Cornish Hen Stew

Afrin has been my best friend today. I spent all last night and this morning, stuffed up as all get out, and was on the verge of having my head explode. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't talk right. And I couldn't be normal. Until I decided to purchase that God-send of a nosespray... Afrin. So thank you, Afrin. I can now breathe, and I no longer have to fight for air.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's March 2010 Issue - 'Cornish Hen Stew w/ Lemongrass & Chiles'

2 Cornish hens
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8-10 dried red chiles
2 shallots, smashed and peeled
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
4 cups water
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 scallions, sliced
juice from 1 lime

You want to start by breaking down both of the hens. Remove the wing tips and backbone. Separate the legs into drumsticks and thighs. Then remove the rib bones from the breasts.

Season the hen pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a dutch oven under medium high heat. Add the cornish hen pieces (I did 2 batches) and brown on both sides, about 4-6 minutes. Once browned, transfer the pieces to a plate.

Add the dried chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and tumeric to the pot and stir until fragrant. This will be a whole lot of aromatics that will just smell AWESOME!

Add in the water and turnips. Return the hen pieces to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Remove the breasts and cover with foil. Cook the remaining hen pieces for another 10 minutes.

Return the breasts pieces and stir in fish sauce, scallions, and lime juice. Adjust seasoning to taste and then ladle into soup bowls!

I served this with some basmati rice and mixed it into the stew and it was marvelous. You can decrease the amount of chili peppers if you want it less spicy, but I thought this was a great balance of spice. Enjoy!

Sirloin Steak w/ Stir Fried Peas and Red Rice

I've got a throbbing headache. Hopefully, as I write this post, the Ibuprofen will do its job and it will throb less as I keep typing. Key word = hopefully. This week has just been full of great weather... until today, of course. It rained like it's never rained before (or at least so far this year). and I'm pretty sure it will continue to rain all weekend, which is a shame because I would really like to get out there and play tennis again. So here's hoping the weatherman is wrong, and don't forget to set your clocks FORWARD on Sunday!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's March 2010 issue: 'Stir Fried Red Rice w/ Sliced Sirloin Steak & Peas'

1/2 cup red rice (I found this at Whole Foods)
1 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. sirloin steak, sliced thinly
salt and white pepper, to taste
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cups each of chopped kale and swiss chard
1 cup thawed frozen peas
3 tablespoons soy sauce
small handful chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime

In a small pot, cover the rice with water and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down to low for about 25-30 minutes, when most of the water has been taken up by the rice. You could definitely use white rice if you wanted to for this, but I think the red rice gives it a somewhat sweet aspect. Not sugary sweet, but just sweeter than your normal rice I suppose.

When rice is finished, spread onto a baking sheet to cool.

In a large skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of the oil under medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to let the garlic burn, so stir constantly.

Season the sirloin strips with salt and add to the skillet with the garlic. Brown each side, about 1-2 minutes per side (depending on how thick you cut your slices) and then transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in skillet and add the onion and ginger. Cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the kale and swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 1 or 2 more minutes. Then stir in the red rice, peas, and soy sauce. Add back in the sirloin strips, as well. Mix well and heat through. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Stir in some of the cilantro and squeeze the lime juice over mixture. Mix well again. Serve while its hot!

This was great because it was like having everything incorporated into one. The sirloin was evenly distributed among all of the vegetables and there was a good ratio of rice. The red rice was really interesting, not too different from normal white rice, but it had a subtle sweetness to it, I thought. And if the meal wasn't delicious enough, it was just beautiful! Enjoy!

Bibimpap

I absolutely LOVE to say this word... Bi-Bim-pap! It's so fun when you say it so fast! And it makes me truly feel Asian because everybody around me doesn't know what the hell I'm talking about. It's AWESOME!

Ok... you can tell I'm just in a great, giddy mood. I am for 2 reasons: #1) I'm off of work today. I haven't have a Wednesday off in... well... a long time. Albeit I have to go to class at 5:30, but still, I have a beautiful day that I can just do whatever I want with. But Wednesdays, most importantly, is lunch day with my pharmacist friends! Which we have not gone to lunch in, well... a LONG time, so it's great! And #2) I got a B + on my Organic Chemistry lab exam... BEFORE a curve... so hopefully, WITH a curve, it turns into an A. And here's the kicker... I only studied for an hour. That, my friends, deserves a pat on the back. Go me.

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, cooked
2 eggs, fried any way you like them (I did some over-easy and sunny-side up)
1 cup roughly shredded/chopped chicken (I used the leftover wing meat from monday's recipe)
2 carrots, sliced and blanched
1 English cucumber, sliced
20 or so brussels sprouts, quartered and blanched
2 tablespoons Asian sesame dressing

This is pretty much a prep and put together kind of meal. I heated up a teaspoon of olive oil and lightly sauteed the shredded chicken. Since it was already seasoned from the previous day's wing recipe, it took on this smoky flavor after cooking it in the pan. It was quite delicious.

After blanching the vegetables, I separately sauteed each in the same pan for about 1-2 minutes each, just to kind of get a semi-browning on them.

This is supposed to go in a large bowl, but I thought it would look better on a large plate, so just place each vegetable, chicken, and rice, along the edge of the plate, kind of in a circular fashion (you can see why I was supposed to use a bowl) and place the fried egg in the middle. Top the rice with a little bit of Asian sesame dressing and dig in!

I love bibimpap because it's really one of those meals where you can eat it any way you want to. You can eat each piece individually or mix the whole thing together like a stir fry. And it's so versatile! You can really use any protein, any vegetables, and place an egg in the middle and you got bibimpap! And plus, it's just so fun to say! Bibimpap, bibimpap, bibimpap! Ok... I'll stop now. Enjoy!

Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

Okay, today was an extremely long day. It's only 8 pm, but it feels like it's 2 in the morning. It was a beautiful weekend so Andy and I went out with a couple of friends and played tennis... FOR 3 HOURS. Needless to say, my body is punishing me today for that. I've been sore and I wore these blasted flats today so now my feet hurt too. BUT! I'm not whining, just venting... so don't call me a baby. And we won't even discuss how the tennis games turned out. That's for another day... when I demolish them all on the courts... until then, I'll leave you guessing.

Then the computers were down for A WHOLE HOUR at work today. Now I don't know about you all, but where I work... it's kind of essential to have computers functioning. Especially when you have people that want their drugs. Not a pretty sight, but thankful that no one got ugly.

Anyway, these chicken wings are awesome... next time I think I'll fry them and sauce them. But if you're still in a health kick, by all means bake them. They just didn't get that "crispyness" that both of us wanted, but they were still finger lickin' good.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/8 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
about 20 whole chicken wings
1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

In a large bowl (big enough to fit all those wings) combine vegetable oil, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic, and pepper flakes. Toss the wings in the marinade and set in fridge for at least an hour. I left it in there for a good 8 hours while I was at work and had Andy kind of move them around a couple of times in between so get the wings evenly done.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake the wings for about 45 minutes (or until chicken is done all throughout and skin is darkened, flipping after 20 minutes or so.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sriracha, and sweet chili sauce. Toss the wings in the sauce and serve!

All I can say is the sauce on these wings is what makes them! Make sure you have plenty of napkins! Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Fiesta Soup

Now, American Idol usually isn't the kind of show that I'd watch. I don't watch that much TV period. But for some reason, the past couple of seasons, I've just been sucked into it. This season is no exception, and I just have to vent how frustrated I am with these people. I think it's going to be a no-brainer for the actual winner. There's only a couple people out of the 20 or whatever that are left that actually have talent, in my opinion. I'm a harsh critic. And what irks me the most is that girl with the red hair who totally butchered "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac the first week, and still pretty much sucked this week, IS STILL THERE! What is wrong with America.

Ok, now that my venting is done, I'll give you a recipe, haha...


Ingredients:

4-5 cups chicken stock
1 jalapeno, halfway seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
small handful of cilantro, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I seasoned mine with cumin, chili powder, and chipotle pepper)
juice from 1 lime
avocado, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, for topping

In a dutch oven under medium high heat, add all ingredients except topping and heat for about 15 minutes. You can go longer to develop the flavor.

Ladle into bowls and top with whatever you desire!

Easy right?! This makes for a quick and delicious weeknight meal. There was subtle heat from the jalapenos which was just right, in my opinion. I found the longer I let the soup simmer, the more the spiciness melded with the other flavors and wasn't so overpowering. Enjoy!

Korean Japchae

I know what you're thinking... Jap-what? Japchae. Kind of like a Korean version of Filipino pancit (which I'm still partial to). Andy described it as a taste he's never experienced before... good or bad, I took it as a compliment.

On a side note, another late post and I apologize. Middle of the weeks have been rough. Too many tests crammed in there, but I promise, I'm still lighting up that kitchen! Just a couple more weeks and spring break will be here and I'll be Savannah, Georgia bound... any recommendations of things to do down there for anybody that's been?

Ingredients:

1 rib-eye steak, thinly sliced and most fat removed
1 bunch spinach
2 carrots, julienned
5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, sliced
handful of green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 package vermicelli rice noodles
1/8 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add rice noodles. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, then drain and place in large bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix well.

Wash the spinach and blanch for about 1-2 minutes. Drain well and mix in with noodles.

In a large skillet under medium high heat, add about 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil and stir-fry the carrots, onions, and garlic. Add that mixture to the noodles.

Add beef and mushrooms to same skillet and cook until beef is done. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Stir in the green onions and add mixture to noodles.

Finally, add in remaining soy sauce and sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix well and serve!

Like I said, I'm still partial to the Filipino pancit after eating this dish. It was tasty.... different... but tasty nonetheless. Enjoy!

NY Strip Steak w/ Hoisin Steak Sauce

My brain is fried. I keep trying to catch up on homework/studying and I just feel like I'm falling farther and farther behind. Nothing is late, thank goodness, but it sure it putting me under pressure with these last minute papers and tests. I guess it's pretty much all my fault... I've become quite the procrastinator in the past months. I need to start getting in a strict regimen of things again, but I digress.

This steak was absolutely tasty, it was a perfectly refreshing meal.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Bon Appetit's January 2010 issue 'Grass-Fed Strip Steak w/ Spicy Hoisin Sauce and Cucumber Relish

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra
2 shallots, thinly sliced
small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 NY strip steaks
2 onions, thickly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

To make the steak sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan under medium high heat. Add the shallows, cilantro, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the ginger, and crushed red pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes. The sauce wasn't as spicy as I'd like it to have been, so if you're wanting some spiciness, I'd suggest adding more red pepper here.

Add the chicken stock, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 more minutes. Turn heat off and stir in honey. Set sauce aside.

To make a quick relish side, mix cucumber, remaining ginger, and rice vinegar in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place oven broiler on high.

For the steaks, simply rub both sides of steaks with olive oil. Gently brush on some of the steak sauce on both sides of the steaks as well. Broil steaks on top rack of oven for about 4-5 minutes were side for a nice medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest.

Meanwhile, brush the onion rounds with olive oil. Broil these guys for about 4-5 minutes, until they're soft and charred.

Thinly slice the steak and serve with remaining steak sauce, onion rings, and relish.

This was completely delicious. It was a simple meal, but it was so balanced. Didn't leave us feel bloated or tired. The relish really "wakes" you up in a sense. It's a great accompaniment to the steak and onions! Enjoy!