Macanese style Portuguese chicken (葡國雞)

Ah, 葡國雞 (Po Kok Gai) , one of my favorite dishes from my grandma's kitchen. It's very popular and one of my very favorite dishes from Macau. Macau was a Portuguese colony for about 400 years and the Portuguese settlers had a huge influence on the city, including culture, buildings and of course food!

Macanese style Po Kok Gai is Chinese fusion, it is basically a mild, slightly sweet chicken curry with a rich, creamy coconut sauce. It goes very well with rice and is very tasty with every bite.

Here's how I made it last night.

Ingredients:
- 4 Chicken Legs (can be substitute with white meat, but dark meat will work better. Chop into smaller pieces, skin and keep in the bone in for more flavors)
- 2 medium Potatoes (chop into small chunks)
- 1 large Onion (chop into small chunks)
- 6 large Fried Tofu Pieces (available in Chinese supermarket, absorbs all the goodness from the sauce, very delicious in curry. Chop into smaller pieces)

- 2 cups of Cooked White Rice
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1 cup of Evaporated Milk
- 2 cans of Coconut Milk

Chicken Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
- a few pinches of salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons of  turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon of paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil

Step 1: Marinade chicken for at least an hour. In a large pot, saute chicken over high heat until the meat starts to turn brown. Add potato and onion chunks. Mix well and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Pour in evaporated milk and coconut milk. Add bay leaves. Turn heat down to medium for about 5 minutes. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Step 3: Add fried tofu pieces. Mix well. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread rice in the bottom of a large cassarole dish. Transfer chicken mixture over the top. Sprinkle some paprika powder on top. Cover dish with foil and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!!!!

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CAFE WORLD comes to LIFE! Vegetable Lasagna!

Happy Memorial day everybody! I want to make something special today for my family and somehow, lasagna came to my mind and I thought it's going to be interesting to make one without meat for a change. I am going to use super thinly sliced  zuchinni, mushroom, fresh tomatoes and chopped olives for the filling. It's going to be delicious!

Here's how I made it today. (about 6 servings)

Ingredients:
Lasagna noodle (6-8 dried strips)
White mushrooms (about 8-10)
1 large or 2 small zucchini
1 Medium tomato
Marinara sauce (1 jar)
Black olives (3-4 teaspoons)
Ricotta mixture:
Ricotta cheese (can substitute with cottage cheese, about 16oz)
Parmesan cheese (shredded, 2 tablespoons)
Mozzarella cheese (shreddred, 2 tablespoons) 
Dried herbs (oregano, basil, and parsley, just a teaspoon of each)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 egg
Salt and pepper (just a few pinches)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2: Prepare lasagna noodles. Fill water to 3/4 full in a large pot, let it come to a boil and add lasagna noodles. Cook for about 10-15 minutes to el dente. Drain and let it chill in a large strainer.

Step 3: Prepare the vegetables. Wash and dry all vegetables. Thinly slice the zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes (be careful with your FINGERS!!). Chop up the whole olives roughly into big chunks (or small chunks - depending on your preference). Be more flavorful! (optional) Grill zucchini and mushrooms for a few minutes. Let cool in a bowl and we are ready to assemble the lasagna.

Step 4: Assemble the lasagna! In a medium carssarole dish, generously scoop and spread tomato pasta sauce in the bottom. Layer the lasagna noodles, then add tomato pasta sauce next and follow by zuchinni, mushroom, tomato slices and olives. Add a generous layer of the ricotta mixture. Repeat and do anther layer of lasagna noodles and the rest of the ingredients. Top with the rest of the ricotta mix and spinkle some Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and a little dried basil for garnish.

Step 5: Bake in oven with foil to cover for 30 minutes. Take out foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Step 6: Take it out and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!!!

