Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, shredded or chopped
• 3 medium or 2 large avocados
• 1 cup corn
• 6 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/4 C chives or green onion, chopped
• 2 T chopped dill
• 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in halves or quarters

Lemon dressing:

• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. Dice or shred the two large cooked chicken breasts and place into a large mixing bowl.
2. Peel and pit two large avocados, slice into bite-sized pieces and add to the mixing bowl.
3. Add one cup of cooked corn, toss in 1/4 C chopped green onion, chopped bacon and 2 T fresh dill.
4. Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.  Drizzle over your salad and toss to combine.  Serve with slices of hard boiled egg if desired.
   

Basic pie dough

From the book The Joy of Cooking
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 C shortening
2 T chilled butter
4 T ice water

From SeriousEats

Pie Crust (from Serious Eats)

I made this on Mar. 27, 2018.  Came out great.  Next time - put a cookie sheet under the pie plate so juices that run out don't drip in the oven.  
Ingredients

• 8 ounces = 1 2/3 C flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt; if using table salt, use 1/2 tsp)
• 8 ounces butter = 2 sticks
• 4 ounces COLD tap water (about 1/2 C)

Directions

For the Dough: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Cut butter into 1/2' cubes (this size is important, as smaller pieces will melt too fast) and toss with flour mixture to break up the pieces.  With your fingertips, smash each cube flat - that's it!  No rubbing or cutting.  Stir in water, then knead dough against the sides of the bowl until it comes together in a shaggy ball.  Dough temperature should register between 65 and 70 deg. F.  If not, refrigerate briefly before rolling and folding).

Make the Layers: On a generously floured work surface, roll dough into a roughly 10-by-15" rectangle.  Fold the 10" sides to the center, then close the newly formed packet like a book.  Fold in half once more, bringing the short sides together to create a thick block.  Divide in half with a sharp knife or bench scraper.  Dough temperature should still be somewhere between 65 and 70 deg. F.  If not, refrigerate briefly before proceeding.

For Single-Crusted Pies: Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14" circle and drape across a 9" pie plate; it should be super easy to life by hand.  Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan.  With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 1/4 inches all around.  Fold overhang over itself to create a thick border that sits atop the rim of the pan.  Crimp or shape crust as desired.  Repeat with remaining doug.  Wrap with plastic and refrigerate at least two hours and up to overnight.  Use as directed in your favorite recipe.

For a Double-Crusted Pie: Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14" circle and drape across a 9" pie plate; it should be super easy to lift by hand.  Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan.  With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 inch all around.  For a solid top crust, roll remaining dough as before, or roll into a 9x15 inch rectangle for a lattice-top pie.  Transfer the entire sheet, uncut, to a baking sheet or parchment-lined cutting board.  (The parchment will prevent dough from absorbing any savory odors from the board.)  Wrap both portions in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.  Use as directed in your favorite recipe.

For a Blind-Baked Pie: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 deg. F.  Line chilled pie shell with a large sheet of aluminum foil, pressing os it conforms to the curves to eh plate (a second sheet of foil may be needed for full coverage.)  Fill to the brim with sugar, transfer to a half sheet pan, and bake until fully set and golden around the edges, 60 to 75 minutes.  Fold long sides of foil toward the middle, gather short sides, and use both hands to carefully transfer sugar to a heat-safe bowl.  Let sugar cool to room temperature.  If needed, continue baking crust a few minutes more to brown along the bottom.

Old-fashioned flaky pie dough recipe
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/06/old-fashioned-flaky-pie-dough-recipe.html

Master blind-baked pie crust
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/06/old-fashioned-flaky-pie-dough-recipe.html

 

Chicken Fajita Bundt Cake

This one is a keeper!  I think it can be made with beef too instead of chicken.  I stir-fried the chicken and veggies instead of baking.  
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, sliced
2 mixed peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 T fajita seasoning
2 T olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
1 T salt
2 T coriander, chopped, plus a little more for topping
1 tomato, chopped
1 1/2 C cheddar, grated
9 tortilla wraps
1 C sour cream
1 tsp chili flakes

Instructions

1. Roast the chicken, peppers, onions, fajita seasoning, salt and olive oil in large roasting tray for 30 minutes at 375 deg, stirring once or twice during the process.  Cool.
2. Brush the inside of a bundt pan with olive oil, then start to lay in your tortillas.  Push them in as if they were hard tacos.  They should shape easily to the shape of the bundt pan.  5 tortillas will give you a good coverage on a medium/small bundt.  Insert 4 more tortillas in the inner flaps of the 5 bottom tortillas.  Now you are ready to layer!
3. Layer half the cheese.  Then lay in the chicken fajita mix.  Top with coriander, tomatoes, then the rest of the cheese.
4. Fold in the top four tortillas as best you can.  Don't worry if it's not perfect!
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 deg. F or until the cheese is melted.  
6. Turn out onto a board, glaze with sour cream and sprinkle with the extra coriander and chili flakes. 

