Healthy Fried Brown Rice

Healthy Salmon Fried Brown Rice with Kikkoman Soy Sauce (not low-sodium.)

I love Chinese-American food, and I love making Chinese-American food. In the past I have made Orange Chicken, Lemon Chicken, and Chicken Fried Rice. At Chinese-American restaurants, I usually order Orange Chicken or Fried Rice; however, these dishes are usually high in fat and sodium due to the amount of oil, sugar (in the sauces), eggs, and soy sauce.

Orange Chicken Revisited

Here is another recipe I'm revisiting because the original photos are HORRIBLE, and this dish is worthy of being on my blog twice.

Supplì

My blog has caused me to realize that I like Italian food more than any other International food. The reason could also lie in the fact that I am addicted to ItalianFood.Net and watch their cooking videos almost daily.

When I saw this video for supplì (already in the plural form; pronounced [soop-PLEE], based on U.S. English pronunciation), which are fried, stuffed balls of short-grained rice and ragù. When I saw these nuggets of meat, tomatoes, cheese, and rice, I just knew I had to get over my dislike of homemade, fried foods and make them. The chef even says that supplì are one of his favorite treats, so I had to make them.

*UPDATE* Supplì are not arancini, although they are very similar. The latter are shaped differently and do not include ragù (the tomato & beef sauce). Moreover, supplì are said to have originated in Rome and arancini in Sicily. I hope to try out arancini sometime very soon. 

While this dish takes quite a bit of time, it is well worth it in the end. I made the ragù the day before so that the flavors could meld overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, I made the rice mixture and created my assembly line for the coating. I had never fried in olive oil before, but I didn't notice a huge difference between using any other type of oil.

Anyway, I highly suggest making supplì for a party, your kids, or just because. I halved the recipe and still had enough for 3-4 people (I don't know why the chef says the full recipe is for four people!). I decided to roll up the supplì you see in the photos and to save the rest of the rice mixture for whenever I want more. That way, the supplì are always fresh. If I don't feel like making more supplì, I could also just eat the rice mixture as is, which is made almost exactly like risotto. It tastes amazing with or without the coating. Seriously.

I took the last photo while eating my first bite ever of supplì. I almost ended the photo session at that point. LOL! That first bite was amazing.

Ragù alla Bolognese

reposted from here and adapted from Italian Food Net (video)

You only need a FOURTH of this recipe, but I halved it here so that you can have leftovers for other dishes.

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
4 cups (1 Litre tomato sauce (I used about one box of Pomì crushed tomatoes)
1/2 of tomato paste tube (2.25 oz)
1 big carrot (½ cup) chopped
1 celery rib (½ cup) chopped
1/2 white onion (½ cup) chopped
1/4 cup of red wine (I used about 4 oz of Fre Red Wine, a non-alcoholic wine!! Yeaa!!)
1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1-2 Tbsp fresh sage
1-2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat a large saucepan. Pour in olive oil. Add celery, carrot, onion, and let them brown over medium heat. Then add sage, rosemary, and cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes.

Add the ground beef, divide it well, and cook until the liquid has evaporated (about 5-10 minutes), then season with salt and black pepper.

After 10 minutes of cooking pour in the red wine, and let it evaporate. Add tomato paste, stir well, and add tomato sauce, cover and let it simmer for 1 ½ hour on a low heat. Make sure you season this sauce well before assembling the lasagne.

Supplì 

halved & adapted from Italianfood.net (text in Italian) (video with subtitles) (video w/o subtitles)

Make the ragù ahead of time. You could also form the supplì without coating them ahead of time.

