I’m declaring Friday the 13th my lucky day. They are rare (sort of), so why shouldn’t they be lucky instead of unlucky? The last Friday the 13th was in January, and I got LASIK, so it turned out very well for me. I have high hopes for this one, too!
I don’t have a cat, but here’s a picture of my lucky black chihuahua.
I was introduced to a Thai dish recently, by my (Thai) friend Kathy, and now I am obsessed with it. It’s ground chicken stir-fried with mint and chilies. It’s so simple but so good, and such a nice change from the old stand-bys pad thai, panang curry, etc. I decided to make a dish inspired by that using basil instead of mint. My version was a tiny bit salty, so I recommend starting with less fish sauce and adding more after tasting it.
Thai-Style Ground Chicken and Basil
1 T vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken
juice of 1 lime
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 -1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 T fish sauce (start with 1 and taste before adding more)
1 T garlic chili sauce, plus extra on the side
15 leaves of basil, roughly chopped, or 1/3 c of mint, roughly chopped
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil to the pan, and when it’s hot, add the garlic and fry until fragrant.
Add the chicken, breaking up with a wooden spoon and allowing to brown. When the chicken is brown, add the green onions and jalapeno. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili sauce, then toss the meat around in the sauces. Finally, add the basil or mint and stir for about 30 seconds or until wilted.
Serve over white rice.
On Saturday, I tried to think of something that would be easy to make for a group but special enough for company, and after flipping through several cookbooks for inspiration, I decided on a pork ragu. I used a mixture of ground pork and sausage because I was pressed for time (it still took 2 1/2 hours), but if you have 4 hours or so, you could make this with pork shoulder. The long simmering time is what allows it to really develop its flavor, so try not to take too many shortcuts!
Pork Ragu
1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 oz can of tomato paste
1 c red wine (I used primitivo)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
10 sprigs of thyme, tied into a bundle with butcher’s twine
kosher salt
Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and stir to coat with oil. Season with salt. Allow the vegetables to really brown, then stir and allow to brown again. Repeat 2-3 times.
Add the tomato paste the the pot and stir to coat the vegetables in tomato paste. Allow the tomato paste to brown for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. Add the wine, stir, and allow to reduce by half.
Add the sausage and ground pork. Break up the pork with a wooden spoon, and begin to brown the pork. (It will be hard to tell because it will be covered in wine and tomatoes at this point, but give it 10 to 15 minutes to cook.)
Add the can of crushed tomatoes, then fill the can halfway with water, and pour into the pot. (This helps you to include any remaining tomato from the can in your sauce.) Add the paprika, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir, taste, and add additional salt if necessary.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 – 3 hours, depending how much time you have. Every 15 minutes, stir, taste, and add water if necessary. Season again if desired.
Server with parmesan over plain spaghetti, or make buttered egg noodles with herbs (see below). I highly recommend the egg noodle option!
Egg Noodles with Herbs
(From Tori Ritchie’s Braises and Stews)
12 oz egg noodles
1 c Italian parsley, chopped
2 T chives, finely chopped
1/2 c basil, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
Prepare the egg noodles according to the directions on the package. Remove from the pot and drain.
Add the butter and oil to the empty still-hot pot. The residual heat will melt the butter. Add the drained noodles back to the pot and toss. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with parsley, chives, and basil.
I love chicken salad. In addition to soup, it’s my favorite way to use plain leftover (roasted, grilled, poached) chicken.
Today I decided to make a simple salad. I lightened traditional chicken salad by adding lots of vegetables and making a dressing out of lemon juice and olive oil. I stilled used a little bit of mayo for flavor.
Chicken Salad with Almonds, Apples, and Dried Cranberries
2 cups of diced chicken
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 apple, chopped
handful of dried cranberries
handful of slivered almonds
juice of 1 lemon
2 T olive oil
3 T mayo
kosher salt
black pepper
spinach
Combine the chicken, celery, apple, cranberries, and almonds in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
In a smaller bowl, combine the lemon, olive oil, and mayo. Pour the dressing over the dry ingredients, and gently combine.
Serve over a bed of spinach leaves or make a sandwich–I made one for Paco with roasted red peppers and avocado. Enjoy!
The problem with baking french fries is that they never get crispy enough. When I saw Melissa d’Arabian make them on her show, she added a little bit of sugar to help them brown. I also pre-soaked the fries in ice water to remove some of the extra starch. The end result was crispy and quite delicious.
Crispy Oven Fries
(Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian)
2 russet potatoes, sliced into french fry shapes
2 T vegetable oil
kosher salt
pinch cayenne
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
Place the potatoes into a large bowl, then cover with ice water. Allow to soak for 2 hours. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Toss the potatoes with oil, salt, sugar, cayenne, and chili powder. Spread into a single layer on the baking sheet, then bake for approximately 40 minutes or until crisp, turning them over after 25 minutes.
Tiny Perfect Bites 