Tuesday’s Cupful: Double Golden Fish Brand Mango Sauce

Sweet Tropical Dressing

The chicken appears charbroiled but we assure you that it’s yummy.  The seasoning sauces and hot grilling helped seal in the chicken’s juices and flavors.  The Mixed Stew crew used Double Golden Fish Brand Mango Sauce to “offset” the rich soy sauce flavor in the marinade.  A (12.7 oz.) bottle of mango sauce is fairly priced under $5.00 at H-Mart.  This particular sauce also contains hints chili pepper so it’s spicier, too.  Remember that real mangoes constitute a very sweet serving of fiber in every bite.   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Blackened Mango Chicken

 Sticky and Tangy BBQ Chicken

This was on the menu over the July 4^th weekend.  The Mixed Stew familia had to lick our lips and fingers over this rendition of BBQ Chicken.   Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large plastic container w/ lid

1 pair of tongs
1 large purple onion, sliced into rings

4 garlic toes, sliced small

6 – 8 chicken leg quarters

1 (12.7 oz.) bottle Double Golden Fish Brand mango sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

½ tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 Outdoor BBQ Grill with open-flame, at 300 degrees F

1 platter for serving

Cooking & Directions:

Combine chicken parts, onion, and garlic in large container.  Add soy sauce, mango sauce, and pepper flakes.  Toss and coat chicken parts with tidbits and spices.  Cover with lid and place in refrigerator overnight to marinate.  Pull container out of refrigerator in the morning and turn chicken legs over in marinade to ensure a thorough seasoning.  Cover and place back in fridge.

Prepare grill and fire for cooking.  Take chicken out of the fridge at least 1 hour before fire is really ready for grilling.  THE GRILL MUST BE HOT.  Place poultry on grill.  Let chicken parts cook on each side for 8-10 minutes (depending on size).  Expect chicken skin to blacken as shown.  Place fully-cooked legs on platter.  Let chicken rest for 5 or 10 minutes then serve immediately.                    

Tuesday's Cupful: Spicy Vietnamese Fried Chicken Drumsticks

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from May 4th thru May 8th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of hot and spicy repeats. The Mixed Stew will be back on May 11th with even more yummy posts. 

Post from December 2nd, 2013

A lips’ smacking hot and crispy treat

The flavors of soy-sauce and sweetened chili sauce make this a worthwhile and succulent dish.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 fry-pan or cast-iron skillet

2 ½ cups canola oil

1 metal tablespoon

1 serving plate

1 pair metal thongs

1 large bowl w/ lid

1 small bowl, glass

8 – 12 chicken drumsticks, thawed

2 cups rice flour

1 large plastic bag, Ziploc

¼ cup soy sauce

1 large shallot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Juice of ½ lime

3 tablespoons hot chili paste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

Cooking & Directions:

Place chicken drumsticks in large bowl.  Add soy sauce and toss pieces.  Cover with lid and let marinade for at least 3 hours (turn at least once).  

Pour rice flour into plastic bag.  Add drumsticks to bag and toss well.  Therefore, dredging and coating the chicken pieces in rice flour.  Set aside.   

Heat pan on medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil.  Let pan reach adequate frying temperature.  Carefully place chicken in hot oil to fry until done.  Cooking should take roughly 10 – 12 minutes on each side (depending on the mass and size of the drumsticks).  The chicken should turn golden brown and crispy.  Set aside on serving plate to rest.

Once chicken is done frying, remove all except roughly ¼ cup frying oil from pan.  Return pan to heat.  Sautee shallot and garlic until translucent in pan drippings then add chili sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce.  The sugar should dissolve forming a glaze sauce.

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Chicken and Turkey Lasagna, Too

The Mixed Stew crew revisits meat lasagna with this week’s dish.  Remember that you can take a short-cut using no-cook lasagna noodles.  We recommend substituting the Italian sausage with sausage made from turkey, chicken, or even tofu for lighter fare.  Meanwhile, substitute the Parmesan cheese with another pungent cheese, such as Grana Padano. Asiago, and Romano.
     

   

Wednesday’s Helping: Ingredient Alternatives for Butter Chicken

More than Chicken, too

Remember that you can substitute the chicken in this dish with lamb or even goat if you’re not avoiding red meat.  Conversely, try using firm tofu or cauliflower for a vegan butter curry.  The Mixed Stew added potatoes but you can substitute them with sweet potatoes, yuca, or taro.  Finally, add one or two finely chopped chili peppers to our recipe to really heat things up.      

