Oriental

Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Skewers

***

375ºF (30 minutes) 

<from George Stella>

Marinade:

15 ounces teriyaki sauce

6 teaspoons of sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon sugar

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted  [didn't use]

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 1 hours to keep from burning later. Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large container to hold all of the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch strips and submerge in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Thread 1 chicken strip on each skewer towards end of the stick, and line up on a sheet pan. Place in over and bake for 30 minutes or until fully cooked through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. 

<<We cut the chicken into small bitesize pieces then grilled them on a grill, then placed them on the skewer. It turned out great!>>

Egg Rolls

*****
(from Food Network)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1-inch grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 scallions, sliced thinly

1 carrot, cut into 1 inch julienne strips

1 small red pepper, cut into 1 inch julienne strips

1 cup Napa cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 to 2 tablespoon sesame oil

20 wonton wrappers

1o shrimps, cooked and minced [didn't use]

In a wok or skillet, stir fry the ginger and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add scallions, carrots, and red pepper and stir fry over high heat for 2 minutes. In a bowl combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar. Add the Napa cabbage and broth mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Add sesame oil, cool for at least 15 minutes, and strain. (Fold in the minced shrimp.) Fill and roll the egg roll wrappers, using 1 tablespoon for filling each roll. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time, place the wrapper with one corner of the diamond closest to you. PLace 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Roll the corner closest to you over the filling. Brush the top corner with water. Fold in the sides of the wonton and continue rolling the egg roll up until it is closed. Press to seal, and continue with remaining ingredients. In a skillet set over a moderately high heat, heat the remaining oil and saute the egg rolls until golden brown on all sides, using tongs turn them. Serve when cool enough to eat, with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 to tablespoon sesame oil

pinch red pepper flakes

combine all in bowl

Mexican

Chicken Empanadas

*****

400ºF (15 minutes) 

<from Paula Dean>

((PICTURE!!!!))

~ are ingredients we added or changed

 for our own personal taste and 

not in the official recipe found~

3 cups, cooked chicken

~~1/2 (4 ounce) package shredded Cheddar Cheese

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

~~1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoons pepper

~~1/2 cup sour cream

1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

water

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 8 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean flat surface. Lightly brush edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixer. Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Spanish Rice

salsa

rice

vegetable oil

water

chicken bullion cube

In a skillet, pour a quarter size of vegetable oil. Then add 1 cup of rice to the pan. Quickly add 1 1/2 cup of salsa. Like regular rice, you'll want to add water that will rice will soak up. When boiling, add a chicken bullion cube. Stir occasionally. The rice is done when the water has boiled out and the rice is soft. (You'll probably have to add water a couple times before this happens. This also takes a while to make, so always start making this first!!)

Greek

Chicken Souvlaki Gyro

****

<allrecipes.com>

• Souvlaki Marinade:
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•  
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
•  
• Tzatziki Sauce (cucumber sauce):
• 1/2 cup seeded, shredded cucumber
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
• kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
•  
• 4 large pita bread rounds
• 1 heart of romaine lettuce, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup pepperoncini
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 
  

In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinaigrette, juice from 1/2 lemon, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over the chicken, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Toss the shredded cucumber with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and allow to sit at least 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, rice vinegar, and olive oil. Season with garlic, fresh dill, and Greek seasoning. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any excess water; stir into sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. Remove chicken from marinade and place on prepared grill. Discard remaining marinade. Cook chicken until juices run clear, about 8 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from heat, and allow to sit about 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips. Place pita rounds on the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes, until warm, turning frequently to avoid burning. Arrange warmed pita, sliced chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, olives, and pepperoncini on a serving platter. Serve tzatziki sauce and feta cheese in separate bowls on the side. Stuff pita pockets with chicken and toppings to serve.

Baklava

350ºF (50 minutes)

<allrecipes.com>

((No picture available, but I'm sure if you google it, you can no definitely find a picture of Baklava))

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Cajun

Oven Fried Cajun Chicken

*****

425ºF (65 to 75 minutes)

<www.cooks.com>

6 chicken breasts

1 cup flour

black pepper 

garlic powder

Creole seasoning

paprika

cayenne pepper

1/2 cup butter

Dry the chicken with a clean paper towel and sprinkle with garlic powder and Creole seasoning. In a Ziploc bag, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning. Close bag and mix well. Shake the chicken in the bag with flour and seasoning. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil. Add butter and place in over until it sizzles. Place chicken in dish, skin side down. Bake 30 minutes; turn, then reduce heat to 325ºF and bake 35-45 minutes longer (or until the chicken is cooked through). 

  Mashed Sweet Potatoes

**<Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray>

((((PICTURE COMING SOON))))

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 stick butter

1 banana sliced

1 orange, zested and juiced

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve. Return the pot to the stove top over medium heat. Add butter and bananas to the pot. Cook bananas 5 minutes and add juice of 1 orange to the pot, reserve the zest.Allow the juice to cook out, 1 minute. Add potatoes to the pot and the stock and sugar. Mash potatoes, banana, stock and sugar together until well combined. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper and orange zest, to your taste. Mash to combine spices and serve.

Chocolate Doberge Cake

*****
300ºF (45 minutes)
<gumbopages>

(((PICTURE COMING SOON)))
For the batter:
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated, whites beaten until stiff
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
For the filling:
2-1/2 cups evaporated milk
2 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
1-1/4 cups sugar
5 Tablespoons flour
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For the frosting:
1-1/4 pounds sugar (about 3 cups)
1 cup evaporated milk
2 ounces bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and flour 2 nine-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, soda, and salt 3 times. Cream the margarine and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and add egg yolks, one at a time. Gradually alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, then add chocolate and mix well by beating about 3 minutes. Fold in the 3 beaten egg whites, vanilla, and almond extracts. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. After the cake cools, carefully split each layer into thirds to make 6 thin layers.

To make the filling, put milk and chocolate in a saucepan and heat until chocolate is melted. In a bowl, combine sugar and flour. Make a paste by adding hot milk chocolate by Tablespoons to the sugar and flour, then return to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until thick. Add 4 egg yolks all at once and stir rapidly to completely blend. Cook 2 or 3 minutes more. Remove from heat, and add butter, vanilla, and almond extract. Cool and spread on cake, layering as you go. Do not spread on top layer.

For frosting, combine sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and blend in chocolate. Add butter and vanilla and return to medium-low heat, cooking 1 or 2 minutes. Place in refrigerator to cool. Beat well, then spread on top and the sides of the cake.

The Goal

Niki and I have decided to take Mondays to make new meals from other styles. Our goal is to find out what is easy to make, and what will people eat. Off we go!