Longevity Noodle in Chicken Broth

My late grandfather told me that people during their time were very poor. They can only have chicken during Chinese New Year, if they can afford it and they look forward to each birthdays because then they will be given an hard-boiled egg (shells dyed red) all to themselves. And if they are lucky, there will be a bowl of Longevity Noodles (长寿面) aka Rice Wheat Noodles (面线) to go with it. They were not suppose to cut or bite the noodles to shorten it because the noodles symbolise longevity. You wouldnt have to shorten your life would you?

Nowadays, people no longer have that for birthday. Perhaps some may not even know the existence of this simple meal. They may not even want to have this for their birthday when they can afford any other food they like. But for me and my husband, its like a tradition. We dont have rich, modernised (read: no cakes) parents. Both our mothers cooked us Longevity Noodles during our birthdays but of course there were chicken, eggs and stuff like that. We are not rich but not that poor either.

So, on my husbands birthday, I took over the role of cooking him this, wishing him health, happiness and of course, longevity.

For those who interested to have this for birthday for a change, its really simple. Blanch noodles before cooking it in broth. Cooking it for 5 minutes is enough. Then just add in the ingredients you like or rather the birthday boy/girl likes. And thats it!

To me its a simple yet meaningful birthday meal, especially if you are cooking it for your elders. Try this, they will appreciate it.

* Longevity Noodle in Chicken Broth with Egg and Abalone *

* the Chicken broth *

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Braised Chicken with Mushroom and Chestnut

We love this dish a lot and when I cook this, the dish is always wiped clean. Everyone has a favourite. My son will eat more of the mushroom. My husband the chicken and I finished up the carrot and chestnuts. I love the chestnuts! It adds sweetness to the dish.

Its almost the same as how I did THIS, except I pan fried the chicken slightly before I add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Water is added enough to cover all the ingredients and braised in low heat till liquid reduced to less than half.

Best served with a bowl of rice or two! Yums!

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Cream of Chicken 奶油鸡汤

I was hungry one night and decided to make myself a bowl of Cream of Chicken with the homemade Chicken Broth I made earlier that day.



It occurred to me that I had never shared my Cream of Chicken recipe. This recipe here uses flour to make it creamy and thick, which is very similar to an old recipe I shared on Cream of Mushroom.



So heres my recipe for Cream of Chicken ...

Ingredients:

• 350ml Chicken Broth, homemade or instant


• 40g Butter


• 30g Plain Flour


• Salt to taste


• Some pre-cooked Chicken Fillet, chopped or shredded (optional)

How to do it:

1. Melt butter in a pot and at the same time add flour gradually.


2. Mix well to form a roux (cooking till dough-like).


3. Add chicken broth gradually while stirring.


4. Keep stirring till roux has blend in well with the broth and that it become creamy.


5. Bring to a gentle simmer.


6. Add salt to taste.


7. Serve with chopped or shredded chicken.

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Ginseng Chicken Soup 人参鸡汤

Two months ago, after running errands for my mother-in-law, I went to Tiong Bahru market to have lunch. While there, I went to the wet market and happened to see fresh ginseng and bought a packet home.



I finally decided to use the ginseng today. Being fresh and not dried, it doesnt require a usually longer time to cook it. The taste is milder as well, which is more acceptable by the kids. Personally, I preferred the soup using fresh ginseng too.



I had been advised to use stoneware/glassware when cooking using fresh ginseng. Its said to have some reaction if cooked using metal. I had use my earthen pot to make the soup.



Ingridents:

• 900ml Water


• 2 Large Chicken Drumstick


• 2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine


• 2 Fresh Ginseng Root


• 5 Red Dates 红枣


• A small handful Wolfberries 枸杞子 (optional)

How to do it:

1. Blanch chicken.


2. In a non-metal pot of water, add chicken, ginseng root, red dates and wolfberries.


3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.


4. Skim off any scum.


5. Continue to simmer for an hour.


6. Add in wine and salt to taste.


7. Continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes.


8. Serve hot.

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BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

The last few days have been unbearably hot, with yesterday being one of the top 10 hottest days ever recorded here in Seattle. I was too lethargic to do get up and do anything other than lay on the couch and complain about the heat. Pardon the silence on this blog, as I havent been cooking much or blogging. But like Jaden, there are so many old recipes I still havent gotten around to posting, so now is a good time to do so.

BBQ Chicken Quesadilla was a very popular menu item at my favorite lunch spot near the UW, Honeybees Cafe (which sadly closed two years ago). Its been a long time since Ive had a Honeybees quesadilla, but from what I can remember, the original quesadilla had grilled chicken, tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and BBQ sauce in a tomato flour tortilla. This quesadilla is very flexible the only constants are: tortilla, chicken, your favorite BBQ sauce (Cooks Illustrated likes Bulls Eye Original), and cheese. The rest of the ingredients depend on what you have on hand. So here rather than offering an exact recipe, its just a few tips on making a yummy quesadilla, which I learned from watching Americas Test Kitchen.

Barbeque Chicken Quesadilla

Flour Tortillas
Chicken, cut up into large chunks (You can use grilled chicken, leftover roast chicken or bbq chicken, doesnt really matter)
Coarsley grated cheese (Cheddar, Monterey, Pepper Jack, or a combo)
Thinly sliced green onions or red onions
Fresh tomatoes or fresh tomato salsa, drained (if using this then omit the onions)
Corn (frozen is almost as good as fresh)
BBQ Sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Few dashes of Tabasco if you like it hot
Lime juice, just a little bit (omit if using fresh tomato salsa)

- Toast your corn
Toasting the corn brings out a nice roasted, toasty flavor and evaporates the moisture so it doesnt leak into the quesadilla. This is an essential ingredient in all of my quesadilas now. (Frozen corn also doubles as a handy ice pack if you ever jam your finger in a door like Steven. :( Ouch!)

Heat a small nonstick skillet pan over high or medium high heat (no oil!) and add your corn. Shake the pan occasionally until you see the corn turn a dark brown in spots and pop out of your pan. Yes it will literally jump out of the skillet. Set aside for the filling.

- Make your quesadillas
Theres a lot of flexibility here with what goes in so you can be the judge of that. Just dont make them too stuffed otherwise itll be too hard to flip.

Also, rather than making the quesadilla with one tortilla on the bottom and one on the top and forming a sandwich (this is too hard to flip, stuff will fall out). Add your filling to only half the tortilla (leave a 1/2 in border around the edge) then you flip the other half over and make a half moon shape. This way, less yummy filling falls out. You can also cook two of these in a pan.

- Cooking the quesadilla
If you add the oil directly to the pan it wont evenly distribute to cover the entire quesadilla and sometimes you end up using too much oil leading to overly greasy quesadillas and oily fingers.

So instead, use a pastry brush and brush the tortilla a thin layer of vegetable oil. This ensures that the quesadilla will be evenly covered using the least amount of oil as possible. Optional step: sprinkle a little bit of salt over the oil so it will be even more crisp (I always forget to do this).

Cook the quesadilla over medium heat, oil side down, until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown, itll will take a few minutes. Then brush the top of the quesadilla with some more oil and carefully flip them over. The second side will take less time because the pan will be hotter.

Slide them out and let it sit for 2 - 3 minutes for the cheese to set. Then cut into wedges and serve.

Links:
Im not the only Seattleite who cant stand the heat, Pea made an absolutely drool-worthy ice cream.

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Cheesy Chicken Sticks酥脆芝士鸡柳

Im doing a quick post here, a remake of my older recipe, with very little changes. I was trying to finish a pack of self-raising flour and I used it here instead of the normal plain flour. It works really well too.



Im re-posting the recipe here for easy reference. This is one of my meat-heating kids favourite. 

Ingredients:

• 1 skinless chicken breast meat, sliced into strips


• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce 


• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Power (optional)

Coating:

• 1 portion Breadcrumbs or Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)


• 1 portion Shredded Parmesan Cheese


• 1 Egg, beaten


• 5 tablespoon Self Raising Flour or Plain Flour

How to do it:

1. Cut the chicken meat into strips


2. Marinate with light soy sauce and garlic poweder for 30 minutes.


3. Dust the chicken with flour.


4. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg.


5. Coat well with Panko mixed with Parmesan Cheese.


6. Deep fry till golden brown.


7. Dish and drain away excess oil.


8. Serve with or without your desire sauce.

Note:

• I used equal portions of panko and cheese here. You have choose to have more of cheese or more of panko if you like.


• You can sprinkle on some chilli powder or paprika after frying too.

 

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Chicken Satay Burger 1 0

Hello from beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, California! Michele and I are here to tour a couple family farms as guests of knowacaliforniafarmer.com. Hopefully, I’ll have some photos and more info to share when I return to San Francisco on Sunday evening, but in the meantime I wanted to post this experimental chicken satay burger video.

