Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

Here's an excellent Thai inspired appetizer, Sweet Chili Chicken Wings. This finger licking good chicken wings are pan-fried with garlic, then coated with sweet chili sauce, sambal oelek, and a few shakes of roasted sesame seeds. Yummy!

Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

Ingredients

6 (1 lb) Chicken Wings

Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Rice Flour

2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, whole
2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

Sauce
¼ Cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or Sriracha



Method



Cut off the wing tips and discard (or, use them for stock). Divide each wing into two joints. Rub the chicken pieces of chicken pieces with, salt, pepper and toss with rice flour.

Smash garlic cloves without peeling.

Heat the oil in frying pan and add the pieces of the chicken and the garlic cloves. Fry until the chicken is golden. Then add the sauce, stir, add in the sesame seeds until well coated, and sticky.

Brown Butter Financier

These delicate Brown Butter Financier cakes are a great afternoon tea/coffee treat. Made with brown butter, ground almond, eggs, flour, and sugar - these little cakes are delicious. The texture is soft, light, and moist. As usual, I decided to reduce the amount of sugar used in the original recipe as it's a tad too sweet for my palate.

Brown Butter Financier

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted, for brushing the molds
50 g Pastry Flour, sifted 

5 g Corn Starch, sifted
½ tsp Baking Powder, sifted
4 Large Egg Whites
100 g Superfine Sugar

50 g Ground Almonds
A Pinch of Salt

130 g Unsalted Butter 



16 Financiers mold or Small Muffin Pans (12)

Method



Brush the molds with melted butter, and place them on a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C).


Place the egg whites in a large bowl, and beat lightly. Add sugar, ground almonds, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt each at a time and mix well without over mixing. Set aside.

Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, whisking frequently until fragrant and golden brown in color. Pour butter into another bowl. Place the bowl into a larger bowl half-filled with ice water to stop it from cooking further and burning.

Add browned butter to the flour and almond mixture and mix well. Spoon the batter into the molds and bake in the oven for about 11 to 15 minutes, or until the cakes are light brown in color. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before unmold.

Makes 12 to 16 mini cakes

{Recipe adapted from: Okashi by Keiko Ishida}

Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken is one of those amazing dish that is so easy and quick to whip up. Just make sure you have plenty of steam rice ready as this stir-fry chicken is slightly spicy, delicious, and addictive! :-)

Thai Basil Chicken

Ingredients

2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
½ Yellow Onion, diced
3 Bird's Eye Chilies, chopped

3 Pieces (about 380g) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Thighs, diced
50 g Asian (Thai) Basil
1 1/2 Tbsp Peanut Oil


Sea Salt to taste
Freshly Ground White Pepper
2 Stalks Scallions, finely sliced



Sauce

2 tsp Oyster Sauce
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce


2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce


½ tsp Corn Starch

2 Tbsp Water

Method



Combine the sauce ingredients and mix well.

Heat the oil in a wok over moderate heat and cook the garlic, onion, and chilies until fragrant. Turn the heat on high and toss in the diced chicken. Give a quick stir, mix in half of the basil, stir and add in the sauce.



Bring the mixture to a boil and season with pepper and sea salt, if necessary. Once the sauce has thickened, mix in the rest of the basil. Serve warm with some steamed rice, and top with scallions.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes or Green Onion Pancakes

I usually serve these flavorsome Chinese Scallion Pancakes or Green Onion Pancakes to my family as an in-between meals snack. As they love it so much, I would usually double the recipe when I am at it and just place the surplus in the freezer. Then, I will just simply reheat them in the oven over moderate heat as either a speedy breakfast or a snack again in a day or two.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes or Green Onion Pancakes

Ingredients

Dough
Scallions And Sea Salt Mixture
Peanut Oil

Dough
3 Cups (360 grams) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

A Pinch of Sea Salt

1 Cup (250 ml) Water

Filling
6 to 7 Stalks Scallions, chopped
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp of Roasted Sesame Oil

Method

Make the dough: Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Bring the water to the boil, remove it from the heat to let is stop bubbling and then pour it on to the flour. Mix in quickly with the handle of a wooden spoon. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, transfer it to a work surface and knead into smooth dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.



Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine chopped scallions and sea salt. Set aside.

Make the pancake: Working on a lightly floured surface, break the dough into 12 pieces. Work with one piece at a time. Flatten each piece of dough with your palm, and roll into a thin rectangular shape. Brush the surface with sesame oil and sprinkle with the scallions and sea salt mixture. 

Starting with the edge closest (the long end) to you and roll up the dough. Then roll it up again from one end like a snail, tuck the end and flatten the roll with your palm to your desired thickness. Repeat with the remaining dough, oil, scallions and sea salt mixture.

Then, heat a heavy, flat-bottomed frying-pan (or cast-iron pan) over a medium heat. Pour a little oil to coat the surface. When the oil is nice and hot, place the dough and fry until both sides are golden brown in color. Serves warm.

Chicken Sriracha Fried Rice

Chicken Sriracha Fried Rice

Ingredients

3 ½ Tbsp Peanut Oil

2 Pieces (400grams) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breasts, cubed
½ tsp Red Chili Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp Minced Ginger

3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped

4 Large Egg
6 Cups Cooked Cold Rice

1 ½ Cups Frozen Vegetables (carrot, peas, beans, & corn), thawed and drained

2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
3 to 4 Tbsp Sriracha

Sea Salt to taste

Freshly Ground White Pepper

4 Scallions, chopped



Method



Heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium to high heat on a frying pan and fry chicken with chili flakes until they are light golden in color. Push the chicken aside or dish out and set aside.



Add in the remaining 1 ½ Tbsp of oil and fry the ginger and chopped garlic until fragrant. Then crack in the eggs let it set, and gently move it around. Toss in the rice and stir frequently make sure the rice is coated with the eggs. Add the vegetables, cooked chicken, stir well and mix in the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Sriracha, and stir frequently. Then season the fried rice with salt and pepper. Serve warm with some chopped scallions.

Serves 4

Vegetable Chowder

This Vegetable Chowder is a satisfying and wonderful soup for any cool weather days. It has a light creamy broth that's filled with chock-full of tender celery, carrots, corn, potatoes, and smoked bacon.

Vegetable Chowder

Ingredients

4 Rashers of Double-Smoked Thick-Cut Bacon, diced
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1 Large Yellow Onion, diced

1 Large Carrots, peeled and diced (1 Cup)

2 Ribs Celery, diced (1 Cup)
2 Medium Potatoes, diced (1¼ Cup)
1 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
3 ½ Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock
250 ml Whipping Cream

2 Tbsp of Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped

Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper


Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a stockpot over moderate heat. Cook the diced bacon until crispy. Discard some of the oil, leaving about 1 ½ Tablespoon in the pot.

Then add the onion, and stirring frequently until it is light golden in color. Mix in the carrot, celery, potatoes, bay leaf, corn, thyme, bay leaf, butter, a little salt, and black pepper. Continue to stir the vegetable mixture with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes. Then add the chicken or vegetable stocks. Bring the soup to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cream, and let it simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Mix in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Serves 3 to 4

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

This sun-dried tomato pesto pasta is the perfect solution for a quick and tasty vegetarian meal. Try making your own pesto, whenever possible, the recipe is in one of my previous post.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

300g Penne Pasta
6 to 7 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

Cook pasta as per manufacturer’s instructions. When the pasta has cooked al dente, drain it in a colander, and toss it with sun-sun-dried tomato pesto, and season with sea salt, black pepper, and top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 2

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients

150 g Sun-Dried Tomatoes, coarsely chopped (softened with boiling water, if necessary)
1 Bag (About 100g) of Fresh Basil, rinsed and dry

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

¼ Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

1 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes

1 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan



Method



Combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, pine nuts, and chili flakes in a food processor. Pulse and chop until all the ingredients are roughly blended. Slowly add in the olive oil and continue to pulse and chop. Transfer to a large bowl and add the Parmesan. Check for seasoning.

Steak Sandwich with Pesto

Using the Pesto sauce which I made earlier, I prepared this quick and easy succulent Steak Sandwich with Pesto for lunch over the weekend. I topped it with a generous mixture of spicy greens and my family loved it.

Steak Sandwich with Pesto

Ingredients

2 Sirloin Steaks
3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
2 Cloves of Garlic
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Unsalted Butter
Homemade Basil Pesto
Mixed Spicy Greens
2 Baguettes

Method

In a pestle mortar or a food processor, coarsely pound or process together the rosemary leaves, garlic, and sea salt. Add in some olive oil, black pepper, and whisk well.

Rub the marinade into the meat and refrigerate for two hours.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.


Heat a large griddle cast-iron over medium-high heat until hot. Sear the meat on both sides and continue to cook in the oven, about 4 minutes per side, or cooked to your desired doneness. Remove the steak from the oven, top with a little butter, and let it rest for 5 minutes, cut into thin slices and serve immediately.

Assemble the sandwich: Split the baguette in half and lightly toast in the oven. (Do this while the meat is resting) Spread some pesto on the baguette, steak slices and then the mixed greens.