Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice

I made this the other night because I had some mangoes in my fridge that were really ripe.  The dish blends all kinds of great flavors together and I thought it was delicious.  It's really rather simple to make too if you break it up into three parts: marinate the chicken overnight, prepare the salsa in the afternoon, and then prepare the rice and cook the chicken just before dinner time.

Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice

Peanut Ginger Chicken Marinade
3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or you can use tenders
½ cup boiling water
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup bottled chili sauce (I found this with the Asian food in a small bottle...there were various kinds and I opted for a sweet one...but there are definitely ones with kick too.)
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger

In a medium mixing bowl, gradually stir water into peanut butter.  Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, and ginger.  Add chicken; stir to coat it with marinade. Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. 

Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh mango
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
3 ½ T. sugar
1 T. canola or olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 T. lime juice
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped mango, cilantro, cucumber, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Coconut Rice
2 c. coconut milk (I used the stuff in a can, also found with the Asian food.)
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt  

Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)

To Serve:
At dinner time, grill the chicken.  You can also broil the chicken in a broiler safe pan lined with tin foil.  Just make sure if you do it this way that your chicken isn't too thick or it will burn before it's cooked through.  Spoon extra marinade on chicken and stick under broiler (about 10-12" from broiler) and bake until slightly blacked on one side and then flip over, spoon more marinade on and broil on that side until cooked through.  Serve chicken with the mango salsa over the hot coconut rice. 

Tomato egg fried rice

Simple lunch today, tomato and egg fried rice. Tomato and egg are such good combination, universal favourite. I am sure there is at least one dish made with tomato and egg in every country. Just Chinese dishes I can count at least half a dozen classics with just two simple ingredients like:

Stir fried egg and tomato 西紅柿炒雞蛋/ 番茄炒蛋
Omelette crepe and tomato soup 番茄煎蛋湯/ 西紅柿煎蛋湯
Tomato and egg geda soup 西紅柿雞蛋疙瘩湯
Tomato and egg drop soup 番茄蛋花湯/ 西紅柿蛋花湯
Steamed tomato and egg custard 番茄蒸蛋/ 西紅柿蒸蛋
Tomato and egg omelette (Chinese style) 番茄煎蛋/ 西紅柿煎蛋
Tomato and egg jiaozi dumpling 西紅柿蛋餃子/ 蕃茄蛋餃子
Tomato and egg fried rice 西紅柿蛋炒飯/ 蕃茄蛋炒飯

Tomato and egg fried rice is very simple. There are two versions, one with tomato ketchup and this recipe is just with fresh tomato. Tomato is best using red but very firm tomato, soft tomato gives a mushy and unappealing fried rice. I always use on-the-vine tomatoes more meaty, colourful and flavourful. Ensure the rice is quite dry. Soft mushy rice or wet rice never made good fried rice. Loosen the rice before cooking. Keep the heat as high as possible to avoid rice sticking or rice stewing with the tomato. Heat wok with an even layer of oil till smoking (but not smelling burning) will ensure non stick wok fried rice.

Ingredients:  this recipe is enough for two or 1 very very hungry person

about 2.5 cups of cooked rice, loosen (best use overnight rice)
2 eggs
2 - 3 firm and red tomato, cut into small pieces
1 - 2 clove garlic, chopped
some chopped spring onion
dash of soy sauce
pinch of ground pepper
some cooking oil
dash of sesame oil

Method:
Add a little soy sauce to egg, beat.
Heat some oil and swirl around the wok or pan. Wait till smoking, pour the egg spread it out thin, wait for few seconds till set and lightly brown on the bottom then keep stirring to break up the egg. Fry egg till surface is a bit brown, this gives lots of flavour. Remove.
Add a bit more oil and garlic. Stir till fragrant. Add rice stir till heated through. Add dash of light soy and pinch of ground pepper.
Stir in scrambled egg and tomato pieces. Stir for a short while till heated through.
Add chopped spring onion and dash of sesame oil.
Sprinkle a little chopped spring onion as garnish.

Curry chicken rice bake

Who doesn't like curry chicken with rice? This recipe is slightly different, it's east meets west. It's curried rice topped with a saucy chicken curry and cheese. This fusion (or bastardised if you prefer) curry chicken rice bake can be found in Hong Kong/ Macau cafe style restaurants 茶餐廳. I think Japanese also have similar recipe. Curry and cheese does not sound matching but this combination is really tasty. Once you have tried it you are likely to make this again. The rice can be replaced with macaroni it is equally yummy.

Here is my way of making this oriental curry chicken rice bake. I had something similar in Hong Kong but a bit more greasy I am quite sure the rice was stir fried before baking. My version is still quite rich but not as greasy as restaurant style.

Ingredients:

500 - 550g skinned and boned chicken (thigh, leg or breast), I prefer thigh more flavour and meat texture is nicer

1/2 - 1 tsp salt

2 cups rice, long grain or basmati

2 cups water or diluted chicken stock (if you like a softer rice add a bit more water)

1 tsp chicken bullion powder (omit if using chicken stock)

1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt

1 heap tsp curry powder (any kind)

1 large spanish onion, or two medium small onions

1 large or 2 small carrots

sweet peppers (bell pepper), different colours. I used 1/2 of three different colours.

some frozen pea (I did not have any, so omit)

1 heap tbsp curry paste (any kind like Japanese curry cube, Chinese curry paste, Thai, Malaysian or Indian), I used bought Thai red curry paste

1 cup coconut milk (I used tin/can coconut milk)

some sugar to taste

some salt to taste

few tbsp cooking oil

1 rounded tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/3 cup water

some mozerella cheese (shredded or grated), use more mozerella if you like a stringy cheese topping

some cheddar cheese (grated)

Method

Cut chicken into bite size. Mix with salt and leave aside for 30 mins to 1 hr.

Cut onion into small pieces. Dice carrot and sweet pepper. 

Put rice into a large sieve. Rinse and drain.

In a pan or wok, add a little oil. Heat then add 1/2 the onion and carrot, stir fried till onion is soften. Add curry powder stir till fragrant. Add water, stir. Heat off. 

Add rice into a saucepan. Add cooked carrot, onion with the liquid. Add some chicken bullion powder and some salt to taste. 

Heat and cook rice. When water is boiling turn the heat to lowest and let it simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes till water is completely absorbed and rice is cooked. Heat off and leave it covered and rest for another 10 - 15 minutes. 

In a wok or large pan, add few tbsp cooking oil. Heat till hot, add onion and stir till onion is softened. Add chicken, turn heat to high and fry chicken till browned. Add curry paste, stir till fragrant. Add sweet pepper and frozen peas. Add coconut milk and slackened cornflour. Cook till sauce is hot and thickened. Add some sugar and salt to taste.

 Loosen the rice. Put rice into oven proof dish in individual portions or spread this on a large baking dish. 

Add curry chicken on top of rice. 

Finally top with some mixed cheese.

Bake at 200 deg C till golden for about 15 minutes. If making this rice in advance, can leave in the fridge for few hours up to 2 days. To bake chilled rice, use lower heat and bake much longer till heated through. 

Fried Rice

Ingredients :
3 eggs
4 cups cooked rice
1 green onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

How To Cook :
1.Beat the eggs well, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

2.Finely chop the green onions.

3.Break up the rice so it is not all stuck together.

4.Heat oil to smoking point, add in the eggs.  Stir until all the eggs solidify.

5.Break the eggs into smaller pieces with the spatula.

6.Add the rice and mix well.

7.Add MSG, white pepper, sesame oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.

8.Stir for 2-4 minutes until everything is cooked well.  Mix in the green onion and serve.

Service :  4