Braised Pork (thịt kho tàu) (as interpreted by a Chinese Cook) (REVISED)

My wife really loves it when her mother cooks thịt kho tàu, a Vietnamese braised pork dish, for her.  It always brings her back to her childhood.  I will likely never be able to replicate her mother's recipe, but this version of the dish gets her thumbs up.

Servings: 5-6

Ingredients:

* 2 lbs pork shoulder (trimmed) cut into 1-1/2 in. cubes
* 1/2 yellow onion cut into large pieces length-wise
* 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
* 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled (one can quail eggs drained)
* 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
* 4 tbsp fish sauce
* 12 oz coconut water
* 1/2 bar Chinese brown sugar (can substitute with 2.5 tbsp granulated sugar)
* Salt and Black pepper to taste
* 1 small Thai chili pepper cut into small rings (optional if you want to spice up the dish)

Step 1 - Blanch the Pork

1. In a large stock pot,  add pork and enough water to fully submerge the pork.
2. Heat pot until water is just boiling.
3. Remove pot from heat.
4. Carefully strain and rinse pork in cold water to remove scum.
5. Rinse pot to remove any remaining scum.

Step 2 - Braise the Pork

1. Add pork, coconut water, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, onion, and dark soy sauce to pot (optionally: Thai chili pepper)
2. Add cold water to the pot until pork is just fully submerged.
3. Bring to boil.
4. Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 1-1/2 hours until pork is fork tender.
5. About 30 minutes before the pork is done, add the hard boiled eggs to the pork and continue cooking.
6. Season with black pepper to taste.

Serve hot over rice.

Enchilada Casserole

Enchilada Casserole

I got this recipe from my brother and modified it to suit my taste.  It is a hefty dinner item and recipe makes enough for about 12-15 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 28 oz can of hot enchilada sauce
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 jalapeno with seeds and veins removed; finely diced
• 1 tbsp + 1 cup (for garnish) chopped cilantro
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 package of white corn tortillas
• 1 15.5 oz can of black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 15.25 oz can of corn drained
• 1 large brown onion diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper diced
•  1 large bag of shredded Kraft Mexican cheese
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp  garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Cotija cheese for garnish

Directions

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
• Mix chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper into ground turkey and until mixed.
• Saute onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno until soft.  Set aside.
• Brown ground turkey until just cooked and remove from heat.  Mix turkey with sauteed onion and bell pepper with 1 tbsp cilantro.
• Mix tomato pasted and enchilada sauce and heat over medium heat until thoroughly mixed and just before mixture boils.
• In a dutch oven, add a ladle the enchilada mixture to the bottom.  Add a layer of corn tortillas, black beans, corn, turkey mixture, cheese, and enchilada mixture.  Repeat for about 5-7 layers.  
• Top final layer with corn tortillas ad cover with the remaining enchilada mixture covering all tortillas.  Top with a final of cheese.
• Put lid on dutch oven and put into oven.
• Bake for 1 hour and lower the temperature to 300 and bake for another hour.
• Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Cut into individual servings and top with cilantro and sprinkle with Cotija cheese.

Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu

Based on the original Ma Po Tofu Recipe, this vegetarian version replaces the chicken broth and minced meat with vegetarian-friendly alternatives.   This variant was inspired by a friend who wanted to try Ma Po Tofu, but couldn't eat meat.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb vegetarian minced meat (Vegetarian Minced Meat)

• 1 tbsp fermented dried black beans, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes, rinsed, diced, and mashed
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced and mashed
• 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
• 2 tbsp of scallions thinly sliced +  1 tbsp for garnish
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of Sambal Oelek (more if you like it spicy)
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable broth broth
• 1 tbsp neutral flavored oil (e.g. canola oil)

• 1 package of soft tofu, drained, and cut into cubes (You can use silken, but it will be a little harder to work with since soft tofu is slightly firmer)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with equal part water
• 1 dash of sesame oil

Directions:

• Heat a large pan over medium heat and add oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, fermented black beans, and  scallions.  Cook until garlic and ginger is soft, but do not brown.
• Add Sambal Oelek to the pan and cook for a minute. 
• Add vegetarian minced meat to mixture and stir to combine.
• Add vegetable broth pan, soy sauce, and sugar.  Bring mixture to boil.
• Slowly stir in enough cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat a spoon.
• Add tofu and carefully stir mixture until tofu is warmed through being careful not to break the tofu.
• Stir in sesame oil. 
• Serve immediately topped with scallions.

