Chicken Archives • Mushroompride

Soy Sauce Chicken – Delishar

The girls walked in after running amok at the playground and asked if I’m making chicken and rice. They then announced very loudly that they are hungry and can’t wait to have dinner. The excitement and smile on their faces, told me that dinner is not going to be a broken record of me saying, “Sit down and finish your food!”. True enough, dinner was a breeze, even on the next day! I reserved the sauce to season the egg noodles, blanched some xiao bai cai, and heated some left over soy sauce chicken. Lunch was served in 5 minutes, and the girls asked for 2nd servings.

I served this soy sauce chicken with rice cooker chicken rice, omitting the chicken pieces used in that recipe of course. The husband was grinning from ear to ear when I served this up. I vividly remember him wolfing down his dinner while mumbling to himself, “So good, so good…”. Yes, this dish earn me another one of his ‘That was a great meal’ kiss. And he even ‘liked’ the soy sauce chicken picture I posted on my facebook! That’s like a double confirm yummers!

soy sauce chicken 3

The recipe is easy to follow, and the prep time is minimal. Clean up was a breeze too as it only requires one pot. I used my trusty 26cm Le Creuset French oven to help me cook this gorgeous bird. If there is only one piece of cookware you need to own, it will be Le Creuset French oven. It truly is a multi-purpose pot, frying, stir-frying, slow cooking, searing, braising, steaming, or baking. You name it, it does it all. The black phenolic lid knobs on the enamelled cast iron are heat-resistant up to 480°F / 250°C.

Cast iron can be used reliably on any heat source, from your stovetop to the oven or even on the grill. It retain heat so efficiently, that it allows for use of lower heat settings on your stovetop and oven cooking. Always use medium to low heat when cooking with cast iron. Use high heat only when boiling or reducing consistency of stock and sauces.

Because cast iron retains heat so well, be sure to allow hot pan to cool for a few minutes before washing. Plunging a hot pan into cold water may cause thermal shock, and may result in cracking or loss of enamel. Never use scourers or abrasive cleaners on the enamel. To remove stubborn food residues, fill the pan with warm water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes before washing.

Soy Sauce Chicken Process

Soy Sauce Chicken

Sharon of Delishar

1.5-2 kg whole chicken cleaned
2 tsp oil
8 slices of old ginger
6 cloves garlic smashed
2 stalks scallions chop into 2 inch pieces
3 star anise
1 1/4 cup Shao Xing wine
1 1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 cups water

Heat oil in dutch oven.
Saute garlic, scallion, ginger, and star anise until fragrant.
Add salt, light soy, dark soy, wine, sugar, and water.
Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add chicken into the simmering liquid, making sure cavity is filled with cooking liquid.
Bring to boil, and lower heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes.
Periodically baste the exposed area with cooking liquid, if the whole chicken is not submerged.
Remove from heat and allow chicken to rest in the liquid for 15 minutes before serving.
Baste the chicken occasionally with the sauce in the pot.
This will keep the skin moist as it cools.

The remaining sauce goes great over steamed rice or as a sauce base for egg noodles.
Adapted from thewoksoflife

Soy Sauce Chicken 2

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Thai Chicken Curry Noodles – Delishar

Recently, the husband took me to a modern Thai restaurant for our lunch date. I looked through the menu and decided on stepping out of my comfort zone by ordering something new. I had no idea what I will be getting when I ordered the Chiang Mai Noodles. But hey, I have never had bad Thai food before! Excluding those from the USA taste like nothing, and adds almost a can full of bamboo in each dish.

I was pleasantly surprised when the waitress served up a piping hot bowl of thick Thai chicken curry noodles. Hot, spicy, lemak, and chicken that falls off the bone! So delicious, I wished it came in a bigger serving. Although quite honestly, I was already full to the brim.

