Jul 15, 2009

What does one do with an abundance of chicken? I mean, I have a troth of chicken breasts that were on sale. When they go on sale – I buy! Another chicken recipe! And this one – talk about quick. I started it at about 9 PM – by 9:17 I was eating. I think the fact that I was taking pictures is really what did it!

This time it’s a quick one. I picked up some fresh basil and fish sauce and I used a red bell pepper that I already had on hand to whip this one up in a flash.

It’s a simple equation. You know how two plus two equal four. Well, chicken plus basil equal Thai Sweet Basil Chicken!

The Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
- 3 cloved of garlic, chopped
- 1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 10 leaves of basil, sliced or chopped (your preference)
- 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 1/2 cup of hoisin sauce
- salt and pepper
- Any type of noodle, prepared per instructions
- red pepper flakes – optional

The Method
In a smoking hot skillet, add oil. When oil begins to waft add the chicken. You want to hear a sear. Stir until chicken is almost done. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper. Then add in bell pepper, garlic, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook until sauce thickens and is fragrant. Spoon over noodles and enjoy.

I dare you try it. THIS is perfect for a mid-week meal. There ar
e leftovers…guess who’s going to be happy tomorrow during his lunch break?

-DTW

Jul 9, 2009

Sometimes meals are so good, you just have to post about them twice…right?

Who doesn’t love fried fish? Well, in the South there’s a pretty standard meal that typically consists of fried catfish and grits. All I’ve done is stepped it up a notch with sauteed spinach and a healthy saucing of Chardonnay Cream.

Here’s the recipe:

For the catfish:
2 catfish fillets
Sazon by Goya (2 packets)
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 cup of stone ground corn meal
Vegetable oil, for frying

Liberally season fish with Sazon, salt, pepper, and paprika. Allow to sit for up to 30 minutes to marinate. Preheat oil to 360 degrees. Dredge fish in corn meal and deep fry until golden brown. When done remove from oil and drain thoroughly on paper towels.

For the grits:
2 ½ cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups of stone ground grits or polenta
1 teaspoon of salt
½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of butter

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add salt and grits and stir continuously. Once grits have thickened and cooked through add in butter, cheese, and cream. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook through until thick and creamy. Remember, you can’t rush this process – you will need about 30 minutes to cook grits properly.

For the sautéed spinach:
3 cups of fresh spinach
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Combine everything in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Cook through until spinach has wilted to your desire. Be sure to mix well to ensure all seasonings have been thoroughly incorporated.

For the Chardonnay Cream Sauce:
1 medium shallot minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of butter
½ cup of Chardonnay
½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup of Asiago cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium sauce pan sauté shallots and garlic cloves in the butter until soft. Start sauté on medium heat and be sure not to brown too much. Add Chardonnay and let reduce by half. Turn heat to low and add in cream, parsley, and cheese and stir until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon sauce over entire dish.

Enjoy the pictures!

Jul 6, 2009

So what do you do with sweet peppers? You make a vinaigrette. And what do you do with salmon? Skewer it and make a quick BBQ. Isn’t that what everyone does? No, seriously. So let me tell you how simple this is. It’s this simple (holds up hands to demonstrate).

For the salad – just add stuff. I had crispy romaine, sweet dried cranberries, golden raisins, salty kalamata olives, soft apricots, and a dusting of fontinella cheese. The vinaigrette was so simple.

-2 sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of good olive oil

Just throw everything into a blender except for the olive oil. Then stream in the olive oil slowly. See – that’s it. It’s some good stuff too. I wonder how simple it’d be to bottle the stuff up. Oh well, one day.

The salmon skewers – just as simple. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and then marinated in the BBQ sauce. I used the sauce (not the same as I marinated – you gotta throw that out – no cross contamination).

Here’s the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- 1 cup of ketchip
- 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of cider vinegar

You just put everything into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. When it boils, it’s done. See – S.I.M.P.L.E.

Enjoy!