Category: Appetizer

Jicama shoestring fries with lemon garlic aoli

Jicama FriesAh, the New Year.  The time for resolutions – either staying the course and keeping to them, or breaking on day 2.  But how about feeling like you’re “cheating” without doing so – eating some “fries” without the guilt?  (shaking your head).  I’m with you on this.

A glorious thing happens when someone eating low carb, like me, tries to reinvent the wheel with comfort food.  Believe me, there are so many ways you can enjoy some serious decadent comfort foods without overloading it for your daily food intake.

But we’re not going to over-complicate things here – let’s bring it back to basics.  Jicama is a great alternative to potatoes!  It’s basically a cousin of the humble tuber, and has a mild potato-like taste and texture…so here goes nothin’!

This is not a Rachel-original idea though.  I’ve seen lots of other keto bloggers try out this type of recipe but I like to put my person spin on it.  Add some herbs and spices and dip it in a rich homemade lemon garlic aioli.  Because, what goes better than a lemon garlic dipping sauce?  Really…if you have any other ideas, I’m listening! 🙂  And for the record, if you don’t feel like making your own homemade aioli, by all means, use store-bought mayo, and just add in some minced garlic, lemon juice, and some spices and you’re good to go.

Truthfully, jicama is not the easiest to prep.  You have to wash and peel the tough other skin, then slice it into matchsticks.  So, when I found some prepped jicama slices in the grocery store, you better believe I bought it.  It saves me a TON of time!  Although I did end up slicing these sticks in half, to get that “shoestring” fry shape I was going for.  And one last thing to note – these fries can burn pretty quick if you’re not keeping an eye on them, but…I prefer a little bit of that dark brown crispiness.  Not all of them will get super crispy, but of course you can always fry these instead of baking – I mean, why not? #YOLO (do people even say that anymore? ha).

So go enjoy a big stack of fries!  Even if they’re “healthy” for you, right? 🙂

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Jicama shoestring fries with lemon garlic aioli
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Jicama shoestring fries
  • 1 lb. jicama - cut into matchsticks or thinner
  • 4 tbsp. avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion salt I love the Trader Joe's brand - or you can just use minced onion, or onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt I like using pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Lemon garlic aioli (makes 16 oz. of aoli)
  • 2 eggs I prefer using good quality eggs for this aoli, since it's raw egg, so look for pasturized eggs
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup avocado oil You want to use a light-tasting oil, so you can use light olive oil instead, if you prefer
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Add the jicama slices, oil and spices in a large bowl and mix well.

  3. Spread out the jicama on the baking sheet, making sure the jicama is in an even layer, if they overlap on the pan, they won't get crispy.

  4. Bake for 50-60 minutes - checking the last 10 minutes to make sure they aren't burning.  I prefer mine on the darker side since they get more crunchy that way, but you don't want them burnt to a crisp - and they can burn quick if you're not watching!

  5. Meanwhile, make the aoli - in a high powered blender, add the eggs, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

  6. With the motor running on medium speed - drizzle in the oil in a slow stream until the aoli is emulsified.  I estimated about a cup, but you'll see the mayo dressing come together and your blender will make a "chugging" sound when the aoli is fully combined.  It should be thick like mayo. 

  7. Serve the fries either hot or room temp with the aioli - dunk and devour!

If you liked this recipe don’t forget to checkout Daniel’s take Jicama Fries: Loaded Jicama Fries Two Ways

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

Smoked Salmon and Avocado StacksSmoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

Appetizers are my favorite. If I could eat a meal that consisted only of apps, just a few bits of different salads, dips and finger foods, that would be a perfect meal.  So here is an ode to a fabulous appetizer that is so easy to put together – no cooking required!  Just a few chopping here, and some simple, but fancy assembling required and you’ll definitely be impressing your guests.