CAFE WORLD COMES TO LIFE: Overstuffed Peppers

Aha, Overstuffed Peppers from Cafe World (Facebook game by Zynga). Such a colorful dish with so many Cafe points! I've been wanting to try to make this dish, today I finally put them together. They turned out pretty good with juicy yet crunchy peppers and cheesy meat rice fillings. Like other dishes that require "stuffing," the peppers can be filled with all other types of ingredients too. Today, I did mine with meat, rice and vegetables with a touch of Asian flavor. I'm thinking, next time, maybe I'll try doing a cream sauce, seafood filling. Mmmmm, fun to make and so appetizing on the table. Be creative and you will probably be amazed with how tasty they turn out.

Here's how I made them tonight:
(about 3 servings)

 

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Red Onion

- 3 large Peppers (green, yellow and red)

- 1/2 lb ground Lean Beef

- 1 cup Cooked Rice (chilled) 

- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese 

- 1/4 cup frozen vegetables (for more colors!)

- 3 tablespoons Parmesan Bread Crumbs

- 1 clove of Garlic

- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Sauce Mix:

- Salt and Pepper (a few pinches)

- Soy Sauce (2 tablespoons)

- Sesame Oil (1 teaspoon)

- Sugar (a teaspoon)

- Paprika Powder (1 tablespoon)

- Rice Wine (1 tablespoon)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 2: Prepare the pepper shells: Cut them open approx. 1/4" from the top of the pepper.  Wash them well, and using your fingers, remove the seeds and white membranes. Be careful not to break the pepper "bowls." 

Boil some hot water in a medium pot. Immerse the pepper shells into the water for about 5 minutes. Drain the peppers and let them cool on the side.

 

Step 3: Prepare the fillings: Chop onion and garlic to small pieces. Over medium heat, cook ground beef with garlic. Then, add rice and sauce mix (see above for ingredients). Mix well. Cook until meat is cooked through. Turn heat off. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

 

Step 4: In a greased oven-safe pan, stuff the pepper shells with rice filling generously. Top with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Put them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

 

Step 5: Take them out. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Serve with the stems for presentation. Enjoy!

Mexican Black Bean Lasagna

 

Black Bean Lasagna (made by Renee Biss)

Hola! A treat from a vegetarian friend for a recent Mexican themed party. If you are up for something different than a typical Italian style lasagna, here's one delicious recipe from All Recipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Bean-Lasagna-II/Detail.aspx

The beans were tender and melted in your mouth with the cheese and pasta. Renee added extra spices to accentuate the flavor. Please do so to customize it to your likings.

Here's a copy of the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried black beans
• 2 3/4 cups canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Coat a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Saute onion, red bell pepper, corn and garlic until tender. Stir in black beans, refried beans, tomato sauce, salsa and 1/4 cup cilantro. Cook until heated through and slightly thickened; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and remaining 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; set aside.
4. Coat a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange 3 of the cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread with 1/3 of the bean mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice more.
5. Cover, and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Garnish with sliced black olives and sprigs of cilantro.

CAFE WORLD COMES TO LIFE: Chicken Adobo!!

Another exciting dish from Facebook game CAFE WORLD menu by Zynga - Chicken Adobo!! Chicken Adobo is a national dish from the Philippines! It is very flavorful with a strong taste of ginger, garlic, big round peppercorn and vinegar. Many people take this dish for picnics in the summer time. The vinegar actually preserves the chicken and tastes great with hot steamed rice.

Here's where I learned about the basic recipe of this dish: http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/adobo.htm
Again, I modified the recipe with extra spices and sauces. It turned out absolutely delicious and smelled so wonderful in the kitchen!

Ingredients: (makes about 2 servings) 

- 2-3 pieces of chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)

- 1 big chunk of ginger root (grated)

- 1 clove of garlic

- 1 medium red onion

- 1 cup of soy sauce

- 1 cup of chicken broth

- 1 cup of rice vinegar

- 2 cups of cold water

- 2 tablespoons of paprika

- 4 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 tablespoons of flour

-2 tablespoons of peppercorn

- Asian rice (2-3 cups)

Step 1:  Start cooking rice in rice cooker.

Step 2: Mince up garlic and ginger. Cut red onion into thin strips.

Step 3: In a big cooking pan, heat up some olive oil, saute garlic, ginger and onion.

