Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)

15 dried red chilli peppers (use less if you want the dish less spicy) - rinsed
6 chicken thighs or breasts depending on your preference, cubed (about half an inch in length and width)
3 cloves garlic, minced
About 1 1/2 tbsps worth of minced ginger (preferable to do the mincing yourself)
3 green onions, sliced - use the white parts for cooking and save the green portions for garnish
1/2 cup of unroasted cashew nuts (this is what I prefer but the original recipe calls for peanuts)

For the marinade:

1 1/2 tbsps of Shaoxing Wine (Chinese Rice Wine)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch

For the sauce:

1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsps sugar
1 tsp corn starch
2 tsps black vinegar
1 1/2 tbsps water
Tiny dash of sesame oil

Method:

Firstly, mix together the ingredients for the marinade above and marinade the chicken. Set aside.

Next, heat about 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a wok. Once hot, turn the heat to low and gently place the cashew nuts into the wok, stir-frying around briskly. Once you see the cashew nuts began to brown, remove from oil and drain. An easier alternative would probably be to roast the cashews in an oven or just buy roasted cashew nuts. If you're using roasted cashew nuts, skip this step.

Now, mix the ingredients for the sauce together in a separate bowl. As usual, do a taste test, add more sugar or soy sauce depending on your preferences. I only used a tiny dash of sesame oil as I did not want my sauce to be overpowered by sesame oil. Feel free to add more if that's what you like.

Heat about 2 tbsps of cooking oil in your wok again. Once hot, turn heat to medium and add the dried chilli peppers and fry until aromatic. You should be able to smell the spiciness in the air! Next, add in the minced ginger, garlic and the white portions of the green onions. Turn heat to medium-low and saute until fragrant as well.

Add the marinated chicken cubes into the wok and turn heat to medium-high, stir-frying briskly to coat the chicken cubes in the aromatic oil. Do this for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the previously fried cashews. Turn heat to high. Stir to mix well. Finally, add in the prepared sauce and stir-fry to coat the chicken cubes well. Serve hot.

Kung Pao Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2. 5 tablespoons soy sauce
3. 2 tablespoons sherry
4. 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
5. 2 teaspoons sugar
6. 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar or rice vinegar
7. 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
8. 1/3 cup water
9. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
10. 1/2 cup peanuts
11. 4 scallions, white bulbs and green tops cut separately into 1/2-inch pieces
12. 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sherry, and the 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sherry, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
3. In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the peanuts and stir-fry until light brown, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the white part of the scallions and the red-pepper flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken with its marinade and cook, stirring, until almost done, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy-sauce mixture and the scallion tops and simmer until the chicken is just done, about 1 minute longer. Stir in the peanuts.

Kung Pao Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of Szechwan peppercorns (optional)
• 8 red, dried chili peppers
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2/3 cup of roasted, unsalted peanuts

For the marinade

• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch

For the sauce

• 3 teaspoons of Chinkiang or 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch

METHOD

1 Mix together the marinade ingredients. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and toss them in the marinade and set aside.

2 Combine all the ingredients for the sauce, whisking well to ensure the cornstarch is fully incorporated. Set aside.

3 Thinly slice the garlic. Break the chilies open and discard the seeds inside, then cut them into a few large pieces (the dish will already be very hot, keeping the seeds will make it near inedible).

4 Place the 2 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a wok or large saute pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the chilies and Szechwan peppercorns if using. Stir-fry for a few second until they become fragrant being careful not to burn them. Add the chicken, as soon as the pieces have separated add the ginger, garlic, and green onions. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

5 Add the sauce and toss. When the sauce becomes thick add the peanuts, toss, and serve.

Chickpea Sauce with Penne

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Fresno or Holland red chili pepper, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can chickpeas (28 ounces), rinsed and drained, divided
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 can whole or crushed San Marzano tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1 pound whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta
• Freshly grated Pecorino cheese, for serving
• Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving

PREPARATION

Heat 3 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet or medium size Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, Fresno chili, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook to soften, 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, add about 2/3 of the chickpeas to a food processor, then quick-pulse into fine bits. Add the finely chopped chickpeas and remaining whole chickpeas to the pan and heat through. Stir in the stock and tomatoes. Break up the whole tomatoes and simmer the sauce to thicken a little. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.

Reheat over moderate heat and stir occasionally.

Bring the water to a boil for the pasta; salt the water and cook to al dente. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water just before draining. Drain the pasta and place back in the hot pot and toss with the sauce and as much starchy water as you need to combine.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls topped with a drizzle of EVOO and sprinkle of Pecorino cheese and parsley.

Tamale Pie

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons seeded chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus couple spoonfuls of sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (a scant palmful)
• 1 tablespoon coriander (a scant palmful)
• 2 teaspoonsunsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 bottle Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo (12 ounces)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• About 1 cup quick cooking polenta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 generous tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or smoked cheddar cheese

PREPARATION

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the pork and sirloin and brown. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, adobo sauce, cumin, coriander, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes to soften the bits of onion. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beer and scrape up the drippings. Add the beef stock and heat through to combine the flavors, then cool completely and store for a make-ahead meal.

The night you would like to serve the Tamale Pie, reheat the meat in an ovensafe skillet over medium heat while you make the quick-cooking polenta.

Pre-heat the broiler.

Heat the chicken stock and milk to a boil, then whisk in the polenta and cook until thick, 3 minutes. Cook's Note: The polenta needs to be very thick.

Stir in the butter and honey and season with salt and coarse black pepper. Spread the thick polenta in an even layer over the tamale filling. Top the polenta with cheese and brown under the broiler.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

Directions

In a non-reactive bowl, prepare the marinade. Combine the rice wine, peanut oil, soy sauce, salt and cornstarch. Stir in the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 4 dried red chiles remove stems and cut in halves
• 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, smashed
• 1 garlic, smashed
• 1 green onion, cut the white part into 1/2 -inch pieces, julienne the green parts
• 1/4 cup deep-fried peanuts
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed together to make slurry

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

Over high heat, in a wok, bring the peanut oil to almost smoking temperature. Stir-fry the chilies, ginger, garlic and white part of the green onions for 30 to 40 seconds, or until the chilies turn dark. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden in color.

Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the peanuts. Thicken with the slurry and continue to cook until glossy. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with julienne green onions.

Asian Noodle Soup

• Salt
• 1/2 pound egg tagliatelle pasta or thin spaghetti
• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 4 ribs organic celery, 2 cut into large pieces and 2 thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 carrot, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 large fresh bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, grated
• 2 tablespoons Tamari (dark soy sauce) or low sodium soy sauce
• 4 wedges lime
• A handful of cilantro, chopped

PREPARATION

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions indicate. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, place the chicken, large celery pieces, carrot, onion and bay leaf in a pot. Cover with 1 1/2-2 quarts water, bring to a boil and let poach for 12 minutes. Remove the chicken, discard the skin and let cool until cool enough to handle. Shred or dice the meat and discard the bones. Strain the poaching liquid into a large measuring cup and add the store-bought chicken stock. (Using the quick-poach liquid alone makes for too thin a flavor, but adding it to store-bought stock works out nicely and stretches a buck.)

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or medium size soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced celery, scallions, garlic, chili pepper and the ginger and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock mixture and Tamari (or soy sauce).

Divide the noodles and shredded chicken among four soup bowls. Top with the soup and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro.

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Directions

1. Arrange onion slices evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the roast on top of the onion. In a bowl, mix together water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and hot sauce; pour over roast.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours.