Easy Chicken/Steak Marinade

I’m not sick anymore!  Woo!  I wasn’t going to have anything to post tonight since I made my moms Pumpkin Black Bean Soup for dinner, but then I remembered that last week (before I caught the flu from the kids) I made chicken with this marinade that everyone loved and I never got around to posting it.  Anyway it’s really simple and yummy, and good for frying or baking chicken or steak (I have used it to fry chicken and eat over rice with veggies, and on steak making kabobs.)

Easy Chicken or Steak Marinade:

1. One part vinegar
2. Two parts soy sauce
3. Chopped onion, garlic, and chili pepper
4. Salt, pepper, and coriander or other seasonings to taste

Just mix together and let the meat soak in it for about half an hour before cooking.  =]

-Ariel

Thai Red Curry

The easiest most delicious thing in the world.  I could eat this every day and not tire of it.  The best thing about it is that everything, all the measurements, how spicy, what meats or vegetables to put into it are up to you.   The only thing you really need to measure is the rice!  Also, I totally know I sorta already went over the whole red curry thing in my Autumn Harvest Thai Curry post, but it really is just that good.

Ingredients:

• Rice and water to cook it in
• Thai red curry paste
• Oil
• Coconut milk, light milk, or cream (depending on how healthy or thick you like it.)
• Fish sauce, or soy sauce or sugar (fish sauce has the best flavor, I’d say.  But soy sauce or sugar will do in a pinch or to keep it vegetarian friendly.)
• Meat product (tofu, chicken, fish, beef, pork, etc.  Or not, and make it a veggie-only dish.)
• Vegetables (potatoes, peppers, onion,carrot, tomato, eggplant,  chili, garlic, squash, pineapple, if you like it, add it.  If not, don’t.  Ration and ratio as you please.)
• Spices and herbs (salt, pepper, sugar, fresh coriander leaves/cilantro, ground coriander, whatever.  I usually only use fresh coriander (makes everything better) but I’m a minimalist.)

Cook:

1. Start the rice and chop any meats or vegetables used into bite sized pieces.
2. Add oil to a pan deep enough to hold the amount of sauce you desire and pre heat on a high/medium high heat.  Add red curry paste (for three-four people and a hot dish I use two towering tablespoons of red curry paste.)  Cook meat product.
3. Add coconut milk (for 3-4 people I use one standard sized can.  I think thats like 400g or 14 oz, but don’t take my word on it, I haven’t one in front of me.)  Add vegetables.  Simmer until vegetables are at desired softness.
4. Add fish sauce (or other.  I usually go with a tablespoon or so) and any herbs.  Stir in and serve over rice!

My standby combinations are:

1. Pineapple-chicken curry.  Just pineapples, chicken, and fresh coriander/cilantro in the sauce.  Fantastic.  I used to order this every time at a Thai restaurant I frequented back in the States.
2. Chicken or fish, potatoes, red pepper, red onion, carrots, and fresh coriander/cilantro.  Pretty much your classic red curry dish (a classic for a reason.  We had this for dinner tonight and last night ❤  I can’t help but double the recipe for leftovers when I make it!)

Anyway that’s what I have to share today.  =]  Enjoy!

-Ariel

Mexican Chicken and Lime Soup

This was soo yummy last night.  The flavor is unique and intense; perfect for hot or cold weather.  I should have taken a pic of it, but I didn’t think to until after it was gone.

Mexican Chicken and Lime Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 liter/4.5 cups water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or sub stock)
• 3 chicken breast halves
• 3 large onions
• 3 -4 cloves garlic
• 2 chili peppers, de-seeded
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 limes
• a handful of cilantro
• seasonings (salt, pepper, oregano, whatever you like.)

Cook:

1. Put water, bouillon cubes, chicken, seasonings, garlic, and one chopped onion in a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to medium heat, cover, and simmer until chicken has cooked.
2. While chicken is cooking chop and saute onions, chili, cilantro, and tomatoes (put the cilantro and tomatoes in last, after the chili and onions have had a chance to soften.  For stronger cilantro and/or chili flavor, do not saute.)
3. Shred chicken when it is cooked and return to pot.  Add sautéed vegetables to the pot.
4. Halve the limes and squeeze the juice into the pot, then toss the rinds in the pot as well.  Simmer for about ten more minutes to absorb the flavors, then serve.

This recipe had a slightly more involved cooking process than I usually go for but was definitely worth the effort.  It was just as good cold this morning for breakfast.  =]

-Ariel

Lettuce Wraps

Messy to eat, but so good…

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

• half kilo/1lb: minced/ground chicken
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 large chili peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 2 tbsp peanut or sesame oil
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• a large handful of fresh basil
• coriander, salt, pepper to taste
• lettuce leaves (I used iceberg, but I suppose anything with leaves large enough to make a wrap out of works.)

Cook:

1. Fry chicken and chili in oil until chicken is cooked.
2. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, seasonings, and garlic.  Mix in and cook another minute or two for the flavors to absorb.
3. Serve with a side of whole lettuce leaves to scoop the mix in a wrap with, and maybe a side of rice if desired.

Enjoy!

-Ariel

Quesadillas

I am so craving quesadilla’s right now!  My host mom and I were talking about them just last night… cheesy buttery goodness.  Mmm, but she’s on a diet so not today.  The thing I love most about quesadillas is that as long as you have tortillas and cheese, your good.  Anything else in the world can be added in for extra flavor or so that you can serve this snack food as a meal and its so easy to make!  AND they taste good cold, which is particularly important to me because I don’t like to reheat food (don’t ask.)

Quesadillas (as I like them)

This recipe usually yields 5-8 quesadillas depending on how stuffed I make them.