So as I was planning what to make for dinner after my helper thawed out the chicken mid wings; I thought of making my version of Chiang Mai Noodles. A one pot meal in my Le Creuset French oven of course! Do you know the difference between a Dutch oven and a French oven? A traditional Dutch oven is made fully of cast iron, and a French oven is a Dutch oven coated with enamel. This serves as a protective layer for the bare cast iron from rusting and creates a non-stick surface. The enamel coating also means that there is no need to season the pan after each use, and before storage. Cooking acidic food will not be a problem, unlike bare cast iron where the acid may strip the seasoning on the pan, and result in dis-colouration and metallic-tasting food. Another reason to love my Le Creuset French Oven even more!

Everything was cooked in the French oven. The rice sticks were cooked in the curry broth, soaking up every ounce of that spicy elixir. The chicken was cooked until it was fall off the bone tender. Just writing up this recipe post is making my mouth water so badly! I guess that’s the disadvantage of being a cooking blogger. I practically look at food all day. From researching recipes, impulsively ~~browsing~~ buying recipe books, documenting my recipes, and updating this cooking blog. I am always hungry. So let’s get cooking, shall we?

Don’t forget to participate in the current giveaway!! 5 pairs of Each-a-Cup drink vouchers to giveaway! Click HERE for details!

thai chicken curry process

Thai Chicken Curry Noodles

Sharon of Delishar

9 chicken mid wings
4 tbsp thai red curry paste or to taste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 russet potato 1 inch cubes
3 servings of dried rice sticks pad Thai noodles
1 lemongrass bruised
4 slices of galangal / blue ginger
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 tbsp oil optional if your curry paste already has oil
Fish sauce to taste
Handful of bean sprouts
Lime wedge and cilantro to garnish

Heat pan on medium with curry paste, garlic, galangal, and lemongrass.
Saute for a minute until fragrant.
Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth, then bring to boil over medium-high.
Lower heat to medium low and add chicken.
Cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, then add potato cubes.
Cook for about 10 minutes, and add rice noodle stick.
Allow to cook for 7-10 minutes until noodles are soft but not over cooked, and potatoes tender.
Stir constantly to avoid sticking at the base.
Season with fish sauce to taste.
Serve garnished with bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro.

This recipe was made in my trusty 26cm Le Creuset French oven.
I like my bean sprouts raw for the crunch, plus the hot curry will help cook it when stirred in.
You can blanch it if you prefer it cooked.

thai chicken curry 5

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Japanese Curry Fried Rice with Chicken Katsu – Delishar

The husband is a big fan of Japanese curry. I mean, who isn’t? That distinctly rich, thick, and mildly spicy curry with a hint of cocoa. Sooooooooooo good, and so simple to make! This dish was inspired by Pepper Lunch. That delicious sizzling Japanese cast iron hot plate meal. My go to is always the curry beef rice with cheese. Darn, my tummy is growling again!

Anyway, with that in mind, I added the Japanese curry roux to my fried rice. Then jazzed it up a little more with more curry powder, and cocoa powder. Yes, cocoa powder. For a richer, deeper flavour, and colour too. Do you know that Japanese curry has cocoa powder added to give you that rich colour? So why not a little more? 🙂

I used a mix of cornflakes and panko for my breading to make it extra crispy. But you can also just all panko to safe some time from crushing the cornflakes. Which I find extremely therapeutic when I’m feeling stressed! Almost like popping bubble wrap. 😀

Check out my other recipes using Japanese Curry: Baked Curry Katsu Don, Japanese Curry Beef Baked Rice.

Don’t forget to participate in the current giveaway!! 5 pairs of Each-a-Cup drink vouchers to giveaway! Click HERE for details!

Chicken Katsu Process

Curry Fried Rice Process

Japanese Curry Fried Rice with Chicken Katsu

Sharon of Delishar

Japanese Curry Fried Rice

2 cubes of curry roux melted
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 cups cooked rice preferably cooked a day before
3/4 cup frozen mixed vegetable thawed
1/2 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil

Chicken Katsu

3 chicken breast butterflied
1 large egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve

3 eggs
1/4 cup Japanese mayo
1-2 tsp wasabi or to taste

Japanese Curry Fried Rice

Heat curry roux in microwave for 40 seconds to melt.
Heat pan on medium high, and add 2 tbsp oil.
Saute onion until soften, then add garlic, and mixed vegetable.
Add rice and use a spatula to break up the clumps.
Sprinkle the cocoa powder and curry powder.
Add in the curry roux.
Mixed until combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.

Chicken Katsu

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a plate, mix cornflake and panko together.
Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg.
Coat chicken with panko and cornflake mix.
Heat pan on medium high, add oil.
When oil is hot, shallow fry chicken until golden on both sides. (about 3 minutes)

Curry Katsu

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Crispy Skillet Roast Chicken – Delishar

Two days ago, I posted a recipe of One Pot Spinach and Tomato Pasta on my cooking blog. I served that together with this super easy crispy skin chicken. When I said easy, I mean really easy. It only requires 4 ingredients. Salt, pepper, butter, and chicken (duh!).

When I took the chicken out of the oven, it got the husband very excited. Well, to be honest, it got be excited too! The hardest part of this recipe is the waiting time. Not waiting for it to be cooked, but waiting for the chicken to rest so that it’s juices distributes evenly. Searing the chicken skin keeps the chicken moist while it continue to cook in the oven. I regretted not taking a picture of the chicken when I carved into it. But if you make it, you’d understand why. We were way too excited (and hungry) for another picture.

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Wash up was so easy, all thanks to my 26 cm Le Creuset Skillet. Psst, Le Creuset is currently having some awesome promotions on their cookware! Because everything was done in the skillet, from searing the chicken, to roasting, and even serving. I only had that very few things to clean up that evening.

The whole family thoroughly enjoyed our dinner that night. Efficient cooking and lesser dishes to wash, means that I get to spend more quality time with the husband and girls! We cuddled up on the couch for a little TV time that evening before retiring for the night. Every night should be so simple, blissful, and blessed! Surrounded by love ones, and good food. It is the simple pleasures like this that makes me smile. Do you feel the same too?

Skillet Roast Chicken Process

Skillet Crispy Roast Chicken

Delishar

1.6 kg whole chicken cleaned
1/4 cup melted butter
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 190C
Rinse and pat dry chicken with kitchen towel.
Brush on melted butter all over the chicken.
Liberally season with salt and pepper.
Heat pan on medium to medium high, then brush on remaining butter to grease pan.
Sear chicken on all sides, about 3-4 minutes each side.
Place chicken, breast side up on skillet.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until juices runs clear. (Mine was done at 1 hour)
To be safe, the thickest part of the thigh should reads 74C when probed with an instant read thermometer.
Allow to rest for 15 minutes, tented with foil before carving.

Truss the chicken if you prefer. 🙂

Skillet Roast Chicken

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Creamy Chicken Corn Bacon Pasta – Delishar

Sunday is always a very busy time for me. The kids will be running amok after their Sunday enrichment class, refusing their naps after lunch (don’t kids ever get tired?!), the helper out of her well deserved day off, and the husband also running amok on the baseball field training for his next game. On top of all that going on, I will still make Sunday dinner almost every weekend. So I’ve resorted to efficient cooking all in one pot. So when I searched through the fridge, I saw chicken thighs and my carton of milk. So I got inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk, and improvised to make this one pot dinner.

One pot meals like this means that I will only have minimal dishes to wash. However, after having made quite a few one pot pasta, I realised that they all kind of ends up in the same texture. That is probably because everything was cooked at the same time, in the same pot, for the same amount of time. So staggering the time to add the ingredients will make a difference. And of course playing with the natural texture of the ingredients itself.

