Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Bacon

As I try to become a better cook, I look for recipes with techniques I haven't tried.  This one called for braising, which I had never done, and included bacon, mushrooms, red wine, and pearl onions.  I love all of those things!  The dish has amazing flavor, and is a perfect hearty dinner for chilly fall nights.  You'll dirty a few dishes, but it's definitely worth it!

Since you can make this in a braising pan as well, I'm submitting it to the November Tasty Tools at Joelen's Culinary Adventures.

(adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider)

Mushrooms:

8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, crushed and chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 tbsp dry white wine

1 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

black pepper

Chicken:

20 pearl onions, peeled

2 thick slices bacon, diced

3 tbsp flour

1 3-lb chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup port

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

To make the mushrooms:

Heat the oil in a skillet until hot.  Add the mushrooms, shallot, garlic, and thyme, and saute for about 3 minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the wine, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 or 15 minutes.  

To make the chicken:

Cook the bacon in a small skillet over low heat, for about 8 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon grease.

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper

Spread the flour on a plate and dip each piece of chicken in it, shaking off any excess.

Heat the bacon grease over medium-high in a dutch oven or other large, heavy pan.  Saute the chicken in batches until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.  Transfer to a platter.

Add the port and wine and cook for about 10 minutes, until reduced slightly.  

Turn the heat to medium-low.

Stir in the bacon and pearl onions and add a few pinches of salt.

Add the chicken pieces and cook, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes.

Remove the chicken pieces to a serving dish and keep warm.  Simmer the sauce until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.  Add the mushrooms during the last 3 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Chicken Peanut Stew and Injera

I have wanted to make this recipe for awhile, and it definitely did not disappoint!  While the cookbook says to serve it over rice, I really wanted to make injera.  For those not familiar with Ethiopian food, Injera is a large, spongy flatbread used to scoop up stew.  

This injera recipe is quick and good, but the product is not identical to what you find in Ethiopian restaurants.  It uses buckwheat flour instead of teff, and isn't as sour.  However, it still works really well and is a nice stand-in for the real thing

Chicken Peanut Stew

(adapted from Discovery of a Continent by Marcus Samuelsson)

1 medium white onion, sliced

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 jalapenos

1 2" piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1 by leaf

a few pinches white pepper

2 cups water

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 pieces

1 cup unsalted peanuts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

10 oz spinach, washed well and stems removed

Combine the onion, carrot, jalapenos, ginger, bay leaf, white pepper, and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the chicken thighs, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  

Add the chicken and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is simmering, toast the peanuts in a small frying pan over medium heat until golden brown.  Let cool, then grind 1/2 cup of them in a blender to make a smooth paste.  Set aside.

Using tongs, remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and set aside.  

Transfer the vegetables into a food processor (remove the bay leaf) and puree until smooth.  Set the broth aside.

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan.  Add the potatoes and saute until they are golden brown (about 15 minutes).  Add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides.  

Stir the vegetable puree into the broth and bring it to a boil.  Add the peanut paste and the remaining whole peanuts and stir to combine well.  Add the tomatoes, chicken, potatoes, and salt,  and simmer about 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings, then stir in the spinach until it is wilted.

Serve over rice or with Injera 

Injera

(from Recipezaar.com)

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2-2 cups club soda

Combine flours and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Add club soda, and stir to form a thin batter.

Heat a large well-seasoned skillet until hot, then brush lightly with oil.

Using a ladle, pour a circle around the edge of the pan and tilt to cover the middle.

Cook for about 2 minutes, until the surface is covered with bubbles and no longer looks wet.  Do not flip - just slide off onto a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

And...just because this is an African dish... here are two of my favorite pictures from when I was in Uganda in 2007:

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

The rumors are true! Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken is awesome.  Beyond awesome.  Someone, please help me find a new adjective.  My sixth graders so gently reminded me today that you have to vary the adjectives you use, and I overuse that one.

Anyway, about this chicken.  I loved it.  Mike loved it.  It was simple, it was really delicious, and it photographs surprisingly well, which is always a bonus.

I used plain bread crumbs instead of panko because I had them on hand.  I also skipped the butter on top (forgive me!) because it honestly seemed like overkill... and fortunately it was still plenty crispy without it.  Served with roasted broccoli and cheesy grits (you know, because I left the butter off the chicken), this was a nice hearty dinner.

