Baked Chicken with Daikon Salad

Tuesday Dinner

- Baked Drumsticks
- Daikon Salad

Stir-Fried Soy Ginger Chicken and Veggies

Thursday Dinner

- Stir-Fried Soy Ginger Chicken and Veggies
- Egg Soup (Spinach/Wakame)
- Pickled Celery

Bacon & Chicken GBR Paella

Thursday Dinner

- Bacon & Chicken GBR Paella

- Warm Vegetable Salad

I have made paella many times before but this might be the first time making a meaty one.  

Bacon & Chicken GBR Paella Recipe (Serves 3~4)

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 1~2 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 300g brown rice, germinated (GBR), drained
• 3~4 chicken drumsticks, marinated with soy sauce and ginger
• 2-3 pieces thick bacon, cubed
• 3 handfuls of green beans, cut into 3cm pieces
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• about 800ml stock (unsalted)

Method

1. Brown bacon and drumsticks in a shallow casserole
2. Remove drumsticks, fry onion and garlic
3. Add GBR and continue frying
4. Add stock, place drumsticks on top
5. Place a lid on, bring to the boil then cook on low heat until rice is softened and all the stock is absorbed for about 30~40mins
6. Add green beans and cherry tomatoes in the last 2mins for crunch and colour

Wasabi Soy Chicken

Monday Dinner

- Soy Wasabi Chicken Drumsticks

- Green Beans & Broccoli

Marinate 1kg of chicken drumsticks with 2.5~3Tbsp soy sauce and some Wasabi.  Cook in the 180˚C oven for 30~40mins depending on the size of drumsticks.  Serve with steamed veggies.  Veggies were cooked in the oven for 15-20mins.

Lemon Soy Chicken

Tuesday Dinner

- Lemon Soy Chicken

- Roast Veggies (Cauliflower/Broccoli/Mushrooms/Eggplant)

Lemon is my favourite seasoning at the moment particularly with meat.  I love how lemon zest adds such a refreshing citrus flavour without being sour or bitter.  

The recipe is so simple, not even garlic and this is how I like it.  Simple always wins.  Recently, I discovered that I don't like garlic with meat, it enhances the beastliness of meat.

Lemon Soy Chicken Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1kg Chicken drumsticks
• 3Tbsp Soy sauce
• Zest of 2 Lemons, finely grated
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Method

1. Marinate drumsticks with soy sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice for at least 2hrs
2. Bake in 180˚C oven for 30mins

Yuzukosho Chicken

Monday Dinner

- Yuzukosho Chicken Drumsticks

- Steamed Cauliflower and Carrots

- Sauerkraut

- Braised Chicken Liver

Yuzukosho Chicken Recipe (Serves 3~4)

Ingredients

• 1kg Chicken drumsticks/wings/thighs
• 1tsp Yuzukosho paste
• 1Tbsp of white wine
• pinch of salt

Method

1. Marinate chicken pieces in a plastic bag for at least 2 hours (can be frozen)
2. Arrange chicken on a tray with a layer of baking sheet
3. Cook in 180˚C oven for 30~40mins

Tatsutaage-Style Grilled Chicken

Tuesday Dinner

- Tatsutaage-Style Grilled Chicken

- Chinese Cabbage Coleslaw
- Osuimono Soup (Eggplant/Kale/Tofu/Wakame)

Chicken drumsticks were marinated with 3Tbsp soy sauce, 1Tbsp Vinegar, grated ginger and garlic powder.  This seasoning is similar to Tatsutaage, a Japanese deep-fried chicken or fish dish.  It turned out delicious, fit for a guest.

A Japanese style coleslaw salad is made with shredded Chinese cabbage, carrot and onion, seasoned with 2Tbsp mayonnaise, 1tsp sesame dressing, 1tsp Mentsuyu, 1packet of dried bonito flakes and pepper.

Kanzuri-Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

Monday Dinner

- Grilled Kanzuri-Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

- Roasted Carrots and Pumpkin

- Salad with Sour Cream Dressing

Kanzuri is a chilli paste produced exclusively in Niigata prefecture in north part of Japan.  It is made by fermenting Koji, red chillies, Yuzu citrus and salt.  I have never eaten the real Kanzuri because it is not well known nor widely distributed unlike the similar condiment "Yuzukosho".  I made Kanzuri last year just because I had some leftover Koji from making Miso and Toubanjan (chilli miso paste).  I used limes, Korean chilli powder, salt and homemade germinated brown rice Koji.

Last night, I marinated chicken drumsticks with 3Tbsp soy sauce, 2tsp Kanzuri chilli paste and paprika then baked in 180˚C oven for 30mins.  I also roasted carrots and pumpkin on the lower rack.  The chicken wasn't spicy but had just the right amount of saltiness and veggies were beautifully caramelised.

For the salad, I chopped lettuce, carrot, 2 boiled eggs, celery, spring onion, gherkin, tomato and dressed with apple chutney, sour cream, fresh dill, whole grain mustard and pepper.  It tasted like a potato salad without potatoes and we both liked it very much.  The whole dinner was a success.

Lemon Ginger Chicken

Monday Dinner

- Lemon Ginger Chicken Drumsticks

- Pumpkin and Green Beans

- Egg Salad

Do you like ginger? and where do you keep your ginger?  I love ginger very much and I keep grated ginger in a flat ziplock bag in freezer at all times.  The grating process is done in Vitamix.  My mum keeps ginger in Japanese spirits (Sho-chu).  I would never waste Sho-chu for that.

I am still not excited about eating meat but I had drumsticks in the fridge that needed to be eaten so marinated with lemon zest, grated ginger, lemon juice, salt and pepper then grilled in the 180˚C oven for 30mins.  Whenever I can, I try to cook something else on the bottom rack while the oven is on.

Roast veggies or nuts, bake bread, cookies, cakes or granola are all great use of the oven heat.  Yesterday, I roasted pumpkin, apple and green beans.  Simply roasted apple pieces turned out to be a wonderfully sweet and tart apple jam.  I love having this simple apple sauce with yoghurt in the morning.  No added sweetener is the way I like it.

Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken

Sunday Dinner

- Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken

- Lettuce Cups with Smoked Salmon Dip

- Carrot salad

- Braised Kale with Deep-Fried Tofu

Marinated drumsticks with whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Cooked in 180˚C oven for 30~40mins.

I made a smoked salmon dip in Vitamix by blending 200g smoked salmon, 120g sour cream, 70g onion, 1tsp dijon mustard, 1Tbsp white wine vinegar, 1Tbsp caper and pepper.  Blend on low speed to leave some chunks.  Freeze leftover.  This dip would be a great entree for guests with veggie sticks or biscuits.  Husband loved it.

Carrot salad is something I make when I don't have any other salad vegetables.  I usually julienne them using a slicer but I will try grating next time.  It might be easier to eat.  Seasoned with salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and cumin.  Added small amount of raisins and walnuts.

Tandoori Chicken

Monday Dinner

- Tandoori Chicken

- Salad

I don't usually buy chicken wings since it is bony with not much meat and bit awkward to eat but supermarket didn't have drumsticks so this is what we eat this week.

Marinate the wings with yoghurt, garam masala, cayenne pepper, turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, salt and pepper for up to 24hrs.  Cook in the 180˚C oven for 30~45mins.

Grill cauliflower and carrot with the wings and make a salad then dinner is ready.

Throw them in the oven recipes are my favourite!

Negi-shio Chicken Drumsticks

Wednesday Dinner

- Negi-shio Chicken Drumsticks

- Tofu Salad

Chicken drumsticks are staple at my house.  It is cheap, versatile and juicier and tastes much better than more expensive breast.

I usually buy 2kg and cook half of it straight away and marinate and freeze the other half.  It is another "go-to" meal when I don't wanna cook or don't have time (which are most of the time).  Just throw in the 200˚C oven for 20~40mins depending on the size of your drumsticks.

Negi-shio is a Japanese sauce made with spring onion, salt, garlic and sesame oil (recipe below).  It will go with any protein but commonly matched with chicken, ox tongue or pork.

Since the sauce was chunky, I stuffed negi-shio sauce in between the skin and the flesh of drumsticks and this made the chicken really moist and flavourful.  It really worked well and I will be doing the same for any marinade for drumsticks from now on.


Negi-shio Sauce Recipe

2 Spring onions (white and green parts), finely chopped
1 Garlic, grated
1tsp Salt
1Tbsp Sesame oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
1Tbsp White sesame seed, toasted
a pinch of Pepper

Garlic Chicken and Umami Rice

Sunday Dinner

- Garlic Chicken

- Squid Ink Umami Rice

- Salad

Garlic Chicken is something I make when I don't wanna cook.  It is so easy and simple but tastes amazing.  Use chicken thigh cutlet with skin on for this.  Season well with salt and pepper on skin side only.  Cook with garlic slices either on fry pan or in the oven skin side down first.

I also made a Japanese rice dish, "Takikomi gohan".  I don't believe the use of squid ink is traditional for this dish.  I only used it because I had it in hand and also it would make it look interesting. 

Anyway, Takikomi gohan is such a versatile dish, can be made with seafood, meat and/or veggies.  Lots of flavour unlike a bowl of steamed white rice.  Google if you wanna know more about the history of this dish.  I am just going to leave my recipe here.

Squid Ink Umami Rice (Takikomi gohan) Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 200g short-grain white rice
• 6g squid ink paste
• 1/2 carrot, cubed
• 2 pieces deep-fried tofu
• 1 Dashi pack*
• 1tsp soy sauce

Method

1. Rinse rice 4 times
2. Leave water about 1cm above rice and soak for 15mins 
3. Add all the ingredients in a pot* except carrot and deep-fried tofu
4. Stir well then add carrot and tofu on top
5. Cook for 15mins (Once boiled, turn the heat right down)
6. Rest for 10mins before serving

*Dashi pack is like a tea bag for Japanese soup stock.  Tear it open and use the granules inside.  You could also use Dashi powder instead.

*I use a clay pot but whatever pots, pans or rice cooker you have is fine

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Monday Dinner

- Homemade chicken nuggets (BBQ sauce, mustard sauce)
- Lettuce
- Boiled broccoli
- Consomme soup (carrot, celery)

I made chicken nuggets last night.  This is my third attempt.  I make them with Okara (soy pulp, by-products of Tofu making) since I always have them around.  The nuggets turned out dry even with an egg, mayo, psyllium husk.  I will come back with recipe when I am happy with it.  Is chicken mince made of chicken breast?

I made BBQ dipping sauce by mixing oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, soy sauce, honey and cayenne pepper.  Also made mustard dipping sauce by mixing mayonnaise, honey, whole grain mustard, hot english mustard and vinegar.

Tips
* Boil broccoli florets in consomme soup for 1min only!!