Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

Here is another one-pot meal that's easy and quick to make.  Serving this with a salad, such as the Kale Salad we posted earlier, makes a nice dinner for two.

1. In a large-size pot or a 4-to-5Qt dutch oven,  add the following into the pot: (1) 4 chicken thighs or 2-3 chicken breasts (coarsely diced), (2) 4 potatoes (peeled and diced), (3) 2-3 carrots (diced), (4) 1-2 cups of frozen peas, (5) 1 onion (diced), (6) 1/2 tsp of garlic powder or 2-3 cloves of garlic (mined), (7) 1/2 tsp of cumin (optional, to rid unpleasant chicken taste, if any), (8) [optional] 1 cup of Half and Half (or milk, or water, for thinner stew), (8) a 22-oz can of Cream of Chicken soup, or, 1.5 cups of chicken broth and 3 cups of water, bought to a gentle boil and thickened by KoKuMaRo Stew Cream (from a Chinese or Japanese market);  or, thickened by stirring in a homemade thickening cream (i.e., 1/4 cup of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup of corn starch, 1/4 cup of milk, with water gradually stirred in to make a thickened fluid).  Turn on high heat, mix the content in the pot evenly, bring to boil, then let simmer for 30 minutes with lid on (stir every 10 minutes to prevent the bottom from sticking to the pot). At the end, sprinkle 1/4- 1/2 tsp of black pepper (Season to taste with salt).  Note- I used frozen chicken thighs, frozen carrots, and frozen peas.  After peeling, potatoes need to be immersed in water to prevent from discoloring.  Alternatively, add 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil into the pot, saute' garlic, onion, and chicken, season with cumin (5-6 minutes), add cream of chicken soup (or KoKuMaRo Stew Cream), half and half (or milk, or water), potato, carrots, and peas, bring to boil, then let simmer for 25-30 minutes. 
2. While the pot is simmering, bake 8-12 frozen biscuits, following the instructions from the product package.  Alternatively, place frozen (or out-of-a-tube) bsicuit dough on top of the fully cooked chicken stew, and baked in the oven at 375-deg-F till the biscuit is golden brown (~15-20 minutes; must've cooked the stew in an oven-safe pot or dutch oven).  Note- I used Pilsbury Frozen Biscuits (375-deg-F, till golden brown, ~20 minutes from frozen, ~15 minutes if defrosted, in Oven or Toaster Oven).  Also I used a 5-Qt cast iron dutch oven.
3. Place the freshly-baked biscuits on top of the simmering chicken stew to fully cover the surface of the stew.  Bring the whole pot to the table and serve.  Here is a picture of the finished product (with the biscuits slightly over-baked).  
   

Spanish Rice, Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken), and Rice Pilaf

Spanish Rice is a basic Mexican side dish.  Adding shredded chicken to it makes a one-pot meal, known as Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken), that is easy and quick to make.  We aim to create a fluffy (not sticky) and relatively dry rice dish.

I.A Spanish Rice- The Rice Pilaf Method

1. Rinse 1.5 cups of long-grained rice (rinse till water is clear, rinse 5-6 times, to rid starch). Note- Use a strainer to strain water out. Basmati Rice, purchased from Costco, was used lately. 
2. In a non-stick flat bottom cooking pot, turn on medium heat, add 2-4 Tbsp of vegetable oil, add 1 onion (diced), 3-4 cloves of garlic (minced), 
3. Add the fully rinsed 1.5 cups of long-grained rice into the pot, stir constantly till rice is golden brown (~5 mins).  Add 1.5 cups of chicken broth.
4. Season with 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, 1/4-1/2 tsp of black pepper, 1-2 tsp turmeric powder, 1-2 tsp of paprika powder, and 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes. 
5. Bring the pot to boil, and let simmer for 20 -25 minutes with the lid on (till the rice is tender and fluffy).  Stir the rice every 5-10 minutes (to make sure the bottom is not turning crispy), and add 1/4 cup of water every 10 minutes (twice, at most).  Remove the lid, and stir the rice at medium heat, till the rice is fluffy. Note- For 1.5 cups of rice, we added 1.5 cups of chicken broth in Step 3, and now 1/2 cup (at most) of water. 
6. In a separate pan, saute' some vegetables, such as 1-2 carrots (diced), 1 cup frozen peas, 1 green and 1 red bell peppers (diced), for 1-2 minutes. Add the veggies into the rice pot, mix and stir thoroughly, and cook under medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Season to taste by adding salt (1/4 tsp a time). Note- optionally, we could also sauté some shelled shrimp (~1 lb, marinated for 30 minutes with rice wine and 1/4 tsp of baking soda), and diced chicken breasts (~1 lb, marinated for 30 minutes with rice wine, corn starch, and soy sauce).
7. Garnish with minced Scallions (or Cilantro or parsley), and diced Fresh Tomato. Sprinkle black pepper on top, fluff and serve. 

I.B Spanish Rice- The Chinese Fried Rice Method  (see this previous post for the method there) 

1. Cook 1.5 cups of rice in a rice cooker (following the instructions of the rice cooker, use either long-grained or medium-grained rice), let the cooked rice cool and sit in fridge over night, 
2. (same as above)  In a non-stick flat bottom cooking pot, turn on medium heat, add 2-4 Tbsp of vegetable oil, add 1 onion (diced), 3-4 cloves of garlic (minced),
3. Add the rice from Step 1 into the cooking pot, stir and mix, 
4. (same as above) add seasoning. 
5. Stir till the rice is fully mixed with the seasoning. 
6. (same as above) Saute' veggies separately, then add into the rice pot.
7. (same as above- Garnish and serve.)

II. Arroz con Pollo (rice and Chicken)
Before cooking rice using the method in I.A or I.B above, boil 2 pieces of chicken leg & thigh in salted water for 30 mins (immerse chicken in water, add 1 tsp of salt).  Drain out water, let cool, remove skin and bones, shred the chicken coarsely by hand. Add the shredded chicken along with the saute'd vegetables in Step 6 above. Garnish and serve as Step 7 above.  Here is a picture of the finished product.

III. Rice Pilaf
Use the same method in I.A above, except for Step 4- season with salt, saffron (optional), Step 6- use pea and carrot (not bell peppers), and Step 7- garnish with scallions (mined), raisins, and slivered almond or pistachios.

Mango Mousse Cake and Tiramisu

We bought a mango mousse cake for grandma's birthday. She likes it a lot, so we make it for her often now. The tiramisu recipe below follows this online recipe closely, with slightly less sugar, a substitute for the mascarpone cheese, the use of Cool Whip, some alternative liquors, and a 2-day waiting period before serving.  The online recipe is picked because it uses a simple and straightforward method to make custard, as opposed to the more traditional French water-bath method.

I. Mango Mousse Cake

1. Preparing a 6" Springform Pan (mandatory), and Making the Base (optional)- First prepare a 6" springform pan (see Note below).  Mix 1/2 cup of Graham cracker crumbs with 1.5 Tbsp of Brown Sugar and 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Spread and press the mixture firmly down into the 6" springform pan (with a spoon).  Leave it in freezer for 15 mins.  Note- Line the bottom of the 6" springform pan with aluminum foil, if it is one with flat bottom (e.g., a Nordic Ware pan), as opposed to one with a recessed bottom (e.g., a Wilton pan).  Line the side with parchment paper, as high as the side of the pan (i.e., 2 & 3/4" or 3" high).  For a springform pan with recessed bottom, replace the bottom with a 6" bake circle wrapped in two layers of aluminum foil (a bake circle made of cardboard and wrapped in aluminum foil is leak proof and suitable for the use here).  Note- It seems that the only way to make parchment paper stick to the side of the pan is to grease the side with a bit of butter or shortening. 
2. Making the Mango Mousse Layer- (1) In a 1-cup glass measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of cold water, sprinkle 1 Tbsp of gelatin (i.e., 1 pack of unflavored Knox Gelatin) into the cup, then add 1/4 cup of water to immerse the gelatin; sprinkle 1 Tbsp of gelatin again,  and add 1/4 cup water on top (total- 2 Tbsp gelatin, 3/4 cup water).  Now let the mixture stand for 1 min.  Heat the measuring cup in microwave for 20 seconds, stir gently, heat in microwave for 20 seconds again, and stir for 2 minutes until the gelatin is fully dissolved.  (2) In a 4-cup measuring cup, pour in 2 cups of Mango Puree' (see Note below), then add the gelatin mixture into the cup, mix evenly.  (3) Now, pour ~3/4 cup of puree-gelatin mix back into the 1-cup measuring cup, so as to keep ~2 cups of puree' in the 4-cup measuring cup for making mango mousse.  (4) In a medium-size mixing bowl, pour in 2 cups of puree'-gelatin mix, and gently fold in 8 oz of Cool Whip (either Original or Lite), until evenly mixed.  (5) Pour the mixture into the 6" springform pan prepared in Step 1 (with or without the Graham cracker base). Take care to scoop off uneven parts of the top surface with a spoon, and leave ~1/2" open on top, for the next layer (pour surplus mousse into glass ramekins and place in fridge).  (6) Now leave the springform pan in freezer for 15 minutes maximum (take it out after 15 minutes and continue to the next step).  Note- Mango puree' can be purchased in any Indian Market. If using Cool Whip Free (the fat free version of Cool Whip),  instead of Cool Whip Original or Lite, add 1 Tbsp of gelatin at the beginning of this step, because Cool Whip Free is a lot thinner than Cool Whip Original.  Note- See picture above for the product image of Mango Pulps (available from Indian grocery stores), as a substitute for Mango Puree'. Use 2.5 cups of Mango Puree' for a thicker layer of Mango Jelly in next step (but pour ~1-1/4 cups out, vs ~3/4 cup out, in Sub-step (3) above, and leave ~1" open, vs ~1/2" open, on top in Sub-step (5) above)..
3. Making the Top Layer, Mango Jelly- Stir the 3/4 cup of mango-gelatin mix (or, 1-1/4 cups, that was set aside in Step 2) for a minute until the mix is smooth (part of the mixture might have jelled in the past 15 minutes), then pour the mixture into the springform pan. Let sit in freezer for 15 minutes maximum, and then refrigerate (not freeze) in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.  When ready to serve, release the spring-lock mechanism of the springform pan, push the bottom of the cake upward carefully, to get the cake out of the springform pan. [Important! To Preserve the Form of the Cake!] Use a thin knife to circle along the top edge of the cake in-between the parchment paper and the side of the cake, then remove the parchment paper slowly and carefully.  Now, cut and serve (clean and reuse the bake circle, if possible).  Here is a picture of the finished product (without Graham Cracker base).
   

