Sweet and Sour Pork with Pork Fried Rice

I'm participating in a cooking event on Recipezaar called Zaar World Tour 4. We are trying recipes from or inspired by various regions from around the world. Apparently we don't visit all regions for each tour, this time we are doing Asia (huge region, I'm surprised it isn't broken down more since there is so much variation), Germany and Benelux, Italy, Canada, Central and South America, Africa (except for the northern part), Eastern Europe, and Greece.

This week we are working on Asia and Germany and Benelux. Italy is a Wild Card that we can do until the end of the game.

On Saturday night, I did my first recipe, we have until June 5th to complete it, but apparently starting on Saturday was a bit later than we were supposed to do. I wasn't happy about that, I figured that as long as it was done by the 5th it was no big deal. I digress....

I decided to start with an Asian dish. I had Pork defrosting, so decided to make pork fried rice and Lee said he wanted Sweet and Sour Pork Balls to go with it. I didn't feel like getting any ground pork, so I found a recipe for regular Sweet and Sour Pork and did that.

These recipes turned out pretty well. I would prefer the Sweet and Sour Pork without the pepper, but Lee loved it and I had to make extra for him to eat with some of the leftover rice. I added some extra soy sauce to the rice to give it a bit more flavour.

This recipe I used makes A LOT of rice!!! Apparently it wasn't too much for Lee because I realized today there isn't any more rice left. Lee ate it all!

I am so happy that I made Chinese food! I always think of this stuff as food I can never make myself, but apparently that's not true!

Rice Pilaf with Chicken and Vegetables

Well, after a longer day with a baby shower, cleaning, and some grocery shopping, I decided I needed an easy dinner. I was so excited from a great grocery shopping trip where I got $108 worth of stuff for $36, plus got a coupon for $5 off my next shopping trip. I am so proud of myself for that trip!

Well, I just couldn't really think properly about dinner, so I decided to just use up some vegetables I had bought earlier in the week and do a variation of a dinner I make with rice pilaf, chicken, diced tomatoes, and corn. I wanted to use up some zucchini, squash, and broccoli, so decided to use them instead. After chopping up the zucchini and squash, I realized the vegetables would overwhelm the chicken and rice if I also used the broccoli, so I left that out. This turned out pretty well. The liquid from the vegetables is really hot, so it takes a little longer to cool off enough to eat than the other version, but still quite good.

I really need to start setting aside some of these dinners to keep for my lunch the next day because Lee feels he eats too much and I would like some of these dinners as leftovers. It would really be best for everyone if I could remember to do that.

Rice Pilaf with Chicken and Vegetables
1 box Near East® Chicken flavored Rice Pilaf
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 small to medium zucchini, diced
1 small to medium yellow squash, diced

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Over medium heat, cook chicken until almost cooked through.
3. Add vegetables, cover and cook for a few more minutes or until tender.
4. Drain vegetables and chicken, return to sauté pan, and add rice.
5. Mix well and serve.
   

Spicy Rotel Chicken Skillet Meal

Tonight I had to work late because of conferences, so I needed something quick and easy for dinner. It took me longer to decide what to make than it did to make the actual recipe!

I found a recipe for Rotel Spicy Skillet Chicken on Recipezaar and decided to try that. I wasn't sure what to make with it for the rice, but I ended up going with some plain long grain rice where I put in some bullion cubes with the water to give it a bit of flavor.

This was so easy to make and it turned out delicious! The mushrooms were incredible when I bit into them and the Rotel and onions mixed in well with the rice. The only problem is that I forgot to add the final touch of some shredded cheese on top! I'll definitely make this again, with cheese.

Also, I almost forgot to make the salad, but remembered at the last minute and I've made it two days in a row.

¡Entomatado de Pollo, Salsa, y Torillas!

I've been interested in Mexican food a lot lately. I've learned that what we, in the U.S., usually think of as Mexican isn't really authentic. I was reading Ben's blog at What's Cooking? and I borrowed a couple of Mexican cookbooks from the library. The more I read, the more I wanted to try to make some authentic Mexican food.

On What's Cooking? I saw a recipe for a dish called Entomatado de Pollo and thought it sounded really good. I've never noticed tomatillos at my local markets, but I've never looked. The rest of the ingredients were easy enough to get, so I decided to give it a go.

Some notes about the ingredients:

Tomatillos are little green tomatoes. They are a little more tart than the red ones, I guess the best way to describe them is to say they are the Granny Smith apples of the tomato family. On Ben's blog, he posted a picture of tomatillos. From the picture, I thought they'd be the same size as regular tomatoes, but they are actually quite a bit smaller. The tomatillos were about the size of a cherry tomato, though some were closer to the size of a clementine or tangerine. The tomatillos have husks on the outside like corn. When buying tomatillos, you should look for ones that are more green in color and are firm to the touch. The husks should still be close to the tomatillo. I actually found some at two stores. The first store had tiny tomatillos and I barely got enough good ones for a 1 lb. I guess they aren't bought too often because there were a lot that were going bad, the cashiers at both stores also had to ask me what they were! The second store had better tomatillos and they were also slightly larger.


My local Price Chopper, the store with the better tomatillos, also carries Mexican Oregano. It was very inexpensive, at $1.99 for the container, and it is worth it to buy some for cooking Mexican dishes. The Mexican Oregano has a different flavor than the Mediterranean kind. It is more fragrant and intense in flavor than the regular oregano as well. You can read more about Mexican Oregano at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's website.

I decided that I would make a salsa and chips to eat before the meal. Since I found better tomatillos at Price Chopper, the second store I went to, I had a total of 2lbs. tomatillos. I figured I'd make two types of salsa, one red and one green. I forgot to make sure to get corn tortillas at the store, and bought flour by mistake. I figured I'd go ahead and use the flour ones, although I do prefer the taste to corn tortilla chips. I had to go get my boyfriend while I was making the salsa and chips, so I didn't fry them, I just coated them with oil and baked them since it wouldn't have been safe to leave a pot of oil on the oven while going to get him, but I could run out between batches of baked chips. My red salsa was a little watery, but had an excellent flavor. The heat came in as part of the aftertaste so it had an interesting blend of initial cool, then heat. I prefer my salsa verde to the one I had at Moe's. My boyfriend didn't like the salsa verde at Moe's but said he liked mine.

Now it was time for the main dish. Since Lee was late getting out of work, I scrapped my plans to try to make authentic Mexican rice and used the box of Spanish Rice flavored Rice-a-Roni instead. Everything I've heard and read says that Mexican rice is tricky even for professional chefs, so with all the other new things, I thought I'd just go with a box mix for today. I'll try the authentic rice another time. I have never had the Spanish Rice before, and it was really good! I wasn't expecting to need a can of diced tomatoes, but I just diced up two tomatoes I bought today, and used a can of Rotel.

The Entomatado de Pollo was easy to make. The most difficult part was cutting the tomatillos. The smaller ones were quite firm and weren't very easy to chop. Other than that, it was a breeze and it tasted delicious!

All in all, I'd definitely make this again and would be sure to make some authentic Mexican Rice to go with it. I can't wait to try more authentic Mexican food and have some of this again for lunch tomorrow!

Oh, I'm sorry about the bad picture quality for the Entomatado de Pollo picture. I usually take several photos and post the best, but I accidentally dropped my camera in the food after that picture and thought I'd give it a break for a bit...

I am rating this 4 out of 5 stars because the red salsa was a bit water for my tastes.

Salsa

You can use this recipe to make either red or green salsa. For green salsa, simply exchange the tomatoes for tomatillos. You could make this without roasting the tomatoes/tomatillos and peppers, but it would not have the same flavor.

Salsa de Molcajete
2 jalapeño peppers (or 4 Serrano peppers)
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
3 medium red tomatoes or 4 large tomatillos, husked
½ cup finely chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt, to taste

There are three techniques for roasting the peppers and tomatoes or tomatillos. a) Preheat oven to the broil setting and roast until blackened, turning halfway through, b) use a cast iron skillet and cook on each side until charred (do not add any oil to skillet), or c) Heat one side of the grill and roast vegetables with indirect heat until blackened in spots. The garlic should either be roasted in the broiler or skillet, you'd need a fine mesh grill to keep them from slipping through the bars of a grill.

1. Roast the peppers, tomatoes or tomatillos, and garlic. When done, allow to cool before handling.
   
2. Meanwhile, chop onions, place in a mesh strainer and rinse under cold water.
3. Cut the stems off the chilies and remove the seeds. Peel the garlic cloves.
   
4. Peel tomatoes or tomatillos. Remove charred bits from the chilies.
   
5. Mix tomatoes (recipe calls for unstrained, but I think I'll try straining them a bit next time), garlic and peppers. Blend, or pulse in a blender until desired consistency. Season with lime juice and salt. If serving within an hour or two, add onions and cilantro.

Baked Tortilla Chips

8 large torillas
2 tablespoons oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Brush tortillas with oil and use a sharp knife to cut into eighths.
   
3. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes or until crisp and slightly golden brown.
   

Entomatado de Pollo

4 chicken thighs
1 lemon
salt
pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
¼ white onion, diced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 lb dehusked, chopped tomatillos
2 Chipotle peppers (or more for your tastes)
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano

1. Sprinkle chicken thighs with lemon juice, salt, and pepper on both sides. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours.
   
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onions.
   
3. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until light brown.
4. Turn over thighs and cook for about 4 more minutes.
   
5. You may drain the juices, but the dish will lose flavour. Add tomatillos, peppers, and oregano. Stir, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
   
6. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

My Family Favorite Chicken Wings

Tonight I decided to make my Aunt Jean's recipe for chicken wings. This is a family favorite I grew up with. I've never made these for my boyfriend, my previous attempts ended with spoiled chicken or missing ingredients. Today really was my day for cooking, because it was finally meant to be that I would make these wings. I decided to try my hand at creating a teriyaki rice-a-roni style dish as a side.

