Thai Chicken



I did not think I was a Thai cuisine fan until our good friends Mike and Cindy took us out to a Thai restaurant. It has made a huge Thai cuisine fan out of me! I prepared a Thai Chicken recipe this past week. It was delicious! Be sure and make it with the dipping sauce that tops the dish.  If you do not have a pestle and mortar you can use a food processer instead.

 

Ingredients:

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and cut into small segments

2 red or green Thai chiles

1/2 fresh chicken, quartered

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons yellow curry powder

1/2 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium.Using a mortar and pestle crush garlic cloves, peppercorns, coriander, lemongrass, and Thai chiles into a chucky paste. Using a large spoon, transfer the paste to a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken and the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Put the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and brush with the marinade. Grill for about 15 minutes then flip the chicken over and brush with the marinade. Grill the second side for about 15 minutes. Discard the marinade. When the chicken is cooked and tender transfer it to a serving platter and serve with warm dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup  rice vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large garlic cloves or 4 small, minced

2 teaspoons Thai red chile sauce or Sriracha

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and put on the grill. Stir and bring to a boil. Move the pan to a cooler part of the grill and let the sauce simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce and become thick. Serve warm with chicken.

Red Chile Roasted Potatoes

Wow!! I never would have thought to add ground chile spice to roasted potatoes and the result was fabulous. I let them cook a little longer because we like them soft and crispy. They were a big hit and I will definitely be making them again! While in Santa Fe New Mexico I was fortunate to be able to go to the Chile Shop and buy my chiles and spices which are also available online by clicking  the link below for their web site.

http://thechileshop.com/driedchilepowderandpods.aspx

 

Adapted from Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

24 oz Idaho potatoes cut in 1/2-cubes (24oz = 1 1/2lbs)

2 tablespoons pure ground chile

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Prepare the oven 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium- high heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes, or until softened. Place potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the cooked onion, Add the chile and salt, stirring to combine thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into an 8 inch-square baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and cooked through. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro through. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve.

Low Calorie Easy Pasta Salad

Very simple and light, and tasty salad. You can add more or less salad dressing depending on your taste and you could experiment with other salad dressing flavors as well. Just simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 box tri-color pasta

1/2 to 3/4 bottle fat free Italian dressing

1 green pepper, chopped

1 yellow, red or orange pepper, chopped

3 to 4 tomatoes seeded and diced

2 to 3 cucumber, peeled and cut into bite size chunks

1 cup sliced pitted black olives

2 carrots, diced or shredded

Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to directions on package. When done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, drain again. Put in serving bowl, and add vegetables. Pour dressing over top of the pasta and vegetables. Toss well and chill for at least 4 hours.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

 

 

This is one fail-safe recipe for bread machines and it's so versatile. You can make them into rolls, breadsticks, hamburger, hotdog buns and even garlic knots. I will be using this recipe anytime I need fresh bread or rolls and  cannot wait to have them with all our holiday family dinners!

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

3 1/4 cups Gold Medal Better for Bread flour

1/4 sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons bread machine or active dry yeast

Butter or margarine, melted, if desired

Directions:

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except melted butter in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacture. Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycle. Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on light floured surface. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Shape each pieces into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 40 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Heat oven to 375 F Bake12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm, or cool on wire rack.

Tip:

If you like rolls that are golden brown on top but have soft sides, place the rolls close together on the cookie sheet so they will rise and bake together.

Do-Ahead Tip:

After you have shaped the dough into rolls and place them on the cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate them 4 hours up to 48 hours. Before baking, remove rolls from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise in warm place about 2 hours or until double. Bake the rolls as directed above.

Baked Beef Stew

 

I found this recipe on line while searching for a Beef Stew recipe, different than the same old, same old recipe. I came across this recipe and thought I would give it a try. I did and, while it was good, I would definitely double the broth and serve with a hot delicious homemade dinner roll.

Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup water
3 tablespoons instant tapioca
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 strips celery, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 potato, peeled and cubed
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 slice bread, cubed

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the stew meat; drain and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, water, tapioca, beef bouillon granules, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in the beef, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, and bread cubes. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Cover and bake for 2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender

Tex-Mex Patty Melts

 

I am always looking for a new burger recipe and, having this new craving for Mexican flavor in my cooking, found this recipe for Tex-Mex Patty Melts. I knew I had to try them, am please to say they were a hit! In our house we have a saying – it’s either a recipe blog keeper or not. These were a double-keeper. The flavor from the chili seasoning and the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce really stand out. The beer does adds a nice flavor and tenderness that makes you say: “Wow" That is so delicious!! What’s in this?” I did not use the bread but choose to use hamburger rolls.