II. Tiramisu

1. Making the Egg Custard- In a small-sized pot (preferably a non-stick pot, e.g., a 3-Qt hard-anodized soup pot), whisk together 6 egg yolks (yolks only) and 1/3 cup of sugar until well blended (use 1/2 cup of sugar if you like it sweeter).  Place the pot over low heat, stir constantly, gradually whisk in 2/3 cups of milk, until the mixture thickens (but NOT boiling yet).  The mixture feels like nectar (or honey) by now. Take the pot OFF Heat right away, and whisk for another 10-15 seconds (i.e., to cook with residual heat, off heat). Allow the pot to cool. Cover the pot and let chill in fridge for 1 hour. Note- This is the most important, and most difficult, step (err on the undercooking side, overcooking causes the egg yolks to coagulate). Might be worthwhile to compare this method with the more traditional (and slightly more time consuming) double-boiler approach to make egg custard, as suggested in this excellent online recipe. 
2. Making the Cheese Custard- After an hour in the fridge, whisk 1-lb of mascarpone cheese into the yolk-milk mixture until smooth (need a strong whisk, a whisk with two layers of wires, for this task).  Note- Mascarpone cheese can be purchased from an Italian Market, e.g., Clario's Italian Market in Southern California.  As a substitute for macarpone, whisk 1 lb of Philadelphia Cream Cheese into the mixture until smooth, then gently fold in 6-8 Tbsp-full (2 spatula-full) of Cool Whip, from an 8-oz tub of Cool Whip, until evenly mixed.  Leave the rest of the Cool Whip for Step 6 below. 
3. In a measuring cup, mix 1/2 cup of strong black coffee with 1/4 cup of Rum.  Note- Use 2/3 cup of black coffee and 1/3 cup of Rum for stronger flavor.  Rum can be replaced by brandy, or coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua, orTia Maria.  Will try espresso powder dissolved in room temperature water next time.
4. Line up ladyfingers side by side at the bottom of a 7" x 11" glass baking dish (at least 1.5" deep), until the bottom of the dish is covered with ladyfingers. Drizzle about half of the coffee-rum mixture over the ladyfingers in the glass baking pan (using a large spoon).  Note- Will try soaking (i.e., dunking/dipping both sides of) ladyfingers in coffee-rum mixture next time, Ladyfingers can be purchased from an Italian Market, or use Italian Sponge Cake as substitute. 
5. Spread half of the mascarpone (or cream cheese) mixture prepared in Step 2 evenly over the ladyfingers.  Note- this is the cheese custard layer.
6. Spread half of the remaining Cool Whip (in the 8-oz product package) evenly on top of the cheese custard layer. Note- this is the whipped cream layer.
7. Repeat Step 4 to 6.  Cover the glass baking pan with plastic wrap, and let sit in the fridge for 2 days. Yes! Two Days!   
8. When ready to serve, sift cocoa powder on top.  Cut into 2" x 2" or any size of your choice, and serve.  Here is a picture of the finished product.