Asian Popcorn Chicken Recipe

Back in my UCSD days, late night study sessions were not complete without boba tea and spicy chicken from Tapioca Express. To this day, I can't eat this snack without thinking about all the good times I had in college. When I stumbled across this recipe for Asian Popcorn Chicken on Rasa Malaysia I knew I had to try to make it. This recipe is on point and filled my belly with nostalgia like you wouldn't believe. Rasa Malaysia makes cooking quality Asian food less scary and is my go to place when I am craving Asian food. 

Asian Popcorn Chicken (serves 2)

Ingredients

8-10 oz chicken thighs, cut into bite-size cubes

2 stalks Thai basil leaves

1 cup cornstarch

Oil for frying

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Marinade

2 cloves garlic

1 inch piece of ginger, minced

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of oyster sauce

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine marinade ingredients in large bowl and stir to combine. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in pan. Dredge chicken in cornstarch evenly and shake off excess. Deep fry the chicken until it turns golden brown. Remove from oil and drain excess oil by laying chicken on wire rack lined with paper towels.

3. Quickly flash fry basil leaves in the same oil you used for the chicken. Remove from oil and drain excess oil by laying leaves on wire rack lined with paper towels.

I served the chicken with white rice, steamed brocolli and carrots and a side of sweet and sour dipping sauce which can easily be found at any Asian grocery store. Enjoy!

[Asian popcorn chicken]

Foodie Friday: Tried and True Oven Braised Lemon Chicken Recipe

I found this recipe for lemon chicken back in 2011 and always go back to it whenever I have a craving for lemon chicken. It's a proven crowd pleaser, easy to make and easy to clean up because it only requires one pot. Thanks a million times over to The Culinary Chronicles for sharing this recipe with the interwebz so many years ago.

[Mouthwatering photo from The Culinary Chronicles]

Oven Braised Lemon Chicken

Serves 4 very hungry people

Ingredients
8 Pieces of bone-in chicken (I used thighs and drumsticks)
6 Garlic cloves
1 Small onion, thinly sliced
2 Cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 Sprigs of fresh rosemary
8 Lemon slices
1 Dried bay leaf
2 Tablespoons of capers, drained
2 Cups of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 Teaspoon of red chili flakes
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper



Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper.



3. Heat olive oil on medium high in large dutch oven. Brown chicken in batches and transfer to plate. Discard all but 2-3 tablespoons of leftover grease.



4. Lower heat to medium and add garlic cloves, cooking until lightly golden. Add onions and cook until evenly browned. Add chili flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes.



5. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
6. Return chicken to the pot with skin side up.
7. Add lemon slices, bay leaf, capers and rosemary sprigs, submerging them underneath the liquid.



8. Place lid on the pot and put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

9. Take the pot out of the oven. Remove rosemary, bay leaf and skim off fat or impurities. Season with salt and pepper as desired.


10. Plate chicken and serve with fresh bread or other sides.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! It's a hearty meal that will fill your belly with happiness.

Foodie Friday: Slow Cooker Enchilada Pork Tacos with Sweet Corn Slaw

A couple of weeks ago, Tuan showed me Half Baked Harvest's Instagram account and asked, "Can you make me everything from this blog? It looks so good." The man was speaking the truth. Everything on Tieghan's blog looks delicious and her photos are gorgeous and beautifully styled. My photos are not beautifully styled but I can say that everyone enjoyed the Slow Cooker Enchilada Pork Tacos with Sweet Corn Slaw that we had for dinner last night. I tweaked the recipe a bit to feed 5 adults (included 3 men) and save myself time. Despite the amount of green chiles and jalapenos I used, the tacos were not spicy at all. They actually could have used a little kick so make sure to have a bottle of tapatio on hand if you make this. The slaw was crunchy, refreshing and a great addition to the taco. This was a great recipe to enjoy while watching Thursday Night Football.

Ingredients for pork:

5 pounds of pork shoulder

1 oz package of taco seasoning

2 cans (14 oz) of diced green chiles

1 sweet onion, diced

2 cans  (10oz) of enchilada sauce

Ingredients for slaw:

1 bag of honey roasted sweet corn

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 bag of angel hair coleslaw

2 jalapeonos, seeded and diced

Juice of 2 medium limes

3 teaspoons of rice vinegar

1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

30 tortillas

Cotija cheese, crumbled

Hot sauce

Directions:

Add pork ingredients to slow cooker, stir until well mixed. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Heat bag of honey roasted sweet corn in pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer to bowl. Add the rest of the slaw ingredients to the same bowl. Toss well. Cover and place in fridge until ready to serve.

When the pork is cooked and falling apart, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Drizzle with sauce left in slow cooker.

Assemble tacos be layering pork, slaw and cheese on top of warmed tortillas.

Enjoy!

[I really need better lighting in the kitchen.]