Fresh Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken

I learned to make this tasty dish when I lived in Hawaii. I make it in a wok, but it's also great cooked in an electric skillet, stove top, or on the grill outside. When I cook with my wok, I like to cook in stages, that way the wok doesn't cool down too much. When you're cooking in a wok you want to cook the food quickly at a high temperature, so cut the food into large, bit sized pieces before cooking and don't over crowd the pan.



This dish is versatile (and gluten free), so add or subtract the foods that you do or don't like. For instance, for a vegetarian meal, subtract the chicken and add extra veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, bok chow, mushrooms, snow peas, or any that you prefer.

Marinade
14 oz Chicken Tenders (breast or boneless thighs also work well)
1 T Onion - chopped
2 cloves Garlic - smashed
1/4 cup Pineapple Juice
3 T Soy Sauce
1 T EVOO
1/4 Serrano Pepper
Splash of Water

Slury
1/3 cup Pineapple Juice
1 T Brown Sugar
1 T Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 T Soy Sauce
1/4 t Tomato Paste
1 T Cornstarch

Vegetables
5 Cloves of Garlic (split) 2 cloves sliced (optional) and 3 chopped
2 small or 1 large Carrot -sliced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper - diced
Serrano Pepper - very thinly sliced or finely chopped (optional)
1/2 Onion - diced
2 Roma Tomatoes - diced (seeds removed)
1/ fresh Pineapple - diced (skin/rind and core removed)

You'll also need cooking oil and a 1/4 cup of chicken stock or a combination of stock and sweet white wine.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Please read my Chicken Stock post before reading this one. This post is a continuation of that one. Thank you!



EVOO or Butter
1 Leek bottom white and lite green parts only - sliced and cleaned
2 Celery Ribs - cut into small pieces
Garlic - chopped
Ginger - chopped or grated
10 cups Chicken Stock
Fresh Parsley - chopped
2-3 Carrots - sliced
2 cups Chicken (cooked) - shredded or chopped
3/4 - 1 1/2 cups Noodles (depending on how noodlely you like your soup)
s/p



Heat the oil in a large pot.

Add your leeks and celery. Cook for two minutes.



Stir the garlic and ginger into the pot. Cook for another two minutes.



Carefully add the stock to the pot.



Bring the stock to a boil.

Chicken Stock

Tony was sick last week and requested chicken noodle soup. It's nice and light and good for your belly, even if you are feeling well.

I started by making chicken stock. I think that in a soup like chicken noodle where the broth is a star it's important to have a lot of flavor in the stock. When you make your own, you can add lots of vegetables. I use left over bits from previous meals. The same veggies that can be used in vegetable stock can be used in chicken stock. Use any that you have on hand. You also have better control over the amount of salt and fat that go into your own stock. But if you must, you can use a store bought one.



1 T EVOO
1 Onion - roughly chopped, peel on
3 Carrots - roughly chopped
4 Celery stalks - roughly chopped
6 Garlic cloves - crushed
Ginger trimmings (peel)
Bell Pepper trimmings (tops and bottoms)
Bay Leaf
s/p
1/2 Chicken* (1 leg, thigh, wing, breast, back, neck)
Water
Green tops of Leeks
Parsley stems
Rosemary stalks

*The neck, back bone, giblets, and wing tips are great for stock. I don't use the kidneys, liver, or heart. I removed the skin from the chicken before I cooked it to lower the fat that I'd have to skim out later. Always rinse your chicken in the sink under cold water, then pat it dry with a kitchen or paper towel. Remember to clean all surfaces that come in contact with raw chicken!

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a stock pot, or any large pot.

Add the next eight ingredients to the pot and sauté for a few minutes.



Salt and pepper the chicken and place it in your pot.



Fill the pot with water, be sure the chicken is covered.



Bring the water to a boil.

Lower the heat so that the stock will simmer and add the rest of the ingredients. (Your herbs and soft vegetables.)

Sloppy Jane Sandwiches

I roasted a chicken last night and used the leftovers today to make these open faced sandwiches.



EVOO
1/2 small Onion - sliced
1 Garlic Clove - smashed and peeled
2 cups Chicken - shredded
Soy Sauce
Hot Sauce
White Wine Vinegar
Ketchup
French Bread - 6 slices
Goat Cheese Spread (see below)
Arugula
Sunflower Seeds

Heat EVOO in a pot. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is clear.

Then remove the garlic, cut it up, and set it aside.

Add chicken to the pot and stir in the rest of the ingredients. I didn't measure them. I just splashed and tasted until I had a desirable, well balance flavor.



Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, toast your bread.



To make the cheese spread, mix softened goat cheese in a small bowl with the garlic that you set aside, salt and hot sauce.

Spread your cheese mixture evenly over the toast.



