Orange Chicken

Ever have that feeling where you want to buy food that you haven't had in a long time but simply don't want to buy it? You know, the feeling where you just need that Americanized Chinese Food that you find at the Mall? Not catching on? Well, how about the Americanized Chinese Food from a certain Panda who serves some delicious Orange Chicken? How about now?

As I was headed home from my last day of class this quarter, I knew I had the full capabilities to go and buy Orange Chicken but why not make it? It may not be the same exact thing but if I can somehow manage to have all the flavors of Orange Chicken and yet still have a fat wallet, I think that is a good day's work.

Thus, I combined a couple of recipes on Orange Chicken, such as one from Sunny Anderson, and came up with this one. It is sweet, salty, somewhat tangy, a little spicy and of course, it tasted like orange. That Panda isn't going to be eating more of my money.

Orange Chicken

Recipe adapted by Me

Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Sauce
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/3 cup golden brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp cornstarch

Directions
In a pot or a fryer, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.

In a saucepan, combine the orange juice, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and soy sauce together and heat it on the stove. Bring it to a boil and continue to boil it until is is reduced and has become slightly thicker, about 8-10 minutes. Add in red pepper flakes to taste. In a small cup combine the cornstarch with about 1 tbsp of water to make a slurry. Add the slurry into the sauce while whisking and cook for another minute or two. Set aside and keep warm.

Using a medium sized bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. Then in another bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Add in the chicken to the egg and mix until everything is coated. Next, take the chicken pieces only and coat them in the flour mixture. Add the coated chicken to the oil and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a wire rack to cool.

When all the chicken pieces are cooked, add the pieces to the sauce and mix thoroughly. Cook them together on medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes so that the chicken has a chance to absorb the sauce.  Remove from the pot and serve with rice.

-Aaron John

Apple Chips

 

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away", but what about 15 apple chips? When I was younger, there was one thing I always got at the McChord AFB Commissary and that was Apple chips. Why? No clue. To think that Apple Chips are sold in essentially every store and yet the only time I got them was from a place 40 miles away from my home is crazy. It became somewhat of a ritual, something that felt more special then.

These days, my family rarely goes there; it's sort of an "out of the way" kind of thing. Gone are those days but those tiny food memories are something I will always remember. So, in a time where I purchased mealy apples and was set to throw them in the trash, this memory inspired me to use up the apples and create new memories.

Slowly cooking the apples in the oven until crisp, having that intense sweet apple flavor with a hint of spice and the disappearance of that "mealy apple" texture, not to mention the health factor, these are a great alternative to the store bought Apple Chips or potato chips in general.

Apple Chips

Recipe by Me

Ingredients
2 large apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
Juice from half a lemon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. In the meantime, line 2 baking sheets with silpat non stick baking mats or parchment paper to prevent the apples from sticking. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar and set aside. Next, place your water and the juice of half a lemon into a medium sized bowl. This will prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning brown.

Once everything is set to go, with a knife or using a mandolin, begin to slice the apples into 1/8 inch slices and place the slices directly into the water and lemon juice mixture. There is no need to peel the apples before hand. If desired, you can core the apple as well. If you are not coring them, make sure to remove the seeds before baking.

When everything is sliced, pat the apple slices dry and begin putting the slices on the the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, flipping halfway through the baking process. Remove from the oven when the apples are not pliable and crisp all the way through. If not crisp by 2 1/2 hours, turn up the heat to 275 degrees and bake for 5 more minutes while keeping an eye on them!

-Aaron John

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

What screams "lounging in the sun, that warm tropical breeze running through your hair, warm sand between your toes, the sound of waves crashing onto the shore and an ice cold drink in one hand" more than Canned Pineapple?! Uh, an actual Fresh Pineapple? Yes, yes, a Fresh Pineapple screams all those things 10X better but what are you to do when all you have is the canned stuff?

Ok, maybe for a Canned Pineapple it's more like sitting on your couch, an electric fan running, your feet up on the coffee table, the sound of a great movie and a soda in one hand.

The two may be different but they both encompass being relaxed and the pineapple both encompass a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. However, we can all agree that sometimes one method packs more of a punch than the other. In this case, Canned Pineapple will just have to do.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Recipe by Eva Longoria

Ingredients
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/3 cup for topping, 1/3 cup for cake)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
7 slices pineapple
7 drained maraschino cherries, or as needed (optional)
1 1/2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a flameproof 9-inch cake pan, melt 1/3 cup of the butter over low heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter and cook, stirring, until the sugar and butter are blended and there are no pools of melted batter, 2 to 4 minutes.

Arrange the pineapple on top of the caramel. Decorate with cherries if desired, placing them in the center of each pineapple slice. Set the pan aside.

In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of butter along with the milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter over the pineapple.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully tilt it in all directions to release the cake from the sides of the pan. Let cool in the pan for about 3 minutes. Turn the pan over onto a serving plate and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully lift the pan off the cake. Use a spatula to remove any fruit that is stuck to the pan and place it on the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

-Aaron John

Garlic Bread

Last week I made Pasta Bolognese, and what I didn't show is that I served it with Garlic Bread. Whether or not Garlic Bread is actually served with dishes like this in Italy, it has become a great pairing. It's like shopping and becoming broke, flying on airplanes and getting little packets of peanuts, being in Seattle and wearing North Face Jackets, sitting outside on Red Square at UW and doing some good ol' fashioned people watching. Well, maybe not everything is a great pairing, but they do seem to go together.

Now, I used to get those all ready and prepared garlic breads in the foil packages that are smothered with butter which you stick into the oven and forget about it but that can't be too healthy for right? But times have changed, it's time to expose yourself to some simple garlic bread that lets the bread and garlic do all the talking. Plus, it's not even funny how much more garlic bread you get by doing it this way, and can we all say, life is just better with more bread?

