Tag Archives: Comfort Food

Thai Barbecued Chicken (Gai Yang)

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Thai_Barbecued_Chicken_(Gai Yang)2 (1 of 1)I pulled out the grill (I have a charcoal grill — I prefer the end results over gas) for the first time this spring. I made one of my favorite chicken recipes, Gai Yang. Gai yang is a beloved “street food” in Thailand — you find it everywhere, and when you get it, it comes in a plastic bag, together with another plastic bag of delicious spicy pepper dipping sauce. The marinade for the chicken calls for a commonly used ingredient in Thailand, including fresh, scraped coriander (cilantro) roots. If that’s not available, you can use the stems of the plant (which is what I use, and it seems to work well). This grilled chicken is flavorful and wonderful. I hope you’ll try it!

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 lbs), cut into 8 pieces (so you end up with 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 wings and 2 drum sticks)
2 stalks lemongrass (lower 6 inches), outer leaves removed and very finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh garlic
3 Tbsp fresh coriander root, or 1/4 cup coarsely chopped coriander stems
1 1/4 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp (plus) canola oil

Add lemongrass, ginger, garlic, coriander root (or stems), turmeric, brown sugar, fish sauce and oil to a food processor. Puree to a very fine paste, adding additional tablespoons of oil as needed.

Combine chicken pieces and paste in a large bowl. Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Be sure to stir chicken mixture occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Grill chicken about 25 minutes, until cooked but not overdone. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a spicy Thai chili dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

Josh’s Risoles (Indonesian Croquettes)

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Josh's Deep-Fried Creps with a White Grape Filling (1 of 1)The other night, I had some friends over for an Indonesian meal. My friend (and neighbor) Josh brought over an appetizer he made called “risoles,” which are Indonesian croquettes. Risoles are eaten as a snack food in Indonesia, and are prepared with either a sweet or savory filling. Josh’s version is savory, and he served it with a curry ketchup. Delicious! I asked him to pass along the recipe, which is as follows:

Risoles Wrapper

1 cup flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz milk

Filling

1/4 lb ground beef or chicken
3 small potatoes, peeled and finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
1 Tbsp flour, mixed with a little water
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup beef broth
1/4 tsp sugar

Dredging

1 egg, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs

Canola oil for frying

For the wrappers, combine the flour, 1 egg and salt. Gradually add milk, whisking to make a smooth texture. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Pour 2 Tbsp of the mixture into the pan, being sure to move pan until mixture is thin (as you would with crepes). Cook until edges are dry, and wrapper peels off pan easily. Set aside and repeat process for the rest of the wrappers.

For the filling, heat a wok with a bit of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add the meat and saute for a few minutes. Add carrots, pepper, salt, celery, and beef broth. Cover and simmer for a few minutes. When the carrots are half-cooked, add the potatoes and the 1 Tbsp flour/water mixture. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender and the filling has thickened. Add sugar, stir and remove from heat.

For the risoles, place some of the filling on each wrapper at the bottom, leaving a small edge at the bottom. Lift the wrapper over the top and tuck it in under the filling. Fold over the left side, and then the right side and roll up to form a tube.

For dredging, dip each risole in the beaten egg, then dip in the breadcrumbs to coat.

Deep fry the risoles in the oil until crisp and golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels. Serve with chili sauce.

Serves 4 – 6.

Corn Chowder with Fresh Oregano and Dijon Croutons

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Corn_Chowder_33 (1 of 1)Most vegetable dishes are best when prepared with fresh ingredients. I love corn chowder, however fresh local corn is not available in New England until late summer. Luckily, this delicious recipe calls for frozen corn, so I make it at any time of the year (I use name-brand sweet corn). Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, which got me in the mood again for this chowder. I hope you’ll try it!

1/2 lb red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into a 1/4-inch dice
2 slices hickory-smoked bacon, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and pale green parts (slice dark green part and use as garnish)
1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 1 large rib)
1 lb frozen corn
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 fresh baguette
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Place potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. Total time from when you turn the heat on should be about 15 minutes. Strain and set aside.

Heat bacon in a Dutch oven. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan (leaving drippings behind) and set aside.

Add the scallions and celery to the pan, and saute on low for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, set 1 cup of the corn aside. Place remainder into a blender, together with the milk, sour cream, oregano, salt and pepper. Blend to a puree, then add to the scallion mixture in the Dutch oven. Add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and season with additional salt and ground black pepper.

To prepare the croutons, slice baguette cross-wise into 1/4-inch slices. Lay the slices out on a cookie sheet, and spread the top of each with a good amount of Dijon mustard. Place under the broiler and cook until golden brown (not black!)

Garnish each serving of the chowder with the some of the bacon, sliced scallions and cheddar cheese. Serve with the croutons.

Serves 4.

New Mexico Chili Mac

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Chili_Mac3 (1 of 1)While searching on-line a while back for an “American Chop Suey” recipe (a classic New England comfort dish), I stumbled upon this recipe for “Chili Mac.” I didn’t search any further, and ended up trying this — it is delicious! I highly recommend using New Mexico chili powder, as it has much more flavor than grocery store chili powder (thus, “New Mexico Chili Mac” — I believe Texas is the true origin of this dish!).

2 tsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 jalapenos, minced
1 Tbsp salt
2 lbs lean ground beef
5 Tbsp New Mexico chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes, well-squeezed with your hands (don’t strain out juices)
2 15.5-oz cans kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup water
1 lb dried macaroni
1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
Sour cream for garnish

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add onions and jalapenos, salt, and saute  until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add ground beef, chili powder, oregano and garlic, and stir, breaking up beef with the back of a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, and 1/2 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until chili is thick, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook macaroni according to package instructions.

Combine 1/3 of the shredded cheese with the chili and cooked macaroni in a bowl, then pour chili mixture into a 9 x 13.5-inch casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese, and place casserole in oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Garnish plated servings with a dollop of sour cream each.

Serves 6.

Black Bean Soup

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Black Bean SoupThis is another simple soup that I make at any time of the year. It’s a fusion of Caribbean and South Western (U.S.) flavors (because I love both!), which I think go together pretty well. I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think!

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 tsp finely grated garlic
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 15.5 oz cans black beans, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Sour cream as garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro as garnish
Red pepper flakes
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until onions are translucent (about 3 minutes).

Add the coriander, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Sauté for another minute.

Add the beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, brown sugar, salt, black pepper and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve with crusty French bread. Add a dollop of sour cream and some cilantro and red pepper flakes on top of each serving.

Serves 4.

Gule Sapi (Spicy Indonesian Beef Stew)

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Gule_Sapi_2013_04_14Gule Sapi is a spicy beef stew, simmered slowly in an aromatic coconut sauce. It’s called a “stew,” but it’s more like a curry, and I like to make it at any time of the year. It’s plenty spicy as is, but you can ratchet up the heat by leaving the seeds in the chilies (which is the way I like it), or you can tone down the heat by using less of the chilies and sambal ulek. This dish is delicious, so I hope you’ll try it!

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
5 candlenuts
5 red Thai chilies (aka bird chilies), seeded and minced
3 tsp sambal ulek
1/2 tsp white ground pepper
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
2 tsp (about 2 inches) fresh peeled, finely grated ginger
1/2 tsp Laos powder (or 1 tsp finely grated fresh galangal)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 whole cloves
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp tamarind water
2 tsp peanut or canola oil

2 lbs beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 additional tsp peanut or canola oil
1 additional tsp salt
1 1/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
3 salam leaves
1 stem lemongrass — use bottom 6 inches; remove outer leaves, and pound the bottom end with the side of a knife
1 14-oz can lite coconut milk

Add first 15 ingredients (through peanut/canola oil) to a food processor. Process to a fine paste and set aside.

