Teriyaki Dinner (with homemade teriyaki sauce)

After searching for a clean teriyaki sauce for a year, I've realized that there just wasn't one.

From my cookbook library, I found a teriyaki sauce in Japanese Cooking. The teriyaki sauce recipe includes soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock, and mirin. When I tested this recipe, I didn't have chicken stock or mirin on hand. But I went ahead and tested it with only two ingredients: soy sauce and light brown sugar.

How did teriyaki sauce turn out? Well, so good that I promised myself to blog about it. Hey, that's what I'm doing now. The teriyaki sauce has a perfect balance of sweet and salty. The liquid is thick and caramel like texture.

My kids luv to eat at the local Japanese grill. Since we don't eat out much, I want to see if I can make their teriyaki meals: chicken and shrimp teriyaki serve with steamed veggies and rice. So I went at it, using my homemade teriyaki sauce. The teriyaki dinner was additive. In fact, it's been my go-to, last minute dinner plan.

Because GMO has been found in soy beans, be sure to use organic soy sauce. The amount serving of teriyaki sauce and teriyaki dinner is really up to you. I usually buy bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. I save the bones and skins to make udon noodle soup or chicken broth. It's also helpful to grill more than enough chickens or shrimps because I can always save them for the next day lunch.

To make the perfect fried rice, make sure the steamed rice is cooled and dried in the fridge overnight. I usually freeze cooked Jasmin rice for future fried rice. Add over easy or scrambled eggs and I have another easy meal.
 

Teriyaki Sauce

inspired by Japanese Cooking's Teriyaki Sauce
 

1 part of organic soy sauce

1 part of light brown sugar

(i.e. 1 cup of organic soy sauce to 1 cup of light brown sugar) 

1. Place both ingredients in a small sauce pan.
2. Bring it to a boil, until the sugar is melted, about 2 minutes.

STORING: Place the teriyaki sauce in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 months. Microwave the sauce for about 10 seconds to soften it.
 

 

Teriyaki Dinner

 

safflower or any cooking oil

chicken thighs, skinned and boned

shrimps, peeled and deveined

streamed rice, cooled and dried overnight 

1. Heat the grilled pan on a medium heat.
2. Brush or spray the chickens and shrimps with oil.
3. Grill the chicken and shrimps, until they are longer pink.
4. Slice the chickens or shrimps if desired.
5. Place the teriyaki sauce in the frying pan.
6. Heat the sauce over a medium-low heat until it is bubbling.
7. Turn off the heat and place the chickens and shrimps over the sauce.
8. Coat well and serve with steamed rice.
9. To make fried rice, place oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat.
10. Place the rice in the pan. TIP: Add any diced vegetable, such as carrots, at this time.
11. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce over the rice.
12. Stir to coat the rice with the sauce.
13. Let the rice heat up thoroughly. TIP: Be sure to scrape off the rice at the bottom of the frying pan. That is my favorite part of fried rice.
14. Serve with grilled chickens or shrimps. Enjoy!!! TIP: My kids luv to eat fried rice with soft egg, a great brunch alternative.

STORING: If you happen to have a leftover, keep the teriyaki dinner in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

 

Allergy Info: This teriyaki sauce is free from or can make without dairy, eggs, corn, nuts, and fish. Use gluten free soy sauce if you are sensitive to gluten. For teriyaki dinner, use proteins that best fit your allergy free diet.

Udon Chicken Noodle Soup

When my aunts came for a week of visit two months ago, I was picking their brains about Asian cooking. Most of the time, my Asian meals are really plain... something kids friendly. When my aunts cooked us the Vietnamese noodle soup (or Pho), I was super impressed with the flavor. Then Na Lek told me that I can even add udon noodles to make it into a thick noodle soup. Then it darned on me that the thick soup was my favorite breakfast when I was young. Yes, I actually ate soup for breakfast.

During the coldest week in the Autumn, I decided to test the udon noodle soup. I read many recipes to check and see the timing of cooking chicken thighs. After that, I tested the recipe by simply starting with the chicken broth.

I cooked the udon noodles before but not this way. I also made La Naa (a Thai noodle dish) many times before, so I adapted the same techniques. When I served my kids the soup, their reaction was "I can eat this every day." YES!!! But I decided to tweak the recipe to add more proteins. Instead of using tapioca starch, I added egg yolks. The soup came out very creamy and thick, perfect for wintery day.

NOTE: When buying fresh, frozen, or dried udon noodles, look for the ones that are made with either wheat or gluten free flour with water and salt. There shouldn't really be other ingredients added. Some udon noodles don't even have salt added which is a big plus if you are cutting down on sodium.

Udon Chicken Noodle Soup
serve 4-6

6 cups water
3 pieces of chicken thighs (skin and bones in)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4-6 serving of udon noodles
3 Tablespoon tapioca starch or 2-3 egg yolks
Fish sauce to taste
Garnish: fried eggs, chopped cilantro, chopped spring onions, fried garlic, fried peppers or hot sauce

1.  In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
2. Add chicken thighs, salt, black pepper, and ginger.
3. Bring the water to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Take out about 1/2 cup of the broth and set aside the chicken thighs.
5. Add the udon noodles and cook them according to the direction on the package.
   NOTE: Thaw the noodles in the boiling broth. After the noodles are cooked, cut them into an inch long. If the noodles are fresh or dry, cut or break them into an inch long before adding them into the broth.
6. While the noodles are cooking, shred the chicken thighs, discarding the skins and bones.
7. Follow these instructions if using tapioca starch.
   a. Whisk the tapioca into the reserved cool broth. Set aside.
   b. Once the noodles are cooked, add the tapioca broth into the boiling soup.
   c. Proceed to Step 9.
8. Follow these instructions if using egg yolks.
   a. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk them. Set aside.
   b. Once the noodles are cooked, slowly add the hot broth into the egg yolks while whisking. NOTE: This technique is called tempering the egg yolks. The egg yolks are cooked slowly and become creamy and not scrambled.
   c. Add the egg yolk broth into the boiling soup.
   d. Proceed to Step 9.
9. Place the shredded chickens back into the broth.
10. Bring the broth into a gentle boil. Then turn off the heat.
11. Add fish sauce to taste.
12. Spoon the soup into a single serving bowl. Garnish if desired. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep the udon chicken noodle soup in a container in a fridge for up to 3 days. Warm the soup in a microwave or on a stove top. If the soup is too thick, add a little bit of chicken broth or water to dilute.

Allergy Info: This udon chicken noodle soup is free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), and nuts. If you are allergic to fish, omit the fish sauce and add sea salt instead. For gluten free diet, be sure to use gluten free noodles. If you are allergic to eggs, thicken the soup with tapioca flour instead of egg yolks.

Chicken Broth

Seriously, the only chicken broth I knew of was from the prepackaged carton. I didn't know how I was living without store bought chicken broth. Until... you guess it... Camden's allergy free diet. I couldn't eat anything without making it myself. Chicken broth quickly went on my to-cook list because I couldn't live without a piping hot noodle soup (Pho).

At first I wasn't sure how to go about making the chicken broth. After searching online, I realize that chicken broth was pretty much chicken bones simmer in boiling water for hours. I didn't have time to slave in the kitchen. With baby Camden to care for and homeschooling Brek, I didn't want to spend another minute in the kitchen if I didn't have to.

So I came up with a plan and put my BFF (a.k.a. my slow cooker) to work. It was a perfect solution to not having to slave in the kitchen. No need to check it. Just let my BFF did all the work. Turned it on in the morning, and chicken broth was ready by dinnertime.

The chicken broth freezes well too. I'd make them in advance, let it cool down overnight in the fridge, skim out the fats, then freeze it up. I even freeze it in ice cube tray to add it to my sauces.

I usually buy chicken thighs with bones and skins. The meat is use for another meals while the bones and skins are for the chicken broth. My BFF is a 5 quart slow cooker. This is my version of chicken broth. Feel free to add other flavors like onions and/or garlic. My kids and I prefer the broth simple with a hint of celery.

