Category: Soups & One Dish Meals

Soups, one dish meals, casseroles
Sheet Pan Magic (Chicken Tikka)

Sheet Pan Magic (Chicken Tikka)

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Miss me?  I have been on an extended break from the blogosphere.  Knocked down by the flu during the holidays, my post-election blues (I promise to refrain) and the wet dreary weather kind of got the best of me.  But I’m back!  Ready to tackle 2017. This year’s theme will be comfort food from soup to dessert, food for the soul.  Food for family and friends-dishes to share, meals that bring us together and make us happy. Nothing better than sitting around the table eating, talking and laughing.  What better buffer to our crazy mixed-up world right now.  If you have a favorite recipe I would love to share it on my blog and if there is a story behind your dish, I definitely want to hear it.

This first post was going to feature soup.  You know how much I love soup, yep I could live on just soup.  Not to mention soup is the perfect antidote for cold wet weather and when you’re not feeling 100%.  In fact, I had an easy soup recipe in mind, a family favorite that I make whenever my kids are home but a recipe for Chicken Tikka from one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen caught my eye.  I had to try it.  It is a one pan meal loaded with flavor from spices like garam masala, chili, cumin, paprika and garlic.

Sheet Pan Chicken TikkaThe hard part maybe rounding up the different spices used in this recipe.  Fortunately quite a few markets now carry Indian and Asian spices.  Try Whole Foods or there is always Amazon or online spice stores like Penzey’s.  If you have an Indian market or Middle Eastern market in your area, definitely check them out.  Spices are usually very reasonable.  Once you have the spices the rest is easy peasy.

Marinate the chicken pieces in the yogurt, cut cauliflower and potatoes into chunks, season and scatter them on a sheet pan. Place chicken pieces in between the vegetables and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Voila’ dinner is ready to be served.  With my first bite, I could taste the tang of the yogurt and the kick from the chili and jalapeño. The cauliflower and potatoes, with their crispy edges and smooshy (is that a word?) centers, were the perfect foil to the chicken.   I can’t wait to make this again.  Added bonus, JUST ONE PAN to wash, uh-huh, uh-huh.

Sheet pan Chicken Tikka

 

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Sheet Pan Magic (Chicken Tikka)

Ingredients

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the chicken

  • 1 3/4- inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
  • 1 fresh green chili jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne or adjusted to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs drumsticks or halved chicken breasts (skin-on, bone-in)

For the vegetables

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pounds about 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
  • 1 3/4 pounds 1 small or half a very large head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

To finish, if desired

  • A few thin slices of red onion
  • Lemon wedges
  • Salt
  • Dollops of yogurt optional
  • A few tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro parsley or mint, or a mix therof

Instructions

  • Combine ginger, garlic, fresh chili, yogurt, salt, spices and sugar in a bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to a day in the fridge.
  • Heat your oven to 425°F.
  • Line a half-sheet (13×18-inch) with foil and coat it with 1 T of olive oil or use parchment paper.
  • Add potatoes, cauliflower, salt, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss together until evenly coated. I like garlic so I added a minced glove of garlic as I was tossing the vegetables.
  • Remove chicken from marinade and leave excess behind.
  • Nestle the chicken pieces among the vegetables throughout the pan.
  • Roast in oven for 20 minutes, then toss the potato and cauliflower to ensure they’re cooking evenly
  • Return the pan to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes more (i.e. 30 to 40 minutes total roasting time) until chicken and vegetables are cooked through.
  • If necessary remove chicken from pan and turn broiler on to crisp the potatoes and cauliflower
  • While it roasts, if you’d like to use the lightly pickled onion rings that we did on top, which added a nice tangy fresh zip to the dish, separate the rings and toss them in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.
  • When chicken and vegetables are cooked, top with garnishes of your choice.
  • I used thinly sliced red onions, cilantro, mint and diced scallions to garnish.
Rice Rice Baby (Kimchi Fried Rice)