Port Braised Pork Butt with Figs

Delicious dish with an affordable cut of pork.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 lb pork butt, most external fat trimmed. Rolled and tied.
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced, white parts only
• 1 cup port wine
• 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dried figs, cut into quarters
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
• Mix kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, mustard, and olive oil. Rub onto and thoroughly cover pork.
• Heat oil in a dutch oven on high heat. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add pork. Brown pork on all sides. Remove pork and set aside.
• Lower heat to medium and add onion, scallions, and carrot to dutch oven. Cook vegetables until soft.
• Pour port and chicken broth into dutch oven scraping the brown bits from the bottom. Add figs and bay leaves and bring to boil. Add pork back in. Cover with foil and lid to form a tight fit.
• Place the dutch over into the oven and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the pork is tender and the internal temperature of the pork is 165 F. Remove pork from pot and set aside covered loosely with foil to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves. Remove 1/4 cup of the figs, carrots, onions and puree. Stir puree back into the sauce to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove string from pork and slice to 1/2 in. thick slices.
• Serve slices with sauce, figs, and vegetables.

Ma Po Tofu

Spicy bean-paste and chili tofu dish from the Szechuan province in China. This dish goes great on top of rice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 1 tbsp fermented dried black beans, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes, rinsed, and mashed
• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of Sambal Oelek
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1 tbsp neutral flavored oil (e.g. canola oil)

• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with equal part water
• 1 package of soft tofu, drained, and cut into cubes (You can use silken, but it will be a little harder to work with since soft tofu is slightly firmer)
• 1 dash of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp of scallions thinly sliced

Directions:

• In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with Shaoxing wine. Add ground pork to mixture and mix to incorporate and let marinade for 5 minutes
• Heat a large pan over medium heat and add oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add ground pork and cook until brown.
• Once the pork is brown, move the pork to one side of the pan. On the opposite side of the pan, add the garlic, ginger, fermented black beans, scallions, and Sambal Oelek and cook for a few minutes. Stir mixture and pork.
• Stir in soy sauce and sugar to pork.
• Add chicken broth to pork and bring to boil.
• Slowly stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat a spoon.
• Mix in sesame oil and add tofu. Carefully stir mixture until tofu is warmed through being careful not to break the tofu.
• Serve immediately topped with scallions.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

We had left over rotisserie chicken from Costco so Anh 2 Mike wanted me to cook something that would clear up some space in our fridge. I found two recipes on Allrecipe and took pieces of to make the ingredients I have word. Then I cooked it low and slow to get the flavors to meld together (a trick I got from brother Steve). It was good. Next time I will double the sauce. It came out a litte dry.

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced chicken breast meat (about half a Costco chicken)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn, rinsed and drained (I used frozen I had in the freezer and defrosted it)
• 1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste (2 cans next time)
• 2/3 cup water (1 1/3 cup next time)
• 2 tablespoon hot sauce (4 tablespoon next time)
• 1/4 bag of taco seasoning mix (1/2 next time)
• 1 package (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together chicken and sour cream.
3. In another bowl, mix cilantro, beans, green chile peppers, and corn. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix the tomato paste, water, hot sauce, taco seasoning.
5. Spoon a layer of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
6. Layer tortillas on top of the tomato mixture.
7. Spread more sauce, then chicken mixture the bean/corn mixture then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat layers until desired amount (I usually do 3).
8. For the top, spread the tomato sauce then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
9. Cover with foil and put it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until melded together and bubbly.
10. Serve with more cilantro and a side of fresh avocado. Yum...

Footnotes
Make the meat layer thin to cut the richness.

Verdict
Served it to Bao and Anh 2 Mike. Anh 2 Mike had seconds. Both says it was good but could use more sauce.

Classic Lasagna

Well, kind of classic because it's a red sausage with cheese and sausage...not so classic since I put sriracha, sugar and soy sauce in it. But that's the secret, family! Sounds weird but oh so delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 box lasagna noodles, cooked
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
• sriracha, to taste (optional)
  
• sugar, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• soy sauce, to taste (optional)
  
• 1 8oz tub of ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley (or basil), chopped
  
• 1 (2 cup) bag of shredded mozzarella
• Parmesan cheese
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Cook sausage in pan until brown. Add spaghetti sauce and season with sugar, sriracha, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, parsley and egg until combined.
4. In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, put a layer of sauce on the bottom so the noodles won't stick and you will get clean cuts.
5. Next layer noodle, then ricotta, mozzarella and meat sauce. Repeat 3x or until you only have 4 noodles left.
6. Top with mozzarella & Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or golden brown.
   