Step 4: Add chicken breasts into the pan. Turn heat down to medium. Add soy sauce, paprika and peppercorn. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 5: Add rice vinegar and chicken broth into the pan. Mix well and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Step 6: Separate the half-cooked chicken and sauce into 2 bowls. In another clean large cooking pan, add some olive oil and put the same chicken back onto the stove. Brown and cook the meat thoroughly.

Step 7: Add the sauce back to the chicken. Mix water and flour together in a small bowl. Slowly pour  liquid into the pan to thicken the sauce. Let it simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Step 8: Serve immediately with rice on the side. Enjoy!!!

Mexican Chilli Frito Corn Salad - SUPER EASY!

This is a thumbs up, party must have! It is SUPER SIMPLE+ QUICK to make! I was first introduced to this salad when I lived in Texas a few years ago. A co-worker brought it to the office and first I thought, it wasn't that special, then I tasted it and immediately fell in love with it. The salty, crunchy corn chips just work so perfectly with the creaminess of the tangy salad.

Seriously, it is ridiculously easy to make, yet so surprisingly tasty. You must try it if you haven't tried it yet!!

Ingredients:
Mexican sweet kernel corn(2 cans)
Buttermilk ranch salad dressing (3 tablespoons)
Catalina salad dressing (2 tablespoons)
1/2 Green pepper (chopped)
1 medium red onion (chopped)
Mayonnaise (1 tablespoon)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded, 1 cup)
Parmesan cheese (shredded, 1/2 cup)
Chilli Fritos corn chips (crushed slightly)

THREE EASY STEPS!!
Step 1: Chop pepper and red onion into small pieces.

Step 2: Open and drain corn. Put all ingredients together. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 3: Slightly crunch the corn chips in the bag with your hands. Pour and cover the creamy salad with Chilli chips right before you serve the next day. That's it! Yum!!

Cantonese Pan-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls with Dried Shrimp (煎蝦米腸粉)

Ah, fried noodle rolls (煎蝦米腸粉), that brings back some sweet childhood memories when I was living in Hong Kong. I remember it was one of my older sister's favorites and she would have to get this when we went to the Chinese Dim Sum restaurant on the weekends. In China, people typically enjoy this dish during breakfast time. Since it's made from rice with simple ingredients, it's versatile and can be stuffed with any ingredient of your choice. It is a very popular street food there for everyone.

Rice noodle rolls are basically made from flat, thin rice noodle sheets. They were steamed and cooked to perfection, then turned to long rolls. I cut the rolls to shorter rolls and pan-fried them with some oil. Then, I drizzled them with a generous amount of a sweet soy-based sauce. You may season it anyway you like, some people like to add some spicy sauce to bring out the heat or some sesame/chopped peanut for a crunch.

These noodle rolls can be made from scratch, but frankly, it would be quite a big hassle to make it for a few people (note that it is only AWESOME when it is fresh). Kinda like buying ready made Italian pasta, I usually save time by buying the noodle rolls from the Chinese supermarket and cook them in my way at home!

Ingredients:
White noodle rolls with dried shrimp (1 pack of about 12 long pieces, available in Chinese supermarket)
Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
Spring onion (1 or 2 stalks, washed and chopped to small pieces)
Sesame Seeds (enough for sprinkling)
Chopped Peanuts (optional-enough for sprinkling)
Light soy sauce (1 tablespoon)
Sugar (1 teaspoon)

Sauce:
Hoisin sauce (1 tablespoon)
Sesame oil (1 teaspoon)
Shiracha chilli sauce (optional)
Sesame paste (VERY TASTY option - available in Chinese supermarket)

Step 1:  Prepare the sauce. Mix sauce ingredients together. Set aside in a small bowl.

Step 2: Chop the noodles into shorter rolls. Pan fry them over medium heat with some olive oil. Noodle should get slightly brown. Add soy sauce and sugar while stirring. Do not break noodles. Cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Step 3:  Scoop noodles into a bowl. Drizzle sauce, sprinkle sesame seeds, spring onion and chopped peanuts (optional) all over. Serve immediately. Enjoy!