A Vietnamese Moment

My roommate and I have been working our way through Burma Super Star's famed cookbook. So far, we've been pretty happy with the things we've tried! Burmese food is a fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine. Most of the recipes include pantry items common in Vietnamese and Indian cooking! This dish is very tasty but does take a long time to prepare - about 1 hr which is more time than most of the Vietnamese stuff I make! It supposedly freezes well and once things start cooking, takes minimal effort. Ingredients:  2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon paprika ½ teaspoon turmeric 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste, we ended up using half of this. Recommend starting with half and increase more as needed) ½ cup canola oil 3 cups finely diced yellow onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 thai chili (optional) 1-2 small potatoes (optional) 1 (13 ½ ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce 1 ½ cups water 1 teaspo...

Chicken with Mint (Serves 3; or 4 as part of a larger meal) 1 pound ground chicken 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds 2 tablespoons sambal oelek (chile sauce) 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or 1 teaspoon salt (we used sweet soy sauce) 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1/4 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons canola oil 6 to 8 small garlic cloves 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1/2 jalapeno or 2 Thai chilis, chopped 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra sprigs for garnish (optional) 1/4 cup chopped mint 1. In a dry wok or skillet, toast the cumin seeds and mustard seeds until the cumin is fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop, no more than 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar with a pestle or a coffee grinder used for grinding spices and pulverize into a coarse powder. 2. In a small bowl, mix together the sambal, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. (If not using soy sauce, you may need a pinch more fish sauce.) *note: we used swee...

I now understand why the Barefoot Contessa has spawned millions of fans, has a long running hit television show on food network, and authored dozens of cookbooks. She is simply amazing - she breaks things down in a way that even an amateur home cook can understand.  After hearing so much about this perfect roast chicken, I thought I would try out Ina Garten's timeless recipe. I was surprised how easy and simple it was, yet the final product was so flavorful and delicious. This is definitely a recipe I will be making for years and years.  I actually didn't make the gravy as I ran out of chicken stock but the juices from the lemon/onions are sufficient in glazing the chicken. Simply pour the pan sauces over the chicken for enhanced flavor.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys7dyV97FXw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4c272QikE0 https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe-1940592 https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/perf...

A very basic, simple porridge recipe for rainy days or sick days. Very minimal ingredients and very easy to make. Ratio:  1 cup of rice: 8-10 cups of water Ingredients  - 1 whole chicken - ginger  - salt - pepper  - sugar  - chicken bouillin - onions (about 2-3), can be white, yellow, or shallot onions  - rice 1. In a large stock pot, add water and bring to boil (almost enough to cover 1 whole chicken). Take about 1-1.5 cup rice (depending on how much you want) and place in cold water for 1 hour - after an hour, rinse the rice and set aside.   2. Add 2-3 onions, some ginger, and about 1 tablespoon of salt. Add chicken and bring to boil on medium heat. Remove scum. Once it boils, turn heat to low and cover - should be about 30-40 minutes depending on the size. I usually stick a chopstick in the chicken to make sure it's done. Skim the scum off the broth. 3. Remove chicken and strain broth. Rinse chicken under cold ...

I unfortunately have not been posting regularly lately... residency is taking over my life! But with the free time I do have, I like to try out new recipes (and new restaurants!). Currently broadening my range outside of Vietnamese moment. I had this chicken at a friend's place once and it was DIVINE! The most moist and succulent chicken ever... with minimal effort! I replicated it at home and it tasted *almost* as good! The secret? Cooking at high heat! Made this again for my fiancé and it's a winner :) Some tips I learned along the way - use about 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of chicken. Salt cavity with 1-2 teaspoons of salt, usually closer to 2 tsp. Cooking time is actually 11-12 mins per pound based on 450. Does not take entire 75 mnins. Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken (founder of French Laundry) 1. Use a 4-5 lb chicken - bring to room temperature (let sit on counter top for 1-2 hours) 2. Run your hands under the skin of the breast, legs, thi...

Chicken Seasoning:  4 – 6 chicken thighs – I used five! Skin on, bone in! 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic minced 1 sprig of rosemary 2 tbsp olive oil 1. Mix together marinade ingredients. Place chicken in shallow dish or sealable bag. Pour in marinade and leave in the fridge for 2-4 hours. Bake 2 lemons thinly sliced Juice of half a lemon 1/2 tbsp raw honey 2 tbsp olive oil 5-6 cloves of garlic – skin on 4 sprigs of rosemary 6 sprigs of thyme 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper Instructions 1.  Preheat oven to 200C (400F). 2. Pan sear chicken thighs in a non stick pan over a medium to high heat, skin side down for 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for 2 minutes more. 3. Lay half of the lemon slices in the bottom of a large oven safe dish along with garlic cloves. 4. Place chicken thighs skin side up on top. Add remaining lemon slices, rosemary and thyme to the dish. 5. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, rubbing in to the ski...

I decided to spice things up and tried a new Japanese recipe tonight! I'm in my fourth year of medical school and it feels like vacation! With all this newfound free time, I thought I would broaden my cooking and try other ethnicities! First stop, Japan! Ingredients:  3 lb chicken wings 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup all-purpose flour for coating SAUCE:  3 tablespoons soy sauce  3 tablespoon water  1/3 cup white sugar  1/4 cup white vinegar (or rice wine vinegar) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste, or freshly minced garlic) 1 teaspoon salt  Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Lightly add salt and pepper to chicken wings. 3. Dip wings in egg and coat with flour. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes turning once.  4. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder and salt. Pour over wings.  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, basting wings with sauce often.

This is a simple teriyaki soy baked chicken recipe that's perfect for those busy work nights when you don't want to spend more than 10 minutes prepping dinner. I start with a teriyaki based seasoning and add flavor with soy sauce. The only caveat is that this must be marinated for at least one day to tenderize and season the meat. Mix of chicken breasts, legs, or wings - bone in with skin on is best 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup Kikkoman Takumi Collection Garlic and Green Onion Teriyaki Sauce 1.5-2 tsps Soy sauce 1/2 tsp Shao Xing Cooking Wine Pepper Marinate in ziploc bag x 24 hrs. Bake at 400 for  ~25-30 minutes, then broil for another ~5-8 minutes. The key is to broil the chicken to make the skin extra crispy! Enjoy!