Orange Ginger Chicken

Crispy.  Well seasoned and slightly spicy. This Orange Ginger Chicken will rival the ones you’d get from Chinese restaurants.  Maybe better.

This idea was inspired by our trip coming back from Fort Myers three weeks ago.  We stopped by at Kentucky Fried Chicken and order chicken bites with Orange Ginger Sauce.  So I decided to recreate the sauce at home.  My son thinks my sauce tasted better and without all the chemicals and preservatives…

In this photo… I used chicken breasts, which I sliced and pound.  But I also used boneless chicken thighs… and these did not need pounding.  I don’t like to do extra work… so I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs…

What you need…

kosher salt and spices

pounded and seasoned with kosher salt and spices

all purpose flour with kosher salt and spices

dredge seasoned chicken with the seasoned flour

allow the dredged chicken to sit for at least 10 minutes before frying.  this process allows the breading (seasoned flour) to adhere to the chicken.

fry breaded chicken in hot oil

Make the Orange Ginger Sauce. You will need the following:

combine sauce ingredients, EXCEPT the cornstarch in a small sauce pot

And bring to a boil over medium heat.  Let boil, uncovered for 3 minutes.

mix cornstarch with water

And drizzle over the boiling sauce, while whisking constantly.

I’m supposed to have the photo of the sauce here… but forgot to take a photo of it by itself…

So here’s the finished product – the fried chicken and Orange Ginger Sauce with Crispy Sweet Potatoes Tempura.

fried chicken breasts with orange ginger sauce and crispy sweet potatoes tempura

Orange Ginger Chicken

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP. smoked paprika

1 TBSP. kosher salt

½ tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. ground clove

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup cooking oil for frying

Combine paprika, kosher salt, cayenne, ground clove and nutmeg in a bowl.

Generously season chicken thighs with the combined spices.  Set aside.

In medium size mixing bowl, combine flour with the remaining seasoning.

Prepare the Orange Ginger Sauce before while you let the chicken thighs absorb the seasoning.

Orange Ginger Sauce:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice ( 3 medium oranges)

1 TBSP. honey

2 tsp. grated ginger

½ tsp. mustard powder

Pinch ground black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne or less depending on hotness desired

1 tsp. soy sauce

¾ tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 TBSP. water

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small sauce pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let the sauce boil, uncovered for 3 minutes. Stir the cornstarch mixture and drizzle it over the boiling sauce.  Remove sauce from heat and cool the sauce.

Heat a large skillet and add the cooking oil.  Heat oil just before it starts to smoke.

Dredge the seasoned chicken with the seasoned flour.  Shake off excess flour and fry chicken thighs in the hot oil.  Fry chicken about 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until cooked.  Drain fried chicken over paper towels.

Serve chicken with the Orange Ginger Sauce on the side for dipping.

Serve chicken with Crispy Sweet Potatoes tempura.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Curried Acorn Butternut Squash Soup

 

Slightly sweet and spicy… Hearty and extremely easy to make.  Great for the winter season.  And most of all… this soup freezes well.  So you’ll always have soup whenever you feel like having some.

What you need…

What to do…?

Wash acorn and butternut squash under cold running water. And roast in a preheated oven at 375°F for 1 hour.

Cut both squashes in half.

Scope and discard the seeds. And scope out the flesh and place in a bowl.

Heat a large stew pot.  Saute onions, ginger and garlic.   Then add the green curry paste.

Add the can of coconut milk.

Add the 2 cans of chicken broth.

Bring to a boil.

Add the squash.  Stir and bring to another boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Mash with a potato masher or blend with a hand held blender. Cover and bring to a boil. Again, simmer for another 5 minutes.

Taste to see if additional salt is needed.  Otherwise, add freshly ground black pepper.  Stir in chopped green onions and cilantro.

Serve hot with rice and other meat dishes.