I’ve been thinking about how to do a chicken burger using some of the same flavors found in Thai-style chicken satay, and this was my first attempt. I thought it was pretty good, and benefited from some seasoning adjustments, as you’ll hear. I think the concept is solid, but I’ll continue to try and perfect the execution.

This is one of those videos where I especially hope some are inspired to take the idea and run with it. Then, come back and share your incredible success with the rest of us. This is a fun jumping off point in regards to doing burgers inspired by other classic dishes. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Enjoy!

For the burger (4):

1 pound ground chicken

1 1/2 tbsp coconut milk

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp sambal chili sauce

1 tbsp bread crumbs

2 tsp soy sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

pinch of cayenne

For the peanut sauce:

Peanut butter thinned with a squeeze of lime, seasoned with more sambal or hot pepper

For the slaw:

1/2 cup grated or julienne carrot

1/2 cup grated or julienne cucumber

2 tbsp sliced jalapeño

2 tsp Asian fish sauce

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

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Cheesy Chicken Burger 芝士鸡肉汉堡

This is another easy burger. I tweaked the Chicken Burger with Corn and Cheese, I shared not too long ago.



This burger is more juicy because of the fish paste I have added. What you see on the burger is the Cheesy Chicken Patty with a slice of cheese and Caramelised Peppered Bacon.

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken Breast Meat, minced


• 200g Fish Paste (optional); it will make the patty juicier


• 2-3 slices Cheese of your choice, diced (you can use any other shredded cheese.)


• a dash of Pepper


• Breadcrumbs or Panko


• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Mix minced chicken with fish paste together, if using.


2. Mix well with peper.


3. Sprinkle cheese and fold in till well mixed.


4. Scoop desired amount coat with breadcrumbs


5. Deep fry or shallow fry till golden brown.


6. Dish and drain on paper towel.


7. Serve as a burger or as it is.

Note:

Experiment with different type of cheese for different effect when biting into the burger. Im just trying to clear the bits ad pieces of cheese leftover from making lunchboxes for my kids.

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Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing – Chicken Wings Sold Separately

Some of you might think I’m posting this creamy blue cheese dressing recipe while on vacation, just so I don’t have to answer questions as to why it took five years for this popular food wish to appear. And, while I don’t have a great answer for that, I do have a “grate” answer.

That’s right, a cheese grater and a wedge of frozen blue cheese is real the secret behind a perfect creamy blue cheese dressing. Not only is crumbling blue cheese a messy operation, but those larger chunks sink to the bottom, and don’t become one with sauce. 

Using this technique produces a dressing exploding with the funky goodness of whichever blue-veined cheese you decide to use. I used a Maytag blue cheese, but any of the World’s great blues, like Roquefort or Stilton, will work beautifully. I hope you give this great method a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 3 1/4 cups Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing:
 *Please note: everything in this recipe is “to taste,” so adjust to your liking!
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
cayenne to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces frozen blue cheese, grated

View the complete recipe

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Chicken With Mushroom Cordyceps Militaris Soup

Blogging world is full of excitement and fun where flow of inspirations are always being circulate around through all kinds of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and etc. Recently while I am on holiday mood and feel so "lost" on what to prepare for our daily meals, I managed to pick up some really good ideas from friends photos over at instagram. And without hesitate I have tried this Cordyceps Militaris Soup from Julia, Aromacookery photo(link here).

Although this is not my first time using Cordyceps Militaris in soup but it has being long since I last used it. So upon seeing Julias post, I decided to try out her version by adding in some dried shiitake mushrooms to further enhance the taste of this nourishing soup.

Cordyceps Militaris has a aftertaste which is quiet similar to "mushroom" flavour when it is used to boil soup and moreover it also gives a flavorsome finishing to the end product. You can read on it HERE.

CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM AND CORDYCEPS MILITARIS SOUP

Boiling a pot of delicious and flavoursome traditional "long stewed soup (老火靓汤)" is something that every mother wish to do for the family especially those soups that consists nourishing effect for the body. And in order to achieve those restaurants taste of long stewed soup, there is no shortcut for it as you need to simmer the soup ingredients over low heat for sometime. Another point to note is too much of water would also dilute the taste of the soup so the amount of ingredients and water used must be in correct portions. 

