Breakfast Crepes

I love crepes.  Not much you can argue with - they're essentially thin pancakes with crispy edges that you can stuff full of different things both sweet or savory. 

I made 2 kinds - one smothered in Nutella, and another (pictured above) with lemon zest, juice, a sprinkling of sugar and blackberries.

Crepes, adapted from Alton Brown
(makes ~18 crepes)

:: blender
:: 8 in nonstick pan

:: 2 eggs
:: 3/4 cup milk (preferably whole)
:: 1/2 cup water
:: 1 cup flour
:: 1 tsp vanilla
:: 3 tbsp melted butter + butter for each crepe
:: 2 tbsp sugar
:: 1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in the blender and pulse for about 15-20 seconds.  Set aside in refrigerator for ideally an hour to let bubbles subside (otherwise your crepes will be delicate and liable to tear).

Heat pan over medium-high heat.  Melt a small amount of butter on the pan for each crepe, then pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the pan.  Immediately begin swirling pan around until it covers the bottom of the pan, let cook for about 40 seconds. 

Flip over (I found a spatula to be the most useful tool for this) and cook an additional 15 seconds.  Lay flat on a plate while you cook the rest. 

Serve with whatever you'd like! This recipe works also great as a savory crepe, but I would probably omit the 2 tbsp of sugar in that case.

Asian Chicken

I used to make this all the time in college for a quick and easy dinner.  I love dark meat chicken, but you're welcome to use whatever kind you life.  You could even buy family-size packs, marinate the whole lot, and throw in just a few pieces into individual freezer bags.  Once you freeze it, you can defrost at your leisure throughout the month.

Asian Marinated Chicken

:: 2 pounds chicken (I used whole legs, whatever cut works)
:: 1/2 cup honey or sugar
:: 3/4 cup soy sauce
:: 3/4 cup water
:: 8 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
:: 3 scallions, cut into 1-in pieces
:: 1-inch chunk of ginger, cut into thin discs
:: 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
:: hot sauce to taste, or 1 jalapeno, sliced thinly
:: 1 tsp sesame oil

Mix everything together except for the chicken.  If you are using skinless chicken, marinate for about 6 hours.  If you are using skin-on chicken, marinate overnight.  In retrospect, I probably would have poked a few holes in the skin to let the marinade really penetrate.

When you're ready to eat, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lay the chicken skin-side down in a baking pan, pour marinade over chicken.  Bake for 25 minutes, turn heat up to 375, and flip chicken over.  Bake an additional 25 minutes.** 

Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  If you'd like a thicker sauce at this point, pour excess marinade from roasting pan into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Meanwhile, combine 1 tbsp corn starch with 1 tbsp COLD water into a slurry.  Stream the corn starch slurry into the chicken marinade, stirring the whole time until sauce thickens.

I served this with white rice and broccoli!
** for crispier skin, bake at 350 for 25 minutes, 375 for 20 minutes, and broil on low for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Happy Holidays!!

My gift to you this year, dear reader, is the twice annual Charlottesville Restaurant Week, taking place from January 23-29, 2012.  (I'm not paying for your dinner if that's what you thought I meant, sorry for the confusion.)

$26 dollars will get you a sumptuous 3-course meal from some of the best restaurants Charlottesville has to offer.  In years past, $1 from each meal was donated to a charity; last summer, the Restaurant Week Charity Partner was the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, but I haven't been able to find out who this January's event will benefit... will update when I figure it out.

Take a gander at the participating restaurants - my favorite is of course Fossett's at Keswick Hall.  So what if I've made 2 reservations for the same week?!

Pad Ka Pow (Spicy Basil Stir Fry)

My big sis challenged me to make this dish, and so here we are!  Pad Ka Pow is not only fun to say, it's also fragrant from a ton of basil but also satisfying from all the other vegetables and meat. 

I apologize in advance....it was late, I was hungry, and I made this but ate all of it before I could take pictures of it.  Eek! I'm sorry, but when I make it again next I'll be sure to add the pictures in!