Rice Rice Baby (Kimchi Fried Rice)

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Growing up I remember we had one big pot, well worn, dented and it’s bottom darkened from frequent use.  It was my Dad’s favorite cooking utensil and he used it for everything.  He stir-fried, boiled, simmered, stewed and steamed in that pot and everything that came out of that pot was amazing.  I loved his fried rice.  He started with rice leftover from the previous night’s dinner added diced sweet barbecued pork, green peas, bits of scrambled eggs and finished off with shredded lettuce.  He seasoned it with soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, and onions it was the epitome of a delicious one pot meal.  As I grew older I would help by stirring and flipping the rice in the pot as he added the ingredients.

Everything comes full circle.  Fried rice is also a favorite of my kids.  Though I often make my Dad’s version, there are infinite variations of the dish.  A down home version with salted fish, bits of chicken and ginger to the Korean version made with spicy pickled kimchi, yum.  As much as I love my Dad’s, my current favorite is kimchi fried rice.  I recently picked up a new cookbook titled Koreatown by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. A glimpse into living, eating and playing in  Koreatown USA.  It starts with a primer on Korean ingredients followed by recipes.  Vignettes are interspersed throughout the book on growing up in K-Town NYC and touring other Koreatowns throughout the country.  Recipes range from traditional to let’s take Mom’s recipe and “tweak” it.  Gorgeous photos of the food, restaurants and K-Town life bring the stories and recipes to life.  You will need two copies of this book.  One in the kitchen to cook from and one on your coffee table to read and enjoy.

Back to kimchi fried rice.  There are some universal trade secrets when it comes to making great fried rice.  The rice should be day old not freshly made.  Fresh rice contains too much moisture for making fried rice. You can use long grain or short grain rice.  Keep in mind short grain will be a little stickier than long grain but it still works. You can practically put anything into your dish and chances are it will be good.  Pineapple and bbq pork,  shrimp, leeks and pine nuts, or try Hawaiian style with spam (don’t laugh its really good), ono-licious as they say on the islands.   Koreatown’s kimchi fried rice has a secret ingredient, bacon.   Yep, porky goodness to go along with the spicy pickled flavor of the kimchi that gives this fried rice a nice twist. Even though the Koreatown recipe is pretty darn good on its own I tweaked it to my taste.  I love the bacon which added a smoky saltiness but I wanted a little sweetness so in addition to the bacon I added diced chinese sausage (lop cheung).  A touch of soy sauce and sesame oil heightened the flavor of the dish.  I don’t have a refrigerator in my garage with homemade kimchi (every Korean family has one) so my kimchi comes from my neighborhood farmer’s market. You can usually find kimchi and Chinese sausage at most Asian markets.  Top with a perfectly fried egg and you have a delicious easy & quick one pot meal.  I hope you will try it.

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Kim Chee Fried Rice-Koreatown

Ingredients

Adapted from Koreatown

  • 8 ounces slab bacon roughly chopped or reduce amount of bacon 4 ounces & add 1-2 chinese sausages that have been diced to 1/4 inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • One 1-inch piece ginger peeled and minced
  • 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice preferably day-old rice in a pinch short grain will work also
  • 1½ cups chopped napa cabbage kimchi I use quite a bit less, approximately 1/2 cup
  • Kosher salt to taste or soy sauce (start with 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang korean pepper paste
  • 4 eggs fried sunny-side up, for serving or if you like you can soft scramble eggs and add to rice at the end of the cooking process.
  • Thinly sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions

  • 1. In a large wok or pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, onion and ginger, Chinese sausage and cook until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • 2. Add the rice and kimchi, and cook, tossing frequently until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and sesame oil. Taste, add soy sauce if needed. Reduce the heat to medium low and flatten the rice with your spatula. Cook until the rice forms a crust on the bottom of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • 3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the butter and gochujang until smooth. Spoon the gochujang butter over the rice and top with fried eggs and sliced scallions, then serve.

 
Caldo Verde: Post-Election Comfort Food

Caldo Verde: Post-Election Comfort Food

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This week called for a very large helping of comfort and kindness.  Something to soothe our frazzled nerves and temper our anxiety and fear.  I know I could use some, I have half a mind to jump on a plane and go hug my kids.  I keep reminding myself, they’ll be home in a week, they’ll be home in a week.

What has helped me survive this week?  Humor, thanks Sean, hugs from Grandma. Talking to friends (not ranting, that just makes me crazy but yes I have done a lot of that too).  Escape from reality movies, we saw Dr. Strange (despite my stand against using Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One). Listening to audiobooks (instead of the news) and to my favorite music.  Thank goodness for Motown and K-Pop.  Riding my bike and taking Sammy on walks (yep, lucky I live in California).  Going to bookstores.  I went to a book signing by Dorie Greenspan at Omnivore Books on Food in the City.  That deserves its own special blog post which I will get to very soon.

And of course, Cooking and Baking

Posed the age-old question…If you could pick only one food to eat every day for the rest of your life, (asked by my kid Jordan, the “What if? Kid” right after asking “If you could pick a superpower, what would it be) I think I would say SOUP.  I love soup. My Dad often made soup as part of our evening meal.  It was amazing, he would start with a pot of water, add slices of meat, and seasonings such as ginger and scallions, assorted vegetables, and voila’, a delicious tasty soup in minutes.

So this week I turned to my ultimate comfort food, soup.  I found a recipe for Caldo Verde in Martha Stewart’s book Vegetables and it screamed make me, make me!  So I did.  A hearty Portuguese soup with potatoes, onions, collard greens, and chorizo or linguica.  Delicious.  It was warm and filling with a hint of bitterness (appropriate for this week) from the greens and spice from the sausage.  I loved it and I think you will too.  The recipe fills a nice-sized pot so share with a neighbor or friend…comfort and kindness.  It will help get you through rough days.

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As always tweak the recipe to your liking.  The original recipe calls for kale or collard greens, you can substitute greens with less bite such as chard or spinach.  Russet potatoes can be replaced by Yukon Golds giving the rustic soup a smoother less starchy texture.  In place of chorizo, try linguica or any spicy sausage.  For additional smokiness, saute a couple of strips of bacon along with the sausage and add to the soup.  Serve with slices of crusty French Bread slathered with butter (we deserve it).

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Caldo Verde: Comfort Food for My Election Blues

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus some for drizzling
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2.5 pounds russet potatoes about 5 medium peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 8 ounces firm chorizo or linguica halved lengthwise
  • 10-12 ounces kale tough stems trimmed and leaves thinly sliced, or collard greens
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring periodically until softened, approximately 4 minutes.
  • Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo or linguine and cook until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side.
  • If desired in the same pan, saute' 2 slices of bacon that have been cut into 1/2 inche pieces.
  • Transfer chorizo to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle thinly slice on the diagonal crosswise. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain.
  • Puree soup with a hand blender or in a regular blender in batches. Do not fill more than halfway if using a blender.
  • Return to pot and stir in greens, simmer additional 5 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with chorizo and bacon.
  • Optional garnish with cilantro if desired.
Where’s the Beef? (Korean Short Rib Stew)

Where’s the Beef? (Korean Short Rib Stew)

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Last week felt like winter’s last stand.  The temperature dropped, it rained (yay, we can always use the precipitation even when summer is just around the corner) and Jamie and I were hit with the cold/flu bug.  So, despite being the month of  May I found myself wishing for something hearty, warming and comforting.  I stumbled upon an amazing website while looking for a recipe for  Galbi Jim, a Korean beef rib stew I knew would chase away my rainy day and cold blues.  Just the name of the site alone won me over, Spoonforkbacon.  The site is loaded with tips, ideas and recipes and the photography is wonderful.  Their food looks absolutely scrumptious.  I’ll definitely be wandering over often for inspiration.