(Serves: 4          | Preparation: 10 minutes            | Cooking: 60 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 or 2 Chicken Breast, skin removed
One Handful of Cordyceps Militaris
6 Large Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soak till soften
3 - 4 Pieces of Dried Scallops, optional
6 - 8 Big Red Dates
1 Tablespoon of Wolfberries
1.8 Litres of Water

Method:-

1. Rinse and soaked dried shiitake mushrooms and scallop in a bowl of warm water for about 20 - 30 minutes till soften. (you can retain the water used for soaking the mushrooms and scallops to cook the soup which in a way enhance the flavour)

2. Clean, rinse and blanch the chicken in boiling water for 2 minutes, rinse and set aside.

3. Bring 1.8 litre of water to boil in a soup pot(I am using big ceramic pot), add in all the ingredients and when the mixture comes to boil again, reduce the heat and simmer on the lowest heat for about 60 minutes.

4. Season the soup with salt according to your preference(i did not add any salt as the soup is already sweet and flavoursome to our liking) and serve warm before meal or together with meal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE:-

~ I have used 1 chicken breast plus some chicken feet for this recipe.

Cordyceps Militaris is a very good ingredient to be added into herbal soup. For more ideas on using it for soup, you can refer to Elaine, Wokkingmum(HERE) or LK, Food4tots(HERE) for their recipe ideas too.

As I would be away on holiday till Mid-June, I do apologise for the lack of post(s) while I am away. But you might still be able to get some updates through our facebook page HERE if I could get hold of some network over there. Till then have a great week ahead.

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Grilled Chicken With Lemongrass and Basil Leaves

Here is another quick and easy Happy Call Pan (HCP) dish which is inspired by one of my friend, Jaiyi through her instagram photo(HERE). We all loved this "Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass And Basil Leave" where the chicken meat is so tender and infused with the unique aroma of the lemongrass and Thai basil. But if you cant get hold of Thai Basil, free feel to replace it with Parsley which is originally used in Jaiyis recipe.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS AND BASIL LEAVES

As for those who dont have a HCP, you can always bake this dish using an Oven which you might perhaps need to roast it for a longer timing in order to get it cook. Or if you prefer easy cooking, you can also replace whole chicken with parts such as mid-joint, drumsticks or etc depending on your preference too.

(Serves: 4   | Preparation: 10 minutes   |  Marinate: 2 hours  |  Cooking: 30 - 35 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Chicken (1.2kg), portion into halved without cutting through
2 Stalks Of Lemongrass, lightly pound and sliced
1/2 Tablespoon of Black Peppercorns, crashed
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
3/4 Tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoon Cooking Wine (Hua Diao Jiu)
Handful of Thai Bail, roughly chopped
3 Stalks Lemongrass, cut into sections

Method:-

1. Clean and rinse the chicken, pat dry with kitchen paper towel and rub the salt all over the chicken together with the mixture of oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and cooking wine.

2. Next stuff 3/4 of the lemongrass and basil mixture in the chicken cavity(refer to the photo above) and tie it up using a baking string(you can find it in daiso or baking shop).

3. Sprinkler some crashed black peppercorns on the chicken and top with remaining lemongrass mixture. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight to get the flavour through the meat.

4. Place extra lemongrass and chicken (remove the string and lay it flat, skin side up) in the Happy Call Pan (HCP), cook over medium heat (LOCK) for about 15 minutes, flip the pan over and cook for another 10 - 12 minutes.

5. Flip the pan back. Unlock and cook for another 8 - 10 minutes to get a nice golden crispy outer skin. (total cooking time might varies depending on the size of the chicken)

So if you or your family loves chicken dishes, this might be something quick and easy which you would like to consider whipping up over the weekend and share some family time by having simple homecook dishes together.

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Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

I’ve heard that “true” buffalo wings only have 3 ingredients: chicken wings, butter/margarine, and Frank’s Hot Sauce. Well this recipe has more than 3 ingredients but I’m still going to call them buffalo drumsticks because honestly, I don’t know what else I can call them. The drumsticks are first baked in the oven then finished under the broiler to crisp up the skin. Before serving, they are coated with more Frank’s hot sauce for extra finger-lickin’ goodness. They may look spicy, but Franks is fairly mild so you may wish to add some Tabasco too if you like things extra spicy.

Another way to bake these drumsticks is to cook them entirely under the broiler, 10 minutes a side on the middle rack. Keeping the chicken on the middle rack prevents them from browning too quickly but if the skin is getting too dark before the chicken is fully cooked, turn the temperature down (350ºF or so) so the insides can catch up and finish cooking. This method cuts the cooking time significantly but I haven’t tried it yet. It’s how Elise made her Spicy Chicken Drumsticks so I’m sure this method works well. You can also grill these drumsticks over medium high heat.

Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

6 chicken drumsticks
6 Tbsp Frank’s Original Hot Sauce (and some more for coating the drumsticks later)
2 tsp Tabasco (and more to taste)
2 tsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp smoked paprika (I love the smokey flavor this gives)

Mix all the ingredients (except the chicken) in a bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken. Marinate for a few hours to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF, adjust the oven racks to the middle and top position. Add the chicken to a broiler safe pan, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, and bake on the middle rack for 35 - 40 minutes. Then move the pan up to the top rack, turn on the broiler (500ºF), and broil until the skin is crisp, about 5 minutes for the first side. Then flip the drumstick over, and broil for another 5 minutes. Drumsticks can range in size so check to see if theyre cooked through (no pink).

Coat the chicken with more Franks (and Tabasco if preferred) before serving. I skipped the butter because drumsticks have more fat than chicken wings.

Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks

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Cherry Blossom Mantou vs Steamed Sakura Chicken With Choya

My experiments with using pickled cherry blossom continues after my first recipe on Matcha Cherry Blossom Chiffon (抹茶盐渍樱花戚风蛋糕) in April. And also with the extra packets of supply that Joyce (ahpoohbear) loop back for us from her recent Osaka trip, I am able to try out more fusion recipes using pickled cherry blossom.

In this post I am sharing two recipes such as Cherry Blossom Mantou (Asian-style steamed bun with pickled cherry blossom) and Steamed Sakura Chicken With Choya (Steamed chicken mid-joint using picked cherry blossom and choya).

CHERRY BLOSSOM MANTOU
(樱花馒头)

Here I am making a two-tone colour steamed bun (mantou) using Sakura Leaf Powder for the green portion but you could always replace it with Matcha powder according to your preference. The sakura leaf powder added a distinctive taste to this steamed bun leaving it with a sweet and savoury flavour that makes you go for second helpings.

(Make: 6 pieces  | Preparation: 55 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
250g All-purpose Plain Flour
1/2 Teaspoon (2g) Baking Power
3g Instant Dry Yeast
110ml Lukewarm Water
10g Milk Powder
1 Teaspoon Sakura Leaf Powder
Some Salt Pickled Cherry Blossoms (盐渍樱花), soaked in water
25g Caster Sugar
10g Unsalted Butter, soften

Method:-
1. Add dry yeast into the lukewarm water and give it a quick stir, set aside for about 2-3 minutes till bubbles appeared.

2. In a big mixing bowl, stir in sift plain flour, milk powder and baking powder together with caster sugar till combined.

3. Next slowly add in yeast water into the flour mixture and stir using a metal spoon or clean hand till it forms soft dough.

4. Knead soft butter into the dough till it does not stick to your hand and divide the dough into 2:1 ration size.

5. With the smaller dough, knead in Sakura Leaf Powder till combined then proof the two doughs in a warm place for 20 minutes.

6. Next, flatten the doughs to release the air in it. Place the green dough on top of the plain, roll it up into a oblong shape and proof for another 15 minutes.

7. Cut the dough into equal portion, place each portion on the steamer rack with greaseproof paper below. Place some drained sakura flower on top and rest for another 15 minutes.

8. Sprinkle some water on the mantou before placing the steamer rack into the pot of boiling water and steam them over medium heat for about 10 - 12 minutes (depending on the size of the mantou). When done, removed and served hot/warm.

STEAMED SAKURA CHICKEN WITH CHOYA
(樱花梅酒鸡)

My inspiration for this Steamed Sakura Chicken with Choya (樱花梅酒鸡) comes from our all-time favourite; Steamed Rice Wine Chicken (蒸黄酒鸡) which I would prepare at least once a month. And with some pickled sakura on hand as well as Choya (plum wine) that mum bought during her recent trip, I decide to use these two special ingredients to try out this dish.

(Serves: 2-3  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
6 - 8 Chicken Mid-joints
1 Teaspoon of Grated Ginger
1 Stalk Spring Onion, cut into sections
100ml Choya (Japanese plum liqueur)
Some Salt Pickled Cherry Blossoms (盐渍樱花), soaked in water

Method:-
1. Lightly marinate chicken mid-joint with grated ginger, cornflour and pinch of salt.

2. With some ginger slices and spring onion below, arrange the mid-joints on top and place the drained sakura flowers that had being soaked for 5 minutes (rinse well) on it (refer to the photo above).

