My Top Five Asian Dishes!

Over at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are celebrating Asian Dishes this week. This past week my family and I have been gone on family vacation. While we had an absolutely fantastic time visiting both Gettysburg and Hershey, PA we did come home to bad news regarding my mom's health so I wasn't really up to making a new dish this week.  However, I didn't want this week's theme to go by unnoticed because Asian Dishes are some of my family's absolute favorites (plus I needed a distraction)! So, below is a roundup of my family's Top Five Asian Dishes!

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Madhur Jaffrey's Delicious Chicken Bits

Madhur Jaffrey's Delicious Chicken Bits is hands down the BIGGEST hit I've ever made on my blog. I have been asked by my family to make these chicken bits over and over again. In fact, if I ask them what they want on the menu they always request this dish. The chicken is spicy and flavorful and perfect with rice and veggies. We lovingly refer to it as Indian Chicken due to all the delicious spices.  I've made this dish more than any other dish on my blog!

Chicken Patties with Ginger and Sesame Seeds with Korean Dipping Sauce

These dip-worthy chicken patties are a lot of fun as an appetizer or as part of a main dish.  Loads of fun to eat they are a great hit with anyone!

Madhur Jaffrey's Most Delicious Meat Cubes

If the name Most Delicious Meat Cubes doesn't get your attention then think about a crispy flavor-packed exterior and a tender meaty interior. These Most Delicious Meat Cubes are similar to carnitas, but with Indian spices are they are delectable! I urge anyone to try them!

Chicken with Garlic and Black Pepper

This Chicken with Garlic and Black Pepper reminds me of the Delicious Chicken Bits above, just with a different flavor profile. In fact, while my family enjoys the spicier Indian flavors of the Delicious Chicken Bits the most, I prefer this garlic and black pepper version. Both chicken dishes pack a flavor punch and are quick easy weeknight meals that go well with rice and veggies.

Asian Pork Balls with Chili Dipping Sauce

And these babies...well, I didn't mean to post a carnivorous meaty roundup, but sometimes it is all about the meat, especially when it is packed with flavor like these bad boys.  You can actually see all the flavor running through these meatballs like little pieces of confetti. I think the picture is all the convincing you need to whip up a batch. They are dunkalicious!

These are my favorite Asian Dishes. 

I'd love for you to share some of yours!

Tagliata {Italian Steak Salad}

Tagliata, otherwise known as Italian Steak Salad, is an ultimately satisfying salad with rich and luxurious filet, fresh leafy greens, the bright pop of cherry tomatoes, and cheesy curls of Parmesan  tossed in a light and refreshing lemony garlic dressing. It's quite simply a flavor explosion!

This time of year I like to make things that either require no cooking or very minimal cooking. I find it way too hot to be standing over a stove stirring away. Here you simply sear the steaks on both sides and you're all set. The rest is a matter of assembling ingredients.

This is a delightful salad that hits all the right notes and is pleasing on both the eyes, and taste buds. You simply can't go wrong with this one!

Tagliata {Italian Steak Salad}

Adapted from A Change of Appetite

by Diana Henry

Serves 4

2 (10oz tenderloin steaks), fat removed

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

4 cups mixed greens of your choosing

olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 strip of lemon zest, plus juice of 1/2 lemon

1-1&1/2 ounce of Parmesan, shaved

You need to work fast for this recipe. Get your steaks to room temperature. Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and put the salad greens in a wide, shallow bow.

Heat a heavy skillet until really hot, add a thin film of regular olive oil, and heat until the oil is just beginning to smoke. Season the steaks all over and saute for about 2 and a half minutes in total, turning every 20 seconds so they cook evenly. Put the steaks on a warm plate, cover with foil, and let rest.

There won't be much oil in the pan, but whatever there is, pour it out. Don't wipe the pan: there's flavor in it. Add the extra virgin oil to the pan and set it over medium heat. Thrown in the garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest. Let the flavorings meld in the oil for three minutes, then add the lemon juice.

Cut the steaks into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Strain half the dressing in the pan through a strainer onto the greens in the bowl. Spread the steak and Parmesan over the greens, too, then strain the rest of the dressing over the top. Sprinkle more salt over the whole dish along with a good grinding of black pepper and serve immediately.

Monthly Featured Chef: Diana Henry

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

My Top Five Diana Henry Recipes

Over at I Heart Cooking Clubs we've been cooking the recipes of Diana Henry for the past six months. Usually I have a tendency to chose main dish recipes, but this time around I mixed it up and cooked quite a selection. I made breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I made vegetarian dishes as well as meat-based dishes. I cooked some of her healthy recipes but also managed a few indulgent dishes. I even made a dessert! Everything I made was tasty, but these were my top five!

