Scotch Bomb

I have Scotch, I have jasmine beer, and I have some very cute shot glasses, so I thought, why not make a Scotch Bomb?

• 1 16-oz can of jasmine beer, very chilled
• 2 shots of Scotch

Drop the Scotch shots in the beer.

Chicken Ramen

I love ramen, but I didn’t have instant ramen. On the other hand, I had regular dried ramen, which only takes 4 minutes, and I can make my own broth instead of using soup packets from instant ramen (although I have a lot of them saved because I wasn’t using them).

• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 5 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/2 chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 bundle dried ramen
• furikake for garnish
• sesame seeds for garnish

1. Put chicken bouillon powder in a serving bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir to dissolve.
2. Boil 4 cups of water in a large skillet with chicken bouillon cube. 
3. Add chicken strips to the water, turn the heat to low, and cover. Let cook for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Bring water back to a boil. Cook ramen for 4 minutes. Remove and put in the serving bowl.
5. Place chicken strips on top of the noodles and garnish with furikake and sesame seeds.

Blimey

I love Scotch, and I have a TON of True Lime. I have THREE bartender’s guides, and I only found the recipe in one of them (The  Bartender's Bible, ©1991).  It's similar to a Whiskey Sour except it uses Scotch instead of bourbon or rye whiskey and lime juice instead of lemon juice. It’s also free of garnishes.

I did make some adjustments because it called for lime juice and superfine sugar.

• 2 oz Scotch
• ½ tsp sugar, dissolved in 1 tblsp hot water 
• 1 packet True Limer

1. Fill a shaker with ice cubes.
2. Add all ingredients and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Noodles in Black Pepper Sauce

This was an adaptation of jajangmyeon 자장면 (or jjajangmyeon 짜장면), itself an adaptation of zhajiangmian 炸醬麵. I didn’t use black bean sauce.

• 1 bundle dried ramen, cooked according to instructions, drained and set aside
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil
• 3.5 oz ground pork or bulk sausage (I used andouille for this dish)
• 3 tblsp of black pepper sauce
• 1 tblsp sugar
• 1 tblsp white cooking wine
• 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tblsp chicken bouillon powder

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the meat in the skillet.
2. Stir in black pepper sauce, sugar, cooking wine, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken bouillon powder and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in the noodles until thoroughly coated.

Lime-Infused Iced Coffee

 

If you can put lemon in tea, you can put lemon in coffee, so why not lime? It’s a very Southeast Asian thing to do. I used True Lime.

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 tblsp sugar
• 2 packets True Lime
• 12 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong black coffee

1. Dissolve sugar and True Lime in hot water in a glass.
2. Add 4 ice cubes and stir until the ice cubes have melted and the lime syrup is cold.
3. Add another 4 ice cubes and pour hot coffee over the ice cubes.
4. Stir until the coffee is chilled.
5. Add more ice cubes if needed.

Turducken Roll with Cajun Rice and Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

I’m not really a fan of turkey, but I’ve always been fascinated by this monstrosity called turducken. 

The original recipe with whole deboned birds is just too complicated and time consuming, but I found a recipe that replicates the flavors using only breasts, except I had to use turkey thigh because I couldn’t find turkey breast. It was a rather similar concept to a roulade or bacon bomb. I made other adaptations since the recipe I found was for the smoker.

This might be one of the most ambitious dishes I’ve made, and I have made some ambitious dishes (e.g., Bread Bowl Cassoulet for a challenge dinner). 

I was hoping to get Cajun-style duck breast instead of plain “original” duck breast, because why not, but it wasn’t available.

This was still quite labor-intensive and time-consuming, but the flavors really were quite remarkable. It’s very unlikely I’ll make it again.

Turducken Roll

The roll itself was rather like a small football; it weighed about 5 lbs.

