Rice

Hoisin Chicken Thighs with Rice and Asian Slaw

Hoisin Chicken Thighs with White Rice and Asian Slaw
Serve 4-8, depending on how hungry you are

8 chicken thighs, boneless/skinless
2 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder)

Thaw thighs. Place in a Ziploc bag. Add all remaining ingredients.
Place bag in fridge and let marinate for 1-2 hours. Turn occasionally.
Heat non-stick skillet on med-high. Spray with cooking spray.
Place thighs in pan. Pan-fry until brown and turn (4-5 minutes per side). With finished cooking remover from heat and keep warm.

Nutritional data (for 1 thigh):
Calories:        151
Fat:              10.2g
Sat fat:           2.2g
Chol:           49.4mg
Sodium:         46mg
Carbs:           1.1g
Fiber:               0g
Protein:       13.6g

Warm Hoisin Sauce
Serves 8 (1 tablespoon each)

After removing the chicken, add:
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons fresh crushed ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger powder)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup semi-dry red wine

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil. Loosen any brown bits (fond) stuck to the pan. Stir over med-high heat until the fluid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Nutritional data (for 1 tablespoon sauce):
Calories:          42
Fat:                5.2g
Sat fat:           0.7g
Chol:                0mg
Sodium:          26mg
Carbs:            2.3g
Fiber:                0g
Protein:          0.2g

Serve one or two thighs on rice, with one tablespoon sauce.

Asian Slaw
Serves 10 (1 cup portions)

1 small head of Napa cabbage, shredded (approximately 6 cups)
1 bag broccoli cole slaw
6 ounces snow pea pods, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bunch scallion (green onions), sliced thinly, whites and green of the onion

Dressing:
Juice of one lime (2-4 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup Splenda (or other sweetener)

Mix all ingredients together.  Allow to dwell before serving, overnight is best.  Toss together frequently.

Nutritional data:
Calories:         76
Fat:               5.1g
Sat fat:          0.7g
Chol:               0mg
Sodium:      63.5mg
Carbs:           6.9g
Fiber:               3g
Protein:         1.9g

Paella (my style)

This is not exactly the recipe that you will find in Spain, but is it darn good and will be made again!

Paella
Serves 6

3 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 bell peppers, fire roasted, chopped (if you use store bought peppers, you will need about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped shallot (or onion)
15 green olives, halved
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 boneless/skinless chicken thighs, halved
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp saffron

1.  In an aluminum 9×13 pan, combine all ingredients.
2.  Preheat your grill, place pan on grate. (Or preheat your oven to 350F, and place pan in oven.)
3.  When it begins to boil, cover with aluminum foil and seal tightly.
4.  Let it bake for 45 minutes. 
5.  Remove cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

6.  Stir together and serve.

Nutritional data, per 8 ounce serving:
Calories:     322
Fat:             8.2g
Sat fat:        2.1g
Chol:         120mg
Sodium:     231mg
Carbs:       39.1g
Fiber:          2.8g
Protein:     22.9g

This is what it looks like to fire-roast a bell pepper over the stove in your kitchen.

Turn the burner on high, and place the pepper on the grate.  Turn occasionally.  When charred on all side, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let it steam itself for 5 minutes. Remove from the bowl and with a butter knife scrape most of the charred skin off.  Use immediately or save in refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

The next time I make this recipe, I will reduce the amount of shrimp and increase the amount of chicken. I might also stir in some smoked oysters right before serving (just an idea.)