Green Herb Chicken

Green sauce/chimichurri:
1 serrano chile (or 2 jalapeno)
1 cup chopped cilantro
5 cloves garlic
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Four chicken quarters

1. Rough chop all green sauce ingredients, then blend until a chunky sauce 
2. Prep four chicken hind quarters (leg and thigh), removing excess fat, guts, the butt, and anything you won't eat. Try to separate the skin from the meat to form little pockets
3. Apply a teaspoon and a half to each chicken pocket, between skin and meat and smush it to distribute. Its okay if it leaks a little
4. On the outside skin and bottom (with no skin), rub some additional salt, garlic powder, and oregano
5. Heat a large skillet, cast iron, or your favorite heavy saute pan. Add two teaspoons vegetable (or other neutral oil) and wait until the pan and oil are nice and hot.
6. Preheat oven to 425 and prep a roasting pan with a rack
7. In the skillet, sear the chicken on both sides until skin starts to crisp (will take about 10 minutes)
8. When chicken no longer sticks to pan and skin is a lovely crisp brown, remove chicken to the roasting pan (you can keep the saute pan and cook vegetables in it if there isn't too much oil!)
9. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until a thermometer reads 155 degrees F
10. Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before plating and serving

Any leftover green sauce also would serve as a chimichurri, topping a seared steak or cold chicken breast. Also use to season precooked roasted vegetables or chickpeas.

Pork Chops with Summer Peach Salsa

Perry and I just went through a prodigious pork phase (say that three times fast!) because we were testing out pork chop recipes. This version is lighter than the other two recipes because it requires the least amount of seasoning and adds a fruity salsa on top to carry the flavor punch.

This salsa is summery, using ripe peach, tomato, crisp red pepper, and green jalapeno. You could also add cilantro, mint, or red onion if you so desire. The salsa would also pair nicely with grilled chicken breasts or a spinach salad.

Pork Chops with Summer Peach Salsa

Serves 2

Chops:

2 bone in pork chops

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

Salsa:

1 peach
1 tsp sugar
1 tomato
1/2 red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
6 leaves basil
1/4 lemon (juice and zest)

1. In a shallow dish, mix the soy sauce, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add the pork chops, coating both sides in the mix. Allow pork chops to rest in marinade for about 30 min.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet and rack.
3. Cook chops for 15 minutes, flip, and then another 15 minutes, adjusting for the fat content and thickness of the chops.
4. Check that chops are cooked through, with no trace of pink. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
5. Dice the peach, tomato, red pepper into 1 cm cubes. Mince the jalapeno (with or without seeds and ribs, your choice. I do without.) Chiffonade the basil leaves.
6. Combine vegetables with the sugar and lemon juice and zest. Allow to sit in the fridge until chops are cooked and rested.
7. Plate pork chops, top with several tablespoons of salsa, and enjoy!

Maple Brown Sugar Soy Glazed Pork Chops

Spontaneous dinner parties lead to spontaneous meal planning! I had several pork chops in the fridge and guests coming over in an hour. The chops wouldn't have a lot of time to marinate, so how best to make them delectable? Brainstorming with ingredients at hand, I decided that our menu could use a sweet touch and whipped up a quick glaze to spoon over the chops. The result was tasty, sweet yet savory, and yielded a tender broiled chop that was easy to make and tasty to eat.

Maple Brown Sugar Soy Glazed Pork Chops
Makes enough glaze for 5 chops

2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, until sugar is incorporated.
2. Place the chops on a broiling rack and tray, bone side facing the outer perimeter of the tray
3. Spoon a teaspoon of the glaze over the meat of the chops, spreading the glaze to the edges. Try not to spill any into the tray, as it could burn easily.
4. Let the chops sit for a few minutes, until you have to put the in the oven.
5. Broil for 10 minutes. When you remove the chops, tops should be caramelized.
6. Turn the chops over, dripping any excess liquid into the tray.
7. Spoon another teaspoon over the pork chops, spreading to the edges, just like the first time.
8. Broil chops for another 10 minutes.
9. Check that the chops are cooked through. Allow to sit for a few minutes and settle. Then serve. 

Quick Dry Rub Pork Chops

Perry surprised me last week by coming over for dinner. I had nothing in my fridge and stopped at the grocery store to see what was good. Pork chops looked great, but when Perry saw them, he lamented, "but now I have to wait for them to marinate!"