When I first moved to Chicago (14 years ago this month!!), I was all about having people over for Shabbat meals.  It was a great way to meet young college kids my age and this way I was able to show off my cooking skills!  One of my specialties was a tortilla soup (more of a black bean soup with lots of spices, aromatics and topped with crunchy tortilla chips).  It was always a crowd-pleaser.  And then, there was this app that I served often. The inspiration is from one of Sandra Lee’s recipes from her “Semi-Homemade Cooking” show on Food Network, way back in the day.  She added some croutons for a crunchy textural element, so if that’s your jam, go for it!  I just keep this super simple, and that way it’s gluten-free, keto-friendly, pescatarian and just delicious all-around.

The Updated Version

For this go-around, I decided to add a cucumber, sun-dried tomato, caper relish.  As pretty as the smoked salmon (or lox, whatever you want to use) and avocado stack is on its own, this accompaniment gives it a nice tang and acidity and brightens up the salmon and avocado.  Or, this would be delicious with a lemon caper dressing drizzled over the top as well. Served with crackers or fresh, warm challah and you have a tasty, modern twist on a gefilte fish starter! Oh, and a squeeze of lemon over the top of the plate never hurts. 🙂

Try making this at your next Shabbat meal or maybe for your New Years’ Eve fancy shmancy dinner party!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe New Year – catch ya’ll in 2019!

(oh…and in case you’re wondering…yes, there is a penguin pattern on the plate.  Isn’t it just so cute and whimsical?) 🙂

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

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Smoked Salmon & Avocado Stacks
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 6 oz. smoked salmon
  • 2 avocados, peeled and cubed
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 small handful of fresh dill, minced
  • 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
To make the tapenade:

  1. Mix the diced cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, fresh dill and sliced scallions in a bowl.

  2. Add the rice wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well, set to the side.

To make the stacks:

  1. Mix the avocado cubes in a small bowl with salt and pepper. 

  2. Take the lid of a mason jar and spoon some avocado mixture in the bottom, about 1/2 an avocado per person.

  3. Take the smoked salmon and roughly chop and place it on top of the avocado. 

  4. Spoon some of the tapenade on the side, or on top.  Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with a lemon wedge to squirt over the top of the tapenade and the smoked salmon stacks. 

Check out some of our other appetizers:

Deviled Eggs

Fried Pickles

Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen

PSL: Pumpkin Spice Latkes

Pumpkin Spice LatkesPumpkin Spice Latke

With Thanksgiving not too far in the rear view mirror, and Hanukah (or is it Chanukah? Or Hannukah?) coming up soon I got the idea to merge the flavors of the season. I give you the Pumpkin Spice Latke.  Hey if it works for Starbucks, Cheerios, and Oreos, why not latkes? Potato would be a bit too savory for this one, so I went with spaghetti squash. The stranded nature of the spaghetti squash gives a similar texture to shredded potato. I did try making it with butternut squash first. I found it a bit too wet, causing the middle to stay raw while the outside burned.  This recipe works equally well as a side dish or a dessert.

If sweet is not your thing check out a few of our other latke recipes: Pizza Latkes, Jalapeno Cheddar Cauliflower, and Spaghetti Squash Latkes with Dipping Sauce Trio

Giveaway

Before we get to the recipe, don’t forget to click the link below to enter our raffle to win the new cookbook, Perfect Flavors: creative, easy-to-prepare recipes inspired by my family and travels, by the incredibly talented cookbook author, Naomi Nachman!

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Pumpkin Spice Latke Recipe

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Pumpkin Spice Latkes
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Pumpkin Spice Latkes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Squash Roasting
2 hrs
Total Time
30 mins
 

A mashup of two classic dishes. A sweet take on a latke that merges my Jewish heritage with an American classic.

Course: Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Jewish, Kosher
Keyword: Chanukah, Hannukah, Hanukah, latke
Servings: 12 Latkes
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Latke Ingredients
  • 1 Large Spaghetti Squash
  • Pepper To taste
  • Salt To taste
  • 2 tbsp Maple Syrup real, not pancake syrup
  • 2 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 2 tbsp Ground Clove
  • 2 tbsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
  • 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Large Eggs Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil For frying
  • Powdered Sugar Optional for garnish
Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a sturdy serrated knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a large spoon. Put the two halves back together, wrap in foil, and bake until the flesh is soft, roughly two hours.

  2. Once the flesh is soft remove from the oven, and scoop all the flesh from the skin in to a large mixing bowl.

  3. Add 3 cups of cooked squash, maple syrup, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground clove, nutmeg, flour, and egg to a large mixing bowl. Stir with a large spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

  4. Add 1/4" of oil to large frying pan or cast iron skillet and place over medium heat. Let the oil heat up to about 350°F.

  5. Fill a 1/4" cup measuring cup with latke mix and pour in to the pan to form a patty.  Repeat to make additional patties 

  6. Fry until golden brown on each side. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve immediately.

*This post contains affiliate links. We at MYV (Meat Your Vegetables) earn a small commission if you purchase an item through one of those links, which allows us to continue bringing you great tasting food!

Grandma Janie’s Hot Mushroom Dip

Before we get to the food, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for the cookbook Millennial Kosher by Chanie Apfelbaum of the amazing kosher food blog Busy In Brooklyn.
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Mushroom DipJust this past August, my grandma Janie, moved out of her house, after living there for 55 years.  The house in Miami where I’d been going to visit a few times a year since I was only a few weeks old.  The house where my sisters and I spent every Thanksgiving for the last 15 years or so, complete with drinking wine, eating fresh fish, swimming, working on the New York Times’ crossword puzzles while laying out by the pool, and of course, eating yummy food (always).  The house that smells like humidity, nostalgia and a hint of chlorine wafting in from the patio.

It was bittersweet to help her pack up the house but our family has lots of wonderful memories spending hours in the kitchen, watching my uncle Eliot carefully prepare the classic dinner salad, complete with fire-breathing garlic dressing while sampling today’s vino selection.  And all the while we were emptying out the drawers and cabinets in her kitchen to prepare for the move, a special dish was handed to my sister, Melissa.

The dish – the large brown dish with the little handle on the end.  The dish that my grandma always used to serve her hot, creamy mushroom dip.  I know, it’s just a dish.  Believe me.  But it doesn’t feel right to serve this dip in anything but.  So much so, that when I decided to re-create it my kitchen, I HAD to go find my version of the mushroom dip server – complete with the little handle and all.  Granted it didn’t taste the same, but that’s always the case when food memories are at play.

Something about sitting in those swivel chairs at her kitchen counter, scooping a big heap of cheesy, creamy mushroom spread onto a crispy cracker and spending time with family. THIS is what I love about food.  About family and memories and how it brings people together.  It sounds so cliche, but it makes me feel at home.

So here you go, dear readers.  Enjoy making this super simple, yet super rich and satisfying dip.

PS – this would make an insanely rich and creamy addition to your next pasta dish!  Just use a bit of the “dip” as a sauce and you’ve got an unctuous, savory and umami yummines to your spaghetti! #DROOL

PPS – WARNING.  Ultra delicious. Will not want to share with others.  Proceed with caution.

Grandma Janie’s Hot Mushroom Dip Recipe

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Mushroom Dip
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Grandma Janie's Hot Mushroom Dip
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 cup white button mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1 8 oz. cream cheese package, softened
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325F

  2. Saute the onions and mushrooms in butter in a pan on medium heat.

  3. Remove the pan from the heat and wait 5 minutes until cooled.  

  4. Add the onion and mushroom mixture to a baking dish and add the softened cream cheese, egg, salt and pepper and mix well. 

