Baked Chicken on Rice in Portugese Style

This is a dish that you'd find in most Hong Kong style cafes. I'm really not sure exactly why this dish is "Portugese Style". I'll just assume that a coconuty curry sauce is "Portugese Style" according to Hong Kong style cafes. In any case, it's quite tasty so I'll go along with it.

This was a spur of a moment dish that I made after noticing that there was chicken in the fridge. Me and hubby had recently been to a Hong Kong style cafe, and he seemed to quite like this dish. He is partial to coconut-flavoured dishes though. I was actually quite content with the final product. Hubby's only critique was that he wished I had used dark meat instead of breast meat. I will definitely keep that in mind next time!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Chicken Breast (or thigh)(cut into small pieces)
2 Potatoes (chopped)
1 Carrot (chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 cup Cheese (grated) (I used mozzarella, but I'd probably mix with cheddar next time)
1 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin Powder
2 to 3 tbsp. Curry Powder
1 can Coconut Milk
1 can Chicken Stock
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 bowls fried rice
1 Egg (whisked)
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Shaoxing Wine
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ginger (freshly grated)
1 tsp. Pepper
2 tsp. Oil
Cornstarch Slurry (1 tbsp. Cornstarch with 2 tbsp. Water)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, marinate chicken with the soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, shaoxing wine, salt, grated ginger and pepper for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 390 F.

Heat 1 tsp. oil on saucepan and sauté the minced garlic. Toss in onion and sauté until translucent. Add marinated chicken and cook over medium heat, until lightly brown. Add potatoes and carrots, stir until evenly heat all ingredients.

Sprinkle turmeric powder, cumin powder and curry powder. Stir fry until aromatic. Pour chicken stock and bring to a boil. Slow heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes turn soft. Add half of the can of coconut milk and bring to boil again. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer.

While the sauce is simmering, heat up another wok. Add 1 tsp. oil, then add rice and stir fry until the grains of rice appear to be separated. Add whisked egg to the rice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Transfer fried rice to a baking dish. Pour the other half of the can of coconut milk over the rice.

Once the sauce has simmered for approximately half an hour, add cornstarch slurry and continue to simmer until it is to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Spoon chicken and vegetables onto the rice. Pour sauce on top using your own discretion as to how saucy you want the dish to be. Sprinkle cheese all over the top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese turns golden brown. Serve hot.

Chicken Congee

This recipe is another classic recipe that I got from my mom. Whenever I'm sick, I find that I crave this congee. There is definitely something about homemade congee from mom when you are not feeling well! Hopefully, Jory will feel the same about some of my dishes when he grows up!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Long Grain Rice
2 cans Chicken Broth (14.5 oz cans)
6 cups Water
2 Chicken Thighs (can actually use any part of the chicken though)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Scallion oil (add hot oil to minced scallions)
1 tsp. Dried Shrimp

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, wash the long grain rice.

Add water and chicken broth to the pot. You may want to add more water if you don't like your congee to be too thick. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken, salt, soy sauce, pepper, scallion oil and dried shrimp. Lower heat to medium and simmer for at least an hour.

Add water as needed for the consistency that you prefer. Also, adjust seasoning as you may want to add a bit more salt or soy sauce.

Once the congee is at the correct consistency and saltiness, ladle into bowls and serve!

Chicken Satays and Peanut Sauce

I would like to start off by apologizing for the lack of posts in the last while. Unfortunately, taking care of little Jory has definitely taken a toll on the amount of blogging I am able to do. The little boy is definitely growing fast, and seems to be changing every day *tear*. Being a mom is really hard work!

We had our Full Moon celebration for Jory/hubby's birthday party over the weekend, which forced me and mother in law to hike up our sleeves and make a few things. Hubby actually has a barbecue for his birthday annually, so we just made this celebration a little bigger this year. I love satays, and always order them when we go out for Malaysian food, although it really seems like quite a rip off when there are so few pieces. This is why I was so excited to find a recipe so I could recreate them myself, along with the peanut sauce which is really what makes them so good! Mother in law had a new concept in mind when marinating these satays. She told me to skewer the chicken before marinating them so we would not have to soak the bamboo skewers beforehand. I thought this was a unique concept, but I also thought I probably had to make more of the marinade to be able to cover all the skewers. I'll leave it to you to decide how you would like to marinade if you decide to make these satays.

Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
INGREDIENT:

5 lbs. chicken legs and thighs or chicken breasts (deboned)

Spice Paste:

2 tsp. Coriander
3 stalks Lemongrass or 5 tbsp. ground Lemongrass
8 Shallots (peeled)
5 cloves garlic (peeled)
8 tbsp. cooking oil
2 tsp. Chili powder
3 tsp. Turmeric powder
8 tsp. Kecap Manis
2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
Bamboo skewers

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the chicken meat into small cubes. Skewer chicken meat and place in a container large enough to hold the marinade along with the chicken skewers.

Grind the Spice Paste in a food processor. Add in a little water if needed.

Marinate the chicken pieces with the spice paste for 10 to 12 hours.

Grill for 2 to 3 minutes each side. Serve hot with peanut sauce.

PEANUT SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup dry roasted Peanuts (unsalted)
1 cup Water
2 tbsp. Kecap Manis
3 tbsp. Sugar (palm sugar preferred)
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Oil
1 heaped Tamarind Pulp (soaked in 1/4 cup water for 15 minutes, squeeze the tamarind pulp for juice and discard the pulp)
2 tbsp. Fish Sauce

Spice Paste:

6 to 8 Bird's Eye Chilies
3 cloves Garlic
3 Shallots
2 Lemongrass or 4 tbsp. ground Lemongrass
1 inch knob of Galangal
1 tbsp. Coriander powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Crush the peanuts coursely with a food processor and set aside.

Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend until fine.

In a small pot, heat oil and fry the spice paste until aromatic and smell spicy.

Add the peanuts, tamarind juice, water, sugar, kecap manis, fish sauce and stir thoroughly. Simmer in low heat while continue stirring for about 3 minutes until the peanut sauce turns smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Serve at room temperature with the satay.

Roast Chicken

This is another classic recipe of my mom's that I decided to make when mother in law asked that I do something with a chicken. It's super quick and easy to put together and the sauce is great with rice! I am thankful that it was super quick to put together because Jory kept us up for most of the night last night and I was so tired! Now I totally understand why people warned me about trying to take advantage of having the time to sleep during pregnancy! I am truly looking forward to a night where I can get into bed at a decent hour and wake up after a full night's rest. I think I am at least a year away from that though...

INGREDIENTS:
1 Chicken (approximately 5 lbs.)
2 tbsp. Paprika
2 tbsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Dark Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Five Spice Powder
2 tbsp. Vinegar
2 tbsp. Sugar
6 cloves Garlic (minced)

DIRECTIONS:

Wash chicken and allow to dry.

Marinate with all the above ingredients. Please adjust seasoning as appropriate for the size of chicken. Allow to marinate at least for 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast in oven for approximately 45 minutes covered, then remove cover and cook for approximately another 15 minutes to allow the skin to brown.

Chop up and serve!

Sesame Oil Chicken

When I saw this recipe on the Rasa Malaysia website, I knew I had to make it since the author made reference to it being a dish often served to new mothers, during the confinement month after birth, which is my current situation. As the author of Rasa Malaysia noted, "Chinese believe that ginger and sesame oil are “heaty” ingredients that help strengthen and nourish the body of new mothers and will speed up recovery after child birth". I also have to say that it felt great to be back in the kitchen doing something "normal". Hubby seemed to enjoy this dish although I actually thought more ginger could be added.

Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
INGREDIENTS

3 Chicken Drumsticks (chop into 3-4 pieces each, bone-in)
3 inches knob of Ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)
1 1/2 tbsp. Soy Sauce plus 1 tsp. for corn starch slurry
1/2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 cup Water
2 tsp. White Pepper Powder plus 1 tsp. for corn starch slurry
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tsp. Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine and 2 tsp. white pepper powder.

In another small bowl, combine 1 tsp. soy sauce, corn starch, sugar, and 1 tsp. white pepper powder.