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Kale Pesto with Pasta

Of all the Diana Henry recipes I tried, this Kale Pesto with Pasta was my personal favorite. I'm rather biased since I happen to love kale, but I will say that everyone in my house thought this was delicious! Hearty, flavorful, robust and satisfying...I've made it a few times already.

Asian Pork Balls with Chili Dipping Sauce

If I were to pick an overall family favorite, it would be these Asian Pork Balls with Chili Dipping Sauce. They were pretty much exploding with flavor and incredibly fun to eat. They disappeared in record time.

Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

Of course, it's hard to beat a good ol' indulgent bowl of creamy pasta and this Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese is just that. This dish is a mix between Fettuccine Alfredo and Spaghetti Carbonara and is perfect comfort food. My teenage daughter loved it!

Broccoli with Ricotta, Lemon, and Parmesan

Broccoli is pretty much our favorite veggie, hands down.  My entire family enjoyed this refreshing Broccoli with Ricotta, Lemon, and Parmesan. If you're looking for a fun new way to serve your broccoli give this a try!

Maple Baked Granola

Lastly, I love all things maple. This maple baked granola is perfect as a snack, served with milk, or sprinkled over yogurt. Doesn't really matter what type of fruit or nuts you mix into it. Just pour the maple syrup on your choice of ingredients and bake.

Theme: Farewell Diana Henry!

For the next six months we will be cooking the recipes of the one and only Jacques Pepin! It's going to be a wonderful adventure cooking up his recipes. If you would like to cook along, visit our site at I Heart Cooking Clubs, or click here to be directed to our Welcome page.

Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs we're celebrating dishes that are Suitable For The Screen, or food that you can enjoy while watching TV.  I will confess that anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, is suitable TV fare.  Fruit, chips, nuts, popcorn, chips, candy, ice cream, cookies, cereal, fried chicken, fries, soup, pizza, and pasta to name a few.

For this particular screening, I wanted to be a total couch potato so I was looking for something extravagant, calorie-laden, and comforting. This Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese seemed like the perfect dish to enjoy while snuggled up on the couch settling in for a good old TV marathon.  Reminiscent of Fettuccine Alfredo, this dish is creamy, cheesy, and the epitome of comfort food. The bacon and fried eggs add that special touch that make this dish simply over the top. We're talking food coma. You can happily while away the afternoon cleaning off your DVR after enjoying a bowl. After all, someone has to clean off the DVR.

Cue the remote and grab a bowl.

 

Spaghetti with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese

Recipe found on Kitchen Flavours 

Adapted from Pure Simple Cooking

by Diana Henry 

12 ounces spaghetti

3-4 tablespoons butter or olive oil

8 ounces of bacon, sliced

4 large eggs

1 cup cream*

1/2 cup Parmesan, plus extra for garnishing

3 to 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Note: The cream is my addition to this recipe. You could add a splash of cream or up to 1 cup of cream. I found my pasta to be somewhat dry so I added around 3/4 cup of cream. If you have leftovers simply add a splash of cream or milk and reheat.

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. When it's almost ready, heat 1 tbsp of the butter, or olive oil, in a large frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp and well coloured. Transfer bacon to a dish. Fry the eggs in remaining bacon fat, spooning the warm oil up over the top of the eggs to cook the yolks. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, then put it back in the saucepan. To the pasta, add the remaining butter or extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, pepper, the bacon, cream, Parmesan, parsley and, and toss. Sprinkle on extra grated Parmesan, and top each serving with a fried egg. Serve immediately.

Theme:Suitable For The Screen

Roast Chicken with Dijon and Maple Syrup

"I came downstairs to see what smells so good" my daughter said. That girl and her nose...they don't ever miss a beat.  Chicken roasting, sauce simmering, or bread baking. She smells it all.  She can even smell pasta boiling. I'm not really sure how she's mastered the scent of pasta hitting boiling water, but her nose never seems to betray her.  

In this case her little sniffer was smelling the heavenly scent of this savory roast chicken bathed in Dijon mustard and maple syrup. To her credit, the smell was enough to make anyone's mouth water. The comforting aroma of chicken roasting on a cold, snowy day...I'm pretty sure there's nothing better.

