Cantonese Chicken Claypot (without the claypot)

So I decided to ditch the claypot, mainly because I didn't have one, and chose to make it in a rice cooker instead. The results are about the same; although with the claypot, you can get a crunchy layer of rice at the bottom. But what college student has a chinese claypot on hand? Not this one. This Chinese dish takes many flavors and combines them to create a very homely dish.
The Ingredients
3 cups of rice (I used medium grain, but adjust water for long grain)
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
3 stalks green onion, chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
10-12 dried shitake mushrooms
3 chinese sausages (lop cheung), sliced
.25 cup cilantro, chopped
cooking oil
for the chicken:
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1.5 teaspoons cornstarch
.5 teaspoon sesame oil
.5 teaspoon sugar
.25 teaspoon pepper
for the rice:
4 cups of water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
pinch of salt

The Method
Chop the chicken into large chunks and mix it with the chicken seasoning. Let this marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight. Soak the dried mushrooms in water for at least half an hour until soft. Cut them in half. Slice the sausages, and chop the green onions, cilantro and the ginger.Mix the water and rice seasonings in the rice cooker. Press the cook button.
Put a large pan on medium high heat and pour some vegetable oil to prevent sticking. When the pan is hot, place the chicken and mushrooms in a single layer. Brown the chicken and make several batches if you need too. Throw in the ginger and chinese sausages. Take the chicken out when it is about half cooked and place in a large bowl. When the rice has about 7-8 minutes left and is dry, add the chicken, mushrooms and sausages. Close the rice cooker and let it cook. When the button pops up or beeps sprinkle the green onions and cilantro on top, and set a timer for 12-15 more minutes. This will continue to cook the chicken and let the flavors mix. Serve with additional cilantro and green onion. This recipe feeds 4-6.

Amaretto Pear Crisp

There is something satisfying about slightly sweet fruit baked with a crunchy, golden brown topping on it. The only thing to make it better is a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. This recipe is really easy. It is based off of Auntie Noreen's apple crisp recipe.

The Ingredients
4 cups of peel, sliced pears (about 4-5 pears)
3 tablespoons of Amaretto
.5 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup AP flour
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter

The Method
In a mixing bowl, mix together the pears, and amaretto.
Throw the flour, sugar, salt, and sliced butter into the food processor. Pulse until the mix resembles damp sand. A pastry cutter can be used too; it will take longer though.
Butter a 10x6 pan, pour in the apples and sprinkle on the crumb mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350, or until golden brown. Let it cool for about 10 minutes to avoid a scalding mouthful. Scoop a hefty scoop of ice cream on top and enjoy!

Capellini Aglio Olio e' Peperoncino

This pasta is very simple to make; it only takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. Pure flavors and simplicity are the essences of this dish.
The Ingredients
(serves 3)
.5 pound of capellini
2 cloves of garlic, sliced paper thin
.5 teaspoon of peperoncino
5-7 basil leaves thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt
The Method
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add salt. Throw in the pasta and be sure to stir to prevent sticking.
Start with a cold pan, add garlic, chili flakes and olive oil then turn the heat to medium heat. The oil will start to heat and the garlic will start to sizzle and lightly brown. Drain and add the pasta and sprinkle in the basil. Toss to coat and serve.

Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup. I forgot how good this stuff was. I remember my mom would always make this when I was little. It's hearty and will keep you full for a long while. This soup is fairly easy but it does take a little time, so it's not exactly your grab and go kind of meal. However, this rich soup is full of flavor and make that foggy weather so much more enjoyable.
The Ingredients
3 cups of dried spit peas
2 cups of diced ham
ham hock/ham rind
2 onions finely chopped
1.5 cups of carrots diced
2 bay leaves
7 cups of water
olive oil
butter
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons cream

The Method
Take a large pot and pour in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and about 1 tablespoon of butter. Sweat the onions and carrots with a pinch of salt. Add the ham, ham hock, and ham rind if you have it. Throw in the bay leaves and water. It is important to rinse the peas before adding them because they have have dust or dirt on them. Be sure to do this right before adding, otherwise they stick into a large strainer-shaped clump.
Bring this all to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cook for about an hour to an hour and a half. Look for all the peas to be gone and for the soup to be thick. Season to taste and finally add the cream. Serve with some crusty bread. This can also be done with lentils as well.

