Jaleika's Giant Recipe Repost
Jaleika - Thu, 07/22/2010 - 23:21
Since I think most of my recipes get buried in long threads (I think a lot of ours do, actually - a lot of foodies in this guild!) I figured I'd repost some of my better ones in one place so they will (hopefully) be easier to track down later. Reposts from our old board site.
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Japanese Food
Japanese cuisine encompasses both elegance and simplicity; the idea being to showcase the natural flavors of the food without being overly complicated, while producing something that is elegant to the eye as well as pleasing to the palate. At least, that's the general idea, and it's the sort of aesthetic seen in the most commonly-encountered form of Japanese cuisine in America (i.e., sushi).
Now, I grew up in a household where the extent of presentation was to stick a serving spoon in the pan of finished food. To be honest, I approach Japanese cooking the same way - to heck with this presentation stuff just so long as the result tastes good. I've been told that this misses the whole point of it, but since presentation seems to be at least half of the effort involved in a lot of these recipes, it does tend to make things quite a bit simpler. It's the sort of attitude that's not helped by the fact that most of my favorite dishes don't consist of fancy sushi or carefully-prepared bento boxes, but are generally the sort of donburi dishes prepared by streetside vendors and cafes. Honestly, some of these wouldn't look pretty even if I'd tried.
For those of you that do like a pretty-looking dish, I've included notes on how to do so, assuming it's a recipe that lends itself well (or at all) to presentation. In general, however, Japanese cooking (of the non-sushi type) tends to be fairly simple compared to its Chinese counterpart, with longer cooking times and less involved preparation.
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Oyako Donburi (Chicken and Egg over Rice)
The name oyako means "parent and child", referring to the combination of eggs with cooked chicken (yes, it's a little messed up), while donburi is used to indicate a dish that is served over a bowl of rice. This would generally be a big, heaping bowl of white sticky rice, but I tend to prefer it with a lesser amount of brown rice. Either way it does a good job at taking a small amount of chicken and making it stretch with cheaper ingredients, e.g. eggs, onions, and rice.
The most exotic ingredient in the whole affair is the dashi granules, which can be found at the local Asian grocery or ordered online. Once opened, a bottle will keep in the refrigerator nearly indefinitely, although it does lose some flavor if you leave it in there too long.
Cut the chicken thighs into small strips (about 1 inch), removing the fat. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and add the chicken, stir-frying until it loses its pink color. Add the water and heat until boiling, then add the onion slices and dashi granules. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook, covered, for another 3-4 minutes until the onion slices are soft.
Carefully remove most of the cooking juices from the pan (about 4-5 tablespoons; be sure to leave about 1 to 1/2 a tablespoon behind) and set them aside. Pour the beaten eggs over the chicken, onions, and remaining liquid, tilting the pan so that the egg spreads across as much of the contents as possible. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes or so until the egg is cooked through (cut the resulting omelet with a spatula to be sure).
Remove from heat and separate into halves or quarters and place on top of hot cooked rice. Drizzle with the cooking juices and serve.
Makes 2-4 servings.
Notes: For improved presentation the dish can be garnished with watercress, or whole green onion stalks can be placed on top of the beaten egg mixture and cooked into the resulting omelette.
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Sukiyaki (Sweet Beef and Vegetable Hotpot)
Sukiyaki is a soup- or stew-like dish that often shows up in Japanese lunch stands, but the traditional method of preparation seems to involve preparing it as a hotpot - i.e., the dish is cooked at the table over a hot plate, with fresh ingredients added to the pot as the cooked ones are eaten down by guests. This recipe can be presented that way, but I usually prefer to make it "restaraunt-style", as it were - very sweet, and completely cooked before it reaches the table.
Warishita Cooking Broth:
Slice the beef sirloin thinly (this is easier when it is partially frozen). Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Wash and trim the spinach, and cut the green onions into 2-inch long, diagonal slices. Slice the dried mushrooms. Cut the entire Napa cabbage into pieces about two inches long, and parboil the noodles about 2-3 minutes if dried. If the noodles are the precooked kind found in the refrigerated section, just drain and wash well with water.