(adapted from Pioneer Woman)

about 8 drumsticks

2 cups plain yogurt

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

juice of one lemon

salt

pepper

about 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray.

Mix together the yogurt, garlic, and parsley.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper liberally over the drumsticks.

Dip each drumstick in the yogurt, then breadcrumbs, coating well.  

Place in the baking dish, cover with foil, and put in the oven.

After 45 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, until nice and golden brown.

White Bean-Chicken Chili with Tomatillos

Our pantry is FULL.  We went on a few too many shopping trips to ethnic grocery stores so I am now fully stocked on a TON of spices, all kinds of dried grains and legumes, and noodles from several different international cuisines.  My challenge for this week is to use up as much of that stuff as possible to make room for fun new finds.  One of the ingredients I had to choose from was a partially-full bag of dried white beans.  With those in mind, I perused the rest of the kitchen to see what I could come up with.

I also happened to have a produce drawer full of tomatillos and and jalapenos, and two chicken breasts in the freezer.  I had seen a few recipes for white bean chili over the past couple days, and decided to try coming up with my own version.  I defrosted the chicken, and cooked up some white beans (but canned would work fine too).  It's a pretty healthy recipe, as long as you stay away from excessive amounts of cheese or sour cream as garnish!

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and chopped

3 jalapenos, stems removed and chopped

1 tsp salt

pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked white beans, drained

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup frozen corn

In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. 

Add the onion and garlic, and cook for several minutes, until the onions are soft.

Stir in the jalapenos and tomatillos and cook, stirring, for a minute or two.

Add the cubed chicken, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and cumin and stir well.

Stir in the broth and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. (The chicken should no longer be pink on the outside).

Stir in the beans and tomato paste, turn the heat down slightly, and simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes.  

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Just before serving, stir in the frozen corn and let it heat through.

Serve with sour cream or a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Donburi style chicken

This is a great way to cook chicken without adding any fat, and it gives the meat great flavor while keeping it tender.  Served over rice, it's a delicious and simple meal with a nice amount of protein to keep you going. I added a lot of broth to my bowl, as you can see in the picture, but you can decide how you want to serve yours.

(from Japanese Home Cooking by Shunsuke Fukushima)

1 cup water

5 tbsp soy sauce

5 tbsp mirin

1 tsp instant dashi

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

8 oz chicken thighs, skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 tbsp chopped parsley

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

2 cups steamed rice

1 scallion, thinly sliced (for garnish)

Place water, soy sauce, mirin, dashi and sugar in a shallow frying pan with a tight-fitting lid.

Bring to a boil, then add onion and chicken.

Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is opaque and onion is soft, 8-10 minutes.

Add parsley and gradually pour eggs over liquid in pan.  

Tilt pan so eggs cover bottom. 

Cover and cook a little longer until eggs are almost set, about 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat before eggs are completely set.

To serve, place rice in individual serving bowls and top with egg, chicken and stock mixture.

Garnish with chopped scallion.

Southwestern Chicken Pot Pie

My husband looked through my blog the other day and noticed that almost all my posts are adapted from some other recipe.  He challenged me to come up with one original recipe a week and blog about it, which I think is a fantastic idea.  I really need to experiment more and this will only make me a better cook!

I had planned to make Chicken Pot Pie this week, and was going to use a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks.  But after having the "No Beans No Rice" burrito at La Salsa the other night, I was struck with an idea.  What if I made a tomato-chicken-vegetable stew and baked that inside a cornmeal crust?  

I did exactly that, and it turned out just how I was hoping it would.  It's a nice twist on the typical Chicken Pot Pie, which can be really rich.  There is still over half a pound of butter in the crust, so it's not exactly dietetic, but everything is fine in moderation, right?  Just go easy on dessert and you'll be fine!

Crust

2 cups All Purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 sticks butter

1/3 cup chilled shortening

1/2 cup ice water

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a food processor, pulse the flour, cornmeal, and salt a few times.

Cut the butter and shortening into small cubes, add to the flour mixture, and pulse until the butter is broken up into pea-sized and smaller chunks.

Stir together the vinegar and water, and add to the butter-flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until the dough comes together.  

Press into two disks - one larger (to line the pan), and the other smaller (for the top).

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Filling

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 jalapeno, chopped

2 small carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups diced red potatoes

1 cup julienned bell pepper (any color, or a mix)

1 cup frozen corn

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chile powder

1/2 tsp cumin

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.