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Butter Chicken

Make it spicy or hot

This dish is among the most popular items served ‘round the world that hails from India.  According to folklore, Mahati Mahal began serving the original dish in the 1920s.  This curried chicken can be made mild or hot depending on your tastes.  Many of today’s authentic Indian restaurants serve Butter Chicken aka murgh makhani with hot pieces of naan and fresh salad.  The Mixed Stew recommends Kitchens of India brand Paste forButter Chicken Curry.  We purchased a 3.5 oz seasoning packet for just under $ 3.00 at Whole Foods Market.  Butter chicken is served on-the-bone in India but is typically served boneless outside of its native country.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Butter Chicken Curry

An Authentic Indian Delight

The Mixed Stew likes this Indian curry because it has a rich taste and smooth consistency compared to hotter curries. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large pan w/ lid

1 cup water

1 Kitchen of India brand Paste For Butter Chicken Curry

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 garlic toe, whole

1 ½ - 2 lbs. chicken breast meat, cubed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen peas

1 cup potatoes, chopped into small cubes

Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Heat pan on medium-high heat.  Add oil, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Sautee ingredients until onion turn translucent.  Next, add chicken to pan.  Let chicken brown for 10 to 12 minutes.  Pour in water and seasoning packet’s contents.  Mix well and cover with lid. Ingredients should reach a rolling boil then lower heat to medium-low.  Let pot simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Gradually stir in green peas and potatoes then cover with lid.  Allow pot’s ingredients to cook for another 30 minutes then remove from heat.  Serve immediately.    

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternate Ingredients for Spicy Curry Tuna Salad Sandwich

Bite into Different Variations

Remember that you can substitute the canned tuna in this recipe with canned chicken meat, leftover roast chicken, or hard-boiled eggs in a pinch. Also, try making this sandwich with canned salmon, canned shrimp or leftover steamed shrimp.  Add come coarsely chopped celery or even red bell pepper for more veggie nutrition and texture in each bite.  Lastly, try adding bits of imitation crab meat to the recipe for extra seafood flavor.  

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Red Chicken Wings Adobo

Red with different parts, too

You can take this recipe in different directions.  We suggest chopping in some fresh cilantro, green parsley, or cardamom for a crisper flavor in each bite.  Also, try leaving out the vinegar if you don’t like a tangy or acidic taste. Substitute the chicken wings for skinless chicken breast chunks for a meal with lower calories.  Lastly, use firm tofu –chopped into cubes— if you really wanna go meatless.     

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Red Chicken Wings Adobo

Taste from drumette to wingette

Dressing up chicken wing parts to make them succulent takes more than a bit of effort and this recipe gets the job done.  If you’re tired of the ever popular fried wings or buffalo wings, then we tout making our adobo recipe instead.  The Mixed Stew crew cheated – just a bit – this time by incorporating a White King brand seasoning packet for Pancit Bihon.  The tasty addition helps enhance the achiote and chicken flavors with an eye towards authentic Filipino Cuisine.      

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Red Chicken Wings Adobo

Seeing yummy…again

This red colored chicken adobo got a boost in the taste from the folk who do Filipino best. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large pot w/ lid

1 long wooden spoon

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, halved

2 lbs chicken wing drumettes and wingettes

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas

1 (40 g) White King Pancit Bijon Seasoning Mix

1 cup warm water

½ tablespoon achiote powder

Pinch of salt and black pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Heat pot on heat at medium-high heat.  Combine cooking oil, garlic, onion, salt, and black pepper in pot.  Stir well.  Sautee ingredients until onion turns translucent.  Add chicken.  Allow wings to brown then add water.  Cover with lid.  Let ingredients reach a rolling boil then lower heat to medium-low.  Stir in vinegar and Flilipino seasoning mix.  Return cover and let ingredients braise for 45 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Mix in achiote powder and peas and cover with lid.  Chicken should braise for another 20 minutes.  Serve immediately.            

Wednesday’s Helping: Black Tea Duck Variations

Brew it before cooking it

The Mixed Stew suggests using this recipe for roasting less common meat fare, such as duck, goose, pheasant, wild boar or even rabbit.  We think the brewed tea adds a slightly minty or herb flavor kick that lessens the gamey taste of each of these meat servings.  Also, remember that you can substitute the black tea with barley tea, chicken broth, or beef broth in a pinch. 

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Black Tea Roast Duck

Not too shabby or gamey

Why boil a duck before roasting in the oven? Well…the extra step extracts some of the gamey flavor that’s characteristic of duck compared to the other commonly cooked fowls i.e. chicken or turkey.  Meanwhile, the brewed tea also cuts through the duck’s more squalid flavors.  Look for several variations of preparing duck using black tea or black tea leaves in Chinese cuisine.  The Mixed Stew reminds readers that boiling the duck also removes a lot of duck fat from the end product while tenderizing the bird’s meat.   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Black Tea Roast Duck

Crispy roasted poultry

Our roast duck recipe guarantees less-gamey flavor thanks to some extra cooking prep. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large stock pot w/ lid

1 wooden spoon

1 metal baking pan
1 wire rack

Non-stick cooking spray

1 whole duckling, cleaned for roasting

1 whole yellow onion, halved

3 garlic toes

3 sprigs of rosemary

2 sprigs of thyme

¼ cup soy sauce

2 chili peppers

1 quart brewed tea (The kind commonly used for iced tea.)

2 cups water

Coarse salt to taste

Cooking and Directions:

Put duck, tea, herbs, peppers, water, soy sauce, onion, and garlic in stock pot.  Cover with lid.  Place pot on stove at high heat.  Bring pot to a rolling boil then reduce heat to medium.  Turn duck occasionally.  Allow duck to braise for 45 minutes then remove bird from pot.  Grease wire rack on metal baking pan.  Preheat oven at 325 degrees.  Place duck on wire rack in baking pan.  Position baking pan in preheated oven.  Let duck roast for 1 hour to 90 minutes (depending on mass).  Remove finished duck from oven and let bird rest for 20 minutes then serve.                     

Wednesday’s Helping: Healthier Adouille w/ Garbanzos and Gravy

Keep it creamy but light

The Mixed Stew suggests substituting the heavy cream with whole milk, light cream, or plain yogurt to significantly lower the calorie content in each serving.  Also, look out for andouille sausage made with poultry instead of pork.  Lastly, cut out the dairy all-together with 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in a ½ cup of chicken broth.  The starch, used to thicken the liquid ingredients, will make light gravy that’s still hearty enough to sauce-up the resulting dish.

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background of Chipotle Roast Chicken

Heat for baked fowl

Canned chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce) is a prolific ingredient on The Mixed Stew.  Remember too that we even featured pork scrapple that’s been spiced up with chipotle.  The ready-made, smoked and stewed, peppers form the base for the spicy marinade.  Meanwhile, the olive oil helps to bind all the marinade’s ingredients together.  Serve this version of roast chicken with a warning that it’s HOT!         

            

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chipotle Smothered Roast Chicken

Spicier Roast Chicken

What you will need:

1 large plastic container w/ lid

1 mixing bowl

1 baking pan

1 wire rack

1 medium-sized yellow onion, sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 whole chicken for roasting

½ (7 oz.) can chipotle peppers (in Adobo Sauce)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt

Paprika

Cooking and Directions:

Combine chipotle pepper, onion, olive oil, and garlic in bowl.  Mix well.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and paprika.  Next, apply chipotle sauce to chicken’s surface area and crevices.  Place chicken in large container and cover with lid.  Let chicken marinate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Place chicken (breast-side up) on wire rack in baking pan then place pan in oven.  Let chicken roast for 1 hour to 75 minutes (depending on size).  Reset the oven to broil for the final 10 minutes of total cooking time.

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternate Ingredients for Simple Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

Cold Chicken Salad Delight

Leftover-fried chicken in a fresh veggie salad cannot be beat in terms of flavor combined with nutrition.  We suggest substituting the cilantro with regular flat leaf parsley or Italian parsley.   Fresh basil is also a great tasting alternative in a pinch.  Coincidentally, use baked chicken instead of fried chicken for less caloric intake per serving.  Eliminate more calories by using skinless chicken breast ensures healthier eating.  If you remove the chicken skin, add crushed pecans or walnuts for a more nutritious crunch.    

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

Again…less is more

The Mixed Stew recommends our simple chicken salad if you have some leftover fast food fried chicken.  We fried more than a dozen chicken thighs last weekend so we had more than a few leftover pieces.  The cilantro adds a spicy and minty bite to this leafy green offering.  Selecting cilantro is a convenient way to add Vitamin K, which contributes to bone health, to your diet.       

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Simple Crispy Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

A Reinvigorating Standard

Sometimes simple fare hits the spot.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large bowl

1 wooden spoon

1 cup garlic croutons

1 head Romaine lettuce, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 small carrots, sliced thin lengthwise

3 leftover fried chicken thighs, boned and shredded into bite-sized pieces

2 mini-cucumbers chopped into cubes

½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 eggs, hard boiled and crumbled

Pinch of black pepper to taste

Preparations and Directions:

Make sure Romaine lettuce is clean.  Place cut lettuce in large bowl.  Add carrot, cucumber, egg and cilantro.  Toss well. Sprinkle with black pepper.  Serve with your favorite salad dressing.  The Mixed Stew used a store-bought creamy Italian.