Challenge Dinner

 So, I was given a Chopped-style challenge. These were the ingredients I must use (in addition to any other ingredient from the pantry I could use):

Nashville-style Hot Bacon, Rice paper, Marmite, Artichoke hearts, Fried bean curd

And here it is:

Rice Paper Puffs

Italian Sausages Wrapped in Nashville-style Hot Bacon

Salad
Artichoke hearts, Fried bean curd and Cornichons (salad dressing: Marmite, Extra Virgin Olive oil, Homemade Mint Sauce)

Dipping Sauces
Shito (Ghanaian pepper sauce)
Extra hot salsa

There is are no actual recipes as these really were completely improvised.

Truffles Linguine with Mushrooms

 

I threw this together in no time, since there was really no real cooking involved.

• 4 oz truffles linguine
• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tblsp tomato paste
• salt to taste
• 2 tblsp semi-dry basil

1. Cook linguine according to instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter on medium and gently stir in onion and garlic powders. 
3. Stir in mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. 
4. Stir in linguine until heated through. 
5. Stir in tomato paste and ensure linguine is well coated. 
6. Season with salt to taste. 
7. Sprinkle on basil just before serving.

Fiery Dragon and Phoenix over Vermicelli

 

I was literally looking at what was in the pantry, no extra grocery shopping.

• 1/2 lb chicken strips
• salt
• 4 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry red chilies 
• 1/2 lb shrimp, shell removed
• 8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• cooked rice vermicelli
• soy sauce and sesame oil to taste
• 4 scallion stalks, greens only, chopped

1. Lightly season the chicken strips with salt. 
2. Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet until very hot. Add ginger paste, garlic and dry red chilies and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add chicken strips and sauté until it is no longer pink. Add shrimp and sauté for a minute. Add mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. 
3. Turn the heat off and add the rice vermicelli, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir well until the vermicelli is heated through. 
4. Sprinkle chopped scallions on top before serving.

Easter Dinner

 Lamb Chops with Homemade Mint Sauce

Arroz de Hortelã

Garlic Broccolini

Presented in order of prep/cooking

Mint Sauce

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 tblsp sugar
• 5 tblsp boiling water
• 3 tblsp white wine vinegar

1. Mix chopped mint leaves with sugar in a ramekin, then pour over the boiling water. Stir gently, cover, and leave to cool.
2. Once cool, stir in the vinegar and taste the sauce. Adjust with more water or mint. Refrigerate covered for at least an hour.

Arroz de Hortelã

• 1 cup broth
• 1 tblsp butter
• 2/3 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1. Bring the broth and butter to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. 
2. Add the rice, turn the heat to medium, and cook partially covered for 7 minutes. Stir in the mint, cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes. 
3. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff before serving.

Garlic Broccolini

• 1 lb broccolini
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• lemon wedges, for serving

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
2. Add broccolini and sauté for 5 minutes. The stems and florets should be slightly charred. 
3. Add water and salt. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes until all the water has evaporated. The broccolini should be cooked but crisp.
4. Serve with lemon wedges.

Lamb Chops

• 2 lamb chops per person
• seasoning salt
• 2 tblsp olive oil

1. Sprinkle seasoning over lamb chops on both sides. 
2. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet until hot. Sear lamb chops on both sides over high heat. Cook two minutes on each side. 
3. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

African Chicken with Coconut Rice

 

African Chicken was actually invented in the 1940s in Macau, a former Portuguese colony. No one knows for sure why it was named African Chicken, since the chef who originally created it passed away about 30 years later, but it is a possible nod to Portugal's Moorish history. The marinade is very similar to that for Frango Grehaldo (Portuguese grilled chicken), but the idea of using coconut milk for the basting sauce probably came from Goa, another former Portuguese colony.

Most recipes on the internet also use peanut butter, which is supposedly the “secret ingredient.” However, it tends to make the sauce rather orangey. The skin for ones I had in Macau was more black, and the cookbook I use for inspiration also does not list peanut butter as an ingredient, so I’m going with that.

Normally the chicken is broiled instead of roasted, but the broiler isn’t working. The skin would have been darker if the chicken had been broiled.

