Tuesday's Cupful: Honey Stung Salmon Steaks

The Mixed Stew crew ends the year with a review of some of the best of 2013.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Post originally from March 8, 2013

Hot pink ladies 

We like the simplicity of this seafood entrée. Salmon steaks make great cuts for grilling and searing. Here’s our rendition:

What you will need:

1 large cast-iron skillet

1 cutting board ½ cup flour

2 tbspns honey zest of 2 limes

1 metal spatula

1 serving plate

2 tbspns olive oil 4 to 6 salmon steaks, at room temp

Pinch of salt pepper

1 batch butter lime sauce (Recipe to follow.)

Cooking and Directions:

Layout steaks on cutting board. Lightly sprinkle and coat each steak with flour on each side. Next, drizzle and spread roughly ¾ of a tspn honey over each side of the flour coated steaks. Add 1 tbspn olive oil to bottom of cast-iron skillet and swirl around to evenly grease pan. Heat skillet on medium heat until hot then place steaks (2 at a time to avoid crowding) in skillet and brown on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes. Cook through then remove salmon from hot skillet. Immediately plate salmon and drizzle each steak with 1 to 2 tbspns butter lime sauce plus lime zest. Serve warm.

Monday's Bread Bowl: Spicy Chicken Pozole

The Mixed Stew crew ends the year with a review of some of the best of 2013.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Post originally from February 4, 2013

One hot number

Try making this dish if you’re bored with traditional chicken meals.  Each spoonful is packed with peppery and zesty flavors.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 baking spatula

1 cutting board

1 large pot w/lid

1 medium-sized sauce pan

1 blender

2 large tomatoes

1 large onion, sliced

1 large bowl

5 whole garlic toes

3 tbspns sriracha sauce

3 tbsns vinegar

½ tspn allspice, crushed (optional)

4 large dried guajillo peppers

3 tbspns vegetable oil

2 tspns sugar

3 tspns coarse salt

6 chipotle peppers from can, sliced

6 – 8 chicken drumsticks

7 cups water

1 (30 oz) can hominy, drained

Pinch of dried oregano

Toppings:

6 radishes, finely chopped

Sliced lime wedges

1 cup green onions, sliced small

3 tbspns fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

Cooking and Directions:

Place medium-sized sauce pan filled with 4 cups water on high heat.  Add in drumsticks and let ingredients reach a rolling boil.  Lower heat to medium then let contents cook for another 15-20 minutes until drumsticks are fully cooked.  Pull out drumsticks.  Let them cool then discard skin and debone each piece.  Chop meat into bite-sized pieces then set aside.  Also, set aside newly made chicken broth for later use.    

Preheat oven at 450 degrees.  Score the bottom of each tomato and place on foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast tomatoes until softened and slightly scorched all over.  Meanwhile, split open guajillo chiles and remove seeds.  Toast peppers in cast iron skillet until odor permeates.  Place peppers in bowl of cold water until soft.  Next, toast onions and garlic in cast iron skillet for 10 minutes until charred on both sides.  Combine, skinned tomatoes, onion, oregano, garlic, sriracha, chiles, and all spice in blender.  Pulse blend until smooth.  Heat cooking oil at medium-high heat in large pot and pour in puree.  Cook for 5 minutes until puree thickens.  Add 1 cup water, sugar, vinegar, chipotles, and salt.  Let ingredients simmer for another 30 minutes.  Finally, toss in chicken, hominy, chicken stock, and more salt to taste.  Let pozole simmer on low for another 15 minutes then it’s ready to serve.  Have toppings ready to add to individual servings of pozole.            

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!  The Mixed Stew is on break for Christmas.

Friday's Last Spoonful: Food Surf

Holiday Turkey Tales

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere, including leads to other interesting sites. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

Thanksgiving is done but wanna prepare a turkey that’s different this holiday season?  The Food Network has over 60 turkey recipes that you may find worth adding to your arsenal.  We like the Roasted Turkey a la Tangerine,  Maple Roasted Turkey, and the Pioneer-Style Herb Roasted Turkey.

Cooking Light features over 12different Roast Turkey recipes on its site.  The Parmesan-Sage Roast Turkey and the Apple Poblano Roast Turkey look especially yum.

Lastly, bon appétit lists several distinct Roast Turkey recipes from easy to very fancy.  Try the Tarragon Roast Turkey w/ Vermouth and the Salted Roast Turkey  w/ Chipotle Glaze and Caramelized-Onion Gravy on their menu.

Thursday’s Side Dish: Sun Bird Thai Red Curry Seasoning

Just one pack for a hit

We have to admit that we were skeptical – at first – of this brand name Thai Red Curry seasoning.  The directions don’t call for any coconut milk, which made us think twice before purchasing it.  Ultimately, we figured that it’s worth a try.   Sun-Bird brand Thai Red Curry has a really spicy kick that’s authentically Thai.  The hints of chili and lemon grass are downright yummy.  Let the ingredients braise longer if you want more intense flavors in every bite.  If you stray a bit from the package’s directions, add some coconut milk.  One seasoning pack is priced at $ 1.00 at Shoppers’ Food Warehouse.      

Wednesday’s Helping: Curry up the ingredient

Give others a Thai

The Mixed Stew crew thinks that ground beef is the easiest raw ingredient to quickly prepare for this Thai Curry.  However, we also recommend that you try this mix with chicken pieces – especially chicken thighs.  If you wanna healthier curry, we suggest that you use chicken breast meat or white meat that’s been cut into cubes.  Add a can of coconut milk to this recipe for an extra rich and satisfying rendition.  Remember that you can improvise on the veggies and use sliced eggplant, bamboo shoots, and even baby corn instead of baby bok choy.  Lastly, make a spicy vegetarian Thai Curry with firm tofu in a pinch.      

Tuesday's Cupful: Background on Thai Curry

An effervescent spicy wonder

What makes a real Thai curry different from all the others?  Typically, Thai cooks like using fresh and aromatic leaves versus powders or dry mixes.  This means that most Thai curries are made from a traditional Thai curry paste, which is gooey in texture.  The Thai people refer to curried dishes as kaeng or gaeng.  The Mixed Stew crew, in this instance, used a conveniently packaged powdered seasoning mix as a short cut towards authentically-flavored Thai curry.  Remember that a large number of Thai curries may call for one defining ingredient – coconut milk.  The spiciness of any Thai curry usually depends on the type of chilli pepper that’s been incorporated into the curry.    

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Easy Thai Red Curry

A red hot curry

We like this Thai Red Curry recipe for its simplicity.  We bet you can’t have just one serving of this spicy curry.  

What you will need:

1 big metal spoon

1 large stock pot w/ lid

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 yellow onion, chopped small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½- 2 lbs ground beef

1 head baby bok choy, leaves separated

1 (1 oz) Sun Bird Brand Thai Red Curry Seasoning

1 cup water

3  tablespoons soy sauce

Pinch of salt

Cooking and Directions:

Heat stock pot on medium-high heat.  Add oil, onion and garlic to pot.  Sautee ingredients until onion turns translucent.  Add ground beef and brown until cooked through.  Now, add soy sauce, seasoning packet, and water to meat.  Lower heat to medium-low and let ingredients simmer slowly for at least 12 – 15 minutes.  Finally, mix in baby bok choy and let veggies cook until al dente.  Remove cooked curry from heat.  Serve with steamed rice. 

Thursday’s Side Dish: Boccalone Nduja

A spreadable sausage

The Mixed Stew crew just recently discovered this “spreadable salami” aka Nduja.  Yes, it’s best applied with a butter knife.  This type of sausage originates from the Calabria region of Southern Italy.  Boccalone sells 6 - 8 oz rolls for $ 28.00.  Nduja is most commonly made from pork jowls, pork shoulders, and pork belly.  Authentic nduja is spreadable at room temperature.  Expect a slightly peppery flavor that’s enhanced by a rich and smooth texture.  Italians like to serve this salami on bruschetta, with bits of cheese, or may add a portion to their traditional pasta sauces.  Boccalone also sells other fine meats and sausages.        

Wednesday’s Helping: Vegetable Spaghetti Dujour

Natural angel hair

Pulling at the flesh with a metal fork creates a stringy and golden mound of spaghetti-like flesh that soft, nutty, and semisweet.  Provide servings of this cooked squash instead of carb loaded pasta with your favorite tomato marinara, clam sauce, or Bolognese.  Sprinkle or drizzle the squash with as much or as little seasoning as possible.  It’s also a healthier option compared to bread rolls, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.  Pour most any gravy over it, too and it makes for a yummy standard side dish.        

Tuesday’s Cupful: Personal Sized Spaghetti Squash

A smaller variation of the original

This type of squash, known as spaghetti squash, calabash squash, or vegetable spaghetti serves as a neat substitute to carb-loaded pasta.  The Mixed Stew Crew was quite taken with the cute size of these “personal-sized” spaghetti squash, which are a variant of the original.  Look not only for a smaller size but also a rounder shape to these baby spaghetti squash.  The yield, however, of all-natural spaghetti strands per specimen makes them well worth the effort to prepare.  Expect the same semisweet and nutty flavor that’s found in regular-sized spaghetti squash.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Herb Roasted Baby Spaghetti Squash

A  nutty hairdo

The strong yellow color of this dish is a complete contrast to the subtle but pleasing nutty flavors.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 glass baking dish (9 X 13 inch)

1 cutting board

1 sharp knife

2/3 cup water

Metal fork

2 baby spaghetti squash (aka personal size)

1 cutting board

1/3 cup olive oil

Combination of your favorite herbs (Dry Oregano, Dry Thyme, Dry Tarragon, Paprika..etc.)

Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking & Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Split squash into halves.  Remove seeds.  Sprinkle cleaned out halves with favorite herbs, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil over seasoned squash.  Pour water into baking dish then position squash in baking dish with skin side up.  Place squash in oven and bake for 50 minutes.  Pull out squash once baking time is finished.  Let them rest for 15 minutes.  Lastly, remove cooked and softened flesh with metal fork.  The fork straining against the flesh should produce succulent angel-hair like strands aka spaghetti.  Serve immediately.        

Friday's Last Spoonful: Food Surf

Holiday Turkey Tales

Food Surfing will feature fun food links from around the Blogosphere, including leads to other interesting sites. These recommended links may give you other interesting ideas for making your life taste better.

Wanna prepare a turkey that’s different this holiday season?  The Food Network has over 60 turkey recipes that you may find worth adding to your arsenal.  We like the Roasted Turkey a la Tangerine,  Maple Roasted Turkey, and the Pioneer-Style Herb Roasted Turkey.

Cooking Light features over 12different Roast Turkey recipes on its site.  The Parmesan-Sage Roast Turkey and the Apple Poblano Roast Turkey look especially yum.

Lastly, bon appétit lists several distinct Roast Turkey recipes from easy to very fancy.  Try the Tarragon Roast Turkey w/ Vermouth and the Salted Roast Turkey  w/ Chipotle Glaze and Caramelized-Onion Gravy on their menu.

Thursday’s Side Dish: Mangda Chilli Paste

Another Maesri standard

Look for the yellow label among an array Maesri brand Chilli Paste to sample this tasty food item.  What makes it different compared to the others?  Mangda Chilli Paste contains real tamarind juice and Mangda flavors.  Consequently, expect a sweet apple taste and aroma in every spoonful of this specific hot paste.  The Mixed Stew Crew likes adding most any quality chilli paste to stir-frys, Asian soups, and spicy dips.  A 7 oz. jar runs for $ 3.99 or more so shop around, at HMart, Lotte, etc., for the best price.    

Wednesday’s Helping: Maybe whole fish, too

Prepare it fried and spicy

What else do we recommend you prepare this way?  Jazz up chicken wings in this manner as a party or pot luck treat.  We’d also recommend preparing fish fillets or whole fish instead of chicken.  Mahi mahi, tilapia, parrot fish, cod, and halibut are the typical standouts that many cooks like frying.  If fried pork doesn’t frighten you, we suggest using pork chops, pork loin, or even pork spareribs for a more succulent result.  Lastly, substitute firm tofu or even eggplant for a truly vegetarian delight.  

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Vietnamese Fried Chicken

A sizzling change from standard American

Look for several variations of this dish in the blogosphere.  Recipes range from really basic to indulgent.  The three main seasoning ingredients are soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, and chili sauce.  Meanwhile, a sweet glaze or dipping sauce is the normal accompaniment for most Vietnamese Fried Chicken recipes.  The Mixed Stew Crew was inspired by this Bon Appetit feature that we tweaked a bit.  We elected to leave out the ginger.  We also increased the amount of flour needed for dredging since we had big drumsticks.            

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Spicy Vietnamese Fried Chicken Drumsticks

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.

Brush chicken with glaze or pour glaze over individual pieces as desired.  Serve immediately after adding glaze.