Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Years ago my family and extended family got together at PF Changs to celebrate my brother Todd's thirtieth birthday.   It was my first experience having their food.   We had the chicken lettuce wraps and oh my goodness they were so delicious!   I've thought about those wraps and made them once or twice since then but this is my first time making them and sharing the recipe with all of you.   I've changed and streamlined the process a little.   I used whole chicken thighs, but you could substitute with preground chicken.   Instead of iceberg lettuce, I opted for the pliable butter lettuce but if you like the crunchy lettuce then use iceberg.   These were very delicious and a quick weeknight meal choice.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (1 1/2 lbs ground chicken)

6 Cloves Peeled Garlic 

1 Vidalia Onion

1 Orange Bell Pepper

2 Heads Butter Lettuce

1 Cup Hoisin Sauce

1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Cornstarch

2 Teaspoons Cold Water

Sesame Seeds

Process:

Cut the bell pepper into large chunks, peel and cut the onion into quarters.  Pulse the vegetables in a food processor into a rough dice.  Cut the chicken thighs into quarters, add to the food processor.  Process on high until chicken is ground and mixed with vegetables.  

Blend hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar in a blender. Reserve 1/2 cup of sauce in a separate container.

Cook meat mixture over medium-high heat until meat is browned, add remaining sauce and reduce until thickened.  After it has reduced by half add a slurry of the cornstarch and water blended together. Remove from heat and serve spoonfuls in lettuce leaves with drizzled reserved sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  

Enjoy!

Cucumber Kimchi(Oi Kimchi)

My friend Sonja is a bit obsessed with South Korea and everything pertaining to the country.  Her two oldest daughter's have served as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in South Korea so Sonja has been to South Korea and has valid reasons for her obsession.  After having a plethora of cucumbers from my garden and an urgent need to preserve them before my family went on a Summer trip to New York City I decided to indulge my friend's love of Korean food and make cucumber kimchi.  She was able to help me and provide the Korean chili powder for this easy recipe.  I'm not familiar with kimchi at all so this was a new experience for me, but I love making food for my friends.  Hopefully a few more Korean recipes are on the horizon for my family. 

 My cucumber kimchi, its pretty to look at isn't it?

Ingredients:

1 lb Pickling Cucumbers (3 Lebanese cucumbers)
3 Green Onions
2 tablespoon Gochugaru (korean chili flakes, found online or at Asian Market)
1 tablespoon grated Gala Apple
1 tablespoon White Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2" piece of Ginger
Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

I don't know why I included the white onion in my photo, it is not in the recipe.  It was photobombing my recipe photo.  

 Cut cucumber into 2 inch long by 1/2 inch wide pieces, removing seeds if they are present.  

Sprinkle salt onto cumbers in a sieve.  I have some Himalayan Pink Salt I used but that isn't a requirement, sea salt will work just as well.  Allow to drain in sink for 20 minutes.  This will help remove excess water from the cucumbers and change the cellular wall inside the cucumber so the spice mixture will penetrate more.  

 Slice green onions width wise to create long skinny pieces then lengthwise into 4 inch matchsticks.   

 This is the Fish Sauce I forgot to include in my original photo.

Grate the peeled ginger and garlic with a microplane.  This is one of my favorite tools, it creates a delicate grate without all the work of cutting.  Dice one quarter of the apple flesh into small pieces.

Combine the Gochugaru, onions, garlic, ginger, and apple in a metal bowl.  Stir until a paste is formed.

Brush the salt off the cucumber and add them to the paste and stir until combined.  Finally sprinkle the sesame seeds on the mixture.  Transfer to lidded mason jars and let set for 12-24 hours at room temperature on your counter.  Refrigerate after curing.  The cucumber kimchi may be eaten after refrigerated. 

Enjoy!

Cucumber Kimchi(Oi Kimchi)

Ingredients:

1 lb Pickling Cucumbers (3 Lebanese cucumbers)
3 Green Onions
2 tablespoon Gochugaru (korean chili flakes, found online or at Asian Market)
1 tablespoon grated Gala Apple
1 tablespoon White Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2" piece of Ginger
Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Process:

Cut cucumber into 2 inch long by 1/2 inch wide pieces, removing seeds if they are present.  

