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Category: Food

Food / Kristen Cooks

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

I am always looking to add culturally interesting recipes to my bag of tricks. This is one that intrigued me, just based on the name, Vietnamese Caramel Chicken. I had seen it on Christopher Kimball’s PBS show, “Milk Street” and was able to find the full recipe on his Milk Street website.

What I love about this recipe

Personally, I am very interested in trying new Asian recipes. This has been the case for years, and probably started with watching Anthony Bourdain traipse around Vietnam, falling in love with the country, the people and the food. He spoke so emphatically about the fact that the country, and the food, in particular, has been influenced by many foreign cultures, while keeping it’s own sense of unique identity. That sounds complicated and interesting, making Vietnamese cuisine immediately appealing to me. I also liked the fact that a bowl of noodles with broth could have numerous additional elements, such as pork meatballs, and dipping sauces, lettuces and other vegetables to personally add as each eater wants. The making of a perfect meal for all.

Of course, I also remember Bourdain having an instance where he could not figure what was in his bowl, only to find that it was porcupine. I will leave that recipe, and others of that nature for someone else to share!

The ingredients

This chicken recipe combines heat and sweet and that, to me, is a perfect combination in a dish. So, the name, Vietnamese Caramel Chicken, spoke to me about what I could expect and what some of the ingredients might be. Not surprisingly, chilis, lemon grass, ginger, fish sauce and lime are included in this Vietnamese recipe. Sugar, of course, is the element that makes the caramel sauce and therefore the name.

Tips

This recipe calls for boneless chicken thighs. I had breast on hand, so used it. It will turn out a lighter looking dish than on the Milk Street site, but was still delicious.

Two serrano chilis are used, which sounds like it would be extremely hot, but it ends up pretty balanced, based on the amount of sugar used. So, if you like a little heat, avoid the desire to cut it back. Rather, you can rinse them lightly in a sieve, which will remove just a bit of the seeds

When cooking the caramel, the 12″ skillet seemed too large and the caramel spread too thin before it had a chance to become the desired mahogany color. I tipped the pan and tried to concentrate it to one end to get the right consistency and color

Once the chicken was back into the pan, with the caramel sauce, I continued to stir, which slowed the process. Once I let it do its’ thing and only occasionally stirred to coat, things really came together!

Access the full recipe on the Milk Street site here. If you are not already a fan, take a run through the site. Christopher Kimball was a co-founder and editor of America’s Test Kitchen before he started his Milk Street gig. The show turns out some amazing recipes and a lot of them are available online.

I served up with coconut rice and salad. For the coconut rice, I had leftover basmati from earlier in the week. I simply heated it in a pan with a can of light coconut milk, a few cloves and one star anise until warmed through. Drain and serve.

If you are an Anthony Bourdain fan, and/or a lover of Asian or Vietnamese cuisine, check out this site, that outlines his travels through Vietnam (and other countries) throughout his career as a travel writer and traveler. Very cool site!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Weeknight Dinner – Warm Venetian Salad

During the week, I like to have some easy, but fun recipes in my back pocket. This salad checks all of the boxes…lots of greens, cheese, bread, nuts, fruit and protein. I originally saw this in a Rick Stein cookbook, called, “Rick Stein, from Venice to Istanbul”. I tweaked the cooking method for the chicken, as well as the dressing and a few of the ingredients, but the concept of variety and the element of the warm chicken remains.

The ingredients

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts – pounded on thicker end to create uniform size, if needed

Salt and Black Pepper

2 Tbsp. Olive or Grapeseed oil – divided

2 cloves garlic

2 green onions, or 1/2 small onion diced

2 slices of hefty sourdough bread – cut to 1 inch cubes

4 slices prosciutto cotto – cut into strips

6 ounce of leafy greens. This Tanimura & Antle Artisan lettuce is great, as it comes in 4 heads of varied types. Local is always, best, but this brand has not disappointed me

2 Tbsp. pine nuts – toasted

4 ounce Mozzarella pearls – My grocery store typically has the Galbani pearls in water

1 ripe pear or alternatively peach, plum or apple

Instructions

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts liberally. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in sauté pan. When oil begins to shimmer, cook the chicken for 4 or so mins per side. Both sides should be nicely browned and the inner temp, with a thermometer, should be about 155. It will continue to cook once out of the pan, so will hit > 160 degrees. The key is not to overcook so you have super, juicy, delicious chicken!