Stir in the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.

Add the chicken, and cook, stirring, until the chicken is no longer pink. 

Transfer to a bowl and set aside

Wipe out the pan and return to medium-high heat.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil and stir in the flour.

Cook, stirring constantly, until it turns a nice golden-brown.

Add the vegetables, tomatoes, and chicken broth and stir well.

Stir in the salt, chile powder, and cumin and partially cover the pot.

Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Assembly

Meanwhile, roll out the larger dough disk, and press into a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Line the inside of the dough with foil, shiny side down, and bake for about 10 minutes.

Remove the foil and set the dish aside.

Roll the other disk of dough out to fit over the top of the casserole dish, and set aside.

When the filling has thickened and the chicken has cooked through, transfer to the dough-lined dish.  

Press the sheet of dough on top, and cut a few slits in it so steam can escape.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nice and golden.

Dill and Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

After last night's labor-intensive japchae, I wanted to make something incredibly simple for dinner.  I perused the contents of my fridge and found some dill and feta.  With some bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, a simple salad, and some steamed brown basmati rice, I had a fabulous dinner.  (Note: I used bone-in chicken because that's what I had...I'm sure they would be good with boneless chicken as well, but the cooking time would be shorter.)

Stuffed chicken breasts don't occur enough in my life.  They are so easy and SO GOOD!  I want to stuff them with all kinds of things now!  Do you have any brilliant ideas for me?

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tsp chopped fresh dill

a pinch of salt

a pinch of pepper

6 thin slices of lemon

2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix together the feta, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper

Cut a slit in the breast and stuff the cheese mixture inside.

Place in a baking pan.
Top with lemon slices and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Bake for about 40 minutes, removing the lemons about halfway through so the skin gets crispy.

If you are really paranoid like I am, make sure the internal temperature is 165 F.  

Japchae

This is an absolutely DELICIOUS dish, but it is very involved.  Give yourself about two hours from start to finish.  Every ingredient is seasoned and cooked individually, then they are all mixed together in a huge bowl.  In the process you will dirty a TON of dishes, but don't let that deter you - the great blend of flavors and textures is completely worth it!  

(adapted from Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall)

4 tbsp rice wine or vermouth

3 tbsp sugar

8 green onions, white and pale green part only

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sesame seeds

salt 

pepper

8 oz chicken breast, sliced into 1/8" by 3" strips

8 oz lean beef tenderloin, sliced into 1/8" by 3" strips

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for about 2o minutes, then drained

3 tbsp soy sauce

5 tbsp sesame oil

1 lb napa cabbage hearts, stem part only, cut into 3/4" by 3" strips

1 lb spinach leaves, cut into 3 inch pieces

8 oz sweet potato noodles

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 jalapeno, cut into thin strips

To make the seasoning for the meat: combine 2 tbsp vermouth, 1 tbsp sugar, 4 green onions, 2 cloves garlic, lemon juice, sesame seeds, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.  

Stir well, then pour half into each of two bowls.  

Toss the chicken in one bowl and the beef in the other

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet, then add the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Wipe out the skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil, then add the beef and cook until done.

Place in the bowl with the chicken.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the mushrooms, then cut into slivers.

Toss with 1 tbsp vermouth, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 green onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp sesame oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in the skillet, add the mushrooms, and cook for 10 minutes.  Transfer to the bowl with the meat.

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil.  Blanch the cabbage for about 3 minutes, then drain and plunge into cold water.  

Squeeze out as much moisture as possible, then add to the bowl with the meat and mushrooms.

Fill the pot with water again, and blanch the spinach for about 10 seconds.

Drain, squeeze out all the water, then transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp vermouth, 1 green onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Add to the bowl with the other ingredients, then add the peppers.
To cook the noodles, boil 3 quarts of water and add the noodles.  Boil for about 5 minutes, then drain.  Add to the bowl with meat and vegetables, add all remaining ingredients, and toss well.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Pizza. I adore it.

I'm also not very picky about it.  I've had "the real thing" in Naples, and enjoyed it just about as much as the 2 for 1 pies from the place down the street. 

For awhile, I tried to be a purist.  I denounced places like CPK.  You can't put bacon and avocado on pizza!  Pizza is Italian!  It must be kept pure and authentic!

Yeah, that didn't last long.