Mix all the ingredients for the cooking broth in a small pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large wok. Add the beef to the oil, spreading the thin slices, and brown the outside of the meat before adding the boiling broth.
If you want a presentable dish, then add a portion of the other ingredients to the pan in a decorative, bundled manner and keep the broth to a minimum - only about a quarter of an inch in the pan at any given time - and allow guests to serve themselves from the pan, adding ingredients as it is eaten. Otherwise, add all of the broth and then add the cabbage and the spinach first, giving the vegetables time to cook down and lose volume before adding the other ingredients. Simmer until cooked (about five minutes after all ingredients are added), adding more dashi broth if necessary.
Serves 4.
Notes: Dried black mushrooms are also known as dried shiitake mushrooms, and they can be found in the gourmet section of American grocery stores or in the dried vegetables section of Asian groceries. Mirin is more difficult to find, being a Japanese form of sweet cooking wine, but the same results can be produced by cooking normal sake with an extra tablespoon of sugar or sugar substitute (good when cooking for those on restricted diets). The noodles and other mushrooms will probably require a visit to a Japanese grocery, but both can be skipped if they are unavailable in your area.
Casseroles Ahoy
For the West Coast people who (like me) are usually hopping on the computer to play as soon as they get home, I figured I'd share a couple of good recipes for making lots of leftovers pretty easily, since they're the sort of things we live on at my place. I think it's the hour and a half commute (for a drive that normally takes 40 minutes >o) that usually leaves me not wanting to cook a damn thing when I get home, so it's leftovers the four nights a week when I work.
I'm also lazy and cook most of these in the same bowls I use to mix them, which is a habit I got from home. I guess that's unusual, but since we don't have much in the way of casserole dishes anyway, it works.
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Macaroni and Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the macaroni to package directions; drain well and place in a large, oven-proof mixing bowl. Add soup and cheese, then mix well to blend. Bake for 45 minutes or until surface is lightly browned and crispy.
Serves 5-6 with heart-attack inducing goodness.
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Tuna Fish Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the macaroni to package directions; drain well and place in a large, oven-proof mixing bowl. Drain tuna. Add tuna, soup, chips, and peas to the macaroni and mix well until thoroughly blended. Bake for 45 minutes until surface is lightly browned and crispy.
Serves 6.
Notes: If you can find a good brand for whole wheat pasta, it provides both a nutty flavor, a nice chewy texture, and makes the casserole both more healthy and more filling overall, which helps make it stretch longer (I typically get mine from Trader Joe's). As for the potato chips, although any brand works I prefer to use baked Lay's because they're less greasy and the texture is particularly suited to working as a casserole filling. Crush the potato chips inside their bag (after opening to allow air to escape) until most of them are in fragments of ~ 1/.4 inch or so.
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Hot Dog Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare macaroni and frozen vegetables according to directions on the labels; drain. Saute the onion until it is clear. Cook the turkey franks to package directions, then slice into short sections.
Mix all ingredients in a well-greased ovenproof bowl. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
Serves 6.
Notes: I don't know what it is about this casserole specifically, but it really does need the bowl to be pre-greased with something to be able to clean it without a lot of trouble afterwards.
Skillet Dinners
Here are a couple of dinners that can be cooked up in a skillet that you can put a lid on - one ostensibly Mexican, the other Italian.
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Walking Tacos
We always called these "Nachos" when I was a kid, but I guess there's an actual recipe from New Mexico with this name. Either way, it uses fairly cheap ingredients and cooks up quickly, which is probably why my mother used to make it for a pair of hungry teenagers and me.
Toppings:
In a large skillet, cook ground beef until it is crumbly and browned. Mix in about 1/2 the jar of salsa and cook until well-blended, about 3-4 minutes. Add the can of refried beans and mix well, cooking until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle the top of the beans and meat with the shredded cheese. Cover the skillet with a lid and remove from heat, allowing time for the cheese to melt.
Spoon the meat, cheese, and bean mixture atop a bowl of tortilla chips and add toppings and more salsa/cheese to taste. These are mostly eaten using the chips as utensils but a fork is highly recommended, they get fairly messy.
Serves 4.
