Day 122.5 - Tim's Homemade WTF Chicken Nuggets

Text from my son Tim last night:

Tim: mom wts 4 supper?
Me: Nepalese - eggplant thingie
Tim: WTF?? Y cnt u mk sumfin gd!
Me: such as?
Tim: chkin ngts

So there you have it. I am not making this up. Seriously, my kids could request almost any dish from any country and I would try to make it. But nooooooo, Tim wanted chicken nuggets. Not only that, he didn't want the ready-made frozen "chicken" from our freezer. No, he wanted me to make them.

But, before I get into the recipe, a shout out to my friends Lucy and  Richard for their academic input (via a lively Facebook discussion) as to the actual origin of chicken nuggets. They tell me that chicken nuggets were first discovered in the little country of Whathefucovia. Unique to this country, chicken nugget plants are grown and their nuggets exported by the Chicken Nugget Exporting Council (CNEC) which is administered by the U.N. Food Security Council. So, now you know where that bag of chicken nuggets in your freezer comes from. By the way, a quick ingredient count on the bag (whose brand shall remain nameless for fear of nugget lawyers slapping me with a defamation lawsuit) yielded 36 ingredients, many of which I cannot pronounce.

Now for the actual production of homemade chicken nuggets. There were several recipes online, but none of them had all the ingredients I taste when I swipe one off my kid's plate, hot 'n fresh from the microwave. The best one I found is from the awesome blog Soupbelly, from which mine is adapted. And, yes, they are fried, but, you know, WTF, sometimes you just HAVE to have something fried and these are just the ticket.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets (aka, Tim's WTF Chicken Nuggets - Adapted from Soupbelly)

2 lbs. chicken (1 lb. white meat and 1 lb. dark meat)
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parley
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour, seasoned with 1 tsp. salt
2 cups canola oil for frying

Heat oil in a heavy skillet on medium high heat as you're preparing the chicken nuggets. The oil should be very hot, but not smoking.

Cube chicken and place in the food processor along with all the spices. Run the processor until the meat and spices are completely blended and a paste is formed.

Combine 1 tsp. salt and flour on plate. Next, beat eggs in another bowl.

Scoop about a tablespoon full of chicken paste up and form it into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Next, roll in the flour, then dip into the egg then in the flour again, shaking off any excess flour.
Press the ball down to form a nugget shape. Set aside and continue until all are done. You should have about 35-40 when you're done.

Place nuggets in oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until the bottoms are golden, then flip to continue cooking until the nuggets are golden brown. This will take about 4-5 minutes per side.
Drain on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.

Final Assessment: Oh, wow. Tasty, crispy, full of  flavor and fried deliciousness. Dip 'em in catsup Once you make these, you'll never go back. 

Day 122! Nepal Eggplant Bhutuwa with Roasted Tomato Achar (Vegetarian) - Up Next, Netherlands

Yikes! My hands are on fire from seeding and chopping copious amounts of flaming hot red chili peppers for this Nepalese Eggplant Bhutuwa and Roasted Tomato Achar meal. If I hadn't been multi-tasking to the max, I might have thought to wear gloves but it's way too late now. Note to self:  wash hands really, really, really well before removing contacts tonight.

Located in the Himalayas of south Asia, Nepal is a landlocked country bordered by China and India. The country's rich geography boasts 8 of the world's 10 tallest mountains, including the highest point on earth, Mount Everest (or Sagarmatha in Nepali). In the southern regions of the country, the climate is humid and the soil fertile, drawing people to it's more urban environment. More than any other country in the world, Hinduism is practiced in Nepal. Buddhism, although a minority faith in Nepal, is intrinsic to the country's culture and belief system. Historically ruled by a monarchy, Nepal established a democratic republic in 2005 after a decade long civil war.

Just as the climate, geography and cultures are diverse in Nepal, so too is the cuisine, but Dal-bhat-tarkari (cooked or steamed rice and lentil soup) is eaten through-out the country. In higher elevations where rice doesn't grow as well, maize, buckwheat, barley, millet, roti or chapati are eaten. Finally, condiments in the form of small amounts of very spicy chutney or achar, lemons, limes and chili peppers accompany most meals. Vegetables eaten include: spinach, daikon radish, potatoes, tomatoes and cauliflower. Goat, chicken, water buffalo and fish are eaten, but beef is forbidden.

Eggplant Bhutuwa (Adapted from Explore Nepal)

5 cups eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups potatoes, sliced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 dried whole chilies
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. red chillies, minced
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
1 cup broth or water
1/4 cup cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch eggplant for a couple of minutes and transfer to ice bath.
In non-stick saute pan or wok, heat oil and ry dried whole chilies and cumin until dark.
Add potato slices, turmeric, salt, and pepper and stir-fry until potatoes are well browned and cooked half way.
Add garlic, ginger and chilies. Mix well to incorporate into the potatoes. Add blanched eggplant, broth and salt and pepper.; stir fry for 5-7 mintues over medium-low heat until potatoes and eggplant are tender.
Add diced tomtoes and green onions just before removing from heat.
Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with basmati rice topped with Tomato Achar


Roasted Tomato Achar (Adapted from 43things.com)

4 large ripe tomatoes
5 fresh hot red chilies, minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. mustard seeds
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. mint leaves, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
Salt to taste

Garnish
1 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. fenugreek
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 425 F
Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side down on cookie sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil.
Roast in oven for 30 minutes, or until skin is charred.
Remove charred skin and reserve flesh in a bowl.
In a sauce pan, heat oil. Add cumin and mustard seeds; fry for 30 seconds.
Add chilies, garlic, ginger, coriander, lime juice and salt; stir for a minute.
In a blender, combine roasted tomatoes, chopped cilantro and mint and spice mixture; process to for a smooth mixture - or, leave slightly chunkier texture if desired.

For garnish, in a non-stick pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and saute fenugreek until it turns dark. Add slices of garlic and fry till light brown. Pour the garlic-oil mixture and chopped green onion over tomato mixture.
Mix well and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Final Assessment: This was a delicious, beautifully scented and colorful meal. It's very hot, so if you can't take the heat of tons of garlic, ginger and red hot chili peppers, you may want scale back the proportions to make a milder version. Regardless, this dish is both satisfying and filling. Served along side basmati rice and roti, this Nepalese meal will not disappoint even the most die hard meatatarians.

Day 121! South Africa - Medallions of Ostrich with Port and Caramelized Black Current Sauce - Up Next, Nepal

Tonight's dinner was made entirely possible by the kindness and generosity of the folks at Savenor's Market who donated the meat for this South African meal: Medallions of Ostrich with Port and Caramelized Black Currant Sauce. After a fairly extensive search, I decided on this ostrich recipe, accompanied by butternut squash (a staple in the country) and a salad of mixed greens, from my local organic farm, Hopestill Farm. I hope I've captured the country's rich culinary traditions, but if you're of South African descent and have other suggestions, I'd love to hear from you!

Savenor's  Smokin' Band of Butchers
 Mark, Ed, John and Brian

Now, for an appreciative word and big shout out to my friends Julianna (the GM), and the awesome Butchers at Savenor's. First, if you haven't been to Savenor's Market in Cambridge or Boston, you're missing a true culinary experience. This little market is packed with every possible kind of exotic meat, interesting cheese, wild mushrooms, produce, hard to find spices and so much more. The staff is both knowledgeable and helpful, and if I hadn't had to go back to work this afternoon, I would have stayed the whole day. Bummer how work's always messing with my personal agenda.

Honorable mention goes out to Leo, the "Wine Guy" at Trader Joe's in Framingham, who hooked me up with a lovely, very reasonably priced bottle of 2009 Goats Do Roam South African red for the sauce and a little sippin'. Thanks so much for your expertise and interest!

