Happy Monday!

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Happy Monday!

Happy Monday!

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Chicken Satay w/Peanut Butter Sauce

Do you know what you need for that beautiful naan you are going to cook? Chicken Satay!  The flavor is all in the marinade!  

The first time I prepared the chicken I grilled it over charcoal.  The smokiness the coals added to the chicken was swoon worthy!  So this time I prepared it on my stove top grill pan.  Still banged!  

You can use chicken chunks or chicken tenders. If you prepare the chicken in the marinade in the morning you can have a quick weeknight winner!  Reserve some of the marinade, before placing the chicken in it, to baste the chicken with while cooking.

Chicken Satay w/Peanut Butter Sauce

What you need:

For the chicken

• 3/4 cup coconut milk (shake it up well before opening)
• 1 Tbs fish sauce
• 2 Tbs lemongrass paste(found in the produce section) or a stalk, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
• 1 Tbs coriander
• 3 Tbs soy sauce
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• About 2 pounds chicken tenders or chunks
• Enough skewers for the chicken (if using wooden skewers, soak them for an hour before use to prevent burning) 
• Non-stick cooking spray 

For the peanut butter sauce

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1-2 teaspoons curry powder

What to do:

For the chicken

• In a large bowl add all of the marinade ingredients. Mix well
• Reserve about one cup of the marinade
• Place the chicken in the marinade making sure all of the chicken is covered
• Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least an hour and up to 24 hours
• Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
• Spray non-stick cooking spray on your grill pan
• Preheat your grill pan over medium high heat
• While the grill is preheating, thread your chicken onto the skewers
• Place the chicken on the hot grill, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. 
• Baste the chicken with the reserved marinade and allow it to cook for 5-7 minutes before flipping to cook through, basting the other side as well.
• Continue cooking the chicken in batches.
• While the chicken is resting make your peanut butter sauce.

For the peanut butter sauce:

• Pour all of the sauce ingredients into a small sauce pan
• Over medium heat, simmer until mixture is smooth and creamy. About 5-7 minutes.
• Sauce can be used for dipping or drizzled over chicken.

Happy Monday!

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Weekend Bread Baking: Naan

Yeast bread baking use to intimidate the heck out of me!  It took me years to work up the courage to work with yeast.  Man have I come a long way!

My very first foray into yeast bread were these Christmas Day Rolls a couple of years ago.  Y'all they are every single thing. Full of flavor and the dough is forgiving.

Then I tried my hand at cinnamon rolls. Off the charts delicious (recipe, and better picture, coming soon).

I even baked sandwiched bread that never made it to the blog but was super delicious!

Then I got full of myself and tried making croissants.  It was full of so much failure. All of the failure. Just all of it. Knocked me clean off my bread baking high horse!


If you follow me on InstaGram (I don't know how to do a proper screen shot from my pc, sorry!) then you know of my great croissant debacle earlier this year. I legit wanted to weep in my kitchen y'all! They turned out horribly.  OK, maybe that is an exaggeration, they were flavorful but not croissant like in texture at all. All of that European butter I used and they sucked!

Failing at those croissants was a blow to my bread baking ego.  I was fully prepared to live the rest of my cooking life unable to master bread baking, buying 50 ingredient bread for the rest of my natural life. Sigh.

#Dramatic much? LOL

So I decided to start with easier breads, working with them often. I figure the more I use yeast and become familiar with proofing methods, proofing times and just the regular feel of proper dough, the better I will become.  My goal is to master croissants by year end!

So this weekend, I made naan*!  The dough is easy and forgiving and it only required one rise (proofing).  Naan is a very versatile flat bread that can be infused with any number of flavors.  They are best eaten warm, in my opinion!

Topped with Steak, Arugula, Gorgonzola and Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Homemade Naan

Adapted from: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-naan-step-step-photos/

What you need:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup hot tap water
• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• Olive Oil or melted salted butter, enough to brush each side of your flattened dough

What to do:

• In a medium size bowl dissolve the sugar in the warm water (about 105 degree F). Add the dry yeast to the warm water and stir until the yeast is dissolved. 
• Let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam and rise.
• Add the flour, baking soda and baking powder to a stand mixture bowl.
• When the yeast is foamy, add the warm milk and yogurt. 
• Pour the wet ingredients right into the middle of the dry.  Mix the ingredients with the dough hook attachment of your mixer just until the dough comes together.  The dough should be sticky, but should form a ball and be soft.
• If you don't have a mixer, begin mixing the wet with dry using a wooden spatula. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to finish mixing. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. It should be sticky, but should form a ball and be soft.  
• Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place 1 hour.
• When ready to cook divide the dough into 8-10 equal balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an oval shape. It should be about 6-8 inches long and about 1/4-inch thick, but no thinner. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough.
• Warm a cast iron skillet over medium heat (you want a hot pan). Brush both sides of the naan with the olive oil or melted butter and if desired sprinkle on any spices you like such as cumin and garlic. 
• Place the naan on the hot skillet, cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. 
• Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

*From my Go.ogle search, naan can be pronounced like 'non' OR like 'nann'

Happy Monday!