3/4 cups (175 gr) (6.15 oz) short-grained rice (I used arborio. Other suggestions: Carciofi, Bomba)
1 cup (250 gr) (9 oz) ragù (meat and tomato) Sauce (homemade or storebought; can be vegetarian)
1 large egg
50 gr (3.52 oz) cubed mozzarella cheese (enough to put in the small rice balls)
1/4 cup (50 gr) (3.52 oz) finely-grated parmesan
2 Tbsp (30 gr) (2.11 oz) unsalted butter, separated
2 cups (500 ml) beef broth or stock (can use chicken or vegetarian stock)
Enough flour and breadcrumbs to coat (I used Italian breadcrumbs)
Extra virgin olive oil for rice and for frying
Kosher salt to taste

Heat up a pot over medium heat then add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp of the butter, and let it melt. Once the butter has melted, add rice and toast it for about 2 minutes.

Add enough hot broth to cover the rice and when the broth has almost completely evaporated, continue to add enough broth to cover the rice, and keep doing this until there is no more broth, and the rice has evaporated.

When the rice is cooked al dente, season with salt, add remaining butter, ragù sauce, grated parmesan and stir quickly until becomes creamy. Turn off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

Make your supplì: 

Break the egg and whisk. Pick up a handful of the rice mixture, mold into small balls, and firmly press it, place a small cube of mozzarella into the center then reshape into a ball. Firmly press the rice giving the typical elongated oval shape.

(In order to not make too much of a mess, I rolled up half of the rice mixture up to this point, and set them aside. That way I did not have to roll each ball through the coatings, wash my hands, and start over.)

Roll the rice ball in flour. Continue molding the rice to give it the elongated oval shape, then dip the supplì in egg, and finally roll it well in breadcrumbs. Repeat until all the rice is used.

Heat extra virgin olive oil, which should be 3 inches deep, in a pot over high-medium heat, then add supplì. Let them fry until golden brown and crisp on all sides, turning over occasionally. When all supplì are golden brown, remove with a slotten spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain the olive oil.

Transfer supplì to a serving dish and offer to your friends. Remember to eat them with hands!

Churros con chocolate caliente al estilo español

Let me first tell you that I hesitated on making these churros because of the source of the recipe. My photos cannot even come close to her photos. I don't aspire to get to her level, but the caliber of her photos makes my photos look more like they did when I first started blogging LOL! But you know, I had to get over the intimidation and just make these. In fact, I thought about making these churros for so long that I'd memorized the recipe!

When doing research on different churro recipes, I found many variations. Some did not call for eggs while others did. Also, some Spanish churros do not have a cinnamon/sugar topping because of its dependence on the thick, hot chocolate drink that serves as a sugary accompaniment. Although these doughnut-like pastries originated in Spain, one can find many churros and variations (e.g., filled with dulce de leche) in México, Argentina, Perú, and other places as well. The recipe for the churros is very easy and is like making a pâte à choux.

If you're planning to make this just for yourself and/or one other person, please half this recipe. I had so much dough leftover that I ended up throwing it all away because I am not crazy about a lot of fried foods (except for French Fries!! hehe). However, you could use the rest for éclairs or gourgères, which I forgot to do!

For the chocolate caliente, I had to look for a recipe from another source because I didn't want to make a bisque or an egg custard. I wanted my hot chocolate to be similar to the hot drink found in Spain that normally accompanies and coats the churros. Sadly, my chocolate didn't get as thick as the drinks in Spain, but it was thick enough to coat my churros fairly well. Next time, I will use either another recipe or add more cornstarch. Nevertheless, this drink was so rich and delicious. I absolutely loved it. I'm glad I have another cup's worth left. I think I'll end this post and drink it right now.

Churros

from the honorable Cannelle et Vanille

125 ml (1/2 cup) water
125 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
110 grams (about 1 stick) of butter
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
150 grams (about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp) AP flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
canola oil, for frying
cinnamon and sugar, for coating

Instructions:

Pour water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat just up to boiling point. Turn off heat, and immediately add all of the flour (español: en un golpe). Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it becomes a moist ball of dough (It will smell sort of like buttery, mashed potatoes YUM!).

Pour the oil in a cast-iron skillet or a deep fryer, and heat it up on medium heat until it reaches 365 degrees Farenheit.

Meanwile, transfer this flour/butter mixture to a stand mixer (or mix by hand), and mix the dough for a few minutes to cool it down.