Fear not, hungry one.

Quick Dry-Rub Pork Chops
Makes 5 chops

1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Mix.
2. Rub on both sides of chop
3. Pan fry or grill per usual until rub caramelizes and chop is cooked through.
4. Eat.

Marinated Minute Steaks

While I am a stickler for quality meats, when serving a large dinner, it's impractical to get everyone 20 oz porterhouses. Let's be realistic. You want portions that are healthy, easy to wrap up if they aren't finished, and taste good.

This is why I'm a fan of minute steaks (or cube steak, which is apparently part of the beef round). As far as I can tell, a minute steak is a 6-8 oz piece of lightly marbled, boneless steak, usually only about 1/3 inch thick. And it lives up to the name - I can pan sear this sucker to medium rare in about 5 minutes.

 

Marinated Minute Steaks
for 8 steaks, 15 minutes

8 minute steaks
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon American mustard
1 tablespoon minced garlic
a dash of pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a zip freezer bag or shallow tupper ware. Whisk to combine.
2. Dip the steak in and cover both sides. Move to the side and continue coating each steak on both sides at least once.
3. Cover (or zip) and refrigerate until ready to cook. (I let mine sit overnight. I think at least 2 hours is optimum.)
4. Heat a skillet until very very hot.
5. Place the steaks in the skillet and sear for about 3-4 minutes. When browned, flip over and rotate so the steaks get even heat. Cook another 3-4 minutes.
6. Plate and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Mustard Maple Pork Chops

While mustard and maple syrup may sound like an odd combination, if you're a lover of honey mustard, the recipe will definitely hit a sweet spot for you! The pork chops don't taste overly mustardy or mapley - they really just taste savory and a little hint of sweet. Its a strong and fantastic flavor that really complements the pork well. And trust me, these chops went faster than hotcakes!

Mustard Maple Pork Chops
5 pork chops (bone in for me)
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp american mustard
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp sesame oil

1. The night before, whisk together all ingredients in a casserole dish. Dip the pork chops to coat evenly, then arrange flat in the dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. When ready to cook, rotate the pork chops in the marinade to re-coat all surfaces.
3. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a skillet or large frying pan. Make sure the oil is very very hot. When you drop a little marinade in the pan, it should hiss and spit.
4. Place the pork chops in the pan with the bones toward the center.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until you see the marinade caramelize and char a little. Turn over and sear.
5. If you have pork chops that are 1 inch thick or more, preheat your oven to 350. When you've finished searing all sides of the chops, place them in the oven to finish cooking the centers. I was able to just pan sear and cook the chops through.
6. After the pork chops are cooked through, allow them to rest on a plate for 5 minutes before serving.
7. If you would like extra sauce, deglaze the pan with a little cooking wine, and scrape out any inedible char. Pour in any leftover marinade and boil. Once it boils, turn it down to a simmer and reduce until thick enough to coat a spoon.

Steve's Raspberry Pomegranate Pork Chops

I have this unique problem for a 24 year old - I can't drink my weight. Ever. I am a lost soul, founded in Prohibition and wandering around Vegas, where alcohol is more plentiful than water.

So my friend Steve and I had some extra Raspberry Pomegranate wine coolers. They've been sitting in his fridge for a while. So I decided to make them a key ingredient for today's dinner.

Steve's Raspberry Pomegranate Pork Chops (for four pork chops)
1/2 a wine cooler (we had Bartles & Jaymes Raspberry Pomegranate)
1/4 a cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Pound the pork chops to tenderize them a bit.
2. Mix all ingredients, cornstarch last.
3. Coat the chops evenly. Leave in marinade for 15-30 minutes in the fridge. 
4. Heat your skillet with about a tablespoon of oil. Wait until your pan is nice and hot and the oil is shimmery.
5. place porkchops in pan, bone side toward the center. Cook about 3-4 minutes. When one side is cooked, flip to the other side. Cook another 3-4 minutes, remove from pan.
6. Boil remainder of marinade as sauce for about 5 minutes. Pour over chops.
7. Serve! (or cook your veggies in the pan next :)

Perry's Kung Fu (Kung Pao) Chicken Stir-Fry

Perry, my silent and deadly significant other, is very fond of his mom's Kung Pao Chicken. And like all ninja-girlfriends, I need to learn how to make his favorite foods so I can win his way to his heart through his stomach to fuel his iron fists.