Heat up a wok over high heat and add the sesame oil. When the oil is fully heated, add the ginger strips and stir fry until light brown or aromatic.

Add chicken to the and stir fry for about 10 to 15 seconds before adding the sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry until the chicken is 70 percent cooked.

Add water, then cover the wok with the lid and turn the heat to medium to low heat and let the chicken cook for a few minutes and the meat becomes tender.

Add corn starch slurry and allow to thicken.

Dish out and serve.

Dak Galbi (Korean Chicken Stir Fry)

I am happy to report that I gave birth to a little baby boy, Jorian Ho Yeen Chan, on June 13, 2010 at 10:00a.m. which is why there was a lack of posts. I actually have not been in the kitchen since Korean night but I had one more recipe from that night that I wanted to add. Unfortunately, I don't know how often I will be cooking in the next little while as having a newborn is definitely hard work. This is probably one of the few moments I have found that I could take a moment for myself. The picture of my little one is what I'm actually seeing in front of me right now, which has allowed me the little bit of time to myself!

Hubby actually liked this chicken dish although it was a little on the spicy side so hopefully you will enjoy it too.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 lb Chicken Breast (cut in small pieces)
1/4 cup rice wine
2 tsp. Pepper
2 tbsp. (heaped) Gochujang
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
4 tsp. Sugar
1/2 Onion (cut in strips)
1 Carrot (cut in strips)
1/2 Zucchini (cut in strips)
1 cup sliced Mushroom
Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Put chicken into a medium size bowl, and pour in the rice wine and sprinkle the pepper on top. Soak for about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients: gochujang, 1 clove of minced garlic, chili powder, soy sauce, and sugar. Pour the seasoning sauce into the chicken bowl. Mix well and allow to marinate for half an hour at least.

Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add onions and stir-fry. When they are beginning to soften, add carrots. Once both are a little browned and softened, remove from wok.

Reheat wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add zucchini and stir-fry briefly as they cook very fast. Allow water to evaporate, then remove from wok.

Reheat wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add mushrooms and stir-fry. Once mushrooms are cooked and water has evaporated, remove from wok.

Reheat wok again and add 1 tsp. oil. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and sauté until browned, then add marinated chicken. When chicken is cooked, return all the other ingredients to the wok. Stir-fry until everything is combined.

Serve with rice!

Vietnamese Chicken Curry

I’ve always loved Vietnamese curry. I think it is probably because I grew up with it and am accustomed to the taste. This is not to say that I don’t like other curries…I’m actually a huge fan of curry in general, but I definitely go through stages. I sometimes prefer curries with sauces of thicker consistency, perhaps because I am looking for something different than the Vietnamese curry, which is more of soup base that can be served with vermicelli. I remember I was a little upset with my mom once when she didn’t realize that Japanese curry was of thicker consistency and totally watered down the sauce. I guess it also didn’t help that I was very hungry and pregnant at the time! In any case, perhaps now that I am becoming a mother, I feel the need to go back to basics and make dishes that remind me of my childhood. Dishes such as this one, have been extremely comforting. I hope you give it a try!

INGREDIENTS

2 Lbs. Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks
2 stalks of Lemongrass
1 Onion (cut into 2” chunks)
3 Potatoes (cut into 2” chunks)
2 Carrots (cut into 2” chunks)
2 cloves Garlic (sliced)
2 cloves Shallots (sliced)
5-6 tbsp. Curry Powder
1-2 tbsp. Salt
1-2 tbsp. Black Pepper
3 tsp. Oil
1 can of Coconut Milk

DIRECTIONS

Marinate chicken with salt and pepper overnight. In the morning, add about 1 tbsp. of curry powder to the chicken and continue to marinate.

If potatoes are wet, dry potatoes with a cloth or paper towels. Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add potatoes and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok into a large pot.

Reheat wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Add onions and carrots and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok into the large pot with the potatoes.

Reheat wok again and add 1 tsp. oil. Add garlic, shallots, lemongrass and stir-fry until fragrant. Add marinated chicken and stir-fry until a bit browned on both sides. Add 3 tbsp. of curry powder and mix until the chicken is coated. You may want to add a little water. Once coated, remove everything from wok into the large pot. Cover with water, add another 1 to 2 tbsp. of curry powder and allow to bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for at least an hour.

