Japanese Fried Chicken ( Tori no Kara-age) eggplant, chard with apples and bacon and rice.

Tori no Kara-age  Japanese fried Chicken

From The Japanese Kitchen by Hiroko Shimbo

1 1/4 lbs. Chicken thighs, bones and skin attached

1/4 C, shoyu

1/4 C. mirin

2 Tbsp. sake

1 Tbsp peeled, finely grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 tsp ground chile pepper (cayenne)

1/8 tsp ground allspice

10 coriander seeds, toasted and crushed

1 C. potato starch or cornstarch

Vegetable oil for deep frying

lemon wedges

With a cleaver,hack the chicken on the bone into 2-inch pieces

In a large bowl, combine shoyu, mirin, sake, ginger, garled, cayenne, allspice and crushed coriander seeds.  Add the chicken to the bowl, toss with the seasonings and  let stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, covered.  Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, drain then chicken in a colander, discarding the marinade.  Wipe each chicken piece with a paper towel.

Put the potato starch or cornstarch into a large pan.  Add the chicken pieces to the pan and lightly coat them with the starch.  Pat each chicken piece to remove the excess starch.  Let the chicken stand for 3 minutes.

In a large deep pot heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 320º cook the chicken in small batches, turning them once or twice until they are slightly golden, 6 to 7 minutes.  Drain the chicken on a rack.

Increase the oil to 360º Fry the chicken again in small batches to make tho outside crisp and golden.. Drain the chicken on the rack.

Serve the chicken with lemon wedge.

CHAR, BACON AND APPLE

3 slice(s) bacon, diced 

1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 

1 Gala apple, cored and diced 

1 bunch(es) (about 3/4 pound) chard, well rinsed

1/4 teaspoon(s) fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon(s) cracked black pepper 

Preparation

Place a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in apple.

Meanwhile, cut off the stems of the chard and slice them thinly. Chop the leaves. Stir stems and leaves into the skillet along with the bacon, salt and pepper. Pour in 2 tablespoons water; cover the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until chard is tender, about 8 more minutes.

Eggplant (Williams Sonoma)

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 lb. globe or Asian eggplant
• 1 tsp. sea salt, if using globe eggplant
• 1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil
• 3 Tbs. diagonally sliced green onions, both
    white and tender green portions
• 1 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

Prepare the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Place the bowl near the stove so you can easily reach it.

Prepare the eggplant
If you are using globe eggplant, use a chef's knife to trim the stem end and the base, then cut in half lengthwise. Place the halves, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut each half lengthwise into slices about 3⁄4 inch wide. Lay the slices flat and cut crosswise into sticks about 3⁄4 inch thick. Put the eggplant strips in a bowl and toss with the salt. Transfer to a colander and let stand in the sink or over a bowl to release the bitter juices, about 1 hour. Turn the eggplant out onto several layers of paper towels and let drain; pat to absorb any excess moisture.

Alternatively, if you are using Asian eggplant, it is not necessary to salt them, as they are milder than globe eggplant. Just trim the stem ends and cut them on the diagonal into slices about 1 inch thick.

Steak dinner on the patio

Cassie wanted to eat outside today. It was so nice.  Cassie made the salad.With it we had strip steak, roasted new potatoes, stuffed mushrooms and asparagus with tomatoes.

Stuffed Mushrooms
6 large mushrooms, stems reserved
1 Tbs. butter
2T. minced onions
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs chopped paeans
Seasoned salt to taste
Italian herbs to taste
2 Tbs. panko bread crumbs
2 T. butter
2 Tbsp chicken stock (better than bouillon and water)
1 teaspoon cream cheese
2 Tbs. parmesan cheese, grated

Melt butter, add finely chopped mushroom stems, onion and garlic and cook until stems and onion are soft. Add walnuts .salt and herbs.  Remove from heat and mash/fold in cream cheese. Stuff mushrooms, top with grated cheese and bake at 400º 15 - 20 minutes

Potatoes
spread on foil, cut and X across the top, spray with oil: sprinkle with Kosher salt. bake 20 minutes or until knife inserts easily

Asparagus, spray with oil, salt and parm cheese and bake until done.. about 10 minutes.

Pork Scaloppine with Mushrooms and grilled Zucchini Salad

Pork Scaloppine With  Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chicken broth ( Better than Bouillion + water)
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided 
• 1/2 lb mushroom, sliced 
• 1/2 lb thin pork scallopini
• paprika omitted from this recipe
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons  sour cream 
• 
  
• Directions

1. Whisk together chicken broth, mustard, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and cornstarch; set aside.
2. In a large nonstick frypan, melt half thebutter over medium high heat.
3. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Set aside in a bowl.
5. Lightly season both sides of pork with paprika, salt and pepper.
6. Melt remaining butter in frypan over medium high heat.
7. Add pork and cook, 2 to 3 minutes each side, until just a hint of pink remains inside.
8. Remove from pan and set aside with mushrooms.
9. Stir broth mixture then add to pan, stirring until mixture boils and thickens slightly, 30 to 60 seconds.
10. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
11. Gently heat through if necessary.
12. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chives.

Serve with noodles.

Grilled Zucchini Salad

2medium zucchini

1 yellow squash
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped basil)
salt and pepper
lemon juice

Using a mandoline to very thinly slice the zucchini.
Toss the zucchini in olive oil and salt and pepper.
On a hot grill pan or indoor grill, sear the zucchini until dark marks appear, about 30 seconds. Flip over and repeat on the other side.
Toss the grilled zucchini in a bowl with the fresh herbs and a hefty squeeze of lemon. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Chicken Fingers, rice and salad

RICE

2 measures rice for rice cooker

1 C finely chopped unskinned tomatoes

2 T. finely chopped white onions

1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp chicken stock and enough water to make enough liquid for the amt of rice made.

1/4 C. peas

SALAD DRESSING

Put tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a blender jar and blend until smooth. Set aside. Add peas and rice to rice cooker, add enough water to make the measured amt. of rice.

Salad dressing: Yellow mustard, Mango-champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and a little sour cream.

Norm’s chicken fingers

cut chicken breasts long ways into 1/2-inch strips.  Dip in Wondra flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, all spice and  a pinch of curry powder

dip in beaten egg seasoned with a very small amount of curry and garlic salt

coat with panko bread crumbs and curry powder and deep fry until golden brown.

This seems like a lot of curry but most people can’t tell there is curry in it until I tell them.  Of course if you can’t stand curry, use some other seasoning like maybe thyme.

Chicken salad lunch with okra, Japanese eggplant and rice

Chicken salad made by making chicken stock, then cooking rice in the fat.. see below. Poached white meat, chopped, added Mayo, mustard, pickle relish (sweet) some romaine ribs because Cassie does not like celery, a little onion. walnuts and raisins.

I tried making this rice with medium grain rice and in the rice cooker. It came out very wet. I used too much liquid for the amount of rice. Long grain rice would have been less sticky too.

ARROZ A LA MEXICANA  (Mexican rice) from Diana Kennedy's The Art of Mexican Cooking

1 1/2 C unconverted long-grain rice

1 C finely chopped unskinned tomatoes

2 T. finely chopped white onions

1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1/3 C. safflower oil, melted chicken fat or melted lard

3 1//2 C. light chicken broth

1/3 C. carrot rounds, (optional)

1/2 C. fresh peas or diced zucchini (optional)

1/2 C. chopped giblets (optional)

1 large sprig parsley (optional)

2 serrano chilies, left whole (optional)

sea salt to taste

Put the rice into a bowl and cover with very hot water.  Stir and leave to soak for about 10 minutes.  drain, rince in cold water, and drain again.

Put tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a blender jar and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan.  Give the rice a final shake and stir into the fat.  Fry over fairly high heat until it begins to turn a light golden color. Strain off any excess oil, stir in the tomato puree, and fry, scraping the bottom of the dish to prevent sticking, until the puree has been absorbed- about 8 minutes.  Stir in the broth, vegetables and giblets, if used, add salt to taste and cook over fairly high heat, uncovered, until all he broth has been absorbed and air holes appear in the surface.  Cover the surface of the rice with a towel and a lid and continue cooking over very low heat for about 5 minutes longer.  Remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place for the rice to absorb the rest of the moisture in the steam ans swell-about 15 minutes.  Dig gently to the bottom and test a grain of rice.  If it is still damp, cook for a few minutes longer.  If the top grains are not quite soft, sprinkle with a little hot broth , cover, and cook for a few minutes longer.

Before serving, turn the rice over carefully from the bottom so that the flavored juices will be distributed evenly.

Grilled Japanese Eggplant

1. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2. 4 teaspoons lemon juice
3. 2 teaspoons olive oil
4. 4 Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound)
5. 1/4 cup katsuobushi, dried, shaved bonito flakes (a type of tuna), optional

Whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl to make the dressing; set aside. Score the stem end of each eggplant, making a circular cut in the skin (this will make the eggplant easier to peel). Poke a few holes into the eggplants with a skewer or fork to allow steam to escape as they grill.

Preheat a grill to medium. Grill for about 8 minutes, turning the eggplants a quarter turn every 2 minutes. Try to grill the eggplant all around. Test the eggplants for doneness by pressing against their sides with a pair of tongs. If the eggplants give easily, they're ready. Transfer the eggplants to a plate.

As soon as the eggplants are cool enough to handle, carefully peel off the skin (the skin comes off more easily if the eggplant is warm; don't let it cool completely). Once you've removed the skin, remove the stems, and slice each eggplant into 4 pieces, cutting on an angle. Transfer the eggplant slices to a platter. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with the bonito, and serve.

Classic Iron Skillet Southern Fried Okra

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1 pound of small okra pods, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup of cooking oil, more or less, divided

3/4 cup of all purpose cornmeal

1/4 cup of all purpose flour

Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and Cajun seasoning (optional), to taste

Rinse okra in a colander and let drain. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning, if using, in a paper bag or medium sized bowl. Toss the okra to coat evenly and transfer to the skillet using a large slotted spoon to shake off excess. Cook in batches, allowing to fry on one side until lightly browned, then begin to stir fry, moving the okra around the skillet and scraping the bottom of the skillet to avoid burning. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt, to taste. Prepare next batch, adding additional oil to skillet as needed between batches. Serve hot.

Cook's Notes: Choose smaller pods about 3 to 4 inches in length as they are the most tender. Any larger than that and they just get woody and tough. Substitute frozen okra if desired; simply place it in a colander, rinse well and allow to drain.