Searing the chicken gives the chicken a different texture, colour, and appearance as compared to just cutting it up and putting it all into the pasta at the start. Crumbling the bacon bits just before serving ensures that it gives the meal a smoky, savoury, crispy crunch. Then when you bite into the corn kernels, the sweetness just burst into action balancing out the saltiness of the bacon, chicken, and pasta.

4 One pot Creamy Chicken noodle

I really liked the fact that no heavy cream was used to make this meal. The low-fat milk reduced to a cream like sauce that coats each individual pasta beautifully. And the pasta took in all the goodness of the chicken, and seasoning. The husband came back from his baseball practice just when dinner was served. He took his first bite and said, “Wow, is there some more where this came from?”. Even before he finished his plate, he was already planning for second serving. The girls were a little dubious with the new dinner served, as usual. But very quickly and readily exclaimed that they liked it and wants me to make it again. Another one pot winner in our book!

In celebration of Le Creuset‘s 90th anniversary, I am hosting a 5 pcs Le Creuset Skillet Bundle giveaway worth $572! Stand a chance to win the bundle that includes:

1 Skillet 26cm in Dijon Yellow
1 Spatula medium in Caribbean Blue
1 Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean Blue
1 Bowl in Dijon Yellow
1 Bowl in Caribbean Blue

To take part in this giveaway, simply complete the rafflecopter at the end of the post. This giveaway is made possible by the good people at Le Creuset.

One pot Creamy Chicken Corn Bacon Pasta Process

Creamy Chicken Corn Bacon Pasta

Delishar

4-6 Chicken Thighs
4 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 head of garlic separated & unpeeled
120 g uncooked spiral pasta
1 3/4 to 2 cups milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 sprig rosemary
1 cup frozen corn
Zest of a lemon
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges to serve
Baby arugula to serve

Rinse and pat dry chicken.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
In your French oven, sear chicken with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil.
About 4 minutes on the skin side then 4 minutes on the other.
Then set aside, and use a paper towel to absorb grease.
Add bacon, cook until fat renders and crisp.
Remove and set aside for use later.
Add onion, and garlic.
Saute until onion is soft.
Add pasta, rosemary, milk, bouillon cube, corn, and lemon zest.
Season with salt and pepper, then stir.
Place chicken on top of pasta, skin side up.
Bring to boil, cover, and allow to cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat or until chicken and pasta are done.
Crumble bacon on top of pasta, and serve immediately with baby arugula.

2 One pot Creamy Chicken Corn Bacon Pasta

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8). Giveaway bundle includes: Skillet 26cm in Dijon yellow x 1, Spatula medium in Caribbean x 1, Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean x 1, Bowl in Dijon x 1, Bowl in Caribbean x 1. The winner will be selected by random.org and will contacted by email. The winner will need to respond within 48 hours. If there is no response from the winner after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. The winner will need to self-collect the prize at Le Creuset’s office; therefore, it is open to Singapore entrants only.

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One Pot Chicken Mushroom Pasta – Delishar

It is one pot meals like this one that makes life’s demands much more manageable. As much as I want to cook up a feast on most days, there are days where there seems to be absolutely no time to even take a short break. Let alone preparing, cooking, then cleaning up after the whole family. And such days usually falls on a Sunday.

Sunday is the day the husband goes for his softball game, it is also the day that my helper goes on her well-deserved day off. The kids has a short 1.5 hour phonic class in the morning, so I usually drop them off, then go to the supermarket to buy stuff I need for lunch and dinner. Get back home, get lunch ready, and I have to rush off to go buy fresh pressed juice for the girls before picking them up. Once home, we have lunch, clean up, and I’ll have to keep them busy with some activities for a while before getting them ready for naps.

Most of the time it’s a “get back to your room and nap!” or “Mummy, I just want to sleep with my eyes open.” or the girls will be driving each other up the wall and I have to step in to break up fights. In between that, if I’m lucky I get some work in. If not I’ll be cleaning up closets/hidden areas where my helper chucks stuff away or clean up nooks and crannies covered in dust, settling bills, mails etc. Then in no time at all, prepare dinner. If you don’t know yet, we eat dinner very early. Sometime between 4.30pm to 5pm. Plus the husband will be back around 4pm and usually famished. However, as much as I am kept very busy on Sunday, I love that I get to spend quality alone time with my kids. And for that, I will not trade anything for. 🙂

Chicken Mushroom One Pot Pasta 1

So such a meal is really a life-saver! Again, no heavy cream was used to get the creamy consistency of the pasta sauce. The low-fat milk reduces beautifully and coats each pasta nicely. By using low fat milk instead of heavy or double cream, it reduces the calorie and fat intake, making this meal a healthier alternative. Here’s a little peek into what I saw when I removed my cover. Dinner was ready in no time at all, with effort close to none. Haha! It was so easy, I almost felt guilty and a little embarrassed for serving it to the family. But when I hear the “Mmmm”, “Yummm”, and “Ahhh” coming from the kids and the husband. I knew this is another one pot winner!

Chicken Mushroom One Pot Pasta Process

One Pot Chicken Mushroom Pasta (Serves 4)

200g spiral pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breast, cubed
2 cups baby spinach
1 chicken bullion cube
125g button mushrooms, sliced
650ml milk
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat pot, then when it’s hot, add oil.
Saute chicken for a minute then add onion.
Continue to cook until onion is soft, then add garlic, and mushrooms.
Saute for another minute and add pasta.
Pour in milk, add bullion cube, and give it a stir.
Remember to scrap the bottom of the pan to release all that flavourful goodness!
Bring to boil, give it another stir.
Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 6-7 minutes.
Add spinach, give it a stir, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Or until spinach has wilted and pasta cooked through.
Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve immediately.

PS. Not sure why my Recipe Card isn’t working. I’m sorting it out with the support team. Meanwhile, you can still use the print button at the end of this post to customise printing. 🙂

Chicken Mushroom One Pot Pasta 3

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Garlic Lemongrass Chicken Wings – Delishar

Whenever I see chicken wings on the menu, it’s hard for me not to order it. And whenever I serve chicken wings on the dinner table, I see smiles. This garlic lemongrass chicken wings are sweet, salty, and coated with aromatic spices. No wonder it won the hearts of those who have tried it. I was sold just by looking at the ingredient list, and learning how easy it was to make it.

Garlic Lemongrass Wings 4

I made mine without chilli pepper only because I was making it with the kids in mind too. It was delicious no-less, but would be even more yummy with some chilli padi! The husband and I were fighting for the last piece of wing. Both of us came to conclusion that I should have made a double batch. Oh well, now we know better to make a double batch the next time I make this.

Here are some of my other chicken wings recipes:

Cola & Ginger Braised Chicken Wings
Crispy Baked Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Baked Crispy Sambal Chicken Wings
Braised Honey Chicken Wings
Lemongrass Honey Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Power Sticky Wings

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Garlic Lemongrass Chicken Wings

Marinade

2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp 5 spice powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
8-10 chicken wings

Seasoning

2 cloves garlic minced
1 chilli padi sliced (optional or to taste)
1 lemongrass sliced thinly
1 shallot sliced thinly
1 tbsp oil

Garnish

Chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

Marinate chicken in all the ingredients stated in marinade for 1-24 hours.
Preheat oven to 190C.
Lay chicken wings on greased baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
In hot frying pan, add oil.
Then saute garlic, lemongrass, and shallot until fragrant.
Then toss baked chicken to coat.
Remove from heat, garnish with chopped cilantro.
And serve immediately.

Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook

Garlic Lemongrass Wings 2

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Caramel Chicken Wraps with Asian Slaw – Delishar

Mission Foods wraps has been a staple in our family. I’ve used it to wrap taco beef, layer tex-mex casseroles, quesadilla, and our favourite Cheesy Enchiladas with Mole Sauce. The kids love to use it to wrap up cucumber sticks, lettuces, and shredded carrot. I’ve tried other brands of wraps but nothing came close to what Mission wraps had to offer. In the end, it was always Mission Foods wraps that won my heart and taste-buds over and again.

I started enjoying Mission’s product when I was dating my husband. He was the one who introduced it to me, when he made me guacamole from scratch (for the first and last time) and served it with tortilla chips. I was blown away by how tasty this healthier corn chips were. And when I was pregnant, I pretty much lived on their wraps. I’ll wrap myself a shredded chicken wrap with loads of mixed salad, then dress with balsamic vinaigrette, and pack that for lunch. Since then, I’ve tried almost all their products, from wraps, to chip, to naan, and none of them disappoint.

Caramel Chicken Wrap 6

Usually, we will associate wraps with Mexican food, but there’s no limits to what you can do with the wraps! So it got me really excited, when I was approached to created an Asian inspired wrap using their new healthy Mission 6 Grain Wraps. Mission 6-Grain wrap contains a combination of six different grains which gives the wrap an all-rounded profile with a slight nutty taste that is not overpowering. The wrap features superfood combination of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, oats, rye, linseeds and wholemeal brans. The Mission 6-Grain wrap is the wrap of choice for those seeking healthier alternatives to regular white bread or rice.

My first instinct was Thai, of course. Like a shrimp mango wrap, or Thai beef salad wrap. But on my list to try for the longest time was the Vietnamese Caramel Chicken. Didn’t take me long to convince myself to make this actual dish instead. Made some Vietnamese inspired slaw with refreshing mint to accompany. Because we always needed a bed of crunchy vegetable to lay the protein on. 🙂

The girls took to the wraps instantly, and has been asking for it everyday now. They love picking on the seeds embedded on the wrap itself. I’ve been given them the wraps cut up into little pieces, instead of crackers. I can see why they like it. It’s tasty, the wraps are not dry, has a slightly chewy bread like texture, and I love that the seeds gives it a little more bite. I think this is going to be the family’s new favourite wrap.

Caramel Chicken Wrap 1

Caramel Chicken Wraps with Asian Slaw

Delishar

Caramel Chicken

350 g – 400g chicken fillet
1 shallot diced
2 garlic minced
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp of water
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp oil divided

Asian Slaw

1 tsp sriracha sauce or to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp grated ginger
4 tsp white sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 small carrot shredded
3-4 cups napa cabbage thinly sliced
3 tbsp fresh mint chopped
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
black pepper to taste

To assemble

2 to 4 Mission 6 Grain Wraps
Asian Slaw
Romaine lettuce
Cilantro
Lime wedge
Sriracha Sauce optional

Caramel Chicken

Heat pan, and add 1 tbsp oil.
Brown/sear chicken on both sides, then remove from pan.
Don’t worry that the chicken is not fully cooked, we will return to pan again.
Add the other 1 tbsp oil, and saute onion & garlic until fragrant.
Then add chicken back in the pan.
Add dark soy, sugar, water, and fish sauce.
Cook until sugar is melted, chicken cooked, and sauce reduced.
Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

Asian Slaw

Mix sriracha, garlic, ginger, vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar together.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
In a bowl, add cabbage, carrot, onion, and mint.
Pour prepared dressing over, then toss to coat.
You can make this a day before and leave it to marinate in the chiller.

To assemble

Set wraps on a microwave safe plate, cover with kitchen towel and sprinkle some water on top.
This will keep it from drying out, and heating it makes it more pliable.
Heat on high on 10 seconds blast until warm, and soft.
Place lettuce on top, then Asian slaw, and top with caramel chicken.
Finish with caramel sauce or sriracha if desired.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve with a wedge of lime.

Disclaimer: While this post was made possible by Mission Foods, all opinions are purely of my own.

