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Chicken, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes

Mochiko Chicken

November 3, 2012

With the tsunami warning taking place the other night, many of us stayed up way past our bedtime listening to updates from the Pacific Tsunami Center.  Luckily there was no damage caused by the tsunami here in Hawaii.  The following day was like any other Sunday, people picnicking at the beach, shopping, doing errands and going about their merry way.  Since I was one of those people who didn’t get much sleep the night before, I wasn’t too keen on making anything fancy for dinner.

Mochiko Chicken Marinade

I found this recipe in our local newspaper years ago.  This version of mochiko chicken is delicious.  It makes a great picnic lunch along with some onigiri and Kabocha No Toroni. All of these dishes can be eaten without heating up.

Mochiko Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 eggs, beaten

5 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons mochiko flour

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup chopped green onions

few dashes of salt

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces about two inches in length

canola oil for frying

Preparation

Combine the sugar and soy sauce until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the chicken.  Mix marinade well and pour into a large bowl or Ziplock bag.  Add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours.

Pour enough oil into a large fry pan to a depth of 1/4 inch and heat over medium high heat.  Fry the chicken in batches for about 3 – 4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are.  I prefer to pound the chicken breasts so they cook evenly and quickly.  This also tenderizes the chicken.  Alternately you can use chicken tenders or if you prefer, chicken thighs.

Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Serve right away or pack it up and take it to the beach.

 

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

October 29, 2012

When your garden crop comes in droves it can make you feel overwhelmed.  The stories you hear about people who grow zucchini come to mind. Suddenly they have baskets full of them and they start dropping them off at their friend’s homes, and sometimes homes of people they never even considered to be their friends.  There’s the hilarious story I heard on NPR of zucchini growers leaving them in unattended cars just to get rid of them.  Anyhow, this is a story of tomatoes and I’m happy to say people don’t make fun of them like they do zucchini.  With that being said, we have lots of tomatoes in the garden and I’ve been making salsa, tomato sandwiches, roasted tomatoes, and today, a quick tomato sauce that is as good as those simmering for hours.  I was searching for a recipe and stumbled upon this one from Chez Pim.  The idea of removing the tomato pulp from the juice then adding it back once the juice thickens up caught my attention.  It works quite well and it’s quick.

The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to dunk them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and transfer them to an ice bath.  The skins will come off effortlessly and you won’t waste a bit of the tomato.  It works like a charm.  Just make a cross at the bottom of the tomato before plunging them into boiling water.

Reduce the sauce until it clears the pan with your spatula. 

The tomato pulp has been added back to the sauce and simmers briefly, becoming luxuriously thick and flavorful.

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

4 generous servings

Adapted from Chez Pim’s recipe

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Preparation

Prepare the tomatoes by removing the skin, cut them in half and remove the seeds.  Place halved tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hands to break up the tomatoes into very small chunks.

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium low heat.  Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.  Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the crushed tomatoes to your pan, give everything  a stir and cook for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the tomato pulp to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Continue to cook the tomato sauce for another 10 minutes until it has reduced and is fairly thick.  Test by scraping the pan with your spatula.  If the sauce clears the pan it’s time to add the tomato pulp back to the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt and dried oregano to the tomato sauce.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the fresh basil, give the sauce a stir and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.  The sauce freezes well and provides a quick and delicious meal on a busy work night.

 

 

Dinner, Pasta, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese

October 19, 2012

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate crowd pleaser.  There’s nothing better than noodles smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce with a crispy crouton topping.  I’ve tried several different recipes such as one incorporating butternut squash and bacon.  It was very good but….I happened to see Martha’s mac-and-cheese recipe on the Smitten Kitchen blog and I immediately thought, this is the one.  How much cheese for one pound of pasta?  Lots!  What was Martha thinking?

This recipe makes a lot of mac-and-cheese so if you’re not feeding a large group of people you may want to cut the recipe in half.  Here is my adaption of Martha’s Mac-and Cheese.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese

Serves 12

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus more for casserole

5 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

5 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole, either works fine)

1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound grated extra sharp cheddar, about 4 1/2 cups (I use Tillamook yellow, the original recipe calls for sharp white so use which ever you prefer).  Set aside 3 cups of the cheddar for the sauce.  The remaining cheddar will be sprinkled on the top before baking.

4 1/2 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese, about 1 1/4 cup (or 8 ounces grated Gruyère, about 2 cups). Set aside 1 cup Pecorino Romano for the sauce (or 1 1/2 cups Gruyère).  The remaining Pecorino Romano (or Gruyère) will be sprinkled on the top before baking.

1 pound elbow macaroni

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 3-quart casserole dish, set aside.  Place bread cubes in a medium bowl.  Melt two tablespoons of butter in a covered microwave dish just  until melted. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread cubes and toss. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (large enough to generously cook 1 pound of pasta).  Cook the macaroni until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is  underdone, about 4 minutes.  Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water.  Drain well and set aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat (large enough to hold the sauce and pasta). When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep the mixture smooth.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups of cheddar cheese, 1 cup Pecorino Romano (or 1 1/2 cups Gruyère).  Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into your casserole dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheddar and Pecorino Romano (or Gruyère) and bread cubes over the top.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

This is another meal that freezes well.  Chill the leftovers in the casserole and cut into squares and wrap in foil for individual servings.  It’s best to remove the mac-and-cheese from the foil and place in a lightly buttered dish when reheating.  If you have a toaster oven it will crisp up the croutons nicely.