I've had some pizza dough in my freezer for a few weeks now, and in my quest to branch out and work my way through more of my cookbooks, I kept it off my weekly menu.  But then I made Thai food, and that got me thinking about Thai chicken pizza, which I feel like I shouldn't love, but I do.  Oh, so much.

So thanks to my friend Google, I stumbled across this recipe and it's divine.  I didn't change too much about it, and it came out really well.  It has just a light sprinkling of cheese, which I prefer, but you could always use more.  I think next time I might add some chopped peanuts, but other than that it's hard to beat!

(adapted from cdkitchen.com)

Crust: use your favorite (homemade or not) - you will need enough dough for two 10" pizzas.  I used 1/3 of this recipe .

Toppings:

3 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons brewed tea
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Siracha
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 medium boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp thinly sliced green onion

Preheat oven to 500 F and prepare crusts.
To make peanut sauce: combine peanut butter, tea, vinegar, soy sauce, Siracha, ginger, honey and sesame oil in a blender and process until smooth.

Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of salt and saute in a saucepan coated with nonstick spray over medium-high heat.

When the chicken is just about done, turn the heat down to low and stir in two tablespoons of the peanut sauce.

Cook, stirring, for about a minute, then remove from heat.
Spread a few tablespoons of peanut sauce over the surface of each of the doughs. 

Distribute 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce. 

Repeat with other pizza. 

Distribute 1/2 of the chicken and 1/2 the carrots over the cheese. 

Repeat with other pizza. 

Place the pizzas in the oven (on a pizza stone if you have one, otherwise just use a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat). 

Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling (8-10 minutes). 

Remove pizzas from the oven and sprinkle each with green onions and cilantro.

Korean Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

This was my first attempt at making Korean food at home, and my second attempt at eating and enjoying kimchi.  (I HATED it the first time I tried it, but this time I really liked it.  Amazing the difference a couple years makes).

I LOVE the presentation, and how it lends itself to customizing your meal.  It takes a little longer than a simple stir fry, but once you get going on the blanching and sauteing, it moves pretty quickly.  The list of ingredients looks a little daunting, but everything is pretty easy to find, and you could always omit components you don't care for.

(from Growing up in a Korean Kitchen by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall)

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine

1 green onion (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

salt

pepper

3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin 3" strips

1 lb summer squash, sliced into thin 3" strips

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 jalapeno, seeded and cut into thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1/2 lb white mushrooms, shredded

1/2 lb napa cabbage (stem only), cut into thin strips

1 cup kimchi

1 pound Asian wheat noodles

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes

To make the seasoning for the chicken, in a bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, green onion, garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the chicken, toss well, and set aside.

Place the summer squash in  bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. 

Let sit for 15 minutes.

Using a kitchen towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. 

In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot. 

Add the squash and saute for about 2 minutes. 

Season with a pinch of pepper.  

Place on serving plate.

In the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat until hot.

Add the chicken and saute for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through but still moist.

Transfer to the tray next to the squash.  

In the same skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot.

Add the jalapeno and bell pepper strips and saute for 1 minute.

Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper and transfer to the tray next to the chicken and squash.

In a large saucepan, boil 4 cups of water with 1 tbsp white vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Blanch the mushrooms for 10 seconds, or until barely wilted.

Scoop out the mushrooms and plunge into ice water to stop cooking.

Reserve the blanching water.

Drain the mushrooms in a colander and, with a clean kitchen towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  

Set aside on a work surface.

Add water to the saucepan and bring to a boil again.

Add the cabbage, blanch for 3 minutes, and plunge in ice water and squeeze out the liquid (as with the mushrooms).  

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  

Add the mushrooms, mix well, and transfer to the serving plate next to the chicken, peppers, and squash.

In the same bowl, repeat with the cabbage and transfer to the serving plate.

Combine the kimchi with 1 tbsp sesame oil and transfer to the plate.

In a large stockpot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add the noodles.

Cook according to package directions, drain in a colander, and transfer back to the same pot.

Add 1 tbsp sesame oil and toss well.

To serve, divide the noodles into individual bowls. 

Each person can then distribute the cooked ingredients over the top of their noodles, and garnish with sesame seeds and pepper flakes.

Bok Choy Chicken Soup

This is a great, comforting chicken soup.  It's a  wonderful recipe from my favorite Chinese cookbook; I can't believe I've made so many things from the book but never this!