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Watercress Chicken Soup – Delishar

The haze situation in Singapore has been driving me up the wall. I’m not a very outdoorsy person, but always having to stay indoors is giving me the cabin fever. Plus there’s only so much you can do indoors with the kids. They need the great outdoors / playground / pool to tire them out! lol!

We have been keeping the windows closed, and A/C turned on. When my electric bill comes, remind me not to look at it. The haze has also generously gifted us with some unwanted presents. I just got over a pretty bad fever lung infection, the kids and husband have been coughing on and off. Mostly Melody because her airways has been quite sensitive since she was a baby.

That prompted me to make chicken soup for the family. But not the western soup, but one that the Chinese is familiar with. Why watercress chicken soup? Because it’s good for the lungs, nutritious, and delicious of course! You’ll get a whole lot of vitamin A, calcium, sulphur, and chlorophyll from watercress, and protein from the chicken. Traditional Chinese Medicine believe that Watercress can help clear phlegm caused by heatiness of the body. Watercress is also diuretic, clearing facial blemishes and improves night vision. It nourishes you and at the same time helps cleanse and detoxify your lungs. Just what we need for the haze conditions! Oh, this soup will be great for people who smokes, or 2nd hand smokers too.

Here are some other healthy chicken soup recipes that I’ve shared a while ago: Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho Ga), Lemongrass Ginger Chicken Macaroni Soup, and Grill Chicken on Ginger Miso Soba.

Watercress Chicken Soup Process

Watercress Chicken Soup

Delishar

Bunch/bundle of watercress
3 chicken leg
6 dried dates
1 1/2 tbsp wolfberries
1 msg-free chicken bullion cube
4 cloves garlic peeled
6 cups water
salt to taste

Add everything except watercress into a pot.
Bring to boil, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove scum from top of the broth.
Add watercress, and turn up heat, and bring to boil again.
Lower heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 45 minutes.
Season with salt to taste, if needed.

1 watercress chicken soup

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Baked Tom Yum Chicken Legs – Delishar

I love my Tom Yum. Whether it’s in the from of Fried Tom Yum Spaghetti, Baked Tom Yum Crispy Wings, Tom Yum Hor Fun, Tom Yum Chicken Pizza, Tom Yum Fried Rice, or regular Tom Yum Goong. Basically, anything I can Tom Yum with I will. I mean, the flavours of the Tom Yum is so robust, it’s almost impossible not to love. Well, unlike you are one who doesn’t take spicy food. But you sure is missing out on some good stuff!

This recipe is so easy that I’m almost embarrass to share it. However, because of it’s simplicity, it’s a waste not to! The recipe needs only 2 ingredients! Well, 3 if you consider a splash of water to thin out the paste. I use Holly Farm tom yum paste. You can get it at NTUC or Cold Storage, picture attached. Or use your preferred tom yum paste. If you are a purist, then make your paste from scratch. 🙂

After baking the chicken legs, I decided to shred it up, and serve it in a wrap. As I had quite a few Mission 6 grain wraps in my chiller, since my last Caramel Chicken Wraps. Plus I had some napa cabbage that I need to use. So what I did was chop the napa cabbage up, harvest from home grown basil leaves, coriander leaves, and ribbon a carrot using my veggie peeler. I served my wraps with a light drizzle of mayo, then sriracha, and finally a spritz of zesty lime juice. It was so good! So simple, but so freaking satisfyingly good!!

Tom Yum Chicken Wrap 2

Baked Tom Yum Chicken Legs

2 chicken legs
2 tbsp tom yum paste I used Hollyfarms
splash of hot water

Mix tom yum paste with a splash of hot water to thin out consistency.
Rub the marinade all over the chicken legs.
Place chicken legs in remaining marinade, then allow to marinate for 1 hour to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Place marinated chicken leg on greased non-stick baking pan.
Give it a light spray of cooking oil. (optional)
Bake for 30-40minutes or until done.
Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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