Dinner, Mexican, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Side Dishes

Sopa de Arroz

October 16, 2012

For ages I have searched for a good Mexican rice recipe and I have tried and discarded many.  My search ended with a Saveur magazine recipe.  The staff of Saveur travels to many different countries and seeks out all kinds of wonderful people who share their cuisine with them.  I have to admit that I have found more recipes that I love in Saveur than in any other food magazine.  Saveur articles typically feature extended stories on the cultures and people who share their wonderful recipes.  In this instance the dish was featured in a Quinceaneara feast (all over Latin America a girls 15th birthday is a major celebration).  These are usually rustic dishes that don’t call for ingredients too difficult to find.  So here is a really good Mexican-style rice recipe from Saveur.

Pulse in your food processor.

Cook rice with tomato puree.

Add broth and cook, undisturbed until liquid barely covers the rice.  In this photo the rice is almost at that stage with just  a few more minutes to go.

Sopa de Arroz

Serves 8

Adapted from Saveur magazine

Ingredients

2 cups long grain rice

About 3 small, ripe and juicy tomatoes – skin and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup onion – coarsely chopped

2 small or 1 large garlic clove

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mild chili powder – optional (I use Hatch mild chile powder from New Mexico. It doesn’t add any heat to the rice however it does give a nice color).

Preparation

Rinse rice well in a fine mesh colander until water runs clear.  Drain well, set colander on paper towels to absorb excess water.  Set aside

Place tomatoes, onion and garlic in a small food processor. Pulse until ingredients are pureed.  You’ll want about 1 cup of tomato/onion/garlic puree. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot that has a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat.  I have a Cuisinart 5.5 quart pot I use.  It’s wide and not too deep.  This is preferable to a narrow, deep pot as the rice has more surface area to cook. Once the oil is hot add the rice and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the rice is lightly golden, about 5 minutes or so.  Be sure to keep stirring and don’t leave the rice unattended, it may burn.

Remove the pot from the burner and add the tomato puree mixture.  Turn the heat down to medium low.  Place the rice back on the burner and continue to stir for about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and turn the heat up to high.  Add salt (and chile powder if using).  Give the rice one more stir and once the broth comes to a boil turn the heat down to medium – medium high (the broth should be bubbling).  Cook the rice undisturbed and uncovered for about 7 minutes or until the liquid barely covers the rice and craters appear on the surface.  Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.  Set your timer for 20 minutes.

Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and leave undisturbed (do not open the lid) for at least 15 minutes.  Take off the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

If you have leftovers, the rice freezes beautifully.

Dinner, Reviews

Ruth’s Chris Wailea – Maui

October 11, 2012

We recently celebrated two birthdays at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Wailea.  They offer an excellent early bird menu if you order prior to 6:00 p.m.  You have a choice of a Caesar salad, house salad or soup, four entrée selections including a petite filet mignon, fresh fish of the day, stuffed chicken breast or barbecued shrimp, side dishes such as mashed potatoes, broccoli, sautéed mushrooms as well as dessert.  Wow!  If you stray away and peek at the regular menu you’ll be tempted to order other items and of course, that’s exactly what we did.

Osso Buco Ravioli

Calamari

Caesar Salad

Frites

Petit Filet

Mahi Mahi with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

Our local Costco store sells Ruth’s Chris gift cards (redeemable on Maui, Oahu, Big Island).  You pay $80 and receive two $50 cards.

Our dinner was excellent.  They improved their Caesar salad by serving whole, baby romaine leaves instead of chopped romaine.  It was crunchy and fresh and the dressing was delicious.  My dining companions raved about the Osso Buco ravioli and the calamari appetizers.  For our main course some ordered fish and others the petite filet which is what I chose.  It was well seasoned and cooked to a perfect medium rare.  The one item they could improve upon are the frites.  We’ve had them before at Wailea and Restaurant Row and Waikiki and they just don’t come close to the really good frites we’ve had in San Francisco which are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  With that being said, it was a very delicious meal with wonderful service and we’re off to Costco to buy more of the great value gift cards for another visit to Ruth’s Wailea.

Beef, Dinner, Italian, Recipes

Ragu alla Bolognese

October 5, 2012

Here is a recipe I adapted from Saveur magazine.  It’s a rustic dish I think your family and friends will really enjoy.  Once you add all the ingredients to your pan, the meat sauce will simmer for 2 1/2 hours and you’ll have time to tidy up the kitchen before your guests arrive.

A mirepoix of celery, carrots and onion.

Ragu alla Bolognese

6 – 8 servings

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion peeled and finely minced (about 1 cup)

1/2 medium carrot finely minced (about 1/2 cup)

1 large celery stalk finely minced (about 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use lean ground sirloin)

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup hot milk

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 28 oz. can tomato purée (I use Muir Glen)

salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat oil in a large sauce pan (I use my 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Start with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Break up the meat and cook just until the meat is still slightly pink.  Do not fry or brown the meat.  Add the wine and cook, stirring until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the hot milk stirring the meat mixture occasionally until the milk has evaporated, about 8 – 10 minutes.

While the meat is simmering in the milk, heat the broth and tomato purée together over medium high heat until hot.  Add this to the meat once the milk has evaporated.

Reduce the heat and gently simmer uncovered for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with more salt and pepper before serving.

It is equally delicious served on spaghetti, wide pasta noodles such as pappardelle or short pasta shapes like rigatoni.  A generous sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano completes the dish.

***The sauce freezes well.  Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and heat gently before serving.  The meat sauce makes a delicious filling for lasagna.

 

 

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