Coconut & Galangal Soup with Chicken

This creamy soup is the final installment from my Thai experiments earlier this month.
I wanted to try something that incorporated the more tropically influenced southern half of Thailand and I also wanted to experiment with whole fresh roots, instead of powders.


I found a variation of this recipe in a book I borrowed from a good friend and food mentor, Jeff Extine, though I had to make some changes for what was available and in season.
I also used dried bird's eye pods in the soup, instead of the fresh thai chilis you see in the photo.


Ingredients:
1 Lb. of Chicken breast
1 Sweet Onion
8 pieces of fresh Galangal root (1 inch wafers)
4 Cups Chicken broth
1 (16oz) can of Coconut Milk
1 Cup of coconut cream
4 T Lime juice (add more to taste)
8 Dried Birds Eye Chili Pods
S & P

Directions:

1. Dice and sautee onions first (add a little cooking oil if necessary)
2. Add the chicken broth & chicken (substitute 1 extra Cup of water for broth)
3. Bring to a boil, then add the coconut milk, galangal root, chili pods and S &P 
4. Reduce heat to med-low
5. Once the chicken is fully cooked (30 mins) and breaking apart, add lime juice and coconut cream.
6. Simmer for 30 mins - 1 hour to incoporate flavors, and then serve with cilantro or fresh pepper garnish.

White Castle Sliders

My personal tribute to some of the best 24-hour food ever...White Castle Sliders.
I grew up mostly in St. Louis, MO and spent a lot of time @ my grandmother's house learning the basics of cooking and baking.  My grandfather, however, often took us around the corner to the Maplewood White Castle, and though I've been to many others in the mid-west and northeast, I always envision WC sliders as I first discovered them @ that exact location.

Recently, a meatloaf experiment turned out tasting just like white castle patties.  It wasn't what my mouth wanted, not in that form anyway.  So, I decided to recreate the meat recipe and surround tiny square patties with explosive, meat-flavored onions, bread and butter pickles and serve up sides of krinkle fries.
Here are the results.  The recipe will follow.  Anyone that has a recipe for their orange drink, I may need that next time...

Ingredients:
1/2 Lb. Ground beef
1/2 Lb. Ground turkey thighs
1/2 Medium yellow onion, diced into tiny squares
1/4 Cup of butter
1 Package of Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 buns each)
1 Jar of Bread & Butter pickles
1 Bottle of ketchup
1 T S & P

Directions:
1. Combine Beef & Turkey in a bowl together with S & P
2. Using your hands or a roller, flatten the burger meat into a thin sheet.
3. Cut into even squares and fry on a skillet @ Medium-High Heat
4. Add onions after flipping the burgers, top onions with 1 T butter
5. Pull burgers when done, cooking in shifts if necessary
6. Brown onions until they are almost crispy
7. Using the remaining butter, brown the buns in shifts
8. Build sliders with the ratio/condiments of your choice

Thai Pork with Bok Choy & Thai Eggplant

I marinated a pork butt for 24 hours in my Thai marinade
then braised it @ 220 degrees F for 3 hours

For the sides, I oven-roasted large bok choy in:
1 cup water
2 T lime juice
1 T salt
and placed 2 fresh bird's eye chilis in each
Baked @ 300 F for 20 mins

I also sauteed thai (green) eggplant with:
2 T canola oil
1 T soy sauce
2 T ginger, minced
2 T garlic

Wontons!

I recently made simple, but delicious wontons...
Feast your eyes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of chicken breast
4 T minced ginger
4 T minced garlic
8 T soy sauce
20 wonton wraps
1 cup water
1 T Chinese mustard powder
S & P
2 cups oil

Directions:
1. Boil chicken in pot with 6 T soy sauce added to water
2. Shred the cooled chicken once finished
3. Combine chicken with ginger and garlic, mustard powder and 2 T soy sauce
4. Add 1 T of filling to the center of each wonton wrap
5. Dip your fingers in water and trace the edges of wonton wrap
6. Fold up and over the chicken filling, and press edges of the wrap, sealing the filling inside, with as little air as possible. The end result is a triangle.
7. (Optional) Dab water on the outer points of the triangle, and fold them together on top of the filling.
8. Fry the wontons and enjoy!

