Ponzu Chicken with Sesame Green Beans and Potatoes

Ponzu Chicken

Ponzu is a popular Oriental marinade made of soy and citrus. The salty sweet flavor pairs well with chicken and any citrus choice you like can be used for this, try changing it each time for a new flavor. The flour helps to thicken the sauce just right and no salt is needed with the soy sauce being used. Don't marinate longer than 2 hours total or the chicken will begin to 'cook' and turn mushy.

Sesame Green Beans and Potatoes

I like to serve the chicken with fresh green beans and red potatoes that make perfect partners when brought together with soy and sesame. Toasted sesame seeds can be bought or made. Tossing gently in a hot pan for a few seconds is all that's needed to bring out the nuttiness of the seeds and increase the flavor exponentially.

The sodium content between these two can be quite high, so a lower sodium soy is advised. I always use a good brewed soy sauce. The imitation soy is NOT the same in flavor and can actually make a good dish bad. Kikkoman is an excellent brand of soy and ponzu sauces.


Ponzu Chicken
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (about 1 pound total) large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice such as lime, lemon or orange
1 Tablespoon Mirin (sweetened rice wine) or 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 4 thin slices. Set aside.
2. Combine soy sauce, juice, garlic and Mirin or sugar in a large bowl. Stir until well combined and add chicken breasts. Marinate for 20 - 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour until each piece is evenly coated. Fry in oil for 3 minutes per side until golden.
4. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and cover with a lid. Cook for another 3 minutes. Serve with sauce over each piece.


Sesame Green Beans and Potatoes
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh green beans
4 medium red-skinned potatoes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Snap ends off green beans and set aside. Wash potatoes well and cut each into eight thin wedges.
2. Heat oils in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes on the bottom, topped with green beans and followed by garlic. Do not put garlic directly into oil or it may burn.
3. Lid tighly and cook for 10 minutes, checking every 2 minutes to stir so vegetables cook evenly. Check to make sure potatoes are soft and green beans are crisp-tender. Cook for another 3 minutes if vegetables are not done.
4. Sprinkle vegetables with soy sauce and sesame seeds at the end of 10 minutes and toss well to coat.

Walnut Shrimp

Walnut Shrimp

Just about a year ago I had Walnut Chicken for the very first time. I found it on the menu at a Chinese restaurant in Stroudsburg, Pa. It was one of the best dishes I've ever had in the Americanized Chinese realm. That day happened to be the beginning of a very big life-change and so I've had good feelings about life in general each time I have Walnut-Anything.

At a local Chinese buffet/hibachi hot-spot, there is a dish almost consistently served called coconut chicken. I never tasted coconut myself nor were there any shreds or pieces of coconut visible, but the sauce was white and creamy and studded with bite-sized morsels of battered and deep fried chicken. It's very good stuff.

Tried as I might, I couldn't find a dish similar in any of the Chinese take-out menus I had and each time I stepped foot in a Chinese restaurant, I looked for it. So, when I was in Stroudsburg at that particular restaurant, they had a photo of what looked like coconut chicken on the menu; it was Walnut Chicken.

It was the same sauce, but instead filled with chicken and candied walnuts. Too much was too much, but in moderation ... well, you wanted to eat until you reached the too much stage. I couldn't, however, figure out the sauce. Sweet, but not too sweet, creamy, but not a sauce thickened with any starch ... I was completely flummoxed.

I searched the internet and finally, finally found a recipe. I had to make it, and so I did, but the chicken wasn't the same and I didn't have candied walnuts. In stepped Guy Fieri. Well, not for real, but I did watch and episode of Triple D that had a recipe for Walnut Shrimp. It was all so simple. I ran to the store, ran back home (I run everywhere) and made it for the first time. I was hooked and so was my Chinese-food-addicted oldest daughter.

Enter California Walnuts. When we hooked up on Twitter, I knew my Walnut Shrimp and they would be a perfect match. And they are. Before I pass on the recipe, though, you need to know, these walnuts are oh-so-good.

Walnut Shrimp

They are larger than other walnuts I've used and unlike many others, there is no bitterness to them ... just sweet, tender nuts that are really difficult to keep from snacking on when you need them for a recipe. Once I had them measured out and tried one ... I had to re-measure a couple times. Oops.

They are the perfect addiction, er ... addition, to this recipe and I already know they'll be tops when I add them to maple syrup to drizzle over my souffle-like pumpkin pancakes. Heaven.

You can find California Walnuts online at:

Walnuts.org: www.walnuts.org
Twitter: @CaWalnuts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cawalnuts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cawalnuts

Now for the recipe! Usually I skin the walnuts by boiling them in water for several minutes and rinsing well, but I found the California Walnuts don't need to lose their skins as they are not bitter. You can skip skinning them all together if you are using these walnuts. Most walnut shrimp recipes contain honey, this one does not, hence the simple name of Walnut Shrimp.

Walnut Shrimp

Walnut Shrimp
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups walnut halves
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 egg white
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Japanese Kewpie is best for this, though regular mayo is yummy, too)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (I use the lesser amount, it's your choice)
1/2 pound sno peas - steamed, for serving

1. Boil walnuts in 3 cups of water for 5 minutes, drain well and rinse thoroughly to remove skins. Let cool and dry for several hours before moving on.
2. Combine water and sugar in a heavy pan and heat until sugar is melted. Add walnuts and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from sugar with a slotted spoon and place on a well-greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees, turning often, for 15-20 minutes or until golden in color. Cool completely.
3. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Set aside.
4. Beat egg white until slightly frothy and add shrimp and cornstarch. Stir well to coat all shrimp.
5. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet and add shrimp. Cook, turning once or twice, until shrimp is pink and coating is crispy but not overly browned - about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oil, drain and keep warm.
7. Combine mayo, condensed milk and lemon juice until smooth.
8. Add walnuts to shrimp in a large bowl and pour sauce over all. Toss to coat and serve over sno peas.