Archive for the 'Asian' Category

(Chronologically Listed)

Apple Chicken Curry

I know this one sounds like an odd combination, but somehow, innocent, autumnal kind of ingredients (apple, apple cider, cinnamon, white wine, dijon, golden raisins) come together to produce a curry that could stand up next to any other traditional chicken curry flavor-wise. And so today, we have apple chicken curry.

Apple Chicken Curry

I wanted to make chicken that somehow went with apples, but I had a tough time coming up with something that appealed to me. I wrote down a long list of things that I thought would go well with apple and then started whittling it down until there was a collection of things that seemed harmonious together. From there, I just took all of those ingredients out and just sort of went with it–since ginger and cardamom were involved, why not try to do something with some Indian flare to it? And so I started working in other Asian flavors, such as kasoori methi (a.k.a. fenugreek), and that is…
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Posted by mike on January 22nd, 2008 under Asian, Chicken, Fruit, Indian, Main course, Middle Eastern | 9 Comments »

Persimmon Chiffon Cake & Custard

This time of year is right smack in the middle of the harvest of one of my favorite fruits of all time: persimmons! I love eating persimmons fresh, but they really don’t get enough love recipe-wise. I was hoping I could try my hand at a different persimmon-based dessert: persimmon chiffon cake & custard drizzled with caramel sauce.

Persimmon Chiffon Cake & Custard drizzled with Caramel Sauce

If you’ve never heard of persimmons before, it is very important that we establish up front that these stout, orange-colored fruits (which look like odd tomatoes but are nothing like them) are simply the best fruit out there (I think I’d put figs second, for those keeping score). Grab some now at your grocery store if you can–they aren’t around long during the year, but they are really something.

Persimmons come in many different varieties which are all quite different from each other. My favorite is the hachiya: acorn shaped and one of the absolute worst things you could possibly eat when…
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Posted by mike on November 16th, 2007 under Asian, Cake, Dessert, Fruit | 7 Comments »

Orange Tamarind Sweet & Sour Chicken

Since having made butter chicken and discovering an Indian grocery in town, I wanted to try something new and different that also applied some of the new things I’d learned (and bought). The result: an Indian-inspired take on sweet & sour chicken.

Orange Tamarind Sweet & Sour Chicken

I marinated and then broiled some chicken thighs like a typical chicken tikka so as to give the meat a tender, tasty flavor. The sauce is composed largely of orange juice and tamarind. Tamarind is a really interesting fruit, and even if you’ve never heard of it before, I bet you’ve eaten it without knowing it. For instance, it is largely featured in worcestershire sauce and the somewhat liquidy brown sauce you might have at an Indian restaurant (e.g. usually with somosas). Tamarind is kind of citrusy sweet and also distinctly sour, but in a really tasty, interesting way.

What would pair well with citrusy? Why the citrusy sweet of orange juice of course. But if you stopped there, you’d…
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Posted by mike on November 5th, 2007 under Asian, Chicken, Indian, Main course | 8 Comments »

Thai Red Curry Chicken

I have always had a thing for Thai food. The dishes are always colorful, delicious, and have a really interesting combination of flavors. Thai curries tend to be identified rather simply by their color, the common trio being the yellow, green, and (one of my favorites) red. The backbone of the red curry is coconut milk and red curry paste (doesn’t that seem a little circular?), which gives a creamy, but spicy, tomatoey, chili flavor. All of the vegetables you can add to this makes it feel like you’re eating something really healthy, but unfortunately, the coconut milk is kind of an important component that will rain on your healthy-eating parade.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Either way, when you’re in the mood for Asian flavors, if your first impulse is to order Chinese take-out, try this out instead. This dish isn’t quite authentic, but the flavors are still distinctly Thai and this has long been a household favorite. And it’s also my entry in…
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Posted by mike on September 12th, 2007 under Asian, Chicken, Main course | 3 Comments »

Macadamia-encrusted Mahi-Mahi

Mahi-Mahi, macadamia nuts, and pineapple–this is a dish that just screams Hawaii. Even if you’re not a big fish person (like me), this dish should be pretty inviting to you because who could turn down those Polynesian flavors? (The correct answer, for those keeping score at home, is nobody ;-) ) You take a delicate, flaky fish like Mahi-Mahi, bread it using the distinct, rich flavor of macadamia nuts, and top it off with a creamy, tropical-flavored sauce. This will either have you feeling like you’re somewhere tropical or leave you nostalgic/jealous, wishing that you actually were somewhere tropical…

Catching a Mahi mahiMe, fishing rod in hand
So let’s get started:


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Posted by mike on September 4th, 2007 under Asian, Main course, Polynesian, Seafood | Comment now »

Cilantro Pineapple Rice

This rice has flavors that reminiscent of Asian dishes. You take the delicate, sweet aromatics and flavors of Jasmine rice cooked with citrus and chunks of pineapple, countered by the sharp flavors of cilantro and shallots. Plus, you can throw this together very quickly, giving you time to focus on whatever your main course might be.

Pineapple rice prep work

First, chop up the cilantro leaves and the shallots. Then chunk the pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes if you went the fresh route (or just open the can, like I did ;-) ).

Pineapple rice, plated

I have a rice cooker, an appliance which I could never live without. If you don’t, simply use a saucepan on the…
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Posted by mike on September 3rd, 2007 under Asian, Fruit, Polynesian, Side dish | Comment now »

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