You can see the different layers (definitely a lot of meat, not something I do very often)

• 2 boneless turkey thighs (skin removed and cut into 1/2” pieces, set aside), pounded thin
• 1/2 lb loose hot Italian sausage
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, butterflied and pounded thin
• 1/3 lb andouille sausage, casing removed
• 1 boneless duck breast (skin removed and cut into 1/2” pieces, set aside) 
• 1 lb thin sliced bacon
• turkey gravy, heated

1. Cover a cutting board with plastic wrap and layer the turducken in this order:
• turkey thighs in one thin layer
• Italian sausage spread thin
• chicken breast
• andouille sausage spread thin
• duck breast
2. Fold the edges of the turkey around and form a tight roll. Cover tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.
4. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper on the work surface and build a 9×9-strip bacon weave.
5. Unwrap the turducken and place on the bacon weave, seam side up. Tightly wrap the bacon around the turducken and overlap the edges. Secure with skewers.
6. Place the turducken seam side down on a roasting rack over a roasting pan.
7. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turducken and put in the oven.
8. Check the internal temperature after one hour and then every 15 minutes until it reaches at least 165⁰ F.
9. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
10. Heat turkey gravy and keep warm.

Cajun Rice

I must say I really liked the rice

• 1 cup basmati rice
• reserved turkey skin and duck skin
• 1/2 shallot, chopped
• 1/3 lb andouille sausage, casing removed and broken into small pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder

1. After the turducken has been slow roasting for one hour, soak the rice for 30 minutes, then drained.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and render fat from reserved turkey skin and duck skin.
3. Turn the heat to medium high and add the shallot. Sauté the shallot until translucent.
4. Add the andouille sausage and sauté until it is no longer pink.
5. Add basmati rice and sauté for a couple of minutes.
6. Add water, Cajun seasoning, and chicken bouillon powder.
7. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the temperature to low. Let steam for 15 minutes. 
8. Turn off the heat. Wait for at least 15 minutes before fluffing. Keep warm.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

The Smokehouse Maple seasoning gave the Brussels sprouts a lot of flavor

• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
• 2 tblsp water
• Smokehouse Maple seasoning to taste

1. After turning off the heat for the rice, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the halved Brussels sprouts until slightly charred. 
2. Add water. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium low to evaporate the liquid.
3. Toss with Smokehouse Maple seasoning. Keep warm.

Plating

1. Remove the skewers from the turducken and slice into 1/2” slices. 
2. Arrange 2 slices on each dinner plate with Brussels sprouts and rice. 
3. Top turducken with turkey gravy just before serving.

Ghee Coffee

 

Ghee coffee is supposed to help burn fat, increase body metabolism, and even improve cognitive function. I don’t really believe it, but it sounds interesting.

• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ghee
• coffee creamer to taste

1. Dissolve sugar in the coffee.
2. Add ghee, turmeric, and coffee creamer and blend or whisk to emulsify the ghee and until the coffee is frothy.

Ghee Spiced Masala Chai

 

Here’s an interesting way to make tea. 

Most people are familiar with Indian chai or Nepalese chiya, but Tibetans are known for their yak butter tea. Well, I don't think we can get yak butter, but I did see a recipe for ghee tea, so this is my adaptation.

• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp loose black tea leaves (I used Earl Grey) in a small spice bag or 2 (black) tea bags
• 3 whole cloves
• 3 whole green cardamom pods
• 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
• 2 tblsp sugar

1. In a saucepan, boil water and add the tea bag(s). Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Put cloves, cardamom, black peppercorns, and cinnamon stick in a small spice bag. Lightly crush the spices.
3. Add ghee, spice bag, and milk to the saucepan. Bring back to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes. 
4. Remove tea bag(s) and spice bag. Stir in sugar to dissolve.

Hard Boiled Eggs

 

There is nothing revelatory about hard boiled eggs, but since I hardly eat eggs, I thought I’d make hard boiled eggs, using the cold water method.

• whole eggs
• salt to taste

1. Place cold eggs in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by at least one inch.
2. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Wait 6 minutes.
3. Prepare an ice bath (cold water and ice). Transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool completely before peeling. 
4. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt.

Steamed Egg Custard Two Ways

 

I made two versions, Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard and a Chinese Egg Pudding. Chawanmushi traditionally uses dashi, but I had run out of hondashi, so I used dried scallops instead; they make a good substitute. The Chinese Egg Pudding was surprisingly silky and smooth.

Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し)

• 1 large dried shiitake mushroom
• 2-3 small pieces of dried scallops
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp light (preferably Japanese rather than Chinese) soy sauce 

1. Put shiitake mushroom and dried scallops in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.
2. Squeeze as much liquid from the mushroom as possible. Remove the scallops. 
3. Set aside 1/2 cup liquid.
4. Thinly slice the mushroom. 
5. Tear the scallops into small pieces. 
6. Place mushroom and scallops at the bottom of a small serving bowl.
7. Mix reserved liquid, beaten egg, salt, and soy sauce together until well combined.
8. Gently pour the egg mixture through a piece of cheesecloth into the serving bowl.
9. Bring water to a boil in a large skillet.
10. Place serving bowl in a steamer rack and place the steamer rack over the skillet. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil to prevent condensation from getting in.
11. Cover the skillet and steam on medium heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam in residual heat for another 30 minutes.
12. Serve warm.

Silky Egg Pudding (甜蛋布丁)

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tblsp sugar

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water, then let the liquid cool to room temperature.
2. Mix the sugar water and beaten egg together until well combined.
3. Gently pour the egg mixture through a piece of cheesecloth into a small serving bowl.
4. Bring water to a boil in a large skillet.
5. Place serving bowl in a steamer rack and place the steamer rack over the skillet. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil  to prevent condensation from getting in.
6. Cover the skillet and steam on medium heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam in residual heat for another 30 minutes.
7. Serve warm or chilled.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

 

I had a few very thin pork chops and wanted to improvise something different with them.

• 3 small boneless 1/4” thick pork loin chops
• 1 tblsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp cooking wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tblsp chili pepper powder
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil

1. Put everything in a zip top bag and marinate for an hour.
2. Remove and pat dry.
3. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat and pan fry the pork for a minute on each side.

Pork Chops In Tomato Sauce Over Fried Rice

 

I took inspiration from Hong Kong-Style Baked Pork Chop Rice, but I chose not to bake it, and there was no cheese. I hardly ever eat pork, but I think a tangy tomato sauce goes very well with pork.

Pork Chops (Part 1)

• 2 small boneless 1/4” thick pork loin chops
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp five spice powder
• 2 tsp cooking wine
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil

1. Cut 3-4 small slits along the fat on the outer perimeter of each chop to prevent it from curling during cooking.
2. Add sugar, salt, white pepper, five spice powder, cooking wine, and light soy sauce to a zip top bag. Mix well, then put in the pork chops. Toss to thoroughly coat the pork in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Fried Rice

• 1/4 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 cup cold cooked rice
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tblsp light soy sauce
• 1 tblsp cooking wine

1. Pour boiling water over the frozen peas and carrots and set aside.
2. Heat 1/2 tblsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat and lightly scramble the beaten egg until just set, breaking the egg into smaller chunks. Remove and set aside.
3. Drain the peas and carrots. 
   
4. Add remaining vegetable oil. Sauté the crushed garlic until fragrant.
5. Stir fry the rice and peas and carrots in the garlic oil.
6. Mix sugar, salt, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and cooking wine in a small bowl, then pour over the rice and stir well.
7. Mix in the cooked egg. Turn the heat off and keep warm.

Pork Chops (Part 2)

1. Remove pork chops from the zip top bag and pat dry. 
   
2. Mix cornstarch with baking powder and lightly coat the pork chops.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
4. Fry the pork chops for a minute on each side. Place on paper towels to remove excess grease. Let the pork chops rest while making the sauce.

Tomato Sauce

• 1/2 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 tblsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tblsp cornstarch
• salt to taste

1. Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallot until translucent. 
2. Mix tomato paste, chicken bouillon powder, tomato, sugar, light soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water and pour in to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to make a slurry. Pour into the skillet and stir until the sauce is thickened. Add salt to taste. Keep warm.

Assembling the dish

1. Slice the pork chops into 1/2”-wide strips. 
2. Spread the fried rice at the bottom of a dinner plate.
3. Place pork chop strips in a single layer on top of the fried rice. 
4. Ladle the tomato sauce over the pork chops.