Foodie Friday - Could this be Deborah's Lemon Chicken?

Remember the running joke about Lemon Chicken on Everybody Loves Raymond? Deborah cooks it for Raymond on their first date, and it's so delicious that he just assumes that she knows her way around the kitchen. Of course, in typical sitcom fashion, Deborah turns out to be a terrible cook, (with the exception of that one dish), and the joke was on Raymond. The chicken is mentioned in a number of subsequent episodes, (everyone always loves it),but we the viewers never find out much about the recipe. Will wonders never cease? Network television had given us a chance to use our imaginations and mine went straight to a chicken dish that I've been making for years...Crispy Lemon Chicken. Touting Asian flavors, this dish will definitely wow the most tainted palate. Could this be Deborah's signature dish?
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Crispy Lemon Chicken

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About one pound of thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

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Marinade: (Mix in shallow bowl and marinate chicken in refrigerator for approximately one hour)

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 t. salt

1 t. pale dry sherry or oriental cooking wine

1/4 t. sugar

juice from 1/2 of a lemon

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Sauce: (combine in a bowl and set aside)

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 T. rice vinegar

1 1/2 T. pale dry sherry or oriental cooking wine

1 T. sugar

4 T. soy sauce

1 C. clear chicken broth

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Have the following prepared before starting sauce:

1 heaping T. fresh ginger root, minced

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 C. finely chopped scallions

1/3 cup finely shredded red or green bell pepper

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1 T. cornstarch mixed with 1 T. water

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Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

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canola or peanut oil

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cornstarch on plate for dredging chicken

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Heat 1 T. oil in wok. Add ginger, garlic and scallions and stir fry for one or 2 minutes until aromatic, but do not let brown. Add shredded pepper and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add liquid mixture and when sauce starts bubbling quickly mix in the cornstarch slurry. When thickened, remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Set aside.

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In large fry pan, heat about 1/4 inch canola oil. Dredge chicken in cornstarch and fry until crisp and lightly browned. Drain.

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To serve, place chicken on white rice and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices.

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Please visit Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum. She's the genius behind Food Friday and each week facilitates a calorie free culinary tour of blogland.

Foodie Friday - Substantial Summer Salads

Over the past few months I've been on the look out for summer salads to add to our repertoire. If it ever stops raining here in the hills, (it's rained on 18 of the last 25 days!), there are now two new recipes that will come in handy during the summer barbecue season. Earlier this spring, we gave each side dish a trial run, and declared them keepers.

Potato Salad with Grainy Mustard Dressing was the first success. Because it's best served at room temperature, it's a good make ahead salad, and I suspect that it will adapt to whatever vegetables are in season. The version shown here included red potatoes, grape tomatoes, roasted bell pepper, asparagus and green beans. Steam, boil, or roast the vegetables that require cooking until crisp-tender.

Dressing:

Zest and juice of a large lemon

1 1/2 t. whole grain mustard, or more to taste

a clove of minced garlic

A dash or two of white wine vinegar

1 T. olive oil

2 T. finely chopped parsley

Sprinkle of dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingedients together, pour over prepared vegetables and gently toss.

The recipe, Asparagus with Warm Tomato Vinaigrette, became a salad side dish with the addition of pasta, in this case elbows.

Substantial enough for a main dish vegetarian meal, it's also a nice change of pace pasta salad. You can find the recipe here. Just remember to add the pasta!

Now, I hope you join me as I pop over to Designs By Gollum to see what else is cooking on this Foodie Friday. I know for sure that our hostess, Michael Lee, has whipped up a lovely dessert. Have a good weekend.

Foodie Friday - The Anatomy of a Killer Sandwich

When is a humble sandwich not so humble? When it's an Asian Street Sandwich created by Guy Fiore of Food Network fame. I stumbled upon this recipe in the July 2009 issue of Family Circle magazine, and knew on the spot that we'd have to give it a try.