I served it with coconut rice, which was a nice compliment.

African Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 4 pounds

For the Marinade:

• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tblsp peri-peri sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• a few dashes of liquid smoke

For the Basting Sauce:

• 2 tblsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 can coconut milk

1. To prepare the chicken, remove the vertebrate by cutting along either side with kitchen shears. Break the breast bone if necessary so the chicken can lay flat.
2. Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a gallon zip top bag. Coat the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate overnight.
3. Let the chicken rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before ready to roast. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry.
4. Preheat the over to 425 degrees.
5. Mix together the ingredients of the basting sauce. 
6. Lay the chicken flat skin side up in an oiled foil-lined baking pan. Baste the chicken and put in the oven.
7. Roast for about an hour, basting frequently, or until cooked through.

Coconut Rice

• 2/3 cup rice
• 1 small can coconut milk plus enough water to make 1-1/4 cup liquid
• chicken broth seasoning
• 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1. Put rice, coconut milk, water, and chicken broth seasoning in a pot and bring to a boil. 
2. Cover loosely and turn the heat down to medium and cook for 7 minutes. Cover tightly, turn the heat down to low and cook for 8 minutes. 
3. Stir in the vegetables, cover tightly, and leave the heat on low for 5 minutes. 
4. Turn the heat off and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff before serving.

Mushroom Tagliatelle

 

Can’t get simpler than this: fresh mushrooms in a creamy mushroom sauce over porcini tagliatelle

• 1/2 lb porcini tagliatelle, cooked according to package
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cup cream of mushroom soup
• salt and black pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for about 4 minutes. 
2. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute. 
3. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for another minute. 
4. Add soup and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. 
5. Turn off the heat and toss the cooked pasta in the sauce. 
6. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

Fish Stew

 

I originally got the fish for fish pie, which I first had in the UK and have loved. Since I’ve done a couple of pies recently (Cottage Pie and Beef & Stout Pie), I got a bit tired of heavy dishes, so I decided to use the fish for a lighter dish. I paired it with simple buttered pasta (I had purchased this taglioni with truffle).

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1-1/2 lbs firm fish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• hot sauce
• salt and pepper
• cooked pasta

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
2. Add 1/2 cup water, tomato sauce, and fish. Bring to a simmer, and let simmer until the fish is cooked through and easily flakes apart, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add herbs, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve over pasta.

Beef and Stout Pie

 

Perfect for a snowy day (in April!)

• 1 lb stewing beef, cut into bite-size chunks
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup beef broth 
• 1/2 cup stout
• 1 tblsp Worcestershire Sauce 
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• 2 tblsp cornstarch
• 2 cups mashed potato

1. Season beef with salt and pepper.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown meat in batches, removing browned meat to a platter.
3. Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon. Add a little water if needed to scrape the bottom.
4. Return beef to pot, along with any juices, 1/2 cup broth, stout, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Add the thawed peas and carrots and cook until the vegetables are just tender.
5. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup beef broth to make a slurry. Pour into the stew and stir until the sauce is thickened.
6. Pour the stew into a 32-oz casserole dish and spread evenly. Allow stew to cool completely (at least 30 minutes or overnight).
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
8. Spoon the potato on top of the beef stew.
9. Put in the oven for 30 mins or until golden and bubbling at the edges.

Octopus with Ramen

 

I bought some octopus-flavored ramen and decided to fancy it up with real octopus.

Octopus is one of those things. If you don’t cook it right, it gets tough. Here is how I cooked it.

• 2 lbs medium-size whole octopus, cleaned
• 2 packages Bul Nak

1. Put enough cold water in a large pot to cover the octopus. Bring to a boil with enough salt to taste like seawater. Dunk each octopus in boiling water three times.
2. When the water is boiling again, add all the octopus, cover tightly, and bring the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse in cold water mixed with ice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Cook ramen according to package instructions. Cut the cooked octopus into bite-size (I just cut into individual tentacles). Divide the noodles into two serving bowls. Bring the broth to boiling and add the cooked octopus to heat. Pour over noodles and serve.