Category: Recipes

Posted on » by Ashley » Theme:

General Tso’s Wiener

General Tso’s Wiener
Wieners Gone Wild! – Holly Schmidt and Allan Penn

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and freshly grated ginger
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (chile-garlic sauce found in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
3 tablespoons raw or Demerara sugar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
8 egg roll wrappers
8 hot dogs
4 cups peanut or vegetable oil (or enough to come 2 inches up the sides of your pot)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce, orange juice, cornstarch, sambal oelek, and raw sugar.

Add this mixture to the ginger-garlic mixture and bring to a boil. Stir until the sauce is thick and shiny. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it to keep it warm.

Put 1/2 teaspoon of mustard in a line down the center of each egg roll wrapper and place a hot dog on top. Roll the wrapper up like an egg roll, tucking the ends in to make a cylindrical package.

Heat the peanut oil to 375°F in a large, deep pot.

Fry the wieners a few at a time until they are brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Place the cooked wieners on a paper-towel lined plate to cool. When all the hot dogs are fried, pour the sauce over them and sprinkle them with chives.

Posted on » by Dana & Nancy » Theme:

Falafel

Recipe from FoodNetwork.com courtesy of Melissa d’Arabian

Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Generous 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
  • Generous 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup flour, plus 1/4 cup flour for shaping patties
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Lettuce, for garnish
  • Chopped salted tomatoes, for garnish
  • Grated cucumber, for garnish
  • White Bean Yogurt Sauce, recipe follows
  • Creamy White Bean Yogurt Sauce
  • 3/4 cup cooked white beans
  • 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, parsley, cilantro, egg, and lemon juice. Pulse to combine and season with salt. The mixture will not be smooth, but it should not have large chunks.

Add in the baking powder and 1/3 cup of the flour and pulse to just combine. Remove to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator. Add enough oil to a large saute pan so it reaches 1/2-inch up the sides and heat it over medium-high heat until an inserted thermometer reads 360 degrees F.

Meanwhile, drop spoonfuls of the chickpea mixture onto a plate with 1/4 cup flour. Roll into balls on the floured plate and press gently into patties. Fry in batches of hot oil for about 3 to 4 minutes each side and drain on paper towels.

Serve the falafel on a bed of lettuce with chopped salted tomatoes, grated cucumber and White Bean Yogurt Sauce.

Puree the white beans, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil in a mini food processor until very smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with falafel or as a salad dressing.

 

Posted on » by Dino » Theme: ;

Halal Chicken on a Pita

Based on: Chicken and Rice NYC Street Meat Style by Eric Rhee and Michelle Won

Notes

Rafiqi’s Delicious Food carts are numerous and abundant in NYC. The delicious odor of garlic and middle-eastern herbs permeated my afternoon commute one day back in 2004 and I’ve been a Rafiqi’s addict ever since.

Rafiqi’s chicken is spicy, it’s tender, it’s packed with flavor, and best of all- it tastes exactly like that amazing smell which drew me in- enticing me to wait on a very long line on a scorching, muggy day back in 2004.

I had a rather successful attempt at recreating the chicken on a pita back in 2006, however the times I’ve tried since then didn’t work out so well. While the chicken was yummy, it didn’t have the depth of flavor you get at Rafiqi’s. I nailed the white sauce though, and that is the cornerstone of the meal!

*updates in red

Chicken Halal

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs, fat trimmed, cubed (you can use bone-in, but boneless will be easier to work with)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ¾ cup greek yogurt
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tomato, cubed
  • ½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • Pita bread

Instructions

  1. Combine all the spices, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive.
  2. Generously salt and pepper.
  3. Work in the Greek yogurt.
  4. Add the cubed chicken thighs and onions and let it marinate overnight.
  5. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet.
  6. Add the chicken.
  7. When the chicken has browned, stir and place pitas on top.
  8. Once the pitas are warm, place a pita in a large square of tin foil and add the chicken.
  9. Top with lettuce and tomato.

White Sauce

  • 1 Cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1.5 Tbsp. lemon juice (½ lemon)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp dill (dry or fresh)

Red Sauce

  • 4 parts Harissa
  • 1 part Sriracha