3. Lastly pour in choya and let it stands for 5 minutes before steaming the mid-joints over medium heat for 20 - 25 minutes till tender.

The mid-joints were infused with the combination of Choya and pickled Sakura leaving it with a refreshing and fragrance after taste. Also after steaming, the soup broth was full of flavour due to the essence from the chicken and choya. Do give this a try if you happen to have a bottle of Choya at home and dont worry about the pickled cherry blossom as you could always omit it for a new recipe.

Lastly I would be submitting this Cherry Blossom Mantou to this month Aspiring Bakers #31 - Bao Ho-Chiak (May 2013) hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders.

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4th of July Special Cherry Bomb Chicken – Because There Are No Grape Bombs

I was playing around with a new brine idea for grilled chicken, and decided that since I was using cherry tomatoes and explosive habanero peppers, Id do a little 4th of July firecracker-themed word play and call this "Cherry Bomb Chicken."

Unfortunately, the sweetest, ripest cherry tomatoes at the market that day were grape tomatoes, which makes the name somewhat dubious. Never one to worry about letting facts get in the way of a good story, I decided to double down.

Now Im claiming that not only does "cherry" refer to the tomatoes, it also refers to the old phase, "thats cherry," which is how us old folks used to say something was, "the bomb." As far as a technique for ensuring your holiday chicken is ultra-moist and flavorful, this is both "cherry" and "the bomb."

I had a quail dish once in which the birds where marinated in a tomato-water brine, before being grilled. I remembered it was really good, and thats what inspired this relatively odd treatment. Thanks to the magic of brining, this really will almost guarantee a juicy, tasty piece of chicken – and the method allows for countless customizations.

By the way, dont be tempted to leave it in the brine longer; 4-6 hours is ideal. You want the meat brined, not cured. This will also work for pork chops if thats more your thing. I hope you give this a try soon, and that you all have a fantastic 4th of July weekend! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Brine:

1 quart cold water

1/3 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3 habanero peppers

1/2 teaspoon allspice

4 cloves garlic

Oil Rub:

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 4 lb. quartered chicken plus wings

2 tbsp red pepper jelly (or sub bbq sauce, or teriyaki sauce)

View the complete recipe

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Chicken and Cheese Puff 鸡丝乳酪酥� 泡芙

This is a super easy finger food to make. I made this for the kids as an afternoon snack. I had to make a second batch because my son said I I ate his share. :P I use mayonnaise as the dipping sauce. You can leave it out or use other sauces such as chilli, tomato sauce or any of your preferred sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece Pastry Puff, thawed and cut into 4 squares


• 2-3 pieces Cheese singles divided into 4 portions (I used Cheddar Cheese here)


• 2 pieces Chicken Fillet, cut into strips and divided into 4 portions


• 1 egg yolk for brushing

How to do it:

1. Blanch Chicken Fillet till just cooked.


2. Drain, pat dried and set aside.


3. Place half a portion of cheese on a pastry puff diagonally.


4. Place a portion of chicken strips on the cheese and top with the remain cheese.


5. Take the bottom corner of the pastry puff and roll it up.


6. Brush with egg yolk.


7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 200C or as instructed on package.


8. Remove and serve with dipping sauce if desire.

Note:

You can use other ingredients other than chicken if you like. I didnt add any seasoning as the Cheddar Cheese is salty enough.

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Ranch Chicken

I wish I could take the credit for this delicious recipe! It is one of my favorites! I honestly dont even know who to give the credit to because I dont know where it originally came from. My little sis Lindsey told me about it a couple of years ago and I think a friend of hers gave it to her. It is crispy, full of flavor and baked, not fried! It is made up of only 3 ingredients: crushed Corn flakes, grated Parmesan cheese and of course, Ranch dressing! YUM :)   Heres how ya do it:

RANCH CHICKEN

3-4 chicken breasts

1 packet Ranch dressing seasoning mix

1 cup crushed Corn flakes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 TBS butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.  

Combine the Ranch seasoning mix, the crushed Corn flakes and Parmesan cheese into a large freezer baggie.

Shake well to mix all together.

Dip each chicken breast into the melted butter, and then drop into the baggie. Seal the bag shut and then shake well to coat with the seasoning mix. After well coated lay chicken into the baking dish. Repeat with all of the chicken.

Once all chicken has been coated, sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture onto the tops of chicken.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes. (Towards the last 15 minutes of cooking you may need to lay a piece of foil over the top to prevent from burning.)

Linked up at Mandys Recipe Box

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