Slightly less than twice the size of Texas, South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African continent. This beautiful country sits on the coastline of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It's neighbors include Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho, an enclave surrounded by South African territory. This culturally diverse is both ethnically and historically complex and country boasts 11 officially recognized languages. Slightly less than 80% of the country's population is of Black ancestry and the largest community of European, Asian and racially mixed citizens make up the balance.

Cuisine in South Africa has many cultural influences. Tortoise, crayfish, mussels, dried and salted meat, bush meat, ostrich, coconuts, squash and dried fruit and fruit paste are all locally produced and eaten.  Thanks to the the country's mild climate, potatoes, cabbage, corn, sunflower, peppers and green beans are available. On the northern tip that generally gets more rain, bananas, pineapples and mangoes grow in abundance. In addition to indigenous cooking, Dutch and British traditions can also be found in the form of meat and chicken pies.

Medalions of Ostrich with Port and Caramelized Black Currants Sauce (Adapted from Cooks United)

1-3/4 cups red wine
2/3 cup port
2-3 Tbsp. black currant jam (or cranberry sauce if you can't find currant jam)
4 Tbsp. whole green pepper corns
1/2 cup fresh cream
2 large or 4 small ostrich steaks
1 Tbsp. crush black pepper corns
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the wine into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the cranberry jelly. reduce heat and simmer until caramelized. Add the port, reduce again until the sauce is quite thick. Add green peppercorns and cream and let it reduce for a few minutes.

Cut streaks into two portions and coat them with black peppercorns, then brush with oil on one side. Heat the oil in a pan over medium to high heat, when hot, place steaks, oil side down, into pan. Brush the top of the steaks with oil and cook steaks quickly for 2 minutes per side.

Serve with butternut squash garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds and a green salad.

Final Assessment: Well, my husband stated that ostrich would forever be his "birthday" meal of choice. The meat is lean, tender and has the texture of  a really good cut of beef, without all the fat. We all agreed that ostrich has a milder flavor than beef. I seared it in a very hot pan for about 2 minutes on each side because we like out meat rare. The peppercorn crust and currant sauce was both sweet and spicy in the best possible way. I'm forever a fan.

Sautéed Mixed Greens Recipe

Bags of organic arugula at the store always tempt me. "Buy me!" they say, "Eat salad for a week, it'll be great!" Of course after three or four days the bag is half full and the contents start to look rather wilted and sad. Then comes regret. Why did I buy that bag in the first place? Recently I found the solution to the problem of wilting greens, a problem that I'm guessing may also be yours.


It turns out arugula is quite wonderful when lightly sauteed in olive oil. It's somewhat bitter and earthy but in a good way. It's even better if you mix it with some other greens. I use a bit of frozen spinach which is mild but silky and some fresh escarole which has a lovely spring flavor and juiciness when it's cooked. The mixture of flavors and textures creates a compelling dish that isn't just a terrific side dish, but begs to be layered in a grilled cheese sandwich. With or without ham or bacon, this is good stuff!

I buy arugula a lot. But you could just as easily use fresh but beginning-to-wilt spinach, swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, turnip tops or beet greens. Experiment! The amounts of greens are up to you and what you have on hand. I almost always have some individually quick frozen (IQF) spinach in the freezer but don't use it if you don't have it, this is all about cooking economically and making do with what you have. No garlic on hand? No problem! Want to use red chile flakes in addition to onion and garlic? Go for it! You have nothing to lose but some greens that are probably not ready for a starring role in a salad, Mr. De Mille. The basic technique is just to place the ingredients in the pan in order from most sturdy to most fragile. The sturdy stuff will take a little longer to cook than the fragile stuff, but we're talking only a few minutes.

Sautéed Mixed GreensServes about 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup frozen spinach
8-10 leaves of escarole
1/2 bag of arugula, about 4 handfuls

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and when hot, add the onion. Cook for three minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, add the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds then add the spinach and the escarole. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Let it cook for a minute or two, just until the spinach barely defrosts. Remove the lid and stir, then add the arugula and stir. The arugula will wilt very quickly, in just a couple of minutes. Season with salt and you're done!

Enjoy!