Chicken Empanadas

The chinese has dumplings, the Portuguese/Indonesians/Angolans have pastel. The Spaniards have empanadas.

I made this little cuties for Christmas entree and boy, were they delicious!!

It took quite a lot of work, nothing too difficult, and if you spread the work over few days, it is very doable.

Recipe courtesy of Crumbly Cookie.

Day 1: The filling
Ingredients:

* 3 large chicken thighs, 3 large chicken drumsticks. Skin on, pat dry.
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp black pepper
* 1/4 tsp chilli powder
* 2 large onions, diced
* 2 large cloves garlic, minced
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/3 cup diced chorizo
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
* 1/2 cup chicken broth

How to:
* Season the dried chicken with salt, pepper & chilli powder. Heat up oil in a deep skillet with cover, cook the chicken (skin side down). Do not disturb, touch & turn, until brown. Turn to other side. Once brown on both sides, set aside.

* Onto the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, bay leaves. Cook until onions are soft, before adding the chorizo. Let it cook for 1 min, then add the raisins, wine & chicken broth. Let it boil, while continuing to stir and scrapping the bottom. Add back the chicken and cover. Cook for 30 mins, and turn the chicken only once.

* After 30 mins, the juice of the chicken + broth + wine mixture should be thick and creamy. Turn off fire, and transfer chicken et all to a clean plate to cool down. Once it's cool enough to handle, peel off the chicken skin, de-bone and then roughly diced the meat.

* Transfer meat, sauce et all into a container. Covered and store in fridge for the next day. Fight the temptation to eat it, I know it's really good.

Day 2: Doing the dough
Ingredients:
* 4.5 C all purp. flour
* 3 tsp salt
* 227 gr of butter, cold
* 2 large eggs
* 2/3 cup ice water
* 2 tbsp white vinegar

How to:
* In a large bowl, mix in the flour & salt. Using your hand, incorporate the butter until it turns crumbly (pea size).

* In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, water & vinegar. Add into the flour mixture until just incorporated. The mixture will be extremely wet.

* Onto a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a little. Gently. Cut into 4 of equal portion. Keep on freezer for at least 1 hour before you start working on it.

Day 2/3/4/ .. : after freezing the dough for at least 1 hour
* Preheat oven 200 C

* Prepare the egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp water + a pinch of salt. Whisk in a small bowl.

* Work in batches. Take out 1/4 of the dough from your freezer. Mold into a ball and flatten it. Cut into 8 pieces of equal size. Flatten each piece, scoop 1.5 tsp of filling, and fold.

* Use back of fork to close it. And brush with egg wash.

* Bake for about 20-25 mins till golden brown.

Caramel Roast Chicken

Caramel Roast Chicken (serve 2)

Ingredients:
* 1 chicken breast meat, cubed
* 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced.
* 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (you can use balsamic vinegar but taste would be milder)
* 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
* 2-3 tbsp soy oil
* 1 tsp scallion, for garnishing

How to:
* Preheat oven to 220 C.

* In a bowl, add in the chicken cubed and the onion. Mix with red wine vinegar & soya sauce. Let it sit in fridge for about 15-20 mins.

* Add in 2-3 tbsp soy oil. Toss until all chicken are well coated then transfer to oven proof baking dish.

* Bake for 15 mins till done (but not too dry). Garnish with scallions.

Voila. H loves it so much. He would dip his bread and ignore me completely. And I'm a happy wife.

Let the holidays begin!

NYC Street Cart Chicken and Rice with White Sauce

Few winters ago YIKES!! It was (only) February last year, H and I decided to meet in NYC to buy my engagement ring. I would be flying in from Atlanta after my work trip and he would be flying from Sanaa, Yemen. I made sure that I would fly in to the same airport as H, that our flights would land on roughly about the same time. We calculated that we would just take the airport train to Hoboken (New Jersey) to our aparthotel by the Hudson. All within day light.

What we didn't calculated however that my flight (the flight before mine and the 3 flights after mine) would be cancelled because of the snowstorm. The domestic airplane is typically small hence rendering it pliable to heavy winds, rain and snow. H's flight however was 7-hour transatlantic flight, hence he took off and landed as scheduled. So when we finally met, it was close to 8 hours after the planned timing. The sky has turned dark and the night has fallen by the time we stepped off Hoboken.

We knew that our aparthotel is only 5 mins walk from the train station, by the river side but we lost our ways, even after asking direction from so many people. We probably waddled our way through in calf-high snow for only half an hour, but it certainly felt like years. I was drenched, cold and tired. But H persevered, grabbed my luggage and continued walking. To say that we walked through a storm that night will not be an exaggeration.

However after a very bad beginning, we had a lovely time in New York albeit stressful. Broadway, shopping, diamond district and of course, Zagat. We had our fills of the greatest food in New York, from Zagat and Michelin to street cart food. And today, I want to cook something that reminds us of that particular trip that ended with us engaged 3 weeks later and married 4 months after. We are ever so-efficient! :)

[ Hello Eloise! ]

NYC Street Cart Chicken and Rice with White Sauce (serves 2)

Original recipe is from Serious Eats (and Gilt Taste) here.

[a] Preparing the chicken

[ pardon my bite, can't fight the temptation ]

* 2 chicken thighs, de-skin and de-bone (roungly about 300 gr)

* 1 tbsp lemon juice

* 1 tsp dried oregano

* 1 tsp of chopped cilantro

* 1 tsp coriander powder

* 1 big clove of garlic, minced

* 4 tbsp olive oil

How to: 

* [Marinating the Chicken] Mix all the ingredients with food processor or pestle and mortar till it becomes a smooth paste, then coat the chicken with half of the paste. Marinate at least 1.5 hour. 

* [Cooking the chicken] Over a pan, spray with some oil, brown the chicken on all sides. Do not over turn/ disturb them too much. Once they are brown, coat them with the other half of the paste. Put it back into fridge. 

***

[b] Making the white sauce

* 4 tbsp mayonaise

* half of yogurt cup

* 1 tbsp lemon

* salt, pepper

* 1 tsp sugar

* 2 tsp white vinegar

How to: 

Mix everything and let it chill in the fridge.

***

[c] Preparing the rice

* basmati rice enough for 2 person, washed and drained

* 2 tbsp butter

* a pinch of cumin seeds

* 1 tsp of turmeric powder

* water (double amount of rice. so ratio of water to rice is 2 : 1) Note: I found basmati/long grain rice needs more water than my usual short grain rice.

* 1 cube chicken bullion

* some green peas (for colour)

How to:

* On a heavy bottom pan, melt the butter, add in the cumin seeds & turmeric powder. Stir fry for about 1 minute before adding the rice.

* Coat the rice with the butter mixture and let it toast for few more mins before adding water & the chicken bullion. Cover and let it cook until rice is tender. 

* Add in the peas and stir fry for another 2-3 mins then turn off the fire. Cover and let it rest. 

***

[d] Putting them all together

* Take chicken out from the fridge, return it into skillet together with their juices and marinate sauce. Cook them a little bit more until heated through.

* Divide the rice onto two plates and pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with white sauce (and some hot tabasco sauce, if you want). 

I burnt my rice while typing this post, hence I need to supplement our lunch with some tortillas. Duh!

***

Note: You can also use pita bread instead, put some lettuce on top, before you pile on the rice & chicken, top with some slices of tomatoes, cucumber and what have you. 

Enjoy! 

Butter Chicken Take 2

"Houston, Houston.. we have a problem." said a voice from the toilet.
"What problem?" I asked
"We haven't been eating butter chicken for a long time.." said the voice again.
"Ok, this weekend we will buy the ingredients." I promised
"Ok Houston. Roger and out."

Original recipe is from Rasa Malaysia. I did the first version with Turkey here, but I didn't grill the meat. So this time round I browned it using a stove top.

Butter Chicken a la Rasa Malaysia (serve 2)

Ingredients:

[a] Chicken Marinade

* 350 gr chicken breast meat, cubed

* 1/2 cup plain yogurt (about 1 1/2 yogurt cup)

* 1 tbsp Chicken tandoori masala

* 1/2 lemon juice

* 1 tsp minced garlic

* 1 tsp ginger

* salt & red chilli powder to taste

[b] Chicken Gravy

* 1.5 tbsp butter

* 1 cinnamon stick

* 1 clove

* 1 cardamom, bruised

* 2 ripe tomatoes, blended

* 1 tsp tomato paste

* 1 tsp fenugreek leaves (I subs. with a pinch of fenugreek seed)

* 1 tsp honey

* 1 tsp Garam Masala

* 125 ml thick cream

How to:

* [Preparing the chicken marinade] add all ingredients and marinate overnight. 

* Brown the chicken pieces in griller or in my case, I used stove top. Set aside.

* [Preparing the chicken gravy]  Melt the butter, add in the cinnamon stick, clove and cardamom. Stir fry for a minute before adding the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Half cover, over small fire, to let it cook until the tomatoes turn dry a little with the oil forming at the top.

* Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the chicken and any remaining chicken marinade you have. Cook for another 10-15 mins. 

A personal note: The first time I did it, I didn't wait until the tomatoes have dried up properly (as per instruction), rendering a 'wet' butter chicken. We loved the taste and everything but my maiden attempt didn't look anywhere near Rasa Malaysia's. So this time round, I made sure they are cooked until it is dry. And thick :) I absolutely adore this version, but H likes when it's wetter. He prefers the first version. 

Baked Chicken Spring Roll

I like my spring rolls baked, not fried. More waist-friendly. 

Extremely crunchy just with a smudge of oil on your fingers :)

Baked Chicken Spring Roll (10 rolls)

Ingredients

french beans, sliced slanted

grated carrots, some bean sprouts

2 cloves garlic, minced

(not shown) 3 dried shiitake mushroom, soaked for few hours till soft, then minced

(not shown) 1/2 scallion, sliced

(not shown) 1 chicken breast meat

1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt

Pepper
10 spring roll wrapper

How to

(not shown) rub the chicken breast meat with OO, S+P and baked for 20 mins (10 mins each side).

When it's cool to handle, shred them and set aside. 

In a pan, heat up some oil and add in the garlic till fragrant, add in the mushroom.

After a minute or so, add in the rest of ingredients.

Season with 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp salt + some pepper

Add in some chicken seasoning if desired.

Once all vegetables have turned soft, turn off the fire and cool the ingredients.

Because I wanted to share this with my vegetarian neighbour, I set aside the vegetable before mixing the rest with the shredded chicken. 

Preheat oven to 180 C, while you start folding the spring roll. 

Spray with some oil and bake for 15 mins on each side

Or till brown. 

Serve with nuoc cham.

(3 tbsp lime juice + 2 tbsp sugar + 1/2 C water + 2.5 tbsp fish sauce)

Chicken Chilaquiles

H and I love Mexican food. Whenever we travel out of Angola, we'll purposely hunt down restaurants by their cuisines. It's not as if you can't find taco shells or tortillas in Angola, but you must be willing to pay a high price for it as well. And in our grand scheme, no matter how much we love food, paying an Angolan price is never one of them.

But one reckless day, I decided to splurge a little bit and bought some corn tortillas and make chicken chilaquiles for lunch :)

Chicken Chilaquiles (serves 2)

First, make the shredded chicken. 

Set oven to 200 C. In a baking pan, coat a chicken breast meat with salt, chili powder  & olive oil.

Bake for 20 mins. Turning the meat halfway if it's a thick one.

Once it's cool enough to handle, shred the meat.

Secondly, the salsa. 

Dump 2 tomatoes, 1/4 onion, 1 green chili (deseed, if needed), bunch of cilantro, salt & lemon juice into your food processor. Process till desired texture. Set aside.

Putting it all together..

Brown the tortillas on both sides

Spread the mayonaise

Put a big leaf of lettuce

Add the shredded chicken

Add shredded cheese

Add salsa

et pour moi, some dollop of chili :)

Carefully fold into half moon, use a knife to aid you if necessary.

 Voila. H loved it so much that we're going to buy more tortillas :)
Next time we'll do a mince beef version

Have a great weekend!

Day 19: Chicken Curry Puff

Now that my classes have resumed and I'm on the road for most afternoons with back-to-back appointments, I need a snack to keep me calm and less neurotic during commuting. H says I'm at my worst behavior when I'm hungry. And isn't curry puff the perfect company? :)

H doesn't know what Old Chang Kee is, nor what curry puff is. But he could ate them as snack, main and dessert. Heh :)
I followed the recipe from Bee Yinn Low's Rasa Malaysia to the T. Well, not exactly, because I added egg in mine. Nyeh nyeh nyeh.. just to feel closer to my good ole Chang Kee. As usual, I didn't have all the required ingredients, but when does that ever stop me?

Chicken Curry Puff (make 34 curry puffs)

Ingredients:
[a] Filling
* 2 large boiled potatoes, diced
* 1 medium red onion, diced
* 2 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp chicken masala, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder. Mixed.
* 1/2 cup diced chicken (breast) meat
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp black pepper
* 3-4 tbsp OO
* 2 boiled eggs, mashed/chopped roughly

[b] The Pastry
* 450 gr all purpose flour (I used T55)
* 140 gr butter
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/2 tsp salt

How to:
* [Making the filling] Heat up the pan & the oil, and brown the onion till soft & fragrant.

* Add in the curry powder mixes, stir well. Add in the chicken & the remaining seasoning. Half way done, add in the egg and stir. Cook until the chicken is done, but not too dry. Taste & adjust. Set aside to cool.

* [Making the pastry] Half melt the butter in the microwave. In a large bowl, sift the flour & salt, mix before adding the butter. Add the water in batches. You may or may not use all of the water. Knead with your hand (or if you have a stand in food processor, lucky you. Use the paddle) until it is well incorporated. Set aside, go take shower and come back in 30 mins.

* [Putting all together] Once well incorporated, start shaping them into a ball of 2-3 cm diameter. Using the rolling pin, flatten them to about 3mm thick, and lay them over your mold. Fill in (not too full) and clasp them back into shape. (Or if you don't have one of those mold, good luck in pleating till dawn)

* Fry till golden.

Note to self: I would like to try adding 1 egg yolk and reduce the quantity of the water next time. To see if it can improve the colour a little bit.

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Pendant l'absence de H, j'ai vu beaucoup de télé, particulièrement Jamie Oliver's 30 minute de repas. J'etais excite par son fritata, voudrait faire une avec l'impatience. Donc ce soir, j'ai fait un chicken pot pie a la Fritata de Jamie. Avec pâte feuilletée. 

***
During H's absence, I watched a lot of tv, particularly JO's 30 minutes meal. I was so excited about his fritata, can't wait to do one. With puff pastry!

Although we both were very pleased with the result, it ain't pretty looking. Not something that I can bring to a dinner party. I found my chicken cream is tad too liquid, but H seemed to adore the fact he can dip and soak his bread with it. I purposely didn't do a thick creamy version. It's dinner after all, nothing too heavy for us.

I certainly will do it again and again and again until I can fold the puff pastry perfectly.

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry (2 pax)

Ingredients:
* 4 puff pastry sheets
* 1 medium carrot, diced
* 1 small onion, diced
* 2 celery sticks, diced
* 5 button mushroom, sliced thinly
* 1/2 C shredded chicken breast. More if you prefer
* 2 tbsp flour
* 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp Olive oil
* 1/2 C to 1 C of chicken broth (I used the broth from my green chilly shredded chicken)
* 1/2 C shredded cheddar

How to:

* Preheat your oven to 175 C.

* (Preparing the cream chicken) In a pot, heat up the butter & OO, add in the carrots, onions & celery. Cook till soft about 5-10 mins.

* Ladle in some chicken broth if it's too dry. Otherwise, add in the flour & whisk till incorporated. Then ladle some more broth to your desired consistency. Add in the mushroom & chicken (you can add corn here if you like. H doesn't eat corn). Taste and add seasoning (salt, pepper, etc).

* (Preparing the puff pastry) Prepare a parchment paper with a size larger than your pie plate. I used a 9" plate and hence tear about 11x11" parchment paper. Scrunch it up into a ball, and put it under running water till it soaks up & soften. Using your palm, flatten it on a flat surface.

* Once the parchment paper is flat, lay over the first pastry sheet. Dab some OO all over it. Repeat for the 2nd one. Lay over the 3rd one 2 inches slightly upward & to the left than the first one. The idea is to create some excess with which you're going to fold on top of the pie, and serve as "cover". Lay over the 4th one slightly downward and to the right. Once you're happy with your enlarged puff pastry, lift everything incl. the parchment paper and lay it over your pie plate right in the middle. Push them in and follow the shape of your pie plate.

* Scatter half of your cheddar on your pie before pouring in the cream chicken. Top with the remaining of the cheddar.

* Carefully fold or pleat the pastry sheet and "close" the pie. Brush the top with some oil or butter. Bake for 15 mins or till golden brown. I also tear the excess parchment paper at this stage.

Like I said, I'm not perfectly happy with the pleating and folding of my pot pie, but for home cooking, it works :) H happily did the dishes afterwards. Yay!!

Green Chilli Shredded Chicken

Sometimes all you need is a chicken and some green chillies :)

Recipe is courtesy of Nugraha Family here and here's how I did mine.

Green Chilli Shredded Chicken (3-4 pax as a side dish)

Ingredients:
[A] Chicken marinate
* 2 chicken thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 chicken wings
* 3 cloves of garlic, smashed/ pounded
* 1 tsp coriander powder
* 2 tsp sugar (I used light brown sugar)
* 2 tsp salt

[B] Chilli sauce
* 7 large green chilli, roughly chopped
* 5 green chilli padi
* 5 cloves garlic, roughly cut/chopped
* 10 red onion, roughly cut/chopped
* 1 large green tomato (I didn't have green tomato, but used normal red tomatoes but with skin removed)
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp sugar (I used light brown sugar)
* 1 tsp terasi (dried shrimp paste)
* 1 lime
* 5 kaffir lime leaves

How to:
* (Chicken) Put all ingredients in [A] into a pot and fill with water until it covers the chicken. Boiled till done and set aside. Do not throw away the wonderful broth, you can re-use it.

* When the chicken is cool enough to handle, use your hand and shredded the meat. Throw away the skin and any other gunk. Set aside.

* (Chilli sauce) Heat up 3 tbs of oil and cook the large green chilli, chilli padi, garlic, onion and tomato till soft. Then using food processor, mashed them to your desired consistency. It's better when it's a little bit coarse.

* Heat up a little bit more oil before you put the mashed ingredients back into the pan. Add the salt, sugar, terasi and lime. Bunch/fold/tear the kaffir lime leaves before adding into the pan. Cook till you can smell the leaves.

* Add the shredded chicken and mix well. Taste and adjust to your liking :)

Enjoy it over warm rice. But just so you know, I overfed myself. This is soooo addictive.

n.b. You can just do the chilli sauce and use it as sauce on the side. Selamat makan!

Day 14: Prata with Chicken Vindaloo

H has been chanting Butter Chicken since that lunch. But I don't feel like remaking that dish right now. I was in the experimenting mood. So one friday night, I decided to marinate some chicken and prepare the prata dough.

Recipe for prata is here.

Recipe for chicken vindaloo is here. 

Most Indians that I've met originated from southern part of the country, so it's not surprising that I'm more familiar with the southern dishes (having been invited to their dinner tables), at least in terms of names. For the love of food, I can't tell the difference between north vs. south. All I know that my southern indians friends are more open to eating seafood (given their geography) as compared to say, Pakistan or certain northern Indian friends(!!!). And contrary to popular belief, Chicken Tikka Masala is not their national dish. It is Britain's national dish, however, as I'm told. 

Verdict:

The prata dough, though requires a pair of strong arms and patience, was good. It's not difficult, just tough. H massaged my shoulders as I massaged the dough. But true to its promise, the dough can make a decent 8 pratas, or in our case, 8 murtabak. I stuffed them with cheese, egg, onion and (ahem) chorizo. 

The chicken vindaloo was much more thinner than I'd like it to be. Maybe I didn't do it correctly, but I eventually added about 2-4 tbsp of cream to make it thicker (I was in a race to use my President cream before the bacteria takes over, but you can use milk). I added a lot more salt & some sugar. It's just our tastebud. But it was good! I felt I'm transported back home :)

H still chants for Butter chicken, but at least this will keep him quiet for some time. 

Super Rugby Sunday Bash: Chicken Finger

H is a fan of rugby. So big that he'll wake up at 6.30am to watch a 7am game over the weekend. As a start, he rarely wakes up before noon if I let him be.

And as a doting wife (that I am), I prepare a snack the way Guy's Big Bite prepares for SuperBowl Final. With gusto and even bigger bite.

So while H was glued to the tv supporting South Africa, I prepared my uber reliable chicken finger. I made it often enough that I can contest French, American, Brit, Slovenian's sole complaint is not enough. Sorry lah!

Original recipe is from the now famous Pioneer Woman. You can find it here.  And here are my modifications:

* I made my own buttermilk, by using 1 cup milk - 1 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar. Let it sit for 15 mins before mixing with the chicken.

* I usually pound my chicken, to tenderize the meat & better absorb the milk marinade. Usually.

* My secret is thyme. I add heaps of thyme into the final flour batter. It tastes great, looks great & smells great. Trust me on this.

* I put them in oven. My best friend.

As for the sauce, this is how H likes it:
1 tbsp mayonaise + 1 tsp Maille dijon moutard + 1 tsp Heinz ketchup + 1/2 tsp minced onion + a dash of red wine vinegar + salt + pepper.

et.. voila! Crispy crispy chicken finger.

Like a cattle being fed before slaughter, I'm prepping him with his fave before the big challenge tonight: Tofu.

"Look! Look! He winked at me."
"What? Who?"
"The Springbok's captain."
"How do you know?
"I looked at him, he looked at me. And he winked."

Day 2: Lemongrass Chicken

After rain, my second favourite smell on earth is possibly lemongrass on oil. I miss eating Thai food a lot ever since I married H. Possibly my favourite cuisine after Chinese. Heck, who am I trying to kid here??? I love vietnamese, korean and Indonesian food too.. I just love eating. Period.

Recipe is from here.
Slight modifications made on lemon substitute (instead of lime), the number of chilli I used, and the lack of red gorgeous chilli. Sigh, the things we gotta live without.

Verdict: Hip hip hoorayy!! This is a recipe that I'll shamelessly claim as my own. Haha.. Kidding aside, every thai lover should try making this every other day. H loves it so much that he pro-actively sms me to let me know!

He even told me to use the lemon, because without it, it doesn't taste as good. What a surprise, coming from someone who doesn't really like lemon, beyond uber sweet lemonade!

Afterthought: I shall brown the chicken a lot more, more enticing and inviting that way.

Day 1: Ayam Goreng Laos

Aka Galangal Fried Chicken. I think Galangal is actually Laos, instead of Lengkuas. Whaddaya think?
Recipe is from here. No modification at all (I'm no michelin chef)

Verdict: successful (very successful if I may say, since H hardly asks for more unless it's good).
To create un repas complet, I paired it with green beans & brown rice. You'll soon see, H & I are health-freaks.

p/s: H always, I repeat ALWAYS, demands dessert. Below is another look of his lunch. Him being a good boy, ate only 2 out of the 3 carrot muffins.