(adapted from The Chinese Kitchen by Eilenen Yin-Fei Lo)

Marinade:

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger

2 tsp Chinese rice wine

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pinch white pepper

2 tsp cornstarch

Soup:

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced

3 cups chicken broth

a 1/2" piece of ginger, lightly smashed

1/2 lb bok choy

2 tsp Chinese rice wine

Combine the chicken and marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Mix well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
Separate the bok choy stems and leaves, and cut both parts into thin slices.
Put the broth and ginger in a pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.  

Add the bok choy stalks, stir, and return to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes or until the stalks become tender.

Turn the heat back to high, add the leaves, stir, and return to a boil.

Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and marinade and stir well.

Bring to a boil and cook for a two minutes, then add the wine.

Cook, stirring, until the chicken is done.

Transfer to bowls and serve.

Chile pepper fried rice

When you leave your husband alone for five days, he might order some takeout Chinese food.  So you may come home to a little takeout container of cooked rice, sitting in the fridge.  Really, the only logical thing to do in this situation is to make fried rice.  Particularly this fried rice, because it's so delicious and spicy and downright good.

(adapted from Thai Cooking from the Siam Cuisine Restaurant)

2 dried chiles de arbol

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced (easy to do this when they are frozen)

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 jalepeno, cut lengthwise in quarters

2 cups cold cooked rice

1 tbsp fish sauce

3/4 tsp sugar

20 fresh Thai basil leaves

6 sprigs of cilantro, leaves only

10 half-slices cucumber

Soak the chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes.  Remove the stems and chop finely.

Get all your ingredients ready to go:

Heat the oil over high.  

When it is hot, add the chiles de arbol and garlic.

Stir fry until garlic is just turning light brown, then add the chicken.

Stir fry until most of the pink is gone, then add the oyster sauce and jalapenos and stir fry until well-mixed.

Add the rice.  

Break up the clumps so it is evenly distributed. Stir fry for about a minute.
Add the fish sauce, sugar, and basil leaves and stir fry until the leaves are nicely wilted.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the cilantro leaves and slices of cucumber.

Tortilla soup

I am pretty much obsessed with soup, or really any food that can be eaten out of a bowl.  My freshman year in college, I ate literally every meal in the dining hall out of a bowl...and my floor-mates nicknamed me C-Bowls because of it.  

Soups are fantastic because they can suit any mood, any season, and are a great way to throw together odds and ends from the fridge.  I love this soup because it can be as simple as a rich chile-tomato broth with just the delightful crunch of tortilla strips or you can dress it up with shredded chicken, queso fresco, avocados, cilantro and Tapatio to amp up the heat.

I adapted this recipe from "Mexico One Plate at a Time" by Rick Bayless

1 lb chicken breast tenders

1 lime

2 cloves garlic

6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2" by 2" strips

Vegetable oil

2 dried pasilla chiles, seeds and stems removed

1 15-oz can whole tomatoes, drained

4 cups chicken broth 

1 medium white onion, sliced thinly

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz cotija cheese or queso fresco, cut in small cubes

1 avocado, cut in small cubes

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

To prepare the chicken:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Slice the lime thinly and chop the garlic. Place the chicken in the middle of a large sheet of parchment paper, and toss with the garlic and a little salt.  Lay the lime slices over the chicken and fold up the paper so you have a nice little package.  Put that in a pie pan or roasting pan...I just use an old 8" round cake pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Remove from the oven and open the parchment so the steam can escape and the chicken can cool.

While the chicken is baking, pour the oil into a large, heavy sauce pan so it is about 1/2" deep.  Heat until a piece of tortilla sizzles immediately when dipped in the oil, but don't let it get so hot it smokes.  Fry the tortilla strips in 3 batches, stirring the pan, until they are beginning to brown.  Remove them with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.

Pour the oil out so there is just a thin coating remaining, and turn the heat to medium.  Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until they are light brown.  Transfer to a blender, but don't wipe out the pan.

Tear the chiles into pieces and stir fry in the pan for about 30 seconds, or until they are just beginning to blister.  Place them in the blender with the onions and garlic, add the tomatoes and a few tablespoons of broth, and puree until smooth.

Transfer the contents of the blender back into the pan (over medium-high heat) and stir constantly until the mixture has the consistency of tomato paste.  Add the salt and the rest of the broth, stir to mix,  and turn the heat to low.

With two forks, shred the chicken and stir into the soup. Taste the soup and add salt if necessary.  Ladle into bowls, and top with tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and a sprinkling of cilantro.