Zesty Cook » spicy

Fire Cracker Chicken

zesty — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:56 +0000

Hi Zesty Readers! This is Danica from Danica’s Daily. I am excited to be posting for Zesty while he is off vacationing with his family since he is always willing to help me out. Zesty is not only an awesome COOK but he rocks at Website Design. He has helped me numerous times over at Danica’s Daily, but, he really went above and beyond with the work he did over at Friends for Weight Loss, my Weight Watcher Support group!

Today’s recipe is one of my new favorite things. I absolutely LOVE the Fire Cracker Chicken at Panda Express and get it every year when it comes around for Chinese New Year. I have been wanting to make this recipe ever since I saw that they had it online.

The only thing is that their recipe online didn’t include all the ingredients listed in the instructions and I think needed to have some changes to match the actual flavor. Below is my take on their recipe.

Ingredients

12 oz marinated chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Ground Ginger (fresh is better if you have it)
2 tsp Crushed Red Chili Pepper
1 Tbsp Black Beans Sauce
1 tsp Mirin ~ Sweet Japanese Cooking Wine
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
1 tsp Sriracha (hot chili sauce), optional if you like more heat
1 Tbsp Cornstarch Mix (equal parts cornstarch powder and water)
2 scallions, diced, as an optional topper for color

Marinade

12 oz Chicken Breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Egg White
1 tsp Vegetable Oil

Method

1. Stir together vegetable oil, egg white, cornstarch and salt in a mixing bowl. Add chicken, and mix, making sure to coat all of the chicken with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to marinate. PREP EVERYTHING ELSE while the meat marinates because the recipe goes together fast.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok (or non-stick skillet) over a high flame. Add marinated chicken and stir quickly, separating the meat and then cook for approximately 1 minute. Remove cooked chicken and drain well.

3. Add onion, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, chili pepper and black beans into the heated skillet. Stir for 1 minute.

4. Add cooked chicken, cooking wine, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, sriracha and cornstarch mix with water. Stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Add sesame oil and continue stirring until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and cook through, about 3-4 minutes. Place finished product on a dish and serve with brown rice.

Makes 4, 1 cup servings

Enjoy!

A Spicy Chicken Leg

zesty — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:00:30 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hopefully everyone had a fun weekend regardless of where you are in this world of ours. We had a fun family weekend, including a spur of the moment trip to Halifax ( which means I get to go to Costco ), a trip to the pool for swimming lessons and of course a family outing to the grocery store. So Mrs. Zesty and I are really caught up in the show Dexter. Do you ever watch it? It is very interesting, demented and overall disturbing however we keep watching the next episode on the dvd box sets. We completed season oine Saturday night and rented season 2 last night.

On Saturday, I made a large batch of spicy chicken legs, cheese quesadillas and a large serving of sweet potato fries to relax on the couch and watch Dexter. Sounds good right? Well I must say the food was yummy but guess what? You cannot relax when you watch Dexter. It is too intense – I find myself propped up at full attention and usually in an ackward position for the entire 53 plus minutes of the episode. I need to know if you watch Dexter and feel the same way as us.

For the chicken, I wanted something full of flavor with a little heat. To do that, I combined a few tablespoons of Basil Pesto, and some homemade sweet chili sauce. The results were very “WOW”. We easily ate 4 chicken legs each and the only thing left were the bones.

Ingredients

10 Chicken Legs
3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
1 Tsp. Hoisin Sauce
1/3 Cup Sweet Chili sauce
1 Tbsp. Mustard
2 Garlic cloves ( crushed)
Black Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
In a large roaster, place the chicken legs in pan after ensuring they are patted dry.
In a bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix together.
Pour over chicken rubbing it in gently with a spoon.
Cover pan and roast for 2 hours.
In the last 30 minutes, remove the cover and let the legs get crusty and brown.
Top with a slash of lime and a bit of ZEST.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Normally I baste the chicken through out the process to add extra flavor but in this case the pesto has a high oil content so I avoided basting in this particular case. I counted on the crust of the chicken to provide all the flavor.

Back to back spicy dishes in the winter really make me smile. Not overly hot but the hint of heat help warm your insides. The Spicy Pasta Shrimp from last week would go very well with some of this left over chicken as well. Substituting chicken and shrimp is something I do all the time depending on what I have on hand. I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day and I will definitely see you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Low Carb Pasta Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Spaghetti

zesty — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:00:32 +0000

It’s Friday, It’s Friday!! How are you doing? Hopefully all is well but just in case you are down in the dumps – I have a spicy low carb pasta recipe that will make your tongue hop. One of my favorite things to eat with pasta is a little bit of heat. Nothing uncontrollable but I do like a bit of spice that can be accompanied by a nice glass of white milk.

Remember when I did a “how to cook pasta” post, pretending I am Italian but oh well…. I feel I have eaten enough pasta to somehow understand the ins and outs of cooking noodles. But what I remember the most is asking everyone what your favorite drink to have with noodles. Surprising a lot of people said milk – which is my favorite for sure.

When you take a look at this dish – it could not get any easier. Shrimp is an excellent source of protein and super easy to work with ( especially if you just buy frozen ). Very quick to cook and you can have this low carb pasta recipe on the table in 15 minutes. That is my kind of meal. With everyone busy and doing 100 different things, eating healthy still has to be a priority in order to keep the energy levels up.

Next time you have some a craving for pasta – give this low carb pastas recipe a try.

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh or frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp
8 Oz. dried Whole wheat spaghetti ( I just use a handful)
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 or 2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped*
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, or chopped tomatoes
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Black pepper
Shaved green onion
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, chile peppers and garlic to hot skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute.
Add shrimp; cook and stir about 3 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque.
Stir in tomatoes, salt, and black pepper; heat through.
Drain spaghetti; toss with shrimp mixture.
If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with green onion.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Because chile peppers contain oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.

Flo-rida Vacation Update

Just a quick update on the accommodations for the Disney World trip, I want to thank everyone for their emails and comments – It was really fun to read through everyone’s ideas and Mrs Zesty and I are very appreciative. I think we are going to try and pull the trigger today so I will keep you posted on the final choice.

Have a super weekend and I will chit chat with you on Monday. Oh wait and before I go – try this recipe. If you like shrimp – I am pretty sure you will be singing the praises of this one.

Take care

zesty

Superbowl Week – Baked Chicken Wings w/ A Spicy Glaze

zesty — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:00:46 +0000

Good Wednesday morning to you all? Ever just crave a chicken wing that is not greasy but it is still crispy on the outside? Now don’t get me wrong – I do love a nice deep fried chicken wing when done right but at home I always go for a baked chicken wing in the oven and then finish it off with the glaze. The process is really simple and you can use what ever you like as the glaze. For this batch, I went with a spicy glaze cause I was craving something hot.

These were not burn your lips hot but they had a nice balance of sweet and heat. Take the time to season the wings prior to baking them with both salt and pepper. You will be much happier as you sit down on the couch for the big game on Sunday with a large batch of these on your lap.

Ingredients

Chicken Wings ( tips removed )
Salt
Pepper
1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 Cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
Splash of Vinegar
1/2 Cup Sweet Chili sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 Cup Water

Method

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season chicken wings with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes.
In a separate sauce pan, place on medium heat and add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. One everything is combined thoroughly bring to a boil.
Remove wings from the oven and place in a large bowl.
Add the sauce over the wings and toss to coat.
Serve with some fresh veggies and your favorite drink.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When making the sauce, if you find it is a little too thin, bring it to a boil and add a slurry of 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. of water together to thicken the sauce. You want the sauce to be thick enough to both coat the wings and stick to your ribs.

Alright, you need to try these! I am not kidding you. You will find yourself quickly eating 12-16 chicken wings and going through 4-5 paper towels ( thank god for the Select – A – Size) but you will be very happy. These are nice washed down with a cold beer or you can always go with a nice glass of water. Oh did I mention a side order of homemade onion rings would never be a bad idea. Have a super Wednesday and I will be back for one more Superbowl idea on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Baked Chicken Wings w/ A Spicy Glaze

zesty — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:46 +0000

Good Monday morning to you all? Ever just crave a chicken wing that is not greasy but it is still crispy on the outside? Now don’t get me wrong – I do love a nice deep fried chicken wing when done right but at home I always go for a baked chicken wing in the oven and then finish it off with the glaze. The process is really simple and you can use what ever you like as the glaze. For this batch, I went with a spicy glaze cause I was craving something hot.

These were not burn your lips hot but they had a nice balance of sweet and heat. Take the time to season the wings prior to baking them with both salt and pepper. You will be much happier as you sit down on the couch for the big game, an episode of the Big Bang Theory, maybe some Desperate Housewives or even House Hunters.