Add the eggs one at a time. Once the dough is uniform, turn off the mixer, and transfer some of the dough to a pastry bag with a #5 tip (I used #21 b/c I didn't have the other tip) or churrera.

Once the oil is hot, squeeze portions of the dough into the hot oil, and use a knife, scissors, or your finger to break off the pieces. Fry for about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place churros on a paper towel. Add cinnamon or sugar to the hot churros, if using.

Chocolate caliente al estilo español

adapted from Spanish.about.com

16 oz (2 cups) whole milk
1/2 tsp cornstarch (I suggest adding more)
pinch of salt
4 oz milk chocolate (I used Callebaut)

Pour in the milk and cornstarch into a small or medium saucepan, and stir well with a whisk. Turn on the heat and heat just to boiling point. Once the milk boils, take it off of the heat, and add the chocolate. Stir well with a whisk or wooden spoon. Once the chocolate has melted, return the mixture to low heat until it thickens. If it doesn't thicken, add more cornstarch to a small amount of cold milk. Stir the cornstarch mixture well and then add it to the chocolate mixture. Continue to heat on low heat until it thickens more.

Enjoy!

Mozzarella Sticks w/Marinara Sauce

I don't need to say much about this dish because, well, you know it was too good to describe. I had thought about making fried mozzarella over a week ago and had happened to find fresh mozzarella cheese on sale (50% off!) at the grocery store. I promptly picked it up and made these sticks the very next day.
This recipe is based on three different recipes. Because the cheese melts quickly, you have to freeze them for at least 2 hours. I suggest freezing the mozzarella and preparing the sauce the day before you need them to save time.

In order to reheat the mozzarella sticks, I placed the cold, coated sticks back in the same hot skillet with the oil removed. Then, I heated up the sticks for a few minutes in the skillet; it didn't take long for them to get hot and "melty" again.

Marinara Sauce

from Giada de Laurentis

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped (I used one medium onion)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped (I didn't have this)
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 (32 ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes (I used a box of Pomì)
2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft for about 5-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens for about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

STORE: This sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover, and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.

Fried Mozzarella
adapted from various sources mentioned above, primarily from Giada de Laurentis

14-16 ounce block of mozzarella (I cut this block in flat, 1/4-1/2-inch thick strips)
1 cup oil for frying (I used vegetable oil)
1 cup of Italian Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan
1/2-1 cup of flour
2 eggs, beaten

CAN DO THIS STEP THE DAY BEFORE: Cut the mozzarella into strips, if not separated already. Flash freeze the cheese sticks by laying them flat on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan and placing them in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. If not making the fried mozzarella until the next day, place the frozen mozzarella in a freezer bag after flash freezing them, and leave them in the freezer.

On the day of preparation, heat up the oil in a cast-iron skillet or dutch oven to 365 degrees.

While the oil is heating up, mix the the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan cheese. Then, coat the mozzarella with flour first, then egg, and then breadcrumb mixture (you can double-coat the cheese if you like; I didn't). Once a few have been coated, place them in the hot oil carefully, but don't crowd the skillet. Fry them for about 2-3 minutes each side. The cheese melts fairly quickly, so be careful.

Enjoy these sticks with marinara sauce!

Chicken Fried Rice

A few months ago, I made a post about a healthy shrimp fried rice I had a made a long time ago. While that dish was fantastic, especially for being a healthier version, I had been wanting to try the "regular" version for awhile.

I had quite a bit of leftover rice from the Chinese Lemon Chicken dish I made last week, so I reheated that rice for about 30 seconds to prep it for the fried rice. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and followed the highest rated comment rather than the recipe, and it was so good.