 

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons chili seasoning mix

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1/2 fluid ounce beer
 

1/4 cup mayonnaise1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

6 (1 ounce) slices white bread

6 (1/2 ounce) slices pepperjack cheese

Directions:

Mix together the ground beef, chili seasoning mix, 2 minced chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, and the beer in a bowl. Divide the mixture evenly into three patties.
Stir together the mayonnaise and 1 minced chipotle pepper with adobo sauce in a small bowl. Divide the mixture between the bread slices and spread evenly. Place a slice of pepperjack cheese on top of the mayonnaise mixture on each slice of bread.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties in the skillet until no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes each side for well done. Remove each burger to a slice of bread, sandwiching them with the remaining slices.
Drain the skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons of the grease. Heat the reserved grease in the skillet over medium-high heat. Grill the sandwiches in the skillet until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Black Bea Soup

 

I had the good fortune to be able to travel for three months this summer and try some amazing cuisine. One of our stops was in New Mexico. I truly enjoyed the varied flavors, colorful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients in the Mexican cuisine. I purchased a cookbook that is called The SANTA FE… School of Cooking COOKBOOK while in Santa Fe and stocked up on a variety of chiles.

Armed with my new cookbook and a variety of chile’s I have been busy in the kitchen trying new recipes. The recipe below is one of the recipes in the cookbook.  We truly enjoyed it and will definitely be making it again. The list of ingredients is lengthy but the incredible flavor of this soup made it worth the time it took to gather them all out of the spice rack...

Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Santa Fe School of Cooking

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

4 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried)

6 springs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried)

6 sprigs fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried (I used dried)

1/4 ounce fresh epazote or 1 tablespoon dried

 

1/4 cup canola or olive oil

 

3 to 4 dried chiles de arbol, chiles chipotles, or chiles moritas, or 2 teaspoons crushed red peppers

2 cups chopped white onion

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound smoked pork shank (I used cubed pork tenderloin)

2 teaspoons freshly ground toasted cumin seed

2 teaspoons freshly ground toasted coriander seed

1 teaspoon ground canela or 1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice

1 pound dried black turtle beans, picked over and soaked overnight in water to cover

8 to 10 cups chicken broth

2 to 3 teaspoons cider red wine, or sherry vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons coarse salt or to taste

1/4 cup finely diced red onion for garnish

1/2 cup sour cream for garnish

Directions:

Tie the fresh herbs and epazote into a bundle with kitchen string. Heat oil in 6-quart pot over medium-high heat and sauté the chiles for 30 seconds or until toasted but not burned. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. And the pork and the herb bundle, or dried herbs if using. Stir in the spices, beans, and 8 cups of the broth and combine well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stir-ring occasionally, for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are soft. Add the vinegar and salt and simmer the soup an additional 30 minutes. Remove the pork shanks, herb bundle, and chiles, if desired. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with chopped red onion and a dollop of sour cream.

Pistachio Biscotti

This recipe is absolutely amazing, it comes from a very close friend of mine - Andrea Leland.She would make this at the Christmas holiday to give as gifts. I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end and have been hooked on them ever since. I think you will be also.

Recipe adapted from www.piebirds.org

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pistachios
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the pistachios on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
In an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the pistachios until evenly distributed.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12 inches long by 1-inch high. Place the logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Put the cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the other side for another 5-7 minutes.

Chocolate Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

I think Heather said it best when she wrote, not only is this crispy biscotti intense in chocolaty flavor, but it is also studded with delicious and festive green pistachios and red dried cranberries. You get sweet, tart, nutty and rich flavors all in one cookie. Thank you Heather for sharing this recipe!!! This will be added to my list of favorite biscotti recipes.

Recipe adapted from www.heatherchristo.com

Makes 18 large cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup minced dark chocolate (I used 72% cocoa), finely chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raw pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan with a sheet of parchment or a silpat. In a small bowl, combine the finely chopped chocolate and the brown sugar.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the eggs and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar/chocolate mixture and mix on high another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine until you have a wet cookie dough. Add the pistachios and the cranberries and gently mix them in. Using a well floured surface (and hands) form a log out of the dough, at the center it should be about 1” thick, and about 4” across. Put the cookie dough on the sheet pan with a silpat or with parchment paper, and bake the biscotti log for 40 minutes.  Let the log cool slightly, and then transfer the log to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti into ½” thick wide pieces. Lay them on their sides on the same baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes, and then flip the cookies and bake an additional 15 minutes on the other side. Let cool and enjoy!