Sprinkle salt onto cumbers in a sieve.  Allow to drain in sink for 20 minutes.  This will help remove excess water from the cucumbers and change the cellular wall inside the cucumber so the spice mixture will penetrate more.  

Slice green onions width wise to create long skinny pieces then lengthwise into 4 inch matchsticks.   

Grate the peeled ginger and garlic with a microplane.  This is one of my favorite tools, it creates a delicate grate without all the work of cutting.  Dice one quarter of the apple flesh into small pieces.

Combine the Gochugaru, onions, garlic, ginger, and apple in a metal bowl.  Stir until a paste is formed.

Brush the salt off the cucumber and add them to the paste and stir until combined.  Finally sprinkle the sesame seeds on the mixture.  Transfer to lidded mason jars and let set for 12-24 hours at room temperature on your counter.  Refrigerate after curing.  The cucumber kimchi may be eaten after refrigerated. 

Enjoy!

Instant Chicken Ramen Noodles

This post has been a long time coming.  My family has had a lot of changes these past few months, really the past year has been crazy.  Our youngest daughter turned one in December and my dear little one has been kind enough to teach me a new level of exhaustion this past year.  The exhaustion was a big part of my absence, but the other part was my daughter really really doesn't like me to share attention for her with a computer, and her naps were few and far between.  She likes to have her nap when I drive my other children to school, and wake up when we get home.  If that wasn't enough, we decided it was time to leave Queens, leave New York completely actually.  That was a huge and hard decision.  Our children were very distraught about the move.  On November 2, we moved into our very own house in Garner, North Carolina.  For now I've decided to remain the Queens Foodie Mama, maybe I'll rename my blog/website, but for now it will remain the same.  I promise to do better about posting.

My children love ramen noodles, so we have had a variety of instant ramen noodles in our home. One of my friends, Sarah and her son, are unable to eat Soy.  Every instant ramen seasoning packet, in every package of Ramen Noodles, has soy.  Since a food challenge is one of my favorite motivations for cooking, I decided to take on the ramen challenge.  A few months ago I created this recipe for my friend Sarah.  She also helped taste test our instant ramen.  She offered some advice, so hopefully when you try it, you will enjoy this new take on a college dorm favorite.

Soup, food for the body and soul.

Ingredients:

1 Packet Per Jar Chicken Flavor Broth (Trader Joe's sells one without soy)
1 teaspoon whole Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon ground Ginger
1 teaspoon dried Onion Flakes
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
Dried Udon Noodles

4 Pint Jars

Grind the whole spices and herbs in a spice grinder or a blender until a powder is formed.

Break noodles to desired length and place in pint jar.  Fill half way up.  Add 1/2 teaspoon

seasoning to jar.  Place lid and ring on jar and screw on lid with chicken broth packet in lid.

Add hot water to 300 ml line and instant chicken broth.  Microwave for 1 minute, close jar with lid and allow to sit for 1 minute.

Allow to cool and enjoy and jar of instant ramen noodles.

Enjoy!

Instant Chicken Ramen Noodles

Ingredients:

1 Packet Per Jar Chicken Flavor Broth (Trader Joe's sells one without soy)
1 teaspoon whole Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon ground Ginger
1 teaspoon dried Onion Flakes
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
Dried Udon Noodles

4 Pint Jars

Process:

Grind the whole spices and herbs in a spice grinder or a blender until a powder is formed.

Break noodles to desired length and place in pint jar.  Fill half way up.  Add 1/2 teaspoon

seasoning to jar.  Place lid and ring on jar and screw on lid with chicken broth packet in lid.

Add hot water to 300 ml line and instant chicken broth.  Microwave for 1 minute, close jar with lid and allow to sit for 1 minute.

Allow to cool and enjoy and jar of instant ramen noodles.

Enjoy!