Heat 2 tsp peanut/canola in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and 1 tsp salt, and brown for 5 minutes. Leaving the juices in the pan, remove the meat and set aside.

Reduce heat slightly. Add the paste mixture to the pan and gently saute for 5 minutes. Add the meat back to the pan. Add the water, cinnamon stick, salam leaves and lemongrass. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes.

Remove the lid, and add the coconut milk. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for about an hour, until the beef is tender, and the sauce is very thick. Remove the salam leaves, lemongrass and cinnamon stick. Serve with white coconut rice, or Indonesian yellow rice (nasi kuning), and any Indonesian relishes or pickled vegetables you have on hand.

Serves 4 to 6

Chicken Paprikash

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Chicken Paprikash (1 of 1)I believe that paprika is underrated in the U.S. — people seem to only use it for adding a finishing touch (of color) to casseroles and deviled eggs, but it has such a wonderful flavor when used as a key ingredient in a dish. I keep three varieties on hand:  Sweet Hungarian Paprika, Hot Hungarian Paprika and Smoked Paprika from Spain. Chicken Paprikash is a dish that really shows off the Hungarian Paprika — I made this tonight (I make it regularly), and hope you’ll try it, as well. It is traditionally served with spaetzle, but I like to serve it with orecchiette pasta.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp ground caraway seeds
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp salt
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 2 Tbsp of the sweet paprika, 1 tsp of the hot paprika, the ground caraway seeds and 1 tsp salt.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, red bell peppers, remaining 1 Tbsp sweet paprika, remaining 1 tsp hot paprika and remaining 1 tsp salt. Saute for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Turn heat up to medium-high. Add the chicken mixture, and saute for 4 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Uncover, add the sour cream and cook gently for about 2 minutes. Season with a bit more salt, if desired. Serve with orecchiette.

Serves 4.

Chicken Piccata

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Chicken PiccataI’m not sure why this dish makes me think of spring…maybe it’s the bright flavors of the lemon and capers? Not sure, but it’s such a nice, simple dish. I made it last night in celebration of the new season.

2 large chicken breasts (about 1.25 lbs tot.), pounded to 1/4 inches in thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp white wine
1 1/4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp drained capers
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a 9 X 9 inch baking dish, combine flour, salt and pepper.

Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and place in the skillet. Saute 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from the skillet.

Add the wine, lemon juice, capers and parsley to the skillet and bring to a boil, then remove from heat after about 1 minute, or until sauce thickens slightly. Season with a bit of additional salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over the chicken. I like to serve with either steamed white or wild rice, and a green vegetable, such as asparagus.

Serves 4.

Quinoa and Chicken Casserole

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Quinoa CasseroleQuinoa is a wonderful grain (or “pseudocereal,” because it’s not really a grain) that is light and fluffy when cooked, and has a nice mild, nutty flavor. Quinoa is related to beets, spinach and tumbleweeds, believe it or not! It is commonly used in South American dishes, and is fast becoming popular in the U.S. Following is a recipe for a great quinoa dish that I tried last night for the first time. I’m never afraid to try recipes that are featured on pantry item packaging — you know it’s got to be good if the manufacturer put it there! I got this recipe off the carton of my favorite chicken stock by Kitchen Basics — it was delicious and simple to make (think weeknights).

  • 2 cups Kitchen Basics Original Chicken Stock
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 8 cremini (or white) mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2/3 cup acorn squash, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 tsp poultry seasoning (or dried sage)
  • 1 tsp salt (I added 2 tsp, which was about right)
  • 1/3 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked, rinsed
  • 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet, saute onion in olive oil on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.

Add mushrooms, squash and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken, breaking it into small pieces as it browns, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, stock and quinoa, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer ingredients from pan to a bowl, and stir in parsley and 3/4 cup cheese.

Turn mixture into 9″ x 9″ casserole dish or baking pan (lightly coat the dish first with cooking spray).

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of casserole. Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Recipe adapted from “Cozy Quinoa Casserole,” Kitchen Basics