HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

After spending 4 amazing months in Singapore but not having the tools I needed to maintain my blog I sadly had to sit silent on the Culinary Epic Center of Asia. Alas I am home and I may not be in Asia for the Chinese New Year but I sure as hell will eat like I am!  I am disappointed by the photos of my dish as I plated it last night. I am working on getting a mini studio set up so that I can make my food look as amazing in my blog as it does on a plate.

So in honor of the Chinese New Year which begins tomorrow or  about right now in Singapore and it is now the year of the Rabbit. No I did not cook rabbit although rabbit is a very very tasty dish. I made Char Siu  Or (Char Siew depending on where you are) Pork.. Some people believe that Char Siu is only for pork but that is not true . Char Siu means BBQ meat.  I did use a jar of Char Siu as I am not bold enough to make the actual BBQ sauce on my own. I did make my own marinade for the pork that includes the Char Siu.  It is amazing and I wont lie... Mine for the first time making it was good. I was most pleased. I also made Singapore Fried Rice. How is it different from Chinese Fried Rice? It has Jalapenos and Tomatoes in it.  I also made a Malay Noodle Dish called Mee Goreng. Mine is not as pretty as it is in Singapore. I reinterpreted to the best of my ability what it is.. It is funny. My Singapore Cook Books arrived today. So if I had a recipe yesterday maybe it would have been even better.  My Mee Goreng does not have red chilis green chilis or kaffir lime. You need Kaffir lime but they are kind of harder to find then one might think.  I also made Braised Peanuts. My new favorite appetizer. They are amazing. I was hesitant to put Chinese 5 spice in mine because they put it in EVERYTHING all types of Cuisine in Singapore not just Chinese. So I got sick of it fast. I found when I use it that I really like it. So Braised Peanuts MMMM. I totally Love them and so will you! You do need a good 8-10 hours to make the peanuts though! Braising takes time....

Poached Egg, Steak and Goat Cheese Crostini with Corn Chimichurri and Rockstar Avocado Sauce.. Taking Left Overs To The Next Level

First thing you need to know about me and my blog that I have not shared with you before is I do not sit down and write out a recipe and go to the store and get the ingredients and prep a head of time unless I am hosting guests. Lasts nights dinner was everything I already had at home except for Cilantro and a clove of garlic ( I had to get rid all my perishables in September so I am still missing the simplest of things like a clove of garlic.) My recipes on this blog are either ones I have done in the past or I get so inspired by ingredients and I make something to honor them!


Now there is something else you should know about me. I am a big girl yes but I do not eat a lot I cannot. I have a 10 oz stomach. And needless to say I used to be much bigger then I am now.. But having a 10 oz stomach means I never eat more then 10 or so bites of food. So when I do things like take the left overs from last night and make an even better breakfast then what I made for dinner it is because I have left overs from pretty much every meal I eat and inventing them into a new dish saves money. Things usually taste better  the second day as well. It is because the flavors have had a chance to combine and add more depth. 


 So this morning I took the left over ingredients from the Lux Tacos in my last post and added a few new ones and I made a new dish. This is a nice one you can make for your friends for brunch or your Spouse for Valentines Day and everyone will be impressed. I even impressed myself. I poached eggs for the first time. I poached 6 and 4 turned out pretty great. And poached eggs are very tasty and the healthiest way to eat an egg. There is no butter, oil, or cooking spray needed just good ole fashion water. You might need a practice a couple times to poach a good egg. Thank goodness they are cheap. So you can practice poaching eggs as much as you want.  Anyways off track.


Poached Eggs are something you can make the day a head of time. It makes having company for brunch that much easier. 

Poached Egg, Steak and Goat Cheese Crostini with Corn Chimichurri and Rockstar Avocado Sauce 

1serving

Equipment- Sauce pan, Thermometer,  A Bowl to Flash the Poached Eggs in and a Cookie Sheet.

A French Baguette 

Goat Cheese (let it stand for half hour so its soft)

Thinly Sliced Steak (optional I used leftover Lux Tacos)

Corn Chimichurri Salsa (see Lux Tacos Anyone?)

Vinegar (1 tablespoon for every 32oz of poaching liquid)

Cayenne Pepper

Salt

Ice (for Flashing the Poached Eggs)

1 egg (keep a few extra handy just in case)

Rockstar Avocado Sauce (see Lux Tacos Anyone?)

Turn oven on Broil High

The recipe will appear to be written backwards to you but that is because that is how I made  it. I took the baguette and sliced off a piece about finger and a half width. Take the softened goat cheese and spread it on the bread and put on the cookie sheet and pop it in the oven for a few minutes 4-5 but watch it.. Broiling can go from good to bad very fast. Just toast the baguette. Then you can put the thinly sliced piece of steak on top of the goat cheese followed by the Chimichurri. 

Take the bowl you are going to flash the egg in and fill it with some ice and water . Place it right next to the sauce pan you will be poaching your egg in. The turn Flash means placing the egg in ice water to stop the cooking process so the egg does not over cook. Most food items continue to cook even after you have removed it from its heat source. 

Skim all that excess egg white. 

In the sauce pan for 1 get place 32 oz of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar** and a couple pinches of salt. Turn the heat on medium high heat. And once it starts to bubble not boil check the temperature with the thermometer. It should be between 160-170 degrees and you need to keep it that temp while you poach the egg. If the water was suppose to be boiling then it would be called a boiling egg not poached. Crack the egg in a cup or small bowl . Do not crack the egg on the sauce pan if you break the yoke that egg is useless. Gingerly pour the egg into the water. It will start to cook immediately. Keep a slotted spoon close to you and check after a minute or so to make sure the egg is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. You will know when the egg is almost done cooking when it begins to rise off the bottom of the pan. When it is almost floating completely it is done so skim the excess white and then take the egg and gently place it in the ice water just for a second or so to stop the yoke from cooking anymore. You should have a perfectly cooked egg. The whites wil be nice and soft but firm not rubbery or runny.  Place the egg on top of the baguette and add Rockstar Avocado Sauce. 

** The Vinegar is VERY important. It causes the egg whites to coagulate as they cook. With out the vinegar the egg whites would just spread everywhere. Like in Egg Drop Soup.

Lux Tacos Anyone?

I am a meat snob and I like good quality meats. In Singapore good steak was about 12 dollars for 100 grams. Very expensive so we did not eat much steak while we were there. The other night I got 3lbs of Grade A USD Ribeye at Costco which needless to say was to much for us to eat so we had left overs. I always cook my steaks on the rarer side so if I want to reheat it for a different dish, I can with out it being over done. This recipe is made from mostly left overs and just stuff I had in my fridge but it is sure to please. It is time consuming to prepare but if you love to cook like I do you will enjoy it=).

Lots of Components and lots of prep work but worth it!

So what is a Lux taco? Its a Luxurious Taco. That is because I used a very good quality cut of meat instead of the usual ground beef or fajita meat. It has a Corn Chimichurri Salsa. (What the heck is Chimichurri you ask?) Chimichurri is a broad term for a green salsa that originated in Argentina. Mine for this recipe is a loosely based Chimichurri. It goes wonderfully on steak, chicken or pork.  I also had Avocados from Costco that were getting soft so I made a killer Sauce. We always ate at Senior Taco in Singapore which was an outdoor Mexican Taco Bar in the beautiful Clarke Quay. The Nightlife Epicenter of S'Pore. They have a killer Avocado Sauce they use on their tacos which even Ethan liked and Ethan does not like Avocados. So while I was conceptualizing this dish I decided to try to make my own Awesome Avocado sauce and I did!  You can make this entire  meal or just portions. You can add more or less heat to it as well. The Spicy Factor is always in your hands! Just like Ethan likes hard shelled tacos as were I prefer soft shelled white corn tortillas because they have more flavor and add depth to a taco.


                   Lux Steak Tacos with Corn Chimichurri Salsa,                                 
                Caliente Cheesy Rice and Rockstar Avocado Sauce.


Corn Chimichurri Salsa (make a head of time so you have marinade) 


1 cup red onion small dice
3 cloves of garlic finally chopped*
2 cups of frozen sweet white corn defrosted in the fridge
1/3-1/2 cup of white vinegar
4 limes juiced with a little zest to add some zing
1/2 cup or so of chopped Cilantro  **
1/3 cup of chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
A pinch or 2 of sugar
A few generous pinches of Salt (taste and add to liking)
A few shakes of Cayenne Pepper (taste to Spicy liking)
2 shakes of Ground Cumin
1 good shake of Ground Coriander
A few turn in the bowl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Mix the onions, garlic, corn, and herbs together in a good sized bowl to mix easier. Add vinegar, lime juice and zest. Add more lime juice if there is not enough moisture. Add the salt, sugar, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Season and taste til you get it to the flavor that you enjoy..  Strain most of the excess juice and set a side.


*To peel garlic easily. Take a wide knife. Place garlic clove on the cutting board lay the knife flat on the garlic and give it a good slap or two. Then dip your fingers in a little oil so the garlic peel wont stick you your fingers. The peel will just come right off


** When chopping any leafy herbs make sure you have a razor sharp knife an dull knife will bruise the herbs and they lose flavor and darken.


Rockstar Avocado Sauce


2-3 Avocados (depending how much sauce you want on your tacos and rice and if you want left over other things)
1/2 cup of heavy cream (can substitute Skim Milk for healthier version but it wont be as creamy)
4-5 tbsp Gourmet Garden Cilantro Herb Blend ( comes in a 4 oz tube in the herb section of the produce section)
Cayenne Pepper (use as much or as little as you want)
1/2 of lime juice with extra incase you want more acid
Salt to flavor


Prepare Avocados by slicing thru length wise and split in two. Take a knife and hit it into the seed and pop the seed out, if you plan on reusing the sauce set the seed aside for later. Scoop out all the flesh of the avocado and put it into a blender or big food processor. Add cream, cilantro and lime juice. Blend and taste to see if it needs more acid. If so add more lime. If it is to thick add more cream. Add cayenne and salt. Taste and season til you like it. If you will be using the sauce a again place the seeds in to the sauce before storing in the fridge. That and the lime juice will keep the Avocado from getting that brown color it gets during oxidation.


Lux Steak Tacos


Now this part is personal preference you can make the steak with dinner and have it hot or cook it a head of time and refrigerate. If you cook it the same night and want it hot in your tacos. Take the juices you set aside from the Chimichurri and pour in to a gallon zip lock bag and marinate overnight. If your using left over or cold steak. Pour marinade in the zip lock bag over night as well)


1 lb of your favorite beef or steak.
Chopped Romane Lettuce
Chopped Cilantro
Hard Shelled Tacos 
       or
Soft Shell. (I use Guerrero Tortillas de Maiz Blanco (White Corn Tortillas) )
Use cheese of your choice. (I used goat cheese. Cotija would work well too)
Corn Chimichurri Salsa
Rockstar Avocado Sauce


Using a very sharp knife or a serrated knife. Slice meat very thinly with the grain removing the fat. Then build your tacos how you like them. I mixed the Romane and Cilantro together put that at the bottom of the taco. Topped it with Steak and a little Salt. a layer of Salsa, Goat Cheese and then a layer of Rockstar Avocado Sauce.


                                                                Caliente Cheesy Rice

1 cup of white rice (I prefer Calrose rice it is fluffier)
A couple shakes of Olive Oil ( I add Oil to the water of my pastas and rice so it does not stick together)
1 1/2 cups of Mexican Cheese Mix or Cheddar Or Velveeta ( you know just how you like it!)
2-3 tbsp of Gourmet Garden Chili Pepper Blend (just like the Cilantro Herb blend)*
Two Diced Roma Tomatos
4tbsp of Sour Cream
Salt to season


Prepare rice as directed except add oil=). Mix cheese, Chili Pepper Blend, Sour Cream and Salt. Let cheese melt. Mix well. Taste it.. If its to spicy add more Sour Cream. If it is not spicy enough add more Chili Pepper.


* If you cant find the Gourmet Garden any Chili Paste will do.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

I love love love Italian food. And Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorites... I normally do not stuff it but I did the other night because while in Singapore I wanted Lasagna very badly so I went to get the supplies to make it and the small 6oz Frigo Ricotta Cheese was 24 dollars ( so not kidding) and an 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese the processed blah kind not the awesome fresh Buffalo was 14 dollars so I have been wanting both Chicken Parm and Ricotta and Moz for months! So I made a new version of a Cochran Family favorite. 



Stuffed Chicken Parmesan 4 servings


4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Frozen or Fresh (I used Kirkland Signature Frozen)


Coating
1 cup of Flour
2 cups of your favorite bread crumbs ( I use Panko Or Italian Herb)
1/2 cup of Kraft Grated Parm (green canister or what ever brand. Just not fresh grated parm)
2 eggs


Stuffing
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt  and Pepper to season


Your Favorite Marinara Sauce. (I love the Del Monte Canned the best of store bought or Classico)*
Fresh shredded Parmesan from the Fridge section of your grocery store
Your Favorite Pasta (Spaghetti works but you dont get as much marinara on it as other pastas)


Preheat oven to 400.
Now Frozen Chicken Breasts work better . So if you use frozen defrost them just enough that you can butterfly them. (sliced thru the center but not all the way through).  Set them aside. 


In a bowl mix the ricotta and mozzarella and season with Salt and Pepper. Then take two more containers. In one beat the eggs and in the other mix the flour and bread crumbs , kraft parm and season with salt to your tastes. Always remember my recipes are flexible. Season to how you like it. Like if you like a kick add some red pepper flakes to the ricotta mix or italian herbs etc. Dip the top side of the butterflied Chicken in the eggs and then the bread crumb mixture. Only the outside.


Place them on a sprayed cookie sheet or baking dished breaded side down. Put cheese mixture in the middle and fold the breasts back together. Throw them in the oven. While they cook .. 


Cook your pasta as directed and heat your marinara. 


Check the chicken every 15 minutes with a thermometer. When the Chicken gets to 160. Sprinkle the breasts with the fresh parmesan cheese. When the Chicken gets to 170-175 pull it out of the oven and let it rest for at least 5 minutes . It will continue to cook out of the oven when it is 180 it is good to go. ALWAYS COOK POULTRY to 180 degrees!!!!


Plate it how ever you like. I put pasta and marinara on the bottom and put the chicken on top and add more sauce.


Serve with Garlic bread and Salad!

Nothing Like Some Red Beans and Rice to Keep You Warm

I will add the history and importance of this dish to my family as soon as I am fully recovered from jet lag. I will also be revamping the whole website. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It is a family favorite of ours.  There are so many different ways you can prepare red beans and rice. It sounds very plain but it actually has amazing complex rich layers of flavor and depth to it. The version I prepared in this recipe is simple and really lets the red beans and the ham showcase itself. 

Red Beans and Rice  8-10 servings with lots of left overs.

equipment- a large stock pot.

14 cups of Chicken Stock (or Water)

24 oz of  Dried Small Red Kidney Beans*

1 1/2 Large Yellow Onions in small dice

5 Tbsp of Chopped Garlic

1.5 lbs of Ham**  diced 

1-2 Kielbasa Sausage sliced 1/2 inch thick

1-2 lbs of Ham Hocks (must have for flavor!)          

Cayenne Pepper                                                                                       
Salt and Pepper

Hot Sauce ( Tabasco)
4 Bay Leaves    

Two turns of Olive Oil for Saute pan.

8 cups of white rice (follow instructions given with rice)

* Sort beans throwing away all broken ones. Soak in water overnight.   

** Choose a ham you like, Smoky, Honey, Tasso

Heat large stock pot and put the two turns of Olive oil in. Add the Onions. Season with Salt and Pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until Onions become translucent. Add Garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add the Chicken stock (water) Ham, Kielbasa, Ham Hocks, Bay Leaves and Beans.  Add the Cayenne Pepper and Hot Sauce. The Amount will depend solely on the amount of heat you want to add to the beans. Turn the heat up under the pot. Bring it to a boil for 6-8 minutes stirring frequently. Cover and turn heat down to low med heat. Let the beans simmer for about 2 hours. Check to see if the beans are soft. (I personally let them cook for 3-4 hours until the ham hocks fall off the bone.) Take the lid off for the last 30-40 minutes. When the ham hocks are falling off the bone remove them from the pot along with the Bay Leaves. Pull the skin and bones off the hock and put the tender meat back in the pot. If the gravy is to watery, you can take a portion of the beans and mash them to thicken up the gravy. Serve over rice. Keep the hot sauce handy do kick up the spice. 

A big tip to amazing Red Beans and Rice... They taste so much better the second and third day! And the gravy does thicken on its own.