If you have leftover, cooked rice, you should use it for this dish. Just make sure it's not too cold when added to the wok or skillet because it may turn out too gummy. I used low-sodium soy sauce, and it tasted just fine.
Lastly, the recipe called for oyster sauce, which I didn't have. Consequently, I made my own quick version based on some advice I found online that didn't require oysters. The recipe for the sauce may be found below. Oyster sauce is more of a sweet/salty thickener, so the adapted recipe is based on that premise.
Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Rice

adapted from a comment (MaryTee) on allrecipes.com

3 cubed chicken breast pieces
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1 Tbsp oyster sauce (recipe below, if you don't have store-bought)
2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 eggs (or egg whites)
8 oz bag of frozen carrots/pea medley

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low sodium)

3-4 cups cooked white rice (I used Jasmine rice; you could also use brown rice)
2-3 green onions

Cube 3 uncooked chicken breast into little pieces and seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Heat up butter with sesame oil, then add minced garlic with the chicken. In a wok or cast-iron skillet, cook the meat until it is no longer pink (about 5-8 minutes).

Add scrambled eggs to the meat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add a 16oz bag of frozen peas/carrots mixture. I mix in about 3.5 cups of cooked Jasmine rice (must be cold but not fresh out of the refrigerator. Microwave the rice for 20 sec.). Add soy sauce and stir fry until light golden brown. Stir in chopped green onions and sprinkle in black pepper to taste.

Homemade "Oyster" Sauce (w/o oysters)
adapted from various sources

1/2-1 slice of fresh, grated ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar (or substitute sweetner or 1/4 tsp agave nectar????)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp water

Grate the ginger in a 1 or 2-cup measuring cup. Add in all the other ingredients, and stir them well. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

My colleague and friend admitted that she visits my blog from time to time (along with others who never comment *glares their way* haha j/k) and that she even visits it in search of dinner ideas. She complained gently that I had a dearth of chicken and other savory recipes but I was not without many desserts. Well, I'm not surprised that this is true because I do prefer to bake rather than cook.

So, last night, I took out one of my few cookbooks to look for a good chicken recipe. I was going to make a chicken pot pie, but I decided against that idea because so many other bloggers have made that dish. The next morning, I was still unsure as to what I wanted to make and turned to my bookmarks. I spotted lemon chicken and jumped up immediately from my chair in preparation to make this dish.
I thought that this dish would taste similar to the orange chicken I had made before just with a lemony flavor, but it didn't turn out even as sweet as the ones I've tasted in the restaurants. So, I added a bit more sugar, and it tasted much better. Lastly, the recipe for the sauce only gives you enough to coat the chicken. If you want extra sauce (I know I did), I suggest doubling the recipe. I have posted the revised version below with a link to the original recipe. Enjoy, Lydia! This one is for you!

Lemon Chicken

adapted from CookAsian

Yields enough for 2-3 people

400g boneless chicken breasts, skin removed (I used 8-10 chicken tenders)
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine (I used rice wine vinegar)
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tsp fresh (or ground) ginger, grated
4 Tbsp cornstarch, mixed with a little water to make a paste
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to season (I used Lawry's Seasoning Salt and pepper)
Oil for deep frying (I used canola/vegetable oil blend)

In pan for sauce:
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

In a liquid, 2-cup measuring cup (I suggest doubling the sauce if you want extra):
1/2 Cup Chinese stock or chicken stock (I used chicken broth)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/6 cup (or 2 Tbsp + 1tsp) caster (or granulated) sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tsp grated lemon peel
2-3 Drops yellow food coloring (optional; I didn't add this)

-Slices of Lemon to garnish

Wash and dry the chicken breasts, and cut into chunks. Place the chicken in a shallow dish (I used a pie plate), and add the Chinese rice wine (or rice wine vinegar), honey, and grated ginger. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes. (I suggest preparing the rice at this point.)

Place the beaten egg and 4Tbsp cornstarch paste into a bowl, and mix well. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and add to the bowl. Stir to ensure all the chicken pieces are coated with the batter. (I added the paste to the marinade instead, and it worked out fine.)

Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok or large pan and add the chicken pieces (Make sure you move the chicken around when first introduced to the oil because they tend to stick!). Fry until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the wok and drain on paper towels. (You could also bake the chicken!)

