Abie's Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

When I told my sister Abie that I was staring a food blog she was excited for me. Then when she saw all of the delicious food that I was making she wanted to get into the blogging action. Here is her recipe for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of oil
1 pound of ground chicken
1 can sliced water chestnut
1 package of mixed mushrooms (Shiitake, Bella, and Oyster)
1 small chopped onion
5 cloves chopped garlic
Bibb or Butter lettuce leaves separated for wraps

Special Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:
To make the special sauce combine all of the ingredients and refrigerate till you are ready to eat. To prepare the stir fry sauce combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Chop the water chestnuts, onion, and mushrooms into the size of small peas. Mince the garlic. In a hot pan or wok heat the oil and saute the chicken until done. Add the vegetables, garlic, a tablespoon of oil, and stir fry sauce to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. saute this for a couple of minutes. Assemble the lettuce, meat and sauce. To make it more of a meal, my sister added bean sprouts and made some jasmati rice.

She said her inspiration was a dish at PF Chang's. This is a dish that is very common amongst Chinese restaurants so its no wonder she had it at PF Chang's. Enjoy Everyone!

re-fried beans

I love re-fried beans. Especially when I mix them with the rice they usually serve you at a Mexican style restaurant. Making re-fried beans in your kitchen does not have to be super difficult and does not have to be reheated canned re-fried beans. Here is the ingredient list

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans

a clove of garlic

a chopped onion

teaspoon of cumin

1/2 cup of salsa

one beer

2 strips of a bacon cut 

water

tablespoon of oregano

tablespoon of chili garlic paste

Note: If you are a vegetarian you can make the same recipe by omitting the bacon and replacing it with some vegetable oil.

Method:

cut the bacon into strips and cook the bacon. When the bacon is browned, add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes put in the chili garlic paste, the chopped clove of garlic, teaspoon of cumin, and the tablespoon of oregano. Cook that for 2 minutes. While this is cooking for another 2 minutes, drain and rinse the 2 cans of black beans. When the black beans are rinsed add them to the pot. Stir the beans around so they come into contact with all of the spices and other ingredients. I then add the beer, a half of cup of water, and the 1/2 cup of salsa. Bring this to boil and cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes. After ten minutes start mashed the beans with a potato masher. Mash the beans until they become creamy and are fully broken down. When the come to a thick consistency they are done. Serve with cheese, rice, chicken, make molletes, tostadas, the possibilities are endless with these re-fried beans. Enjoy!

Choripan

Choripan is a very typical of dish indigenous to South American countries like Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The name comes from the two ingredients that it is made out of chorizo(Sausage) and pan( bread). This is a simple sandwich that is served on street like as a quick bite to eat or the last bite to eat after a night of too much drinking.

Ingredients:
Chorizo
Bread. (I usually use a sub roll or a hot dog bun)

Method:
Cook the chorizo in water for about 8-10 minutes. Then if you desire to crispy up the skin, brown the sausage in a pan with some oil. When the chorizo is done put it on the bread and you have Choripan. This is ridiculously easy to make so if you claim this is hard well then I cannot help you with that. Enjoy!

Cookin Wit Austin: chili chicken with potatoes

I hang out a lot at my friend's apartment. So when my friend Austin came rushing in at 10 tonight having not eaten dinner he wanted me to help him figure out what to eat. He showed me what he had and I figured we make something good with what he had. Ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients:

1 onion sliced

one sliced red pepper

tablespoon of chili flake

2 tablespoons of adobo

2 tablespoons of paprika

tablespoon of chili powder 

chicken legs

tablespoon of sesame oil

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Potatoes

 Method:

Combine the sesame oil with the olive oil and saute the onions for 2 minutes. Then I add one tablespoon of adobo. I cook that for a minute before adding the peppers and the chicken legs. I let the chicken legs brown on both sides before putting 3 cups of water to the pot. I brought that to a boil and then put it at a simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes at a simmer I add quartered potatoes. I let that simmer for 20 minutes. After that the dish is the ready to eat. This is a great by itself or you could have a salad on the side if you want. It is very spicy so if you love spicy food this is for you. 

Enjoy!

BBQ Grilled Chicken

If I were to name a dish that would be truly an American delight besides the Cheeseburger would have to be Barbecue Chicken. Barbecue is truly an American culinary delight. Almost all Americans have a special place in their hearts and stomachs for Barbecue Chicken. The chicken is smothered in sauce and then grilled, broiled, or baked. This dish might be what unites Americans besides the hamburger. Since I do not posses a grill, I grilled the chicken using a George Foreman Grill. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Chicken thighs
A cup of BBQ

Method:
The day before you know you want BBQ Chicken, I marinate the chicken overnight in BBQ sauce. I like to use Sweet Baby Ray's, but you can use the sauce of your choice. I then grilled the chicken after it had marinated overnight. It cooked for about 8-10 minutes. Serve with what ever you want. I had my chicken with some grapes, but you can serve with steamed vegetables, rice, pasta, or cornbread. It is a very easy recipe if you follow the directions. Enjoy!

Chicken Schnitzel

Here is a simple dish that you can make easily. Schnitzel can be made out of chicken, turkey, pork, veal, or beef. The key though is that the meat should be very thin. Here is the ingredient list:
Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs or breasts
flour
an egg
chili powder
breadcrumbs
oil
salt
pepper
toasted sesame seeds

Method:

First pound the meat so that it flattens out.  Then prepare a breading station. In one bowl combine the flour, chili powder, pepper, and salt. In the second bowl whisk the egg with some hot sauce and water. In the third bowl place the toasted sesame seeds and breadcrumbs. When the chicken is breaded, I fry them in a frying pan with a little bit oil on the bottom of the pan. I pan fry the schnitzel because thats the way I learned how to make it. I also pan-fried  the schnitzel because I do not own a deep-fryer. Fry the schnitzel for about 5-6 minutes per side on medium heat. I served the schnitzel on top of a salad with tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, celery, and Parmesan cheese. This is a great meal that is simple to make. So If you have trouble in the kitchen, try this recipe and I guarantee if you follow my recipe you will have a delicious and easy dinner. Enjoy!!

spicy chicken tacos

I love tacos. This is something that most people should know. I dont know anyone who doesn't like a good taco and I don't mean Taco Bell. Tonight I made these chicken tacos for dinner and they are spicy and delicious.

Recipe:
3 chicken thighs, deboned and cubed
one onion sliced
tablespoon of chili garlic paste
3 tablespoons of chili powder
teaspoon of salt
teaspoon of pepper
tablespoon of cumin
1/2 cup of salsa
oil
toasted sesame oil
corn tortillas
mozzarella cheese
shredded lettuce
oregano
minced garlic

Method:

In a pan saute the sliced onions for about 5 minutes until they are translucent. When translucent add the chili garlic paste. Cook the onions and the chili garlic paste for a minute and then add the chili powder, half the salt, half the pepper, oregano, and the toasted sesame oil. Cook that mixture for a  minute and then stir fry the chicken with the minced garlic. This should take about 12 minutes. Stir the chicken so that it is even coated in the spices and the oil. At the 8 minute mark I add 1/2 a cup of salsa. I used this mango salsa I got from Whole Foods but you can use any salsa you like. I then let the chicken cook with the salsa for about 4 minutes. For the tortillas, I use two tortillas per taco. I warm them up so that the tortillas are connected while toasting. Once pliable, I take them out of the toaster oven and quick put shredded mozzarella cheese between the two tortillas and I put the top tortilla on quickly so that the cheese will melt. When the chicken is done, I put some on the tortillas with some shredded lettuce. This is such a good meal and its very easy to make. If you like spicy food, this dish is for you. Enjoy!