Fried Rice

Tags

Chinese food, dinner, ethnic cooking, Ethnic Food, food, fried rice, meal, recipe, side dish

Chicken Fried Rice
I wasn’t really impressed with this dish, but Hubster enjoyed it (and he can be picky) and thought it was worth posting on the blog. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but I was hoping for better… Maybe my allergies are throwing off my taste buds. This dish can just as easily be made with pork, beef or shrimp.

Fried Rice

Fried Rice Ingredients:
3 c. cubed chicken, 4 Tbs. Teriyaki sauce, 3 c. cooked  rice (cooled), 3 Tbs. olive oil, 5 green onions, 1 Tbs. fried rice seasoning, 2 c. shredded cabbage, 1 c. baby corn, 1 c. bamboo shoots, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 2 eggs

Fried Rice Directions:
Marinate chicken in Teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes. Cook chicken and then set aside. Whisk two eggs in a  small bowl. Heat oil in Wok. Add green onions and sauté. Mix in rice and cook for a few minutes. Add seasoning and soy sauce. Push rice aside and cook eggs in Wok. Scramble eggs and mix through the rice. Add vegetables and meat, mix in throughly. Serve hot.

What did you have for dinner tonight?

*I used brown rice, to make the dish heartier and healthier!

*Instead of shedding the cabbage and carrot, try adding 2 1/4 c. prepackaged coleslaw mix.

Chicken Pot Stickers

Tags

appetizer, chicken dumplings, chicken pot stickers, Chinese dumplings, Chinese food, dumplings, ethnic cooking, ethnic dish, Ethnic Food, food, pot stickers, side dish, snack

Chinese Dumplings
I had some leftover chicken, green onions, 1/2 red bell pepper and a very small amount of cabbage that I wanted to use. I decided to make Chicken Pot Stickers to serve with dinner tonight. I’ve seen them served with some sort of brown sauce, but am not sure of exactly what type of sauce that is. So tonight I served them  and plain. Sometimes, they’re browned on the bottom. I don’t prefer them that way, so I only boiled them. I’m not sure of the exact quantities of the ingredients, but Hubster really liked them, so I hope next time I create them they’re just as delicious.

Chinese Dumplings - Chicken Pot Stickers

Ingredients:
1 cooked chicken breast, 1/2 c. shredded cabbage, 3 green onions, sesame seeds, 1/2 red bell pepper, , rice vinegar, fresh ground pepper, ground ginger, an egg white, 16 round Wonton wrappers

Directions:
Place ingredients in food processor and blend until well mixed. The mixture should be somewhat spreadable, yet also a little chunky. Place a spoonful of mixture into center of wonton wrapper, pull sides up and pinch closed. Allow pot stickers to rest. Bring water to boil in a large pot (I added a dash of soy sauce to the water). Boil for 8-10 minutes, drain water. Serve hot & enjoy!

*This dish could be vegetarian if you use TVP soaked in vegetable broth in place of the chicken.

What’s for dinner at your house tonight?

Chick Pea and Cauliflower Curry

Tags

cauliflower, chick peas, curry, curry vegetables, ethnic, ethnic cooking, ethnic cuisine, Ethnic Food, Garbanzo beans, Indian cuisine, Indian food, tomato, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe

The past few weeks I’ve been on a hiatus due to a much-needed vacation. Originally, I planned to leave a few posts in the queue, but pre-vacation preparations left me with very little time. Also, since I seem to be the queen of camera trouble, my camera battery is completely drained, I have to order a new one, so it may be a while until I have more photos. At least my parents are visiting for a few days, and they’ve been kind enough to share their camera with me. So this month is lacking in posts…

I have a new Butter Chicken recipe I’ve meant to try, but there’s just not enough time to prep it the night before so it can marinate. At a new supermarket I found Butter Sauce in a jar, and thought I’d give it a whirl. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I was hoping. It serves me right for not making it myself. I served it with seasoned lentils over rice, chick pea and cauliflower curry and puppodums.

The winner of the night was my chick pea and cauliflower curry. My curry vegetables were delicious! My recipe below is an estimate, since I usually eye things better than measuring them, when first creating a recipe.

Chick Pea & Cauliflower Curry, Butter Chicken, Rice with Lentils

Chick Pea and Cauliflower Curry Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp. minced onions, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 2 large tomatoes, 1 can Garbanzo beans, 1 bag frozen cauliflower, 2 Tbsp. curry powder, 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, 1 c. water

Chick Pea and Cauliflower Curry Directions:
Over medium-low heat, melt butter with ginger and cumin and soften onions. Cut tomatoes into thin strips and add to butter. Allow tomatoes to completely soften (about 8 minutes). Add cauliflower, chicken peas, tomato paste, curry powder, and water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer covered for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

*If you like it spicier, add more cumin.

