Chicken-Katsu

Donkatsu! It's a dish I've grown up with and always loved. I mean, fried anything, nom nom nom! But this is extra goodness wrapped up in extra yummy-ness. Reminds me of the local Wakko in L.A. In that restaurant, I'd be with my parents. We'd order combinations. I would get donkatsu with soba, and my sister would get udon. We'd all sample each other's food. It was so good, hearty, and hit you in the right spot. It was definitely a filler. I'm a little afraid to work with pork, so I decided to do chicken-katsu. I love this because I had an excuse to buy Panko crumbs, a delicious Japanese-style bread crumb that my family has been using for years and years. It has been the breading of choice for as long as I can remember. Panko is really crunchy, and gives a nice flake to the item. I also had the sauce already, microwaved some rice, and ate it with a side of sweet corn. Next time, I'd like to try it with a side of salad, with a light, possibly sesame-seed inspired dressing, and corn.



Ingredients
Thinly sliced chicken breast
Panko crumbs
One egg
Flour
Olive oil

Procedure
Have Panko, egg whipped with a fork, and flour set out in three different dishes
Have the chicken breast cut in two depending on its size
Heat oil in a sauce pan on medium (be careful to not let the oil burn you!)
Put the chicken breast in the ingredients in the following order: Flour, egg, Panko
Once the chicken is completely coated, put into the oil
Leave it for about 3-5 minutes, or until the crumbs are nice and brown
Flip and do the same
Take the chicken out and repeat process for other piece of chicken



This is just so delicious and home-y! Next time, I'll try it with a side of miso soup, or maybe even soba!

P.S. Pictures this time! Yay! Next time though I will try to work on the quality and look of the picture. I wasn't even thinking of plating when I put the dish together, but I'd say it turned out pretty well ;]

Lemon and Basil Chicken with Balsamic Mushrooms and Cheesy Potatoes

So I had the idea of finally using my golden potatoes that I bought the other day and possibly chicken. I like those potatoes because you can eat the skin, which means no peeling! That is a major time saver for me, not to mention it cuts down on much of the work I would have to deal with if I were using a regular potato. So I was missing a few ingredients, so I made a trip to the supermarket across the train tracks. I picked up a chicken breast, and I've decided that this is how I'm going to buy my meats or especially perishable foods from now on. The market is right across the street so why shouldn't I just go on a daily basis if I realize I don't have the ingredients I want for that day?
Anyways, those were my several realizations. So here it goes:

Lemon and Basil Chicken with Balsamic Mushrooms:
The protein portion of this recipe was inspired heavily by this epicurious post. I followed the instructions almost to a tee, with the exceptions being the ingredient measurements. I wasn't cooking for a family of four. I was just making one portion for myself, so I cut the measurements down by 75% and used only 1/4 of what the recipe called for. Because of this, I ended of eyeballing on the parts where they specify how much oregano to use, etc., a dash here and a dash there. The chicken also turned out a little dry, but at least it was cooked. I'm not a master chef so guessing when meats, especially thick cuts of poultry, are fully cooked is a challenge. So I'd rather make sure that it was done, even if I have to sacrifice a little moisture. I'll work on this though.

Ingredients
One skinless chicken breast
1/2 of a lemon's juice
A few sprigs of fresh basil, chopped
A few dashes of dried oregano
A garlic clove, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Four or five button mushrooms, chopped (remove stems if desired)
Balsamic vinegar

Procedure
Combine lemon, basil, oregano, and garlic, and set aside
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat
Season chicken with salt and pepper on one side
Put chicken in pan, season side down
Season unseasoned side of chicken
Cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until the chicken is starting to cook on the sides
Flip chicken and cook for 5 more minutes
Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper
After 2 minutes, add vinegar to mushrooms
Cook for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally
Remove mushrooms
Add liquid mixture to chicken, trying to coat both sides with mixture
Cover, put on low
Let cook for 5 minutes

The goal with the mushrooms is to get a slightly charred taste to them. I find that it compliments the flavor of the vinegar. When the chicken is done, the lemon juice should have almost disappeared. Hopefully, it has condensed and infused the chicken with its flavor.

Cheesy Potatoes:
This is a quick and easy version of the baked potato. I actually tried to start this in the toaster oven, but after 10 minutes, it still wasn't cooked! So I finished them in the microwave. Therefore, the timing may need adjustment.

Ingredients
One golden potato, quartered, or in sixths
One chopped green onion
One tblspn of butter
One slice of American cheese, chopped
One tblspn sour cream

Procedure
Put potato in microwave for approximately 8 minutes
Add green onion, butter, and cheese
Zap in microwave for 1 minute
Add sour cream

This doesn't require any salt or pepper because the cheese and onion provide all the saltiness and kick that it needs!

I really liked the combination of these things together, and I could even dip a piece of chicken in the leftover sauce from the potatoes! Next time, I will try to add more vegetables, because this was very high carb and protein with not alot of fiber.

Have a scrumptious day!
Eiln

P.S. Been meaning to post pictures! I never remember! I'm always too eager to eat right after I've plated the food :]

Dry Spell... Wet it with Pico de Gallo!

So... I haven't cooked anything new lately.
Had tacos again last night though, but this time with homemade salsa and guacamole and I gave in to sour cream :/. So I will just write down the procedure for the salsa and guacamole.

Salsa:
I really winged this as far as measurements go, so it's really up to you. You should taste as you go.

Ingredients
Tomatoes (cherry or otherwise)
Half a red onion
Half a jalapeno pepper
Cilantro
Half a lemon
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Procedure
Chop tomatoes, red onion, cilantro
Combine
Deseed and devein jalapeno pepper and finely chop
Combine
Add lemon juice, about a table spoon of olive oil, a few dashes of red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper

The salt should extract the juices of the vegetables and in a few minutes, with careful stirring so as not to mash the vegetables too much, you should have a delicious salsa in your hands.

Guacamole:
This was really simple. When it comes to guacamole, I really love simplicity. Avacados taste so beautiful on their own so I like them to be the stars in this side dish.

Ingredients
One large, ripe avacado
Garlic salt
Half a white onion
Half a lemon
Cayenne pepper

Procedure
Remove meat from avocado (maybe I will post later on how I like to go about this)
Finely chop onion
Combine
Add salt, and dash of cayenne pepper
When adding lemon, be careful to add only a few splashes of juice (too much lemon can over power the guacamole)
Mash with fork or whatever utensil you have on hand

I like my guacamole just a little on the chunky side so that it is not like a paste and has more texture to it.

Hopefully I will be adding new recipes!
But other than this, enjoy!

Ravioli and White Mushroom Sauce

Mmm, mmmmm... I love Italian food. I'm no Italian food connoisseur, but I know what I like! Tonight I had an appetite for pasta but not a lot of spare time because next week is going to be busy, busy, busy, with preparing for tests and writing essays, etc. So needless to say, I needed to do something quick. Thankfully, the dish I prepared had its main components ready-made (hey, I'm a college kid!). This first time around, the sauce was a bit lumpy from my lack of judgment (too much flour!). But hopefully, I've made the necessary adjustments for the next time around, which there certainly will be!

Ingredients
About 5 ready-made spinach and ricotta ravioli (or whatever kind of filling you want)
Tblspn oil
4 or 5 sliced white button mushrooms
1 Chopped green onion
Salt
Oregano
Pepper
4 Tblspns butter
1 tblspn flour
1.5 cups milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3 chopped slices of deli turkey meat

Procedure
Boil 2-3 quarts of salted water
Boil ravioli for 5-8 minutes
In a pan over medium-high heat, heat oil
Add mushrooms
Salt mushrooms
Add a dash of oregano and pepper
Add green onion
Remove from pan into a seperate container (plate, bowl, etc.)
Melt butter in pan over medium heat
Add flour, whisking and allowing flour and butter to combine
Let flour/butter mixture to cook a bit (approx. 3 minutes)
Slowly add milk
Add pepper and salt
Let thicken
Add cheese and mushroom mix
Stir and top ravioli with white sauce, any left over cheese, and chopped turkey

And Bon Apetit!

Una Fiesta en la Boca!

For those of you who are spanish-impaired, the above title means "A Party in the Mouth!" And that is exactly what I mean. I didn't make this dish today, but a few days ago. I had made plans to make good, authentic, LA-style tacos for a while and I finally did it. Now, when I mean good, authentic, LA-style, I mean real tacos. I don't mean tacos slathered in sour cream (though I have no objections to sour cream) or mexican-mix cheese (also love this stuff). I mean tacos with just the good stuff--meat and onions. Now, this may not sound appetizing, but anyone who has been to King Taco or any taco truck knows that is the only way to do it if you want to do it right. It is really a good testament to the idea of simplicity. Why try to mess with/jazz up something that is already so delicious with just it's core ingredients. Of course, at home, I can't help but add a few extra goodies, but I try to stay as true as possible.

Tacos por Eileen:
Ingredients
4 small white corn tortillas
Beef cut into small chunks
Diced onions
Roughly chopped cilantro
Minced garlic
Dash salt
Cayenne Pepper
About a tblspn of oil
optional additions: guacamole, salsa, & Tapatio hot sauce

Procedure
Warm up/toast tortillas on a pan, both sides
Combine onions and cilantro
In pan, heat oil on medium-high
Add garlic
Stir until browning
Add beef
Constantly stir to prevent burning and sticking
Add salt and dash of cayenne pepper
Cook fully

Combine tacos in whichever way desired
I usually go meat, onions, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, EAT!

19 and Hungry

My name is Eileen.
Almost two decades ago, in sunny Los Angeles, a baby girl was born on the third month of the year. Flash forward 19 years later, and here I am, a sophomore in college, in Boston of all places. People ask me all the time, "What in God's name made you leave 60 degree winters for 15 degree ones?" And truthfully, I don't know. It was probably a combination of things. Parents, friends, myself, they all somehow convinced me to pick the winter-y winters of the east coast. True, last year was a rough roller coaster for me. I wasn't the happiest pickle in the bunch--in fact, I think I was the sourest (if that metaphor even makes sense and if I even used real words). But I learned to appreciate the opportunity that I was thrust into. I was able to get through it--the classes, the homework, the dorms, the cafeteria--HOLD ON. The caf!?! Am I seriously saying I got through that? Well maybe I stuck it out, but I was certainly not eating my way to happiness through french fries, hamburgers, dry chicken, soggy vegetables, and salty rice. Which brings me to my current point in life--19 and hungry.

I've always loved food and in some ways I think food has always loved me :]. And to show my love more culinary compassion, I am proud to say that this year, I am living in an apartment, equipped with a refrigerator, a toaster oven, and a gas-burning, pilot-light-constantly-going-out, uneven temperature distributing, stove! And thus, God hath given man fire! And with fire, he (or she) actually made something edible! So here's the point: I plan on not just crawling my way through my sophomore year, scrounging up frozen foods and microwaveable lean pockets, but to actually wield a spatula, a chef's knife, a frying pan, and to cook.
I promise there will be dissapointing dishes, but there will also be delectable delights. My aim is to blog and record my adventures and misadventures, and come out victorious for going on the journey at all!

Let this be one little nudge for me and one tiny shuffle for all foodies alike!