sweet 'n' savory TWO

Marinade for Jerk Chicken

Adapted from Jerk Chicken recipe from Epicurious

• Scallions, 3, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Small onion, 1, chopped (or shallots)
• Fresh habanero chile, 2, stemmed and seeded (more or less as you desire)
• Fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup
• Soy sauce, 2 TBS
• Olive oil, 3 TBS
• Kosher salt, 2 TBS
• Brown sugar, 1/4 cup packed
• Fresh thyme leaves, 1 TBS
• Ground allspice, 1 tsp
• Black pepper, 2 tsp
• Freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp
• Ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp
• 1 whole chicken, cut up, or 4 chicken quarters, cut up

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until well incorporated.
2. Marinade chicken overnight in refrigerator.  Grill chicken parts until cooked.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green-Onion Infused Chicken

Green Onion is undoubtedly one of the quintessential ingredients in Chinese cuisine.  In most cases, green onion plays more of a supporting role to compliment whichever main ingredient that takes the center stage.  In this dish, however, green onion not only gets the spotlight - it IS what defines this dish and make it a classic. Since this doesn't fit the portrait of 'typical' American Chinese dishes featuring nothing but a pool of thick sauce that is overly sweet & salty, it is not commonly found in American Chinese restaurants.  Fortunately, it is fairly easy to make at home with just a few fresh and simple ingredients!

1. Make marinade by combining green onions (two including both green and white parts, cut into 2-inch sections), ginger (eight 1 inch by 2 inch thin slices), rice wine (2 TBS) and kosher salt (1 tsp).  Muddle the mixture to bring the flavor together.
2. Clean & dry chicken pieces (four quarters or one medium whole chicken).  Place chicken pieces in a container that will go straight into the steamer later.  Rub marinate all over the chicken parts, inside and out and scatter marinade mixture all over chicken parts.  Cover the container with plastic wrap and rest in fridge for an hour.
3. Bring the water in steamer to a boil.  Place the container with chicken parts in the steamer.  Cover the steamer and steam over high heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken parts are cooked (when chicken parts are poked with chopstick, the oozing juice should be clear, not bloody).
4. While chicken is being steamed, combine one cup of julienne green onion (cut on a diagonal), 1/4 cup of julienne fresh ginger, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt and mix well.
5. Once chicken is cooked, removed from steamer.  Scatter green onion & ginger mixture all over the cooked chicken parts.
6. In a pan, heat a mixture of vegetable oil (2 TBSP) & sesame oil (1 tsp) until begins to smoke.  Drizzle the hot oil carefully over the chicken parts topped with green onions.  The green onions would make sizzling sound and become fragrant.
7. Mix cornstarch (1 tsp) with some water (1 TBSP).  Tilt the container with chicken to pour the juice into a pan.  Bring the juice to a simmer and season with salt to taste.  Stir the cornstarch mixture well and add to pan to thicken the sauce.
8. Drizzle the thickened sauce all over the chicken.  Serve warm with steamed rice.

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Veggie and Cheese Sauce

Think of this dish as the "healthier" version of Chicken Alfredo - a true "one-pot meal"!

1. In a big pan or dutch oven, saute broccoli (bite-sized florets, 4 cups) for a few minutes until cooked but remaining crisp.  Add garlic (2 cloves, minced) and red pepper (one, thinly sliced) to broccoli and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add whipping cream (1 1/2 cup), grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup), and a mixture of shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack (1 cup, substitute with other cheeses if desired) to pan, and simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
3. Add cooked chicken (3 cups, cubed) and freshly cooked pasta (1/2 lb, preferably penne or rigatoni) to pan and continue to cook for a few minutes until all ingredients are coated evenly with cheese sauce.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately!

Roast Chicken

Roast chicken is one of our favorite ways for cooking chicken.  It is simple, delicious, and quick!  More importantly, a roast chicken is such a multi-purpose good eat - it can be enjoyed as is (white meat for Bob and dark meat for me), the leftover breast meat can be made into Chicken salad, and the carcass is just perfect for making flavorful chicken broth.

 

Roasted chicken + Roasted vegetables = Match made in Heaven!