Ga Kho Gung (Carmelized chicken with ginger)

I thought that since I'm a mom now, I should seriously start trying to cook like mine. Trust me, I've tried before and fail miserable every time, some how, I think I got it. I made this last night. (Now I know why Mom cooks in the garage...my house STILL smells like nuoc mam today!)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup mam
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tbsp ginger, shredded
• Sprachia hot sauce
  

Directions:
Put oil in to a skillet on medium high. Brown the chicken in two batches and set aside.
Put the sugar in the skillet and cook until brown. Add mam and water until boiling.
Add chicken back in and cook covered for 30 minutes.
Remove cover and cook until the sauce reduces and is thicken. Add some Sprachia hot sauce to taste.
Serve with rice.

*Don't forget to use the pot to make Com Bac 7, sisters! That's the best part!

Deviled Chicken

Please siblings, if you should try any of the recipes I post, please make it be this one! I made this on a whim tonight based on things I had on hand, and it was quite a pleasant surprise! Used a recipe off of allrecipes.com but made some modifications with things I like to cook with and recommendations made by commentors. Served it on a bed of mac and cheese, and will definitely keep this recipe in my usual rotation of recipes!

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup butter
• 1/2 cup miracle whip
• 2 tablespoons spicy honey mustard
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package Stovetop corn bread stuffing mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Empty stuffing mix ontp a baking sheet or cutting board and crush the bread crumbs to minimize large pieces
3. Melt butter/margarine and mix in a small bowl with mayonnaise and mustard. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl or plate.
4. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Roll seasoned chicken breasts in mayonnaise mixture, then dredge in stuffing mix and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Creamy Sausage & Mushroom Penne

I modified this from Giada's recipe I watched her do on my day off with the kids. I added meat of course. LOL. I'm sure it's delicious without the meat, but for my house it doesn't feel like dinner unless there's protein in it. You can take the meat out and it's completely a vegetarian dish since you use veggie stock. It's delicious and easy! Try it out!

Ingredients

* 1 pound penne pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
* 2 shallots, minced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound assorted mushrooms, (such as cremini, shiitake and button), cleaned and sliced
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1/2 cup vegetable stock
* 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Meaty Pineapple Curry Fried Rice

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients

• 2 cans of light SPAM cut into hearty cubes
  
• 3 sticks lap chang sausages halved lengthwise, diced
  
• 1 shallot minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro roughly chopped
  
• 1 cup pineapple wedges into quarters lengthwise. Reserve 4 tablespoons of juice.
  
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3 carrots diced
  
• 1/4 large red onion diced
  
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 4 large eggs lightly beaten with pinch of kosher salt
  
• 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
• 5 cups cold cooked brown rice
• kosher salt
  
• 1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, as desired

Directions

• Using a wok, working in batches, pan fry SPAM until lightly crispy. Remove and set aside
• Pan fry lap chang until lightly crispy. Remove and set aside.
  
• Pour out excess oil.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Add carrots and onion and cook until carrots are tender. Remove and set aside.
  
• Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry.
  
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil to wok and add shallot and garlic to wok and stir fry for a few seconds.
• Add SPAM, lap chang, carrots, onions, and peas to wok and stir fry for a few minutes.
  
• Add rice and soy sauce.
  
• When rice is heated through add pineapple wedges and reserved juices.
  
• Add curry powder and mix well.
• Add salt to taste.
  
• Add cilantro and quickly stir fry for a few more minutes.
• Serve immediately.
  

Orange Barbeque Salmon Taco with Red Cabbage Slaw and Chipotle White Sauce

We found this highly-rated Bobby Flay recipe on FoodTV.com and adjusted it to make our lives easier. Bobby Flay has this intimidating long list of ingredients to make his own BBQ sauce...we simply used premade BBQ sauce and added the flavor components not usually found in BBQ sauce. We're not sure if it tastes like Chef Flay's, but it was still delicious. The grill fish made this a pretty light meal. We also used both salmon & tilapia and I think we all liked the tilapia more.