Roast Chicken with Dijon and Maple Syrup 

Adapted from The Telegraph

by Diana Henry

Serves 4

5-6 chicken legs or thighs*
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp maple syrup

2 carrots, chopped into large chunks

1 shallot, cut into rings

salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Notes: You can roast a whole chicken using the spatchcocking method or use chicken pieces.  I used legs because it's what I had on hand.  Cooking times vary depending on the size of your chicken. I served this chicken with brown rice and broccoli.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place chicken and carrots in a cast iron skillet or casserole dish. Top with Dijon mustard, maple syrup, shallot, and salt and pepper, to taste.  Mix well to incorporate.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for around 60 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Theme: Heaven Scent

Diana Henry's Kale Pesto with Pasta

Snowmageddon '15 arrived this week.  Early Monday morning it started snowing here in Kentucky.  Now let me preface this by saying that a mere inch of snow is enough to cause widespread panic here in the Bluegrass.  So you can imagine what happened when we received over a foot of snow Monday afternoon.  No school all week. No mail.  No garbage collection. No anything (and that's not an exaggeration). Then later in the week the arctic temps came in.  Again, when I say arctic I mean it. On Friday it was colder here in Kentucky than it was in Alaska or Antarctica. Record breaking weather for Kentucky. Everything froze up, even the battery in my car died.  Then came the news that we were going to receive another winter storm, this one bringing ice, sleet, freezing rain, and another several inches of snow.  This news gave the term 'widespread panic' new meaning.

While everyone else was out braving the weather for  the last of the bread, milk, eggs, or ground beef (as pictured here) I was warm and cozy inside.  I was thankful for my food hoarding tendencies.  I like to keep a very well stocked pantry, especially in the winter months, because you never know when bad weather will strike.  Lots of pasta, rice, cereal, broth, cheese, frozen veggies, etc.  This way I don't have to venture out in the bad weather and I can throw together dishes like this Kale Pesto with Pasta.

This Kale Pesto with Pasta sounds super virtuous, and it is fairly healthy, but don't let that fool you.  It is  delicious, hearty, and ultra-comforting!  It really hits the spot! Even my non-kale lovers enjoyed it!  The kale pesto is perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of garlic and cheese.  The addition of red pepper flakes is perfect as the spicy heat from the pepper flakes does a subtle job of spicing things up just right. I enjoyed the pesto with larger pieces of kale still remaining for texture, but you could blend the pesto smooth if you were so inclined.  I will definitely make this dish again!

Kale Pesto with Pasta

Adapted from Diana Henry's 

A Change of Apettite

Serves 4-6

1 pound pasta*

12 oz kale (about 4 cups stemmed and chopped)

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley

2 good quality anchovies, drained

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino

really good pinch of dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Notes: Use any pasta you like.  Whole wheat, multigrain, or semolina.  The recipe uses linguine, but I also think fusilli, bowtie, or any other smaller shape would be nice as well. 

 Wash the kale well and strip the fibrous leaves from their stems.  At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil, plunge the leaves in, and cook for five minutes.  After five minutes, remove the kale from the boiling water and place into a bowl.  Once the kale is removed add in the pasta and cook until al dente.   

While the pasta is cooking make the pesto.  Place the cooked kale into a food processor with the butter, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, anchovies, garlic and 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Add the red pepper flakes (if using).  Process, using the pulse-blend button.  I like this pesto when it isn't completely pureed but still has quite large flecks in it, so best not to overdo it. Taste the pesto, add the rest of the cheese, salt, and pepper, red pepper flakes, etc. to taste.  Drain the pasta, return it to the pan with a little of it's cooking water, mix in the pesto and serve immediately. Garnish with cheese, if desired.

Theme: Curds & Whey

Asian Pork Balls with Chili Dipping Sauce

Juicy pork meatballs filled with garlic....lots of garlic, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, lime and ginger.  A colorful mix of ingredients add up to make one mouthwatering and flavorful pork ball.

Serve these pork balls as an appetizer dunked in a sweet chili dipping sauce or serve them as a main course along with rice and stir fried veggies.  Either way, you simply can't go wrong!  These flavorful little meatballs were a huge hit at my house!  We ate them straight from the pan.  We ate them on their own. We loved them dunked in the sweet chili dipping sauce.  We served them over rice and edamame. We absolutely devoured them.

