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Fast & Easy Dinner: Sesame and Ginger Chicken

partysugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:45:35 -0700

Store-bought salad dressings are a wonderful ingredient to have on hand. Besides their original purpose, they make a great seasoning for a variety of dishes. In this recipe, an Asian-style sesame and ginger vinaigrette is tossed with chicken chunks and grated carrots. The deliciously textured combination is served inside lettuce cups. Topped with crunchy peanuts and fresh squeezed lime, this meal is so scrumptious no one will know you took help from a bottle! Learn the recipe and read more.

Sesame and Ginger Chicken
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Ingredients

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips
1/4 cup bottled light Asian-style dressing with sesame and ginger
2 cups packaged julienned carrots
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 head butterhead lettuce, leaves separated
1/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped
Lime wedges

Directions

Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned.
Add 1 tablespoon of the dressing and the carrots to skillet; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes more or until carrots are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in red pepper.
On a large platter arrange 4 stacks of lettuce leaves. Serve by filling leaves with chicken mixture: Stack lettuce on plates. Top with chicken-carrot mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve with remaining dressing and lime wedges.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: 30th Birthday - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:00:51 -0700

DearSugar is celebrating her 30th birthday at one of her favorite restaurants, Le Colonial. After 10, the restaurant turns into a nightclub complete with a DJ and packed dance floor. Dear has rented out the upstairs and will provide her guests with a plethora of appetizers. Le Colonial specializes in scrumptious Vietnamese food. Some of the dishes on the menu include chicken meatballs in lettuce wraps, mango shrimp summer rolls, and mini Vietnamese steak sandwiches. To take a look at these recipes read more.

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3 small shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 head Boston or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1 small seedless cucumber-peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
Asian chili sauce, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Position a rack in the top third of the oven.
In a food processor, pulse the chicken until coarsely ground; transfer to a bowl. Add the fish sauce, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chopped cilantro and mint, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix with your hands.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the sugar on a plate. Using slightly moistened hands, roll the chicken mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Roll the meatballs in the sugar until they are evenly coated.
Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce, cilantro and mint leaves, cucumber and onion on a platter. Transfer the meatballs to the platter and serve with chili sauce.

Serves 4.

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Mango Shrimp Summer Rolls
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

For dipping sauce
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce such as Thai nam pla or Vietnamese nuoc mam*
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
For rolls
12 large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per lb), peeled
3 oz vermicelli rice-stick noodles*
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 (8-inch) rice-paper rounds plus additional in case some tear*
48 fresh cilantro leaves (from about 1 bunch)
48 fresh mint leaves (from about 1 bunch)
1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped; 1 lb), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
3 scallions, cut into 3-inch-long julienne strips
1 lb firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks

Directions

Make sauce: stir together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Make rolls: add shrimp to a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water, then reduce heat and poach shrimp at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then return shrimp cooking water to a boil.
Chill shrimp in ice water 2 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise, deveining if necessary.
Add noodles to boiling water and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.
Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold running water and drain well.
Stir together vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved, then add noodles and toss to coat.
Put a double thickness of paper towel on a work surface and fill a shallow baking pan with warm water. Check rice-paper rounds and use only those that have no holes. Soak 1 round in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then carefully transfer to paper towels.
Arrange 3 shrimp halves (cut sides up) in a row across bottom third (part nearest you) of soaked rice paper. Spread 1/4 cup noodles on top of shrimp and arrange 3 cilantro leaves, 3 mint leaves, 8 cucumber matchsticks, 6 scallion strips, and 10 mango matchsticks horizontally on top of noodles.
Fold bottom of rice paper over filling and begin rolling up tightly, stopping at halfway point. Arrange 3 more mint leaves and 3 more cilantro leaves along crease, then fold in ends and continue rolling.
Transfer summer roll, seam side down, to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels. Make 7 more rolls in same manner and serve, whole or halved diagonally, with dipping sauce.

Makes 8 first-course servings.

Make ahead: summer rolls can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered with dampened paper towels and then with plastic wrap. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*Available at Asian markets and ethnicgrocer.com (866-438-4642).

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Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches
Everyday Food magazine

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 carrots, grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
4 hero rolls
1 pound sliced Flank Steak with Lime Marinade, recipe below

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together garlic, sugar, red-pepper flakes, vinegar, and water.
In another bowl, toss together carrots, scallions, and cilantro leaves. Toss with half the vinegar mixture.
Split and lightly toast hero rolls; dividing evenly, layer with carrot mixture and sliced flank steak. Drizzle with remaining vinegar mixture, if desired.