While chicken is cooking, toast pine nuts in dry pan until browned and fragrant. Keep an eye here, they burn quickly

Assemble the greens, nuts, pear, prosciutto, and mozzarella pearls

Once chicken is out of the pan, add the remaining Tbsp. of oil, garlic and onion. Sauté until just soft. Add in the sourdough and coat with the garlic, onion mixture. Allow the bread to get nicely toasted, as you’d expect a crouton to be. Add additional oil, if necessary

Add bread to salad and toss. Slice chicken and set over or to side of the salad. Serve with additional olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Voila!

Appetizer / Kristen Cooks

Heirloom tomato parmesan bites

This is a quick and easy appetizer for any time of the day! I was inspired by the bright red and yellow tomatoes at the grocery store and could not help but buy them. I decided to make use of some items that I already had on hand to put together some yummy snacks and ended up with these heirloom tomato parmesan bites.

  • Heirloom tomatoes. I ended up using only 2
  • Basil plant on hand
  • 2 ounce parmesan grated finely
  • 2 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (per your taste) finely diced
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Slice tomatoes in half inch thick slices. Mix bread crumbs, oil, and garlic. Line a tray with aluminum foil. Divide mixture to top 6-8 tomato slices. Broil until parmesan mixture is crispy and garlic smells delicious! Top each with a basil leaf and salt and pepper, to your liking!

This would be a great dish to serve alongside the Easy, Amazing Pizza recipe here https://watchusdostuff.com/easy-amazing-pizza/, to add a bit of a lighter option or companion option.

Food / Kristen Cooks

Stuffed cabbage (golabki)

Growing up, I was an incredibly picky eater. So, some of the Polish and Lithuanian dishes that my grandmother made were enjoyed by all but me. Thankfully, over the years, I became far more food adventurous. These days, one of the true treats is getting together with my sisters and mom and having the pleasure of making and enjoying some Golabkis. For years making them seemed to be a daunting task. However, these days, I love the simplicity of the ingredients and the mantra of the roll & tuck of the cabbage leaves.

Stuffed cabbage means something different to everyone, and most cultures have some version of it. Check out this wiki page that lists some of the many versions existing across the world! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_roll

Just a note that this recipe is not for the faint of heart. It is simple and delicious, but it does not cut corners in terms of fat and calories. A special occasion, splurge kind of meal!

The ingredients

1.25 cups uncooked rice, cooked per brand instructions. I use basmati and rinse thoroughly before cooking. However standard white rice is more traditional

2 large heads of green, red or savoy cabbage, cored

12 oz. packaging of salt pork, rinsed thoroughly and cut to small cubes

2 large Vidalia or yellow onions, diced

4 cloves of garlic. I am pretty certain this is not typical, but I love the addition

3.5 lbs. 80/20 ground beef

Kosher Salt and Black ground Pepper

Note: You will need a large roasting pan with a lid. If you were to half the recipe, a Dutch oven would be a great, smaller option

Instructions

Prepping the cabbage

Fill very large pot of water and bring to boil. Core the cabbage by using a sharp knife to remove enough of the binding core that the leaves will separate once they are softened in the boiling water. Using a long pair of tongs, remove the layers, as they begin to separate from the head. Note that the longer the outer layers remain in the boil, the softer they get. It is key to get them out as they are still solid, but pliable. Too soft will result in tears and holes as you roll.

Onion and Garlic sauté

Sauté the salt pork in a skillet until it is crispy and browned. Remove all pieces of pork from the pan and set aside. There will be a lot of rendered oil left behind after pork is rendered. Collect 1/3 cup of the pork fat/oil and set aside. Add the onions to the rest of the fat and sauté until soft and lightly browned. Create an open spot in middle of pan and add in the garlic. Continue to stir until garlic is fragrant. Spread out mixture on a sheet pan to cool.

Assembling the mixture

Spread the beef out around the edges of a large bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of black pepper and 2 tsp. salt around. Add the cooled onion mixture and half the rice into center and begin to combine. Add more rice until you have your desired ratio of beef to rice. I prefer a bit more meat than rice (perhaps 65/35), but have seen other recipes were exactly the opposite. Suit to your liking.

Rolling and getting into the oven

At this point, spread roughly of half of the pork fat that you put aside into the bottom of your roasting pan. Sprinkle in a third of the retained pork bits. This will be the base layer and will allow the bottom layer to have a browned bottom. And then you get rolling! For each cabbage leaf, you will cut a V at the base to remove the thick remaining bit of the core. Then, spoon in a reasonable amount of beef mixture, that will allow you to roll the bottom up, tuck in the sides and roll. It takes a few times to get the amount of fill and the rolling down, but once you get it, you are good to go. Place the seam of the cabbage roll bottom down in the pan. Tuck them in tight. This recipe made just about 2 full layers in a large roasting pot. When the first layer is full, pour another third of the pork fat and bits over and proceed to the second layer. Remaining fat and bit on top and into a 350 degree oven for 40 mins. Remove lid and allow to brown 10-15 mins more. Be sure to check that the beef is cooked through, using one of the larger rolls.

Some recipes serve with tomato sauce, vinegar or with sour cream. My family has always eaten them straight up with some additional salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy!!!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Weeknight Dinner – Pork loin with sweet plantains & veg

Weeknights are for simple dinners that come together easily. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a Jamie Oliver fan, reason being that he cooks simply with great results. This meal is quick and easy, and hits all nutritional needs. I took advantage of a Jamie Oliver veggie dish that never disappoints, with a few tweaks based on what I had on hand. The original recipe can be found in his cookbook called, “Together” and the recipe is called “Spring Veg”. I absolutely recommend this book!

For the pork:

1.5 lb. pork loin is coated in the spice mix of your choice. I used a middle eastern 7 spice rub that I make and always have on hand, but you could do a BBQ mix with garlic and onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar. Equal parts of everything, with the salt and sugar at half the amount of the other spices. Pop into a 425 degree oven until inner temp is 135, roughly 30 minutes.

For the plantains:

The sweet plantains (maduros) are freezer aisle purchase. The plantains can also be bought fresh and fried once super ripe. However, I’ve had a hard time knowing when the ripeness factor is right, and the Goya product is so easy. Just reduce the oven once the pork is out and resting and pop the frozen container right in. Easy-peasy.

Goya product info can be found here: https://www.goya.com/en/products/ripe-plantains

For the veggies:

(small potatoes of any kind, asparagus, peas, mint, olive oil and lemon):

Boil a pound of small potatoes (red or white) for 15 mins, add asparagus when 13 mins have passed (spears cut into thirds), when 1 minute remains, add a cup of peas (frozen is fine). When 15 mins are up, drain and plate. Juice one lemon over mix, add a handful of chopped mint and dress with EVOO. Done!

Note that I have done this same recipe with any other veggies on hand. Perfect for a veggie drawer clean out!

Recipe for 7 Spice Blend:

I found this very simple recipe on a lovely Lebanese cooking site. Give it a go! https://plantbasedfolk.com/lebanese-7-spices-baharat/

The Jamie Oliver site has loads of free recipes, nutrition info and how-to articles. Definitely worth a gander, if you are a home cook and looking for fun ways to cook meals! https://www.jamieoliver.com/

Food Hack / Kristen Cooks

Everything bagel spice for all bagels!

If you are craving a bagel, what is better than an everything bagel? Well, I would argue that I want ALL bagels to be everything to me! Here is my spin on everything a bagel can be, if we just think outside of the box. Create your own “everything” spice and apply directly to the cream cheese of your choice…on the bagel of your liking. I chose whole wheat bagels for my breakfast, but could definitely see my husband putting this spice on a cinnamon raisin bagel (do not judge, I try not to…wink). And, count on losing less of those spices, as they stick quite nicely to the cream cheese, rather than ending up on your plate, or in your lap.

Everything bagel spice for all bagels!
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Everything bagel spice for all bagels!

Recipe by kristenCourse: Food, Food Hack, Kristen Cooks
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking timeminutes
Calories

50

kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp. poppy seeds

  • 4 Tbsp. minced onion spice

  • 3 Tbsp. dried garlic

  • 3 Tbsp. toasted sesame spice

  • 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

  • 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

  • 2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Directions

  • Mix ingredients. Voila!

Notes

  • I use a mason jar to easily shake ingredients to mix, as well as for easy storage