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This is a delicious Korean version of beef stew. Seasoned with soy, garlic, sesame,  sugar and mirin it has that sweet salty flavor profile I love.  The Asian pear adds sweetness and serves as a tenderizer.  If you can’t find an asian pear a fine stand-in would be a kiwi.  I found multi-color organic carrots at TJ’s and fresh shiitake mushrooms that worked beautifully in the dish.  Feel free to play with amounts.  If you want it less sweet, cut the sugar back to 1/4 cup.  I used cross cut short ribs also known as flanken style or hawaiian style ribs.  The pieces are much thinner, approximately 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick which shortens the cooking time considerably.  If using this cut, reduce the cooking time accordingly.  Bring the ribs to boil for only 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.  Drain ribs, add seasonings and water and cook for approximately 30 minutes until ribs are just tender, add vegetables and simmer additional 20 minutes. Additional water can be added if needed.  You can add a medium onion, quartered to this recipe (at the same time when seasonings and water are added to beef) if you like.  I also think this stew would work well using pork or chicken.  This is really a homey, easy dish, try it before the weather gets too warm!  Here is the recipe from SpoonForkBacon. Check out the site, after all everything’s better with BACON!
Anatomy of a Breakfast Bowl (Char Siu & Egg Over Rice)

Anatomy of a Breakfast Bowl (Char Siu & Egg Over Rice)

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I love Sunday morning breakfast. Instead of the rushed quick bite Monday through Friday grind, weekend breakfasts are leisurely and quite the production.Waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and homemade buttermilk biscuits or if we are feeling ambitious, puffy French omelets.  Just brewed coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice round out the meal, or mimosas for special occasions, ahhhhh the good life.  Often, our Sunday breakfasts will have an Asian vibe.

During football season you will always find a big pot of congee sitting on the stove. Congee or jook is a delicious savory rice soup and is great for breakfast or halftime.  The soup starts with chicken stock flavored with ginger and scallions. Add rice and simmer until the kernels have softened to an almost creamy consistency.  Hot steaming bowls are brought to the table where everyone adds their own toppings. Shredded chicken, green onions, pickles, lettuce, and cilantro.  To go along with the jook, Chinese donuts–deep-fried pillows of yumminess that give beignets a run for their money.

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Hands-down, a favorite breakfast for my kids is homemade Chinese bbq pork (char siu) served with eggs–barely scrambled or sunny side up (keep that yolk runny) on top of a bowl of steamed white rice.  I found a new recipe for char siu on Burp Appetit’ that looked and sounded mouthwateringly good. Naturally, I had to try it. Instead of oven roasting, it calls for braising the pork in a sweet, salty sauce which includes hoisin paste and 5 spice powder.  By braising, we don’t need marinading which shortens the cooking time. Best of all, it’s delicious! With a batch of char siu made, this past Sunday’s breakfast was a no-brainer, Char siu, eggs, and rice. Yep living life one bowl at a time.

Char Siu and Egg over Rice:  Anatomy of a Breakfast Bowl

The perfectly cooked egg by Jamie

Kid tested and approved by Jordan

Hi Claire 🙂

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Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork (Braised method)

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword barbecue pork, char siu, Rice Bowl
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

~1-1.25 pound pork belly without skin, or pork neck or cheek meat cut into strips (3)

Marinade/Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Hoisin sauce for a less sweet version, sub oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
  • 1/2 -1 tsp 5-spice powder

To cook:

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

Method:

  • 1. Heat wok on medium heat. When the wok is hot enough, pour 2 tbsp vegetable oil into the wok.
  • 2. Place the pork belly strips into the wok and brown both sides for about 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients into the wok. Stir and ensure the pork strips are coated well with the sauce.
  • 3. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer for 40 minutes or until pork is tender. Turn the pork every 10 minutes to ensure both sides are evenly cooked.
  • 4. By 30 minutes, the sauce will be reduced by half and start turning sticky. Once the pork belly is tender to touch, remove from the wok. Then pour the sauce into a clean bowl and reserve that to dress your steamed rice. Leave a tbsp of sauce/oil in the wok.
  • 5. Heat the wok on medium heat and return the pork belly back into the wok. Sear the meat on both sides for about 2-3 minutes each side until they are charred to your liking.
  • 6. Remove and glaze with honey. Then, slice the pork belly. Serve with warm steamed rice, noodles or bao.
Want Wontons? Hanging with Mom (雲吞)

Want Wontons? Hanging with Mom (雲吞)

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My mom came down and spent the week with us recently.  She is 93 years old and still lives in San Francisco in the same house I grew up in.  Her memory has faltered and her cognitive skills have diminished but she soldiers on.   I am thankful that she is still with us and grateful for the moments we have together.  It is now our turn to take care of her, everything comes full circle.

When she visits we talk about family.  She remembers snippets of when she was younger, she laughs at my exasperation with my kids.  She doesn’t cook much anymore but she likes to make wontons for the kids when she visits.  When I was in college she would make trays of wontons, freeze and pack them, ready for me to take back to Berkeley after a weekend visit.  When the kids were small she would make wontons for them during her babysitting stints,

We used medium wrappers for this batch but I generally use thin wrappers which are good for won ton soup and fried won tons.

Tons of Advice on Wontons

We head to the Asian market to shop for freshwater chestnuts (no canned stuff for her), pork (not pre-ground, too mushy), mushrooms, wrappers, and shrimp (raw & unpeeled).  Back at home, she insists on making the filling as she has for so many years, chopping the pork and shrimp by hand and incorporating the seasonings with her Chinese cleaver.  We reserve some of the filling for mini stuffed omelets called Gai Dan Kok (kid favorite) and then we sit, talk, and fold won tons.  We fill as many trays as we have of wrappers or filling, and store them in the freezer.  When the kids come home she will boil up a batch or fry egg dumplings for them.  These are the moments I will treasure.

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Mom makes classic pork and shrimp filling for her wontons.  It is my go-to filling for not just wontons but for egg dumplings and steamed stuffed squash.  It’s delicious.  The shrimp can be chopped with the pork and blended with it or cut into 1/2 inch pieces and a couple of pieces placed in each wonton as shown in the video below. Soaking the shrimp in potassium carbonate firms up the shrimp giving the wonton a nice bite.  You could probably forego this step.  I added 1 tsp Ponzu (or you could use soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon) and 1/2 tsp sesame seed oil to the shrimp for flavor.

The Fried Way

These wontons can also be fried.  Heat oil in a large pot to 350-375 degrees.  Fry in at least 2 inches of oil in the pot.  Cook in batches of 6-8 won tons.  Fry to golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined pan to drain off excess oil.  Serve with a sweet and sour sauce or ketchup.

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Wontons

Every culture has a dumpling, our family enjoys won tons in soup or fried as an appetizer. A classic! This is me mom's recipe for wontons, our favorite.
Course Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword dumplings, soup, won ton
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Pork & Shrimp Filling

  • 3/4 lb ground pork
  • 4-6 water chestnuts peeled and coarsely chopped fresh or canned (rinse before using)
  • 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water to soften (15-20 min) drained and coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks of green onions coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger peeled and minced
  • 1/4 pound fresh shrimp peeled and deveined and roughly diced
  • 1 T cilantro leaves finely chopped optional

The Flavorings

  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T oyster sauce
  • 1 T rice wine or sherry
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil optional

That's a Wrap

  • 1 pkg won ton wrappers Hong Kong Style are extra thin, I use thin wonton wrappers by New Hong Kong Noodle Company of San Francisco

Instructions

Filling

  • Start with Pork shoulder or Pork Butt. Hand-chop or coarse grind in food processor. When buying pork, look for coarse ground.
  • Place ground pork and filling ingredients except shrimp* in a medium-sized bowl. *You can finely chop the shrimp and add it to the filling or reserve the shrimp cut into 1/2 inch pieces to be added when folding each wonton.
  • Add seasonings. Using chopsticks or a spoon, stir the mixture in one direction until the ingredients are well combined.