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Weeknight Bourbon Chicken

I don't venture out to the mall often.  I mean the crowds, the overpriced merchandise, the crowds. But when I do, I make sure we go around lunch time.  There is this little Asian spot in the food court that serves the best bourbon chicken over vegetable fried rice. Well, the last time I was there I paid nearly ten dollars for this meal and it didn't even come with a drink!!! I was determined to make it at home after that!

The recipe is easy enough to be a weeknight winner. You will spend the most time cutting the chicken into pieces and flash frying it! We like sauce around here so the recipe yields a decent enough amount to serve four people. Be mindful not to overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken pieces.  You want browned and crispy not light and mushy!


Weeknight Bourbon Chicken

What you need:

• 2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• Several tablespoons of oil (enough to fry, not deep fry, your chicken pieces)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons bourbon or cider vinegar
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• Green onions for garnish, optional

What to do:

• Heat oil in a large skillet
• Add chicken pieces, in batches, cook until lightly browned. Drain on a paper towel
• After all of the chicken has been cooked, remove all but one tablespoon of the oil
• Add remaining ingredients, heating just until sugar dissolves
• Add chicken back to the pan and bring to a boil for one minute
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Sauce should slightly reduce and thicken
• Serve over rice and enjoy!

Happy Monday!

Ancho Chili Rubbed Fish Tacos w/Lime Ginger Slaw and Avocado Crema

This is kind of long!

I recently dealt with a situation with a Recent Friend that made me think about a similar issue I had early last year with a Former Friend, and how vastly different they were handled.

I’ve spoken about Former Friend:  she and I had been friends for years.  She was fun and funny and I really enjoyed hanging out with her.  She didn’t like something I said about her, to her.  Instead of coming to me with her issues with what or how I said something she did it maliciously, behind my back. With Recent Friend the situation was handled so much better and, most importantly, the relationship was preserved.  

A group of us went out to dinner one Friday night.  Let me back up…

The preceding Thursday I lost my debit card. I didn't realize it until Friday when I was trying to buy lunch.   I cancel the card but since my bank is not local it will take a couple of business days to get a new card to me.  No big deal.

So I get the text about Friday night dinner and I am hyped!  Not only do I get to hug her neck (she'd recently gotten married!!) but, I also get to meet up with another one of my favorite couples, and another mutual friend who’s in town for a conference!  All the win right?!  

I ended up working late and never gave a second thought about my card.  Well, I get downtown and it hits me that I don’t have my card.  I was already late for dinner and I didn’t want to simp out and cancel.  So I found free parking, made sure I had my emergency $20, that E insists I keep on me, and I head out.

I enjoy hanging with my peeps, I’m mindful of my meager cash budget and have the most delicious fish tacos at the tapas spot.  When the bill comes I hand over my $20 and failed to ask for change!  Waiter thanks us for being great customers and leaves.  I tell Recent Friend that he failed to bring me change.  I THOUGHT she felt some kind of way about me asking for change; she and her husband ended up giving it to me.  It bothered me for two or three days before I finally sent her a text message explaining, hoping we were OK.

She basically told me to get my entire life! LOL She said that we were cool, she apologized if she gave any impression that she was “put off” about anything, she appreciated me addressing how I felt and expressed how she hated misunderstandings too.  We e-hugged it out and all is well!  Reading the text made me smile real big and made me thankful for having for real good people in my life.

So in honor of those happy feelings I made my version of those delicious fish tacos I had at the tapas restaurant.  Remind me to tell you how Recent Friend and her Husband always choose the BEST places for us to hang out. 

Chili Rubbed Fish Tacos w/Lime Ginger Slaw and Avocado Crema

What you need:

• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 3-4 Firm white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, etc.) 
• 3-4 Tablespoons of oil. Enough oil to lightly pan sear the fish
• Flour or *corn tortillas

 
For the slaw (while fresh is always best, bagged slaw mix saves time during the workweek):

• Juice of 1-2 limes
• 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2-3 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups bagged slaw mix

For the Avocado Crema:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 ripened avocado
• 1 de-seeded jalapeno, chopped
• Juice of one lime
• Salt, pepper and granulated garlic to taste

What to do:

Make the Crema

• In a blender or food processor, puree the yogurt, avocado, jalapeno, lime juice and seasonings. 
• Cover and place in fridge until ready to build tacos

Make the slaw

• In small bowl, whisk the first five ingredients for the dressing. Cover and place in the fridge.
• Right before serving the fish drizzle the dressing over the slaw and give it a good stir to coat.  Add directly on top of tacos!

For the fish

• Place all of the spices and herbs in a small bowl and mix well.  Test for flavor and adjust accordingly
• Sprinkle a generous amount of the spice blend onto the back and front of the fish  
• Gently rub the seasoning on the fish
• Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a pan, over medium heat
• Add the fish, 1 or 2 fillets at a time, and sear 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.  Try to only flip it once
• Continue cooking, adding additional oil as needed, until all fish is cooked through.
• Build your tacos: fish, slaw, crema, cheese!
• Enjoy!

*If using corn tortillas, heat them in a tiny bit of oil for few seconds per side to make them more pliable