Impersonating Barbeque Chicken

Recently my husband and I made a road trip from our home in Colorado to the central part of the great San Joaquin Valley in California.  The drive took us thru the southern part of Wyoming, central Utah, northern Nevada and California.  Since this is a food/cooking blog that's what I'm writing about the trip...the food! 

Our trip wasn't exactly planned, we packed a suitcase each, a sack lunch and hit the road.  We spent our first night in Elko, NV where fresh ingredients weren't exactly plentiful.  I had a hankering for chicken and the restaurant we went to (it was the special that night) was completely out.  No chicken for me, not baked, roasted or fried. ;-(  Of course this made me want chicken even more.  So the next evening when we finally made it to our destination, we went to a local brew pub we enjoy and I ordered the special that evening, sweet & sour, barbecue chicken!  I was so looking forward to this meal.

And so my rant begins...

What do you envision when you think "barbecue chicken"?  I'll tell you what I envision and it's this:  Chicken pieces still on the bone, crisp skin glazed with a slightly set sauce, tender juicy meat that pulls off the bone so easily your toothless Granny could do it and another piece on the plate to relive the experience.  Then after savoring these succulent barbecue beauties, licking my fingers to get every drip of goodness! 

The anticipation of my envisioned chicken was almost to much to bear.  Then we spotted our server, bringing forth my much anticipated meal.  And there before me lay two dry chicken breasts,  no bone, no skin and sauce squirted from a bottle all over them.  To say I was disappointed would be a gross understatement.  I was actually mad!   I wanted to have the place cited for false advertising.  Barbecue chicken is not chicken breasts swimming in sauce.  Adding insult to injury (remember this was a beer pub) I ordered a specialty apple beer on tap and I didn't even like it!

I'm happy to report I've had good chicken since both unfortunate evenings but the horrible memory remains.   If you're going to take anything away from this post, remember this:  It's OK to be creative with food descriptions but please don't misrepresent!  If you do, I'll call the food police on you!
  

Start spreading the news.........New York , New York!

What do you do with a New York Steak when it's too big for one person but not quite big enough to feed two?  I'll tell you what I did, I  asked my friend Danielle, the trained chef!  She suggested broccoli beef.  Sounded great, but I'd never even attempted to make it before.  Did that stop me?  Oh, hell no!  I already had broccoli and all I really needed was oyster sauce.  Granted, oyster sauce is not a staple in my kitchen,but I love trying new ingredients in my cooking.   I've always been tempted to buy it and today was the day!

Let me just say, the broccoli beef was easy to make (my favorite type of recipe) and it's definitely a keeper!  Jim (my guinea pig... uh, I mean my loving husband) completely cleaned his plate and said he'd like to have it again.  Always a good sign. 

There are two or three ingredients you might not normally have in your pantry but if you buy them for this dish, I promise you'll use them again.  For me it was the oyster sauce.  I had all the rest of the ingredients on hand, so I spent  $4 on a new ingredient.  I'll use the oyster sauce again, so I haven't wasted any money.  Yes, it's true, I'm even a tight wad in the kitchen!

To ribbon the carrots, I simply peeled one then used the same potato peeler to make the pretty strips.  Isn't the dish gorgeous?  Yes, that is a picture of my dish.  All dishes and pictures of food I post here I made and plated.  I will never post a recipe I've not made myself.  Here's all  you need:

• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 -1 lb New York steak, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
• 1 thin slice of fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 pound broccoli florets
• 1 carrot peeled into ribbons
• 1 handful of snow peas

1.  In a bowl, mix together well the oyster and soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch. Add the sliced steak and coat well.  You can marinate it in the refrigerator or go straight to cooking preparation.
2. Heat veggie oil in a large skillet or wok.  When it's at medium-high heat, add in the ginger and garlic. Let them fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute, or until fragrant to flavor the oil.  Remove and discard the garlic & ginger.   Add the broccoli to the flavored oil and stir/toss until bright green and slightly tender.  This will take about 5-7 minutes.  Add the snow peas and carrot ribbons, toss and cook another 2-3minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside. 
3. Pour a little more oil into the wok, if needed.  Add the the beef.  Stir and toss it with the marinade until the sauce forms a glaze on the beef, and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Return the cooked broccoli to the pan and stir until the meat and broccoli are coated and heated through, about 3 minutes.  Plate that puppy and serve!

