Chicken and Rice Mexican-Style

Makes 6 servings

1 1/4 teaspoons salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 bone-in chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup raw long-grain rice
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (see note)
1 4-ounce can diced mild green chiles
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl.

Remove excess fat from chicken thighs. Rub the cumin mixture onto both
sides of the chicken; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken thighs, about 4
minutes on each side. Place rice in a heavy-duty 9-by-13-inch baking
pan lined with aluminum foil. When thighs are browned, place on top of
rice. Sprinkle corn on top of chicken.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet and return to
heat. Stir in chopped onion and bell pepper chunks and cook for about
5 minutes, stirring in garlic slices midway through. Add chopped
tomatoes, chiles, oregano, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and chicken
broth. Bring back to a boil. Pour over chicken and rice in casserole.
Cover and bake 45 minutes; remove and add cheese. Bake 5 minutes more
or until rice is almost thoroughly cooked.

Cool slightly and refrigerate until completely chilled. Cover well and
freeze up to 2 to 3 months.

When ready to serve, defrost in refrigerator. Place in 325-degree oven
for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated;
garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Daeji Bulgogi (Spicy Korean Pork Barbecue)

Servings: 4 (3 ounces)
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek or Thai chile paste 1 teaspoon minced
peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray

Wrap pork in plastic wrap; freeze 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Remove
plastic wrap; cut pork diagonally across grain into 1/16-inch-thick
slices.Combine pork, sugar, and next 6 ingredients (sugar through
garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in
refrigerator 1 hr, turning bag occasionally.
Prepare grill.Place a wire grilling basket on grill rack. Remove pork
from bag; discard marinade. Place pork on grilling basket coated with
cooking spray; grill 5 mins or until desired degree of doneness, turning
frequently.

Stir-fried Broccoli Hong Kong Style


This recipe for sautéed fresh broccoli with Oyster Sauce serves 3 -4
as part of a multicourse meal. It includes a nutritional breakdown.

Main Chinese Recipes Index
INGREDIENTS:

1 pound broccoli
Sauce:
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 -2 teaspoons cornstarch
Other:
1 garlic clove
2 thin slices ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
salt to taste
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
PREPARATION:

To prepare broccoli, break off the flowerets and then split them
into either halves or quarters. Discard any leaves. Peel and slice
the stems along the diagonal. Wash and thoroughly drain the sliced
broccoli.


Prepare garlic and ginger, crushing and peeling the garlic and
finely mincing both.

Heat wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is ready, add the
garlic and ginger, sauting until brown. Add the broccoli, stir-
frying until they turn a brilliant green, then add the sugar and
salt. Mix together well, then add the water, cover and cook for
about two minutes.

Give the sauce a quick re-stir and add to the wok, pushing the
broccoli to the side to make a well in the middle of the wok for the
sauce. Stir the sauce with chopsticks until thickened, mix together
with the broccoli, and serve hot.

Szechuan Beef Recipe - Dry-fried - Gan Bian Niu Rou Si


In this Szechuan recipe the beef is dry-fried, making it chewy and
crispy. If you like, you can replace one of the carrots with 1/2 cup
of celery that has been strung and cut julienne-style. Feel free to
make the dish hotter by adding more chili paste or sauce if desired.
Serves 3 to 4.
INGREDIENTS:

1 pound beef (flank or sirloin steak is good)
2 regular carrots
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 scallions (spring onions, green onions), white parts only
1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce (also called bean sauce)
3 teaspoons chili paste or chili sauce
7 1/2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon roasted Szechuan peppercorn (see link in recipe
directions for instructions)
PREPARATION:

Cut the beef julienne style, across the grain into thin slices less
than 1/4-inch thick and 2 1/2 - 3 inches long. Wash, peel and
julienne the carrots into thin strips about 1/8 inch thick and 2
1/2 - 3 inches long.



Horseradish Mustard


Mince the ginger. Cut the scallion into lengths about 2 1/2 inches
long, and then into into thin shreds.
In a small bowl, combine the bean sauce and chile paste or sauce.
Set aside.
Preheat the wok on medium high heat for at least 30 seconds. (The
wok is ready when you can feel the heat when holding the palm of
your hand 2 - 3 inches above the wok's surface).
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the preheated wok, drizzling down the
sides. When the oil is hot, add the julienned carrots. Stir-fry for
2 minutes, stirring in the salt. (Do not brown the carrots). Remove
from the wok.
Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in the wok over medium high to high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the beef. Stir-fry for approximately 10
minutes, until the beef is crispy and dark brown and chewy (you will
hear the beef sizzle as it dries out). Splash the beef with the rice
wine or sherry during the later stages of cooking.
Push the beef up to the sides and drain all but 2 tablespoons from
the wok. Add the bean sauce and chili paste or sauce mixture. Stir-
fry for a few seconds, then add the ginger and scallions. Stir-fry
for a few seconds, until aromatic, then return the carrots to the
wok.
Stir in the sugar and the roasted Szechuan peppercorn. Taste and
adjust seasonings if desired. Serve hot.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Cook on griddle as usual.