My mom would always start to marinate these wings the night before she planned to make them. She turned them halfway and the flavour had really seeped in by then. The wings hadn't defrosted in time for me to start marinating last night, so I started to marinate them first thing this morning. They still tasted excellent, but I prefer them with the extra marinating time.

I wanted a teriyaki rice dish and all the ones I found were fried rice. I didn't have any cooked rice, and at the time I started to look for recipes, I didn't have enough time to cook and cool some, so I decided to make my own version! They turned out pretty well if I do say so myself. My boyfriend said he really liked them too.

Teriyaki Mock Rice-a-Roni
2 tablespoons butter
¼ vermicelli pasta broken into ½-1" pieces
1 cup rice
1¾ cup chicken broth
¼ cup marinade from wings

1. In a sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add vermicelli and rice. Cook until golden brown.
3. Add chicken broth and marinade.
   
4. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Aunt Jean's Chicken Wings
2.5 pounds chicken wings
7.5 ounces soy sauce
4 ounces honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed or powdered
1 cup beef broth

1. Place soy sauce, honey, garlic, and broth in a baking dish. Stir together.
2. Add chicken in a single layer on dish. Cover and marinade for at least three hours. Marinade for up to 24 hours for best flavor.
   
3. Drain and bake in a 350°F oven for approximately 30 minutes.
   
4. My mom feels these are even better as leftovers.
   

Copy Cat Night

I love Boston Market chicken. I used to get it all the time when I lived alone because it was a healthy dinner that I didn't have to make. I wouldn't have been able to get through a full meal like that if I made it at home because I'd get sick of it before it was all gone.

I found a fabulous copy-cat recipe that Lee thinks actually tastes a little better than Boston Market® because it was more juicy. I told him that I've had it taste just as juicy at Boston Market, but it depends on the day. It was actually incredibly easy. I wish that I had more of it. I particularly like the skin and could eat just that! I think I'll let the chicken marinate for a little while before baking next time, or cook for longer at a lower temperature, and see if that helps the flavour seep into the chicken itself more, the meat didn't have enough time to really take on the seasonings. I cooked it in my new Pampered Chef® stoneware baker and I think it's becoming well-seasoned.

I also made homemade Rice-a-Roni®. It's actually pretty easy, I just want to get the flavouring a bit better and I'll be good to go. I think adding one more chicken bullion cube for a higher concentration of flavor might do the trick. I'll try that next time.

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup vermicelli pasta cut into ½" pieces
1 cup long-grain rice
2 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes (I'll try three next time for extra flavour)
1 tbsp parsley flakes

1. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Pour in vermicelli and rice, brown.
3. Add water, bullion cubes, and parsley flakes. Stir until bullion cubes are dissolved and water is boiling.
4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.
   

A Feast to Die For

A couple of weeks ago, or maybe it was just last week...my boyfriend suggested getting new knives because ours are horrible. We then happened to see Alton Brown's Good Eats episode American Slicer where he talked about the types of knives and knife skills. I heard about knife skills classes and decided I wanted to try one. My birthday isn't until May, but he said I could take one as an early birthday present. I was excited to see a class at Johnson and Wales for this Saturday and quickly signed up.

Well, the class wasn't what I expected. We were taught some skills, but then we cooked for half the class and we needed more help with the recipes and finding ingredients and didn't get the attention on knife handling skills that I hoped to get. It was still a fun class and I got to try some FABULOUS new recipes!

I don't have pictures because I was at the class, but here is what we had:

Corn Chowder
Bruschetta
Stuffed Mushrooms
Chicken and Herbs in White Wine
Tomato Basil Pork Chops
Baked Salmon with Pecan Crunch
Sun-Dried Tomatoes Risotto with Mozzarella
Sweet Peas and Spinach

My favorite out of everything was the risotto. it was INCREDIBLE!!! I'll definitely make it at home sometime.

The stuffed mushrooms were marinated in some balsamic vinegar in class, but it's not in the recipe. I don't really like balsamic vinegar and that was what put me off of the mushrooms, so I think I'll try it at home and follow the recipe they gave us.

So...while it wasn't what I was expecting, I did enjoy the class and was able to taste some amazing food.

In the end, I bought a set of Calphalon Contemporary knives. The Shun knives were my favorite, but way out of our price range. I liked the Calphalon Katana knives, but didn't like the handle. I much preferred the handle of the Calphalon Contemporary, and my boyfriend felt the same, so we went with the 17 piece set and I immediately had to try slicing some vegetables to try them out. I used to be unable to cut parsnips, and even my father and boyfriend had trouble cutting them with the old knives. With the new chef's knife I was easily able to slice through a parsnip! I love my new knives!!!