Archive for ‘Chicken’

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October 4, 2010

Slow Cooker Test 1: Chicken Dijonnaise

All right, that’s enough.  I don’t know the exact count but it has definitely been over a month that I’ve posted anything here.  I know it’s over a month for sure and hesitantly less than 3 months.  When I’m hesitant with the upper limit I know that it’s coming close to the upper limit.

Terrible.

The summer is gone, for which I am sad.  To take my focus off such a sudden passing I’ve enlisted myself in some home improvement: painting my main bathroom.  Although it has had substantially less traffic than the one in our master bedroom, the beige colour is wearing on me and appears dingier every day.

Yuck. Note to self, don’t ever buy your house and have it painted beige all over again.  Any shade of white will inevitably last longer and stay looking fresh.

Ok, so slow cooking has become a favourite for me.  I have 3 favourite cooking tools at home that I use 75% of the time:

1. The oven.
2. The rice cooker.
3. The slow cooker.

What do these 3 tools have in common?  They cook for me.  I just have to set it up.

I am a busy career woman.  More than I really should be for my own health and good.  About 90% of the time I insist on cooking for myself because I am convinced that restaurants don’t know what they’re doing half the time.  It doesn’t deter me from eating out but I really do prefer to cook for myself.  The only problem is tacking on the additional time and effort to my work days can be a bit of a chore.  The last thing I want to feel about something I love to do is that it’s a chore.  That means I need help and the 3 full time “staff” I have employed have served me very well.  If I were to personify them, I would kiss them all on the cheek and give them each a raise and bonus for making their boss’ life easier.

The employee of the month is the slow cooker.  I will give many thanks to my mother-in-law who bought us (me) this massive 10 quart slow cooker (Chris doesn’t touch this thing so it’s mine).  You know what?  You can’t do with anything less in my mind.  I might not fill it up with a full 10 quarts of stuff but I can sure use the room for 5 – 6 quarts of slow cooked goodness.  You always need room to stir stuff around and allow liquid to build.  Always. 

A couple months ago I bought a huge cookbook that’s about 2 inches thick with all slow cooker recipes. 

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Based on the title of the book it’s obviously a direct callout to me to challenge this behemoth book.  There are only a few slow cooker recipes I’ve ever enjoyed.  The major issues with slow cooker recipes are flavour and seasoning.  Do you ever notice that the food smells amazing when it’s cooking but when you taste it it’s so bland?  What an annoying trait to slow cooking. All that effort in browning, caramelizing and deglazing seems futile when the dish turns out so bland and oddly devoid of salt.  I decided to go on a bit of a mission.  Test out the recipes in the cookbook and see which one meets my fancy and then see if I can make it even better on my palette.   My first pick was Chicken Dijonnaise.  I read the recipe in the book.  It sounded like it would taste good and the last step of the process is to season the dish before serving.  That’s a good sign.

Here goes. 

Chicken Dijonnaise
Yields 4 servings

8 skinless chicken thighs, bone in
1 lb white button mushrooms, halved if large
3 medium yellow onions, halved and quartered
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup Dijon mustard
4 tbsp sunflower oil
3 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a deep pot over high heat.  Add half of the oil and brown half the chicken on all sides.  Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.  Repeat the browning with the remaining oil and chicken.  Transfer the second batch of chicken to the slow cooker.

Add the garlic and onions to the pot and cook for 4 minutes until soft.  Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook until all liquid has evaporated.  Add the vegetables to the slow cooker.

Pour the wine into the pot and deglaze the bottom, scraping up any brown bits.  Pour the glaze into the slow cooker.  Turn the heat off.

Add the bay leaves.

Whisk the mustard and chicken broth over the warm element until the mustard is dissolved.  Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Gently mix the vegetables and chicken with the liquid. 

Cook the chicken on low for 4 hours.  Add the artichoke hearts 3 hours into cooking.  Cover and add 30 minutes to the remaining cooking time. 

Season with salt and pepper as needed before serving.  Serve over rice, potatoes or with bread to dip.