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Acorn Butternut Squash Curried Soup

1 medium size acorn squash– about 2 – 3 pounds

1 medium size butternut squash – about 3 – 4 pounds

3 TBSPs. olive oil

1 medium size onion – chopped

2 TBSPs. finely chopped young ginger

4 large cloves garlic – minced

1 – 3 TBSPs. green curry paste

2 (14.5 ounces) cans low sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5 ounces) can Chaokoh coconut milk

½ – 1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

3 stalks green onion

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven at 375°F.

Line a heavy duty baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Wash acorn and butternut squash under cold running.  With a fork or a serrated steak knife, prick both squashes in the different in several areas – all around.

Line a heavy duty baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place both squashes in the pan and bake for 1 hour.

Remove and cool.  Split both squashes in half.  Scope the and discard the seeds.  Scope the flesh and place in a large bowl.

Heat a large, 4 quart stew pot.    Add olive oil.

Sauté onions, ginger, and garlic until onions are translucent.  Add curry paste and sauté for a few minutes.

Add coconut oil.  Stir until curry paste is incorporated.  Add chicken broth.  Bring curried liquid to a boil.  Add acorn and butternut squash.  Stir and bring to another boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Mash the squash in the pot with a potato masher or hand held electric blender.  Taste to see how much salt is needed.  Add freshly ground black pepper.  Cover and simmer curried squash for another 5 minutes.  Add chopped and green onions and cilantro.  Serve hot. With rice and other meat dishes.

Tess Kitchen Secrets:

Green curry paste is hotter than red curry paste.  So start with 1 tablespoon.  You can always add more later once the chicken is cooked.  The 3 tablespoons of green curry paste I used here makes this chicken curry very spicy!  But my husband likes his curry this way. So here’s the scale of hotness in this curry, based on how the number of tablespoons of green curry paste you use on a scale of 1 – 10:

1 tablespoon = 4 (good average heat)

2 tablespoons = 7 (hot, a little medium heat)

3 tablespoons = 10 (superhot)

This soup can be divided into small portions and frozen.  When ready to enjoy the curried soup, simple take out a portion and leave in the fridge overnight.  Microwave for 2 – 3 minutes and serve.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

 

 

The Tess Harris Dessert Cookbook

 

After such a long wait…

The Tess Harris Dessert Cookbook  is finally here!!!

It is now available on Amazon.com with worldwide distribution…

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!!!

Chicken Turkey Meatballs

Gingery and garlicky.  The best thing is – I did not fry them in the pan.  I don’t like frying meatballs.  Because I don’t like oil splatters and I especially don’t like it when the splatter lands on my arms.  So… I always like to bake my meatballs.  Always! Easier this way.  And no splatter.  Simple and hassle free.

These meatballs are loaded with flavors.  And can be served as appetizer by itself or with brown gravy over noodles.  Really.  You can serve these meatballs anyway you want.

Here’s what you need…

Ground chicken and ground turkey.  Or you may use chicken only or turkey only.  Your choice.  You could even use ground beef or pork if you like.  Of course the the seasonings and spices.  They’re what make these meatballs tasty.   Then you’ll need ginger, garlic, onion, green onion, cilantro (not in the picture) and carrot.

I almost forgot… Ground cumin is one of the key ingredients for these meatballs.  The spice alone dictates the taste for this dish!

Peel and finely chopped ginger.  Smash, peel and minced garlic.  Chop onion and green onion.  Peel and shred the carrot.

Then… we need to mix these all up!

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken and turkey.  Then add the seasonings and spices.  Drizzle Worcestershire sauce.  Stir to mix using a long handled spoon or spatula.

Add ginger, garlic, onion, cilantro, green onions and shredded carrot.  (When I made this batch of meatballs… I did not have cilantro on hand.  That’s why it’s MIA from this photo.  So don’t be like me.  Remember the cilantro!)

Mix well with your hands.

And form the mixture into balls.

Place the meatballs on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  Be sure to have a bit of space in between the meatballs.

Bake 375°F for  45 – 50 minutes.

And there you have it.

Chicken and turkey meatballs.  Serve warm.

