To Try

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
• 6 chicken thighs with skin
• 6 chicken drumsticks with skin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
• 1/2 large red onion, small dice
• 1 large celery stalk, medium dice
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, medium dice
• 3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Place mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and set aside.
2. Place wild rice in a small saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar; reduce heat; and simmer until rice is almost completely cooked, about 18 to 20 minutes. (The rice will be chewy and swollen with a slightly burst-open appearance.) Drain in a colander and set aside.
3. While the wild rice simmers, blot chicken thighs and drumsticks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in three batches until golden brown (the chicken will not be fully cooked), about 5 minutes per side, and set aside. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the chicken fat from the pan.
4. Remove soaked mushrooms from their liquid, reserving the soaking liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and set aside.
5. Return the frying pan to the stove over medium heat and melt butter. When it foams, add onion and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to coat onion with butter and cook until onion has softened a bit, about 2 minutes, then stir in celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened but still uncooked in the center, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Stir in Arborio rice, mixing well with a wooden spoon or spatula to coat each grain with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the outer layer of the rice becomes translucent and is just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add wine and stir until it evaporates, about 1 minute. Add chopped porcini mushrooms with their soaking liquid and stir until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
7. Stir in cooked wild rice and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened and rice is about halfway cooked, about 5 minutes (the mixture will be very soupy). Stir in thyme, cream, and sherry, then remove from heat. Taste and if necessary season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Pour mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Place chicken pieces over mixture, nestling them close to each other so they will all fit in the dish.
9. Bake casserole until rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid and chicken is completely cooked, about 45 to 50 minutes. To serve, place a scoop of rice mixture on a serving plate and top with a drumstick and thigh.

via Chow.com

Homemade Breadcrumbs

There isn’t always day-old bread around when you need crumbs for chicken cutlets or fish fillets. When you do have stale bread, make a few seasoned blends and freeze them. We’ve come up with four breadcrumb mixes — lemon and sage, almond and garam masala, coconut and lime, and Parmesan and oregano — each requiring a half pound of bread.

Each of these recipes yields about two and a quarter cups breadcrumbs. Dip chicken cutlets or fish fillets in flour, next in beaten eggs, and then in seasoned breadcrumbs. Freeze unused breadcrumbs in a resealable plastic bag up to one month.

Lemon-Sage Breadcrumbs
1 loaf (8 ounces) day-old bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

Working in two batches, pulse bread cubes in a food processor to fine crumbs. Stir together breadcrumbs, zest, and sage. Stir in the salt, and season breadcrumbs with pepper.

Almond and Garam Masala Breadcrumbs
Follow recipe for Lemon-Sage Breadcrumbs, using 1/2 cup chopped, toasted sliced almonds and 2 teaspoons garam masala in place of zest and sage.

Coconut-Lime Breadcrumbs
Follow recipe for Lemon-Sage Breadcrumbs, using 1/2 cup toasted, unsweetened shredded coconut, 2 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest (2 to 3 limes), and 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in place of lemon zest and sage.

Parmesan-Oregano Breadcrumbs
Follow recipe for Lemon-Sage Breadcrumbs, using 3 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) and 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese in place of zest and sage. Decrease salt to 1 teaspoon.

From Martha Stewart

Tonkatsu Recipe

Kimchi Pancakes + Spicy Korean Cucumber

WHOLE-WHEAT KIMCHI PANCAKES

Time: 20 minutes

1 cup kimchi, liquid squeezed out and diced
1/2 white onion, finely sliced
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 - 2/3 cup water
Sunflower, olive or any other mild-flavored oil for frying

1. Put the kimchi in a bowl, season with freshly ground black pepper and garlic. Add the gochujang and onion and mix together until evenly combined.
2. Add the flour and egg and mix altogether, then slowly add the water, stirring briskly after each addition. Stop once the batter has thinned a bit but isn’t quite as thin as normal pancake batter.
3. Heat up some oil in a large skillet/frying pan over low-medium heat, and once it’s hot, pour a ladle of batter into the pan in the shape of a circle, using the back of the ladle to spread out the mixture and thin out the pancake (you want a nice thin pancake to get a good ratio of crispy outer to soft inner).
4. Once the edges have set and the bottom is nice and crispy, carefully flip the pancake and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Place the pancake on a plate lined with paper towels, allow it to drain, and slice into squares before serving.

Yield: 2 large pancakes – serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as an entrée.

SPICY KOREAN PICKLES

Time: 10 minutes prep, 15 minutes to sit

5 seedless kirby cucumbers
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes (not the American kind)
1 1/2 tbsp gochujang red pepper paste
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Slice cucumbers into the thinnest discs you can manage.
2. Put cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle salt over them. Mix the cucumber slices around so salt is evenly distributed. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
3. Add all remaining ingredients. Toss cucumber slices to distribute ingredients evenly.
4. Taste; add more salt/vinegar/garlic/sugar as desired.

From Things we ate for dinner

Spaghetti Frittata

1/2 package whole wheat spaghetti (we love the Trader Joe’s brand)
6 extra large eggs
2 tbsp roasted garlic and onion jam (Stonewall Kitchen makes this incredible condiment)
3 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tbsp butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
2. Beat the eggs with roasted garlic and onion jam and 2 tbsp parmigiano. Add salt to taste.
3. Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet. Pour egg mixture into pan, and immediately add spaghetti into egg mixture, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Grind a generous amount of black pepper on top, and let cook over medium-high heat until the top is almost set (about 10 minutes).
4. Sprinkle remaining tbsp of parmigiano over top of fritta, and move the skillet to the broiler for the top to set and brown (about 3-4 minutes, but keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn).
5. Slice into six or eight wedges, serve, and eat.

Yield: 3-4 servings

From Things we ate for dinner

Grilled Lime Pound Cake with Raspberry-Kirsch Sorbet

Recipe at Chow.com

Okonomiyaki - Savory Japanese Pancakes

Makes 6

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini

3-4 green onions, chopped thin

1 cup chopped shrimp or prawns

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons nori (seaweed flakes)

2 eggs

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper

oil

chopped nori, green onion, and mayo for garnish

Directions:

1) Grate the zucchini and squeeze out extra water by the handful. In a large bowl, combine it with the rest of the items until a dough-like consistency is reached.

2) Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop large spoonfulls of the mixture into the skillet and press down with a spatula until very thin. They should be as thin as possible without falling apart.

3) Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until deeply golden brown and carefully slide onto a plate. Garnish with mayonnaise, nori and onions, and serve immediately.