Thai Marinade

I experimented with this base this week on a pork butt and beef brisket

Everything seems to blend well here, except the sesame oil and lime juice balance,

which I've been playing with and have gotten different reviews...

6 T Rice vinegar

6 T fish sauce

2 T Sesame Oil

6 T fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped

8 fresh or dried Thai (Birds Eye) chillies, chopped

3 T garlic, minced

3 T fresh ginger, diced

1/2 cup chicken stock

Juice of two limes

Salt to taste

Baguette French Toast

I've been working on thai recipes and cooking or preparing something everyday this week
I'll have posts up this weekend, once i get everything shot correctly

I broke from innovating this morning
and made myself a classic breakfast:

French Bread French Toast:

The ingredients are very simple:
Yield: 10 pieces
3 eggs
2 T Milk
1 t Vanilla
2 t Cinnamon
1 T butter
1/2 Loaf of French Baguette

1. Beat eggs, add milk and vanilla, pour mixture into dipping pan
2. Cut the baguette into 1 inch slices
3. Set slices in dipping pan, coating both sides, then sprinkle one side with cinnamon
4. Heat pan/skillet to Med-Hi, and coat the pan with 1/2 T of butter
5. Fry your slices cinnamon side up
6. Add 1/2 T butter slices to tops with...
syrup/fruit/cream/jelly/PB, whatever your favorite toppings are

My favorite things about using the french baguette instead of traditional sliced bread is their power to absorb a lot of egg without turning into a soggy pancake, because the crust is must stronger and the slices are thicker.
For that reason, I often soak my baguette slices for 10 mins, 5 on each side, before adding the cinnamon.

Broccoli Quesadillas

I've decided to work through my classics to open the Nom Nom Kitchen
Tonight's entree is my favorite vegetarian meal outside of straight-up cheese pizza...

Broccoli Quesadillas


Ingredients:
1 broccoli crown
1 T butter
2 scallions
1 small red pepper
2 jalapenos
2 cloves of garlic
S & P
1/2 t ground cumin
Shredded manchego
Small corn tortillas


Garnish: 
I use a bed of cilantro, and top that with a pico or salsa and a drizzle of lime juice
Tonight, I'm using a fresh mango salsa

Directions:
1. Dice and lightly boil broccoli crown for 5 - 10mins (i use the stem as well for crunch and go the full 10 mins)
2. Melt butter in a sautee pan and add cumin
3. Add diced scallions, red pepper and jalapenos, cook until onions are clear
4. Add minced garlic for 2 mins and remove from heat


5. Strain broccoli and let ingredients cool
6. Dice broccoli and add to onion/pepper mixture
7. Heat a saute pan, oil if necessary, i use a non-stick pan and skip the oil to keep it healthier
9. Drop one tortilla in heated pan and build the quesadillas with cheese on the bottom, pepper mixture in the middle and cheese again on top
10. Place 2nd tortilla on top and flip once golden brown
11. Plate and devour


This derivation of an old recipe comes from my mother's inventiveness...
(Thanks Mom, hope i get the story right)
She really enjoyed the spinach quesadillas at my parent's favorite Tex/Mex restaurant in Charlotte, NC
Salsa's
and decided to add broccoli @ home one evening.
I was intrigued and have played with the spice factor (adding jalepenos, serranos, or habeneros)
as well as the cheese (cheddar, queso blanco, even the "mexican style" mix bag from the grocery)
but settled on Manchego for its excellent melting quality and nutty flavor which goes really well with the broccoli
Also, props to Jeff Extine for helping me refine the recipe and for correcting my obvious mistakes
Enough chit-chat though, my ingredients are cooled
and I'm ready to get my nom on asap
Enjoy,
Brandon