Prior to serving, add coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (most likely will need a little salt or fish sauce, and more pepper).

Serve with vermicelli and/or French bread. Also, have available a side dish of bean sprouts, lime/lemon, mint and bird’s eye chilies to add to bowl as desired.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This week's Singaporean theme is a little less labour intensive then usual. As my brother-in-law and his wife are away this week, I decided to take it a little easier since there were only four mouths to feed instead of the usual 6 or possibly more depending on if anyone else decided to pop by. Well...it's actually not that this dish is easy to make, it's just that there were less dishes to make. In any case, I think this really gave me and my loyal sous chef (mother-in-law) more time to really try to get this one right, and this is such a classic dish that I'm glad we spent the time to try to perfect it. Now we just have to figure out what we want to do with all the left over broth...

(adapted from Noodle Fever)
CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

1 Chicken
2" knob of Ginger (sliced)
3 stalks of Green Onions
5 tbsp. Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large pot or dutch oven 3/4 full with water and start heating up the water.

Wash chicken with cold water rinsing off any dirtiness, then dry off the chicken. Trim excess fat near the cavity opening and set aside for cooking the rice. Rub salt generously all over the chicken, both inside and out. Stuff the chicken with the ginger and green onions.

Place the chicken in the pot or dutch oven, then cover. Bring water to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for about 45 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken).

Using a large bowl or spare pot, fill half with cold water and half with ice. Remove your chicken from the pot and submerge into the ice bath. Cut up chicken once it is cooled and set aside on a platter.

RICE

INGREDIENTS

Reserved Chicken Fat
3 cups of Broth from poaching the chicken
2 cups Jasmine Rice
3 Shallots (minced)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)

In a wok, cook chicken fat over medium-high heat until fat is rendered. Discard the solid pieces. You should have nearly two tablespoons of fat, but if not, add a bit of vegetable oil.

Cook shallots and garlic in the chicken fat/vegetable oil mixture for a few minutes, until just starting to color.

Add rice and toast briefly (about a minute), then transfer to your rice cooker. Add the chicken broth from poaching the chicken and set rice cooker to cook rice as per regular.

CHILI SAUCE

6 Bird's Eye Chilies
1 shallot (minced)
2 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp. of Ginger
Juice from 2 Limes
2 tbsp. Sriracha Garlic Chili Sauce
2 tsp. Scallion oil (add hot oil to minced scallions)
2 tsp. Sugar
Pinch of salt

OTHER SAUCE/GARNISH

2 tsp. of Soy Sauce mixed with one tsp. of Sesame Oil

Quick-Pickled Cucumbers
Slice cucumbers thinly, then mix with one part coarse salt to three parts sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain and splash with rice vinegar.

Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Fried Chicken

I've always loved this taiwanese style popcorn chicken which you can generally find available at bubble tea places. The only thing is that I generally find that these bubble tea places make the chicken a little too salty for my taste...(maybe so it will make you thirsty?) In any case, I never realized it is actually a pretty simple dish to make and you can therefore adjust the seasoning to your own liking. I guess now, I just have to make my own bubble tea to completely satisfy the craving!

adapted from Rasa Malaysia website
INGREDIENTS

1 Lb. Chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
4 tbsp. Soy Sauce
3 tbsp. 5-Spice Powder
4 tbsp. Rice Wine
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
2 Cups of Sweet Potato Powder
Oil for deep-frying
Thai Basil leaves for Garnish

DIRECTIONS

Marinate chicken pieces with soy sauce, 5-spice powder, rice wine, black pepper, sugar and egg yolks for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

Add oil to wok or deep-fryer and heat up.

Pour sweet potato flour and flatten evenly on a flat plate. Coat chicken evenly with the flour, then deep-fry until golden brown. Line a plate with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

When finished deep-frying all the chicken, deep fry the basil leaves until crispy and garnish on top of the fried chicken.

