LtDan'sKitchen.com

Friday, October 5, 2012

Seared Marinated Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms

I needed a chicken dish for a dinner I was cooking for my friends and I had very little time. Knowing from experience that my best bet would be one of Lidia's recipes, I found a recipe which I think will be great for a dinner for 12. I already cooked most of her dishes in her website so I needed to try something new. I was also cooking at my friend's house where there was no functional oven so I had to settle for a skillet-cooked dish.

Mushrooms were in season so I was glad that they were selling fresh shiitake mushrooms although I think they were oyster mushrooms and not the shitake ones. Either way, I got almost a kilogram of fresh mushrooms so I used most of them for this dish. I also used a handful of dried shitake to up the flavor of the dish without having to add white wine. My friends are not wine drinkers.

Seared Marinated Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms - Adapted*

3 lbs chicken breasts, skinned
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper
fresh parsley, chopped

Shitake Sauce:
1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms
200 g dried Shiitake mushrooms
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup brandy
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup capers

1. Marinate the chicken in the olive oil, crushed garlic, Herbes de Provence,
    and season with a tablespoon of coarse salt and a few dashes of pepper.
    Seal and store in the fridge for two hours.

2. Reconstitute the dried mushrooms in the hot water. Let it soak until the
    mushrooms has softened. Remove the stems and set aside the
    reconstituted liquid.

3. In a large skillet, heat the 4 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the chicken
    in batches until browned on all sides. Set aside.

4. In the same pan, add the minced garlic and saute until softened. Add the
brandy and the softened mushrooms and bring to a boil.

5. Add the broth and reconstituted liquid and once boiling, return the chicken
    pieces and braise until cooked through. Check for flavor.

6. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and
    arrange in a serving platter.

7. To the sauce, add the butter and mix. Add the fresh mushrooms and
    capers and cook until the mushrooms are softened.

8. Spoon the sauce and mushrooms over the chicken pieces and garnish
    with the chopped parsley. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired.

*Lidia's Italy: Seared Marinated Chicken Breasts with Shiitake Mushrooms.

Italian Meatballs in Savory Tomato Sauce

I made this dish over the weekend when I cooked dinner for me and my Dad. He eats mostly fish everyday so every time I come home, I will cook something for him that is meat-based while I cook something that is fish-based for me. I try to eat less meat when I'm not at home but sometimes, a meat dish is what is readily available so I just try to eat less of it. Since I barely have any time to cook an elaborate dish, I go for the simple ones and this is what I came up with.

The recipe is based on one of my trusted cookbooks but I tweaked it a bit to suit my tastes and what was available in my fridge. There was no need to really go all out since my Dad prefers to eat very simple dishes. This is actually both a blessing and a curse for me. I could try and fix a very complex dish and he might find it a bit too unusual for his tastes. If I go the simple route, he might really enjoy it but I end up making dishes that hardly need a recipe and are not worth posting on the blog. This dish is I think a compromise and is both simple and yet, complex enough it warrants a recipe. Here then is a meatball dish that can be eaten as is with a baguette or over a cup of hot steamed rice. You take your pick.

Italian Meatballs in Savory Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 lb ground pork
1 onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 tbsp olive oil
2 small carrots, diced
1 cup broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1 30 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup frozen peas

1. To make the meatballs, combine the ground pork, diced onions, Herbs de
    Provence, eggs and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper and
    combine until just mixed. Form into one-inch balls and set aside.

2. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Fry the meatballs
    in batches until just browned. Set aside.

3. In the same pan, add the garlic and saute until softened. Add the diced
    tomatoes and the broth. Bring to a boil and add the oregano. Lower the
    heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add the meatballs, tomato paste and the diced carrots and simmer for
    another 15 minutes. If too thick, thin out with water.

5. Check for flavor and adjust accordingly. Add the peas and cook until
    bright green.

6. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Coleslaw

Okay, I know there is hardly any need for a recipe for this classic side dish but I think this slaw is quite good. The recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart and I have to say, aside from her wedding cake recipe, I hardly use her recipes because she is quite annoying to watch. I tried but I find her very condescending so I usually pass on her recipes. However, this recipe is quite simple and truth be told, looked like a slaw I would love to munch on. I've tried some fairly complicated recipes and ended up with tons of coleslaw that I never wanted to eat again. This however, was really good especially after the flavors melded upon sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours. With a bit of a tweak since I wanted a smaller amount of coleslaw, I cut the amount in half and adjusted the spices according to my taste.

