BB: Chinese Chicken Salad

As soon as I saw peanut butter in the ingredient list, I knew this would be a chicken salad my husband could get behind. Admittedly, I don't like asparagus OR red pepper, so I left those out. I did have some leftover snow peas, so I decided to add those in. After reading some reviews, it seemed like the salt in the sauce was unnecessary, so I left it out. Ultimately, we absolutely LOVED it and I can't wait to make it again... though the next time will be a little different, I don't want to use that much oil again!

Update (04/28/09): I have made this a few times, replacing the oil in the dressing with 2% greek yogurt - it works great!!


* 4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
* Good olive oil
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
* 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
* 2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
* 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:

* 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup 2% greek yogurt)
* 1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
* 1/2 tablespoon honey
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
* 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
* 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Lighter General Tso's Chicken

This comes from a recent issue of Everyday Food magazine. Our Chinese fake-out is usually limited to Kung Pao Chicken, since it's my husband's favorite, but I thought I'd give this recipe a whirl for something different. I'm not sure I've ever had General Tso's chicken from a restaurant, so I probably and not the best one to right a review. Regardless, we loved it! It's a light sweet sauce with a good spicy kick. I added zucchini sticks to mine for a little vegetable variety. The other reason I wanted to try it was to test drive the egg white batter technique, and ultimately I thought it was easy and worked well. I'll definitely use that in other recipes.


Lighter General Tso's Chicken
Source: Everyday Food
Serves 4

* 1 1/4 cups long-grain brown rice
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
* 4 garlic cloves, sliced
* 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled
* 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
* 2 large egg whites
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside (reserve skillet).
4. Add snow-pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Pineapple Sorbet

I've definitely been on a sorbet kick lately, and thought pineapple would be a good one to make next, since pineapple is my favorite fruit! This was probably the easiest one to make, and SO good! It's very refreshing, and though I only had vodka on hand, rum would be great in it as well!


Pineapple Sorbet
Makes about 4 cups

1 whole pineapple
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp vodka or rum

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan, heat until the sugar dissolves. Peel and core the pineapple, then cut the fruit into rough chunks. Puree the fruit and sugar syrup in a blender of food processor, then pour into a bowl. Stir in the vodka or rum. Chill for at least 4 hours, then freeze in an ice cream maker.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato

For our three days in Florence, Italy, it was clear that an afternoon gelato was what all the cool kids (and adults) were doing. Who was I to go against the tide? I had the same combo every day: bacio e stracciatella, or chocolate hazelnut and chocolate chip. Now that we are back home, I am craving my favorite: bacio. Lucky for me, I only need to turn as far as the Food Network and Giada De Laurentiis to bring back that wonderful experience.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato
Source: Giada De Laurentiis
Makes about 4 cups, adaptations in italics

2 cups 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
2 teaspoon hazelnut liquor (Frangelico)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish

Directions
In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla, liquor, and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

English Muffins

My new breakfast habit is making my own egg sandwiches in the morning. Now that I have discovered you can cook (cracked) eggs in the microwave, an egg breakfast during the work week became much more feasible. I wanted to see if I could make good english muffins at home, so I had control over the ingredients, size, etc. I found a number of recipes that used shortening, which isn't exactly the (healthier) direction I want to go. Then I stumbled upon a recipe that uses egg whites! I was intrigued and decided it was worth a shot (don't they look good?!). I made some alterations in the flour. It calls for 4 cups of bread flour, but I went with 1 cup bread flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour. Since the pastry flour has a lower protein content than the bread flour, I added a little protein powder and wheat germ to make up a little of the difference.


One of my favorite parts of the english muffin making process was that there is no need to turn on the oven! This will make it easy to continue making them throughout the summer. Due to the additions I made, they had a great hearty, nutty flavor. I think the 3" size is too small, however, so next time I will go with 4" for my sandwiches. I think these would be a great alternative to burger buns for us, as well! (I am realizing just now that I never toasted the muffin! It was still warm from the griddle so I didn't notice!)


English Muffins
Source: Cookingbread.com
Makes 18 3" muffins
Adaptations in italics

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 cup bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 small egg whites
fine cornmeal

In a large bowl pour in lukewarm ( 110F ) water. Add instant yeast, baking soda and 2 cups of bread flour. Mix till smooth. Allow to sit for 5 minutes uncovered. In the meantime, add egg white into a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You want them to become stiff and moist. Once the egg white have formed stiff peaks; add to dough batter. Using a rubber spatula fold in egg whites till incorporated into the batter. Start to add in the rest of the flour, a 1/4 cup at a time. After the first 1/4 cup mix in salt. When the mixture becomes to hard to mix in the bowl. Pour out onto a flat surface. Knead for about 5 to 6 minutes till it becomes smooth and silky. Add a little oil to a clean bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Turn dough over till all sides are very lightly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest till double in bulk, about 1 hour. Afterwards, pour out onto a flat surface. Press to release some of the air from the dough. Using a rolling pin roll out to a 1/2 inch thick. Allow dough to rest for 3 minutes to relax. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out circles. Place the cut out pieces onto some cornmeal. When you have left over dough just gather together and cut out a few more circles. Sprinkle the tops with more cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 45 minutes. About 5 minutes before you are ready to cook the english muffins turn on your griddle or fry pan to 350F or medium heat. Spray with a little oil spray and once the griddle is hot. Place the muffins on and fry. If you are using a fry pan you may only be able to fry 3-4 at a time. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes. Then turn over and fry for another 4 minutes. Do this once more to a total of 16 minutes.

BB: Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

The next Barefoot Bloggers for March was Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts. This sounded like something we would love - and I was right! It's a great appetizer! I followed some fellow BBs and cut the puff pastry in squares. I, too, think it's a sin to waste puff pastry like that!

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
Source: Ina Garten, Back to Basics, on pages 92-93
Chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

BB: Chicken Piccata

I'm back! Though I set up a few recipes to post in my absence, my husband and I just spent two weeks bopping around Europe. We visited Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Dublin, and London! It was a crazy but wonderful two weeks and we are glad to be back home for some home-cooked meals!


Consequently, here I am at the last minute with the two Barefoot Bloggers recipes for March. The benefit, I suppose, is that I had the chance to see how others faired before I made the dishes. One thing I kept reading about this particular dish is that the lemon flavor was quite strong. I'm not so in love with lemon to begin with, so I cut the amount of lemon juice in half. I served the chicken with a simple salad (pasta would be nice but that's all we ate for a week in Italy, so we needed a break!). We both thought it was delicious and will definitely make it again! I enjoyed how quickly it cooked up and how well the coating adhered to the chicken (normally a struggle for me).


Chicken Piccata
Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, pages 96-97
Serves 2, adaptations in italics
Chosen by Lindsey of Noodle Nights and Muffin Mornings

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Good olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/6 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Margherita Pizza

With the recent success in finding a great homemade pizza dough, we thought it was time to start experimenting with toppings. The dough is stored in the freezer and basically, just waiting for us! I wasn't sure how long it would take to thaw, so I put it in the refrigerator one morning. Later that day, it was completely thawed, so I think it you left it out on the counter to thaw, it wouldn't take too long. This time around, we were craving margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella. Though the pizza dough was, at first, a bit resistant to stretching, it eventually conformed to what I wanted it to do and baked up beautifully.




Margherita Pizza

1- 12 inch pizza dough
1/3 cup pizza sauce
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
4 to 5 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
handful of fresh basil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees for 30 minutes with a pizza stone on the lowest rack. Shape pizza dough into a 12 inch circle on a well floured board. If it is resistant to shaping, let it rest for 10 minutes then try again. When the stone is thoroughly preheated, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle the stone generously with cornmeal, then lay the dough on top of the cornmeal. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2 border all the way around the edge. Layer the sliced tomatoes to cover the sauce. Layer the mozzarella over the tomatoes, then sprinkle the pizza with torn basil leaves. Finally, top with the parmesan cheese. Reduce the oven to 425 and bake about 10 minutes.

Bourbon Balls

A good friend of mine introduced me to these wonderful little treats and I've been hooked ever since. I begged her for the recipe - which then sat in my recipe box for years. At first, I couldn't afford buying a whole bottle of bourbon when I needed less than a cup. Once I finally could spare the cash, I had forgotten about the recipe altogether. But now, finally, I have made them and can basque in their bourbon-y splendor once again!



Bourbon Balls
From Grandma C

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp light corn syrup
2/3 cup bourbon
4 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
2 cups finely chopped nuts
Additional sugar for rolling

Melt chocolate over hot water. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and syrup. Blend in bourbon. Combine crumbs and nuts and add to chocolate mixture, blending well.

Quickly shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Store in airtight container and let stand several days. Makes about 9 dozen.

Chicken and Rice Wraps

I made these for a coworker who would be having surgery, so she'd have something easy to grab for lunch while at home recovering. I had one or two that I couldn't fit in the bag for her, so I kept them for my husband. As soon as he tried one, he requested that I make more. A lot more! These are easy to make and keep on hand in the freezer for a quick lunch. I added a few things to the recipe, and tweaking to our liking since we use brown rice made in the rice cooker rather than instant white rice. Either way - these rock!


Chicken and Rice Wraps
Adapted from WC Freezer Friendly Recipes

~1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
~2 cups cooked brown rice
~2 cups salsa
~1 packet or 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (recipe follows)
~4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
~1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese blend
~8-12 tortillas

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Scoop into tortillas and fold into a burrito shape. Wrap with foil and freeze in a freezer bag. To re-heat, unwrap from foil and microwave until heated through (about two minutes), flipping over halfway through.

Taco Seasoning
From Allrecipes

~ 1 tablespoon chili powder
~ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
~ 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
~ 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
~ 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
~ 1/2 teaspoon paprika
~ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (we use coriander)
~ 1 teaspoon sea salt
~ 1 teaspoon black pepper