  5. Bake for 25 minutes until creamy and bubbly. 

  6. Serve hot with crackers or sliced veggies!

My Mother’s Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed CabbageThe weather begins to cool off this time of year, which also coincides with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. On Sukkot, the tradition is to build a temporary dwelling outside (usually a hut without  heat or insulation), know as a sukkah. Many people eat all of their meals in the sukkah and some have the custom to sleep in the sukkah as well. This is when I often turn to hearty, long-cooked dishes.  These stick your ribs, soul warming dishes are some of my favorite comfort foods.  I have very fond memories of sitting in my parents sukkah on a chilly fall night and warming my bones with things like mushroom barley soup, roasted root vegetables (AKA tzimmis), and stuffed cabbage.  This time of year is particularly special for me as my lunar birthday falls out during sukkot, and my mother always tried to make some of my favorite dishes.

Stuffed Cabbage Recipe

The recipe for below is for my mothers stuffed cabbage.  While I do provide specific amounts, these are guesstimates as mother never really uses a recipe for it. Feel free to adjust the amount of the sweeteners (dark brown sugar, honey, and duck sauce) if you want it less sweet. Also, you can adjust the total amount of sauce if the pot you are cooking in is too small to handle it.  Note that I call I call for instant rice in this recipe, which I usually avoid, but here I use it as to ensure it cooks all the way through in the meat mixture.  Finally, do not skip the freezing and thawing step, believe me you will thank me later.

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Stuffed Cabbage
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Stuffed Cabbage
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Freeze/Thaw
4 d
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
 

This is a great traditional recipe I learned from my mother.  It is very sweet though, so feel free to leave out some of the sugar or honey if you want to cut back on the sweetness.  If you get lazy the sauce is also great for unstuffed cabbage or meatballs.  I call for instant rice, which I usually shy away from, but is necessary here to make sure it cooks all the way through.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Eastern European, Jewish, Kosher, Polish, Russian
Keyword: cabbage
Servings: 12 Rolls
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Cabbage Rolls
  • 3 lbs Ground Beef
  • 1 Cup Instant Rice
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Onion Powder
  • Salt and Pepper To Taste
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1 Large Head of Green Cabbage Frozen, and thawed
Sauce
  • 87 oz Tomato Sauce 3 Large Cans
  • 1 Cup Ketchup
  • 1 Cup Duck Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • Salt and Pepper To Taste
Special Equipement
  • Heavy Pot or Dutch Oven
  • Freezer
  • Kitchen Scale
Instructions
Cabbage Preparation

  1. About four days before you plan on making your stuffed cabbage, freeze the whole head for 3 days.  Then thaw for a day. This helps to break down the cell walls of the cabbage which softens it.

Filling

  1. Separate the leaves, trimming down any thick stalks.  If leaves are particularly large you can cut them in half, but I would wait and see how big you want to make your filling before doing this. 

  2. In a large mixing bowl combine the meat, eggs, rice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Use your hands, they are the best tools for the job.

  3. Grab a handful of the meat mixture.  Ideally use your kitchen scale and weight out a 1/4 lb of the mixture for each roll. Form a thick log and place it horizontally an inch or so from the the bottom of the cabbage leaf.

  4. Roll the cabbage leaf up, until the bottom of the leaf reaches the top of the meat.  The fold the sides over the ends of the meat and then continue to roll the cabbage leaf the rest of the way around the meat. Repeat until you have used all of the meat.  It should make about 12 rolls. Make sure they are rolled tight so they do not open when cooking.

Sauce

  1. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, honey, and duck sauce to a large heavy pot or dutch oven.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  2. Put the sauce over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir regularly to make sure the sauce does not burn.

  3. Carefully add the cabbage rolls to the sauce making sure the rolls stay intact.  Cook for about 2 hours, or until the leaves are tender.  Serve immediately, refrigerate for up to a week, or wrap tightly and freeze.  

What are some of your favorite recipes you learned from a parent or grandparent? Do you have any cold weather dishes you really enjoy? Let us know in the comments.

Loaded Jicama Fries Two Ways

After Pesach (AKA Passover) everyone is a little sick of potatoes.  Jicama, a large tuber from Mexico with the texture of a turnip and the flavor of an apple is a great substitute for a potato. You don’t get the same crunch as you do with a fried potato, but it is not bad for an occasional change.   Originally I was going to name this  post Jicama Fry Poutine Two Ways, but the recipes moved too far away from a traditional poutine, which is made with cheese curds and gravy.

Mushroom and Cheese Jicama Fries Jicama Fries with Mushroom Gravy and Cheese Sauce

Kosher cheese curds can be very hard to obtain so in my dairy version I substituted a cheese sauce, and the gravy for a mushroom sauce, to keep it all kosher.

 

 

5 from 1 vote
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Jicama Fries
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

This is a great potato alternative if you want to change it up.  You can try baking them instead of frying, but believe me, it won't be nearly as good.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican, vegan
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Large Jicima Cut in to 1/2"X1/2" Fries
  • 3 tbsp Seasoned Salt To taste
  • Vegetable Oil For frying
Instructions

  1. Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add the fries and boil for 10 minutes to soften them.

  2. Remove the fries from the water and dry them completely.  A salad spinner works well for this.

  3. Add vegetable oil to your largest, heaviest frying pan so it come 3/4" inch up the side.  If you have a cast iron skillet this would be a great time to break it out.  Put over medium heat.

  4. Once the oil gets to 350°F start adding the fries a few at a time being careful not to crowd the pan.  Fry on each side until golden brown.

  5. Move the fries to a cooling rack, season with the seasoned salt, top with your favorite additions, and serve immediately.

5 from 1 vote
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Mushroom Gravy
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: vegan, vegetarian
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Mushrooms (I like cremini AKA baby bellas, but white buttons will work) Stems removed, rinsed, and sliced
  • 2 large Onions Halved
  • 3 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
  • 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
  • Additional Olive Oil for Sauteing
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Stock Preferably home made, but store bought will be fine
Instructions

  1. Add a couple of tablespoons olive oil to a large saucepan or a dutch over over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms, being careful not crowd the pan. Work in batches if necessary.  Saute the mushrooms until the are nicely browned on both sides and remove them from the pan.

  2. Add the onion and some olive olive oil if needed.  Saute the onions until they take on a golden color.  Add the soy sauce and the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic just starts to brown.  Then remove the onions and garlic from the pan.

  3. Turn the heat down to low and add the flour and butter or olive oil.  Stir constantly to completely coat the flour particles with the fat.  This is called a roux, it is a great thickener for sauces. 

  4. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, and onions.  Then slowly add vegetable stock, stirring regularly until the desired thickness is achieved.

  5. Serve immediately on top of fries, knishes, pasta, or chicken, the sky is the limit.

5 from 1 vote
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Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
  • 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Whole Milk Or Cream
  • 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
Instructions

  1. Put sauce pan over low heat and add the flour and butter or olive oil. Stir constantly to completely coat the flour particles with the fat. This is called a roux, it is a great thickener for sauces. 

  2. Continue to stir the roux constantly. Once the roux starts to brown add the milk or cream slowly and continue to stir.

  3. Once the milk or cream is completely incorporated, add the cheese and stir the cheese until it is completely melted.  Serve immediately.

Jicama Fries with Shredded Beef and Spicy Salsa Verde

For my meat version, I wanted to something that would stick the ribs, topped off with some heat.  I happened to have had made some Mexican food recently and thought that this was a great opportunity to use up some leftovers.  Pulled beef is a great opportunity to break out the slow cooker (AKA Crock-Pot), and as Ron Popeil always said, set it and forget it. The ingredients for the salsa are grilled, which is a great way to use up the heat from dying coals after a backyard soiree.

5 from 1 vote
Pulled Beef Jicama Fries
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Pulled Beef
Ingredients
  • 1 Hunk of Beef Nothing fancy. Neck or shoulder is fine
  • 1 Bottle Beer
  • 29 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Roughly chopped
  • 1 Large Onion Sliced
  • 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
  • Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions

  1. Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker (AKA Crock-Pot).  Let it cook for about 6 hours on low.  Shred with two forks.  Serve as a taco, with rice, on fries. or over pasta.  Freezes well.

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Pulled Beef Jicama Fries
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Spicy Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

This is a great condiment when you want to kick it up a notch.  You can add more or less chili peppers to control the level of heat.  You can also remove the ribs and seeds from the peppers to decrease the heat.

Course: Dip
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 2 Jalapeno Peppers
  • 2 Poblano Peppers
  • 2 Green Bell Peppers
  • 6 Large Tomatillos Husks removed
  • 1 Large Onion Peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Skin removed
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Handful Cilantro Chopped
  • 1 Lime
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions

  1. Toss all the peppers, tomatillos, onion, and garlic with the olive oil. Put them on the grill or under the broiler until the skin begins to char and then remove from the heat

  2. Remove the tops from the peppers and add them to a large mixing bowl along with the onion, tomatillos, and garlic.  With an immersion (stick) blender, process until desired texture is achieved. This can also be done in a food processor or a regular blender.

  3. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper and the juice from the lime to bowl.  Stir to combine. Serve alongside chips, or on top of tacos or fries.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s Jicama recipe here: Spicy Slaw with Quick Pickled Jicama and Creamy Salsa Verde Dressing

Thai Chicken Won-tons With Peanut Dipping Sauce

Hey fellow food friends, welcome to Meat Your Vegetables. A safe food space for carnivores and herbivores alike.  I am Daniel Peikes, by day I do something boring that no one understands for a bank, and on nights and weekend I like to play with my…food.

My partner in crime is Rachel. She is a pescatarian (which means she eats fish but not meat), but is sensitive to needs of all types of eaters.  One of our regular features will we an ingredient challenge, where one of us provides something for us both to cook with that is a little out of the other’s wheelhouse.

I came in to possession of copious  amounts of slightly damaged chicken breast.  They didn’t look very pretty but they tasted fine, so I figured this was the perfect occasion for me to challenge Rachel to a chicken throw down.  I have been dying to play around with some Thai flavors and needed something that would hide the poor aesthetics of the chicken.

5 from 1 vote
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Thai Chicken Won-Tons With Peanut Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 12 Pieces
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Pound Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts About 3 medium sized breasts
  • 1 recipe Thai Marinade See recipe below
  • 12 Won-ton skins Thawed
  • 1 Egg Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Add the whole chicken breasts into the marinade and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  2. Chop the the chicken with a chef's knife into a very fine dice.
  3. Fill the won-ton skins with the chicken, seal with the beaten egg, and crimp the edges.
  4. In a dutch oven or a large heavy pot add enough oil to come about 3/4 the way to the top. Place over medium heat and bring the oil to about 350 F. A frying/candy thermometer is an excellent tool for this.
  5. Fry the won-tons in batches of three, as to not crowd the pan, until golden brown. Be careful that your oil does not get too hot or too.
5 from 1 vote
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Thai Marinade
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1" Piece Ginger Grated
  • 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic Chopped
  • 1 Shallot Chopped
  • 1" Piece Lemongrass Sliced thinly
  • Juice from 1 Medium Lime
  • 3 Kafir Lime Leaves
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Chili Paste
  • 1 Fistfull Cilantro Chopped
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine. Add you the protein or vegetable you want to marinate and let it sit if the fridge for a minimum of an hour.
5 from 1 vote
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Peanut Dipping Sauce
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes Optional
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook oven low heat stirring constantly until combined.

Please let me know what you think of the dish in the comments, and if you like my Chicken dish or Rachel’s better.  You can find her’s here: Coconut Chicken and Spicy Soba Noodles