Ingredients

Chicken Wings ( tips removed )
Salt
Pepper
1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 Cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
Splash of Vinegar
1/2 Cup Sweet Chili sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 Cup Water

Method

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season chicken wings with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes.
In a separate sauce pan, place on medium heat and add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. One everything is combined thoroughly bring to a boil.
Remove wings from the oven and place in a large bowl.
Add the sauce over the wings and toss to coat.
Serve with some fresh veggies and your favorite drink.
ENJOY!

Alright, you need to try these! I am not kidding you. You will find yourself quickly eating 12-16 chicken wings and going through 4-5 paper towels ( thank god for the Select – A – Size) but you will be very happy. These are nice washed down with a cold beer or you can always go with a nice glass of water. Oh did I mention a side order of homemade onion rings would never be a bad idea. Have a super kick off to your week and I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Sippity Sup Delivers A Zesty Seared Salmon

zesty — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:29 +0000

Here I am cooking for you in a strange new kitchen. In the spotlight and on the spot! I say on the spot because I am standing in today for your beloved ZestyCook.

Now before go “ahhhh…” and CLICK away all disappointed. Give me a chance to explain myself. Because I understand your disappointment. I too am a fan of the Zest Man! In fact I used to lurk right here in this very kitchen, long before I ever had the guts to put my foodie-butt into the blogsphere. You see this site was an inspiration to me and one of the reasons I started Sippity Sup- Serious Fun Food.

So you see, I wanna do a good job. I wanna do a Zesty good job. But zesty is a complex adjective. It can mean spicy. I like spicy. But knowing what I know about Cory, I need something with a bit of soupçon, something with more subtlety than the slap in the face of straight, blazing heat. I am looking for a deeper, earthier more nuanced brand of spicy zest. So I am choosing a recipe I’ll call Zesty Seared Salmon. To “spice” it I am turning to chili powder and cinnamon. Which may seem like an odd combination to you. But, not really when you consider an amusing little fact that I am hoping will amuse you! Cinnamon and chili powder are the two most common spices found in American households.

Plus the combination is not entirely unheard of especially in Indian cuisine. So those two facts tell me that I can make a good spice rub with just these two powders and a bit of salt.

I am going to rub this combination on some gorgeous Pacific salmon fillets. These babies and their deep red flesh are the real deal. The “pinker” Atlantic farm raised salmon (that is way too common in our groceries stores) is artificially colored with chemicals. Not only is that disgusting to think about, but Seafood Watch rates farm raised Atlantic salmon as AVOID, partly due to the atrocious manner in which it is raised. It takes three pounds of feeder fish to raise every pound of salmon. How can that be sustained very much longer? Besides the Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory against farmed salmon due to “high levels of PCBs” in its flesh. I am not trying to scare you– I just want you to live long enough to come visit me at Sippity Sup!

None of this means you shouldn’t eat salmon. But when you do eat it. Go for the very best. My salmon was wild caught. Seafood Watch rates it a BEST CHOICE because Pacific “salmon are among the most intensively managed species in the world, with excellent monitoring of both the fish populations and the fishery itself.” Besides, when it comes to the most important factor I need in choosing salmon, wild salmon wins hands down. It simply tastes better. Need Sup! say more?

Searing fish is really one of the easiest ways I know to cook it too. I realize that there are people out there who have a bit of fear when it comes to cooking fish. If that describes you then this is a good technique to master because it is very straightforward and even a bit intuitive if you watch and pay attention.

For this particular preparation choose salmon fillets with the skin on and start by washing and drying them. Drying them well is very important in achieving that super crunchy skin that is so delicious. Wet fillets just don’t crisp up as well.

Ingredients

1 Tsp. chili powder
1?2 Tsp. cinnamon
1?4 Tsp. kosher salt
1?4 Tsp. cracked black pepper
2 wild-caught salmon fillets with skin attached

Method

Wash and completely dry the salmon fillets.

In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2-teaspoon cinnamon, and a 1/4-teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture on both sides of 4 salmon fillets.
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1 scant teaspoon of sesame oil in a large sauté pan. Choose a pan that is large enough to give each fillet plenty of room.
When the oil is very hot, almost smoking; add the salmon, skin side down. Cook it until the skin is very crisp, dark brown and releases easily from the pan. This should take 3 to 4 minutes.