Kung pao chicken is diced chicken with chili peppers and cashew nuts. Its pretty healthy and packs a good punch in the spice department! This version adds a serving of vegetables and a pinch of sugar. Serve over a bowl of fresh rice with a side dish of veggies.

Perry's Kung Fu Chicken
Serves two - about 15 or 20 minutes

Two chicken thighs or breasts, diced approximately into 1/2 cubes
3 tsp cooking wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
dash sriracha (because i feel like it, ok?)
2 tsp sugar
dash sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
two cloves garlic, smashed
one thin coin ginger
one large red pepper, diced into 1/2 cubes
1/2 tsp chili paste (adjustable)
one jalapeno, minced, no ribs or seeds if you're sensitive to spicy
one large scallion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup cashew halves, unsalted. (if you have salted, its fine but cut down the salt/soy sauce in the recipe)

1. Put the diced chicken in a large bowl. 
2. In another bowl, combine cooking wine, soy sauce, sriracha, sugar, and sesame oil. Stir well and then add the cornstarch pinch by pinch. Mix well until you have the consistency of a sauce (aka, you dip a spoon in and the marinade sticks to the spoon so that when you draw a line with your finger in the back of the spoon, it still shows after a few seconds).
3. Pour marinade over chicken and mix well immediately. You should not have a lot of marinade puddling in the bottom of the bowl - the marinade should be thick enough to coat the chicken so its not sitting in tons of marinade. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime smash the garlic, cut the ginger, dice the onion and pepper. Wash and cook the rice.
5. Heat a wok or skillet on HIGH heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Stir fry is awesome because things cook fast, and to cook fast you need a lot of heat. 
6. When the pan is hot (you see waves of heat off it or a drop of water spits and evaporates) toss the ginger in and fry for 20 seconds. Add the garlic and fry for a bit to season the oil. Add the jalapenos. 
7. When fragrant, add the chicken. Spread chicken out in pan in a single layer (up the walls of the wok). When the chicken is cooked and browned on one side, act fast and stir everything together, flipping the chicken over.
8. When the chicken is all cooked on the outside, add the red peppers and chili paste. Toss until cooked. 
9. If you have a lot of water accumulating at the bottom of your pan, you can do one of two things: 1- keep cooking on medium heat until the water evaporates or 2 - make a cornstarch slurry. 1/2 tsp cornstarch plus tsp of water mixed WELL. Pour little by little into the puddle of water in the pan and mix thoroughly with contents. Only use as much as you need or it will taste starchy! (this is similar to a roux).
10. Taste. Season. Add more chili paste or sriracha if its not as hot as you like. Make sure everything is cooked. Then add the scallion and toss. They don't need long to cook.
11. Right before serving, add the cashews and mix in. The cashews are meant to be crunchy and if left in the dish too long,will get soggy after an hour. If you are planning for leftovers, don't add cashews to the leftover portion - add the cashews always right before eating.

Enjoy!

Secrets to Tender Chicken: Simple Stir Fry

Its 9 pm - I walk in after a long day and want something hot and filling but will get me in bed sooner rather than later. Stir fry fits the bill exactly. My mom always said the secret to good stir fry (other than good ingredients) is cornstarch. Say wha?

Lets talk to about.com: "The starch binds together the liquid ingredients in the marinade and seals them to the meat, poultry or seafood being marinated.  This technique is particularly important in quick cooking stir-fry dishes as it helps give the food more flavor. When a Chinese recipe calls for cornstarch in the marinade, always add it last unless the recipe specifically calls for blending it with the other ingredients before adding it to the food being marinated."

Easy Chicken Stir Fry
serves one, 10 minutes

4oz chicken, diced, room temperature
splash of soy sauce, cooking wine/beer
pinch of cayenne, cumin
1/2 tsp cornstarch
5oz of your favorite veggie (green beans for me!)
1 clove garlic, smashed

1. Take the chicken and toss in a bowl. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, and spices. Mix thoroughly and add cornstarch. Mix well again and set aside.
2. Heat oil in your skillet, wok, saucepan, whatever. Wait until its REALLY hot. Then toss in the garlic and you'll hear it sizzle. 
3. When the garlic is browned and fragrant, add chicken. let it brown and cook thoroughly on one side first so that when you go to stir it, it should unstick by itself . Then cook the other sides.
4. Add the veggies after the chicken is opaque on all sides. If things are starting to stick too much, the veggies will release some water to "deglaze" the pan and keep things from burning. But if the veggies aren't enough, add a few teaspoons of cooking wine or water. Cover veggies and let cook for  a few minutes until they're bright green (assuming the veggies are green to begin with)
5. Stir and make sure everything is cooked through. Serve!

