Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam) with Grilled Squid and Shrimp

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So we've been cooking quite a bit of chicken dishes lately, as shown in the last 5 or 6 entries of this blog. Time to move on to something different.

Green papaya salad, as you would suspect, is healthy, light, and refreshing. Add squid and shrimp to the salad, and you got yourself a complete lunch you won't feel guilty about.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded/julienned green papaya*
• 1 medium carrot, shredded/julienned
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-5 red Thai chiles (depending on how spicy you want your salad to be)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus 1 tablespoons for squid and shrimp
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (Nam Pla)
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar (use brown sugar for substitute)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fried onions
• 3 tablespoons cracked peanuts
• 10 medium sized shrimp, shelled, tail still intact
• 10 pieces of squid, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Place shrimp on 2 skewers, and squid on another 2 skewers. Mix olive oil with 1 tablespoon lime juice and brush over squid and shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until done (squid will cook very quick, do not over cook), cool down. Remove seafood from skewers. Set aside.
• Place green papaya, carrot, and tomatoes in a large salad bowl. Using a mortar, crush red chile peppers and garlic into a paste. Add lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and whisk together until combined. Pour the dressing over salad, toss together to combine. 
• Separate salad into individual plates. Sprinkle with cilantro, basil, fried onions, and cracked peanuts. Serve with grilled squid and shrimp.

* I found that the best method to do this is by using a mandolin (which frankly, I both love and hate!). Large cheese grater doesn't produce the beautiful noodle-like look I was aiming for. If your mandolin doesn't have small julienne attachment, simply slice your papaya thinly and proceed to julienne using a sharp knife. It takes time but it's worth the effort.

Make sure you wear hand protection (thick glove, etc) when operating mandolin. This bugger is the most dangerous kitchen item I own. Lost skin on my knuckles many times, no thanks to it!

Serve 4 as main dish

Szechuan Chicken Wings with Explosive Chile

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Spices 3 in Oakland, is one of the very few places we like to go to enjoy some spicy Szechuan food in Bay Area. One of the dishes that we order almost religiously there is chicken wings with explosive chile. 

Crispy fried chicken wings dusted with spice and smothered in dried chile peppers is out-of-this-world delicious and we just can't get enough of this.

Last week we went to this restaurant and after seeing my kids cleaned 2 orders of chicken wings in 10 minutes (and still begged for more!), I decided that maybe it's time for me to make an attempt to replicate the dish. I don't want to dip into our retirement account only to satisfy my family's need for chicken wings!

What do I know, I found this recipe from Chef Danny Bowien of San Francisco's Mission Chinese Food online and I thought I hit the jackpot!

So today was the perfect day to do this.

Rugby Sevens was playing and my family seemed to to have their eyes glued to the TV. A bucket full of spicy chicken wings, and everybody's as happy as clams.

Ingredients:

• About 2 quarts of canola oil
• 3 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and midsections (or flats), wings tips discarded
• Kosher salt
• 1 star anise pod
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 cup dried red Chinese chiles, or dried Arbol chiles
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled. very thinly sliced, then thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

• Pour 2 inches of the oil into a Dutch oven or large, heavy bottomed pot. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 300 F on a deep-frying/candy thermometer.
• Working in batches of 6 to 7 pieces, fry the chicken wings in oil, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the temperature of 300 F, until the skin is opaque but not browned, about 3 to 5 minutes (the wings will not be cooked though). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the wings to a large bowl and toss with generous amount of salt. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• When all of the wings are fried, let them cool completely. Cover the baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours or overnight. Set the oil aside to use later.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 F and arrange the rack int he middle. Place the star anise, red pepper flakes, cumin, and peppercorns in a single layer on a baking sheet, and toast until fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool completely. Using the spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, grind into fine powder; set aside.
• Place the chiles in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until slightly darkened and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes; set aside to cool.
• When ready to serve, set the reserved frying oil over medium-high heat and bring to 350 F on a deep-frying/candy thermometer. Working in batches of 6 to 7 frozen wing pieces, fry, turning the wings occasionally, and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a temperature of 350 F, until the wings are cooked through, golden brown, and crispy, about 6 minutes.
• Immediately transfer each batch to a large bowl, season with salt and 1 teaspoon of the spice blend, and toss to coat. Place on a serving dish and repeat with the remaining wings.
• When all the wings are cooked, place the reserved chiles, ginger, 1 teaspoon of the spice blend, and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in the large bowl and toss to combine. Scatter the mixture over the chicken wings and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

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I don't really remember when was the first time I tried chicken piccata, but I think it was in Seattle. I fell in love with it instantly.

But then again, it's pan-fried chicken breasts served with rich lemon caper sauce. What not to like?

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Cooked pasta

Directions:

• Using a mallet, pound the chicken breasts until slightly flatten. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge both sides of chicken in flour. Shake off the excess flour. 
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and oil in a large skillet. Fry chicken breasts in hot oil, about 5 minutes each side, until cooked through and golden brown in color. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate.
• Add the remaining butter to the skillet, add garlic and capers. Add lemon juice, wine, and chicken stock, bring to boil, scraping off the brown bits from the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper. 
• Return chicken breasts to the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Transfer chicken to a large plate, pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with cooked pasta.

Cucumber Salad with Cilantro Lime Honey Dressing

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Ingredients:

• 2 large cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 
• Juice from 1 medium sized lime, about 4 tablespoons
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
• Salt

Directions:

• Slice the cucumber thinly (use a sharp knife or a mandolin). Transfer cucumber slices in a large colander, add about 1 tablespoon of salt, mix thoroughly. Place colander in the kitchen sink and leave it for 30 minutes to allow the excess water from the cucumber to drain. Rinse the cucumber with cold water and lay them on paper towel.
• In mixing bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, cilantro, red chili flakes, and mustard seeds until well mixed. Add cucumber into the dressing and toss together.
• Keep salad in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to marinate before serving.

Orange Chicken

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Gotta say, that after one hectic day of driving the kids all over town, after dealing with some bad drivers and rude people, nothing is better that sitting down for dinner with the family at the end of the day, enjoying some good meal and share a good laugh or two.

Ingredients:
For the chicken nuggets/chunks:

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying

For the sauce:

• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Chinese rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• White pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 stalk green onion, chopped

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan to 375 F. 
• In a large mixing bowl, mix cornstarch, baking soda, salt and pepper until well blended. Dip chicken pieces into beaten egg, and roll in cornstarch mixture until well coated. Fry chicken pieces in hot oil until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel to drain the excess oil and set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add garlic, ginger, orange zest and red chili flakes, cook until fragrant. Add rice vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, chicken stock and sugar into the saucepan. Bring the sauce to boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with white pepper.
• Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add into the sauce and stir to mix. Continue cooking for another minute, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat.
• Place fried chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add sauce into the bowl, toss until the chicken is coated in sauce. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onion to serve.

Baked Chicken Flautas

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Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (your leftover rotisserie chicken works wonderfully in this recipe)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar/Monterey Jack
• 20 corn tortillas
• Cilantro sprigs
• Lime wedges
• Salsa, Guacamole, sour cream, and hot sauce for serving (optional)

Directions:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally until onion turns translucent and fragrant. Add shredded chicken into the skillet, season with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the stove and cool down
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place some very warm water in a large bowl. Dip one corn tortilla into warm water a few second until it turns pliable (don't skip this step as your tortilla will be brittle and will crack when you roll it). Transfer the tortilla to a work plate, place about one heaping tablespoon of chicken on the lower half of the tortilla. Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon of cheese on top of the chicken, and roll the tortilla all the way up. Place rolled tortilla on a lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until brown and crispy. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve warm with condiment of your choice (salsa, Guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce).