In December of 2018, Jill, Dawson, and I took a big trip to Cambodia. Jill’s sister was living there at the time, and we took the opportunity visit their family, and travel with them around Cambodia. It was amazing! The sites, the brutal and beautiful history, and the food all made an impact.
My favorite foods there were Crab Fried Rice, Fish Amok, and Kep Fish. This mild Cambodian curry dish is a my combination of Fish Amok and Kep Fish, except that there is no fish. You choose what to serve it with – fish, shrimp, tofu, and chicken all work well. Serve over jasmine rice and you have a full one-dish meal!
Ingredients
3 tbsp Yellow Curry Paste
2 Cans, Coconut Milk
1 Sweet Onion, Diced
2 Red Bell Peppers, Diced
2 Green Bell Peppers, Diced
1 Bunch of Celery, Diced
1 tbsp Tamari or Fish Sauce*(Add more to bring out more umami taste)
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp Corn Starch
4 Cloves, Garlic, Minced
2 cups Vegetable Broth
Directions
Sauté onions, garlic, and celery in a little vegetable or olive oil.
Add bell peppers, and sauté until a little softened.
In a separate pot, heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, mix in curry paste.
Mix in coconut milk with a whisk.
Taste for spice. You can add curry paste, red chili pepper flakes, or chili garlic sauce if you want more heat. Add vegetable broth and re-taste for heat.
In a separate bowl, mix a small amount of the curry with the cornstarch. Mix back into the curry to thicken.
Add vegetable mixture to curry sauce.
Every year, we go “glamping” (glamour camping) at El Capitan Canyon above Santa Barbara with four other families. Jill’s friend Shari and I love cooking for the group. Shari is an outstanding cook who carries a tackle box of cooking tools on every trip. It’s a good look. I’ve learned a lot from Shari over the years, and I’m happy to share one of her recipes here.
This Korean marinade is so easy, and it’s perfect with any beef, pork, or chicken. And I always reserve one half cup (at least) to spoon over the dishes as I serve them.
Ingredients
1 cup Soy Sauce
4 tsp Sesame Oil
4 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Crushed Hot Red Peppers
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, gratedI often don't have fresh ginger, so I'll use 2 tsp of ground ginger instead.
2 Bunch Green Onions, Chopped
Directions
Uh . . . Mix it Together!
When I was in high school, I often came home from school very late during swim season. I would miss the family dinner, but my Mom always had food waiting for me. One oof my favorites was chicken and dumplings. There are many recipes in the same family. A hot and thick stew with chicken and vegetables, with either dumplings, pie crust, or biscuits. Over time, I have fallen more and more in love with biscuits, so why not eat them whenever you can. (Other than the obvious caloric reasons, which we should not even mention here!)
This recipe is a combination of Ina Garten’s chicken stew and Joanna Gaines’ biscuits.
Ingredients
1 Rotisserie Chicken (Hard to beat Costco’s)(That's about 5 or 6 cups of chicken!)
5 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups Onions, chopped
4 Stalks of Celery, washed and chopped
¾ cup Flour
6 Carrots, peeled and chopped
1.50 cups Frozen Small OnionsI love these – you don't need them, but they make the dish look way better!
1 cup Fresh or Frozen Peas
½ cup Fresh Parsley
Salt, Pepper
12 tbsp Butter (1 and a half sticks)
Directions
Preparing the Stew
Take the meat off of the Rotisserie Chicken., and put the carcass in just enough water to cover it up. Add some onions, carrots, celery and a bay leaf, boil then simmer for 90 – 120 minutes, and you will have an outstanding broth. 90 Minutes
Begin the stew by making a roux. Melt 1.5 sticks of butter in a stock pot, add 2 chopped onions and chopped celery and sauté for 10 minutes or a little longer. Add the flour and stir for two minutes until it is quite thick.
Gradually add 5 cups hot chicken stock to the roux , stirring all along. Simmer and heat for 3-5 minutes.
Add carrots, peas, chicken, small whole onions and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Start with 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt. For me, it depends on the saltiness of the broth. Feel it from there! Ina’s original recipe called for some half and half to add creaminess , but I really don’t think you need it. Put aside until you are ready to cook. You can refrigerate this at this point.*
Making the Biscuits
Putting It All Together
When you are ready to cook, place the stew in a healthy big casserole dish (a little deeper than a normal 9×13 if you have it) and heat it until it is quite warm. This may take 15-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
After the stew is warm, place the biscuits on top and bake for another 30 minutes.
Take out and serve with a nice salad, or, since it has all the food groups in there (biscuits and everything else) just serve it on its own.