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Chicken Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

1 pound ground turkey

½ – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsps. cumin powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

3 tsps. coarse sea salt or 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 ½ TBSPs. worcestershire sauce

1 inch piece peeled ginger – finely chopped

5 cloves garlic – smashed, peeled and minced

¼ medium onion – finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro – finely chopped

2 stalks green onions – finely chopped

1 medium carrot – peeled and shredded

Preheat oven at 375°F.  Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken and turkey.  Add the seasonings and spices:  cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, ground black pepper and salt.  Stir with long handled spoon to mix well.  Drizzle worcestershire sauce over the mixture.

Add ginger, garlic, onion, cilantro, green onions and shredded carrot.  Mix well with your hands.

Lightly oil your hands and make the meatballs according to your preferred sizes.  Mine are about 1 ½ inch balls.  Not too small and not too big.

Place meatballs on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for  45 – 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve meatballs warm.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

1. Making meatballs can be a messy business.  So I have 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a saucer.  Lightly oil the spoon and your hands before forming the patties.  I also wear disposable gloves to keep my hands clean.   (I always keep a box of non-latex gloves in the kitchen.  And they are much cheaper at Sam’s Club – $9.99 for a box of 100 gloves.)
2. You can use ground beef or pork for this recipe in place of chicken or turkey.

Gingery Egg Drop Soup

Better than the Chinese restaurant egg drop soup!  Easy.  And Fast!

This is another 15 minute meal.  My “go to” soup recipe when I’m pressed for time or I’m simply being lazy but I want some soup.

The tiny strips of crunchy, tender ginger in every spoon are what make this soup.  This is absolutely perfect with fried rice. Another quick and easy dish… Or paired with egg rolls.  Sam’s club sells pretty decent egg rolls and is best warmed up in the oven.

Other than this is being tasty… it is very affordable.  This recipe serves 6 people and cost less than $3 provided you already have the other ingredients on hand.  And if not, the other ingredients are worth the upfront investment because you will be using them again, and again for this recipe and other Asian recipes.  This soup is of course a great break from Ramen noodles if you are a college student. 

You can split this recipe in half if you’re only serving 2 or 3 people…

Step by step instructions and recipe below:

Gather all your ingredients.  Remember the chicken granules.  I forgot to take a photo of it…

Sprinkle a pinch of ground black pepper over the cracked eggs and beat lightly. Set aside.

Mix cornstarch and water.  Sorry. This is not a good photo.

Combine chicken broth, water, ginger, wine, sesame and hot pepper oil and chicken granules in a 2 quart pot.

Bring to a boil.

Give the cornstarch another stir, and drizzle cornstarch mixture into the boiling chicken broth, while stirring with a long chopsticks or ladle.

Drizzle beaten eggs, in circular direction, over the broth.

Stir immediately three or four times.

Add chopped green onions.

Stir and taste to see if additional ground black pepper and or salt is needed.

Serve hot.

Gingery Egg Drop Soup

2 – 14 ounces low sodium can chicken broth

2 cups filtered water

1 ½ inch piece ginger – peeled and sliced into tiny strips

1 TBSP. white wine

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. hot pepper oil

1 tsp. chicken granules

4 TBSPs. cornstarch + 6 TBSPs. water

4 large eggs – lightly beaten

¼ 8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 stalks green onions – chopped

Crack the eggs into a medium size bowl and sprinkle ground black pepper.  Beat the eggs lightly and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 6 tablespoons water.  Stir until cornstarch is dissolved.   Set aside

Combine chicken broth, water, ginger, wine, sesame and hot pepper oil and chicken granules in a 2 quart pot.

Bring these combined ingredients to a full boil over medium heat.

Give the cornstarch another stir, and drizzle cornstarch mixture into the boiling chicken broth, while stirring with a long chopsticks or ladle.  Boil chicken broth for another minute.

Reduce heat to low.

Drizzle beaten eggs, in circular direction, over the broth.  Stir immediately three or four times.

Add chopped green onions.  Stir and taste to see if additional ground black pepper and or salt is needed.

