Chicken Pesto Hot Sandwich

New Yorkers like fancy sandwiches, especially for lunch. A juicy, flavorful, hot and light gourmet sandwich is exactly what we crave in the middle of a busy workday. I always like to try chef's creative combo, so much so that I don't remember if I have ever ordered a chicken sandwich, because 1) risk of encountering a cupboard-tasting chicken breast is too unappetizing to take. 2) shouldn't grilling a juicy and tender chicken breast be one of the easiest task in my own kitchen?

There is nothing outside of the box in this chicken pesto sandwich. It's a combination of every ingredient I know I love that is simply cooked to perfection.

1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast, with rib meat on
• 1 tablespoon store-bought good quality classic pesto
• 1/3 large cibatta bread, cut diagonally from a large cibatta bread and cut horizontally into two pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• extra olive oil for drizzling the cibatta bread
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 tablespoons of baby mixed green

Directions:

1. Rub the chicken breast with salt and pepper and olive oil.
2. Heat a grill pan on high heat. Put the chicken breast in the grill pan. Don't move the chicken around. Let it cook for 5 minutes on one side. Turn to the other side and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Take the chicken out and cover with foil. Let it sit for 5-6 minutes. Slice to thick pieces.
3. Using the same grill pan, turn the heat back on medium high. Drizzling the cibatta bread with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes on the cut side.
4. Spread 1 tablespoon of pesto on each side of the bread. Stack the chicken on top of one piece of bread. Top it with baby mixed green and another piece of bread. Serve hot.

Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

My favorite way to cook asparagus is to roast them in the oven. It's extremely easy and yet incredibly flavorful with simple ingredients. Usually, it involves garlic, shallots or Parmesan cheese. I resorted to Ina's recipe tonight and added extra garlic on top. It was the perfect side dish.

6 servings

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus (about 30 large), ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lay the araparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute.Serve hot or warm.

Cauliflower Gratin

Fall is always very brief in New York City. All of a sudden, it's windy and cold outside and vegetables are changing faces at the market. Among other fall/ winter vegetables, Cauliflowers are abundant at my local Whole Foods. I bought two beautiful large heads this past weekend. But when I am about to cook them, I realize for three of us, that's a lot of cauliflowers. My mom made a cauliflower stir-fry with tomatoes with one head. For some very different flavors, I made Ina's Cauliflower Gratin. It was definitely a popular hit! 

4 Servings

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
• Kosher sea salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 2/3 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.
4. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Shrimp Scampi

My mom is visiting, and I have been talking and entertaining all day as long as she is awake. I didn't feel like cooking too much in the kitchen, so other than the salad that I toss for the family, I made this simple, light and super flavorful shrimp scampi. Isn't it one of the easiest entrees that everybody loves?

3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb frozen large shrimp, thawed, deveined and shelled
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• kosher sea salt
• fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse shrimp with salted water (like sea water). Pat dry with paper towl.
2. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a medium pan on medium heat, for 3 - 4 minutes, or until the onion are translucent. Add shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine, brandy, red pepper flakes. Cook for another 1 - 2 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley. Serve hot.

Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon

I am not Korean and Kimchi is definitely an acquired taste for me. My boyfriend (G) isn't Korean either, but he eats Kimchi with congee every morning during the weekends. However, when kimchi is cooked, the pungent sourness turns to a rich sweet flavor and compliments meat or poultry perfectly.

As soon as I saw this recipe in the October issue of Food Network magazine, I showed it to G and we both couldn't wait to try it. I twisted it a little bit by adding a little soy sauce in the end. The smokiness from the bacon and the sweetness from the cooked kimchi infuse each other and the whole package of flavors was thoroughly delivered by the brown rice.

3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 slices thick-cut bacon (marinated in the marinade of this Grilled Skirt Steak)
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 3 nori sheets (dried seaweed)
• 3 cups Kimchi
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups cooked Japanese brown rice, chilled
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon low sodium light soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) 

Directions:

1. Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Toast the sesame seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until golden, shaking the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Cut the nori sheets in half with shears, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and stir-fry until almost cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the Kimchi, reserving the liquid (about 1/3 cup). Cut the kimchi into 1/2" pieces. Raise the heat to high and stir-fry the kimchi until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the rice, the reserved kimchi liquid, the sesame oil and half of the nori strips. Continue to cook, turning constantly with a wooden spatula, about 8 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of soysauce to the end.
4. Transfer the fried rice to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining nori strips and the toasted sesame seeds.

Grilled Korean-Style Skirt Steak

Alongside the Kimchi Fried Rice, this is another recipe from the October issue of Food Network Magazine. Called Korean style marinade, the usage of cola hardly has anything to do with Korean cooking. It reminded me of a time when cola was very popular in some Chinese cooking too. 

Regardless, it's a clever way to add cola into a marinade. Not only the sugar content of it works as a sweet sauce, the acidity also tenderizes the meat and therefore allows all the flavors in the marinade to pierce through the meat's tissue. It's very important to pierce some holes with a fork on the steak before marinating. The result is these perfectly grilled medium rare steaks with tons of flavors. My boyfriend went crazy for them and said we're one more step closer to our catering business.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut crosswise into 4 - 5 1" pieces
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cola
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
•  kosher sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large white onion, cut into 2-inch-thick wedges
• 6 to 8 slices thick-cut bacon 

Directions:

1. Pierce the steak a few times with a fork. Toast the sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, shaking the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
2. Combine the sesame seeds, garlic, cola, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the steak, onion wedges and bacon, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the steak and onion wedges from the marinade with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the onion wedges and peppers, turning, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Grill the steak until charred, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare.

