#48
   ...
To review, the posted menu was:

Red-cooked Chicken (Feb. 2007)
Sushi-Roll Rice Salad (Feb. 2007)
Mandarin orange sections
Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches (from Eating Well, April 2007)

As noted earlier, we thought the red-cooked chicken itself was very flavorful (I really liked the hint of the star anise!), but the sauce was unbearably salty.

I didn't have good luck with the rice, either! I made the rice the day before I wanted to serve it and mixed in the dressing and edamame while it was hot. At that point, it tasted fine, though a bit tart. Given that the recipe calls for cucumbers, it didn't make sense to me to use hot rice! I figured I'd add the carrots and cucumbers the next day to make a cold rice salad. I guess I used the wrong kind of rice (used whatever was in the pantry...I think it was Uncle Ben's converted white rice) because it was not soft the next day. I don't make rice all that often, so that was just my bad. :-) Anyway, the flavor had been fine while the rice was hot, but the flavor seemed to be gone the next day. I'll be interested to hear other experiences with this rice, because I really like the idea of it.

The mini ice cream sandwiches were quite good, though. I made vanilla wafers with raspberry sorbet and chocolate graham crackers with light coffee ice cream. The ones that tasted best were the ones that were in the freezer for a day or two, allowing the cookies to soften into the ice cream a bit. We thought these were very satisfying little treats. :-)
-jenni

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." Virginia Woolf
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#49
  June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu jenni To review, the poste...
Oh, I forgot to add that I used 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs instead of the hindquarters. Easier to buy and easier to eat! :-)
-jenni

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." Virginia Woolf
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#50
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu jenni Oh, I forgot to add ...
I followed the recipes (for chix & rice) as written and must say we weren't the least impressed with the flavors. I didn't run into the 'salty sauce' problem, but probably because I only cooked the sauce down for the 5 mins. listed and it was just a nice 'sticky' consistency. BUT, the next nite (with the leftovers)I brushed the chix with Rhubarb-Ginger marmalade while heating them up and the combination of flavors was just great! I'd make the chicken again just for the leftovers!!

The rice salad didn't have the flavor other Sushi Rice salads I make has - so won't do this particular one again. I normally add snipped nori and also pickled ginger to my sushi rice salads and I think this one would have benefited from more flavor also. (Jenni, using short-grain sushi rice might have given you a better base for your salad, maybe.)

Jenni's idea for dessert was fun - I had some chocolate wafers and some Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream (more like Ice Milk) so made the 'ice cream sandwiches' out of that - good dessert!

Over all, I guess I'd give the dinner a high 6 or low 7.

O.K, as soon as we all check in, it'll be time to choose the next dinner!!! Shall we wait a few days for the new issue to reach more of us and maybe choose from it?? Or, if something just jumps out at whoever already has the issue......
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#51
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu cjs I followed the recip...
We also used chicken thighs for this. It's already been noted that the sauce for this ended up salty for some of us. It also never got syrupy either. So, I'm wondering if it had anything to do with the brand of low sodium soy each of us started with? I used low sodium Kikomen, that's all there was for choices here (and I was lucky to find that).
As for the sushi rice, it wasn't bad. Not hugely flavorful, but nice. The flavor of the wasabi was a good addition. Had to travel far (an hour) to find some Edamame. Over all I'm glad I tried it, just to know.
I guess we give it a 6.
Cis
Cis
Empress for Life
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#52
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu farnfam We also used chicke...
I followed the recipe as written, and thought the flavors were nice, but not that exciting. Gave half to my daughter, since we were "chickened out." I didn't have a problem with too much salt, but used a low sodium chinese brand and only cooked the sauce a few minutes.

The sushi-roll rice sounded a lot more exciting than it was. I lucked out and found shelled edamame at the asian food market, where I purchased everything else I needed for the salad, including the rice. I always buy jasmine or basmati, and use both a lot.

We thought that the salad was a little too sour, but I hesitated adding more sugar because sushi isn't sweet. It may have benefited from a little more wasabi paste, just to heat it up a bit. I ate it as it was, but Ron dumped sweetened chili sauce (Nuoc Cham Cha Gio) all over his and said yum!