Chicken Broth
makes about 4-5 quarts

6 - 8 chicken thighs bones, fats, and skins
2-3 celery stalks
2-3 carrots
1-2 Tablespoons sea salt
1-2 teaspoons ground black peppers
water

optional add-in: 1 small onion, 3 garlic cloves, a handful of cilantros, 1-inch peeled ginger, or star anise (great Pho flavor)

1. Place all of the ingredients, except water, in a 5 quarts slow cooker.
2. Add water, leaving about an inch from the rim.
3. Turn the slow cooker to a High setting.
4. Let it runs until the broth is bubbling, about 4-6 hours.
5. When ready, discard the chicken bones, fats, skins, and veggies.
6. The chicken broth is now ready for used or strain the broth into several containers. Let the broth cool down before putting it in the fridge. The next day, skim off the fats that are floated on the top.

STORING: This chicken broth keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Transfer the broth to several freezable plastic bags or in ice cube trays. It keeps frozen for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: This chicken broth is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, or fish.

Deep-Fried Chicken Wings

What is not to like about deep-fried food? Chicken wings, anyone? I usually baked the chicken wings, but Brek didn't like them. They weren't crunchy, and the skins were too chewy for him.

I decided to do a little homework on how to cook chicken wings better. I read cookbooks and watched cooking shows on how to deep-fry chickens. Not wings. Just the pieces of chickens. Then I decided to adapt the techniques to make my version of deep-fried chicken wings.

Can you say "WOW"? Brek devoured all the chicken wingetts, and Camden stuffed his tummy with all of the drumettes. I was a proud mommy. I luv seeing my kids eating homemade meals and really enjoying them.

What was the technique that I picked up from cookbooks and cooking shows? Really simple. Making sure the oil is at the right temperature, 375F degree. That's about it. Nothing fancy at all. The most common oil I noticed was either canola oil or peanut oil. I tested many types of oil for deep-frying and I fell in luv with the safflower oil. I personally don't like canola oil as it always leave that stinky after deep-frying smell. Just remember to use the oil with high smoke point.

I use heavy bottom pot to deep-fry the wings. If you have a deep-fryer, that would work very well. I have one, but I have to use too many bottles of oil in the fryer. Plus, it takes too much room on my kitchen counter top. Here's my frugal kitchen tip. I always deep-fry something sweets a few times on different days. Give these deep-fry sweets a try: palm sugar puffed rice, banana and apple fritters, or sesame seeds rice balls. After I use the oil to deep fry something sweet, I use the same oil to deep-fry something savory before I throw out the oil. Always thinking!!!

Feel free to make more wings. Since July 4th is just around the corner, why not make these chicken wings and enjoy the fireworks with a happy tummy. Let's get greasy and messy in the kitchen!!!

Deep-fried Chicken Wings
serves 2 to 3

12 chicken wings
oil for deep-frying

1. Preheat the oven to 225F degree.
2. Place the wiring rack inside the baking tray. Put them in the oven, getting ready to keep the wings warm.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy bottom pot. Attach a deep-fry thermometer, and add the oil, about 2 inches deep.
4. Heat the oil to 375F degree.
5. While the oil is heating up, cut the chicken wings into pieces: tips, wingettes, and drumettes.
6. Separate the wing parts into the same-size piles for an even cooking. TIP: Freeze the tips for future use, such as chicken broth.
7. Once the temperature reaches 375F degree, deep-fry the wing parts as followed: wingettes for 8 minutes and drumettes for 10 minutes. NOTE: Deep-fry a few wings at a time, about 7-8 pieces. The oil temperature will drop when the chicken wings are placed in the oil. Keep the oil temperature between 350F-375F degree.
8. Using a tong, take the wings out of the oil to a prepared wiring rack. Keep the cooked chicken wings warm in the oven. Continue to deep-fry the rest of the wings.
9. Enjoy them warm with the honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, or hot sauce. My kids actually enjoy them plain.

Allergy Info: These deep-fried chicken wings are free from or can be make without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, or fish.

Chicken Nuggets (3 ways)

When I saw the chicken nuggets recipe from Home Cooking In Montana blog, I couldn't wait to make a few for Brek. At that time, Camden was still allergic to dairy, chicken eggs, and corn, and he was still breastfeeding. So I was still on his strict allergy free diet. I also didn't eat out at all because there just wasn't anything that was corn free. I really missed eating chicken nuggets for lunch.

I tested the chicken nuggets recipe using quail eggs with all of the dairy and corn free ingredients. The chicken nuggets were easy to make and were very tasty, reminding me of the restaurant version. I tweaked the original recipe a bit by adding the ground black pepper and paprika but omit the ground celery seeds. But the nuggets were missing the crunch on the outer layers. I tried to make them with my homemade breadcrumbs, but the nuggets turned out soggy.

While searching for the new corn free products, I came  across Edward and Son's website. The allergy information on their site pointed out that the extra crispy Japanese-style crumbs was corn free. I wasn't sure if that statement was true because one of the ingredients was "yeast", a red flag for corn. I heard a lot about panko breadcrumbs on cooking shows, especially how crunchy they were when using them to deep-fried something savory. I bought a box anyway to test for its taste, texture, and Camden's corn tolerant to it.

I loved it. The crunch was exactly what I was trying to achieve. And Camden had no corn reaction to it. Keep in mind that Camden only had corn intolerant so please research this product before using. I started to subscribe Edward and Son's extra crispy Japanese-style crumbs from Amazon because buying more is a whole lot cheaper than buying one container at the Whole Foods.

Since I started the corn free diet, I stopped buying a package of ground meat. I was afraid of contamination. I make my own ground chicken like the way my mom used to make it when I was young. It's a work out but at least the ground chicken is clean and no funny business in it. All I do is slice the chicken breast into cubes. Then with a big knife (clever would work well), I run it back and forth on the meat. Basically, just keep going until the chicken is well minced. Ground chicken can also be made, using the food processor, but remember to not turn the chicken into paste. If that happens, no worries because now you have the main ingredient for the chicken lunch meat recipe.

I've made these chicken nuggets many times, and the original recipe makes about 30 nuggets. That's a lot of nuggets!!! Since I cooked the nuggets using panko breadcrumbs, they taste better after they are cooked. My recipe make just enough for my kids, and some days I even have leftover nuggets for the next day brunch. Feel free to double or triple my recipe.

Chicken Nuggets
adapted from Home Cooking in Montana's homemade chicken nuggets
serves 2, makes about 8-10 nuggets

Ground Chickens
8-10 oz ground chicken breasts (from 1-2 breasts)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg (or 5 quail eggs)

Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumb
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 large egg (or 5 quail eggs)
oil for pan frying

1. After the ground chicken is ready on the cutting board, sprinkle it with the salt, onion powder, ground black pepper, and paprika.
2. Fold the chicken over the spices and run a knife back and forth a few times until the spices are mixed in.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
4. Using your clean hand, mix the ground chicken meat into the egg.
5. Divide the ground chicken into 8 to 10 equal size meatballs by using a small scooper. Set aside.
6. On a plate, mix together the breadcrumbs, salt, and onion powder. Set aside.
7. Whisk the egg in a bowl until it is homogenized (no stringy egg visible).
8. Heat the frying pan at medium-low heat.
9. Add the oil, just enough to coat the whole pan. 
10. Dip each ground chicken meatball into the egg mixture, allowing excess egg mixture to drip back into the bowl.
11. Roll them in the breadcrumb mixture.
12. When the oil is heated, place the uncooked nuggets on the pan then quickly flatten it with a fork. NOTE: When cooking the nuggets, try to get them into the pan at the same time.
13. Cook the nuggets for 3 minutes.
14. Flip it over and cook for another 3 minutes.
15. Enjoy them warm with the honey mustard sauce. Any leftover nuggets can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm them up in the oven or microwave.

TIPS: When I am pressed for time (or just plain lazy to make ground chicken), I would make chicken strips instead. Just slice the chicken breasts into strips. I only need bread crumb mixture and a large egg. The cooking method is the same as making the nuggets, but the chicken strips cook about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of each strip.

Another cooking method is flatten the whole chicken breast so that it has the same thickness. Use the same cooking method as the chicken strips. However, the chicken breast can be a bit thick, so I usually cook it about 4-5 minutes per side. See, one recipe and three ways to make delish chicken.

Allergy Info: These chicken nuggets are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish. I've made these nuggets without the eggs by coating the ground chicken right into the breadcrumb mixture, and they came out as delicious and crunchy. If eggs aren't used, then these nuggets are also egg free. For gluten free, use gluten free breadcrumbs.

Chicken Lunch Meat

The hardest part of being on a food allergy diet was finding allergy free prepackaged food. I mean, seriously, must I make everything from scratch all the time? The answer is YES. Finding one product without corn is like finding a needle in a haystack. Literally.

I had the hardest time finding corn free lunch meat. Once I found lunchmeat with questionable ingredient: lactic acid (non dairy). I thought it was corn free. After calling a company and spoke to the customer service staff, the non dairy lactic acid actually came from corn.

During my free time, you will find me scanning a cookbook after a cookbook. My house is full of cookbooks. I've bought them at Half Price Books. I've borrowed them from the library. It was my luck when I scanned through Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen. In this cookbook, there was a recipe called multi purpose meat paste. I remember the precooked pork rolls that are sold in Asian markets, but those pork rolls have MSG and other ingredients that I cannot pronounced. After reading the ingredients listed for this recipe and instruction on how to make it, I was pretty sure this recipe was for the pork roll.

So one weekend, I braved myself and made the rolls, using chicken meat. I was dumbfounded at how easy it was to make the chicken rolls. Plus, it was a perfect substitute for lunch meat too. My mom even told me that she amazed with the familiar taste of the chicken rolls. Remember, it is always made with cleaned ingredients that I can pronounce. Another product that I successfully made from scratch. Take that one off to-make list. I haven't tried this recipe with pork, beef, or fish. I'm pretty sure it can be done. One day I'll give other meat a try with this recipe. I've made this chicken lunch meat with just chicken breasts many times. Still taste great and perfect as an on-the-go lunch meat.

Chicken Lunch Meat
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen
makes 4 rolls

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon sugar
5 Tablespoons fish sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Cut the chicken meat into chucks.
2. In a large bowl (with a cover), combine the rest of the ingredients.
3. Add the chickens and coat well.
4. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinade for 8 hours or overnight.
5. Using a food processor, grind the chicken meat into paste.
6. Divide the chicken paste into four equal parts.
7. For each roll, place the chicken paste on to the banana leaf and form it into a big log. Note: Banana leaf is sold at Asian market in a freezer section. Thaw before use but keep them frozen. If banana leaf is unavailable, place the meat paste right on to the foil and roll into log as directed.
8. Roll the banana leaf over the chicken paste and shape into a fat log.
9. Place the banana leaf over the foil and roll it tightly. NOTE: At this point, the chicken paste rolls can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.
10. To cook it, bring the water in a 4-quart pot to a boil.
11. Add the chicken paste roll (still wrapped in foil) into the water. It should float in the boiling water.
12. Cook it for 30 minutes, turning once. NOTE: Sometimes the roll is stubborn and won't flip over. Use the tongs to keep it in placed. The roll will plum up when cook. Don't poke a hole or anything like that. It won't burst. Promise. The roll shrinks after it cools down.
13. Once cooked, remove the roll and place it on a plate. Let cool.
14. Unwrap the foil and the banana leaf.
15. Slice the chicken lunch meat thinly. Enjoy them with bread, noodle soup, or just eat them as snack. Keep the cooked chicken lunch meat in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Allergy Info: My chicken sandwich lunch meat is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and wheat.

UPDATE: For those of you have corn sensitivity, I want to let you know that some or maybe all banana leaves maybe dusted with corn starch. I recently bought another brand. After washing the banana leaves and separating them before I refreeze them again, I noticed white paste when I was setting them out to dry. I wasn't 100% sure if the white paste was corn starch and never called the company to confirm. But my instinct told me that it had to be something starch. With that said, you can still make the chicken lunch meat. Just use double foil when rolling up the chicken paste. The lunch meat won't have the aroma from the banana leaf but at least you will be able to eat them without getting corn allergic reaction.