Coleslaw

1 lb cabbage
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp lemon or calamondin juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 large carrot, grated coarsely
1 onion, grated coarsely
salt

1. Core and shred the cabbage. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the onions and
carrots and mix well.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and season with about a teaspoon of salt.
Cover and let sit in the fridge for two hours.

3. Stir and check for flavor. Adjust with salt if needed.

Pork Moroccan Kebabs

I already featured this dish using beef and featured as Kebab Koutbane. I essentially used the same recipe with a few changes in terms of spices. There wasn't anything wrong with the original recipe really. I just could not find the same spices here in the city where I live. I had my co-workers buy some of the spices but they ended up buying the wrong kind. I did not have the heart to tell them otherwise.

Coriander is a pain to find here locally. Cilantro which is the plant from coriander tastes differently as a seed. The seed is a cross between a thyme and lemon so I ended up using dried thyme to at least give a hint of the missing coriander taste. I was also unsure if the marinate will translate well to pork which has a more bland flavor when not seasoned well so I upped it just a bit to make sure that the kebab will cook with the right amount of flavor.

Pork Moroccan Kebabs

4 lbs pork meat, 1-inch dice
2 large onions, shredded
4 garlic cloves, grated
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp coarse salt
grape tomatoes

1. Marinate the pork in the oil, onions, garlic and spices. Leave it to marinate
    at room temperature for 3 hours.

2. Skewer the seasoned pork in bamboo sticks and top with a tomato. Slather
    the leftover marinade over the kebabs before cooking on a charcoal spit.

3. Cook until the meat is browned on all sides and serve immediately.

Potato Salad with an Asian Flair

We are celebrating the birthday of our secretary this week and we decided to throw her a barbecue of sorts. For some reason, the parties in the office have developed a certain theme and this one is no exception. The choice for this party was American so I was actually in my element. I do know what it is that makes my American friends eat up a storm. Sadly, it is the exotic ones that seem to tickle their tastebuds. In the end, I had to settle for something that is both American with a bit of an Asian flavor to it.

I was tasked to prepare the actual barbecue which is kind of ironic or maybe unfortunate since I am having gout issues again. Argh! Anyway, I was thinking of something very American to go with it so I thought, aside from apple pie, the one thing that was never absent from any good barbecue is potato salad. Not having access to my cookbooks, I thought of the basic ingredients that I might need and pickles and carrots came to mind. When it came time to actually put it all together, it turned out that pickles and diced carrots are not really common ingredients. Well, I decided they were staying anyways for the added crunch.

My inspiration for the recipe is from Ina Garten. A few changes I made was to make sour cream from heavy cream and souring it with Calamondin juice. Lemon juice can also be used but I wanted a more local flavor to the dish. Stone ground mustard will be wonderful but I have no access to a gourmet shop so a regular Dijon mustard will have to do. In the end, I used powdered mustard instead. I bought regular potatoes but chose the smaller ones to avoid having to peel them. In any case, I have decided to keep the skin on for my potato salad for a more rustic flair. In the end, not bad for a potato salad made in the small kitchenette inside our office.

Potato Salad with an Asian Flair

2 1/2 lb small potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp lemon or calamondin juice
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 cup pickles, diced
salt and pepper
1 tsp dill seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 tsp mustard powder

1. Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water. Bring to a boil over
    medium high heat and cook until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool.

2. In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream and calamondin juice and
    stir. Allow to thicken.

3. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice into eighths and
    transfer them to a large bowl.

4. Add the carrots, red onions, pickles, mayonnaise and thickened cream.
    Add the mustard powder and dill seeds and mix well. Season with salt and
    pepper and check for flavor.

5. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Stir one last time before serving.

Pasta Oglionesca

This term might drive Italians crazy and might even come after me with pitchforks but the inspiration for this dish is a pasta dish that I shared with my friends over dinner during reunion night.We ordered a pasta dish named Aglio-Olio described as an olive oil and garlic pasta. It had a hint of heat which I assumed came from the red pepper flakes or as Lidia B would call it, peperoncino. I just thought it would make a wonderful Sunday dish so I gave it a try. I did make an adjustment by adding fresh tomatoes ala a puttanesca dish which funnily enough was my initial choice had it not been for my friend suggesting the Aglio-Olio pasta instead.