 Not only is this dish very tasty but it's so pretty to look at too!  I find Asian dishes are all about the fresh ingredients.  The sauces and/or spices are used sparingly but pack a punch of flavor.  This one was so easy I can't wait to see what else I can make the the rest of my oyster sauce!  I must confess I even bought a bottle of fish sauce for future experimentation.  Readers, you've been warned!


TIP:  This would be great served with or over rice!  Without rice this was a full meal for two of us.  If we added rice we could have easily stretched it to four servings.


TIP:  If you have an Asian grocery store in your community, pay it a visit!  Not only will you discover new and interesting foods and ingredients, you'll also find items you already use at much better prices!  Their quality of sauces are much better and usually less expensive.  I also find great prices on produce!   


Give this dish a try and let me know what you think! 

Saturday's salad!

This past Saturday we had a few friends over for dinner.  We ate, laughed and enjoyed copious amounts of adult refreshments.  While the evening was a great time, one memory that keeps floating back to me were the compliments on the salad.  Mind you, while we had perfectly grilled New York steaks (Thanks Jim!), sweet corn on the cob and fresh grilled zucchini for dinner, it was the salad that caused the most buzz.  OK, OK, the wine was the biggest hit but this is a food/cooking blog, so work with me!

The salad really did get several favorable comments so I want to share it with you.  The best part?  It's so easy to prepare, has simple ingredients and you can make a ton of it or just a little bit.  However, the real star of the salad is the dressing.  Yes, the dressing!  But before we dress this beauty, lets make the salad.  Only a few easy to find ingredients are needed.  The amount shown here will serve four people.  You can double up or scale back as much as you need for accommodating your own crowd.

2 cups of of Napa Cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage and green cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful of chopped fresh cilantro
1 large carrot, julienned

Mix all together and it's ready to be dressed or dressed up!  The dressing consists of only three ingredients and boy do they pack a punch!  The best thing to remember where the dressing is concerned is this:  3, 2, 1

3 Tbsp of soy sauce
2 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp of toasted sesame oil

That's it!  Shake well then mix into the salad. Keep in mind, this dressing is strongly flavored, so a little goes a long way!  Don't overdress your salad.

If you want to add substance to the salad, toss in some diced avocado or chicken chunks.

For my dinner party I put 2-3 thin slices of seared Ahi on top of each serving.  I bought one average Ahi tuna steak (about $3.00 worth).  I sprinkled it with kosher salt, coarse ground pepper and sesame seeds.  I seared it in a pan until a white line appears on the bottom (where it's been cooked), flip it over for another white line then remove from the heat.  The center should remain raw.  I then cover and chill it in the refrigerator until I'm ready to slice and serve it.  I served it on a white plate so the colors of the salad pop!  Simple ingredients that pack a big punch are always a hit.

This is a great picnic salad for it's ease of transport.  Store the salad into a large air tight bag with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture.  Put the dressing in another small air tight bag.

  When ready to serve, shake then pour the dressing into the big bag with the salad,  mix well and serve.  Prepare yourself for culinary accolades! 

Since I had leftover steak (unbelievable, I know!) and planned ahead by making more salad than I needed for the evening, I already had the makings for another night's dinner.  I just dressed enough salad for a meal portion serving, sliced the leftover steak and added avocado.  Presto, a beautiful, filling yet light dinner ready in less than five minutes!  Who says you can't make dinner delicious and beautiful!?!

Your thoughts and questions are welcomed~!

Morning Mochas and Lattes

I used to be one of those "Gotta have a Starbuck's Coffee" people who made a special stop on my way to work, stood in line for five minutes, paid $4 for a shot of caffeine and then waited another five minutes for it to be made.  Then something magical happened!

In 2007 my hubby and I moved from northern California to northern Virginia (I know, we have a thing for the North).  As it was going to take 6-8 days for our worldly possessions to make their way across the country, we needed something to do and a place to stay for a week.  This is where it gets good! into play.

