Caramel Chicken

Chicken. Chicken. Chicken. It can get very boring, overdone and bland. I never order chicken when I go out to eat because it is my weekly staple, so I try to find new recipes and ways to cook it at home. Oh man, this recipe is a WINNER. I saw it on my Instagram feed and initially kept scrolling because of the name- Caramel Chicken. Do not let the name put you off from trying this recipe. You will miss out. This is a new favorite and of course, has Asian flare!

Will and I were both pleasantly surprised once we sat down to eat it. I was not expecting it to turn out as good as it did. This will be made again and again and will probably be my next supper club meal! 

I was worried it was going to be a sweet chicken, but as the recipe states, the sweetness is perfectly balanced by the vinegar and soy sauce. The sauce that is created to go with the chicken is Heavenly. I couldn't get enough and will probably make extra next time! 

I didn't make an adjustments to the recipe. It was perfect.

First batch

Second batch

The sauce bubbles and caramelizes when you add in the vinegar, just keep stirring

Those chucks are the ginger!

Caramel Chicken

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil
~3 lbs skin-on bone-in chicken legs and thighs (I bought an entire broken down chicken)
Salt
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 (1/4 inch thick) slices peeled ginger
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Cooked white rice (to serve with the chicken)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.

2. Season the chicken with salt and working in batches, cook it in the oil until golden brown and crisp (about 6-8 minutes/side). Transfer to a plate.

3. Add garlic to the pot and cook until golden (about two minutes). Stir frequently to prevent it from burning. Transfer to the plate with the chicken and pour the fat off from the pot.

4. Return the pot to the medium high heat and add 1/2 cup of water, scraping up the browned bits.

5. Add the brown sugar, stirring over the heat to dissolve. The mixture will thicken and turn a deep amber color after about 5-7 minutes of cooking.

6. Carefully add vinegar- the mixture will bubble up and the sugar will crystallize- stir to dissolve the sugar. Then add the ginger, broth and soy sauce.

7. Add the chicken to the sauce (skin side up) and the garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about 20-25 minutes). Transfer the chicken to a plate.

8. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until thick enough to coat a spoon (about 10 minutes).

9. Return the chicken to the pot and turn to coat.

Top with the scallions and serve with rice.

The recipe can be found here at Bon Appetit

Noodle Bowl

Most of you know by now that I love Asian food. I also love noodles, so the combination of the two makes me really happy. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it out. It is delicious! It was a great balance between the vegetables and the noodles with great Asian flavors of ginger, soy sauce, garlic and vinegar-  This meal is full of umami, which is the best descriptor for this meal.

Don't skim on the Soba noodles; they really cannot be replaced by pasta. I found them at Whole Foods (No, they weren't at Trader Joes). I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

Ingredients

The wok

I love vegetables

Steaming veggies

Adding in the noodles

Stirred up so the kale is on top!

Soba Noodle Bowl with Kale and Mushrooms

Ingredients

6 ounces of Soba (buckwheat) noodles
1 tbsp of olive oil
1tbsp of sesame oil (or 2 tbsp of olive oil)
1 package of brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 cups of white button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 cups of kale, stemmed and chopped
2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp agave syrup
2 tsp sesame seeds

Feel free to add other vegetables, too- I added broccoli and cabbage

Directions

1. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the sprouts and cabbage and 1 tbsp of water, stir fry 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, kale, zucchini (and any other vegetables you add in) and another tbsp of water, stir fry 5-7 minutes.

2. Cook the noodles in boiling water, according to the instructions on the package, being careful not to overcook.

3. Stir in the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar and agave to the vegetable mix. Add the noodles to the pan as well. Cook, tossing for 2 minutes. Top with sesame seeds and serve.

Enjoy!
                           


                     




Adapted from: Self Magazine

Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen, just a regular Chinese restaurant?

Comparing Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen to Red Orchid or other Chinese establishments in town is easy for me to do. I've read articles and reviews of people saying that Lee Lee's is nothing special. I could not disagree more.

Walking into the restaurant itself is enough to set it apart on looks alone. The decor is beautiful and the atmosphere lively. Once you have some of their dishes I don't know how someone could call it "more expensive Chinese American food". Lee Lee's is authentic and it is very apparent that they are utilizing high quality ingredients, which are skillfully crafted and were thoughtfully put together. Their drink menu is nothing to overlook, either.

I thoroughly enjoy Lee Lee's. Actually, that's probably an understatement. I seem to find myself eating it every Sunday. It has become quite the Sunday night ritual. Whether its eating in or taking out, I enjoy it every time. Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen opened early this year by way of Karalee Nielsen Fallert (remember Park Cafe?). She reconnected with an old friend, Chef Lily Lei and they came up with the concept together- thank goodness!

Again, it is in the neighborhood of Wagener Terrace which makes me happy. In addition, if you haven't noticed I love the Asian cuisine. It has the Chinese classics that everyone loves but they are always creating specials and actually just made some menu additions! I haven't had anything I didn't like here but there are definitely some stand-outs that I cannot stop ordering.

Check them out on Instagram for weekly specials and updates. Or don't because you'll want to go in all the time.


Favorite Starters

The Sichuan dumplings - these are my absolute favorite. They've got some kick and are steamed, not fried. The Sichuan sauce is to die for. I think these are perfect <3

Scallion pancakes, chicken lettuce wraps and the crab rangoons (made with real crab) are delicious as well....if you can stop ordering the Sichuan dumplings.


Favorite Entrees 
(listed in order)

Singapore Noodle

1. Singapore Noodle- rice noodles, pork, shrimp, and vegetables in a yellow curry sauce- its seriously perfect.


2. Hong Sho Ro- pork belly in a 5 spice sauce. A delicious specialty!

3. Salt and Pepper Chicken- I've never had anything like it. Its fried chicken - the breading is deliciously peppery- with onions and peppers. The seasoning is SO good.

Pan fried pork dumplings & Salt and pepper chicken

4. Mu Shu Pork- This is a past time favorite of mine. Whenever my family would order Chinese, this was always something we ordered. Lee Lee's does a great job with it (pork & vegetables with pancakes and hoisin sauce) but its what you expect. Nothing over the top, I just love this dish and it brings back memories.

Mu Shu Pork

The Bok Choy in a sesame garlic sauce is a favorite of the Veggies- a delicious side to any dish. I absolutely love bok choy and they do a great job of cooking it perfectly.







These are my absolute favorites. I have tried most of the menu and with choosing from this list, I can promise you won't be disappointed! Go check out Lee Lee's Hot Kitchen today. I think this restaurant has a lot to offer. Decide for yourself and let me know what you think!

Pancit

I work with a man who is from the Philippines. Every day at lunch he has the most amazing Asian meals that his wife has made for him. I am always asking him about them and talking with him about home in the Philippines. He was so kind to share a couple of recipes with me from his wife, Pancit being one of them.

Pancit is the term for noodle in Filipino cuisine. They were introduced in the Philippines by the Chinese and were quickly adopted into their cuisine. Noodle dishes are the standard fare in restaurants and there are many different ways to cook them. Noodles represent long life and good health in their culture (you should never cut your noodles) and therefore should be eaten on one's birthday. They are commonly served at birthday celebrations and may be listed as "birthday noodles" on menus. 

Ingredients

Soaking noodles (right)

Vegetables all chopped up

Vegetables with the cooked pork in the wok

Vegetables cooked down

Adding the noodles to the chicken broth

Noodles that have completely soaked up the broth

Add the noodles to the pork + vegetables

Pork Pancit

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 onions, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 carrots, shredded

1 1/2 pounds of pork (you can add chicken and/or shrimp as well)

1 head of bok choy chopped

1/2 head of Napa Cabbage

1/2 pound green beans

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

24 ounces Chicken broth

Soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

salt + pepper

1 bag of Excellent brand rice sticks OR 1 bag Wai
Wai Brand rice sticks (can be found at H&L Asian Market in North Charleston)

Directions

1. Soak the rice sticks in water for ten minutes, then drain

2. Place a large sized wok (or stainless steel saucepan) over medium heat. Add the sesame oil and brown the pork (chicken/shrimp etc). Once cooked, add the garlic and onions. Sauce and then add the vegetables. Stir fry for about 15 minutes (the green beans need the longest time to cook). Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a container, cover with foil and set aside.

3. In the same pan, boil the chicken broth. Add 2 tbsp of oyster sauce and soy sauce to taste (I added about 2 tbsp). Once the chicken broth mixture is boiling, add the rice sticks and stir until they soak up all of the broth, about 5 minutes. Try a rice stick, if it is not al dente add more broth (or water) and cook until the noodles are soft and the liquid is fully absorbed.

4. Mix the vegetables with the cooked rice sticks, serve and enjoy! (Add soy sauce to your preference)

Served with pork dumplings(on the blog as well!)

Pork Dumplings

I love pork dumplings. I have tried them from many different restaurants and there is a specific type I love and it can be hard to find. This recipe is exactly on target and they really aren't very difficult to make!

If you are craving some dumplings, try and make them yourself. Get creative! You can control whats in them, and its fun to do on a rainy day. 

Ingredients

Marinated pork

(left) pork with garlic, ginger and green onions (right) cabbage added in as well

(left) adding in the egg, (right) pork with all ingredients including the soy sauce and sesame oil

the spongy dough

the dough rolled into a "log", you should have two logs

Each log should be cut into ten 1/2" blocks

Roll out the 1/2" blocks into 3-inch circles

Fill each dough circle with 1 heaping tsp of pork mixture

Moisten the edges of the dumpling with water and "pleat" the edges of the dumpling to close them

Ready to be steamed!

The steam basket in the pot of water. You may need to purchase a metal "stand" to go in between the bottom of the pot and the bottom of the steam basket. The basket will sit on the metal stand and the water will boil, producing steam, below it.

The final product, after about 15-20 minutes of steaming

Pork Dumplings
This will make about 20 dumplings 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons green onion, sliced thinly
1 cup of Napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 lb of pork (you can do turkey, pork or chicken or vegetables)
2 cups of flour
1 cup of water
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

You will need a steaming basket (you can purchase this at H&L Asian Market in North Charleston)


Directions

1. Marinate the meat in 2 tbsp of soy and oyster sauce. Let marinate overnight (preferably), but at least an hour prior to cooking.

2. In a large bowl, combine the pork, ginger, garlic, green onions, remaining 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, egg and cabbage. Stir until well mixed.

3. Add the water to the flour slowly, mixing them together until the result is a spongy dough. This is best done with your hands. Form dough into a "block" (see picture).

4. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch diameter blocks. Flour the surface of the counter and roll out each "block" into a 3 inch circle.

5. Place 1 heaping tsp of pork filling onto each wonton. Moisten the edges with water and fold the edges "pleating" them to close. Set on a floured surface until they are all ready.

6. To cook: steam the dumplings in a bamboo (or metal) steamer for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to place a cabbage leaf under the wontons to prevent them from sticking to the steamer. Serve with soy sauce and enjoy!


Side note: You can make vegetable dumplings as well (shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, carrots, green onions- just sauté with olive oil prior to putting in the wonton).

Served with pancit (also on the blog!)