Top with arugula.



Spoon chicken over the greens.

Mini Frittata (Chicken and Broccoli) - Part A

I got the idea of using a muffin tin from Miss Molly. She made Green Egg and Ham Mini Frittatas for a baby shower. They were so cute and tasty that I've made several since. Other than broccoli/chicken and pesto(green eggs)/ham, I've also made turkey/chipotle gouda, sun dried tomato/pepperoni and asparagus/green onion combos. Use what's in your fridge, play around with the flavors and make it your own.



6 eggs
3/4 c Mlik
1/4 c Cream
1-2 T Melted Butter (optional)
1 c Cheese - shredded (I used a Mexican blend)
1 1/2 c Chicken - cooked and shredded or diced
1/2 c Broccoli - finely chopped
1/2 c Cauliflower - finely chopped
Garlic Salt
White Pepper
Garlic Chili Sauce
1 T Dried Oregano
1/2 t Smoked Paprika

Preheat oven to 300° F

Whisk the eggs, milk, and cream furiously for a few minutes.

Stir your butter, cheese, meat and veggies into the egg mixture.



Season to taste.



Using nonstick cooking spray, grease two muffin tins. If you only have one, cook in batches. You can also cover and refrigerate the rest for the next day. Look for my next post for some tasty ideas.

With a measuring cup or an ice cream scoop, fill the baking cups. Stir the eggs as you go so that you'll have an even mixture of stuff in each muffin cup.

Review - Brasa

Brasa - Minneapolis
600 E. Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3030

Brasa - Saint Paul
777 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN. 55105
651-224-1302



Tony and I have been known to eat at Brasa more than once a week. It's our "fast food". We don't just eat there a lot because it's fast, that's just a perk. We eat at Brasa because the food has never let us down. It's always made with fresh ingredients and it warms me from the inside.

White Chicken Lasagna w/ Red Sauce

I used manicotti noodles instead of lasagna in this recipe. This is only because I somehow ended up with three boxes of the things in my pantry. The manicotti also inspired my Cabbage with Pasta dish. Feel free to use lasagna noodles in both dishes, if you'd like to.

Also, there's only two of us here, so I didn't make a full pan of lasagna. I used an oven proof plater instead. If you have a big family, or if you want lots of leftovers to freeze or give to friends, just fill a large baking dish with the same yummy, cheesy layers.



I've broken this recipe down into steps to make it easier to follow. If you don't have a full day to devote to the kitchen, make the sauces a day or two ahead of time.

Step 1 - Make Roasted Red Sauce and White Cream Sauce

Step 2 - Make Cheese Mixture

Step 3 - Cook Zucchini rounds and Noodles

Step 4 - Assemble the Lasagna and bake it


Sauces
Use the links provided to make the sauces. If you make them the day before, warm them up on the stove a bit before layering the lasagna. If you don't preheat them, your dish will take a long time in the oven.



Cheese Mix
Ricotta Cheese - 8oz
Parmesan Cheese - 1/8 cup, freshly grated
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup, grated
Fresh Basil - chiffonade
s/p
Nutmeg - just a bit, freshly greted

Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl and cover and refrigerate till you're ready to assemble the lasagna.



Zucchini
Zucchini - enough to cover one layer in your lasagna, I used 3 small ones sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
EVOO
s/p
Crushed Red Pepper (CRP)
Turkey Pepperoni - cut into little squares, or crumbled after cooking
Mozzarella Cheese - shredded (used in the assembly stage)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss the zucchini with EVOO, s/p, and CRP.

Place in a single layer on a half sheet pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once.

At the same time, place the pepperoni bits on a separate baking sheet and bake till crispy.

Set both aside till ready to assemble.


Noodles
Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling salty water till they're al dente.

Then drain them.

When they are cool enough for you to handle, cut each noodle open to make a flat sheet. (Skip this step if you're using lasagna noodles.)

Set aside till everything else is ready to be put together.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sauce

This is a pretty basic white sauce, with a few upgrades. You can try little changes like a different cheese, or fresh instead of roasted garlic, to make it your own. Have fun and don't forget to stir!



2 T Butter
1/4 cup Flour
5 cloves Roasted Garlic
Cream - half pint
1/2 (more if needed) Milk
s/p
Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Red Pepper Flakes (RPF)
1 cup Leeks - sliced and cleaned
1/4 Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated
1 Chicken Breast and 2 Thighs (Optional) - poached and shredded

Heat a sauce pan on med to med-lo and add the butter. Slowly mix in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir the whole time so that the flour doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. Stir this for 1-2 minutes. You're looking for a blond roux. (So don't let it brown.)

Stir the garlic in. Smash it up and into the roux with the spoon.