Sour Cream Potatoes

1 package cube style hash browns
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroomsoup
2 cups shredded cheese

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and soup, Mix until smooth. Sit in potatoes and pour into a nonstick 9x12 pan. bake at 375 for 45-60 miuntes. Stirring occasionally to make sure it heates through. Top with cheese. Salt and pepper to taste

Honey-Fried Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup buttermilk baking mix, or more if needed
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Vegetable oil

1. Coat chicken with honey; set aside.

2. Combine buttermilk baking mix, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper;
dredge chicken in mixture.

3. Heat 1/2-inch oil to 325F or medium-low heat in a large skillet.

4. Carefully place chicken in hot oil and cook, turning once, until
it is golden brown on all sides and chicken tests done when juices
run clear. Drain on paper towels.

Makes 6 servings.

Chicken Turnovers

1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1 cup (4oz) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion (I think I used more than this)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tube (8oz) refrigerated reduced-fat cresent rolls

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Separate crescen dough into eight triangles; top each w/ chicken mixture. Fold dough over and seal edges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 13-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm

KIM CHEE PANCAKES


Makes 50-plus

From Tanya Siebenaler of Sapor Café and Bar in Minneapolis. Kim chee is a spicy
Korean condiment that can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets.

1 cup water
1 egg, beaten
¾ c. cake flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 c. kim chee, chopped
2 c. bean sprouts, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil, for frying

Mix water and egg together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cornstarch and baking
powder. Add egg mixture and flour mixture to form a batter.

Combine the kim chee, bean sprouts and scallions and fold into the batter. Heat
a sauté pan with a small amount of oil over medium. Drop a tablespoon size of
the batter into the pan, fry until pancake is golden brown on each side.

Crab and Shrimp Cakes


1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, cartilage, shells removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 green onions, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped each: dill, basil, cilantro
2 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2-6 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs, see note
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes per batch

Yield: 6 servings

"I have often made these cakes for crew members on the Howl," said
Gregory "Ike" Scott. "They're easy to eat on a boat and beat the cold
meat sandwiches we so often get." The recipe is adapted from Cook's
Illustrated. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high
heat; add shrimp. Cook, stirring, until shrimp begin to turn pink,
about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; cut into 1/4-inch chunks.

2. Combine shrimp, crab, mayonnaise, green onions, dill, basil,
cilantro, Old Bay seasoning, 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, salt
and pepper to taste. Fold in eggs with spatula until light and just
incorporated and the mixture stays together, adding more bread
crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Form into 3-inch-round cakes; place on baking sheets lined with wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill 2-24 hours.

3. Place flour in a pie pan; lightly coat cakes on both sides with
flour. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of the oil in skillet over
medium-high heat. Fry cakes, in batches, until crisp and brown,
about 5 minutes per side.

Note: Because refrigerating the bread crumbs helps hold them
together, use only as much as you need to help the mixture come together. They were prepared with only 2 tablespoons of flour in the test kitchen.

Easy Vegetable Soup

2 cans chicken or vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
2 c. baby carrots
1/2 bag shredded cabbage
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 yellow squash, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
2 c V8 juice
salt & Pepper
Oregano
Basil

Any other vegetables you like can be added as well. It is also good
with garbanzo beans in it.

Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil, add remaining
ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Honey Baked Chicken

1 whole frying chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp. dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9x13-in. baking pan.

Place chicken pieces in prepared baking pan, skin side up. Combine melted
butter, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and curry. Pour mixture over chicken.
Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings,
or until chicken is browned and juices run clear.

Great served with hot rice.

Country Potato Soup

Ingredients:
5 cups water
1/3 cup butter
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
5 rounded tsp. chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
6 potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 stalk celery ~ sliced
2 onions, chopped
1 to 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 13-ounce can evaporated milk
crumbled bacon

Method:
Put all ingredients except evaporated milk into crock-pot.
Cook on high 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Add milk last
2 hours.

<Stovetop method>
Put water, butter, parsley flakes, bouillon, salt and pepper
into large pot and get heating while you prepare the potatoes.
When you put them in the boiling water, start timing: boil
20 minutes. Add celery, carrots and bacon 5 minutes after the
potatoes go in. Once potatoes are done pour in the can of
evaporated milk, and you've got a delicious dinner!

For thicker soup, before pouring in milk, mix about 1/2 cup
of cornstarch with enough cold water to make it pourable,
and slowly stir that into the boiling soup. It will thicken
quickly, than add the milk.

Korean Steak

Ingredient
2 pounds thinly sliced Scotch fillet (chuck eye steaks)
1/2 cup soy sauce
5 tablespoons white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet wine)

In a large bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame
oil, shallots, garlic, and mirin. Add the meat, and stir to coat. Cover and
refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the meat for 5 to 10 minutes,
or until no longer pink. Serve with salad or fried rice.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredient
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups cooked rice -- cold
1 cup frozen green peas -- thawed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Combine the sesame oil, eggs, and egg whites in a small bowl; stir
well, and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet
or wok over medium-high heat. Add egg mixture, and stir-fry 2
minutes. Add rice; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add green peas, salt, and
pepper; stir-fry 5 minutes.
Add bean sprouts and green onions; stir-fry 2 minutes.