My Love of Asian Food!
I must confess my love affair with Asian food which started at a very young age growing up in California, home of some of the best Asian food outside of Asia. I have failed to consume any decent Asian food since moving from California years ago.
I refuse to disrespect such culinary genius that is Asian food by consuming anything remotely mediocre in taste, freshness, or flavor. In an effort to retain a minute resemblance to the dishes I devoured over the years, I taught myself how to create excellent Asian food.
Spicy Thai Ginger Lime Chicken is one of my favorite dishes.
Perfectly steamed rice that often times has a hint of jasmine flavor, each grain with the appearance that it was cooked separately.
Bright, hot crunchy vegetables that have the appearance of being fresh picked right out of the garden and then cooked with so much respect that it still maintains the center stage position in the dish.
Thinly sliced meats, which have been sliced with such precision, you don’t know rather to eat the meat or just stare and ponder the beauty of such a dish. I eat of course, and after every bite I look down and wonder, how did they cut this so perfectly?
Perfectly seasoned sauces, each one meticulously crafted by Asian geniuses who found the right balance of sweet and sour, tart and savory, the yin and the yang for the palate.
There is nothing like the taste of hot, fresh, steamed dumplings as they explode in your mouth each bite, slighter better than the previous one.
The first taste of a hot bowl of congee (Chinese rice soup) as the hint of ginger touches your tongue, the feeling that something about this soup has miracle healing properties; it’s the soup with a smile and a hug.
Don’t forget the perfectly fried tempura shrimp, that were it not for the crunch there would be no hint that it ever touched hot grease.
Then the egg rolls, rather you call them Po-Pia Thot (Thai spring rolls), which are little neatly wrapped crispy pieces of joy often filled with chicken, pork or just perfectly cooked vegetables.
Then there’s the larger egg rolls with the thicker wrapping that appears to be a tight hug from grandma as you bite into it.
Rather you enjoy the small crispy Thai version or the larger Chinese version egg rolls, take time to enjoy the fragrant taste of garlic, ginger, scallions, shrimp or roasted meats as the party continues in your mouth!
I will end with Asian noodles, my favorite Asian noodle experience is the one dish I miss so much. It is cooked in a light brown gravy that is perfectly seasoned, never over salted, the noodle is perfectly cooked and the thinly sliced chicken breast is cut at an angle so sharp it begs to be picked up by the chopstick.
And then enters broccoli, which is the color of freshly cut green grass, it’s as if God said to the plate; this here broccoli, it is to be eaten and enjoyed and I gave you added color so you will know it!
The crunch of the bean sprouts that appears to be preventing the silkiness of the soft noodle from falling off the chopstick. And if you prefer don’t forget the perfectly scrambled egg that balances out the entire dish, it’s an option I often choose.
This is one dish that really needs no introduction for us veteran Asian food eaters. When something is so well crafted and cooked with love; you will know it by its name, Pad See Ew.
Oh how I miss you original one; until we meet again, I will soon cook and treat you with the respect befitting one of the original kings of all food!
Spicy Thai Ginger Lime Chicken
5 boneless skinless, chicken breast
Marinade:
4 tbsp. lime juice
½ tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sriracha
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. creole seasonings
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 c flour
1 c cornstarch
Extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry. Slice chicken into 1 inch chunks put in a large bowl. Top chicken with everything except flour, cornstarch and extra virgin olive oil, stir and marinate in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Drain chicken and discard marinade. Mix flour and cornstarch in a bowl, toss chicken pieces in flour corn starch mixture and shake off excess. Heat oil to medium high heat and fry chicken pieces in two batches for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from pan, drain and set aside.
SAUCE:
4 cloves garlic, sliced
6 Thai chili’s sliced
2 tbsp. diced ginger
1 jalapeno pepper sliced
3 stalks green onion sliced
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sweet and sour sauce
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
4 oz. chicken broth
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Mix together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet and sour sauce and chicken broth in a small bowl and set aside. Place extra virgin olive oil in skillet on medium high heat, add chili’s, jalapeno, ginger and green onion and sauté for three minutes, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour liquid mixture into pot and cook for 1 minute. Add cooked chicken into pot and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Serve over hot Jasmine rice and garnish with extra Thai chili’s if you dare.
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