Now, this is my version, slightly modified.  The original recipe calls for cipollini onions but I used the modest yellow onion.  In addition, I added on more clove of garlic but I don’t think it did the dish any justice because at the end the dish smelled incredible but lacked a certain sharpness.  Nonetheless, the recipe has a ton of potential and is going to be a keeper.  On my next try I think I’ll add a pinch of thyme and extra garlic.

Slow cooker test 1, completed.  The result?  Pass. :)

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August 29, 2010

Chinese Chow Mein

I think I need to be educated by other Westernized folks on what it is they see in the Canadian buffet-staple, chow mein.  In turn I will gladly educate other interested folks on the fundamentals of chow mein; that it is no secret that the Canadianized version is, in one word, shameful.

Perhaps I am a little too harsh with my judgement. I suppose I hold true to the integrity of ethnic cuisine.  It should either stay intact in its traditional form or be enhanced creatively, but to be “Canadianized”? No, no, no and no. I disapprove such a silly injustice to such a great food.  I would feel the same way about any other food, especially with Italian food.

Rule #1 – The mein taste a lot like soy sauce.  Come on now, just because it’s been cooked in soy sauce doesn’t mean it’s authentic.  This is nothing but a con.  Restaurants make this lazy mein because it is cheap, easy , quick and believe it or not, they “think” customers won’t be able to tell the difference, especially if you’re not Chinese.  Soy sauce is an ingredient in chow mein but it shouldn’t overpower the dish.

Rule #2 – The mein is devoid of your basic seasoning, salt.  Taste it, folks, taste it. Don’t let the soy sauce façade fool you.

Second Take.
Cayennes from My Garden.
Chinese Chow Mein

Into the Frying Pan.
Time for Chow.

Rule #3 – Look for vegetables. Give it up, vegetables belong, period. A chow mein that doesn’t have julienned vegetables is mein without any flavour.

Rule # 4 – The mein is not just devoid of vegetables, it’s devoid of any trace of protein. The standard fare should at least have scrambled wisps of egg in it. More upscale versions will contain chicken, shrimp, or BBQ pork, or even all 3.

These are 4 basic rules of proper Chinese Chow Mein.  All of which can be played with in different ways to produce different versions of chow mein.  Here is my street version of a classic favourite.

Note:   I used fresh cayenne chilli peppers from my garden but you can use any other chilli pepper you can find.  I highly recommend fresh jalapenos or Thai chilli peppers.

Chinese Chow Mein
Yields 8 servings 

Marinade
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tsp ground white pepper
Salt

Chicken
4 chicken breasts, trimmed and thinly sliced
¼ cup chicken broth
4 tbsp sunflower oil

Noodles & Vegetables
8 cups Chinese special noodles (or any other wide noodle)
2 ½ large carrots, peeled and julienned
2 cups suey choy, julienned
4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths
1 large yellow onion, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 cups brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cayenne chilli peppers
6 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt
Pepper

Garnish
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on a bias
Sesame oil
Pepper 

Marinate the chicken by first whisking all marinade ingredients together. Taste the marinade and make sure it is highly seasoned.  If not, adjust with salt.  Add the chicken and mix to coat the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.

After 30 minutes, 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat.  Working in batches, add half of the chicken.  Stir fry until brown.  Gradually add half of the chicken broth into the pan while to scrape up the browned bits in the pan. Allow the broth to evaporate before adding more.  Stir fry the chicken unit nice and brown and cooked through.  Transfer to a dish and repeat the same steps for the second batch. Transfer the second batch to the dish as well.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in pot. Add the noodles to the pot and cook until unravelled (1 minute). Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer until the noodles are al dente. Strain and rinse with cold water. Strain again and set aside.

Using the same skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add the scallions, chilli peppers and season with salt. Toss in the oil until the scallions are fragrant and bright green (not browned). Add the yellow onion and carrots. Toss for 1 minute and season with salt.  Add the mushrooms. Toss and season with salt again.  Add the last 3 tablespoons of oil and toss for 1 minute.  Add the suey choy to the pan. Turn the heat down to low and continue to toss until the suey choy is just cooked through (try not to overcook it until it becomes limp and soggy).  Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Add the chicken and noodles to the pan and toss for 2 minutes over low heat.  Remove the pan from the heat. 