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Chicken Pesto Mozzarella
I believe this recipe originally came from the food section of the San Jose Mercury News. I think scanning that section for new recipes is one of the only things I actually miss reading newspapers for.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
Season skinned breasts with salt and pepper (if desired), then lightly brown in oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes (if using plain canned tomatoes, add a pinch of dried oregano, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon dried basil). Add onion and olives; bring to a boil. Cover and cook 8 minutes over medium heat.
Remove cover. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes or until chicken is done (cut open to check that all traces of pink have disapeared). Spread 1 teaspoon pesto over each chicken piece and top with mozarrella. Cover and wait until the cheese melts, then serve over pasta.
Serves 4.
Notes: The whole wheat pasta from Trader Joes' works wonderfully in this dish. As for the pesto, once a container of pesto has been opened it will keep nearly indefinitely in the freezer; simply take the container down from the freezer when starting this dinner, and it will be thawed enough to spoon out over the chicken.
Curries, curries, curries!
Tartare and I live on a lot of curries at my house - mostly Thai and Japanese, but some others - primarily because they're the epitome of (nearly) one-dish cooking. Get yourself a big nonstick cooking pot with a lid to cook in and a rice cooker to steam the rice while you work and you're set.
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Tofu and Summer Squash in Thai Red Curry
Deseed and rib bell peppers, then cut them and onion into large dice. Trim zucchini, cut lengthwise, and cut into chunks. Cut tofu into cubes.
Heat oil in a wok, skillet, or nonstick large pot. Add onion; stir-fry until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add peppers; stir-fry for 1 minute. Dissolve curry paste in hot water. Add to the wok along with the fish sauce and coconut milk, then bring to a simmer. Add zucchini and tofu, then cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until zucchini have softened. There won't be much liquid at first, but vegetables will release more as they simmer.
Add basil and adjust flavors of sweet/salty to taste (more sugar/sweetener will make it sweeter, more fish sauce will make it saltier and more savory). I normally use baker's Splenda, but plain white sugar will work just as well.
Serves 4.
Notes: The actual heat of the finished curry depends both on the brand of curry paste used and the coconut milk as well. Lowfat coconut milk can be bought from Trader Joe's, and although excellent it does increase the heat of the curry by about another half. I normally use the large plastic buckets of Mae Ploy, which can be kept pretty much indefinitely in the freezer. If using this particular brand (which is very hot), lower the amount of curry paste to 2 1/2 tablespoons or lower to start.
Korean Barbecue
I always laugh when I see bottles of Korean barbecue sauce for sale on grocery store shelves, because preparing meat for Korean-style barbecue is neither complicated nor expensive - generally, the most difficult component is going to be finding the right cuts of beef for the ribs, since western-style groceries sell them as racks rather than slices. These recipes are also savory rather than spicy, despite the fact that Korean food encompasses some of the hottest damn stuff I've had (pickled raw garlic omg).
All of these recipes are best when cooked over a charcoal fire, but gas grilling works as well, and some can even be fried in a very hot pan.
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Bulgogi (Korean Barbecued Beef)
Marinade
If necessary, score the meat and pound lightly with a meat hammer to tenderize, then slice the meat diagonally into thin strips across the grain. Combine the marinade ingredients and add to the meat. Mix well with the hands, then set aside for at least one hour.
Prepare a charcoal fire, gas grill, or very hot frying pan. Remove the meat from the marinade and grill for 5-7 minutes, turning with tongs frequently. Serve with steamed white or brown rice together with a pile of freshly-washed lettuce leaves and kochujang** if desired. Either eat as it is, or take a lettuce leaf, add a bit of rice, some strips of meat and a little dab of kochujang to eat with one's fingers.
Serves 4-6.
Notes: Preparing one's own freshly-chopped ginger is, to be quite frank, a pain in the ass. Not only do the roots dessicate quickly when left out of the refrigerator (and mold if kept in the refrigerator) but cleaning and chopping them probably takes more time than most of the rest of the preparation combined. Typically I use a big jar of pre-minced garlic and another jar of crushed ginger, both of which store in the fridge for a long time and both of which simplify preparation immensely. About 1 heaping teaspoon of crushed ginger (or 2 even teaspoons) is equivalent to one inch of ginger.