The people who used to live across the street from us in California had moved to the Florida Keys and invited us to spend the week with them.  Let me tell you, it was rough!  Falling asleep to lapping waves, sunny days with light breezes, eating fresh seafood almost daily.   The only thing that saved us was our introduction to Cuban cafe' con leche.  Our host and former neighbor is Cuban and this type of coffee is a staple in her house.  We had it every morning we were there.

As soon as we settled in at our new home in Virginia, I went out and bought one of those low tech, stove top espresso makers.  Yes, it's ESpresso, not EXpresso!  You can get them anywhere from $15-$90, it just depends on where you buy it. 

Morning lattes and mochas became a ritual in our house from that point on.  We discovered some unexpected benefits and savings in the process.  My hubby could linger at home 10 minutes longer because there was no longer a need to wait in line at a coffee shop.  I always have coffee and milk in the house so special ingredients weren't an issue either.  One $3.59 / 10 oz can of Bustelo Cuban Espresso will net you 10-20 cups of your favorite latte or mocha!   It takes about one minute to get the coffee going and you can be reading the newspaper or throw a load in the washer while it does it's thing.  When it's done it whistles and you know its time for a little caffeine heaven.

The stove top espresso maker has three parts:  The base water receptacle, the coffee holder and the top.  Unscrew the top from the bottom, remove the coffee holder and fill the base up to but not over the air hole.  Place the coffee holder back into the base.  Fill the coffee holder with two tablespoons of espresso, do not pack.  Screw the top back on and put that puppy on the stove on medium high.

It will take 2-3 minutes, then your espresso will magically fill the top portion of the pot.  To make your own cup of heaven, simple do the following:

While the coffee cooks, heat up one cup of milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whole or soy) either stove top or in the nuker (microwave).  When the milk is heated, add sugar to your taste.  If you're making a latte add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  I guess you could use imitation, but life's to short for me to do so.  Pour in the coffee and viola!  You have 1 3/4 cups of vanilla latte heaven.  If a mocha is more your speed, do the same but skip the vanilla.  Use chocolate milk or soy milk and add a dash of ground cinnamon.  Play with the vanilla/cinnamon/sugar to suite your individual tastes.  I promise you, once you find your perfect amount, you'll never stand in a long line for coffee again!


One more thing, you can find these espresso makers almost anywhere.  World Market, Target, Crate & Barrel, BB&B...all over!  Questions?  Just post 'em!  Enjoy!!! 

The Cook That Could

Hello, my name is Amelia and I'm a recovering boxed cake mix user.  Scary, I know, however that's not the worst of it.  Allow me to elaborate.  My earliest and most horrific memory of a cooking disaster goes back to my teen years.  My Mom had not yet come home and dinner needed to be made for the family.  I was panic stricken as I had no clue what to do or where to start.   I  quickly pulled up my big girl panties, grabbed a cup of "I can do this" out of thin air and proceeded to open up a can of sweet corn.   I then proceeded to stare at it, unable to move beyond the spot on which I stood.  Who knew canned corn could be so daunting?  Before any other tragedy could befall me, my Mom arrived and saved the day!  Whew!!!

That nightmare of a daytime experience, along with a few others you'll hear about in future blogs, have transformed me.  I've been inspired by my Mom, Dad, and so many others, too numerous to mention.  Because of them, collectively, I can now cook many things in several different cuisines.

 I have other interests besides cooking.  I sing and play the guitar.  I've been a Toastmaster for some 15 years.  I'm the mother of two adult children (is that an oxymoron, or what!?) and am happily married.  I was born and raised in the central valley of California, lived a few years in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. and now reside in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado.  Each of these places have added to my culinary experiences in varied ways.  Stick with me and you'll find out how. 

Now that I've revealed a little bit about me, I hope you will travel with me on this culinary journey of cooking, kitchen do's, dont's and recipes tried and true. 

Though this inaugural blog contains no recipes or pictures, those that follow will contain useful information.  Those that don't will be filled with my rants and raves, of which I have plenty ;-)

I've been encouraged by so many to start a blog, I've finally taken the suggestion to heart.  So, hang on, here we go!