Do not be tempted to check or move the fish around in the pan during this time. You will only succeed in making it stick to the pan or worse ruin your beautifully crisp skin.
You will notice that the fish gets lighter and more opaque. Do not let it cook more than about 1/4 of the way through at this point. You might be worried that the rest of the fish seems quite raw, but honestly this is a good thing. Once the skin has crisped flip the fish, and cook it an additional 2 (maybe 3) minutes more.
Do not let it cook all the way through. The fish will continue to cook after it leaves the pan. Your goal is a succulent flesh graduating from a rare center outwards to a crispy crackly skin.
Serve the fish warm or at room temperature.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I promise. Though there is no reason why you can’t use a non-stick pan. I just don’t trust Teflon for some irrational reason… it’s the conspiracy theorist in me! Another thing about searing fish is the noticeable changes it goes through as it cooks. Fatty fish like salmon will actually visibly shrink as soon as it hits the pan. Watch for this. It is key in indicating that your pan is properly heated.

I am serving mine very simply, with arugula. I am going to put the arugula raw onto the plate and top it with very hot shitake mushrooms and shallots sautéed in a little canola oil. You can also add a tiny bit of sesame oil to the pan if you like. I say “tiny bit” and “if you like” because I want you to keep in mind what wine you choose to pair with this meal. Fish need not always be paired with white wine. The flavors you choose to accompany it however will help you decide between red and white in this case.

My brother Grant has paired it with a Pinot Noir.

Too much of the sesame flavor won’t really help this pairing. But a tiny bit does not conflict with the wine and will really round out the palate on this meal and make this a complete experience!

Zesty Here

I want to send a special thank you to Greg for a great post. make sure you check out Sippity Sup! if you have not done so already. Great work Greg. Have a great weekend everybody and I will see you all on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Oh My… Basil Chicken

zesty — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:00:41 +0000

Happy Monday! What a weekend… full throttle. What did you think of the big game?

I have a recipe to share with you today that I am pretty positive will knock your socks off and make you tongue tingle. This recipe has been adopted from my many visits to a local Thai restaurant where they have a spicy basil chicken dish with steamed rice. Well let me tell you that this is super easy to pull off. This dish takes no time to prepare yet the flavor and intensity are simply amazing.

Not often do I rage about a recipe like this one but you have to try it next time you are feeling chicken on the menu. You will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. Peanut oil for stir-frying
4 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Small Onion (Chopped finely) – optional
2 Cups Chicken – coarsely chopped, or cut into small bite-size pieces
2 Jalapeno peppers, cut into large slivers with seeds
2-3 Tsp. Soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Cup fresh sweet basil
Black Pepper

Method

Prepare the ingredients as instructed. Leave the fresh basil leaves whole.
Heat a wok until its surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface.
Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat, then stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with the onion.
Stir another 15 to 20 seconds before adding the chicken.
Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the chicken has changed color on the outside and is no longer pink.
Toss in the chillies. Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for another 15 to 20 seconds.
Season to taste with fish sauce, then stir in the fresh basil. Toss well.
Stir-fry another 1/2 to 1 minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken cooked through.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Stir and transfer to a serving dish, or spoon directly over individual plates of plain steamed rice.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When making stir fry, and using meat I try to cut the meat as small as possible. In this case, the smaller the chicken is cut, the greater the surface area to coat with the flavors of the aromatic herbs and sauces, and the more flavorful the stir-fry will be.

Question of the day: What is your favorite season of the Year?

Have a great Monday!

Take care

zesty

Spicy Yet Simple Chicken Wings

zesty — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:00:47 +0000

Do we really need a reason or excuse to make chicken wings? For me… The answer is No.

However football season is back in full swing and what better food to be munching on while watching all the action is some spicy chicken wings. This recipe is nothing fancy but the process of combining the dry ingredients and then adding the oil to make a paste allows a nice crust to form on the wings while cooking. If you have a some people over and need another munchie on the menu… you could always try some knock out chicken nachos.

Ingredients

1 (5 lbs) bag Chicken wings
1 tablespoon Cayenne
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Onion powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Rinse Chicken and pat dry.
If wings are whole, cut off and discard pointed tip and halve wings at the main joint
In food processor or blender, combine all remaining ingredients, EXCEPT oil.
Process until well blended.
With machine on, slowly add in oil and process until a thick paste forms.
In a large bowl, combine wings and paste.
Toss until wings are well coated.
Cover and refrigerate over night.
Broil or grill wings until nicely browned outside and cooked through.
Serve warm or at room temp.

One of my favorite parts of this chicken wing dish is the dipping sauce. The blue cheese dip goes very well and is a nice balance with the heat of the chicken wing.

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces blue cheese
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon salt
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Pour into a decorative bowl.