Wrapping

  • See video of my mom wrapping wontons!
  • Have ready wrappers, filling and small bowl of water or egg wash to seal won tons
  • Choose any won ton wrapper you like. My preference is Thin wrappers from New Hong Kong Noodle Factory. Wrappers come in different thicknesses. Avoid thick wrappers if you are making wontons for soup or deep-frying. Thick ones work well for Potstickers-a combination of frying and steaming when more filling is used.
  • Wontons can be folded in a variety of ways including simply folding like a triangle or square. Trick is to eliminate air bubbles and use water or egg wash to seal the edges.
  • Use about 1 generous teaspoon of filling per wonton.
  • Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot with water at least 2/3-3/4 full. Bring to boil over high heat. Drop folded wontons into the boiling water. Keep water at a nice boil not on a crazy high boil. The wontons will float to the surface as they cook, an indication they are ready. Let boil for about 3-4 minutes total, about 1 min after they float to the top. Remove with strainer, drain and serve in soup*
  • * Chicken Soup is perfect. If you use commercial chicken broth, use low sodium and season yourself. Add a slice of fresh ginger or shallots as you are heating. Season with soy sauce.
  • All the rage now seems to be serving wontons without soup, slathered in Chili Crisp Oil and a splash of vinegar. You could easily sub the soup and use a chili oil for the wontons. See notes for sauce.
  • If you have extra filling left after folding wontons, you can use it for gai don gok (mini egg dumplings or as a filling for squash.

Notes

From Red House Spice, Chili Sauce for Wontons in lieu of soup. 
Mix together, drizzle just cooked wontons with sauce.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Add a touch of Chinese Sesame Paste if you like ~1 teaspoon.

Watch Mom Fold Wontons!
Simple Minced Pork,So Easy Your Kids Could Make This. Mine Can!

Simple Minced Pork,So Easy Your Kids Could Make This. Mine Can!

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When I went off to college and moved into an apartment, I would call my Dad (he was the chef in our family) for advice on cooking.  “Dad, what kind of meat do I use for stir fries?  I learned the hard way that beef chuck was not the right choice.  How do I make corn soup, steamed pork patty? Invariably, I wanted to learn how to make dishes I had grown up eating, food that reminded me of home and family.

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Everything comes full circle, now my kids are calling me for recipes and tips on how to make the dishes they love.  Fortunately, many of the dishes are simple and quick, perfect for a student’s lifestyle not to mention for families always on the go.   This is one such dish, its easy, versatile and inexpensive, ok, cheap.  Adapted from Chubby Hubby, “Simple Minced Pork”  is the Asian version of Sloppy Joes.  You can serve it over rice or noodles, you can make it with ground turkey or chicken instead of pork or use any kind of mushroom, like creminis instead of shiitake…it’s really up to you.  If your going low carb, use it as filling for a wrap made with lettuce or serve it over zucchini noodles (Check out White on Rice blog for noodles) the sky is the limit!

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Simple Minced Pork

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 400 g ground pork or chicken or turkey
  • 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms stalks removed, finely chopped or use creminis
  • 4 green onions finely chopped
  • 1/2 of a small yellow onion minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1-2 T chicken stock or broth

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add yellow onion to pan, fry until onion softens and looks translucent. Add mushrooms, ginger and ground pork. Lower heat to medium. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce and chicken broth. As mixture cooks, break up the pork as much as possible. Stir-fry to reduce sauce and brown meat. Add green onions and cook for additional minute. Stir well and serve over rice (brown or white) or noodles.
  • For a more substantial meal, serve with a poached egg or a Japanese style hard boiled egg.
  • Goes well with Asian noodles with similar thickness to linguine or fettucine.
Chicken Tortilla Soup from The #2 Jamigo-Jamie