Pineapple Chicken

I have always loved pineapples! Hubby makes fun of me all the time because of my love for this fruit. During our honeymoon in Hawaii, I think I somewhat overdosed on pineapples since there was an abundance of them over there. It just seemed like the safe thing to order! So I managed to have pineapple juice with practically every meal; we had pineapple sorbet; I even had pineapple upside down cheesecake! Not to mention I ate the fruit all on its own whenever it was available. I guess it was actually pretty ironic when we went to the Dole Plantation and I stuck my head in an adult size pineapple board to take a picture!

In terms of this dish, this is one of my favorite recipes from my mom. I’ve made a couple of little adjustments to her original recipe just to make it even more “pineapple-y” than it was. Basically, instead of using water, I’ve decided to use pineapple juice. You could also add a couple of bird’s eye chilies to spice it up a bit. I don’t always add it in just for hubby and my mother in law’s sake.

INGREDIENTS

1 Lb. Chicken Thighs (deboned)
1 can of Pineapple (save all the Pineapple juice)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 Bird’s Eye Chilies (optional)
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Oil
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Ground Bean Paste
(Cornstarch Slurry: 1 tbsp. Corn Starch, 1 tbsp. Sugar and remainder of half of the Pineapple juice from the can)

DIRECTIONS

Marinade chicken with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper.

Open can of pineapples, pour juice into another container and cut pineapple into chunks.

Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry 1 clove of garlic until browned, then add pineapple. Sprinkle salt over the pineapples. Allow pineapples to brown a little bit, then remove from wok.

Heat up wok again and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry 1 clove of garlic until browned, then add ground bean paste (it can burn quickly), quickly followed by adding the marinated chicken. Allow chicken to brown on both sides, then add half of the pineapple juice from the can. If the chicken is not mostly covered, add a little water to compensate. Lower heat and cover wok.

Check chicken in approximately 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the pieces of chicken, you may have to cook for longer. When chicken is cooked, return pineapples to the wok. Add corn starch slurry and chilies (if using). When sauce is thickened, taste and adjust as necessary (you may need more sugar since some juices from canned pineapple can be more sour than others).

Removed from wok and serve with rice!

Thai Peanut Crusted Chicken

This is my last Thai inspired entry for the time being. I would like to dedicate this post to my friend, who is the author of the blog, Kitchen Slave (http://thekitchenslave.com/). She was the inspiration for me to start this blog. She had also inspired me to be more creative with my cooking. For the longest time, I was cooking the same few dishes that I had in my little notebook of recipes from my mom, but as I started reading her blog, I suddenly became aware of other cuisine. I was soon finding that I would decide on theme nights, I would spend hours researching, and I would be using new ingredients. Her blog is rapidly gaining an audience, and I’m sure you would understand why if you read a few of her entries. For those of you who are attending my baby shower, I am also pleased to announce that she is planning to cook the majority of the food, so look forward to a big treat! I am very excited to see her original creations! (Thanks C!! *hugs*)

This Thai peanut crusted chicken recipe can be found on the kitchen slave blog. I have copied the recipe in this entry for ease of use, however, if you have the time, do visit her magnificent site. I knew I had to make this recipe as soon as I saw it since hubby loves dishes with peanut and chicken together. Unfortunately, I was apparently a little too generous with the red curry paste, and both hubby and my mother in law thought it was a little too spicy (coughing involved). Thankfully, both my father and brother in law could eat spicy!

adapted from Women’s Daily Chicken Recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup roasted Unsalted Peanuts
1/4 – 1/2 cup Red Curry Paste (depending on how deadened your taste buds are)
2 tablespoons Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
2 tablespoons Sriracha Chili Garlic paste (optional)
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh Cilantro leaves
4 Chicken breast fillets

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Blend or process together peanuts, red curry paste, coconut milk, kecap manis, sriracha (if using) and cilantro. Taste the paste and make any adjustments if necessary. Spread paste onto each chicken breast fillet, covering the top of the fillet.

Bake in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Check the oven at the 18 minute mark for doneness as you want to take the chicken out of the oven when the chicken is just cooked to avoid drying out.

Serve chicken with a small scoop of rice and some salad.