Sesame Mustard Chicken

My oh so very awesome mother bought me some goodies this weekend: Sriracha hot sauce (my fave!) and sesame oil. Sriracha hot sauce is slightly sweet and is a warm hot. Its addictive, especially on dumplings. Sesame oil is great for marinades and soup - it imparts a very distinctive scent and flavor even with a tiny drop. Tonight's dinner incorporates both.

Sesame Mustard Chicken
single serving, super quick (25 min)

4 oz chicken diced (equivalent to one chicken thigh, no skin or bone)
1.5 tsp mustard (regular American French's is fine!)
2 squirts honey
2 squirts Sriracha (big pinch of cayenne/paprika is fine)
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp cooking wine (again, I have leftover beer so that was used instead)
1 pinch ginger powder (or one minced ginger coin)
1 clove ginger, minced

(optional, 4-5 oz chopped spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli to make it stir fry. Served over half a bowl of white rice.)

1. I keep all my chicken pre-diced in the freezer in ziplocs. Toss all the ingredients into the ziploc bag with the chicken EXCEPT the garlic. If you forget, that's okay too.
2. Defrost the chicken - that's right. After you toss stuff in when its frozen, the liquids will help it unfreeze. I also popped mine in a bowl and then the microwave (one minute on 50% power) to speed the process along.
3. Come back in 10-15 minutes. The longer you let it marinate, the more flavorful it will be. A 10 minute time leaves a very light, sweet mustard taste, so if you're in a rush, no pressure. If you're making this stir fry, chop your veggies here. Or reheat your rice, do 50 crunches, or turn on the TV.
4. Take the chicken and make sure its defrosted enough so that the pieces are separated from each other. 
5. Take your skillet, heat it up on high, and toss in a teaspoon of canola oil (or other. Peanut would be yummy but its not something I usually have). Swirl your pan and coat it evenly with oil.
6. Toss in garlic, cook a minute until fragrant.
7. Use chopstick or a fork to scoop and drain the chicken from the bag and into the pan. Leave the rest of the marinade in the bag - you'll be using it in a bit. 
8. Saute the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. The marinade is watery compared to the oil in the pan, so the oil will pop. Don't freak, just wear long sleeves. As the chicken begins to stick, stir in a little of the marinade to deglaze the pan.
9. Turn the heat down to medium. Add veggies if you're stir frying.
10. Make sure your chicken is cooked through and serve!

Fool-proof Barbecue Chicken

I grew up cooking with Mom and one of her weekly staples was barbecue chicken. Not very traditional for a Chinese mom - except for one super ingredient! Soy sauce.

Marinades help make your meat super yummy for a few reasons. Certain ingredients, such as soy sauce and vinegar, have enzymes that help break down meat. This allows the meat to absorb more liquid and make it more tender. Its activated by the contact to the ingredients and heat. (So if you have a big cut of meat, poke some holes in it to let the marinade get in better.)

Today's marinade is made of things that are usually readily available in your kitchen. Its not an exact art, so feel free to tweak as you like!

Fool-proof Barbecue Marinade (for four chicken thighs, or equivalent. Great for pork too!)

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy souce
1/4 cup cooking wine (today I used beer. I'm not going to drink it, so might as well cook it!)
3 tbsp ketchup
4 tsp mustard
2 coins of ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cumin (optional)

Toss it all in a big bowl or tupperware. Stir well. Add the chicken and turn them in the marinade to coat well. I let my chicken marinate for about half an hour before it went in the oven. If you don't want to cook it all now, cover the rest and put it back in the fridge. It can stay marinating for another three days or so.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in an baking tray non-skin side up (either glass or a roasting pan with a rack is fine.) Place in middle of oven for 20 minutes. Turn over, skin side up, and spoon and extra teaspoon of marinade over the top. Cook for an additional 25 minutes. Always check to make sure it isn't pink in the middle!

CAUTION - after you've had chicken sitting in the marinade, its not safe to use for a sauce. If you do want to use it, I would cook it on the stove at a boil for at least 10 minutes.