Kochujang is a Korean chili pepper paste, frequently used in cooking as well as a dinner table condiment.
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Takkui (Marinated Barbecued Chicken)
Two things to make the takkui really stand out are slashing the chicken diagonally almost to the bone before marinating, and marinating the chicken overnight so it can fully absorb the flavors. This recipe is best when grilled, but be careful! Both it and the ribs are particularly oily, and will cause flares even on a gas grill.
Marinade
Slash the chicken pieces diagonally almost to the bone in several places and place in a deep bowl or a plastic ziploc bag. Mix together the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken pieces, mixing it in well with the hands. Leave for several hours or overnight, turning and mixing frequently.
Prepare a medium-hot charcoal grill. Raise the grill about 3 inches from the fire. (Alternatively, prepare a gas grill as normal). When ready, place the chicken pieces on the grill skin-side down. Be ready to control any flare-ups and turn frequently until both sides are crispy brown, and the chicken si cooked right through - about 25-35 minutes in all.
Since chicken absorbs less marinade than beef, some of the original marinade can be set aside before adding to the chicken and then placed in a pot on the stove with a little water. Bring this mixture to a boil to make a delicious accompanying sauce to pour over the chicken.
Serves 4-6.
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Kalbuigui (Korean Barbecued Short Ribs)
The short ribs in question are cut unusually - they're sliced horizontally through the bone, resulting in meaty slices that are (in my opinion) much easier to eat than the typical way we eat ribs in the U.S., and better at absorbing marinades too. This kind of cut can be found at Asian groceries or occasionally as "Hawaiian-cut" ribs in other meat departments.
Marinade
While keeping the meat attached to the bone of the short ribs, score them deeply in a diamond pattern (it doesn't matter if some of the meat becomes detached from the bone). Place the ribs in a large bowl or ziploc bag. Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over the meat. Leave to stand for at least 3-4 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Prepare a charcoal fire and when the coals are white hot, cook the ribs until the fat is crisp and charred, about 5-7 minutes a side. If not cooking over charcoal, cook under a hot grill or on a gas grill. Serve while piping hot, together with rice, kimchi, and a green salad.
Vegetarian Options
I know at least Storlivras lives in a vegetarian household, and even for those that don't I figure it's worth posting the kinds of recipes that anyone can enjoy (especially since meat tends to be expensive). These are some options I've found and loved, with notes to make them more vegetarian-friendly if they're not already.
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Barley-Root Chowder
This recipe isn't truly vegetarian in the form I make it in due to the use of beef stock, but it does use meat more appropriately - as a flavoring agent rather than as the primary thing on the plate (or bowl). It can be made vegetarian by the use of vegetable rather than beef stock, and it freezes well.
In a large stock pot, bring stock and 4 cups water to a boil. Add barley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until barley is tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf before serving.
Servings: 12
Cuisine: American
Notes: Celery root, also known as celeriac, is a knobbly root vegetable that can be found in most grocery stores but may require a trip to a specialty market. It tastes like concentrated celery and stands up very well to long cooking.
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Houby Paprikas
(Mushrooms Paprika)
This vegetarian stroganoff is an excellent use for sour cream, which we rarely use in more than a spoonful or two on certain foods and which comes in 8-ounce containers at the smallest - and yes, it really can go bad (ew). Traditionally this recipe is made with chanterelles, but I had good luck with a mixture of sliced white mushrooms and baby 'bels.
Heat a large saucepan over a low heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper to taste, then increase the heat and stir. When the moisture from the mushrooms has been released, allow it to evaporate, concentrating the flavor. This might happen quickly or slowly, depending entirely on the type of mushrooms used.
Add the paprika and cayenne and fry for a few moments longer, until the paprika turns a shade darker. Finally, add the sour cream or creme fraiche and dill, and allow to bubble gently for a further 5 minutes or so.
Serve immediately with rice, pasta or spaetzle.
Servings: 4
Cuisine: Hungarian
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Tse Tofu
(Tofu with Greens and Spices)
The much-maligned tofu makes its appearance here, and treated properly - I love me some Gardenburgers, but mostly because they aren't trying to be exactly like meatless hamburgers. Similarly, tofu tastes wonderful when it's cooked in methods it is more suited to, such as this stir-fry.