Serve hot.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

1. Be sure to pick young, tender ginger.  I found that Wal-Mart sells the best ginger.  Whoever is their supplier… their ginger is always fresh, young and tender.  How can you tell a young ginger from the mature ones?  Young ginger has a light yellowish skin, plump and tender to the crunch.  The skin is most definitely not dry and the flesh not stringy.
2. As for the wine, you may use white wine, medium dry sherry and or rice wine.  I used white wine because that’s what I had on hand.
3. When I was still on the experimenting stage for soup, the soup was good but it tasted as if something was missing… And I found that adding a teaspoon of chicken kicked this soup to another notch.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

P.S.  I wanted to leave you a photo showing you the difference between young and mature ginger.  I know most you already knows… so this is for those who don’t and would appreciate the information…

Easy Green Chicken Curry

This is going to be the easiest green chicken curry you’ll ever make.  Can be done in less than 30 minutes with simple ingredients.  It’s like going to your favorite Thai restaurant… except more economical…

I could use some cilantro here… but I didn’t have it on hand.  And really… this was a last minute dish.  So… I have to live with what I don’t have…

Ingredients:

Season chicken with 1 tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper.  Set aside.

Sauté garlic and ginger.

Add green curry paste sauté for a few minutes.  (As you can see… I am very generous with the green curry paste.  These are heaping tablespoons… So you can imagine how spicy this curry was!)

Add coconut milk.

Stir until curry paste is well incorporated with the coconut milk.

Bring coconut milk to a boil.

Add seasoned chicken and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Taste to see if you need more green curry paste.  Otherwise, stir in chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with a bowl of rice.

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Easy Green Chicken Curry

2 large chicken breasts – cut into bite size pieces

kosher salt and ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves – minced

2 inch piece ginger – minced

1 – 3 tablespoons green curry paste*

2 cans coconut milk

2 TBSPs. olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Season chicken with 1 tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper.  Set aside.

Heat a medium size skillet and add olive oil.  Sauté garlic and ginger.  Add green curry paste sauté for a few minutes.  Add coconut milk.  Stir until curry paste is well incorporated with the coconut milk.  Bring coconut milk to a boil.

Add seasoned chicken and bring to boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.  Taste to see if you need more green curry paste.  Otherwise, stir in chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with a bowl of rice.

Tess Kitchen Secret:

Green curry paste is hotter than red curry paste.  So start with 1 tablespoon.  You can always add more later once the chicken is cooked.  The 3 tablespoons of green curry paste I used here makes this chicken curry very spicy!  But my husband likes his curry this way.

So here’s the scale of hotness in this curry, based on the number of tablespoons of green curry paste you use on a scale of 1 – 10:

1 tablespoon = 4 (good average heat)

2 tablespoons = 7 (hot, above medium heat)

3 tablespoons = 10 (superhot)

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Quick and Easy Nachos

I’ve been wanting to share this.

Very easy and quick.  A great appetizer.  A snack.  A quick meal.  And a great way to use canned re-fried beans and shredded cheese.

The ingredients are simple…

But first turn on your oven broiler and preheat on HIGH… With the rack placed in the second shelf from the top.

You will need:

A bag of corn tortillas triangles

A small can of re-fried beans

And a 16 ounce bag of Mexican Four Cheese…

Spread a single layer of corn tortillas in a baking sheet.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of re-fried beans into the corn tortillas.

Top each tortilla with the Mexican Four Cheese.

Now these babies are ready to go under the broiler…

*** Reduce the broiler to LOW…

Place the baking sheet under the broiler until cheese are melted.  About 3 – 5 minutes.

NOTE:  Keep your eyes on the nachos while under the broiler.  They can burn easy.  If your oven is hotter… the cheese can melt faster and the corn tortilla chips can quickly burn.

Remove nachos from the oven just as soon as the cheese melted and the edges of the corn tortilla chips are lightly brown and crisp…

Serve warm.

Enjoy guys! And Happy Cooking…

Tess Harris