What's For Dinner?

Kung Pao Chicken

3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
2 Tbls.  soy sauce
1 Tbls. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbls. corn starch
1 Tbls. sesame oil
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1  1/2 # boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1/4 canola or peanut oil
1-2 tsp. hot red chile flakes(or more if you prefer)
2 Tbls. fresh ginger, minced
6 scallions, sliced thin (separate white from green parts)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup, salted roasted peanuts,  rough chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup white rice, rinsed and cooked

Combine together the following ingredients: the chicken stock, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and 1 Tbls. of corn starch. Whisk together.  Put the chicken pieces in a separate large bowl, season with salt and pepper and then add the remaining 1/4 cup of corn starch. Toss.

Heat about half of the oil in a large skillet(12") over medium-high heat. It's best not to use a non stick pan. Saute the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. It will likely stick to the pan and that's okay...even preferable. After 4-5 minutes, remove chicken from pan to a dish and set aside. It won't be fully cooked yet.

Add another Tbls. of oil along with the chile flakes, the whites of the scallions and the ginger. Stir and let cook for about one minute. Add the red pepper and the celery and continue stiring and cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and let it almost completely cook down so there is very little liquid remaining. This will help loosen some of the chicken that is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the chicken broth mixture(stir first). The sauce should thicken right away. Continue stiring until chicken is fully cooked in a few minutes. Cut into a large piece just to be sure. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve over rice. Top with green scallions and peanuts. 

I have been pre-cooking my celery as I find it too crunchy if stir fried for just a few minutes. It is a matter of preference though. I just boil it for about 4 minutes prior to cooking. It does add another step but I like it better this way. Also, if you have any fresh basil leaves in the fridge, add them at the end. They add a lovely flavor to the dish. Here are some good Chinese Recipes.

Pizza

What follows is the recipe for the dough. Keep in mind that you can buy pizza dough at many markets and directly from local pizza restaurants. If you want to make it yourself, here is a recipe that works and tastes great. It makes four 12" pizzas or two 14" pizzas.

1/4 cup warm tap water(about 110 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
4 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups cold tap water
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Activate the yeast by adding it to 1/4 warm water along with the sugar. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to rise. Put the cold water in the bottom of a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the oil, flour, salt, and the yeast mixture. If using a food processor, use the dough hook  and mix for about 10 minutes on low. The dough should come together and form a sticky ball after a few minutes. Continue mixing for the whole 10 minutes. If using your hands, work the ingredients together and then remove from the bowl and kneed for about 15-20 minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl(olive oil cooking spray works well) and cover tightly with plastic. Put the bowl in the fridge and let the dough rise overnight.

About 45 minutes before desired dining time, remove the dough from the fridge. Also, preheat the oven to 490 degrees and put a pizza stone in the oven to heat up.  Let the dough sit on a cutting board and cover it with plastic. Separate into 4 equal sections if wanting to make the 12" pizzas. Start to flatten and loosen up the dough. It usually will resist some so let it sit for several minutes and then come back and work it some more. After a few rests you should be able to work the dough into a 12" pizza crust.  When you are ready to cook the pizza, sprinkle some cornstarch on the pizza stone. Place the dough on top. I sometimes roll it with a rolling pin while it's on the stone to flatten and stretch it more. 

I use a pastry brush to put olive oil on the outside edge of the crust for extra flavor.

Top with tomato sauce and cheese. Add desired toppings such as roasted red peppers, spinach, mushrooms, sausage, and basil. After many pizzas, I have found that one topping alone is better than loading it up with several different ones.

Bake for about 6-7 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Gallo Pinto or Costa Rican Rice & Beans

1 cup raw white rice
1 3/4 cups water or stock
1-2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful cilantro leaves, chopped
1 16oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce (more if desired)
2 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce(more of desired)

Rinse the rice in cold water a few times(I do three rinses), drain, and put in a pot with the water or stock. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and lower heat to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes and let sit for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper and the jalapeno. Saute for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 2-3 more minutes. Add the cilantro and cook for an additional minute or 2.  Add the cooked rice and the black beans to the skillet and combine well. Season with salt, pepper and the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir again and heat through.

This is a delicious and filling vegetarian meal. I served it with sauted spinach. Gallo Pinto is great as a side dish or a main dish.  Try it with eggs for breakfast. The Costa Ricans eat it at nearly every meal. I couldn't get enough of it when we visited years ago. Mexican Recipes.

Marinated Grilled Chicken

2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbls. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
a few grinds of black pepper
1-2 # chicken(either boneless or bone-in) breasts or legs or both

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the marinade or put the chicken in a large zip lock bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for a few hours.

Grill or broil the chicken. Do your best NOT to overcook the chicken. Take chicken off the grill earlier than you might normally, cover with foil, and let sit for about 10 minutes. It will continue cooking. Check doneness by cutting into a piece.

I used 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the above picture. I also halved the marinade amount. The breasts took about 5-6 minutes on each side to cook maximum. If you pound the breasts beforehand, they will cook even faster. Bone-in chicken will take longer.

The vegetables were grilled before the chicken. I tossed them with oilve oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Easy.

This is one of my favorite marinades and have been using it for over 10 years.