Probably won't make the chicken again. The sushi-roll rice, I would like to make again, but will need to "flavor it up" a bit somehow, starting with Jean's suggestions, and any others that are mentioned.

For dessert, I made tiny coconut-lime pizzelles and put a spoonful of vanilla East Coast Custard in the middle. Very fun idea that Jenni had!

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#53
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu Mare749 I followed the recip...
Well, this wasn't one of C@H's stellar dinners. I wasn't happy with the chicken or the salad but Mr HB enjoyed the chicken. I made it out of thighs, also.

There are too many good C@H recipes out there for me to try to make this better so I won't be making it again.

I give it a 5 but Mr HB would give it a 7.
Jan

Please spay and neuter your pets.
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#54
  June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu jenni To review, the poste...
Well, apparently I'm the only one who gives this menu is a thumbs up! My husband said that it was “spectacular”.

But I did make a few changes to use what I had on hand and that may have been the difference. First, I was up at 5am to bake before the kitchen got hot, so I couldn't bear the thought of turning on the stove later that day and I decided that instead of braising the chicken, I would marinate it in the liquid and grill outside. I reduced the amount of soy sauce drastically (thanks to Jenni’s warning). Of course, I thought that I had star anise pods, but could only find the 5-spice powder. Anyway, here’s how I did the chicken part of the menu:


* Exported from MasterCook *

Red-Cooked Chicken

Serving Size : 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/3 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup scallions -- chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Allow to cool. Place chicken in a covered plastic container, pour marinade over, cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours, turning occasionally.

Turn grill to medium-high. Lift chicken from marinade (reserve liquid) and place on a plate. Spray with cooking spray and grill for about 4 minutes per side.

Meantime, boil the remaining marinade for 2 minutes.

Drizzle sauce over chicken before serving.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 293 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (31% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 68mg Cholesterol; 688mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 22 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

[Image: e8fe9aba.jpg]

The chicken was very flavorful and I think that this will have to be our standard Oriental-style grilling marinade.

As for the Sushi Roll Rice Salad, it was very good! I used a mix of brown and white basmati rice (cooked in the microwave then cooled for about a half-hour) and, because I didn’t have wasabi paste, I used a slightly smaller amount of dry yellow mustard. I also subbed brown sugar for granulated, and upped the quantity of veggies a bit. My husband doesn’t care for cold rice or salads, but he really enjoyed this (surprises still happen after 23 years of marriage, I suppose…). I shredded the carrot instead of julienning because Jack broke a tooth and didn't want any "hard food" until he can get to the dentist.

No review of the ice cream sandwiches because I had no cookies in the house, but I did have vanilla (lite!) ice cream and topped it with chocolate coconut-rum sauce. Ice cream sandwiches without the sandwich, as it were.

Jenni, thanks for bringing these recipes to my attention.

Maryann- I find shelled edamame in Giant Eagle's organic frozen food section. It makes a wonderful succotash with roasted corn kernels and red bell peppers.
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#55
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu foodfiend Well, apparently I'm...
Thanks Vicci, I'll look for the shelled edamame at Giant Eagle. Last time I bought them there, they were not shelled and that was a pain.

I was thinking that the chicken would have been way better the way you did it, and was sorry that I didn't do it that way too. I still think the rice needed some help though.

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#56
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu Mare749 Thanks Vicci, I'll l...
The frozen edamame was on sale a few months ago and I bought 4 bags-- unshelled! By mistake, of course. I have friends who steam big bowls of them and then sit around in the evening eating them out of the pods as a snack, but I don't think that I will ever, in this lifetime, get Jack to accept that!

The rice salad was a little bland, but it was cool and was a good accompaniment to the chicken which was very flavorful in itself. Maybe because I added dry mustard rather than wasabi paste, mine might have had a different taste? Or maybe everyone else's taste buds are more developed for this kind of food than ours are!
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#57
  Re: June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu foodfiend The frozen edamame w...
Post deleted by cjs
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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June 18 Review: Red-Cooked Chicken Menu


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