Banana Blossom and Chicken Stir-Fry

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Banana blossom aka banana heart aka banana flower, is not an ingredient you would normally find in your local grocery store. But if you live near an Asian grocery store, you might see some fresh ones in the produce section. A widely popular ingredient in Southeast Asian and Indian cuisine, banana blossom's mild flavor works wonderfully in salad, stir-fry, or curry.

The knowledge to prepare banana blossom for the dish is somehow crucial. Make sure you follow every step, so you don't end up with discolored blossom that leaves unpleasant bitter taste in your mouth.
If you do it right, this is the delicious dish that might make more than one appearance at your dining table.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana blossom
• 4 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (if not available, substitute with 1 tablespoon fish sauce)
• 2 red Jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix cold water and white vinegar, and set aside. Peel the tough purple outer layers of banana blossom until you reach the pinkish-creamy color part of the blossom. Split the blossom in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise as thinly as possible. Transfer banana blossom slices immediately to the bowl with vinegar water. Soak the blossom for 1 hour, up to 2 hours. This process will prevent the blossom from turning brown, and also will get rid of the bitterness. Drain  and rinse with cold water before cooking.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, shrimp paste, Jalapeños, and lemongrass into the skillet and cook for a few minutes. Add ground chicken to the skillet, breaking up the chunks with the wooden spatula while stirring. Continue cooking until the chicken is crumbly and no longer pink.
• Add banana blossom and chicken stock into the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the blossom is tender and the stock is absorbed. 
• Serve warm with steamed rice, if desired.

Rosemary Lime Roasted Chicken Thighs

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Really??

My last blog entry was in March. How lazy am I?

But summer is almost here. My rowdy teenagers have two more weeks of school, then the school break is here. I'm telling you, I'm psyched about it.

Finally I would have time to sit down and relax a little bit, get inspired to try some new recipes I've been meaning to do in the past few months, read books, and maybe some beach time here and there. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

The first half of 2015 passed by so quickly. Everybody has been busy doing something (except Stuey the crazy Dale, he spends half of his day napping and the other half begging for food), dinnertime is the only time our family can sit down and be together, then they're off to do homework or whatever else. Most days, I have one hour to cook dinner, if I'm lucky.
So needless to say, dish like this roasted chicken thighs is a lifesaver. It's quick, it's super easy, and it's definitely tasty.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 green onion, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

• In a bowl whisk together olive oil, mustard, garlic, lime juice, rosemary, salt and pepper until well combined. Transfer marinade to a large sealable freezer bag. Add chicken thighs to the bag, seal and shake to coat. Place freezer bag in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Preheat the broiler. Take out the chicken and lay them on broiler pan, skin side up. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, then broil the chicken until the skin turns golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. 
• Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F. Continue roasting until the thermometer temperature reaches 165 F. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, garnish with sliced green onion.