Star Anise Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms

When I got tired of my traditional Chinese chicken stir fry with oyster sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce, I decided to up my game and get inspired to cook a variation of my boring Chinese chicken stir fry. I stumbled upon this recipe and fell in love with it.

Chinese mushrooms with chicken can never go wrong! And the addition of the star anise was the reason why I made this dish. I love star anise but never knew how to use it other than putting it into a big pot of broth.  As usual I always make changes to recipes according to what I have in handy and to my liking.


Servings 3
Ingredients
1/2 lb chicken thigh fillet cut into cubes
2 carrots cut into cubes
10 mini Chinese mushrooms soaked in 180ml boiling water (keep the mushroom stock)
1 pearl onion/1/2 shallot minced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp ginger (cut into matchsticks or in big chunks)
1 tsp shao xing wine
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
180ml mushroom stock from Chinese mushrooms
3 star anise
2 tsp corn starch diluted in water
dash of white pepper
Spring onions for garnishing

Method
1. Soak chinese mushrooms in boiling water until soft (approx. 20min). Cut it up into smaller pieces or cut the mushroom stalk.
2. Marinate the cubed chicken with sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce and shao xing wine for 15 minutes
3. Heat oil in a stir fry pan and add in onions, garlic and ginger. Stir till fragrant
4. Add in marinated chicken and star anise. Stir fry till chicken is browned
5. Add carrots, mushrooms, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce. Stir fry.
6. Pour in mushroom stock. With lid slightly open, simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. 
7. Add in diluted corn starch and simmer until gravy has thickened

If you prefer less gravy, open the lid and simmer. As for me, the more gravy the better!

Potato Leek Soup

Every time I grace through the vegetable aisle, I always catch myself gawking away at leeks wondering what in the world to do with this ginormous piece of overgrown spring onions? One day, I caught myself almost grabbing an instant box of potato leek soup from the grocery store until the alter ego in me said "wait a minute, I already had two microwavable meals this week and If I grab this other box, I will soon be like an average American relying on a stash of microwavable meals in their freezer." You see, I made a silent promise to myself to never ever become like that American who literally hoards boxes of Hungry Man, Maruchan Ramen, Smart Ones, and sodas in their carts while grocery shopping.

Minutes later, I ended up with the ginormous leeks and russet potatoes in my shopping cart. I was so proud of myself until I got home and realize that I had no idea how to clean and cut the leeks. Anyway, that's when this youtube video came flashing onto my computer screen. After that, I clicked here for a mini tutorial on how to make the potato leek soup.

And the end result is a recipe with some changes below:

4 Servings
Ingredients
3 stalks of leeks chopped
2 medium size russet potatoes chopped (do not worry about chopped size as it will be pureed)
4 cups of chicken/vegetable broth ( I used 2 cups water, 2 cups chicken broth)
1 cup milk (for richer creamier texture use cream)
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp oil
dash of white pepper
some chopped chives for garnishing ( I used cilantro since that's what I had in hand)

Directions 
1. On medium heat,heat oil in pan. When oil is hot, stir in the garlic
2. Add in leeks and stir fry till soft
3. Add in the potatoes and 4 cups of chicken broth
4. Put stove on medium heat till the stock boils
5. Cover and let it simmer on low heat for approx. 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft
6. Pour soup into a blender, add in the milk and puree
7. Garnish with chives and a dash of white pepper

Crunchy Baked Pita Chips

Crispy golden brown pita chips fresh from the oven

Pita chips ready to go into the oven

My rather distorted pizza shape pitas

I am always craving for a crispy crunchy snack. I used to buy Stacy's pita chips.While they are tasty and delicious, I do not like how the salt just lingers in your mouth; so, I have decided to make my own pita chips!
 I don't really have a set amount of seasoning in my recipe. Basically I just eyeball everything and mix it in together.

Ingredients:
Pita bread sliced into two sides and cut into mini triangular shapes
2 cloves of garlic minced into small pieces
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried parsley
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) (I used approx. 1/3 cup for 2 slices of pita bread)

Method:
1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil
2. Set oven to 350 F. 
3.Put EVOO into a medium sized bowl
4. Add in the dried basil, oregano & parsley in equal amount
5. Stir in garlic
6. Mix the ingredients well
7. Use a silicon brush to dip into the mixture and spread it evenly on the pita triangles. Try not to drown the pita with too much oil and make sure it has an even amount of dried seasoning on it for consistency.
*If you are spreading the mixture on the pita triangles and find that you have not enough olive oil, go ahead and add more.
8. Bake in the oven for approx. 10 min or until golden brown. Don't over bake it if you have garlic or else the garlic will be overcooked and it will leave a bitter taste.

Oyako Donburi (chicken and egg over rice)

Yummm. Another one of my favorite dishes! I did not know this was so simple to make until I stumbled upon my ex-classmate's mouthwatering food blog. Who would have thought that she'll be sharing recipes with me across the pacific ocean. While I still need to work on my picture taking skills, believe me, this dish taste wayyyy better than it looks. Anything that has dashi in it will have my mouth salivating.  I like how the sliced onions lend its sweetness to this dish and the simmering sauce from the dashi is coated over the rice like a gravy.


Recipe (2 servings)
1. Rice for two people cooked and kept warm in two separate bowls
2. Approximately 1/2 pound of cubed chicken thigh fillet or breast
3. 1 medium sized onion sliced
4. 2 eggs  (do not crack yet)
5. Chopped spring onions for flavoring and garnishing


 Simmering Sauce
1. 1/2 cup dashi. If you are a big fan of dashi like me, use 3/4 cup
2. 1.5 tbsp mirin
3. 1 tbsp light soya sauce
Mix everything together and taste it to see whether it is to your liking


Directions
1. Heat oil in a pan and brown the chicken Set chicken aside
2. Stir fry the onions in the same pan until it's translucent and cooked to your liking. Set onions aside
3.  Divide the portion of chicken and onions into two portions
4. On medium heat, add in the first portion of the chicken and onions and pour in half of the simmering sauce. Cover and cook for around 1-2 minutes
5. Throw in the spring onions and crack one egg into the same pan. Cook the egg until the egg white starts to set. Slowly pour the mixture into the warm bed of rice and add more spring onions for garnishing
6. Repeat step 5 again for second portion


Itadakimasu!

炸酱面 Zha jiang Mian (Fried Sauce Noodles)

Zha Jiang Mian or Ja Jiang Myeon in Korean, is a dish that originated from northern china  (Wikipedia, 2010). It consists of thick wheat noodles topped with a mixture of minced pork and fermented soy bean paste (Wikipedia, 2010).  I honestly have not tried Zha Jiang Mian before other than the samples I've had from the Asian grocery store but I've heard so much about it since I've been making numerous visits to different Korean restaurants around the DFW area.

This dish is actually reminiscent of what I've had growing up; noodles with minced meat. It's no wonder I got attracted to it when I found out what it consisted of. Since I decided to attempt this dish, I started perusing many recipes I found online. Apparently there are many types of versions depending on where it's from. For instance, in Beijing they use a yellow soybean paste with soy sauce to make their sauce (wikipedia, 2010) and in Tian Jin they use sweet bean sauce, hoi sin sauce or black bean sauce.  To find a middle ground, I decided to use a mixture of blackbean paste  and sweet bean sauce for my Jiang (sauce).

I did not manage to find a suitable brand for the fermented black bean paste so I just got this black bean in soybean oil  bottle & dumped it into the food processor with the sweet bean sauce to make a paste


Overall this was such a simple and tasty dish! The sweet bean sauce really balances out the saltiness from the black bean sauce.

For those of you not familiar with this dish, just think spaghetti with meat sauce.

