Tag: main course
Tamarind Shrimp
Tamarind Shrimp
Want a quick and easy meal in 10 minutes? This tamarind shrimp is the meal you’ve been waiting for. 5 minutes prep time. 5 minutes cooking time. That’s it. The rice I serve it with takes 4 minutes in the Instant Pot. This recipe makes 2 generous servings for under $8 while tasting like it costs a lot more; which it would cost you twice that amount for a single serving at a Vietnamese restaurant. So, cook at home.When choosing the shrimp, I recommend using shrimp that are at least 26/30 count or larger. Anything smaller will cook to fast, making the shrimp chewy. Smaller sized shrimp are better to use in fried rices, egg roll filling, and other dishes where the protein isn’t the main focus. Here it is. If you aren’t a fan of shrimp, chicken or fried tofu are great substitutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large shallot sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp 26/30 ct.
- chopped cilantro garnish
Tamarind Sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp tamarind juice concentrate
- 2 tsp siracha
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for 1 minute.
- Add in the shrimp in a single layer. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes on one side until they are about 50% cooked.
- Flip them over. Stir in the tamarind sauce, making sure that all of the shrimp are coated. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Peking Roast Chicken
Peking Roast Chicken
I must say that this chicken turned out absolutely beautiful, as well as delicious. They dark soy sauce and the honey give it that reddish color from the caramelization. While this chicken looks like it is super fancy and took a ton of effort to make, it is quite simple. It does require marinating in the refrigerator overnight. Other then that, it’s really just about basting the chicken with the oil from the drippings for the first hour of cooking; then basting with the glaze the last 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb whole roasting chicken
Marinade
- 1/2 cup lght soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 6 slices ginger
Glaze
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Mix together the marinade ingredients.
- Add the marinade and roasting chicken to a gallon sized ziplock bag. Marinate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the chicken rest on a rack at room temp for 30 minutes. Fold the wings behind it’s back. Put the ginger slices inside of the chicken’s cavity.
- Pour any of the remaining marinade into a small pot with 2 tbsp of honey. Cook this on medium low heat for 10 minutes until thickened. This will be our glaze.
- Roast the chicken for 20 minutes. Take out of th oven. Baste the chicken with the oil that drips out pit at the bottom of the pan. Do this every 20 minutes for the first hour of cooking.
- The chicken should be a golden brown after the first hour of cooking.
- Brush the chicken with the glaze. Do this every 10 minutes for the next 30 minutes. You should have 3 layers of glaze on the chicken by the time it’s finished.
- When the chicken is done, it should have a dark red color to it.
- Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Beef Chow Fun
Beef Chow Fun
This restaurant style beef chow fun is very easy to make and fairly inexpensive depending on the cut of beef you use. Chow Fun always contains a flat rice noodle, looking very similar to fettuccine. You can find these noodles at Asian markets for no more than $1.50/14oz package. These noodles are dried and typically need to be soaked in warm water for an hour if being used in a stir fry. You may be able to find these fresh in the refrigerated sections. When choosing beef for a stir fry, I like to use top sirloin. It is tender, flavorful, and cost effective. Other cuts that will work well in this Chow Fun include, flank steak, skirt steak, flat iron, or even NY strip if you want to use a higher end cut. Fattier cuts don’t work in this dish. If you want to substitute a different protein; chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu are all acceptable.
Ingredients
Beef Marinade
- 1 lb top sirloin 1/4” thick pieces
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 4 tsp cornstarch
Sauce
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
Beef Chow Fun
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 1/2 medium white onion sliced
- 14 oz wide rice noodles prepare according to package
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 6 green onions cut into 1” pieces diagonally
Instructions
- Mix together the marinade ingredients.
- Add in the beef, making sure that all of the pieces are coated. Give the beef a little massage. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Mix together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the beef in a single layer. Sauté the beef for 1 minute a side without stirring. This will allow the beef to get a nice sear. When done, remove from pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan, add another tbsp of oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 2 minutes.
- Add in the last tbsp of cooking oil. Stir in the rice noodles, making sure that they are coated in the garlic, onion, and ginger. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. If the noodles begin to stick to the bottom, add a little bit of water.
- Stir in the beef and the sauce. Make sure all of the noodles are coated in the sauce. Cook for a minute.
- Stir in the bean sprouts and green onions.
- Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Chow down the Chow Fun.
