coconut-lemongrass grilled chicken skewers with cilantro dipping sauce

This is an amiable mash-up between Bon Appetit’s chicken skewers and the South Beach Diet’s cilantro dipping sauce. Both are spicy but you can tone down one or the other or both. I reduced the Bon Appetit recipe for two, but do use all the coconut milk for 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken. I did not halve the spices.

Coconut-Lemongrass Grilled Chicken Skewers
Yield: serves 2 people
Time: 4-12 hours to marinate
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes

1/2 of 250ml carton of coconut milk
2 lemongrass stalks, the lower third chopped
2 serrano chilies, chopped (without seeds if less heat is desired)
2 inches of ginger root, peeled
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt
1 chicken breast, skinless, boneless, and cut into chunks
2 chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons oil

Special Equipment: 5 metal skewers

Put coconut milk, lemongrass, chilies, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and about 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until fine.

Put chicken chunks into a medium bowl and pour over the marinade. Let the chicken marinate 4-12 hours in the refrigerator.

Oil a griddle and heat it over a medium flame. Thread the chicken on the skewers and discard the marinade. Put the skewers on the hot griddle and lightly sprinkle salt over all. Turn the skewers after 1-2 minutes for a total of 6-8 minutes until the edges are browned and charred and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with cilantro dipping sauce.

Cilantro Dipping Sauce
1 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup almond meal
2 cloves garlic
1 Thai chile, optional
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice or distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put cilantro, almond meal, garlic, chile (if using), and salt in a food processor and process until uniformly chunky. While the machine is running, add the lime juice and olive oil down the feed tube, and process until smooth. Serve with the chicken skewers.

mashed potatoes with callaloo

This is a variation on Irish mashed potatoes and cabbage called Colcannon. I used Jamaican callaloo, or amaranth, instead, but you can use spinach or napa cabbage. These potatoes are a bit chunky and has a smooth onion-garlic flavour. 

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 large red onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cups callaloo leaves, chopped, (aka amaranth; can use spinach instead)
2 cups milk (whole or low fat)
Salt and pepper to taste
Scallion, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Boil potatoes in their skins until tender, 30-40 minutes, or until a paring knife cuts through one of the potatoes easily. Rinse and set aside to cool.

When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and set aside.

Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Cook onions until softened, 8-10 minutes, over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add half of the callaloo and cook until wilted. Add the milk and cook until the milk is bubbly. Add the rest of the callaloo and cook until wilted. Add the peeled potatoes and coarsely mash in the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring, until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Scrape into a serving bowl. If desired, add 2 tablespoons butter to the top of the potatoes and sprinkle over the scallions.

crispy rice with spring vegetables and spicy korean barbecue-style pork

This is a mash-up of two recipes by Bon Appetit and Tasty. It’s really good! Because it is loaded with fresh vegetables, crispy rice, and spicy tender pork. So many textures and flavours to enjoy!

Crispy Rice with Spring Vegetables
For Two

4 oz snow peas or sugar snap peas, strings removed and sliced diagonally
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
Pinch or two of salt
Splash rice vinegar, optional
4 scallions sliced on the diagonal, reserving some of the green tops for sprinkling
2 tablespoons rice bran oil or vegetable oil
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 rice cooker cup of short grain rice, cooked and chilled at least 10-12 hours
Spicy Korean Barbecue-style Pork (recipe follows)

Dressing
2 tablespoons gochujang or Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2-4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1-2 tablespoons water.

Accompaniments
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas cooked 3-4 minutes in boiling water until just tender
2 cups fresh pea shoots, bean sprouts, watercress, or baby arugula
Pickled radish
Carrot and daikon quick pickles
1 fried or poached egg per person, optional

Prep vegetables. Put cucumber rounds in a small bowl and season with salt to taste. Toss cucumbers and let sit. Pour off any excess water then add splash of vinegar if desired. Taste and season with more salt, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar, if desired. Set vegetables aside.

Crisp the rice. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet or wok, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat. Add remaining scallions to the hot oil and cook, stirring until the scallions soften, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape scallions and oil into a large bowl. Reserve the pan. Add rice and a bit of salt to the scallions and oil. Mix well until rice is smooth, no lumps.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the work or skillet over medium heat. As soon as the oil is hot (I test the oil by sticking a wooden chopstick in the oil. If bubbles gather around the tip, the oil is hot enough.) Scrape rice into the center of the pan, and flatten it so it is even, keeping it away from the sides. You want to crisp the bottom of the rice but not make it thin like a pancake. Cook until the bottom is dark golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.

While the rice is browning, make the dressing in a small bowl. Only add 2 teaspoons sesame oil to start. If using Sriracha, omit the water. Taste and add more gochujang, Sriracha or sesame oil to taste. Set dressing aside.

When rice is browned, chop it up into chunks with a spatula and divide it between two bowls. Keep warm by covering the bowls with a kitchen towel. Set aside.

In the empty skillet or wok, combine the green peas and snow peas and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the snow peas turn bright green, about 1 minute. Add a splash of water to the pan until it sizzles and cook another minute more. Lightly season with salt and share it between the two rice bowls.

Next, lightly stir fry the pea shoots/bean sprouts/watercress/arugula. When it wilts slightly, lightly sprinkle a little fish sauce or soy sauce. Stir to combine and divide it between the rice bowls.

If using, fry or poach the eggs, one per person. Add to the rice bowls. Arrange some pickled radish, cucumbers, daikon and carrot in the bowls. Add spicy Korean barbecue-style pork (recipe follows) then sprinkle dressing and scallion over all. Serve at once with extra dressing on the side.

Spicy Korean Barbecue-style Pork
250g pork tenderloin slices, chilled or frozen for easier slicing
1/2 small red onion, sliced into thin strips
3 stalks scallion, sliced on the diagonal
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, minced
2 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon rice bran oil or vegetable oil
Sesame seed to garnish, if desired

Put meat in a medium bowl and add all the ingredients except the rice bran or vegetable oil and sesame seeds. Toss to combine. Refrigerate meat 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add pork mixture and stir fry until the pork is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of sesame seeds on top, if desired. Divide among rice bowls. Serve at once.