Servings: 6 
Ingredients:
Wheat noodles enough for 6 people
Sesame oil for noodles 
1 pound ground pork 
1 cup black bean paste
1/2 cup sweet bean sauce
1 medium sized onion diced
1 whole cucumber diced
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
Spring onions for garnishing

Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to the directions on the packet. When noodles are cooked, drain it with cold water and add some sesame oil mix in some sesame oil
2. Mix sweet bean sauce with black bean paste and set aside
2. Heat oil in pan
3. Add onions and stir fry till translucent
4. Add ground pork and stir till it's half cooked
5. Pour in the bean paste from step 2
6.  On medium heat, mix the paste into the ground pork
7. Add in cucumbers. Cover and cook on medium heat till pork is cooked occasionally stirring it 
8. Depending on how thick or watery you want it, you may leave the pan uncovered or covered
9. Throw in the sugar and stir it in 1 minute before you turn off the stove
10.  Serve with noodles and garnish with spring onions

Banana Pecan Pancakes

When your bananas start to turn black and mushy, do you dutifully throw them away? If you do, please resist the urge to throw them away! Every time I see my bananas starting to look like it's going to disintegrate, I quickly jump at the opportunity of mixing them into my baked/cooked goods and turning them into a sweet aromatic concoction. Which in this case is banana pecan pancakes! There's something about overly ripe bananas that release a very sweet and strong banana flavor. I also made a banana bread/muffin out of my disintegrated looking bunch of bananas.

Servings: 8 mini pancakes
Recipe:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oatmeal (optional )
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp skim milk
2 egg whites
2 mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Place oatmeal in food processor and blend it till it's fine (This is more of a preference)
2. Mix all the ingredients together
3. Scoop the amount of  pancake batter to your liking and over medium heat, place on a greased non-stick pan. Cook approximately 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.
4. Top it with your favorite maple syrup

 * If you have a flat griddle it will make life a lot easier! Oh, and if you have chocolate chips in hand, this may be a great addition to your "healthy" breakfast pancakes.

Dipping Sauce for Cold Soba

This dipping sauce is a perfect accompaniment to cold soba noodles. I typically like to eat cold soba noodles with the chilled dipping sauce in summer. Summer in Texas can soar up to over a 100F (40 celcius, no kidding!!!) and nothing beats something cool and refreshing like this dish.

To make the dipping sauce, you will need to make the dashi first. I usually make a big pot of dashi and refrigerate the leftovers for future use. If the idea of making the dashi scares you, you can always buy ready made dashi from your local Japanese grocery store. After making the dashi, that's when you start to add the mirin and soy sauce.

Bonito flakes

Konbu

Ingredients for approx. 4 cups of dashi:
2 Sheets dashi Konbu wiped with damp cloth
1 1/2 cups tightly pack bonito flakes
5 cups of water

1. Put dashi konbu & water in a pot & bring to a boil
2. Reduce heat to low & boil for another 7-10 minutes
3. Remove dashi konbu & add in bonito flakes
4. Return the soup stock to a boil and boil for an additional 1-2 minutes
5. Strain stock in a fine mesh sieve

Now for the dipping sauce:

1 cup dashi
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 stalk chopped onions for garnishing

1. Mix all the liquid ingredients together. You may taste and add to your liking.
2. Refrigerate the sauce till it's chilled
2. Add in spring onions

Japanese Cold Tofu

This is a really light and simple dish that goes well with cold soba. When mixing the sauce, you can go less first and keep adding as well as tasting it till you are satisfied with the flavor. For those who are new to mirin, it is actually a sweet Japanese rice wine. Unfortunately I have seen many and if not, all mirin brands in my local Asian grocery store that are flavored with corn syrup and I have fallen prey into getting one with corn syrup too (Mitsukan brand). If you do not have mirin in hand, you may substitute it with 1 tbsp of dry sherry or sake with 1 tsp of sugar.