Taste one more time and season as needed with salt.  Serve in bowls garnished with a sprinkle of fresh scallions, cracked pepper and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Chinese chow mein comes in so many forms and versions. In my mind though the ones made at home are the best ones, adapted from years of experimenting with different techniques, vegetables, meats and sauces.  This one is probably just 1 of the many I know how to cook (see another version I’ve posted before).  There are so many variations of chow mein because it’s chow mein, literally translated, stir fried noodles.  Really, it’s got nothing to do with soy sauce, which I have proven above.

Posted in Chicken, Dinner, Eat Cheap, Entrees, Lunch, Pasta | Leave a Comment »

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June 16, 2010

Rustic Puttanesca

I did my best to split my time between the garden and the kitchen over the weekend. The kitchen lost the battle. Weather Management smiled upon us and awarded us 2 days of warm weather in the mid twenties.  I planted flowers.  I got a tan. I had some good company over. We finally got to use the deck and patio furniture.  By Sunday night I started to recap the busy weekend and was wishing that Chris and I would win the lotto and retire.

Back to counting my blessings because I should. In fact, we all should as a reminder of what great things we have that really aren’t needed.

Cooking was the last thing on my mind on the weekend with such nice weather so we hit the garden center just out of town.  The trip yielded some nice plants and a delicious smokie that Chris bought me from the hot dog stand. Although I abhor hot dogs, I will still eat quality sausage and the occasional smokie.

Temple is back in session though.

Finished puttanesca.
Happy to wait for my smokie.
Cooking the meat.

A spoonful for me.
Puttanesca
Lots of lovely trees!

Roasting the tomatoes.
The yield from visiting the garden center.

After a weekend of being in the sun, and taking it easy with exercise and eating healthy, I am back to my next healthy dish to polish off the last bag, LAST BAG, of choy sum. With gritted teeth I say oh my goodness. Chris said it exactly how I felt. “It feels like we’ve been eating that for weeks!”

Now, when I made this I used store bought gnocchi, which I found is about 100 calories less than regular old dried pasta for a one cup serving.

I know! Right??

On top of it, the kind I bought came from a local Italian grocer in the city. To see it made out of ingredients I could understand was a good a feeling.  It pays to read those labels that we all don’t want to read so we can just pretend what we eat isn’t a problem. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Not this temple.  Besides, I love these little potato dumplings.

Rustic Puttanesca
Yields 6 – 8 servings.

1 lb extra lean ground chuck
1 lb ground chicken thighs
6 cups gnocchi (or any other pasta)
6 cups of choy sum, chopped
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
12 whole cloves garlic, skinned
¾ cup olives, pitted
2 tbsp dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp light cooking oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Extra salt and pepper to taste
Fresh grated parmesan or mozzarella to taste

Preheat oven to 430F.  In a bowl, mix the ground chuck and chicken until combined. Season the meat with the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix the seasoning until the meat begins to form a glue-like texture.  Set aside.

Toss the tomatoes and whole garlic cloves in the olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Transfer the tomatoes and garlic to a baking dish. Roast them in the oven for 18 minutes.  When finished, remove from the oven and set aside.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of water to boil. The gnocchi is done when they float to the top of the water. Drain the gnocchi and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown the meat until slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside in a bowl.

Use the same skillet to heat the last 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over high heat.  Add the choy sum to the pan and cook until bright green.  The vegetables will begin to deglaze the browned bits in the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper (take it easy on the salt because the olives will make the dish salty).  Sprinkle the nutmeg over the vegetables and toss.  Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic leaving the garlic whole. Pour all of the roasting juices into the skillet as well. Toss gently to try to maintain the shape of the tomatoes. Add the olives and meat to the skillet and gently toss until everything is coated with the tomato juices.