Chicken Tortilla Soup from The #2 Jamigo-Jamie

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Hello! Before you get all excited to read what cool new post this blog has to offer, let me stop you right there.  It’s time to get really excited because, yes, this is not Debbie writing.  Fortunately, good ‘ol Deb here decided to let her daughter, Jamie, (that’s me!) take a whack at blogging.  So buckle up readers and followers (all 3 of you?) for an exciting glimpse of what it’s like to be a 19 year old girl living all alone for the first time, a good 2,000 miles away from her family in the—rather stormy—city of Houston, Texas.  

Whenever I tell people that I’m living in Houston for the summer, they always ask…..why..?  Why would you ever leave the great state that is California, equipped with superb weather surrounded by mountains and beaches and awesome food? And for a second, I nod and smile, and in my head wonder if I am, in fact, a crazy person for doing such a thing. Houston definitely is different from Los Gatos.  It rains here, a lot.  And I’m not talking just a light drizzle every now and then.  I’m talking hurricanes and tropical storms(whaddup trop storm Bill?) that DUMP rain and wind onto Houston and cause flash floods and rattle the windows in my room. 

Did I mention that it’s a constant 90-plus degrees, too?

I also am not in possession of a car, which is quite inconvenient to get around Houston, and if it weren’t for my 8-5 job, I would probably stay holed up in my room watching Netflix all day—which is what I do after I get home from work.  But after that second is over, I realize that I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Houston is an awesome city, once you get out and about.  It’s diverse and fast-paced and always fun to explore.  For once in my life I’m earning a steady paycheck, paying rent, buying my own food, navigating through a completely new city, and making my own decisions.  I feel like a grown-up, and I’m pretty darn proud of myself.

Have You Eaten Yet?

But what you never realize before you start living on your own is how much you’ll miss your mom.  I never notice until I go home and follow her around like a puppy dog.  So, on days when I especially miss her, I like to cook recipes that she always makes me.  The other day, I decided to make her chicken tortilla soup—a slightly spicy, warm, and cheesy bowl of goodness that reminds me of home.

Note:  Skip the tortillas and serve tortilla chips on the side for folks to add with other garnishes, Or fry tortilla strips and serve them on the side instead of adding to the soup. Yes, they thicken the soup but sometimes I’m going for a lighter soup.

Sometimes my mom will add corn or black beans to the soup transforming the soup into a hearty meal in a bowl!  It is a super flexible soup, add any veggies you like, chayote, and squash would go well.  Think of this as a yummy version of Stone Soup.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

A delicious South of the Border Chicken Soup!
Course soul food, Soup
Cuisine Mexican, tex-mex
Keyword Chicken Tortilla soup
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

The Soup

  • 1/2-1 cup chopped yellow onion Oh for goodness sakes, 1 medium onion, use the whole thing
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin like cumin? Add more
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder spicier? Add more
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 8 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
  • 14 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes (canned) diced canned tomatoes can be substituted
  • 4 ounce can of Dice Green Chilis or use any fresh pepper, green bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, saute' with onions. Or you can char-grill them and peel and dice and add to soup.
  • 1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breasts or start with bone-in chicken breasts, bones add flavor. Allow to simmer a little longer,~ 15-20 minutes.
  • Salt
  • 6 corn tortillas 6 in. wide See notes for substitute

The Garnishes

  • 1 firm-ripe avocado cubed or thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
  • 8 ounces Any cheese that melts would work Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozarella, Cotija
  • Diced green onions or white onions
  • Tortilla strips or chips
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

Adds-feel free to add more veggies or beans to this soup!