Nestle's Famous Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 3/4 C packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 C (12-oz pkg) chocolate chips (I use only one cup because I don't like it that chocolately)
• 1 C chopped nuts

Instructions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
   
   COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 
   
   BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 
   
   
   
   

Chocolate Brownie Cake

Ingredients

CAKE

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 box fudge brownie mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 C water
• 1 C oil

GANACHE

• 1 C heavy whipping cream
• 1 bag (12 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a bundt pan with bakers spray or use the butter/flour method.
2. Combine the first five CAKE ingredients in a large bowl and whisk for 2 minutes or until lumps are mostly gone.
3. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 - 55 minutes.
4. when done baking, remove cake and allow to cool in pan for up to 5 minutes.  Carefully turn cake out onto a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes or more.

Ganache

1. Place heavy whipping cream in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for about two minutes.  You want the cream to be just boiling.
2. Carefully pour chocolate morsels into cream.  It may rise up and bubble and this is ok.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes.  Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute. 
4. Pour over cooled cake and serve. 
   

Liliko'i Cheesecake

Crust:

• 2 C flour
• 2 blocks butter
• 3 T powdered sugar
• 3/4 C macadamia nuts

Cream butter and sugar well.  Stir in flour.  Add nuts.  Spread crust in 9" x 13" pan.  Bake at 350 deg. ro 15 to 20 minutes (until brown).  Cool.

Filling:

• 2 eight-ounce blocks cream cheese
• 1 can frozen liliko'i concentrate or 1/2 C liliko'i juice (liliko'i is passion fruit)
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1 bottle liliko'i butter
• 2 envelopes Knox gelatin
• One 16-ounce carton whipping cream (place whipping cream in freezer briefly before whipping)
• 1 tub Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Mix 1/4 can of liliko'i concentrate with two envelopes gelatin and heat until clear.  Cool thoroughly.  If using liliko'i juice, mix with 1/8 C sugar and the two packets of gelatin and heat until dissolved.  Cool but do not let it congeal.
2. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Slowly add and mix in remaining liliko'i concentrate (3/4 can).  Add gelatin mixture and mix well.  Mix in bottle of liliko'i butter.  Beat whipping cream until stiff and fold into mixture.
3. Pour over crust.
4. Refrigerate.
5. Top with Cool Whip before serving.  

Rice Pilaf

RICE PILAF FROM FUSAYO SCANNELL
Ingredients
4 ounce can sliced mushrooms
1 tsp oregano
1/4 lb butter or margarine

3 C rice
4 stalks green onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
3 cans chicken broth (1 can broth, 2 cubes chicken bouillon, 2 cans water may be substituted)

Directions

1. Melt butter in large frying pan
2. Add mushrooms and oregano.
3. Brown mushrooms lightly
4. Add rice and chopped onion.
5. Stir thoroughly and brown lightly.
6. Add broth and salt.
7. Cover and cook.
8. Stir once during the cooking period so mushrooms do not rise to top.

Garlicky White Rice with Cilantro

Author: Kiyo Miller adapted from Rick Bayless' Recipe

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons canola oil
• 1½ cups medium grain white rice
• ⅓ heaping cup chopped onion
• 1 medium - large garlic clove
• 1 14 ounce can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons (or more) finely chopped cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Set a large oven-proof pot (with cover, 3½ - 5½ quart) over medium heat. Whatever pot you choose, try to use one with a wide bottom. I use my 5½ quart stainless steel Cuisinart multi-purpose pot but a smaller one would work as well.
3. Heat oil for a minute or two. Add rice and onions to pot. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Add pressed garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so until fragrant, then mix in broth and salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice reaches a full boil, remove from the heat, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake 25 minutes. Let rice stand undisturbed for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, stir in cilantro.

Mochiko Chicken Recipes

Mochiko Chicken #1
Ingredients:

5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)

1/4 cup mochiko sweet rice flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

5 tablespoons shoyu

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup green onion, sliced

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

In a medium bowl, sift together mochiko flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Mix well.