Rinse the gnocchi with hot tap water. Let drain and add to the skillet. Toss until combined with the vegetables and meat.  Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of parmesan or mozzarella.  You can also crisp the cheese up in the oven by baking the puttanesca in the oven at 430F for 15 minutes to brown the cheese.

I actually didn’t mean to make puttanesca. I just wanted to make a healthy pasta dish. The taste of it reminded me of something I’ve had before. It wasn’t until Chris came home from work and had his dinner that he mentioned how much it tasted like puttanesca.  Minus the capers that are normally in this dish, I would say this was a nice coincidence because it does taste like puttanesca.

This recipe, I admit, isn’t one of the simple ones.  It isn’t one of the hard ones either but it certainly involves more work than you’d expect. Nevertheless, cooking is a process that is necessary for maintaining your health and nutrition.  We have to realize sometimes that it can take long but it’s worth the wait and the work.  If I were to go out for pasta at a restaurant I would almost bet that 7 times out of 10 there are copious amounts of butter in the dish somewhere that I’m not aware of. At home, I can make the same thing and avoid the use of butter if I wanted to.  I still get to have a tasty meal, worthy of being served to others, and know that I didn’t put in more than what is needed.

In our sight, in our mind, right?

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June 6, 2010

Chicken & Choy Sum Noodles

Chicken & Choy Sum Noodles.
Special Broad Noodles.
Chicken & Choy Sum Noodles (Side)


Ah, finally Summer is here (not counting the fact that us Calgarians pretty much missed Spring altogether this year). Animosity aside, it is about 20 C outside today and I am torn between milling in the garden and in the kitchen. The kitchen has lost its battles in the last few days with the weather warming up.  I’ve chosen to live in the moment of this weather in order to enjoy it.

Normally by now it’s salad season because the oven and stove makes the house hot and works the air conditioner overtime.  This year is a different approach. It’s my first year of being 30 something pounds lighter and salads are already my year-round staple. Cooked food is actually an occasion to enjoy now and I relish roasted meats and tossed pastas and noodles devoid of any creamy sauce.

I had 3, 2lb bags of choy sum in the fridge given by none other than my mother. I’m down to 2 though because surprisingly, it’s been a fun vegetable to experiment with. The first attempt I made a nice vegetable succotash with it which turned out very tasty!

Now, I’ve had choy sum forever. It was an inexpensive vegetable at the time and Mom grew loads of it in the garden. I hated this vegetable actually. It was always so stringy and would get caught in my throat. Mom also never really cooked it any other way except for making standard choy sum soup.  “You can’t stirfry this stuff,” she says but it is a much more versatile vegetable than she thinks.

Chicken & Choy Sum Noodles
Yields 4 servings.

Chicken
4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp light cooking oil

Noodles
3 cups of dried Asian noodles (any kind will do)
5 cups choy sum, chopped to ¼” thick stalks and strips of leaves
2 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
6 green onions, chopped
¾ cup beef stock
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/3 cup oyster sauce
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup plain almond slivers
2 tbsp light cooking oil

Preheat the oven to 500F on broil. Prepare the chicken by brushing a baking dish with ½ teaspoon of oil. Season the underside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken into the baking dish, skin side up. Brush the skin with the other ½ teaspoon of oil. Season the skin with salt and pepper.  Broil the chicken for 10 minutes to sear and brown the skin.  Turn the heat down to 420F and bake for another 30 minutes.  When finished, remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the noodles to the pot and let the water come back to a boil. Stir and loosen up the noodles for 1 minute. Turn the heat down down to low and cook until al dente. Strain the noodles and set aside.

In a small skillet, toasted the almond slivers over high heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining oil. Add the ginger and pepper flakes. Stir until fragrant and mixed into a paste. Add the green onions and stir until coated by the ginger and pepper flakes.  Add the choy sum and toss until the vegetables turn a bright green (about 3 minutes). Add half of the beef stock and stir. Add the sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce. Toss all ingredients until thoroughly coated. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the remainder of the beef stock and stir to form the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the noodles. Toss the noodles in the sauce until coated. Toss the green onions, cilantro and almonds into the noodles and serve with the chicken.

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