Kung Pao Chicken...and Cinco de Mayo!

What does a spicy Sechuan Chicken have to do with Cinco de Mayo?...absolutely nothing!

 The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16. 

Kung Pao, also translated as Gong Bao Chicken, a spicy, stir fry made with chicken, peanuts, and snow peas. My version with the bone-in chicken thighs...a healthier Sechuan version baked, instead of stir fried!

Kung Pao Chicken 
adapted from; Cooking Light magazine
Dec, 2010 

2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 medium chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch piece
I used 1 package-4 pieces chicken thighs, with bone-in

3/4 cup water
3 Tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced ginger
I used 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 to 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
I used 2 fresh red chile peppers thinly sliced
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
2  Tbsp chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes or until softened. Add
garlic; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken, saute 3 minutes until chicken begins to brown.

My method:

I baked my chicken pieces, bone-in in my toaster oven on a foil lined baked oven pan...you can bake in a conventional stove oven as well, 350 degrees F. for about 30-45 minutes. Just add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, salt, pepper, to taste, and your favorite spices, such as paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic salt with parsley is what I added.

Combine 3/4 cup water and the next 5 ingredients on the list...up to the crushed red pepper...stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves.
Add water mixture to pa; bring to a boil. Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts
Yield 4 servings.
I added the peanuts with the chicken, at the last 10 minutes of baking!



Serve over Jasmine rice...cook according to directions!

Baked Mahi-Mahi with Artichokes, and Capers

Yesterday was an extremely productive day, all around. I will take your on a little water ski fishing journey. What you see here is another dish that I created with Mahi-Mahi, freshly caught by a family friend surfer, who now owns a jet ski, mainly, just to use it for fishing in the ocean, having fun, catching the best, do I need to emphasize...the freshest fish, and he is so gracious to share some with us. I have never heard of jet ski fishing...although there are plenty of jet skiers, in the ocean, here in Palm Beach. I will post this recipe that I once again...seriously, just put together with whatever came into my head, and according to the ingredients and fresh herbs my daughter had at her house.

Baked Mahi-Mahi with Artichokes, and Capers

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Mahi-Mahi

1 6 oz. jar marinated artichokes

1/2 cup capers (minus 1 teaspoon)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1/2 Aranja brand or any other sour orange

marinade

1 lime cut in half-use juice of half, slice the

other half in thin slices

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

salt and pepper to taste

First line a baking or broiling pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides, like in the photo...this way, the juice will not overflow. Place the fish on the foil, pour the sour orange marinade on top of the fish, the olive oil, salt, pepper and the paprika on top of the fish. Empty the small jar of the artichokes, and pour around the fish (not on top) ...Also use the liquid from the marinade. Add the sliced garlic, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of capers around it. Bake at 375 preheated oven for about 12 minutes...any longer will turn fish dry. Check for doneness, if needed to cook longer, maybe another 3-5 minutes. It should be nice, and flaky. Top with fresh herb sauce. It's "out of this world" tasty, and unique!

Fresh Herb Sauce

A good handful of mixed fresh herbs chopped

(I used what we had available.)

fresh dill

fresh oregano

fresh basil 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup capers, drained from liquid

(minus 1 teaspoon, which was used for the fish)

salt and pepper to taste

juice of the half lime

Mix all ingredients together, set aside until fish is done, and liberally spoon on top of the fish, as shown in photo. When ready to serve, place fish portion on a large plate, and spoon the artichoke and the sauce it was baked in (topping is already on)...Ready to serve. Serves 2-4, depending on portion size. Delish!

Yesterday I had so much difficulty in posting my recipe for the butternut squash...which I already have done so, only to have it all wiped out, and not be able to retrieve it. Now, I can't even continue on the previous post, or it will run into the comment section, and mess everything up.

So, here is the recipe for the...

Butternut Squash with Organic Rainbow Chard

A large half already cut up butternut squash

1 bunch of rainbow chard

1 bunch of celery

1 cup of San Marzano tomato sauce

(or Marinara sauce...or your favorite tomato sauce)

1/2 plain water

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 teaspoons good quality curry powder

1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika

Clean and cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes, and roast in the oven, drizzled with olive oil, and your favorite herbs, for about 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside, and use that day, or refrigerate in a plastic container, and save it for another use.

In a large skillet, saute the butternut squash with the rainbow chard, that has been cut up into large chunks, and most of the stalks discarded. Also slice the scallions thin and add them along with the garlic. Saute on medium high for about 10 minutes, now add the water, let it cook down, and add the tomato sauce, the curry, and the paprika, season it with salt and pepper, and let it simmer for an additional 20 minutes being careful not to break all the beautiful chunks of the butternut squash. It is ready, when it gets to a nice thick sauce consistency. Serve it over pasta of your choice: best I found was the rigatoni, or rice, and even better, Israeli, or Moroccan couscous.

You can also add Reggiano Parmigiana cheese on top, if you are serving it over pasta. It is so delicious, not overly spicy, and the butternut squash is perfectly flavored with the spices, and the tomato sauce. The little guy in our family loved it so much, and everybody loved the baked fresh fish too.

Serves 4.