Yakitory Roll

You know I don't think I posted my news on here, because I didn't think about sharing it with you.  I am pregnant, or as my friend Rebecca pointed out, Queens Foodie Mama has a bun in the oven.  We are having a baby girl, due January 6. My children are super excited. Remember when I made California Rolls?  Well I wanted to make sushi rolls again but not with shrimp and of course not with raw salmon.  I'm sure my OB-GYN would gladly remind me to avoid raw meat/poultry/fish of any kind, so raw salmon was out.  While researching recipes for sushi rolls, I came upon Unagi Rolls. Unagi is grilled/barbequed fresh water eel.  Eel didn't really appeal to me, so I looked up what people said eel tasted like and some people mentioned it tasted like chicken.  My brain immediately decided why not do a sushi roll with chicken instead.  Next I looked up what Japanese barbecued chicken was called and also a recipe for the barbeque sauce and that is when I chose the name, Yakitory, meaning grilled chicken.  I tend to volunteer to take dinner to every woman who has just had a baby and her family in our church so the Yakitory Rolls were going to be for both my family and the Havig's who I was told by my friend Whitney loved sushi.  This recipe is dedicated to Kara and baby Heidi.

The rice was really sticky, that is why the rolls look a little sad.  Of course I'm not a
Japanese chef either.  These are still really tasty.

Ingredients for Yakitory (Grilled Chicken):

4 Chicken Thighs (with skin and bone)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Brown Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

Pour soy sauce, and brown rice vinegar into a small sauce pan.  Add sugar, garlic, and ginger
to sauce.  Cook over medium heat until it boils and reduce heat to low.  Cook on
low for 5 minutes.

Brush sauce onto thighs, on the skin and under the skin.  Brush all over.  Allow to marinate
for 20 minutes on the counter.

I cooked the chicken in my rotisserie for 20 minutes, you could also grill the chicken.

Ingredients for Brown Sushi Rice:

4 cup uncooked Medium Grain Brown rice
Water (add as much as the directions on the bag of rice recommends)
1/2 cup Brown Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Cook the rice on the stove according to directions on bag or do what I do and use a rice
cooker which is so much easier to use.

Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt together.

 Add vinegar mixture to still warm rice, stir until combined.

Ingredients for Yakitory Roll:

4 barbecue/grilled Chicken Thighs
1 English Cucumber
1 ripe Avocado
Nori Paper
Brown Sushi Rice

Remove bones from chicken thighs, trying to keep the thigh intact.  Thinly slice chicken with
skin on across the grain.

 Sauté sliced chicken over medium heat until slightly crispy on edges.

Julienne cucumber into small matchsticks.  Slice half the avocado lengthwise in skin and
scoop out with a large spoon.

Cover bamboo sushi mat in plastic wrap.

Place nori sheet in the middle of the mat.

Scoop out a baseball size mound of brown sushi rice onto the nori sheet.

 With wet fingers spread out the rice, cover all but the top small edge of the sheet. 

Flip nori sheet so rice is on the backside.

Place nine cucumber sticks, three in a row and three deep on the middle of the sheet.  Add 3
slices of avocado to the cucumber.  Finally add strips of chicken.

 Using the mat roll the rice covered nori sheet, carefully keep the other ingredients inside the nori sheet.

Repeat with all the rice and other ingredients.  Cut the rolls using a serrated knife in the
slow sawing motion.  Dip the knife in water between each cut to prevent sticking.  Slice rolls
into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.   

Enjoy!

Yakitory Rolls

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Yakitory (Grilled Chicken):

4 Chicken Thighs (with skin and bone)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Brown Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

Process:

Pour soy sauce, and brown rice vinegar into a small sauce pan.  Add sugar, garlic, and ginger to sauce. Cook over medium heat until it boils and reduce heat to low.  Cook on low for 5 minutes.

Brush sauce onto thighs, on the skin and under the skin.  Brush all over.  Allow to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Cook the chicken in a rotisserie for 20 minutes, or you could also grill the chicken.

Ingredients for Brown Sushi Rice:

4 cup uncooked Medium Grain Brown rice
Water (add as much as the directions on the bag of rice recommends)
1/2 cup Brown Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Cook the rice on the stove according to directions on bag or do what I do and use a rice cooker which is so much easier to use.

Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt together.

Add vinegar mixture to still warm rice, stir until combined.

Ingredients for Yakitory Roll:

4 barbecue/grilled Chicken Thighs
1 English Cucumber
1 ripe Avocado
Nori Paper
Brown Sushi Rice

Remove bones from chicken thighs, trying to keep the thigh intact.  Thinly slice chicken with skin on across the grain.

Sauté sliced chicken over medium heat until slightly crispy on edges.

Julienne cucumber into small matchsticks.  Slice half the avocado lengthwise in skin and scoop out with a large spoon.

Cover bamboo sushi mat in plastic wrap.

Place nori sheet in the middle of the mat.

Scoop out a baseball size mound of brown sushi rice onto the nori sheet.

With wet fingers spread out the rice, cover all but the top small edge of the sheet. 

Flip nori sheet so rice is on the backside.

Place nine cucumber sticks, three in a row and three deep on the middle of the sheet.  Add 3 slices of avocado to cucumber.  Finally add strips of chicken.

Using the mat roll the rice covered nori sheet, carefully keep the other ingredients inside the nori sheet.

Repeat with all the rice and other ingredients.  Cut the rolls using a serrated knife in the slow sawing motion.  Dip the knife in water between each cut to prevent sticking.  Slice rolls into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.   

Enjoy!

Cheese Crackers

I remember my friend Misty telling me years ago she missed crunchy snacks, they were short on money.  Crunchy snacks are the first food to skip when your food budget needs to be cut.  My family had a food budget issue a couple years ago as well and Misty is right.   Crunchy snacks are so yummy, but not required, so they are the first to be cut from the pantry.  I like cheese crackers (my ultimate crunchy snack) a lot, so when my cooking mindset was, need is the mother of invention, I figured out how to make cheese crackers.  Today I decided to change the recipe.   Since I have a WonderMill, why not use it.  I ground up some brown rice for my crackers, so these crackers are gluten free.   Sorry they are not dairy free though.  The other change was to use sharp cheddar.  I grew up eating mild cheddar. It wasn't until after I was married that my palet opened up to all sort of cheeses with much stronger flavors.  Sharp cheddar will make these crackers over the top cheese, so please don't substitute the cheese.  You have my blessing and permission to use any sort of flour, but do not change the cheese.

 Cheese packed crunchy snacks, you are my comfort snack.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour (or your choice of flour)
12 ounces finely shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Softened Butter
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Milk

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

 Combine all the ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle attachment or in a food processor.

 Mix until a dough forms.

Portion the dough into quarters and roll a piece at a time between to pieces of parchment paper the same size as the cookie sheets you will bake the crackers on.  Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut the dough into one inch squares, using  toothpick poke the middle of each dough square once.

Gently lift dough on parchment paper to cookie sheets.  

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

 Allow crackers to cool completely on a wire rack.

 Store crackers in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

Cheese Crackers

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour (or your choice of flour)
12 ounces finely shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Softened Butter
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Milk

Process:

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Combine all the ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle attachment or in a food processor.

Mix until a dough forms.

Portion the dough into quarters and roll a piece at a time between to pieces of parchment paper the same size as the cookie sheets you will bake the crackers on.  Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut the dough into one inch squares, using  toothpick poke the middle of each dough square once.

Gently lift dough on parchment paper to cookie sheets.  

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

Allow crackers to cool completely on a wire rack.

Store crackers in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

Ranch Dip

You know what happens when you attempt to make ranch dressing and it ends up being too thick? You pretend like you were actually making ranch dip, hence the title of my post and name of my recipe.  Before my youngest daughter decided she loved vegetables, she didn't, and we recommended she eat them with ranch dressing, and it worked.  She has loved ranch and vegetables ever since.  I promised her homemade ranch dressing, and finally I made it.  Of course my ranch dressing really was ranch dip, but hey that is a forgivable mistake right?  It isn't is it?  Okay, well then we'll make ranch dressing next time.  This dip is really good with vegetables, like those commercials for a certain hidden ranch dressing where everyone is eating cauliflower like popcorn and they have vegetable eating contests.  Potato chips are really yummy with this dip too.  

 Ranch dip and vegetables, great Summer time snack.

Ingredients:

2 cups Greek Style Yogurt
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 Avocado Oil (Olive Oil can be substituted)
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley
2 tablespoons Fresh Dill
5 Small or 3 Large Green Onions
2 cloves Garlic
2 teaspoons Hot Sauce
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

 Cut the greens onion, parsley, and dill, press the garlic and mix all of these with salt.

 Lets add the yogurt, sour cream, and avocado oil, stir.

 The flavor wasn't right yet, so add pepper, and Worcestershire Sauce, stir.

 Still not right add smoked paprika and hot sauce, stir.  Perfect!

 Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Dip your favorite vegetables and potato chips.

Enjoy!

Ranch dip

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

2 cups Greek Style Yogurt

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/4 Avocado Oil (Olive Oil can be substituted)

1/4 cup Fresh Parsley

2 tablespoons Fresh Dill

5 Small or 3 Large Green Onions

2 cloves Garlic

2 teaspoons Hot Sauce

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

Process:

Cut the greens onion, parsley, and dill, press the garlic and mix all of these with salt.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy!

French Onion Dip

My mom and grandma have a recipe for French Onion Dip that has become a tradition at certain family functions.  Those family gatherings involving warm weather and grilling, seem to be the ones where we see "the French Onion Dip" and Ruffles chips, and yes it must be Ruffles.  We were a Ruffles family, not Lay's, sorry to the Lay's people.  Well actually I'm not really sorry.  Ruffles are strong enough and have ridges to accept "the French Onion Dip."  We have all had French Onion dip, right?  Yes of course we have, accept maybe our Chinese teenager.  It was his first time today.  My mom and grandma's recipe is what we all expect.  It involves the ever popular dried french Onion Soup, but the base is cream cheese, not sour cream and mayonnaise as with most recipes.  I didn't want to use French Onion Soup mix, and truthfully I didn't have any to use.  This of course never stops me from making a homemade version.  I think I've made a homemade version before, but it has been awhile, and so that gives me a chance as Queens Foodie Mama to share with all of you.  When you move away from mom and raise your family on the other side of the country, you might feel as I do, that you want to include some small traditions in your special celebrations that remind you of your family that you moved away from.  Today being our Independence Day, I felt a need to bring in some sort of tradition, since our traditional festivities are impossible to do here.  For most of our children's lives we went to Stewart Park in Beaumont and watched the free concert and ate a potluck dinner with friends and finished the evening  with a fireworks display.  French Onion Dip in no way replaces our Stewart Park memories but it does give me a bit of home to share with my children, a tie to my mom and grandma.  

French Onion Dip and chips, what could be better for 4th of July?

Ingredients:

2 Packages Cream Cheese
2 Yellow Onions
4 cloves Garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

 Peel and cut the onions in half and slice thinly.

Preheat a 10" saute pan over medium heat.  Add oil and onions.  Stir to coat onions in oil.  Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove lid and continue cooking until onions are brown.

Press the garlic and add to the onions.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

 Turn of the heat and add the Worcestershire Sauce. 

 Stir mixture and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Add softened cream cheese to mixing bowl, mix with whisk attachment.  Add onion mixture and whip until combined.

Remove dip to a serving bowl and enjoy with potato chips.  I of course must encourage you to use Ruffles as they are part of the tradition and they are the best.

Enjoy!

French Onion Dip

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

2 Packages Cream Cheese
2 Yellow Onions
4 cloves Garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Process:

Peel and cut the onions in half and slice thinly.

Preheat a 10" sauté pan over medium heat.  Add oil and onions.  Stir to coat onions in oil.  Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove lid and continue cooking until onions are brown.

Press the garlic and add to the onions.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Turn of the heat and add the Worcestershire Sauce. 

Stir mixture and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Add softened cream cheese to mixing bowl, mix with whisk attachment.  Add onion mixture and whip until combined.

Remove dip to a serving bowl and enjoy with potato chips.

Enjoy!