Serves 4.

Flank Steak with Lime Marinade

1/3 cup (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 scallions (about 1/3 cup), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt and ground black pepper

In a resealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Add steak, and seal bag (place in a dish to catch any leaks); marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 1 hour.
Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); season with salt and black pepper.
Place on grill; cover. Cook, turning once, until meat reaches desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Serves 4.

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:01:19 -0800

The other day DearSugar asked me to check out a recipe she was considering making. While the dish - chicken lettuce wraps with Asian flavors - sounded delicious, the recipe was unclear and difficult to follow.

Later that same day, I found myself grubbing on Betelnut's lettuce wraps thinking, I need to find a better recipe! Luckily, I've found two recipes. They are both straight-forward and delectable. One involves more ingredients, making it a little more complicated. Check out the two and choose which appetizer recipe suits your needs when you read more.

Beginner Chicken Lettuce Wraps
From Joanne Weir

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound ground dark meat chicken
8 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup water chestnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 large head butter lettuce, leaves separated

Warm the oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken, scallions, and cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is cooked and broken into pieces, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the water chestnuts, soy sauce, ginger, and oyster sauce and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
To serve, take 1 lettuce leaf at a time and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the center. Wrap the lettuce around the filling. Serve.

Serves 6.

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Expert Chicken Lettuce Wraps
From Dallas News

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light soy sauce (divided use)
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dry sherry (divided use)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (divided use)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into ¼ -inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided use)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
6 to 8 large leaves Boston leaf or iceberg lettuce

For cooking sauce: blend together hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, water, 1 tablespoon sherry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
For chicken and vegetables: combine chicken, 2 teaspoons sherry, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and pepper in a bowl; set aside.
Be sure the rest of the ingredients are chopped and measured.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until fully cooked. Remove chicken from skillet, drain and set aside.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and add chopped water chestnuts, celery and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet. Stir in ginger and garlic. Stir cooking sauce ingredients again, then pour over chicken and vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken and vegetables are evenly coated. Remove from heat. Stir in green onion.
Divide mixture among lettuce leaves and roll each like a burrito.

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings.

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PartySugar's Top 10 Moments Found in Aspen

partysugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:00:57 -0700

It's hard to say good-bye to a long weekend of fabulous food and wonderful wine. However, the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen ended last Sunday and until next June, I won't come into contact with any festival as fantastic. To commemorate the occasion, I've rounded up my top 10 favorite Aspen moments. From complex sushi rolls to French piña coladas, check out my list below and click though for all the magnificent photos.

Chatting with Gail Simmons at the CIA awards dinner
We hadn't seen Gail since her last visit to San Francisco, so it was great to catch up with her at this event. Topics of conversation: the location of Top Chef Season 5 (New York City!) and her upcoming nuptials.
Gerard Craft's chicken liver terrine at the Best New Chefs Dinner
This delicious bite was insanely balanced: rich, crunchy, sweet, and salty.
Chatting with Rocco DiSpirito at the David Chang party
After I interviewed him, Rocco and I spoke later that evening over lettuce wraps and pork buns. We both agreed living alone in a big city is expensive!
Toni Abou-Ganim's party punches and sangria class
Learning how to make party drinks from a master was informative and entertaining. I caught his attention when I was the only one in the audience who knew grenadine is made from pomegranates instead of cherries!
Getting ham from Jose Andres
During his demo, I answered all of Chef Andres' questions correctly (little did he know I lived in Spain for two years!). He rewarded me with a piece of fresh sliced jamon.

To discover what else made my list, plus a gallery of images, just read more.

Sunning with sparkling rosé outside the tents
I enjoyed the Spanish sparkling rosé so much I asked the girl to pour me an entire glass, so I could sip in the sun.
Watching Morimoto make sushi
During his demo, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto made a complex, multistep sushi roll. The roll was so geometric it looked more like a piece of art than food.
The after-pool party at the Sky Hotel
After Sunday's final grand tasting everyone whose anyone headed to the after party at the pool at the Sky hotel. I sipped cocktails made by the Modern Mixologist and got cozy with Hung Huynh's sous chef Kenny.
Puerto Rican pork and piña coladas
The Puerto Ricans made an insanely refreshing French piña colada that paired perfectly with their fresh-cut pork. Chambord was swirled into the classic colada giving it a chic presentation and sophisticated flavor.
Bobby Flay's uberentertaining demo
Learning how to make burgers from one of America's most loved chefs was something I will never forget.

View 22 Photos ›