Entertaining Friends
November 27-December 1st
Tired of heavy turkey and meatballs, it only seemed fitting to shift gears into Mexican food and a little thai exploration. The vegetarians of the house will be making quiche and risotto.
Smokey Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
1.5-2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see notes for breasts)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for skillet, if needed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
juice and zest of one lime
lime wedges and fresh cilantro for serving, optional
Instructions
Mix the olive oil (2 tablespoons), smoked paprika (1 tablespoon), ground coriander (1 teaspoon), ground cumin (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), kosher salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and lime juice and zest (from one lime) in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.
Place the chicken thighs in a container, bowl, or large plastic bag. Pour the marinade on top (it will be thick) and or stir to coat each piece of chicken evenly (if in a bag, just smoosh it around until everything is evenly coated). Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or as long as 24 hours.
Heat a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium high heat (see notes for other skillets). Add marinated chicken; sear without moving on one side for 5-7 minutes (check that it's not burning after 2-3 minutes- you may want to turn the heat down to medium if you have very hot burners or flip it earlier if it's cooking fast).
Once the seared side is browned and looking crispy, flip to other side and sear, until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees F or meat is no longer pink (another 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness and size of chicken. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low if both sides are seared but inside is not yet cooked the whole way). If you have a lid to your skillet, you can cover it to speed up the cooking time a bit.
Remove chicken from skillet to a cutting board. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then shred with two forks. Optional: for an extra punch of flavor, you can return the shredded chicken to the skillet to coat in the cooking juices.
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice garnished with fresh cilantro, if desired. Use in enchiladas, on tacos or burritos, in bowls, or on its own as a main course.
Sticky Rice-how to make it.
INGREDIENTS
Water
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the sticky rice to a mixing bowl or other deep container. Fill it with water so that the water level is at least 3 inches above the rice, as the rice will expand when soaking.
Soak for 6 to 24 hours. Soak it longer if you want your sticky rice to have a softer texture.
Drain the water (no need to shake off the excess water), and evenly arrange the soaked sticky rice on a heat-proof, rimmed plate or bamboo steamer lined with natural steamer liners or parchment paper.
Cover and steam for 30-45 minutes. When making larger batch of rice, steam in two batches or steam longer. You can check the rice and increase the steaming time if need be.
Keep the sticky rice in the steamer or covered to prevent drying out until you serve it or use it in a recipe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=YcTo0ZM8Iqg
Pinto Bean Soup (vegetarian)
by Deborah Madison
we usually add less water to make it a thicker pot of beans.
2 cups pinto beans, soaked for 4 hours or overnight.
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried or fresh epazote (this is hard to find so we usually put in cumin and coriander seed spices)
sea salt
1 can chipotle chili in adobo sauce
Optional Garnishes:
red wine vinegar
slivered green onions
diced jalapeno chile
chopped cilantro
chopped mint
chopped radish
avocado
Tortilla strips
sour cream or greek yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak the beans for 4 hours or overnight. Or, use this quick boiling method: rinse the beans, cover with water, bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, remove from the heat, cover and let set for 1 hour.
Then, drain the beans, cover them with 8 (5 cups)cups water, and boil for 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, epazote. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about 1.5 hours. Season with salt. Remove from the heat, and use an immersion blender to puree the beans (you can puree all of them, or leave a few whole for texture). You can also do this in a blender, then add the beans back to the pot.
Then, thin the soup with water or stock (or milk/cream) and stir in the sauce from the chipotle chili, one teaspoon at a time until you've reached your desired level of spice. You can also puree the chipotle chiles and add those in a teaspoon at a time for a bigger kick.
Stir to combine, taste and add salt and black pepper as needed. I liked to add a few splashes of red wine vinegar as well. Lastly, serve and garnish with your preferred toppings and enjoy!
Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro, Jalapeño and Lime
https://www.feastingathome.com/about/
INGREDIENTS
6 cups kohlrabi -cut into matchsticks or grated in a food processor -about three x 4 inch bulbs (or you could substitute sliced fennel, apple, jicama, cucumber, or cabbage for part of the kohlrabi for more diversity)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro ( one small bunch)
half of a jalapeno -minced
1/4 cup chopped scallion
orange zest from one orange, and juice
lime zest from one lime, and juice
Citrus Dressing :
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh orange juice ( juice form one orange)
1/8 cup lime juice plus 1 T ( juice from one large lime), more to taste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Trim and peel kohlrabi. ( I normally have to peel twice to get thru the thick skin). Cut off two ends. Cut in half from top to bottom. Thinly slice, rotate and slice again, making 1/4 inch matchsticks.
Place in a large bowl with chopped cilantro, scallions, finely chopped jalapeño ( 1/2), lime zest and orange zest.
Whisk dressing together in a small bowl. Toss with salad. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with zest and cilantro. This tastes good the next day too.
Cilantro Lime Rice
By Love and Lemons
Ingredients
1 cup long-grain jasmine rice, rinsed well and drained
1½ cups water
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest
¼ to ½ teaspoon sea salt
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch of red pepper flakes or ¼ diced jalapeño, optional
Instructions
Combine the rice, water, and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes (or check the time listed on the package of your rice).
Uncover and fluff with a fork. Add the garlic, scallions, and lime zest and stir to combine. Let cool for 1 minute, then add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flakes or jalapeño, if using. Stir to combine and season to taste.
Sticky Korean Beef
Dinner Uncomplicated-Claire Tansy
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
500 g medium or lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
2 green onions, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large cast iron pan over high. Add the sesame and canola oils. Allow the oils to get really hot, then add the beef and press it into an even layer. Let it cook, without stirring, about 5 minutes, or until the edges become dark brown and slightly crispy.
Add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes and then stir, breaking up the larger pieces of meat, and cook another 2 to 4 minutes, or until it’s mostly cooked through. If there is excess fat in the pan (this happens if you use medium ground beef), spoon out and discard some fat, leaving roughly 3 tablespoons of it in the pan.
Sprinkle the brown sugar over the meat and add the soy sauce. Stir well and cook about 30 seconds, then add the cabbage. Stir and cook until cabbage softens just a bit, about 3 minutes. Garnish with green onions.