There were no leftovers of my curry. I didn’t get my fill, I might make another batch tonight.

What is your favorite curry dish?

CousCous Curried Chicken

Tags

chick peas, chicken, chicken curry, CousCous, cumin, curry, dinner, edible violets, ethnic, ethnic cooking, ethnic cuisine, Ethnic Food, Garbanzo beans, recipe

Last night was the first night all year, that Hubster and I both got to come home from school at the same time. He’s working on his final projects for his graduate courses and took a few days off of his extra-curricular jobs (today will be the only other day we have this time). We finally get to enjoy dinner together at a reasonable time… I decided to play around with a new recipe.

Curried Chicken, Cauliflower, Chick Peas with CousCous

Ingredients:
2 c. dry CousCous, 1 Tbs. butter, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 lb. chicken thighs, 1 (16 oz.) bag frozen cauliflower, 1 (15 oz.) can Garbanzo beans, 4 tsp. vegetable bouillon, 1 Tbs. curry powder, 1 Tbs. ground cumin, fresh picked edible violets

Directions:
Cut chicken into chunks. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink, do not drain juices. Add cauliflower, Garbanzo beans, 1/2 the bouillon, curry, cumin and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Bring 2 c. water, butter and remaining bouillon to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in CousCous and cover. Let stand 5 minutes then fluff with a fork.

To Serve:
Place 1 c. cooked CousCous on plate, spoon curry mixture on top. Garnish with fresh violets.

Curry is one of my favorite spices to use.

What is your favorite spice to cook with?

Chicken Gyro

Tags

bread, chicken gyro, chicken souvlaki, ethnic cooking, ethnic cuisine, ethnic dish, Ethnic Food, flat bread, Greek, Greek dishes, Greek food, grilling, mediterranean, pita, tzatziki

I love Chicken Gyros (or Chicken in a Pita). I rarely get a chance to get them, I haven’t been to a good Greek restaurant in years. Once a year I get one from John the Greek at the Bloomsburg Fair…

I start by making chicken souvlaki, ztatziki and if I have time, homemade pita bread.

Chicken in a Pita

To Assemble:
Layer  an oven fresh pita with the chicken souvlaki, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and top with ztatziki.

Yummy Chicken Gyro

Homemade Pita Bread

Tags

bread, ethnic cooking, ethnic cuisine, ethnic dish, Ethnic Food, flat bread, Greek, mediterranean, pita

The other day I sent Hubster and my father on a wild goose chase for pita bread. Apparently in my small-town, U.S.A., the grocery stores no longer sell pita bread. I was disappointed and excited at the same time. I just got some last week, but now I get to make homemade pita bread. Yum!!!!

Fresh Baked Pita Bread

I found this recipe and decided to give it a go…

I divided the dough into 6 balls and baked them at 450°F for 7 minutes. My baking stone is broken, so I took the advice to use an upside-down baking tray.

Perfect Pita Puff

Overall, I was very pleased with the outcome. Ready to for some tzatziki or hummus now.

After a long sleepless night, at least my pita bread turned out

Spanakopita Triangles

Tags

appetizer, comfort food, dinner, ethnic cooking, ethnic cuisine, Ethnic Food, Greek, Greek dishes, Greek food, party appetizer, recipe, snack, snack recipe

It have been very busy with work, the HS musical and Leo Club; several nights a week I’m still at school at 10 pm. I actually had to buy lunch this week, not just once, but three times! I’ve deprived Hubster of hearty home cooked meals. Don’t worry, he’s not widdling away. Finally Friday, and I am going to indulge in some hot and savory Spanakopita. It may sounds like a strange craving to have, but this Greek dish is a comfort food for me.

Spanakopita

Ingredients:
1 pk frozen* spinach (thawed), 8 oz. crumbled Feta cheese, 1 small onion (minced), 1 Tbs. parsley, olive oil, about 10 Phyllo sheets, 2 eggs, 3 Tbs. flour

Directions:
Sauté onions in olive oil until opaque, drain excess oil and transfer to mixing bowl. Toss in spinach, Feta, eggs, flour and parsley. Taking one Phyllo sheet at a time, fold in half lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Place a portion of spinach mixture at bottom corner. Slowly fold Phyllo into a triangle (like a paper football). Repeat with remaining mixture. Brush the outside of the triangles with olive oil. Bake on an oiled tray at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

Spanakopta Triangles

Remember, the spanakopita triangles will swell and puff a bit.

*Yes, I actually prefer frozen spinach for this recipe. However, if you use fresh spinach make sure it’s washed, dried and de-stemmed before you sauté it.

Some people substitute ricotta cheese for half of the Feta cheese. I do not prefer this method, but you may.

What is your unusual comfort food?