I chose to bake the pork balls instead of frying because I'm convinced baking yields a superior result.  It's not that I think baking meatballs is more virtuous than frying, because I still use the same amount of oil, but I think the oven does a better job of cooking the meat balls more evenly.  Frying tends to be rather messy and has to be done in batches.  Also, fried meatballs oftentimes end up misshapen, some undercooked, some overcooked.  I find that baking meatballs results in nicer shaped balls that are perfectly browned with a lightly crusted exterior and perfectly tender interior.  Therefore I almost always bake any meatball recipe.  Simply set your oven to 350F, oil a baking sheet, place your meatballs on the baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and bake for around 20-25 minutes.  Throw the baking sheet in the oven and walk away!  Easy peasy! No messy clean up. No standing over the stove frying batch after batch of meatballs. I highly recommend it. 

I want to thank my friend Joyce, at Kitchen Flavours, for pointing out this delectable pork ball recipe! Like Joyce, I went ahead and used a sweet chili dipping sauce that I had in my pantry, but I have included the recipe for Diana Henry's homemade chili dipping sauce below.

Asian Pork Balls with Chili Dipping Sauce

Inspired by Diana Henry

recipe found on Kitchen Flavours

Serves 4-6

For the Chili Sauce

6 large red chillies, 3 deseeded and roughly chopped

5cm (2in) root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

grated zest of 3 and juice of 2 limes

12 garlic cloves

1 large bunch of coriander, leaves only

300gm (10-1/2oz) caster sugar

50ml (2fl oz) Thai fish sauce

120ml (4fl oz) white wine vinegar

 

For the Pork Balls

2 pounds ground pork

7 oz. of bacon, finely chopped*

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2cm (3/4in) fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chili (jalapeno), deseeded and chopped

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

grated zest of 1 and juice of 1/2 lime

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped

salt and pepper

canola oil, for frying or baking

First make the chilli sauce: Put the chillies, ginger, lime zest and juice, garlic and coriander leaves into a food processor and puree into a coarse puree. Put the sugar into a thick-bottomed pan with 6 tbsp water and place on medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat slowly and gradually boil until the syrup becomes a caramel colour. Stir in the paste, fish sauce and vinegar and simmer for 2 minutes. Leave to cool.

 

For the Pork Balls: Mix everything for the pork balls (not the oil) together in a large bowl, combining all the ingredients with your hands to make sure they get well mixed. Season well. Pull off chunks and form into balls about the size of a walnut. It is better to chill these before cooking them, otherwise they tend to fall apart, so lay them on a baking sheet, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour or so.

 

To Cook Pork Balls:  Heat about 1cm (1/2 in) oil in a frying pan and cook the pork balls in batches, colouring them all over. It takes about 4 minutes, but do check you are frying them long enough for the pork in the middle to be cooked.  Or, bake the pork balls as I have done by oiling a baking sheet, placing the pork balls on the sheet, drizzling with more oil, and baking at 350F for about 25 minutes.

To Serve: Serve with the chilli sauce (or indeed a bought dipping sauce, such as Thai chilli or plum) and eat with plain boiled rice and stir-fried vegetables.

Theme: East Meets West

Diana Henry's Broccoli with Ricotta, Lemon, and Parmesan

 So it's Superbowl weekend and I'm serving up broccoli? Well, to be fair we are celebrating veggies over at I Heart Cooking Clubs and to the people in my household there is really only one vegetable: broccoli!  Here at my house we fight over broccoli.  It's the house vegetable.  Yes, we have a house vegetable.  So much so, that at any given time, I usually have at least 4 heads of broccoli in my fridge. 

Most times I serve broccoli steamed with a bit of Parmesan butter. When I'm feeling ambitious I saute the broccoli with butter, garlic, and breadcrumbs. Either way, there is never a spare spear left in the bowl. The broccoli gets snarfed down like it's candy.

This recipe with ricotta cheese, lemon, and Parmesan is a new way to serve broccoli and I must say that everyone loved it!  The cheese doesn't overpower the broccoli at all.  We loved the way the ricotta added creaminess and the Parmesan added that sharp nutty flavor.  The lemon went a long way in brightening up this dish, which was very welcome since we're experiencing a bad case of the winter doldrums at the moment.  This was a winning broccoli recipe that's sure to be repeated in my kitchen.

Broccoli with Ricotta, Lemon, and Parmesan

Adapted from Diana Henry

Serves 2-4

One head of broccoli

1/2 cup of fresh ricotta

half a lemon, zested 

1 lemon, juice only

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

cracked black pepper and salt, to taste

Note: These measurements are a guide only.  Feel free to adorn your broccoli with more cheese, oil, lemon, etc.  This dish is easily customizable to suit your taste.

 Steam the broccoli for around 4-5 minutes. Place the hot broccoli onto a serving plate and decorate with dollops of ricotta and nice curls of shaved parmesan (I forgot my parmesan in the pictures).  Sprinkle on the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon over the broccoli.  Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and black pepper, and serve.