Next, stir in the cream and milk. Add a little of the milk at first, then more if you need it. Remember that the sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Turn the heat down to low.

Season the sauce to taste with the s/p, nutmeg, and RPF.

Blanch the leeks. When I made this sauce I was making a lasagna, so I just threw the leeks into the salted boiling water that was ready for the pasta.

When the leeks are soft and light green (this should only take a minute), remove them from the water and dry them between two paper towels. Squeeze out the excess water.



Next, stir the leeks, cheese, and chicken (if you're using it) into the sauce and you are done.





This creamy sauce is great mixed with brown or white rice, farro grain, or pasta. Mix it with one of these in a casserole pan and top with bread crumbs and small pats of butter or a drizzle of EVOO. Then bake till it's bubbly.


Baked Orzo in Cream Sauce served with Smashed Peas

Or, you could try it as a layer in lasagna. Yummm!



White Lasagna with Roasted Veggie Sauce

Chicken Strawberry Mango Salad

I made this salad for Krista's baby shower about a month ago. Strawberries were at their peak and they were great in this savory-sweet salad.



Start by poaching a whole, cut up chicken. Let it cool and then pick the meat off. Save the bones to make stock with. You could also buy a rotisserie chicken, let it cool and use it's meat to save time.

Next, make a citrus vinaigrette and set it aside.

Celery Heart - finely chopped
Red Onion - very thinly sliced
Jalapeño - very finely chopped
Mango - diced
Strawberries - tops removed and cut into bite size pieces
Pecans - chopped and lightly toasted
1-2 T EVOO
Garlic - chopped
Shredded Chicken
2 T Citrus Vinaigrette
2-3 T Mayo or Salad Dressing
Juice from 1 large Orange
1 head Curly Leaf Lettuce - cut into bite size pieces

Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

In a pan large enough to fit all the chicken, heat the oil. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two. Then, add the chicken and vinaigrette to the pan. Stir and cook till the chicken is steamy and evenly heated. Turn the heat off and stir in the mayo (add more mayo if needed) and OJ. Combine the chicken and fruit mixtures.

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with just enough citrus dressing to wet the greens. Make a well in the center of the lettuce and fill it with the chicken mixture. Top with the remaining nuts and serve.




These salad and dressing recipes are both gluten free.

Chicken Potstickers

Potstickers, like egg rolls and tamales are a great excuse to have a cooking party. Make the filling before your friends arrive. Then sit around the table together, fold, and fill. Be sure to make enough so that everyone gets some to go. Freeze the extras for latter. You don't have to defrost the potstickers before cooking, just increase the time a little.



These dumplings are great as a snack or a meal. I served them with swordfish and rice for dinner, and as an appetizer for that same dinner. We just couldn't get enough!



Chicken Breast* - ground**
Broccolini - finely chopped
Carrots - shredded
Cabbage - finely shredded
Red Bell Pepper - finely chopped
Garlic - finely chopped
Chives or Green onion - sniped
Soy Sauce
Rice Wine Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Wonton Wrappers
small bowl of Water
Cooking Oil
Chicken Stock*

In a small bowl, mix equal parts soy sauce and vinegar. Then add a very small amount of the oil and taste. You want the sesame to be subtle. Be careful not to over do it.

Next, mix the chicken and all the veggies (i.e. the next seven ingredients) together in a large bowl. Your clean hands work best for this task. At this time, mix the sauce in a spoon full at a time. The filling should be wet, but not runny.



Set one wonton wrapper in front of you and cover the rest with a damp cloth so they don't dry out. Place about 1/2 a teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper.

Dip your finger in the bowl of water and then rub it around the edge of the wrapper. This will act as the glue to hold the sides together.

Then, you want to fold the wrapper so that all the air gets out and a tight seal is formed. There are many ways to do this. Experiment. Once you find a way you like, stick with it and you will become a very efficient dumpling maker. Tony helped me fold these, some of his looked nicer than mine. Who knew?



Once you have a batch sealed and ready to cook, heat a large pan. Add two tablespoons of oil and let it get very hot. Almost smoking hot.

Carefully, place your dumplings in the pan. They should not touch each other or the sides of the pan. Pour about a 1/4 cup of chicken stock in the pan and quickly cover it. Cook for 9-12 minutes, till the potstickers are crispy on the bottom and steamed on the other sides.



While this batch cooks, make more. When they are done, you can put the little purses in a warm oven or just start eating!

Serve with a soy, sweet and sour, or spicy mustard dipping sauce. A simple sauce can be made by adding chives and red pepper flakes or ground ginger to the left over sauce used to wet the chicken mixture.


*To make veggie potstickers omit the ground chicken and substitute the chicken stock with a vegetable stock.

**I used a food processor to grind my chicken, but you could buy it ground instead.