In a small bowl, combine eggs, shoyu, and garlic.

Whisk into dry ingredients.

Add chicken to mixture.

Fold in green onions, and sesame seeds if desired.

Marinate at least 4 hours; overnight is best.

Deep-fry until golden brown.

Mochiko Chicken #2 (from Foodland)
Mochiko Batter

• 4 T mochiko flour
• 4 T cornstarch
• 4 T sugar
• 4 T shoyu
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1/4 C thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten

2 pounds deboned chicken thighs. 

Instructions:

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a bowl, mix together mochiko batter ingredients
3. Marinate chicken for 5 hours or overnight in frig.
4. Fry in hot oil (about 1" deep) until thoroughly cooked and golden brown on both sides.
5. Serve hot or cold.

Sweet potato hash egg cups

Version One

Sweet potato crust

Ingredients

• 1/2 sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• Olive oil, drizzled
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Add-ins

• 6 large eggs
• Tomato, diced
• Basil, finely chopped
• Garlic, minced
• Spinach, finely chopped
• Bell pepper, diced
• Mushrooms, chopped
• Pepper, taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg. F
2. In a medium bowl, combine sweet potato, olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. In a greased 6-cup muffin pan, evenly divide sweet potato mixture.  Press into the bottom of the muffin cups. 
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Crack an egg into each muffin cup.
6. Add your desired combination of fillings to the muffin cups.
7. Season with pepper.
8. Add shredded cheese if desired.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
10. Garnish with green onions.  

Version Two

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C grated sweet potato (approx. one small sweet potato)
• 1/4 C cheddar cheese
• 1/2 T garlic powder
• 8 large eggs
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. F and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Alternatively, place paper liners in the muffin tin so cleanup is easy.
2. Peel a medium sweet potato and use a cheese grater to grate potato.
3. Place 1/2 C grated sweet potato, 1/4 C cheddar cheese, and 1/2 T minced garlic in a bowl and mix until combined.
4. Using a tablespoon as your scooper, scoop one heaping tablespoon of sweet potato mixture on the bottom of 8 muffin tins.
5. Crack a large egg on top of each cup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake eggs at 375 deg. F for 13 to 15 minutes or until eggs are at desired consistency.

Miso-Ginger Marinated Grilled Salmon

Great tasting.  Be careful of making this too strong and overpowering the salmon.  
Ingredients

• 1/4 C white miso
• 1/4 C mirin
• 2 T rice wine vinegar
• 2 to 3 T shoyu
• 2 T minced green onions
• 1 1/2 T minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 salmon fillets, 8 ounces each
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Whisk together the miso, mirin, rice wine vinegar, shoyu, green onions, ginger, and sesame oil in a bowl.  Place the salmon in a baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat.  

Either grill or broil, until golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn the salmon over and continue grilling or broiling for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay.

Muffin Pan Potatoes

Meh.  I made this on Feb. 19, 2017.  TOO much work.  Don't make again. And the potatoes stuck to the muffin pan.  They tasted ok but better just to make a pan of Pommes Anna.

Ingredients
3 tsp melted butter
2 tsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme leaves
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 - 10 gold potatoes, thinly sliced (use a Benriner)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
2. Butter muffin tins.
3. Slice potatoes into thin slices using Benriner.  Place in a large mixing bowl and toss with the melted butter, Parmesan, and spices.  Coat evenly.
4. Layer potatoes into stacks and place into each individual muffin cup.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
5. Place muffin pan in oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the center is tender.
6. Remove from oven, let cool for about 5 minutes.  Garnish the finished potato stack with Parmesan, thyme, or rosemary.

Great pancakes?

Haven't tried these yet but I'm going too :)

Pete's pancakes Yields nine 6" pancakes.
Ingredients

• 2 C flour
• 3 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 2 eggs, beat them separately before adding to mixture
• 1/4 C butter, melted (1/8 of a pound)
• 1 3/4 C milk

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients first.
2. Combine the eggs and melted butter to the milk and slowly stir into the flour mixture.
3. Let sit at least 10 minutes, while heating up the pan.

IHOP's secret recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 C buttermilk
• 3 T sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat.  Use a pan with a nonstick surface or apply a little nonstick spray.
2. In a blender or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining ingredients until smooth.
3. Ladle approximately 1/3 C of the batter into the hot skillet, forming 5" circles.
4. When the edges appear to firm up, after a minute or two, flip the pancakes.  They should be golden brown. 
5. Cook the pancakes on the other side for the same amount of time, until golden brown.

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.

Oyakodon

From http://www.japanesecooking101.com/about-japanese-cooking-101/

Ingredients

• 1/4cup (60ml) Dashi
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp Sake
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp Mirin
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 chicken thigh, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 egg
• 1/2 green onion, thinly sliced
• Steamed rice

Instructions

1. Add Dashi, sugar, Sake, soy sauce and Mirin in a pan. Heat until boiling.
2. Add onion and cook for a minute at medium heat.
3. Add chicken pieces to the pan and cook until the meat is cooked through.
4. Beat egg in a small bowl and pour over the chicken and onion. Cover and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Slide egg and chicken with sauce over rice in a bowl. Sprinkle with green onion.

Dashi recipe:

4 cups water

2 handfuls bonito flakes

Directions:

Boil water and add the dried bonito flakes to the pot  Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and use in recipes.

Ichiban Dashi

Ingredients: 4 C water

4" x 2" kombu

Handful of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Instructions:

Put kombu in water in a pot, and heat at medium heat until just before boiling.  Remove kombu.  Add katsuobushi and let the water boil, then immediately turn off the heat.  Leave it for 5 minutes and strain.  

Marinated miso chicken

Sam Choy's Hibachi Miso Chicken with Peanut Butter I made this version on April 7, 2017.  The beer tenderized the chicken.  I thought the flavor was a little mild but the company loved it!)
I made this again on February 14, 2018 Valentine's Day.  Miguel, Sarah, Rosi, Luca, Alex and Gerald were present too.  This time I used a mixture of honey and sugar.  I made more marinade then the 2017 version because I thought the flavor was too mild the first time.  Perfect this time and very tender.  I put the chicken under the broiler for the last 5 minutes or so.

Equal parts (1/2 cup each for 5 pounds chicken).  Marinate overnight and grill or bake.

• Miso
• Peanut butter
• Shoyu
• Beer
• Sugar (I used honey)
• Garlic & ginger grated

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator.  Grill over charcoal.

Miso chicken two

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C miso paste
• 3 T mirin
• 2 T sake
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T shoyu
• 4 chicken thighs

Instructions:

1. Mix miso, mirin, sake, sugar and shoyu in a bowl.  Marinate chicken thighs in miso mixture for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F.  Wipe marinade liquid well from chicken and place chicken on oiled aluminum foil spread over a sheet pan.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until cooked through.

Japanese Potato Salad

I love this recipe.  It's been a hit with everyone!

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (I used Russet)
1/3 C mayonnaise (I don't use Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise because it has MSG)
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced (I used a Benriner mandolin)
1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
Extra sea salt for salting and blanching vegetables
Add corn and kamaboko :) 

Group A ingredients
1/3 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 T sugar
1/3 tsp Karashi, Japanese spicy mustard

Prepare potatoes and boil until cooked.  While potatoes are cooking, prepare the other vegetables.

Sprinkle both onion slices and cucumber slices lightly with sea salt, mix with hands making sure the salt coats them evenly.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, rinse off vegetables in a colander and gently squeeze vegetables in a clean dish cloth or a few paper towels to get all of the moisture out.  This prevents soggy potato salad.

Add carrot slices to a small saucepan of salted water, bring to a boil and blanch for two minutes.  They should still have a slight crunch, do not overcook.  Drain and set aside.

Place the cooked potatoes into a bowl and gently smash with a fork, making sure you leave some small chunks.  (I used my hands).  In a small bowl, mix together the Group A ingredients and pour over the smashed potatoes, gently tossing to evenly coat the potatoes.  Add the onions, cucumber, carrots and mayonnaise and gently combine until all the ingredients are combined.  Can either serve at room temperature or chilled.

*I added corn kernels and kamaboko.

Mochiko Chicken

Mochiko Chicken Great recipe but gotta figure out a way to cook it so it's not so greasy.  

2 lbs. chicken (thighs or breasts) cut into bite sized morsels

4 T sugar
5 T shoyu
1/4 C sesame oil
1 T oyster sauce
2 eggs, beaten
6 T mochiko flour

3 T flour
5 T cornstarch (can also use potato starch)

1/2 Tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3 cloves minced garlic

2 T sesame seeds

oil for frying

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl (except for the oil) and add in chicken. Mix well and marinate chicken overnight. Fry marinated chicken in oil until golden-brown. Drain oil from chicken on paper towels and newspaper. Eat!
I garnished with Chinese parsley (cilantro) and toasted sesame seeds.