Recipe 
1 (14 ounce) Silken Tofu
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ginger

Garnishing
Bonito Flakes
Sesame Seeds
Green Onions

1. Drain the tofu and set aside
2. Mix soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil together
3. In a small non stick pan, on medium heat, add oil and wait till it's heated up
4. Add garlic and minced ginger. Stir till fragrant.
5. Pour sauce mixture in from step 2 and let it simmer
6. Pour mixture onto tofu and add some garnish

Asian Turkey Burger

This is another simple dish which I like to make and can be eyeballed according to your liking. You can marinate the turkey meat the night before you plan to eat it and just throw it in the oven or frying pan when you come home from a busy day of work. You can't really go wrong with this dish. The cilantro and scallions  give this burger a delightful robust flavor. Oh, and I am a HUGE fan of anything with sesame inside!

Recipe: 

3 servings if you have a voracious appetite if not this can stretch to 4 servings  :D

Set the oven to 350 F

Marinated Mixture

1 pound ground turkey 

3 tbsp sesame seeds 

2 tbsp sesame oil

1.5- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (I am not a big fan of salty food) 

1/2 cup minced scallions 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves 

2 tsp minced garlic

A dash of white pepper

3/4 cup plain panko bread crumbs (you may use the regular type)

Garnishing

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

Splash of Worcestershire Sauce  

1 tbsp oil

1 whole tomato 

Shredded iceberg lettuce

4 Hamburger Buns

1. In a mixing bowl, add all the mixture for marinating together. Mix it well with your hands. Sometimes I like to give the mixture a quick smell to ensure I have enough flavoring to my liking.

2. Marinate for 15-20 minutes in the fridge

3. Take a handful of the marinated mixture and gently form it into a patty shape

4.  Sprinkle some olive oil on the baking pan and place patties on the baking tray

5. Bake for approx 10 mins and flip the patty and bake for another 10 mins or till it's done

6. While the burger is baking, heat oil in pan and stir fry the onions.

7. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce to the onions and saute until onions are translucent 

I like to toast my bun with some butter and add Maggi Chili Sauce to it. For those of you who do not know what Maggi chili sauce is, it is a popular burger condiment in Malaysia. Over here in the US you get tomato sauce or mustard sauce in a fast food chain. But in Malaysia, many people like to use chili sauce as a condiment to their burger and fries! It is available in many Asian Grocery stores. 

 Almost time for a refill

Lazy Day Chicken Pie

When the week is about to end, I start to develop a lazy syndrome for cooking. Reason being, I've been cooking all week, going to classes and working at the same time. So whenever I try to fight the urge of conveniently rolling down my car window and shouting my "double cheeseburger order" to the take-out machine,  I think of my lazy day chicken pie recipe.

This recipe was given to me by a friend of mine. I've made this many times with some minor adjustments and I basically eyeball everything. Instead of boiling or roasting the chicken ahead of time, I just go to Walmart to grab a rotisserie chicken (can't go wrong with that!) and debone it as well as soak up all the oil on a kitchen towel. The crust is a simple mixture of milk, flour and butter. You may not get the golden flaky texture but it's more of nice soft breading on top of the chicken meat.

Recipe:
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 400 F

Filling  
1 whole rotisserie chicken deboned and shredded
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2/3 cups frozen carrots and peas

Crust
5-6 tbsp baking butter
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp baking powder 

1. Line a 8x8 baking pan with chicken
2. Add frozen vegetables to chicken
3. Melt butter in microwave till it turns to liquid
4. Add 2/3 cup of milk into butter
5. Sift Flour, pepper and baking powder
6. Add milk and butter to the dry ingredients from step 5 and mix it well till there are no clumps
7. Gently pour the mixture on top of the chicken and frozen vegetables making sure everywhere is coated

Bake for 20-30 minutes until the crust sets. 

For those who want more breading, you may increase the milk and all purpose flour to one cup each and a whole stick of butter (forget the calories!)

I only spent 7 bucks on this meal since I had most of the stuff in my pantry already :D