Crazy Girl's Kitchen

Get ready:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2lb broccoli florets, blanched
• 2 Tsp butter
• 2 Tsp flour
• 3 cup whole milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 Tsp butter, cubed
• salt and black pepper

Now let’s play:

Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to broil. Pour in the rice, stir, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then use a fork to fluff the rice up. Set aside. Heat up olive oil in a saute pan. Add cubed chicken breasts with garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook through, and then set aside. In a sauce pan, melt 2 Tsp of butter, and then whisk in flour till there is no lump. Pour in milk. Add Cheddar and Parmesan when milk is warm (should never not be broiled).  Whisk till the sauce runs smooth. Season up with salt and pepper to taste. Combine cooked rice, chicken, broccoli, and sauce in a large bowl. Pour into a 9*13 baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cubed butter on the top. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or till the top is golden brown. Let the casserole for 15 minutes on the countertop before serving (about 8 servings).

After-play thoughts:

I prefer using white pepper here, as it’s more aesthetically appealing and has a more blend-in peppery flavor.

Get ready:

• 5 Tsp canola oil
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tsp dried oregano
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb bok choy, sliced 1/4 inch thin
• 1 pepperoni link, 8oz, quartered and and sliced 1/4 inch thin
• salt and pepper

Now let’s play:

Heat up 2 Tsp canola oil in a 3qt or bigger sauce pan. Saute diced onion with a pinch of salt until it’s translucent. Add garlic, dried oregano, and two types of rice. Stir for one minute. Add Chicken stock, bring to broil, and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Heat up 2 Tsp oil in a large heated wok. Add thinly sliced bok choy and a pinch of salt. Stir till all the leaves are slightly welted.  Add pepperoni and stir for one minute. Add cooked rice and sprinkle the last 1 Tsp oil over the rice mix. Stir fry till it all come together. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

After-play thoughts:

This is a fusion version of a traditional Shanghaiese smoked sweet sausage fried rice. However, it tastes distinguishingly different as pepperoni has, rather a sweet taste, a strong salty flavor.

Get ready:

• 4 1-inch thick center-cut pork chops
• 2 Tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• salt & pepper

Now let’s play:

Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat up the oil in a large saute pan (12 inch recommended) at high heat. Sear the pork chops on both sides till golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Set the pork chops aside. Then heat down to medium. Saute diced onion with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery, and saute for 5 minutes. Add pepper, thyme, chili powder, and saute for 2 minutes. Add red wine. Scrap off the brown bites at the bottom of the pan, if any. Add back the pork chops. Add beef stock, and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve immediately over rice (4 servings).

After-play thoughts:
If you don’t have a skillet large enough, you can sear the pork chops in batch and rest them in a roast pan; saute the vegetables in red wine and pour over the pork chops; add beef broth till the pork chops mostly immersed; cover tightly and bake in 350F oven for 25 minutes.

Get ready:

• 4 Tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried theme
• 1lb barley
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup black olives, chopped
• 2 lb shrimp (thawed if frozen)
• salt and pepper to taste

Now let’s play:

Heat up 2 Tsp olive oil and saute chopped onion with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add barley, basil, theme, and chicken stock. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in olives and beans. Set aside. Heat up the other 2 Tsp olive oil in a separate pan. Add the rest of minced garlic. Infuse the oil for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes on one side and another minute on the other side until it’s pink and cooked through. Scoop the barley mix onto a serving dish or plates, and pour shrimp with the garlic sauce on the top. Serve immediately (about 4-6 servings).

After-play thoughts:

It’s very easy to over-cook shrimp. I find it helpful if you only cook for 2 minutes on the first side at medium heat, flip, watch closely so you can fish the shrimp out as soon as they start to curve up. As to the size of the shrimp used in this receipt, “31/40 per lb” seems to be the best.

Get ready:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tsp olive oil
• 2Tsp butter
• 1 can (10 3/4) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 pound frozen green peas
• 2 cup cooked long grain white rice
• 2 pounds of flounder fillets, fresh or thawed and seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 Tsp dried cilantro
• 1 Tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper

Now let’s play:

Turn the heat to medium high. Melt the butter together with olive oil. Saute diced onion (add a pinch of salt) until soft. Add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the condensed soup, frozen peas, and rice. Mix together. Cook till peas just thawed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat. Pour the mixture into a 9*13 baking dish, and even out a bit. Layer seasoned flounder fillets over the rice mix. Double-layering and overlapping are fine and recommended, but make sure they are layered evenly. Sprinkle white wine, dried cilantro and oregano over the flounder fillets. Cover with foil, and bake it in a 350F oven for 45 minutes. Then let it cool for 15 minutes before serving (6-8 servings).

After-play thoughts:

I created this dish when my husband was on a week-long business trip and I felt I need a break from everything. It’s easy, light, elegant, and yummy. It was exactly what I wanted.

For the Pork Chop

Get ready:

• 4 (1 inch thick) pork chops
• 1 cup AP flour
• 2 eggs, whisked together
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• salt & pepper
• vegetable oil

Now let’s play:

Pound the pork chops to about 1/4 inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper. Coat the pork chops with AP flour on both sides, dip into egg, and coat with Panko bread crumbs (pat the bread crumbs on the chops for better results). Pour vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot, about 2 inch deep (the bottom of pot at your choice should be bigger than the pounded pork chop). Heat up the oil to 350F. Fry the pork chops one at time until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain off the extra oil on a cooling rack over a sheet pan lined with paper towel. Serve immediately (4 servings).

After-play thoughts:

Panko crumbs make a huge difference on how crispy the pork chops come out. Most oriental markets carry them, or you can order from Amazon as I did.

For the Vegetable Curry:

Get ready:

• 2 Tsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 medium carrots, diced
• 1 lb russet potato, diced
• 2 Tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• salt & pepper

Now let’s play:

Turn heat to medium high. Add oil. Saute the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for another minute. Add the carrots. Saute for 3 minutes. Add curry powder and red pepper flakes. Saute for another minute. Add the diced potato and chicken stock. Bring to broil. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, and stir occasionally, until potato falls apart and the sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over rice (4-6 servings).

After-play thoughts:

Potato is often used in Asian cuisine as a natural thickener. Using potato results in a more light but creamy texture while using corn starch or flour can lead to somewhat gluey sauce.