Vietnamese Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Here we are in August, supposedly the dog days of summer, and the weather doesn't seem to want to cooperate.  This is the time of year when we normally are fleeing to any water source to cool down while praying our air conditioning doesn't fail.  We should be sweating out the two or three weeks when the temperature barely drops below ninety and the air is so damp you aren't sure if you should inhale or gulp.  Just because the weather isn't cooperating doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy the foods that are best in the heat and sweltering humidity.

During my public clinic time at chiropractic college, my mentor introduced several of my classmates and me to a local Vietnamese restaurant just down the road, and we began to look forward to their two star hot Sweet and Spicy Chicken every Thursday.  Until one day we called to order and were told they were bought out by a Chinese chain, who told us every week for the remainder of our clinic time "we no have sweet spicy chicken, we Chinese!  You order Chinese or stop calling!".  After twenty years of searching, I've finally found a way to reproduce something close to what my palate has missed.  It has pungent garlic and ginger, Thai chilies to make the heat creep up from the back of the throat, plenty of lemongrass for flavor, and lots of onion to offset the heat.  When it's hot and humid, sweet and spicy is just what the body needs.  Here's my version of Vietnamese Sweet and Spicy Chicken. Bon Apétit!


Marinade
4 large Thai chilies, minced
3 TBSP rice wine vinegar
6 TBSP fish sauce
3 TBSP sugar
4 lemongrass stalks, finely diced (you can find them in the fresh herb section, this year, I've got a few plants in my garden)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces

4 TBSP vegetable oil (I prefer cold expeller pressed sunflower or safflower)
4 stalks lemongrass, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 cup young coconut juice (not milk)
2 medium onions, Frenched
2 bunches green onions (tops and all) sliced into 3/4" pieces
4-6 Thai chilies, minced (if you like it hot)
cilantro to garnish

Add chilies to rice wine vinegar and let sit for at least an hour to pickle.  Add remainder of marinade ingredients into large bowl, add pickled chilies and vinegar and chicken thighs.  Refrigerate at least overnight, up to 48 hours.  Heat large saute' pan over high heat and add oil.  Saute' lemongrass, garlic, and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant.  Add chicken and sear on all sides (2 minutes per side or so).  Once chicken is cooked through, add coconut juice and cover.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes to infuse chicken with flavors and tenderize.  Add onions and cover for another 3-5 minutes until slightly softened.  Add green onions and toss to combine.  If you like it hot, add extra chilies.  Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Texas Caviar

Summer will eventually make it here, and as it does, I'm always looking for lighter fare that still keeps me full and satisfied.  This is my version of a Black Bean Salad or "Texas Caviar" if you prefer.  I've noted those ingredients that are best to keep organic, not as much for the nutritional value, but to avoid the "cides" that come along with traditional farming methods - pesticides, fungicides, herbicides - all those things that kill other organisms, yet somehow are supposed to be safe for us to eat in large amounts.  Some of the ingredients also have issues with genetic modification (aka GMO) that I'd prefer to not eat.  I'll make this on a Sunday afternoon and we'll have it for lunches for the entire week.  I love it with a corn or quinoa thin, but you can do tortilla chips if you must.  As posted, the recipe has good flavor without a tremendous heat punch, but you can easily kick it up a few notches with extra hot sauce later, or add more peppers right away. Bon Apétit!

Texas Caviar

 Makes 10 lunch servings

 

3 cans organic black beans (rinsed and drained)

2 fire-roasted tomatillos

2 fire-roasted Fresno peppers

3 organic Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 organic red pepper, chopped

3 stalks organic celery with leaves, sliced

1 bag frozen organic corn

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/3 c lime juice

1/3 c lemon juice

2 shots hot sauce (I like Cholula)

salt & pepper

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Remove the husks from the tomatillos.  Roast tomatillos and Fresno peppers over open flame until the skin is blackened or charred.  Remove from heat and place in plastic or paper bag to sweat for a few minutes.  Remove skins and seeds from Fresno peppers.  Chop, slice, or mince vegetables and place in a large bowl with black beans.  In small bowl, combine vinegar, lemon & lime juices, hot sauce, and salt & pepper.  Whisk in olive oil and pour over salad.  Mix thoroughly.  Let sit at least a few hours to allow flavors to marry; over night is better.  Serve with corn or quinoa thins, rice cakes, or tortilla chips.

Welcome to My Table

I love food.  The chunk of a sharp knife cutting through crisp vegetables; the aroma of yeast throughout the house as a fresh loaf slowly rises in the oven; the sizzle and snap of a buttery steak on a sun hot grill; the contrast of a ripe red tomato and fresh green basil as it glistens in olive oil next to creamy white fresh mozzarella.  The sight, the smell, the feel, and yes, eventually the taste; I love food.  In this blog, I'll share some of my favorite foods with you.  The recipes, pictures, and mouth watering descriptions of what graces my table.  Follow me on my culinary journey as we explore how we can not only make food that tastes great, but can help rebuild your body better than it was before.  Will everything be good for you?  Absolutely not!  In those cases, I'll explain why it's best to not let those foods become dominant in your diet.  Pick up your knives and steel, pull out your best cutting board, and let's head to a good grocer to find some quality ingredients.  Our food journey is about to begin.