Oven-steamed Whole Branzino with Black Bean Sauce

Almost every Chinese family has a bottle of chili bean sauce. It helps put together a simple and yet flavorful meal with little effort. Some have hot oil in it, and some don't. Some can be slightly sour, and some not at all. One bottle can be very different from another. It takes some time for you to figure out which one fits your palate best. There is one brand called Lao Gan Ma (literally translated as Old Grandma) which I learned from my roommates in College who were from the "spicy" provinces. It is not acid at all, with a deep and rich black bean texture. They used to eat it like peanut butter. The school canteen boring food instantly turned exciting once they put a dash of that on top.

To my surprise, last weekend, I found the same thing from a supermarket in Chinatown in New York City. As Tuesday is fish day in my house (reason here), I couldn't wait to make a super easy oven steamed fish using Lao Gan Ma.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole branzino
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 3" x 3" piece ginger, thinly sliced 
• 4 tablespoons Lao Gan Ma chili black bean sauce, mixed with 1 teaspoon of low sodium light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher sea salt
• ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
2. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and the cavity. Split the fish through the cavity, flatten and press down the fish on a big baking dish.
3. Divide scallions and ginger to three parts and place them underneath the fish and on both sides of the fish on top. Place 1 tablespoon of the chilli black bean sauce mixture underneath the fish. Spread the other 3 tablespoons on top of the fish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine and 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top of the fish. Cover the baking dish with foil and steam in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Chorizo Potato Hash with Fried Egg

With all the Chorizo sausages, potatoes and fried eggs, this is definitely a man dish. It's usually served as breakfast in Spanish families and is quite popular these days on Brunch menus in New York City. But it's a little too heavy for us to eat first thing of the day and too complicated for me to cook early in the morning, so I made it into dinner and my boyfriend loved it.

2 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium (about 1.3 lb) red potatoes
• 1 lb Chorizo sausages, removed from casings
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, membrane removed and diced to 3/4" pieces
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 large Spanish Onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• another 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, minced
• kosher sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons of parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Boil water in a medium pot. Add potatoes with skin on when water is boiling. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove the potatoes and cut into 3/4" cubes.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons canola oil in a medium pan on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add Chorizo sausages and use a potato masher to break them up into small pieces. Cook for about 2 minutes, or when most of the sausages are no longer pink. Add jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers, paprika and thyme. Cook through when the meat are done and the vegetables are tender, for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the chorizo mixture with a slotted spoon. Get rid of the excessive oil.
3. Heat another 3 tablespoons canola oil in the same pan. Add the potatoes and cook until soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, for about 15-20 minutes. Drain excessive oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. De-glaze the pan with 3 tablespoons of brandy. Stir well and cook until the most of the alcohol have evaporated, for another 2 minutes. Add the chorizo mixture back into the pan. Cook and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and turn off the heat.
4. Meanwhile, spray a span with canola oil and pan fry the eggs to your liking. Divide the chorizo potato hash into two and place eggs on top. Serve hot.

Sloppy Bombay Joes

Since Chicken Tikka Masala, I have had the bravery to try more Indian dishes at home. Sloppy Bombay Joes is a recipe from Aarti Sequeira on her debut show on Food Network, after winning the Next Food Network Star. I was totally tempted to make this dish and I'm glad I finally did.

However, I did make a few twists on the original recipe. Based on what I had in the fridge, I added some mushrooms and jalapeno peppers and left out the bell peppers. I also used brioche buns instead of regular hamburger buns, for an extra buttery taste to neutralize the heat and compliment the pungent flavors from the spices. There is a lot of prep work, but the result is so worth it. Tucked in between a hot and extremely soft brioche bun, the meat is so juicy, tender and flavorful. It's rich without being cloying. When you bite into the bun, the juicy meat will be squeezed out onto your fingers. But nobody will remember to care about eating manners this time!

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey dark meat
• 1/2 big jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
• 3 1/2 big jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• another 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 big Spanish onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup crimini or white button mushroom, finely diced
• 1/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
• 1/4 cup goji berries
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• another 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• another 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 4-6 brioche buns

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and 1/2 minced jalapeno peppers. Sautee until brown a little, for about 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon paprika and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add pistachios and goji berries. Cook until the raisin swell up and the pistachios start releasing fragrance, for about 1 - 2 minutes. Take them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil into the large pan and heat up on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for about 10 seconds. Add onions, mushroom and the other 3 1/2 jalapeno peppers. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add in the turkey and cook until no longer pink, for about 5 minutes.
4. By this time, the tomato sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the turkey mixture. Add another 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. Stir and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Add the honey, half-and-half and, pistachios and goji berries. Stir through and salt to taste. Add fresh cilantro and turn off the heat.
5. Heat up a griddle and toast the brioche buns. Fill with the turkey mixture and serve.