I've seen this method of garlic bread many times on TV so I don't really call it a recipe. It's more like a method. Toast some bread, rub some garlic, spread some butter. Done, done and done. I don't know how much more simple it can get. You end up with something thats buttery, crisp, chewy and garlic-y that still has a bit of a bite to it and it's oh so good!

Garlic Bread

"Recipe" by Me

Ingredients

1 loaf of Artisan bread, (Pugliese, Sour Dough, French, etc)
2 cloves of garlic
Butter

Directions
Cut the "root end" off of the garlic cloves and simply peel off the paper skin. It's important not to smash the garlic to remove the paper skin easier. A whole, intact, clove is much easier to use in this recipe. Set aside.

Take the artisan bread of choice and using a serrated knife, cut the bread in 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices. At this point there are many options to take in toasting the bread. You can use a grill pan and grill the bread until golden brown, you can use a preheated oven at 350 degrees F and bake until golden brown. However, what I like to do is actually use a regular toaster since I usually only need a couple of slices of bread. Whichever you prefer, the goal is a golden brown piece of bread that's crisp on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside.

Take the toasted bread and while it's still hot, begin to rub the cut side of the garlic clove onto the bread. You know you've rubbed enough garlic when you do not hear the sound of the scraping garlic on the toasty bread. Immediately, spread butter on the bread and enjoy!

-Aaron John

Pasta Bolognese

You may be saying to yourself, Pasta Bolognese? Looks just like meat sauce for spaghetti. But oh no, this stuff is way different. Well, not WAY different but it definitely is not spaghetti with meat sauce.

Unlike a regular spaghetti meat sauce which I find to be a sort of saute, dump and simmer, Pasta Bolognese takes the time to develop flavors by browning every single step from the veggies to the meat. The browning really is where all the flavor comes from and develops. By the end of the whole process, you end up with a deeply, rich sauce that's on a whole other level.

The interesting ingredient in this recipe is actually the cinnamon. After looking through tons of recipe for bolognese, a common ingredient is cinnamon or nutmeg. That may sound weird but it's definitely necessary. It adds a deep, warmth and "spiciness" that works well with the deep flavor from browning the meat. So, if you're in the mood for something other than a spaghetti meat sauce, try a Bolognese sauce. Definitely worth a Sunday dinner!

Pasta Bolognese

Recipe by Me!

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ celery stocks, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 ½ cups red wine
1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 cup water
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions 
Heat a pot with olive oil on medium heat. Meanwhile place the roughly chopped celery, carrot and onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Once the pot is hot, add your finely chopped celery, carrot and onion and cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables have just begun to brown.

Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for an additional 1 minute. Then add in the ground beef and proceed to break it up and cook for about 15 minutes. You really want the ground beef to brown in this stage. Once browned, remove any excess fat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook for about 8 minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf and water and stir to combine. Season again with salt and pepper. Cover the pot partially, reduce the heat to a medium-low, and cook for about 30 minutes until thick and rich. Once cooked, add in the ground cinnamon. Serve with pasta.

 -Aaron John

Pound Cake

I've always had a love for Pound Cake, specifically Costco's Pound Cake. Is it just me or don't you agree that Costco has the best food?! Muffins, cookies breads, and we must not forget about their $1.50 Polish Dogs at the Food Court! Try getting that at a Mariners games and you'll spend $8 without a drink. Costco is where the deals are at. Not to mention, you can have a whole meal just trying their free samples! But, enough about their Hot Dogs and free samples, it's all about the Pound Cake today.

There's just something about Costco's Pound Cake that I love. It's soft, moist, has a tender crumb and tastes of butter and vanilla. It's so simple, yet so good and addicting. In order to replicate it, I started my "recipe testing" with a Pound Cake recipe I used for my Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Coffee Cake. This Pound Cake comes from Tish Boyle. I loved the texture of it in my Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Coffee Cake but needed to try it in loaf form.

The results were, well, interesting. I felt that in the loaf form it became very dense, eggy and on the verge of dry, not like Costco's Pound Cake at all. I find that cakes that use butter as its base usually, if not all the time, come out with a cake thats on the dryer side than desired. It was fine in my other application of the recipe but it just didn't match the quality of a Costco Pound Cake. On to the next recipe!

Pound Cake 

Adapted from Tish Boyle's Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 1/2 x 5 1/2-inch loaf pan. Dust the pan with flour and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine well and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat the mixture at medium-high speed until very light, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally (the mixture should look curdled at this point). Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, alternating it with the heavy cream in two additions. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake before slicing and serving.

-Aaron John

Madeleines

This week has been pretty good to me. For one, I was featured on Yummly yesterday for my post on Sticky Buns. Who would have thought that that post from 2010 would make a site like Yummly? I know I didn't even think of it. Thanks Yummly!  

In addition to being featured, I was finally able to work with one of the new tools I got from Williams-Sonoma, the Madeleine Pan. I can't tell you how long I've wanted to make Madeleines, it must have been a couple of years. There's just something about the shape that I found pretty fascinating. Usually, I'm against buying something that is not a multi-tasker/can only be used for one thing but for this I made an exception.

These Madeleines were crispy on the outside and cakey in the center. However, when my parents ate one, they were confused as to why the whole thing wasn't crunchy like a cookie. Apparently back in the Philippines, they have something called a "Butterfinger" (no, not the candy) that's similar in shape to Madeleines but are crunchy like a Pepperidge Farm Milano Coookie. Time to search for that recipe!

Madeleines

Recipe by Ina Garten

Makes 24 Madeleines

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans, plus 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

-Aaron John