Seafood Paella

I had one year subscription of Bon Appetit for free and I really enjoyed reading the recipes. I kept saying that one day, I will try to make at least a few of them. I had my eye on a Paella recipe for months. I love Paella because it reminds me of a filipino dish called Luzon-Style Rice or Biringe that I used to love back home. My mom, grandmother and a few of my aunts usually makes it for Fiesta or a birthday party. Their recipe is actually simple but I found a much simpler one in the January 2009 Issue of Bon Appetit - Best of the Year.  I decided to serve this dish to my good friends for our quarterly dinner get together 2 days after Thanksgiving. I thought it will be a nice change from the standard Thanksgiving meal. I was pretty sure they didn't want to see turkey and stuffing again on the table.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 6 - 8

1/8 cup of olive oil

1/4 lb fresh chorizo or polish sausage, cut in 1/2 inch pieces (mild or spicy, depending on preference)

6 crushed and chopped garlic gloves

1 cup fresh chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron

1 cup medium -grain rice

6 cups simmering chicken stock

1/2 lb shrimp (about 16-20 in shells without heads)

12 fresh mussels (scrubbed and de-bearded)

1/2 cup frozen petit peas

1/2 cup fresh or roasted red pepper strips

Heat olive oil in large pan or paella pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and garlic and continue cooking until browned. Add tomatoes and saffron and cook until liquid evaporates. Add the rice, cooking an additional minute or two, then add the chicken stock. Once the stock comes to a simmer, add the shrimp, mussels and peas. Taste stock, adding salt and pepper as needed. Before the rice absorbs the liquid, arrange the seafood, adding red pepper strips. Do not stir. Simmer until all the liquid evaporates. Cook a few more minutes to create a lightly toasted rice crust on the bottom of the pan, this happens when you hear a faint fying sound and smell the toasted rice. Let the dish resta few minutes before serving.

Lemon Cornish Hen with Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce

Okay, I admit we love chicken in my house. There's so many ways to cook a chicken. But what about Cornish Hen? They are chicken too and I must say that I always consider it a nice treat whenever I get a chance to have one. While shopping at Walmart this past weekend, I found them in their frozen section and you betcha - I grabbed 4 for a family meal one day this week for dinner. I love that they are personal sized, everyone gets dark and white meat. No fighting over the thighs, no one complaining that all they got was breast. You all get your own, one bird each LOL.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4)

4 Cornish Hen

8 bay leaves

4 whole lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1 gallon ziplock bags

2 cups Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce (1 cup for basting and 1 cup for sauce)

Thaw out the Cornish hens in the fridge for 2 days if frozen. When the hens are completely thawed, remove from plastic wrapping, rinse and pat dry. Season each hen with salt and pepper inside and out according to your salt intake. I usually just sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the meat. Dice 2 lemon with skin and divide it into 4. Stuff each hen with 1/4 part of the diced lemon and 2 bay leaves. Put 2 hen in each of the ziplock bag. Cut the other 2 lemon and squeeze 1 whole lemon juice inside the ziplock bag, close tightly and shake. Do the same with the other 2 hens and marinate for 2 hours or overnight if you want just to prepare them for the next day meal.

Turn the oven to broil for 425 degrees. Take the Cornish hens from ziplock bags and arrange in a deep baking pan. Broil for 15 minutes or until they are dark brown and crispy on the top. Baste the hens with the chili sauce and broil for 2-3 minutes. Turn them over and broil for another 15 minutes or until they are dark brown and crispy and baste with the remaining chili sauce and broil for 2-3 minutes.

Take out the hens, serve with your favorite vegetables and your favorite carb. Dip each bite in the chili sauce. Another option is to pair it with romaine lettuce with shave parmesan cheese, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a much healthier meal!

Baked Wild Salmon in Banana Leaf with Mango Chutney

I haven't had salmon in a long time and I decided to buy some today and experiment with a new recipe. I usually bake it with soy sauce and lemon juice or teriyaki sauce. I don't like overwhelming my salmon with too much spices. I checked out my pantry and found a jar of mango chutney I bought a couple of months ago and haven't used. I paired the salmon with steamed broccoli with Nori seasoning, sliced persimmon and steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4

4 - 4oz each wild salmon filet

4 tablespoons of hot mango chutney

1 tablesspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of ground black pepper

2 whole lemon (1 for garnish)
4 sheets of banana leaves (5x7 each)

4 sheets of foil (8x10 each)

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the foil next to each other and put the banana leaf on top of the foil. Season the wild salmon individually with salt and pepper according to your salt intake. Arrange the salmon on top of the banana leaf and center it. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mango chutney on top of the salmon. Slice 1 lemon in thin rounds and garnish each salmon with a slice. Slice the other lemon in half and drizzle a bit of juice on top of each salmon. Wrap the salmon by folding each side of the banana leaf on top of it. Then finish it by wrapping it with the foil. Put the wrapped salmon in a non stick baking pan and bake for 35 mins. Serve with your favorite vegetables and steamed rice.

General Tso Chicken

To be honest, I don't remember the last time I had General Tso Chicken and it is my husband's favorite Chinese entree. I think this is the only entree that he order whenever we go to a Chinese restaurant. He likes it because of the variety of taste in one meal - sweet, tangy, spicy and the crunchy texture. I am not a fan of anything sweet on my meat but I decided to give it a try and twist the recipe I found on Food Gawker just a bit to make it my own General Tso! The result was quite tasty!

The recipe is simple if you love to cook Asian food because I'm sure you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. If not, then I suggest you invest on some of these ingredients because they are inexpensive and you'll be able to use them with other Asian dish recipes.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4-6)

2 lbs breast of chicken (sliced in cubes)

6 jalapenos peppers sliced

4 teaspoons minced ginger

4 teaspoons minced garlic

6 cups of peanut oil or vegetable oil for deep frying

4 cups corn starch

1 pinch of sesame seeds for garnish

MARINADE THE CHICKEN (15 Minutes)
4 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons sesame oil

2 egg yolk

SAUCE:

3 tablespoons tomato paste and mixe with 2 tablespoons of water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

6 teaspoons white sugar

4 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons rice vinegar

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Mix ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Toss the chicken in the corn starch in 4 batches to avoid clumping. Shake off excess cornstarch before frying. Heat the frying pan with oil until it is smoking a little bit. Add the first batch of chicken and deep fry until cooked through. Stir constantly to avoid burning.  Remove chicken with slotted ladle when it is medium brown and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the last 3 batch.

After all the chicken is cooked, heat a different frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil. Add the ginger, garlic and jalapeno peppers and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and stir until it thickens. Add the chicken and stir well to coat with sauce. Transfer the chicken to a big platter and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with steam rice and your choice of salad or veggies.

Jicama, Chinese Cucumber, Basil & Arugula Salad

I love making salad! There are so many ways to make it especially if a farmer's market is nearby because of the abundance of greens and fruits they sell to make a refreshing salad. I picked up some baby jicamas, chinese cucumber and Thai basil at the farmer's market yesterday near my job in Oakland. I mixed them with the Arugula I picked growing in my green room and made a salad to pair with the Chicken & Prosciutto ravioli I cooked for dinner. This salad is very refreshing! The dressing is simply lime juice, olive oil salt and pepper.

SALAD INGREDIENTS: (Serves 2)
2 baby jicama peeled and diced
2 chinese cucumbers diced (substitute 1 regular cucumber and diced)
20 pieces of thai basil leaves
40 pieces of arugula leaves
1 whole lime
1 tbs olive oil
shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slice the lime, squeeze and drizzle the juice all over the mixture. Drizzle the olive oil on the salad and mix well. Serve with a pasta dish or any entree.

Chicken & Prosciutto Ravioli w/ Basil, Garlic & Tomato Sauce

Buotoni Pasta is one of my favorite fresh refrigerated pasta brand. Today, i'm going to try the Whole Wheat Ravioli. I always make my own sauce with fresh ingredients. I picked up some sweet basil, Thai basil and beef steak tomatoes at the farmer's market near my job. The sauce is so simple to make but it is very tasty.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4)

8-10 ounces of Boutoni Chicken & Prosciutto Ravioli

6 cloves of chopped garlic

1 large beefsteak tomato

20 pieces of fresh sweet basil leaves

15 pieces of fresh thai basil leaves (purple in color)

1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

1 tsp dry Italian Seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup of water

3 tbs of Olive Oil

Boil ravioli for 10 minutes or as directed on the package. While the ravioli is cooking, heat the pan and add the oilve oil. Add the chopped garlic and stir until brown. Add the chopped tomato, stir and simmer for 3 minutes until the tomato releases its juice in medium heat. Add the sweet and Thai basil, italian seasoning, pepper flakes and water. Simmer for 2 more minutes until the sauce thickens and add salt and pepper to your tasting.

Remove the ravioli from boiling water, put in a large serving dish and top with the sauce. ENJOY!