Tag Archives: meat

Soy Glazed Chicken on a Stick

Posted in Non-Vegetarian Main Dish, Simple and Delicious by

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Anything on a stick seems to elevate to the top when it comes to perfect finger foods that are enjoyed by all – although not all of them are good for you (was your first thought corndog??!). But this recipe is truly not that bad at all – especially if you use chicken breast although I used bones, skinless thighs!

I don’t know if this belongs to the true “chicken satay” category. I probably have most of the satay marinade ingredients in this, but this is more of a general Asian flavor than any one particular cuisine. Marinade consists of sweet soy sauce (it is like molasses – dark and thick), regular soy sauce, dark sesame oil, ginger, garlic, honey, rice wine vinegar and green onions.

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There is not much to this recipe. Hardest part is probably cleaning the chicken to remove all excess fat and slicing them into long strips. Other than that, you just let the chicken (on the stick) marinate for a while and cook! Don’t discard the marinade. Boil it up to make a delicious dipping sauce for your chicken on a stick!

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Soy Glazed Chicken on a Stick

  • Servings: 4
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Ingredients
4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cooking spray
12 short bamboo skewers
1 tablespoon peanut butter, optional (for sauce)

Preparation:
1. Begin by preparing the chicken. Trim off excess fat and slice into long strips, about 1″ wide. Thread the chicken pieces through the skewers. Set aside in a shallow dish while you prepare the meat. Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken and then thread through the skewers.
2. Prepare the marinade pan by mixing all the ingredients from dark soy sauce through crushed red pepper. Pour over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Remove the skewers from the marinade and drain the marinade into a small sauce pan. Place the skewers in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Test for doneness. Alternatively, you can grill the chicken as well.
4. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the marinade along with the peanut butter (if using). Bring to a slow simmer and continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes. If the sauce looks too thin, you can thicken it by adding a bit of cornstarch. Taste the sauce and adjust salt/sweetness per your taste.
5. Serve the chicken with the sauce and a side of rice or salad.

Pad Thai Style Asian Noodles

Posted in Non-Vegetarian Main Dish, Pasta by

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Pad Thai is probably the most common Thai dish enjoyed in North America! It is a dish that offers a perfect balance of flavors. One down side is that if you prefer spicy food, this probably won’t be your top choice at a Thai restaurant. I prefer Pad See Ew or other spicy options when we dine at Thai restaurants, but occasionally I do enjoy the delicate flavors of Pad Thai.

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This recipe is inspired by traditional Pad Thai. I say inspired because it uses different blend of sauces/seasoning and vegetables. Served with a side of crispy cucumbers, red onions and jalapeno in a sweet and sour dressing, this noodle will taste light and refreshing.

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Pad Thai Style Asian Noodles

  • Servings: 4
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Ingredients 8 oz wide rice noodles
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups of shredded napa cabbage
1 large carrot, shredded
3 green onions, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 inch piece of ginger, minced
½ lb medium uncooked shrimp or boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon corn starch

Sauce for the noodles 3 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 dime sized ball of tamarind pulp dissolved in ¼ cup warm water
1 clove of garlic, minced,
¼ inch piece of ginger, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 green onion, minced

Garnish
1 lime quartered
¼ cup toasted peanuts, crushed

Preparation
1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare the sauce for the noodles by combining all the ingredients and simmering under low heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large skillet or wok, heat one tablespoon of oil under high heat. Stir fry shrimp (or chicken) coated in cornstarch till cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside till later.
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok and add ginger and garlic, followed by all vegetables. Stir fry the vegetables for about 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the cooked shrimp or chicken and follow with the sauce. Mix well.
6. Add the cooked noodles and gently toss to combine.
7. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime, a generous sprinkling of peanuts and a crisp cucumber salad!

Jamaican Style Meat Curry

Posted in Non-Vegetarian Main Dish by

20140302_193633[1]Mutton, although not as common in the United States, is a shining star in Southeast Asian nations as well as Africa and Caribbean Islands. Mutton curry was/is at least a weekly occurrence in most households in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan mutton, as in India and other southeast Asian  countries, is predominantly derived from goats rather than sheep. Personally mutton from goats tastes leaner than that from sheep. Sheep meat tends to taste a bit gamey – not my first preference by any means. Another note about mutton that you might already know is that it is a red meat. Darn it!

I don’t cook mutton often – few times a year tops! This way we can really relish a good mutton curry every once in a while without risking our lipid panels too much! 🙂 Mutton is one of those things we love but can go for months without missing it! It works out well!

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So, when I came across some mutton at the local grocery store, I bought it on impulse. I think this was the 3rd purchase of mutton in almost 9 months –  not bad eh! Then my recent interest in African and Caribbean cuisines took the better of me and I grabbed a cellophane wrapped package of habaneros in different hues. Oh, what potent fiery bombs are those little guys! I wonder what those lovely Jamaican and African ladies do with the multiple packages of peppers they pile in their shopping carts! Perhaps I will ask one of them during my next shopping trip!

So, this recipe is a deviation from how I would normally prepare mutton. This uses a good amount of curry powder, dash of cayenne and as many habaneros as you can handle while consuming the curry and afterwards! In my case, I tried two peppers for about slight over a pound of meat and ended up scooping out one in the middle of cooking. The other one that was left still made the curry super spicy – and I know spicy, so please be warned! Just an FYI, I used the seeds and all!

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The resulting curry, simmered in wonderfully spiced, fiery, coconut-based gravy was rich and saucy – just the right dish to go with a small serving of white or brown rice or a piece of flat bread. Enjoy!

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Jamaican Style Meat Curry

  • Servings: 4-5
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Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs of mutton or chicken pices cut into 2 to 2 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons oil plus extra tablespoon of oil
1 1/2 tablespoon Jamaican* curry powder plus 1 tablespoon
1 – 2 habanero peppers halved (be very careful handling these. Remove seeds if you don’t want your curry very spicy)
A spring of curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
1/2 cup of diced onions
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce or crushed tomato2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2″ chunks (optional)

Preparation
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or heavy bottomed pan and add 2 tablespoons of curry powder.
2. Brown the mutton pieces in the curry powder spiced oil. Remove to a plate and keep aside.
3. Heat the additional tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, cayenne, additional tablespoon of curry powder, salt, turmeric and habanero. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes under medium heat till onion starts to brown.
4. Add the browned meat pieces, tomato sauce and coconut milk and simmer under low medium heat for about an hour. Check after 3o minutes and adjust salt.
5. If using potatoes, add them in the last 20 minutes of cooking.6. At the end of the cooking time, skim and remove any fat that collects on the top of the gravy.
7. Serve with brown or white rice or roti and sliced cucumbers, tomato and plain yogurt.

* If you don’t have Jamaican curry powder on hand (I didn’t either), use equal amount of Madras curry powder with a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice.