a bit, but I thought the soup was still delicious. Check to see if the soup needs a bit more salt or pepper. I liked to finish the soup, just before serving, with a sprinkle or green onions and cilantro.

Hope you enjoy this soup. It heats up well for lunch or dinner the next day.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Hot and Sour Asian Soup (Soup #2)

Hi,

This is another recipe where you can use your delicious chicken stock. I like to think of soup as totally flexible so that you can add ingredients that you have at hand. I'll list some possible additions.

Leftover cooked chicken, pork or beef cut into matchstick pieces
1/2 block firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Spinach (frozen is fine)
French cut green beans (frozen is okay)
Carrots, cut into slanted crosswise pieces
Celery, thinly sliced
Kabocha squash, a few thin slices cut into bite sized pieces
Bok Choy, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Bean thread or rice noodles

4 cups chicken broth
(If you have on hand you can also add: 1 Tablespoon dry sherry, white wine, or mirin)


Heat the chicken broth until boiling. Add the ingredients that you have selected, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (this will give the soup the sour)
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Add the vinegar and soy sauce, stir.

1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 bunch cilantro

Add the ingredients listed above, heat through. The soup is now ready. I hope you'll see how easy it is to make delicious soup. It's a great way to use up the bits of veggies that you might have in the fridge.

Hugs,
Mameekosan 

Asian Summer Rolls

Hi,

If you have access to an asian market you can buy a package of the round rice paper wrappers. They look like translucent handmade paper, but in fact you can eat them. If you can't find the rice paper wrappers, you can use Boston lettuce and make lettuce bowls out of the leaves and fill them with the ingredients. The two dipping sauces included at the end make great dressing for the Boston lettuce bowls or dipping sauces for the rolls.

The recipe calls for a bunch of chopping and prep. I've listed different ingredients that you can pick from. Just keep in mind the flavors and colors of the different ingredients and select those that complement each other.

Greens, 2 cups (you can choose: spinach, romaine lettuce, arugula)
Protein, Shredded cooked chicken, turkey, or pork, Fried sesame tofu (recipe follows), bacon
Mushrooms, 1/2 pound sauteed in olive oil
Herbs, 1/2 bunch (you can choose: cilantro, basil, mint)
Sweet onion, 1/4 onion very thinly sliced
Avocado, thinly sliced
Fruit, thinly sliced mango or strawberries
Veggies, Carrots or radishes, cut into match sticks

To prepare the tofu:
Cut a block or tofu into 1/4 inch slices. Press the slices gently between paper towels to squeeze out excess water. Mix together (2 tablespoons oil, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.) Dip the slices in the mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the tofu about 15 minutes until crisp. When cool, cut into strips.

After you have prepared the ingredients you're ready to start rolling. Dip the rice paper wrapper in warm water for a few seconds. You don't want it to get too soft or it will be hard to roll. The wrapper just needs to be slightly pliable.

Layer your ingredients along the bottom third. One thing to consider is the ingredients you place on the top and bottom will show through. Lift the filled edge up and over the fillings. Fold in the sides. Keep rolling with a bit of stretching as you go. If your first one comes out a bit messy, don't worry. You can adjust the amount of filling after seeing how the first one goes. You will also develop a technique, so don't give up if your first one comes out a bit wonky.

Keep rolling until all the ingredients are used up. Afterwards prepare one or both or the dipping sauces.

Citrus Soy Dip
Whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon srirache sauce. Serve in small bowls.

Almond Sauce
Whisk together 1/4 cup almond butter, 3 tablespoons water, 3 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 tespoons lime juice. Serve in small bowls.

You can serve sliced melon and some steamed greens to fill out the meal. I've read that you can have a party where people assemble their own rolls. I've never done it, but it sounds like fun.

A last bit of summer fun.

Hugs,
Mameekosan 

Asian Broccoli Salad

Hi,

I made this broccoli salad on Saturday night when I had about a dozen people over. One of the guest commented that, "it's not anyone who can do raw brocolli" after seeing a seven year old take seconds on the broccoli salad.

The original recipe came from a Sunset pasta book. In its current form it's probably not recognizable from the original recipe which called for cooked chicken, spinach and no broccoli. The most recent change I made to the recipe was reducing the pasta, since we have been avoiding pasta, and adding eggplant instead. It's a bit more fussy to make the eggplant, but I think the balance is actually better. Hope you enjoy it as much as the seven year old did!

2 cups uncooked pasta (I like the kind that looks like flowers, but any kind will work.)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, which means not mushy but still with a bit of firmness. When done, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

1 regular eggplant, sliced length wise into 3/4 inch slices
4 Tablespoons Olive oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil onto parchment paper. Dip the slices into the olive oil to cover bottom of the  eggplant and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the additional olive oil. Salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until slices start to brown, but aren't mushy. You can test by gently poking with your finger. While the eggplant bakes continue with recipe.

1/2 cup sesame seeds (If you can find these in an asian store they are cheaper than at the grocery store)
1/4 cup oil (I used coconut oil, although canola or olive oil would work too)

In a small frying pan, combine sesame seeds and oil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until seeds are golden. Set aside to cool.

2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl, add the cooled sesame seeds and oil. Add the drained pasta and mix. Check the eggplant. When lightly brown, remove from oven and cool. In the meantime prepare the brocolli.

4 or 5 large brocolli heads
1 cup parsley chopped

Cut the brocolli florets off with a bit of stem into larger bit sized pieces. I sometimes also peel and chop the stem bit. You should have about 8 cups of broccoli. Add the brocolli and parsley to the other ingredients. When the eggplant has cooled enough to handle, cut slices into 1 inch cubes and add to the bowl and mix

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

I like to sprinkle the green onions on top for a final touch. Wow, typing up the directions for this recipe make it seem like a lot of work. But, I think you'll find it delicious. It's great for a summer meal with chicken and watermelon. Let me know what you think?

Hugs and happy cooking,
Mameekosan

Pork Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

Hi all,

Well I'm so sorry that I haven't had any new recipes in a long long time. But, having received great encouragement to post again, here I am. Last night I tried (and of course while making it I adapted) this new recipe. If you have a food processor, it makes it easier to do the fine chopping, but if you don't have one that's okay too.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl mix together with your hands:
 1 pound ground pork 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
(I threw some old whole wheat bread in the food processor to turn into crumbs)
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion (I had a vidalia, but probably a regular onion would be fine)
1/2 cup finely chopped red, orange, or yellow pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

Form the meatballs into golf ball sized balls. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet. If you use parchment paper in the baking sheet, clean-up will be a snap. Bake until brown, in the meantime prepare the sauce.

I cup coconut milk
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used smooth, chunky would be okay too)
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used water with a bit of a bouillon cube)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

Place the above ingredients in a large pan or pot that will hold the sauce and the meatballs. Stir to combine and heat while stirring over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat off.

When meatballs are browned, add the meatballs to the sauce. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. If the sauce becomes too thick, add additional water a bit at a time.

For garnish you can sprinkle the dish with finely chopped green onions and cilantro. You can serve this dish with rice or we ate it with sauteed green beans.  Hope you think it's a keeper too!

Hugs, Mameekosan