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan or wok until hot (I drained out the oil from frying, leaving 1 Tbsp of oil and used the skillet to make the sauce). Reduce the heat slightly. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice, caster (or granulated) sugar, soy sauce, stock and lemon rind. Stir well. Bring to the boil and stir until the sauce is smooth. Add the yellow food coloring (optional)

Place the chicken pieces on a plate, and pour a little of the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with thin slices of lemon and serve. (I placed the chicken back in the skillet with the sauce instead.)

Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potatoes

I had some cubed steak sitting in the freezer for a little over a week reserved just for this meal. I finally took it out the day before yesterday so that it could defrost in the refrigerator. This was my first time to make chicken fried steak, so I was excited about trying this out.
So far, I've been able to recreate all my favorite meals that I used to depend on getting from various restaurants. This chicken fried steak is now another meal to add to that list. It was perfect and easy to make. So easy that I didn't need to depend on a recipe. I just seasoned the flour to my liking, made the egg dip, and did everything else.
I did look up some recipes to make sure I was on the right track, but I didn't need to print them out or bring the laptop to the kitchen. I just confirmed any doubts and went on and started cooking.

One tip I found out about was that once you have dipped the meat in the flour, egg, and then flour again, you should let it sit on wax paper for 5-10 minutes so that the coating stays on once you place it in the hot oil.

Everything was perfect.

The gravy was so creamy and tasted better than that found in restaurants.

The steak was so good and flavorful.

The green beans were good, but I had put a little bit too much salt on them, so I just ate them with potatoes.

The mashed potatoes were the perfect texture and had the right amount of seasoning. The mashed potatoes came from one potato. The photo shows half of the portion I made. I was surprised at how much you can get out of one potato. You could easily make 2-4 portions from one potato!

Anyway, I'll stop jabbering and let you get to making this wonderful, unforgettable dish. Even though I didn't follow a strict recipe, I have posted the recipe (with minor adaptations) from Allrecipes.com.

Bom apetite! Bon appétit! ¡Buen provecho! Buon appetito!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, CANADA!!!
BONNE ACTION DE GRÂCES!!!
(Monday, Oct. 12)

Chicken Fried Steak and Milk Gravy Gravy

adapted from various recipes on the internet, including allrecipes.com

2 cups shortening, lard, or vegetable oil (for frying)
2-4 cube steaks
Lawry's seasoning salt
1-2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 350-360 degrees F (185 degrees C).

While the shortening, lard, or oil is heating, prepare cutlets. First, season the steaks with seasoning salt and pepper on both sides. Then in a shallow bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk, salt and pepper.

In another shallow dish, mix together garlic powder, seasoning salt, pepper and 1 cup flour.

Dip cutlets in flour, turning to evenly coat both sides. Dip in egg mixture, coating both sides, then in flour mixture once again. Allow coated meat to sit for 5-10 minutes on wax paper.

Place cutlets in heated shortening, lard, or oil. Cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes), turning once. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

Milk Gravy:
Drain grease, reserving 1/2 cup. Using the reserved drippings in the pan, prepare gravy over medium heat. Blend in 1/4 cup flour (I used the leftover, seasoned flour from coating the meat. If you don't want to use that flour, then use 1/4 cup of new flour.) to form a paste. Gradually add milk to desired consistency, stirring constantly. For a thicker gravy add less milk; for a thinner gravy, stir in more. Heat through, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken fried steak.

Mashed Potato (small portion)
Yield 2-4 servings

water
1 potato
salt
pepper
half-n-half
2 Tbsp butter

Boil water. Peel potato, cut in big chunks (4-8 chunks). Place in boiling water for 20-25 minutes (until tender and almost breaks when fork is inserted).

Turn off heat. Drain potato chunks. Place saucepan back on hot stove. Mash potato chunks. Add butter and stir with masher. Then add enough half-n-half until desired consistency (1 Tbsp at a time). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Green Beans

1 can of green beans (drained) or frozen/fresh green beans
1-2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cook beans in small saucepan. Add butter and seasoning. Cook for 5-10 minutes.