Heat a wok or a large nonstick pot over high heat and add the oil. Add the green onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chili, spices and tofu and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, tomato, peas and spinach and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the greens are cooked and the tomato starts to collapse.
Serve immediately with boiled rice or noodles.
Servings: 4
Cuisine: Tibetan
Notes: I prefer to use bagged green baby spinach, but note that the actual weight requested is generally more than most of those bags actually hold. Other green leafy vegetables that cook down well would probably work well in this recipe.
An Overabundance of Summer Vegetables
Although it seems that autumn's settled on the more northern states but it's still summer down here, to the point where we've had to put up sunshades for our cool-season crops to keep them from sunburning as the temperatures climb up into the nineties. Chicken is currently abundant and cheap as producers start culling the flocks for the winter, and although some of our summer plants are tiring or have been removed from the garden, the zucchini plants are still cranking out more summer squash than we sometimes know what to do with. For those in warmer climates or those who are getting a late Indian Summer, the following recipes are great for dealing with the end-of-summer influx of produce.
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Pesto Chicken Packets
I'm not very big on the flavor of white meat chicken (people always look at me like I've grown a second head when I say this, but it's true) so I tend to make recipes like this using the big bags of frozen, boneless/skinless chicken thighs. If chicken parts are cheap this can be cooked using bone-in portions as well, but keep in mind that you'll want to separate them into portions about the size of a chicken thigh or half of a chicken breast.
This recipe is particularly good for dealing with three things that you're regularly drowning in by mid-summer (tomatoes, zucchini, and basil), particularly if you make your own pesto.
Heat coals or gas grill.
While barbecue warms up, place one chicken breast half, two sliced tomatoes and one sliced zucchini on one side of four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pesto over the chicken mixture on each sheet.
Fold the foil over the chicken and vegetables so that the edges meet. Seal the edges, making tight 1/2-inch folds; fold again. Allow space on the sides of the packet for circulation and expansion (this will produce steam).
Cover and grill packets 4 to 5 inches from medium heat for 20-25 minutes, or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when the centers of the thickest pieces are cut. Place packets on plates. Cut a large X across the top of the packet, and fold back foil to serve. Careful, it's hot!
Servings: 4
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330 (180 from fat); 75 mg cholesterol; higher for dark-meat chicken.
Notes: There are heavy-duty foil bags that are made specifically for grilling that can be used in place of the foil packets, but I'm not actually sure where you find them.
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New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
This is a warm, garlicky version of potato salad that grills well alongside the chicken pesto packets listed above. Store-bought fresh chives are expensive, but the plant is very easy to grow and takes well to pots, so I suggest attempting it even if all you have is a sunny windowsill or front porch.
Tear off a 36x18-inch piece of heavy foil. Fold it in half to make a double thickness of foil that measures 18x18 inches.
Combine sliced potatoes, unpeeled garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss gently. Place the potato mixture in the center of the foil. Bring up two opposite edges of the foil; seal with a double fold. Then fold in the remaining ends to completely enclose the potatoes, leaving space for steam to build.
Grill the foil packet on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals or heat for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning packet over occasionally. Remove from heat. Remove the garlic cloves and set them aside to cool for 5-10 minutes, and close the packet again to keep the potatoes warm.
Meanwhile, combine chives, 1 teaspoon olive or cooking oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper in a small bowl. Squeeze the paste from the grilled garlic cloves into the mixture. Stir well (I recommend using a fork, which can be used to mash the garlic if necessary). Transfer the potatoes to a large serving bowl and pour the garlic mixture over the potatoes, tossing gently to coat, and serve.
Servings: 6 (as a side dish)
Cuisine: American
Calories: 317 calories; 0 mg cholesterol.
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Seasoned Zucchini (Hobak Namul)
This Korean recipe would traditionally use the native zucchini, which are shorter and rounder than the types grown in a typical American garden, but any variety works well in this recipe.
Heat the vegetable and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and garlic and stir-fry until the zucchini starts to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add the green onion and salt and cook for another few minutes, then remove from heat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Taste the vegetables, and add a little more salt as necessary.
Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Servings: 5-7 (as a side dish)
Cuisine: Korean
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Stir-Fried Eggplant and Tofu
The fried tofu in this recipe is cooked in the same way that one fries up cubes of paneer for Indian recipes - cut the tofu into cubes, then fry them lightly in oil on all sides until slightly browned before setting them aside. These home-fried tofu cubes can also be made separately and used to replace the meat in stir-fries for a delicious and hearty vegetarian meal.
Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add tofu and gently cook, turning occasionally, until browned slightly - about 5 minutes. Transfer tofu onto a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
Cook garlic, eggplant, and bell pepper in the pan until softened, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add soy sauce, sugar, and oyster sauce and cook until heated through, another 2 minutes. Return tofu to pan and gently stir to coat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil leaves.
Serve over rice.
Servings: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 263 (55% from fat); 0 mg cholesterol.
Notes: This recipe normally uses Thai basil, which is commonly sold in Asian groceries. However, when cooked with Thai basil the leftovers the next day will tend to have a very strong anise flavor, which Tart isn't too fond of. As a stand-in for Thai basil if you can't find it, or to avoid that anise overload in the leftovers, replace the Thai basil with fresh cinnamon basil. All basil types will keep for months of use when coarsely chopped and frozen soon after purchase.
Chicken Soup for a Cold, Wet Winter
Since I'm up way too goddamned early between the arrival of a serious winter storm (heavy rain, wind and lightning) and the associated dog freakout, it seemed an appropriate time to actually get around to posting the soup recipes I keep mentioning to Euph.
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Chicken Soup with Garlic and Butter Dumplings
A modification on the basic chicken and dumpling soup recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, improved by the addition of generous amounts of garlic.
For the soup:
For the dumplings:
Bring broth to a boil, and add chopped vegetables and chicken. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer at least 1-2 hours to allow the ingredients to cook and the flavors to blend.
Shortly before serving, prepare the dumpling batter. Cream the butter in a bowl with the back of a fork, then beat in the eggs. Stir in the flour, parsley, and minced garlic blending well. Add heated stock 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the batter is soft; do not make it too loose or the dumplings will fall apart.
Drop the batter by the teaspoonful into the simmering broth. Cook until set and cooked through, about 10 minutes, until they are done; serve immediately in the soup.
Servings: 8
Cuisine: American
Notes: If using canned chicken broth add about 1 1/2 teaspoon tarragon, 1 teaspoon thyme, and 1/2 tablespoon crushed dried parseley to the broth after adding the other ingredients.
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Basic Chicken Stock
Canned chicken broth has its place, particularly in recipes where you use less than a full can, but for large soups it tends to be more economical to make your own. Cutting up whole chickens for other dishes such as barbecue in the summer or chicken cacciatore in the winter leaves you with plenty of leftover parts that can be frozen for soup - the backs, the necks, and the tips of the wings (if not the whole wing, depending on whether or not you like to eat them). For a refresher on how to take apart a chicken see here.
Place the chicken parts and vegetables in a large, heavy stockpot and add enough water to cover; be sure to leave at least 2 inches of leeway beneath the top of the pot (preferably more) to avoid boiling over. Bring the water to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 hours or as long as you can leave it simmering. If too much liquid is evaporating, add more water and cover to allow the ingredients to simmer for longer.
Strain the cooked vegetables and bones from the broth and discard them. Allow the broth to cool and then refrigerate overnight; this will allow the fat to congeal on the top, where it can be skimmed with a spoon. Once defatted, the stock is ready to be used as a base for the soup recipe above or any other recipe that uses a basic chicken stock.
Notes: You can actually buy raw chicken bones at a lot of Asian markets, although I still find it's more economical to just use leftovers from whole cut-up chickens.
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Brown Bone Stock
If you roast a lot of chicken in the oven, this doesn't leave the backs and wings available like cooking cut-up chickens does. However, you can save the carcasses and make a flavorful soup from them after you've stripped the meat from the bones. Freeze the stripped carcasses for later and save the drippings! (these also freeze).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken carcasses, carrots, celery, and onions in a large, rectangular glass pan and roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes to an hour, or until well browned.
Place roasted vegetables, chicken bones, and the drippings (which can still be frozen) into a large, heavy stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to allow the broth to simmer. Add herbs and simmer for 3-4 hours or more, straining bones and vegetables from the broth at the end of the cooking time. Chill the stock in the fridge to allow for defatting the next day and use the same way as the basic chicken stock above.
Notes: The drippings catch a lot of fat, especially if you roast chickens with herb butters like I do, so you probably want to defat the drippings well before putting them in the freezer. Pour off the drippings into a tupperware container and chill overnight - they're actually easier to peel off the thick layer of fat from than the broth, since by morning the drippings themselves are going to be something very close to a jello.
Also, this method works great for the carcass left over from a roast turkey. To make a turkey version of the soup above, just save as much leftover cooked meat as you can, and add to the soup in place of the chicken.
A Taste of Vietnam
My favorite Vietnamese fast food is banh pho bo (beef noodle soup), but it tends to be a bit difficult to really replicate easily at home, or at least I haven't found a good recipe for it. But there's more to Vietnamese cooking than just one noodle soup, and here are some really easy - and particularly delicious - recipes I've found so far.
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Five-Spice Roast Chicken (Ga Ngu Vi Huong)
This approach to roasting chicken can be used on whole chickens or Cornish hens, but I usually use it on chicken leg quarters or drumsticks when they go on sale.
Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, five-spice powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and then add the chicken pieces, turning to coat all sides with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Turn the pieces now and then so that the marinade coats them evenly.
To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and roast, until it is richly browned and cooked through, 30-45 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Servings: 6
Source: McDermott, Nancie. Quick & Easy Vietnamese: 75 Everyday Recipes
Notes: Fish sauce is one of those things that can be daunting, especially if you're not used to looking for it. Items labeled "fish sauce" range from everything from a grey, pungent paste to a brown, transparent - but equally pungent - liquid, probably due to translation issues. You want the clear version, and I usually use the Tiparos brand (but any of the ones shown here are good).
As far as I know fish sauce is shelf stable practically forever and doesn't go bad per se, but I tend to throw it out when it starts developing square crystals of salt on the bottom.
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Cauliflower with Garlic and Pepper (Bong Cai Xao)
We planted cauliflower in the garden this year and it all ripened at once omg, so I ended up testing up new recipes on it. This one turned out to be a great side dish for the chicken recipe above.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a bit of garlic sizzles at once, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the cauliflower. Cook for 1 minute and then toss well, exposing the other sides to the hot pan. Add the fish sauce, water, sugar, pepper, and green onions and cook, tossing often, until the cauliflower is tender but still pleasantly crunchy - about 2 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro and toss once more, then transfer to a serving platter deep enough to hold the sauce. Serve hot or warm.
Servings: 4
Source: McDermott, Nancie. Quick & Easy Vietnamese: 75 Everyday Recipes
Notes: For variation add a splash of sesame oil before the last toss, or cook broccoli florets the same way. This dish is normally served hot with rice to soak up the sweet sauce.
Fun With Quick Breads
I've never been much of a baker (Tart's better at it than me, and usually makes the bread when we live by ourselves) but I do make a few quick breads, especially cornbread.
I always find it amazing that they sell boxed mixes for these at the grocery store. Take a look at the ingredients list and you'll quickly see why.
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Corn Bread
A quick, fast, and tasty accompaniment to the chicken soups posted above.
Melt the butter in a 9-inch cake pan while preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the flour together wih the cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg. Mix with the butter and milk, then pour the egg-milk mixture in with the dry ingredients and stir until well blended - it should produce a runny batter.
Spray the pan with a nonstick spray (there's a baking spray with flour in it that's particularly good for this) and pour the cornbread batter into the hot greased pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done.
Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
Servings: 6
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Banana Nut Bread
If you don't eat bananas quickly enough, they go brown and squishy all over. At this point they can be used to make banana nut bread or mashed and frozen for future breads.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture, stirring until mixed. Stir in banana and nuts, and mix well.
Pour into a well-greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan (standard bread loaf pan). Bake for 50 minutes, uncovered, or until done. Remove from pan immediately and let cool on rack, then wrap and store overnight.
Servings: About 12 slices