See those rays of light that seem to be emanating from this delightful creation??? I'm sure they're no accident, because this sandwich is heavenly.

Thin slices of seasoned roast pork, marinated cucumbers, lettuce, cilantro and a spicy mayonnaise, are all tucked into a lightly toasted club roll.

The resulting sandwich is a movable feast that will bring you to your knees in thanksgiving.

I usually have trouble finishing one sandwich. The night we made these I polished off 2 with no problem! (I convinced myself that a second serving was necessary for blogging purposes...I thought it would be a noble thing to obtain better Foodie Friday photos.)

We had half of a leftover teriyaki roast pork loin sitting in the fridge, so I didn't need to prepare the meat. We just whipped up the mayonnaise and marinated the cucumbers. What a great way to use left over pork!

For the cucumbers:

Marinate thinly sliced, peeled cucumber in 1 T. soy sauce, 1 T. brown sugar, 1/4 C. rice wine vinegar, 1/4 C. mirin, and 1 T. fresh minced mint for 10-15 minutes.

For the mayonnaise:

Mix together 1/2 C. mayo, 1 T. oyster sauce, 2T. chili garlic sauce, and 1 t. sesame oil. Let stand for 5 minutes. (Use less chili garlic sauce if you're not a fan of spicy food, but do use at least a little!)

Assemble, enjoy, and then reminisce about it next day with your significant other!

Please visit our Foodie Friday hostess, Michael Lee, at Designs by Gollum. She has Mr. Linky up, running and ready to take you on a whirlwind tour of what's cooking in the blogosphere.

Foodie Friday - 'Julie & Julia' and the Tarte

For the past several weeks I've been researching the life and times of Julia Child. It all started when I spotted the trailer for the movie Julie and Julia which is due to be released on August 7th. If you haven't seen the clip yet, take a peek and tell me if you're as intrigued as I am. (I adore Meryl Streep, Amy Adams is just too cute, and is it just me, or is Stanley Tucci downright sexy???)

Had I been living under a rock? I didn't know a thing about the Julie/Julia project...not about the blog and definitely not about the book! I scanned the blog, (okay...I was there for hours!), then headed to my library's website. Within a few days, Julie and Julia, (Julie Powell's book), My Life in France, (Julia Child's account of her experiences, co-authored by Alex Prud'Homme), Appetite for Life, (Child's biography by Noel Riley Fitch), and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, (volumes one and two), were sitting on my kitchen counter.

Of course, I immediately became too busy to just sit around and read, so I had to make do with stolen moments to dive into my treasure trove of books. I did get through them all, and was able to return them to the library without paying any fines. The glimpse into the lives of two very fascinating women left me mesmerized, yet I didn't feel fully sated because I hadn't had time to try any of the recipes! I admit that I wouldn't attempt many of the dishes immortalized in the cookbooks, (brains and sweetbreads...I think not), but I like liver, kidneys and a lot of other foods that many people find strange, and I do love desserts.

I was just about to retrieve volume one of MtAoFC, when I remembered a cookbook that had been languishing on my bookshelf since I received it a few years ago.

Unfortunately, I received this book when I was on chemo and never thoroughly explored it. Food held no interest when I was in treatment, and this thoughtful gift from a well meaning friend was set aside. How fortunate to have it now!

I didn't have a free day to bake until Memorial Day weekend, when rain delayed the big plans I had for planting a new garden bed. A quick browse through the book, and an even quicker trip to the store, resulted in Tarte Citron Mama... A light, delicate, almond cake that contains only one tablespoon of flour is topped with peeled, thinly sliced lemons, then crowned with a nut meringue. During the final baking, the lemons transform to create a sort of tangy filling. The combination of flavors and textures is just divine.

If you've suddenly developed a taste for something decidedly French, you can find the recipe here...

To discover more tempting dishes, please visit Designs by Gollum. Michael Lee is our hostess for Foodie Friday, and she has generously provided Mr. Linky to help you on your culinary adventure.