Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into long, thin strips
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 2 1/2 cups grated monterey jack or mozzarella
• 8 small flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a baking sheet.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp oil, then chicken. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until no pink remains, 5 to 6 min. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to pan, then onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, pepper flakes and 1/2 of tomatoes. Cook until vegetables soften, 2 to 3 min. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, any juices and 1 cup grated cheese.
3. Divide chicken mixture into 8 portions. Scoop a portion into centre of each tortilla. Roll into a cigar shape around filling. Place seam-side down on baking sheet, spacing 1 in. apart. Flatten slightly, then top with remaining tomatoes and cheese.
4. Bake in centre of oven until cheese melts, about 5 min. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Green Vegetable Curry Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 red peppers
• 2 to 3 pkgs extra-firm tofu (each 350 g)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup green or red Thai curry paste or 2 tbsp red Thai curry powder
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 2 cans coconut milk (each 400 mL)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 cup chopped cilantro or 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil

Directions

1. Cook beans and broccoli in a large pot of boiling water until almost tender, 2 to 3 min. Drain and plunge into a large bowl of cold water. Drain and pat dry. Cut peppers into 1/4-in. strips. Cut tofu into 1/2-in cubes.
2. Heat oil in a large pot set over medium-high. Add curry paste or powder. Stir constantly until fragrant, about 1 min. Add peppers and onions, then tofu. Stir until evenly coated. Cook for 1 min. Pour in coconut milk. Gently stir in fish sauce and sugar until evenly mixed. Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 min.
3. Add broccoli, beans and spinach. Cook until vegetables are hot, about 2 min. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve over steamed rice. Cover and refrigerate curry for up to 5 days.

Roast Beef and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 red onion 
• 2 tablespoons of butter, divided 
• 1/4 pound roast beef slices 
• 2 slices of your favorite bread
• 5 slices of your favorite cheese

Directions:

1. Slice a red onion into one-quarter-inch rings. 
2. Add one tablespoon butter to a pan over medium heat. Caramelize your onions until soft, fragrant and beginning to char, about 10-15 minutes. 
3. Once the onions are finished, turn off the heat and move them to one side of the pan. Add roast beef slices to the other side, just to warm them up a bit. 
4. Liberally butter both pieces of a nice hearty bread. 
5. Heat a separate pan over medium heat and place one slice of bread buttered side down. 
6. Immediately add two slices of cheese.
7. Top with warmed roast beef, desired amount of caramelized red onion (about one-quarter cup) and another three slices of cheese. 
8. Place the other piece of bread on top (butter side up). 
9. After about four minutes, check the bottom piece of bread by lifting the corner with a spatula. If browned to your liking, carefully flip and grill the other side, about four or five minutes. (You may want to cover the pan to help promote cheese melting.)

Note: You can eat immediately or you can keep it warm in a 200 degree F oven for a few minutes until ready to eat or serve.

Basic Won Ton Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 Chinese mushrooms, small
• 1/4 lb Prawns
• 5 Fresh water chestnuts (OR 7 - canned ones)
• 1/2 lb Ground pork
• 1 Green onion, finely chopped
• 1 pk Wonton skins
• 1 ts Salt
• 1/2 ts Sugar
• 1 ts Thin soy sauce
• 1 ts Oyster sauce
• Dash of pepper
• 1 1/4 tb Cornstarch
• 1 sm Egg

Directions

1. Boil Chinese mushrooms for 10 minutes, rinse, squeeze dry, cut off, and discard stems; then, chop into very small pieces.
2. Shell, devein and wash prawns. Chop into very small pieces
3. Peel and crush water chestnuts with the flat side of the cleaver. If you don't have a cleaver, chop the water chestnuts into very fine pieces.
4. Combine mushrooms, prawns, water chestnuts, pork and green onion.
5. Add all other ingredients and mix well. 1 teaspoon of filling is used for each wonton.
6. With one corner of the skin toward you, place 1 teaspoon of filling about an inch from the corner.
7. Fold one corner to cover the filling. Fold once more...about 3/4 inch.
8. Turn the won ton so that the triangle is toward you. Dampen the left corner with a little water.
9. Swing the right corner away from you and place it on top of the dampened left corner. As you make this fold, simultaneously pull the filling toward you with your middle finger. You should finish with a little “hat-like” effect.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ounces of cellophane noodles
• 1 pounds of ground lean pork
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons of tree ears dried Mushrooms (Nam Meo)
• 3 Cloves Garlic -- finely chopped
• 8 ounces of crab meat
• 4 ounces of shrimp -- shelled and chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon of Pepper

 

• 20 sheets dried rice paper (Banh Trang)
• 4 Eggs -- beaten
• 2 cups of peanut Oil

Directions

1. Soak noodles in warm water for 20 minutes and cut into 1-inch lengths.
2. Soak Tree Ear in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and finely chop.
3. Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
4. Cut a round rice paper sheet into quarters. Place the cut rice paper on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, paint beaten egg over the entire surface of the rice paper piece. Before filling, wait for the egg mixture to take effect, softening the wrappers; this take about 2 minutes. When you become adept at this, you can work on several wrappers at a time. When the wrapper looks soft and transparent, place about one teaspoon of filling near the curved side, in the shape of a rectangle. Fold the side over to enclose the filling and continue to roll. After filling all the wrappers, pour the oil into a large frying pan, put the spring rolls into the cold oil, turn the heat to moderate, and fry for 20 to 30 minutes until a lovely golden brown. (This is a special method of keeping spring rolls crisp.)

Caribbean Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Broiler-fryers chickens; (about 2 lb each), cut in half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c Butter or margarine
• 1/3 c Lemon or lime juice
• 1 tb Italian seasoning; crushed
• 2 1/2 ts Salt
• 2 Garlic cloves; crushed
• 3/4 ts Dry mustard
• 1/4 ts Coarse black pepper
• 1 1/2 c Orange marmalade
• 3 tb Lemon or lime juice
• 3 tb Butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup butter over low heat, stir in 1/3 cup lemon or lime juice, Italian seasoning, 2-1/2 teaspoons salt, garlic, dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle each side of chicken halves lightly with salt and pepper. Place chicken on grill skin side up; brush with herb butter.
2. Grill about 4 to 5 inches from medium coals until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Baste frequently, turn chicken occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, combine marmalade with 3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice and 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan.  Heat, stirring constantly, until melted. About 4 minutes before chicken is done, brush some of the marmalade mixture on each chicken half to glaze; grill about 1 minute. Turn chicken; brush with remaining marmalade mixture; grill about 1 more minute.

Makes 6 servings.

Pan Fried Steak Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 strip steaks (about 1 inch thick)
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1to 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Bring the steaks to room temperature.
2. Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Seconds before adding a steak, drop 1/2 teaspoon of the butter into the pan and immediately top with the steak. Repeat with the remaining steak. Sear for 3 minutes without moving the steak (to form a crust). Turn and cook for 2 minutes for rare or 3 to 4 for medium rare. Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest on a board or platter for a few minutes before serving.