Here is the adjusted recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) salmon fillets (or tilapia fillets)
  
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Orange BBQ Sauce, recipe follows
• 8 (6-inch flour) tortillas, cut to size
• Chipotle White Sauce, recipe follows
• Red Cabbage Slaw, recipe follows
• Cilantro leaves

Directions

Heat grill to high.

Brush salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill the salmon skin-side down for 3 to 4 minutes or until charred and a crust has formed. Brush with some of the BBQ sauce, flip over and continue grilling for 2 to 3 minutes for medium doneness. Remove from the grill and brush with more of the sauce. Let rest 5 minutes and flake with a fork

Grill tortillas for 20 seconds per side. Divide the salmon among the tortillas, top with the red cabbage slaw and smoked chile sauce and cilantro leaves; fold and eat.

Orange BBQ Sauce:

• Prepared BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Ray Ray
• Splash of fresh orange juice
• Pinch of sugar
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chipotle White Sauce:

• 1 cup prepared mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chipotle puree
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Red Cabbage Slaw:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (We omitted this)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded

Combine all ingredients, except cabbage and onions, in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place cabbage in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and let sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Sloppy Chicken Mini Sammies

I got the recipe from Rachael Ray. Don't let the picture turn you off, these are delicious! Quick and easy, and a great recipe to make changes to and experiment with! I replaced the mustard with sweet and spicy honey mustard, added another half tablespoon of brown sugar and used sriracha for hot sauce, of course.


Ingredients

• 12 bake-off dinner rolls, any brand
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning blend by McCormick)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 rounded tablespoonfuls spicy brown mustard
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

Heat the oven as directed on package of bake-off rolls. Arrange the rolls on a nonstick cookie sheet and sprinkle the rolls with about 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/3 palmfull. Bake rolls until golden and soft and remove.

While rolls cook, heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil then melt butter into the oil and add chicken. Crumble and brown meat 3 to 4 minutes then add in the garlic and onions. Add 1 tablespoon smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons of grill seasoning to the chicken. Continue to cook over medium-high heat.

Mix hot sauce, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar, mustard in a small bowl then stir into the meat and reduce heat to low. Stir in about 1/2 cup of water to keep the mix loose as it simmers. Simmer gently 10 minutes. Split rolls and scoop chicken into them and serve.

Chicken Marinade

I thought it was time I start using marinades so I found this one on Allrecipes.com that sounds good. I didn't measure and it turned out great. I also omitted the liquid smoke because we didn't have any.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used a little dark soy for color)
  
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring (Didn't have any)
  
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (Didn't have any)
  
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper (Used white pepper instead)
  
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. Place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and allow chicken to marinate a maximum of 4 hours in the refrigerator. (I marinade for 30 mins)
   
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Fettucine Alfredo

I made this one up! Using store-bought alfredo sauce made this a pretty quick dinner option. I did kick it up by adding zest of one lemon to bring out the lemon in the chicken and the Trader Joe's lemon pepper pappardelle pasta.

Ingredients:

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• salt
• pepper
• juice of one lemon
• olive oil
• paprika
• garlic powder
• 1 pkg of Trader Joe's pappardelle pasta
• 1 jar of Trader Joe's alfredo sauce
• zest of the same lemon above
• parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Zest lemon and set aside. Chop up parsley and set aside.
2. Put olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and the chicken breasts in a gallon freezer bag. Mix it around and let marinade in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put some oil in an oven-safe pan on the stovetop at medium-high heat. Get chicken from the fridge. Make sure the pan is hot then put the chicken on. Brown both sides of the chicken (approximately 2-3 minutes on each side).
4. Put the pan in the oven for 25 minutes or when the internal temperature of the chicken is 180 degrees (juices will run clear when pierced) and take out and let rest.
5. Boil water and cook pasta to package instructions.
   
6. Drain al dente pasta and using the same pot you boiled the pasta with, heat up alfredo sauce. Add lemon zest to sauce.
   
7. Toss pasta in the sauce pan.
8. Slice chicken and serve with a slice of lemon.
9. Definitely eat with freshly squeezed lemon juice. It cuts through the richness of the alfredo.

Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta

Boeuf Bourguignon avec Nouilles Aux Oeufs

Inspired by the movie, Julie & Julia

Made this using chuck and serve on top of egg noodles.
Original recipe created by Julia Child | Serves 3

Kitchen Supplies:

• 5 quart dutch oven
  
• Slotted spoon

Boeuf Bourguignon:

• 6 ounces bacon (use plain salt-cured)
  
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
• 1 1/4 pound lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes (I used chuck)
  
• 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 brown onion, cut into eighths
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti (can also use a Shiraz or Syrah
  
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• Crumbled bay leaf
• Blanched bacon rind
• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter (recipe below)
  
• Parsley sprigs
• Cooked egg noodles
  

Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Add oil to dutch oven and sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Raise the heat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Set the beef aside with the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Remove the vegetables to a side dish and pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef, bacon, and vegetables to the dutch oven and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set the dutch oven uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove dutch oven from the oven and put it on the stove top. Turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock into the dutch oven so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef, bacon, and vegetables to it. Distribute the cooked mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in on a platter on top of egg noodles and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.



Recipe for Sauteed Mushrooms

Kitchen Supplies:

• 10-in skillet
  

Sauteed Mushrooms:

• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Place skillet over high heat with butter and oil. As soon as you see the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute, the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes, the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls

Isn't it beautiful?

In my adventure to learn to cook more proteins, I found this chicken recipe from Allrecipes.com. Fool-proof method on Allrecipes? Go for the one with hundreds of reviews still in the 4 1/2 stars and up range and read the comments from other cooks.

Anyways, Anh 2 Mike & I were skeptical to if chicken would look good sent straight to the oven so I pan-seared it on medium-high until brown then put it in the oven.

OMG! This has to be the best chicken I cooked to date. Usually when I cook chicken (unless it's in a casserole), I hate it. It's dry, over cooked and just unappealing. Today's chicken was so good, I'm so proud of myself. Who knew! I definitely recommend this recipe and in the future want to try it with artichoke heart and Parmigiana Reggiano.

Here is the recipe with my modifications (Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com):

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
• 1 cup prepared basil pesto
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Approximately 4 sundried tomatoes per chicken, julienne
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Put about 1-2 tablespoon of oil in an oven-safe pan (we used our cast iron skillet) and heat up on medium high.
   
3. Salt and pepper the chicken.
4. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto sauce onto each flattened chicken breast.
   
5. Spread shredded cheese over the pesto. Roll up tightly, and secure with toothpicks.
   
6. Place the chicken in the hot pan seam side down. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes a side or until golden brown. Put the oven-safe pan into the oven
   
7. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken is nicely browned and juices run clear (I checked to see when the internal temperature was 180 degrees).
   

Lime and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini

I wanted to start working on cooking proteins more. Bao and Anh 2 Mike says the flavor is good but I think I learned something today...I don't like salmon. I only like salmon raw or cooked. I just don't like the taste of cooked salmon...and I cooked it perfectly, not overcooked at all (according to the difficult critics, Anh 2 Mike and Bao).

But if you like salmon, this is a good recipe. I learned that the rice took 10 minutes to cook before adding the salmon in my oven.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel
2 tablespoons honey (I put a lot more than 2 tbsps...more like 5. lol)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)
1 1/2 cups basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces)
3 1/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).

Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly. Tuck broccolini in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccolini is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice; sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

Credits:
Bon Appétit
October 2009
by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Orange-balsamic Glazed Chicken

I was watching TV just like any other day and I saw Rachael Ray making this dish. I looked it up online, and what do you know-- I have all the ingredients! Instead of fresh rosemary however, I used dried and it still turned out great. Wonderful balance of sweet and tangy... enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts or any combination of light and dark meat
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
• 4 cups baby arugula

Directions

In a large pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high to high heat.

Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. When the oil is hot and ripples, add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, vinegar and stock and pour over the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Add the scallions during the last minute of cooking time. Arrange on a serving platter and serve topped with arugula greens.

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

This one we made up and it turned out great. Who really needs a recipe for BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad?

INGREDIENTS

• romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• cilantro, chopped
• cotija cheese, crumbled
• english cucumber, chopped
• tomatoes, chopped
• avocado, chopped
  
• chicken breast, chopped
• Sweet Baby Ray Ray bbq sauce
• Ranch dressing

Directions

• Toss and serve!