I made a small batch good enough for two or if you are really hungry, for one. All I had were some leftover shell pasta and a handful of red pepper flakes along with some really good olive oil. I had no cheese on hand but as it was, it was quite tasty. I finished the dish with dried basil leaves which gave the dish a wonderful aroma. It came out a bit spicy but it was not the first spicy dish I made so I quite enjoyed it.

Pasta Oglionesca

1/4 lb shell pasta
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
3 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch of dried basil leaves
salt

1. Cook the pasta as per packet instruction. When the pasta is almost al
    dente, heat half of the olive oil in a large pan and saute the garlic over
    medium low heat until golden brown.

2. Add the red pepper flakes and saute for another minute. Spoon the cooked
pasta into the pan and mix well. Season with salt and check for flavor.

3. Turn off the heat and add the diced tomatoes. Mix well and sprinkle with
    the dried basil leaves. Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and serve.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Chili con Carne Part Deux

Chili con Carne was a special request of my colleagues at work. After the soup last week, they specifically asked for this dish since they associated the white beans I used for the vegetarian soup last week to chili con carne. However, I made the Texan version which is pure diced meat floating in a thick rich chili sauce. This also marked the first time I used fresh tomatoes instead of the usual canned ones that I find very convenient to use. It wasn't a really a conscious decision but since I'm buying my ingredients from the local market here, I had to settle for fresh tomatoes. In short, I had no choice.

The dish is quite spicy due to the fact that I totally forgot about the difference in the spice level of the local chili and those available in the US grocery stores. I was glad to find chili powder in bulk but the fact that it is more of an orange red color and not the intense dark red color of the chili powders in the US should have been a red flag to me. I was quickly reminded how intense they were after my initial taste so I had to add less to make sure that those who would like to try the dish can eat it without having to run to the nearest source of water. I also used fresh local chilis (the taxonomy of which I am unsure) and after deseeding and deveining then, I was happy to find out that they were quite sweet and not as potent while adding a whole new dimension to the flavor of the dish. Cilantro was nowhere to be found so I did away with it. Sour cream was also difficult to find here in the local market so I bought about a cup of heavy cream and soured it with a couple of tablespoons of the local citrus, Calamondin. Lemon juice or white vinegar will also work if you can't find sour cream in your local grocery stores. I wanted to make corn bread but finding corn meal is a challenge so I opted to buy the steamed rice cakes in the market and they go beautifully together as well.

Chili con Carne Part Deux

4 lbs beef, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, diced
4 tbsp olive oil + a few tbsp extra
1/4-1/3 cup chili powder*
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp cumin
salt and black pepper
1 tbsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp oregano
3 cups beef broth
1/3 cup tomato paste
6 fresh chili, deseeded, deveined and diced
sour cream
cilantro

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil at medium high heat and brown the diced
    beef in batches. Set aside until all the diced beef have been browned.

2. In the same pot, saute the garlic and onions. Season with salt and black
    pepper. Saute until softened. Add the fresh chilis and saute for another
    minute. Add more olive oil if a bit dry.

3. Lower the heat to medium low and add the chili powder, coffee, oregano,
    cumin and cayenne powder. Saute for about a minute until aromatic.

4. Add the tomatoes and season with salt. Mix well and saute until the
    tomatoes are softened. Increase the heat to medium high and add the
    browned beef and the broth. Bring to a boil.

5. Once boiling, cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring
    occasionally. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 40
    minutes.

6. Add the tomato paste and check for flavor. Adjust accordingly. Simmer
    for another hour or longer until the beef is tender.

7. If too thick, add some water until the desired consistency is achieved.
    Check for flavor one last time and serve warm with a dollop of sour
    cream.

LtDan'sKitchen blogs

* The original recipe I have uses 1/3 cup chili powder but depending on your tolerance for spicy food and the variety of chili powder available in your local grocery stores, I suggest you go with 1/4 cup to start with and if you think you can handle more heat, then go add some more chili powder. Most Asian chili powders are a lot more spicy but a little bit less aromatic so I added more cumin and fresh chilis to compensate. Freshly baked corn bread or a freshly steamed rice cake is definitely a wonderful way to cool off the heat in your mouth.

Recipes

Friday, October 5, 2012

Wednesday, September 26, 2012