Tips for stir fry in general:

1) Get your wok or whatever pan you're using SCREAMING hot. 
2) Have your mise en place prepared in advance and close at hand.
3) Cook in small batches (ideally 1 portion at a time)
4) Don't be afraid of using a little oil.

Chicken Pad Ka Pow
(serves 4-6)

:: vegetable oil
:: 4 cloves garlic, minced
:: 2 shallots, minced
:: 1 pound chicken, minced or ground
:: thai chiles, sliced lengthwise (to taste)
:: 1 onion, sliced
:: 1 bell pepper, sliced
:: 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
:: other vegetable ideas - bamboo shoots, baby corn, eggpplant, etc.
:: 1 cup thai basil leaves
:: ka pow sauce (directions below)

You will probably cook this quantity in 2-3 batches.

Over high heat, pour some oil into the wok, about 1 tablespoon.  Add in a portion of the garlic, shallots, and thai chiles (I use 1 chile per 1/3 pound of meat for a bit of a bite) stir fry briefly, about 15-20 seconds or until fragrant.  Add in chicken and stir fry until meat is no longer pink. Push meat to sides of wok.

Add another tablespoon of oil to center of wok if necessary.  Add vegetables except for basil and stir fry for another minute.  Add a big handful of basil and about a tablespoon of sauce.  If it starts to look too dry, you can add in tablespoon or so of water, but too much sauce will make the stir fry too salty.

Serve with rice.
 

Ka Pow Sauce

:: 1 tbsp oyster sauce
:: 2 tbsp fish sauce
:: 1 tsp sugar
:: 1 tbsp (or to taste) sambal chili paste or chili garlic sauce


Stir to combine. 

Crispy Apple Chips

Has it really been almost a month since I last posted?  I guess that's what happens when I eat out every. single. day. and don't actually cook anything.  At least I can be pretty confident that if food supplies suddenly become scarce, that I'll be able to survive solely off of my winter fat stores.

In the spirit of the holiday season, a wonderful fall fruit (apples!!), and a light snack, I gave these apple chips a try.  Apple chips have long been a favorite snack of mine.  Growing up, we never had potato chips or other 'junk foods' in the house, but I was at least able to convince my parents of the apparent health benefits of apple chips to buy them.  If you've never tried them and want to sample it before making your own, I highly recommend these!  

You've probably had dehydrated apples before, but I promise that these are nothing like the chewy-and-tastes-too-healthy-to-hit-the-dessert-spot wholesomeness of dehydrated apples.  These are crispy, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and when made with an already delicious fresh apple, simply awesome.  T was initially skeptical of my apple experiment, but now he eats them so fast that I don't even get to them sometimes. 

I suppose that's a compliment.

Chicken Chili

I'm not sure if everyone else is having this experience, but it has been very, very cold.  And when I am cold I become very, very hungry.  I've been making an effort to cut down on my red meat intake (besides burgers for dinner last night.  And strip steaks on Friday night.) but chili is such a great way to eat a lot of food, warm up, and not feel bad about it.

This chili is seriously yummy without the guilt - serve it with some corn bread, or sour cream and cheddar cheese! 

Roasted Garlic

My parents came to visit recently, and whenever they do, they always bring massive quantities of random things, like garlic.  They. Brought. A. Lot. Of. Garlic.  So obviously I have had to eat a lot of the stuff over the last weeks.

It's no secret that I love garlic.  We all know what raw garlic is like - nose-prickling sharp and aromatic.  When you roast garlic though, magic happens and it turns into a sweet, creamy, almost buttery thing.  It breaks down so much during the slow roasting process that you can spread over anything with a butter knife.  This is great for garlic bread, or for adding to any recipe where you would normally add garlic.  I use it in pasta frequently, smeared over good crusty bread, soups, stews, you name it.

BONUS:  Since Halloween is only 3 days away, if you eat this before then, you'll be warding off vampires.  Or will you? 

Actually, the more likely scenario is that you'll be warding off romance with your dragon breath, so maybe save eating this one by itself for a meal with friends and family :)