Coconut Sticky Rice with Fresh Berries

Rice...for dessert? For those of you who have not tried this Thai dessert, I can understand that this may seem a little weird. It's good, I promise. The match of the sweet, creamy yet slightly salty rice pairs perfectly with the sweetness of seasonal fruit. I usually prefer mangoes with the sticky rice, and it is indeed more traditional. Sadly, the mangoes were not-so-great so I opted with fresh strawberries and blackberries instead.

The Ingredients
2 cups of Thai sweet rice
3 cups water
1 can of coconut milk (not lite)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Strawberries
Blackberries
sesame seeds

The Method
The traditional way of preparing Thai sweet rice is to soak it for hours and then steam it in a special basket. I have found that if you put the rice with the water in a rice cooker, it turns out pretty well. However, it's important to let it soak for at least 20 minutes and then press the cook button.
Meanwhile, put a small saucepan on medium heat. Pour in the coconut milk, sugar and salt. Take the cooked rice and pour it into a large mixing bowl. With a rubber spatula, fold the rice to fluff it. Pour in the coconut milk mixture. It will look pretty soupy at first but let it set covered for about 10 minutes and the rice should adsorb it all. Fluff once more and plate a small mound and sprinkle it with the fresh berries and sesame seeds.
This serves around 6-8 hungry college students craving this Thai dessert.

Cornbread Stuffing, anytime.

Cornbread Stuffing, just the thought makes me think of Thanksgiving and turkey and pumpkin pie. Then I thought, why limit everyone's favorite dish to that one day a year? Why not have stuffing as a normal dish? That, my friends, would be genius. Here is one of my favorite stuffing recipes. Our family has this and a sticky rice one that my Aunt makes (hopefully, I can blog that one day too).

The Ingredients
1 cornbread recipe (8x8 pan's worth)
2 medium onions finely chopped
3 cups of celery chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 cup of pine nuts
6 chicken apple sausages
3 cups of chicken broth
6 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
salt
pepper

The Method
Get all the ingredients together and prepped. Cube the cornbread and roast at 375 until lightly brown. This helps to dry out the bread and let it soak up the goodness. Toast the pinenuts in a medium pan until lightly golden. This will bring out the nutty flavor. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes. Quarter the sausage, cube it and then brown it. Chop the celery, onion, and mince the garlic.
Saute the onions in a large skillet on medium high heat for about 3 minutes or until barely translucent around the edges. Then add the celery and garlic and cook until translucent and bright green, about 6-8 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, ok the biggest bowl you have, mix the onion mixture, sausage, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, sage, rosemary, salt, pepper, melted butter, and chicken broth. Add the toasted cornbread and carefully mix it in being careful not to break it up too much. (5 turns should be about right)
Pour stuffing into a buttered baking pan and dot with an additional butter. Bake at 375 for 35-40 or until golden brown. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
In my book, stuffing is good at the time, anytime, any day.

Carmelized Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is sweet and as its name implies, nutty. It's a fall squash and not really in season right now but think of it as planning ahead for Thanksgiving.

The Ingredients
1 butternut Squash
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
.5 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons apple cider

The Method
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.
Take the squash and peel it with a heavy duty peeler to reveal its rich orange flesh. Cut a little off the bottom and top to stop the squash from rolling around. Make a longitudinal cut to slice the squash in half. Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds. (I've heard you can roast them like pumpkin seeds...although I've never done it. Have an adventure if you have the time.)
Cut the squash into about 1 inch cubes. Throw them in a bowl with the sugar, butter, salt, and apple cider. Pour the squash on a parchment or foil lined on a half sheet pan. (make sure there is a lip otherwise bad things will happen)
Put the squash into the oven and roast for about 40 min; be sure to flip a couple time during cooking.
This vegetable is a great source of beta-carotene and makes an excellent side dish.