  • 1 cup Corn, canned or frozen
  • 1 15 ounce can Black Beans, drained
  • 1 chayote, zuchinni-diced and added to soup during simmer

Instructions

  • In a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over medium heat, stir onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and pepper until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), and green chilies. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Add chicken breasts to the broth and return it to a boil over high heat then reduce heat immediately and simmer until chicken is cooked through (cut to test), about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
  • Meanwhile, stack tortillas and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Add to boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is the traditional way of making tortilla soup. Add optional vegetables, corn or beans at this point also. See notes for blasphemous shortcuts, lol...
  • Shred chicken. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and peel it. Thinly slice or cube and place in a shallow bowl. Shred cheese and place in a bowl.
  • Before serving, season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro, avocado, green onions and cheese. I usually leave all these fixings in bowls for folks to help themselves!

 
Is this Heaven? (Rice soup, Jook)

Is this Heaven? (Rice soup, Jook)

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No, It’s AT&T Park. Huh, coulda swore it was heaven.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write about my other obsession.

Sports

I love watching sports, playing sports, sports movies, talking sports…you get it.  My first love is baseball, I live and die by the San Francisco Giants.  When I think about my childhood a couple of things come to mind, going to games at the Stick with my Dad, watching Willie Mays patrol centerfield, and watching the fog roll in off the bay right onto the field.  Field of Fog, not Dreams.

My Dad and I would take Muni and get to the park and watch bp.  Back in the day, the outfield at the Stick was bordered by a chain-linked fence, not the stands that came when they enclosed it for football. As the sun set and night settled in, you could hear the wind whistle as it came into the park and swirled around the stadium.

In the fall we watched the Niners on TV while eating big bowls of steaming hot jook (rice soup) dotted with tiny pork meatballs and green onions. The perfect combo for those brisk autumn days.  My passion for sports & watching the hometown boys is inextricably linked to memories of hanging with my Dad.  Favorite movie?  Field of Dreams of course, well gotta wrap it up, going to have a catch with Jamie.

Getting to the Game

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If you have not been to a game at At&T Park, even if you aren’t a baseball fan, go, it’s always a good time, and the view is amazing!

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Jook, also known as congee or rice soup.  Perfect football season food, jook is comfort food. I make it when it’s cold outside, when anyone is sick and when they had had their wisdom teeth pulled!

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Rice soup (Jook)

Ultimate comfort food, also known as jook or congee, rice soup is soul food. This is my Dad's Cantonese version. Made with rice, chicken stock, potatoes and garnished with lettuce, shredded chicken and, scallions.
Course Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Soup
Cuisine Asian
Keyword chicken stock, congee, Jook, rice
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked long grain rice medium or short grain will work too
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 2-3 slices fresh ginger
  • 1 quart chicken stock 1 quart water
  • 1 quart wqter
  • 1/8 cup rice wine
  • 2 chicken legs (whole leg) skinned if desired
  • 1 russet potato cut in large chunks

Meatballs

  • 1/3 pound ground pork or mixture of pork and chicken 1:1 or ground chicken
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp rice wine
  • 1 tbsp salted preserved turnip finely chopped (chung choy)
  • 1 tbsp minced cilanto and green onions
  • dash of salt and pepper

Garnishes:

  • green onions, sliced
  • cilantro
  • lettuce, shredded preferably iceberg

Instructions

Da Soup

  • Heat oil in a stockpot, saute ginger slices for about 30 seconds, add rice and salt and saute for a couple of minutes. Add stock, water, wine, and chicken legs. Bring to a boil then lower to a strong simmer. Do not stir. Let cook for approximately an hour and a half until the rice breaks down and the soup looks a little thick.
  • At the 60 minute mark, remove chicken and set aside to cool. Add potatoes to jook. Give it a good stir, bring it back to a simmer to finish.

Da Meatballs: My favorite addition to jook is little meatballs made with pork that my father added just before serving.

  • Add seasonings to the ground pork add 1 T chopped salted preserved turnip (chung choy).
  • Drop rounded teaspoons of the pork mixture into the rice soup, and continue to cook until meatballs are cooked through, approximately 5-10 minutes.
  • Shred chicken and serve alongside other garnishes.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions and shredded lettuce. Serve immediately.