Ingredients:

• Tortillas (store bought or make your own!)
• Shredded cheese (theres a million different blends at the grocery store.  Choose your favorite.)
• Veggies (my favorites being one of each: red pepper, jalapeño, onion, and tomato.  Black beans are also yummy to add.)
• Lime
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves
• Shredded chicken breast (if I happen to be starting out with raw chicken I like to cube it then rub it with cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder and then fry it in vegetable oil.)
• Butter (obviously vegetable oil is a lower calorie option but butter is just so good!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook:

1. (Assuming we’re starting out with ready-made tortillas and cooked chicken) Chop all the vegetables and the cilantro and toss in a large bowl with chicken and lime juice squeazed from the lime.  Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pre-heat a frying pan on medium-high heat (lower if  your tortillas start to burn before cheese melts) with enough butter that the tortilla won’t stick.
3. Place tortilla on pan and let warm up.  Flip when air bubbles begin to form.  Spread a layer of cheese on all the tortilla.  Top half with a layer of veggie/chicken mix.  Fold the non-topped half of the tortilla over.  Cook long enough for the cheese to melt, flipping to heat both sides.

I usually place the quesadillas on a plate and cover with foil while making the next ones so they keep warm.  Each tortilla should take no longer than 5 minutes.  Once I’m ready to serve/eat them I cut them into 3 or 4 pieces and serve with salsa/pico de gallo/ sour cream/ whatever I’m in the mood for.  Sorry I haven’t any pics to post; I’m not cooking today (host dad cooked enough over the weekend for three days of leftovers) but I am craving these…

-Ariel

Yummy Fried Chicken

Last nights dinner was one of those scrambled-together meals.  Leftover string bean salad (think potato or macaroni salad, only with green beans,) colorful vegetable pasta (because the little one has asked for pasta,) and a couple chicken breasts that were about to expire.  Mm, scrounging for food.

Anyway, I cooked the pasta and fried up the chicken real quick and dinner was done in 15-20 minutes!

Yummy Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts
• Bran flakes cereal (or corn flakes, whatever.  I used bran because that’s what we have and I think it brought a bit extra flavor that corn flakes wouldn’t have)
• Flour (1:2   flour:bran flakes)
• 1 egg
• Milk (about the same amount as the egg, maybe a drop less)
• Oil to fry the chicken in (enough to coat the pan, then a bit more)
• Seasonings (salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, whatever.)

Cook:

1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces (I do this only because it fries faster this way, imo.)  In one bowl mix the egg and milk together.  In a separate bowl crush the bran flakes and mix in flour and seasonings.  Coat pan for frying and pre-heat at a medium-high temperature.
2. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat in bran flake mixture.  Fry.

Thats it!  Yummy and fast.  I’d have posted pics but my camera battery is apparently dead, and there aren’t any leftovers for when it’s done recharging- even after we were full everyone kept picking for any spare bran flakes that fell off!

Nom nom nom,

-Ariel

Italian-American French Onion Soup

So tonight was of those evenings where, while being dragged past the kitchen by a three year old, I looked at the clock and realized that it was dinnertime.  And I hadn’t even an idea for dinner.  Usually I plan out dinners for the following week on the Thursday or Friday before and over the weekend we do a big shop, but this week we were a bit unorganized and so was the big shop.  Now there is some funky purple uterus-shaped (is that enough adjectives for you?) root sitting on the countertop but none of the vegetables that would grill up quick and taste good as a side with chicken (my fall back plan.)

No fear.  I did a quick inventory of what we did have and remembered a Rachel Ray recipe that I’d read once, and made a soup based off of what I remembered.  It was good.  I’m going to call it Italian-American French Onion Soup. Because I don’t remember what she called it.  Here’s what I did:

Ingredients: (in no particular order)

• chicken breast (I used was was probably 1.5lbs for four adults, and thought 2lbs might have been better.  Assorted veggies could be substituted for vegetarians)
• one large purple onion (because I like the purple ones)
• three-four cloves of garlic
• one chili pepper
• can of chopped tomatoes
• bouillon cube (I used chicken flavor, but vegetable would work too.  Also, if you have stock, that would work too.)
• water
• olive oil
• seasonings
• parmesan cheese
• two hamburger buns.  Because that was the fanciest white/whole wheat bread in the house.

Preparation:

1. cube the chicken (or slice various veggies)
2. slice the onion
3. chop the garlic
4. de-seed and thinly dice the chili pepper
5. pre-heat the oven (to toast the bread.)  350’F or 200’C, it doesn’t really matter though, as long as it toasts.  (I sliced the buns in half before toasting.)

Cook:

1. Put some olive oil in a sauce pan and cook the chicken through on medium-high heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, chili pepper.  If you like it strong, move on to step three.  If you want the onion and garlic taste to be more subtle, let it cook until the onion gets soft.
3. Add can of chopped tomatoes.  Fill can with water, add to soup.  Fill can either half or all the way again with water (eyeball it,) add to soup.  Add bouillon cube.
4. Season to taste.  Fresh is always better, but I used dried oregano and basil.  Also, salt and pepper.
5. Let the soup cook for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.  Stir occasionally.  Toast the bread face down for a bit, then flip it and put some parmesan cheese on it.  Let the cheese melt.

That it.  Put the toasted bread in the bottom of a bowl and pour soup on top.  Garnish with a bit more parmesan and enjoy!  This fed four adults with no left-overs, but it’s pretty easy to adjust.  One of the things I really liked about this recipe was how completely easy and fast it was (including prep time, it should not take longer than 20-25 minutes) and also how wonderfully quick clean-up was after.  Plus everyone really enjoyed it =]

-Ariel