Theme: Veggie Variations

Kayi Korma Curry

 The sound of mustard seeds popping in a pan always reminds me of Madhur Jaffrey.  Back when we spent six months cooking with Madhur Jaffrey I swear I went through an entire container of mustard seeds.  I was popping mustard seeds like no one's business in those days.   

While this recipe starts off like a Madhur Jaffrey recipe that's where the comparison ends for me.  Madhur's recipes were always full of spice and lots and lots of flavor. This recipe for Kayi Korma Curry is courtesy of Diana Henry and it's an extremely mild vegetable curry.  It's packed with onions, garlic, chilis, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, and green beans. These ingredients usually produce big flavors but not so much in this case. This was an extremely mild curry that just didn't deliver the big flavors I was craving.  nstead I found myself adding more chili, ginger, garlic, coriander, and lots of pepper and salt.  I never seemed to find a good balance and in the end it just fell flat for me.  That's okay though.  I enjoy learning what works for me and what doesn't.

Kayi Korma Curry

by Diana Henry

via The Telegraph

Serves 4-6

 

1½ tsp black mustard seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

4cm (1½in) cube fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

1-2 green chillis, halved, deseeded and chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

200g (7oz) tomatoes, cut into chunks

250g (9oz) carrots, cut into chunks

350g (12oz) potatoes, waxy or floury (peeled if floury)

250ml (9fl oz) coconut cream

100g (3½oz) frozen peas

125g (4½oz) French or dwarf beans, topped and halved

juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra sprigs to serve 

 Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop add the onions. Fry over a medium heat until they are a good brown colour. Do watch to make sure they don’t burn. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a further five minutes or so, then add the ground coriander and turmeric and cook for a minute to release the spices’ fragrance. Add the tomatoes, carrots and potatoes, stir everything round and cook for about four minutes to soften the tomatoes, then add enough water just to cover the vegetables, followed by the coconut cream. Season and bring to just under the boil. Turn down to a simmer and allow the vegetables to cook until they are almost tender. You may have to add more water. The sauce should just coat the vegetables. The peas and beans only need to cook for about three minutes, so add them towards the end of the cooking time. Add half the lime juice, taste, adjust the seasoning and decide whether you want more lime juice. Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving and decorate with a few whole sprigs. Serve with plain boiled basmati rice.

Theme: Along The Spice Trail

{Sunday Supper} Roast Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Green Beans with Garlic Cream Dressing

No school and no work for the last 16 days, but like all good things, that ends tomorrow. Back to the grindstone.  So as we prepare the backpacks and the lunchboxes we slow down and enjoy one last lazy day before the madness ensues.  Start your ovens.  Cue the Netflix.  Get comfy.

This is a cozy little Sunday Supper.  A cast iron skillet brimming with simple roasted chicken and baby potatoes adorned with fresh steamed green beans and a good drizzle of the most bright and refreshing garlic cream dressing.  Wow does that dressing jazz things up a bit! This is everything I want winter comfort food to be.  It's familiar but has a fun little twist with the dressing, it's healthy yet very comforting, and most of all it's a great family-pleasing meal! It was the perfect thing to enjoy on our last lazy day of Christmas break.

Roast Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Green Beans with Garlic Cream Dressing

Adapted from The Telegraph via Diana Henry

Serves 4-6

6 or 7 chicken legs or thighs, skin on

1 pound baby red potatoes, quartered

chopped leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 pound green beans, topped and tailed

For the Dressing:
smidgen of Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 400F.   Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  Place the oil in a large (12") cast iron skillet over medium heat.  When the skillet is ready (hot), add the chicken legs and sear for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.  Place the quartered potatoes and rosemary (if using) in the skillet with the chicken and put the skillet into the oven.   Roast for about one and a half hours, until the potatoes are tender and golden.  Shake the potatoes around a bit while cooking – dark, crusty edges are especially nice.

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the dressing. Put the mustard, garlic, balsamic and lemon juice into a small bowl and whisk together with a fork. Season and whisk in the oil followed by the cream. Check for seasoning – it might seem slightly strong but it's going to dress potatoes so needs to balance them.

Also, during this time, steam or boil the beans for three to four minutes or until slightly tender but still al dente. Rinse in cold water, drain and gently pat dry with a clean tea towel.

Remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and place onto a platter with the green beans.  Drizzle the garlic cream dressing over top the platter, reserving some dressing to serve on the side.  Garnish platter with lemons and herbs, if desired.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Theme: Happy, Healthy!

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen