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!

Beef Stir Fry

My family went to Maryland to visit friends two and a half weeks ago and I completely left my laptop power supply and cord at our friends house.  It was torture.  I had to read and send emails on my phone and auto correct made it impossible to write intelligible emails.  When it comes to my recipes, I couldn't upload my photo's and edit them and post on my blog.  I am so sorry for not posting sooner. Thankfully, my friend brought me my cord and I can now leave my computer power rationing behind me and post all the recipes that I have ready to share.  Hopefully the recipes I have to share make up for my absence, be brutal, you can chastise me if these recipes don't hold up to what you expected from my absence.  Okay, now that I have explained and given my pathetic excuse for not blogging, here you go, the moment you have been waiting for.  

This recipe came about after a night of wanting to make an easy dinner, and no I didn't photograph it. My husband took the leftovers to work and he and his co-worker shared them.  The co-worker being Fernando, you remember him right?  Anyway he said, this is very good stir fry.  She's gonna post this right?  To which I said, no I didn't photograph the process, and he said well then you have to make it again.  Finally, I made it again, and photographed my process.  This is a simple stir-fry, as in a few ingredients but with a lot of flavor and color.  I love stir-fry's because of the color and all the vegetables you can cook together.  Stir fry is like the Chinese equivalent of the American casserole but a lot faster and maybe even healthier?  Who knows, anyway recipe time.

 I have an extreme need to create a rainbow when stir-frying, the taste and textures worked well.

Ingredients for this recipe are:

2 lbs. Stir fry Beef (Yes, that's right I let the butcher cut the beef, and it was at an Asian market, so I figured I was good to go.)
1 Yellow Crookneck Squash
1 Zucchini
1 Crown of Broccoli
2 Carrots
1 Yellow Bell Pepper (If you can get red, use red)
1 Package of Baby Bella Mushrooms
5 Green Onions
2 tablespoons Better than Boullian Beef Flavor
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
4 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
4 tablespoons Chinese Spice Sauce
1 1/2 cups Water
Cornstarch
Vegetable Oil

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil and 2 tablespoons spice
sauce in a small bowl and whisk together.  Place beef in a large bowl, pour sauce onto beef and stir.
Allow beef to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Rinse all vegetables.  Cut squash and zucchini into half moon slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Cut carrots at a slight angle and into slices.  Cut bell peppers into 1/4 sticks.  Cut mushrooms into slices.  Cut green onion also at an angle and include white part.  Place harder vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers together.  Place softer vegetables together, the squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green
onions.  Organizing the vegetables will allow you to stir fry them more quickly and also reminds
 you which vegetables will need to go in first since they take longer to stir fry.  

A word of warning, stir frying is accomplished in a preheated wok at the highest temperature
your burner can provide.  Turn on exhaust fans and open windows, this will be a very smoking
 hot process.

Mix the rest of the soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, and spice sauce

Once you have everything you need next to your wok, you can start, I mean everything.  You need
all ingredients, the remaining sauces/oil mixed together and of course a wok spatula.  Preheat the
wok over high heat.  When you begin to see smoke add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half
 the beef. We don't want to crowd the beef, we want to sear it quickly.  Continually move the beef around the wok, one layer.  When you see an even seer all over the beef immediately remove the
beef to the bowl you had at the ready and repeat with the remaining beef.

 That beef is done.  Yes, you will create a lot of smoke, hence the need for excellent ventilation.

Place the wok back on the high burner.  Add another 2 tablespoons oil and the hard vegetables:
broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and allow to steam just until the vegetables are bright and slightly cooked.  Stir fry vegetables are NOT MUSHY, really they aren't.  My husband dislikes mushy vegetables thankfully.  Remove lid and add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, stir fry until softened.  Add the sauce and stir.

Bring back the beef, and add the water, stir until thoroughly combined.  Mix a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water, start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and enough cold water to create
slurry.  Move the stir fry enough to create a small opening to see the sauce, when you see it is
 bubbling, add the cornstarch and stir.  When the sauce is your desired thickness it is done.

 Add the green onions and serve over steamed rice.

  

Enjoy!

Beef Stir Fry

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Stir fry Beef (pre-sliced beef stir fry)

1 Yellow Crookneck Squash

1 Zucchini

1 Crown of Broccoli

2 Carrots

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Package of Baby Bella Mushrooms

5 Green Onions

2 tablespoons Better than Boullian Beef Flavor

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

4 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

4 tablespoons Chinese Spice Sauce

1 1/2 cups Water

Cornstarch

Vegetable Oil

Process:

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil and 2 tablespoons spice sauce in a small bowl, whisk together.  Place beef in a large bowl, pour sauce onto beef and stir.  Allow beef to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Rinse all vegetables.  Cut squash and zucchini into half moon slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Cut carrots at a slight angle and into slices.  Cut bell peppers into 1/4 sticks.  Cut mushrooms into slices.  Cut green onion also at an angle and include white part.  Place harder vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and bell pepper together.  Place softer vegetables together, the squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onions.  Organizing the vegetables will allow you to stir fry them more quickly and also reminds you which vegetables will need to go in first since they take longer to stir fry.  

A ward of warning, stir frying is accomplished in a preheated wok at the highest temperature your burner can provide.  Turn on exhaust fans and open windows, this will be a very smoking hot process.

Mix the rest of the soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, and spice sauce

Once you have everything you need next to your wok you can start, I mean everything.  You need all ingredients, the remaining sauces/oil mixed together and of course a wok spatula.  

Preheat the wok over high heat.  When you begin to see smoke add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and half the beef. We don't want to crowd the beef, we want to sear it quickly.  Continually move the beef around the wok, one layer.  When you see an even seer all over the beef immediately remove the beef tot he bowl you had at the ready and repeat with the remaining beef.

Place wok back on the high burner.  Add another 2 tablespoons oil and the hard vegetables: broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers.  Stir and add 1/4 cup water, cover with lid and allow to steam just until the vegetables are bright and slightly cooked.  Stir fry vegetables are NOT MUSHY, really they aren't.  My husband dislikes mushy vegetables thankfully.  Remove lid and add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, stir fry until softened.  Add the sauce and stir.

Bring back the beef, and add the water, stir until thoroughly combined.  Mix a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water, start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and enough cold water to create slurry.  Move the stir fry enough to create a small opening to see the sauce, when you see is bubbling add the cornstarch and stir.  When the sauce is your desired thickness it is done.

Add the green onions and serve over steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Peking Duck

When I found the duck in the frozen food section of my Costco, I knew what I wanted to do with it.  I wanted Peking Duck.  I could't make it completely like they do in China, but I think I came close.  I have not ever had Peking Duck, so I'm not sure if I came close or not, but our Chinese teenager assured me I did indeed make a very yummy Peking Duck.  My husband even agreed that it was delicious cold, which is what happens when you are waiting for who knows what.  Getting my family to the table to eat my food while it is hot can be just as challenging as preparing the food. 

 Beautiful crunchy delicious skin, oh my goodness I'm feeling hungry just looking at this picture.

 It starts with this, a delicious Kosher and Halal approved whole duck.  I think I got a 4-5 lb. duck.

Remove the duck from its packaging and remove all the giblets and neck from the cavity of
the duck.  Using a sharp knife make small slits all over the duck, cutting at an angle so you
only cut the fat layer and not the tissue.

Fill a large stock pot 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil over a medium-high flame.

Using heat proof and water proof gloves slowly submerge half the duck in the boiling water.
When you see goose bumps, or should I say duck bumps, flip the duck over and do the same to
the other half.

 See the bumps, I was giddy when I saw the bumps.

Place duck in a large dish and place in the refrigerator.  Allow to dry over night.

Ingredients:

4-5 lb. Duck
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Honey

Mix the honey and soy sauce together in a small bowl.

Using your fingers and the handle of a wooden spoon loosen the skin of the duck and create a pocket under the skin.  In China they blow air between the skin and the duck to achieve this step.  Try to disconnect as much of the skin from the fat as you can. 

Using a basting syringe, squirt the liquid under the skin of the duck.  Place duck on a rack in the dish.   Remove extra sauce from the dish.  Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.  Flip half way through to ensure it dries properly.

In China Peking Ducks are dried hanging upside down in special drying chambers.

Tie the legs on the duck together so they don't come loose.   Place on the spit of a rotisserie.  In the rotisserie, cook for 15 minutes per pound, and allow to rotate without heat for 15 minutes. 

It is done, the duck is done.  That is beautiful sight to see.  I think I might cry to see such a 

beautiful culinary achievement. 

Cut skin off first, then slice the duck off the bones.  In China they use a small chefs knife to 

remove meat.  Our Chinese teenager told me that.

Serve a few small pieces of duck, a piece of crispy skin and some Hoisin Sauce on a Scallion Pancake.

Enjoy!

Peking Duck

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

4-5 lb. Duck

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Honey

Process:

Remove the duck from its packaging and remove all the giblets and neck from the cavity of the duck. 

Using a sharp knife make small slits all over the duck, doing so at an angle so you only cut the fat layer and not the tissue.

Fill a large stock pot 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil over a medium-high flame.

Using heat proof and water proof gloves slowly submerge half the duck in the boiling water.  When you see goose bumps, or should I duck bumps, flip the duck over and do the same to the other half.

Place duck in a large dish and place in the refrigerator.  Allow to dry over night.

Mix the honey and soy sauce together in a small bowl.

Using your fingers and the handle of a wooden spoon, loosen the skin of the duck and create a pocket under the skin.  In China they blow air between the skin and the duck to achieve this step.  Try to disconnect as much of the skin from the fat as you can. 

Using a basting syringe, squirt the liquid under the skin of the duck.  Place duck on a rack in the dish.   Remove extra sauce from the dish.  Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.  Flip half way through to ensure it dries properly.

Tie the legs on the duck together so they don't come loose.   Place on the spit of a rotisserie.  In the rotisserie cook for 15 minutes per pound, and allow to rotate without heat for 15 minutes. 

Using a small chefs knife remove skin first then cut the meat off the bones.

Enjoy!

Hoisin Sauce

Chinese food is another of my favorite ethnic cuisine's to cook. It help's that we have a Chinese teenager living with us, to give me his honest opinion about how far off the mark I was with authenticity.  I bought a frozen duck from Costco, my very first attempt at preparing duck and also my first time eating it too.  I wanted to have sauce with the duck that any self-respecting Chinese family would serve with Peking Duck.  Hoisin seemed to be my best bet for authenticity and I had all the ingredients on hand already.  This is a super easy recipe to prepare. 

This is a bottle of yummy Chinese goodness, just waiting to be put on your Peking Duck.
Don't worry, I'll show you how to make Peking Duck in another post.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (Dark Brown Sugar can be substituted)
2 teaspoons Brown Rice Vinegar (rice Vinegar can be substituted)
1 Clove of Garlic
2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
1 teaspoon Hot Sauce (I used my homemade hot sauce, recipe found here)
1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

 Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

 You now have Hoisin Sauce!

Pour into a squeeze bottle or lidded container.

Enjoy!

Hoisin Sauce

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter

1 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (Dark Brown Sugar can be substituted)

2 teaspoons Brown Rice Vinegar (Rice Vinegar can be substituted)

1 Clove of Garlic

2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

1 teaspoon Hot Sauce 

1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Process:

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a squeeze bottle or lidded container.

Enjoy!

Garlic Ginger Soba Noodles

I recently went to the small Asian market near my home and spent way too much time looking at Japanese and Chinese noodles.  I finally picked four different varieties of noodles from some brand that seemed to be from an Asian country as opposed to American made.  I have this crazy notion that Japanese and Chinese noodles should be made in Japan and China in order for me to feel like purchasing them.  What I love, is that I found uncooked and un-fried noodles for less than $1 a pound, which for my large family of hungry noodle eaters is a wonderful blessing.  I wanted to find noodles that were like the pre-packaged Ramen noodles, but not fried or packaged with a sodium laden dry powder sauce.  I think I succeeded.  One of the packages of noodles I chose were Soba noodles. Soba noodles are made with buckwheat, which is not related to wheat at all.  It is not a grass.  It is related to sorrel (herb) and rhubarb (herb perennial).  If you are gluten intolerant, or wheat intolerant, this recipe is for you.  I have never prepared or eaten Soba noodles, so this was an exciting prospect for me.  Today I was ready to prepare some Soba noodles and try them.  I made up this recipe, so I used traditional Japanese flavors and ingredients, but I don't know how authentically Japanese my recipe is.

I loved the colors, and the noodles were yummy.

Ingredients for this Recipe are:

1 large Carrot
2 small Baby Bok Choy
6 slices Canadian Bacon
3 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon grated Fresh Ginger
1/2 lb. Soba Noodles
1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Microwave garlic for 30 seconds in 2 tablespoons of the quarter cup of toasted sesame oil
in a glass cup.

Pour soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, vinegar, garlic in oil, and grated ginger in a blender and
blend until smooth.

Cut bok choy into 1 inch pieces.  Cut the carrots at an angle into 1/4 inch medallions.
Cut Canadian Bacon into 1/4 inch slices.

Bring a medium pot full of water to boil.  Add salt and boil soba noodles according to
package directions.  My noodles were cooked in five minutes.

While the noodles are boiling, preheat a large wok over high flame until you begin to see some smoke. Open windows and turn on circulation fans if you can.  I have two fans one in my kitchen window and the other in the adjacent living room window specifically for me to use when I am stir frying.  Stir fry the carrots in 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seed oil for a couple of minutes, then add bok choy.

Using tongs remove soba noodles from boiling water when fully cooked and add them to the vegetables.  Pour sauce on top and finish by adding Canadian Bacon.  Stir fry for a couple of
 minutes and serve hot.

I don't know if soba noodles are meant to be eaten hot, or cold.  I have seen recipes calling for
cold soba but I wanted it to be like ramen almost.

I love noodles, and now that I have eaten soba noodles, I'm sure I'll make them again.

Enjoy!

Garlic Ginger Soba Noodles
Printable Recipe found Here

Ingredients:

1 large Carrot

2 small Baby Bok Choy

6 slices Canadian Bacon

3 cloves Garlic

1 teaspoon grated Fresh Ginger

1/2 lb. Soba Noodles

1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Oil

2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Process:

Microwave garlic for 30 seconds in 2 tablespoons of the quarter cup of toasted sesame in a glass cup.

Pour soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, vinegar, garlic in oil, and grated ginger in a blender and blend till smooth.

Cut bok choy into 1 inch pieces.  Cut the carrots at an angle into 1/4 inch medallions.  

Cut Canadian Bacon into 1/4 inch slices.

Bring a medium pot full of water to boil.  Add salt and boil soba noodles according to package directions.  

While the noodles are boiling, preheat a large wok over high flame until you begin to see some smoke. 

Open windows and turn on circulation fans if you can. 

Stir fry the carrots in 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seed oil for a couple of minutes, then add bok choy.

Using tongs remove soba noodles from boiling water when fully cooked and add them to the vegetables.  Pour sauce on top and finish by adding Canadian Bacon.  Stir fry for a couple minutes and serve hot.

Enjoy!