Spicy Szechwan Chicken

ZOMG...so goood! I know I say that about almost every recipe I try. But seriously! I kicked white ass tonight making this.

Though mine looks nothing like the photo in the cookbook, it was gosh, darn golly gee whiz good.

And despite what the title says, it wasn't spicy at all. I can see how you can make it more spicy, but this batch wasn't. I'm not a huge fan of "burn your lips off" spicy. I like my spicy to be more flavorful than hot.

Spicy Szechwan Chicken
Serves 4

2 Frying chickens, cut into pieces ( I don't do fryer chickens. Too much food for a single girl, and I hate dark meat. So I did this with two chicken breasts)

Spicy Szechwan marinade:

• 3 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (yah so I misread this and used rice wine vinegar - not a big deal I don't think as it still kicked ass)
• 3T hoisin sauce
• 3 T thin soy sauce (I have no idea what "thin" soy sauce is. I used my ordinarily every day soy sauce - low sodium)
• 2T oyster sauce (didn't have oyster sauce, so used fish sauce)
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T dark sesame oil (um yah, don't like sesame so used just regular cooking oil)
• 1 T Asian chili sauce (here is where you can add more if you want it more spicy)
• 2 T sugar (as I mixed this I thought brown sugar would be good here as well)
• 1 T finely minced garlic
• 1 T very finely chopped minced ginger
• 2 whole green onions, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Mix all the ingredients together, besides the chicken.
Put the chicken in a resealable zip loc bag; pour the marinade over it. I reserved 1/4 cup of it to put on the chicken as it cooked. Let marinade for 30 minutes; or up to 8 hours. I did it overnight and it was sooo good.

Grill; bake; broil; do whatever you do with chicken. I slow grilled it. DELICIOUS! Doused it with the reserve marinade on each flip.

Though looking back at the recipe and what I "changed" in it, I now wonder what it would have tasted like had I actually followed the recipe. Huh! Oh well, maybe next time.

Enjoy!

Spanish Chicken & Rice

Today is Easter, and for my Easter dinner I'm having the not so traditional Spanish Chicken and Rice. I'm a BIG fan of Paella, except I usually don't like the fishy part of it. Which is, as you may know the reason for Paella. No matter. I found a substitute. And by "found a substitute" I mean I changed the recipe up some.

Spanish Chicken and Rice
Serves: 4, but it does serve more than that.

• 3 lbs chicken
• 2 T flour
• Salt and pepper
• 4 T vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 14 oz can of tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes, but you could use tomato sauce too)
• 6 oz canned pimientos, drained and sliced (so I just used the green olives stuffed with pimientos)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 8 stuffed green olives (Right! only 8. Whatever)
• 3/4 c long grain rice
• 1/2 lb chorizo sausage; cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 cup frozen peas

Toss chicken pieces in flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet, brown the chicken on all sides and remove. Add the onion and fry until golden brown.

Here's where the recipe got weird for me. It says to drain tomatoes and add enough water to make 3 1/4 cups. Since I chose to use crushed tomatoes, I used a 28 oz can instead and the made sure I had 3 1/4 cups total liquid. I like more tomato flavor than not.

Return chicken to pan. Add the tomato juice (see above note), olives, pimientos, bouillon cubes, rice, and chorizo.

Cover pan tightly and simmer gently for 45 minutes, forking carefully through the rice occasionally to prevent it sticking.

Add peas to pan, cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Adjust seasoning before serving.

Okay, and here's some more adjustments. I like my chorizo to have a browned texture to it. So I generally brown the chorizo separately and have it ready. I also do not include the bouillon cubes. Earlier when I said I add enough water to the crushed tomatoes, I've added chicken stock instead on some occasions, and it tastes just fine. I didn't find the bouillon cubes added any other flavor.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

It's been recently pointed out to me that I've been slacking on my duty to post recipes here. It's not because I have lost the love...it's because Jenny Craig doesn't really accommodate my type of recipes. Though I think they should!

Anyhow, for the said person who was complaining (and I'm sure it was her husband who was complaining and not her. She seems so nice and docile unlike his grumpy self.) I give you one of my all time favorite recipes. It's quick and easy and oh so delicious. Not to mention created by my future husband (as soon as he dumps his current model like wife), Tyler Florence.


Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
Courtesy of Tyler Florence, FoodNetwork
Serves 4



Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa (I totally cheat on this and buy two jars of the tomatillo chile salsa made by....um...er... someone...). The first time I made this I made the salsa and it was simple, but I found the jarred version just as nice.

• 1 lb tomatillos, husked
• 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 tsp ground cumin (I'm not a big cumin fan so I cut this in half)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (didn't even use the cumin in this)
• 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 2 c chicken stock, store bought
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded (You can also use left over chicken if you should have any after baking up a chickee)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 large flour tortillas
• 1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 c sour cream
• Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa: On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. or blender. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute.
Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute ( I had to look up what this was the first time I made it)

Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens.
Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish.
Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa.
Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or microwave them briefly like I did. You just need to make them plyable).

Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas.

Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.