Carrie was over tonight to enjoy the first recipe we’ve made from Asian Flavors, a book we’ve been sitting on since Christmas. The chapters in the book are divided by ingredients (for example: lime leaf, coconut, etc.), and the recipes in each section feature that key ingredient. This fried rice dish was featured in the Soy chapter and uses kecap manis, a thick, sweet soy sauce used in many Indonesian dishes.

Carrie says:

Now *this* is a Carrie dinner!

Chris says:

Mmmm… I like the little egg on top. I’m usually not a fan, but this is really paper-thin.

Lisa says:

Yum, I like this dish! Cathy will be glad to hear we finally made something from the book.

Chris says:

It’s almost a meat-stravaganza… small shrimp, jumbo shrimp… chicken…

Lisa says:

So you just followed the recipe exactly?

Chris says:

Pretty much… used a bit less oil than listed below… so there was some sticking to the wok… but that’s a small price to pay!

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
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1 tsp sambal oelek
2 tbsp kecap manis
1 tbsp ketchup
4 tbsp peanut oil
4 scallions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 chicken breast, skinned and cut into small pieces
4 oz frozen peas
8 oz long grain rice, cooked *
4 oz small peeled shrimp
8 jumbo shrimp
1 large egg, beaten

* Cook the rice the day before and refrigerate
Prepare and cook the jumbo shrimp as desired (I marinated in lime juice and grilled them on skewers).
Mix together the first three ingredients and set aside. Heat two tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok and stir-fry the scallions and carrots for two minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and stir-fry for another two minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add 1 tbsp of peanut oil to the wok, increase the heat to high, and stir-fry the chicken for two minutes. Return the vegetables to the wok, add the peas, rice, and small shrimp and pour in the sambal oelek mixture. Toss the ingredients together over the heat for three minutes until piping hot. Pile into a serving dish, arrange the jumbo shrimp around, and transfer to a low oven to keep warm.
Heat the remaining peanut oil in a small skillet, add the egg, and cook until it sets as a thin omelet. Tip out of the skillet onto a cutting board and cut into strips. Arrange the strips over the rice mixture in a lattice and serve.

4 Servings

A few nights ago Lisa raided the CSA box and made this stir fry, based on one she found on Elise’s site. She changed up the vegetables a bit and cut the oil almost in half (Elise loves her oil)!

Chris says:

Wow the sauce on this is fantastic.

Lisa says:

Yeah, and spicy! I got to use your rooster sauce.

Chris says:

Everything’s better with rooster sauce…

Lisa says:

The tofu and the rice make this a lot more filling than I thought it would be.

Chris says:

I know! I’m kind of full but I’m going to eat more anyway — it’s all veggies so I know I’ll just be hungry later on.

Lisa says:

I’m going to save the rest for my lunch.

Chris says:

Sorry sucka — “the rest”? “The rest” is already in my belly.

Mushroom and Tofu Stir Fry
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Glaze
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup of chickenbroth

Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 Tbsp corn starch

Vegetables
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb of cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup onion
4 oz extra-firm tofu
1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
1 cup carrots, in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 1b bok choy stems, in 1/2-inch dice
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a bowl and the sauce ingredients together in a different bowl. In a third bowl, mix the garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large, stick-free skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and tofu, and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and use tongs to turn the mushrooms to brown the other side. When mushrooms are browned and tender, about 5 minutes, increase the heat to medium-high and add the glaze. Cook, stirring to coat the mushrooms, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer mushrooms to a large bowl. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.
Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet on medium-high heat until the pan begins to smoke. Add carrots and broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cover skillet. Cook until carrots are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates. Transfer carrots to bowl with mushrooms. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel.
Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet on medium high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the bell pepper and bok choy stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add leafy greens and cook for a minute further. Push the veggies to the side of the pan and add the garlic-ginger mixture in the clearing. Cook 15 seconds, until fragrant, and then mix in with the other vegetables.
Add all the vegetables back into the pan (mushrooms, carrots, etc.). Add the sauce to the pan. Mix well and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and all the vegetables are coated with the sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately with rice.

4 Servings

Tonight I made Chicken Machaca — a stir-fry with southwestern flavors — and Mexican Red Rice. Both of these recipes come from The Border Cookbook, which focuses on home cooked meals from the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. This is another one of those books where we’ve yet to find a dud.

Chris says:

I love the consistency of this rice. It’s really moist without being goopy. Much better than those “just add water” pre-mix ones you can buy.

Lisa says:

Yum, I really like it. What was all that grinding going on in here?

Chris says:

I used the coffee grinder for the cumin in the chicken and to grind New Mexico chiles for the rice.

Lisa says:

I’m glad we’re getting some use out of that thing, we don’t make coffee at home!

Chris says:

Yeah it works perfectly! And the freshly ground spices seem to be more intense than those jars that have been sitting in the cabinet for months.

Lisa says:

I [heart] fajitas, and this chicken is almost like fajitas.

Chris says:

Yeah it’s really close… but what it’s stir-fried with has a much different flavor than you usually find with fajitas. There’s soy sauce in there.

Lisa says:

Well I [heart] them just the same!

Chicken Machaca
—————
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
cilantro, for garnish

Pound the chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness, then cut in long 1/2-inch wide strips. In a large skillet over high heat, warm the oil. Swirl the oil around the pan to coat completely, and add the chicken. Cook the chicken, stirring often, until just done. Remove with a slotted spoon to another plate and set aside. Add the onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeño and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and cumin. Cook another 2 minutes, then add the chicken back to the pan and heat through.
Garnish with cilantro.

4-6 Servings

Mexican Red Rice
—————-
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp ground New Mexico chile
3/4 tbsp salt

In a medium saucepan, warm the peanut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the rice and tomatoes, stirring for a couple of minutes so that the rice is coated with the oil. Add the stock, chile, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let steam, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

4-6 Servings

Tonight’s we had an onionstravaganza! Mujadara, a Lebanese rice and lentil dish topped with blackened onions, paired with chicken cooked with onions, tomato, and hot pepper, served family-style. The chicken recipe comes from Secrets of Healthy Middle Eastern Cuisine.

Chris says:

I could have made the chicken spicier; our red pepper’s not hot enough.

Lisa says:

Yeah it’s not super-hot. Maybe add more onions.

Chris says:

True; doesn’t the surgeon general recommend 8 entire onions a day?

Lisa says:

We’re almost there now! So good … I love the sweet taste of the rice!

Chris says:

I love the onion taste of the everything.

Mujadara
——–
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion , chopped
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice

3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried lentils , rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
2 large onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
yogurt
mint

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates; top with blackened onions. Garnish with tomatoes, yogurt, and mint.

Chicken in Hot Sauce
——————–
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp hot red pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium onions, sliced
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup water

Cut the chicken into 2″ pieces and coat with 1/2 tsp of the red pepper. Sautee the chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the onions to the pan with a couple tbsps of water; cook until translucent. Return the chicken to the pan, and add the tomato paste, water, and the rest of the hot red pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

4 Servings

Tonight’s recipe came from Fitness Food, and was just delicious! Chicken marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices grilled and served with a rice made with cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and currants. This one’s a keeper.

Lisa says:

This is *so* good.

Chris says:

Yeah, super good! I always wondered how the chicken turned that color when I’ve had this in restaurants…

Lisa says:

How *did* it get that color?

Chris says:

From the tandoori spice mix… I found a few recipes online; you’ll never guess what makes it that red — food coloring!

Lisa says:

What the? Really?

Chris says:

Yep, nutty. Mmmm, the lemon really brings out the flavor in this marinade.

Lisa says:

It rules. By the way, I love this rice.

Chris says:

Even with the currants?

Lisa says:

Yep — I usually don’t like fruit in stuff, but these are small — they add a nice texture to the rice.

Tandoori Chicken Skewers & Rice
——————————–
1 1/2 tbsp tandoori spice powder
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 2/3 lb chicken breast fillets
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 bruised cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp currants

Place the spice powder, yogurt, lemon juice, and chicken in a glass dish. Mix well to combine, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Prepare 8 bamboo skewers by soaking them in cold water for 30 minutes.
Prepare the rice: rinse the rice in cold water until it runs clear and set aside. In a saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cumin seeds and cook for 5 minutes or until onions are softened. Add the rice, cardamom, cinnamon, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the currants, and stir. Season with salt and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
While the rice is doing its thing, add the chicken to the skewers so they are evenly distributed. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Add the skewers and cook for 12-15 minutes, turning frequently, until done. Serve the skewers on the rice with mango chutney, lemon wedges, and cilantro.

4 Servings