Happy 100th Recipe on my website !!!

Would you say NO to quick & easy flavor packed dishes that also comes with a crunch? Definitely not me. This one is no exception. Just a few ingredients along with some garnishes and you can achieve an eye pleasing and mouth-watering dish.

I love the crunchy flavor and texture that the panko bread crumbs gives off. My first experiment with panko bread crumb was in Panko Crusted Fish with Lemongrass Chili Sauce recipe. Panko is made from bread without crusts, thus it has a crisper, airier texture than most types of bread crumbs found in Western groceries. It flavorless really, and does not absorb as much oil when cook. If all you have is regular bread crumbs then you may substitute with that as well.

For an even bigger flavor you can marinade a day in advance but 2-3 hours prior in the fridge will also work too. I like to use pork cut that has a bit of fat as the leaner cut tend to taste a bit dry. An alternative to fresh garlic would be garlic powder. Make sure that the ingredient listed is garlic and no added salt, otherwise you will have to omit or adjust the salt content.

You can serve it fancy with a knife and fork along side pickled carrots and daikon or just grab a piece with your fingers and savor it with steamed rice YUM!

Crispy Garlic Pork (makes 1-2 servings accompany with other dishes)
(Sach Jrook Ktum Bompong) សាច់ជ្រូកខ្ទឹមបំពង

Ingredients
1/2 lb pork, slice 1/2 inch thick
5 gloves of garlic, peel and crushed
2-3 pinches salt
2-3 pinches black pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
oil for frying

Method:
Rub pork with crushed garlic and sprinkle on salt & pepper on both sides. If you are using garlic powder, you can mix the three ingredients and sprinkle on them at one. Massage the pork so the marinade get well distribute. Marinade in the fridge.

Bring marinade pork and allow to sit at room temperate to remove the chill.

Spread panko bread crumbs evenly on a plate. Lay each pork cut on the plate and lightly press into the bread crumbs to evenly coat them. Repeat until both sides are coated. Set aside and repeat this process until all the pork are coated.

Heat enough oil in a pan on medium. *Tip: to conserve on oil, you can use a smaller but deep sauce pan/pot. While there is little surface space which means you might have to fry in batches, you will use less oil.

Test oil with a piece of bread crumbs. If it sizzle quickly then it’s ready. Carefully add the coated pork into the oil and fry until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Arrange on a platter with garnishes and/or serve with pickled carrots and daikon . ENJOY!

This week at my local Lucky Supermarket Tyson game hen were on sale. It comes in 2 per platter and was going for a BOGO free! I jump at this sale and got a total of 4 game hen for about $8. No recipe in mind when I pick them up but because of their convenience size it disappear real quick once I get them home.

I wanted to make sometime quick & easy that doesn’t involve too much time in the kitchen. Steamed Chicken with Garlic Fish Sauce came into my mind in a flash. I set the steamer with some water and while I wait for that to come to a boil I give this baby a quick rinse and stuff it with some aromatics I had on hand like green onion, sliced ginger and a couple sliced of lime. The chicken was perfectly sized so within 30-40 minutes I got a nice juicy and succulent chicken waiting for me to dive in. YUM!  Don’t have a steamer? Try poaching instead. First cook the chicken at high heat and then turn it off and allow to poach for 20-25 minutes. Crank the heat back to high for 5 minutes and repeat the process.  You can use other cuts of chicken as well but adjust cooking time accordingly.

I allowed my chicken to rest for awhile so that the juices get distribute back into the meat and not flow when I break into them. In the meantime I prepared my simple yet finger-licking garlic-y fish sauce for dipping.

Steamed Chicken with Garlic Fish Sauce (makes 1-2 servings)
(Mon Jomhoy Nung Tuk Jroluk Ktum Saw Tuk Trey) ម៉ាន់ចំហុយនិងទឹកជ្រលក់ខ្ទឹមសរទឹកត្រី

Ingredients
1 game hen (weigh about 1-1½ lbs)
2 stalks green onion
4 slices ginger, cut about ¼ inch thick
1+ ½ lime, divided
water for steaming/poaching
5 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
6 red hot bird’s eye chili, roughly chopped, adjust amount if desire
3 tablespoons already prepared fish sauce (see recipe)
chopped cabbage (optional)

Method:
Bring a pot/steamer to a boil. Meanwhile rinse the chicken and stuff the cavity with green onion, ginger and ½ lime thickly sliced. Add chicken to the pot/steamer.

Steam on high heat for 5 minutes then reduce to the lowest setting. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes or until the juices run clear when your pierce the inner thigh. The meat should no longer be pink and it should be soft and succulent.  Turn off heat and allow to rest.

Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle add chopped garlic and chili. Pound into a paste. Transfer to a sauce boil and squeeze the juice from a whole lime. Add prepared fish sauce and give it a stir to combine. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Break/chop the chicken into pieces and lay it on a bed of chopped cabbage.  Serve along with garlic fish sauce. ENJOY!

Congee or Rice Porridge is one of my favorite things to enjoy for breakfast or any time I’m not feeling well. I love all sorts of rice porridge from elaborate porridge like my Chicken & Shrimp to just plain porridge with a bunch of different side dishes. Today I share with you something in between. It’s what I call simplified quick and easy porridge. I happen to choose shrimp as my protein but you can switch it out with your favorite pre-cooked meats. To speed up the cooking process I reserved cooked rice from the day before. I also use frozen shrimp that I soak in cold water at the same time I started cooking. Meats and seafood can be used whole or chopped into small pieces. It all depends on your preference. I like to have my shrimp in every bite therefore I choose to chop them.

Quick & Easy Shrimp Rice Porridge (makes 1 serving)
(Baw Baw Bongkea) បបរបង្គា

Ingredients
3 tablespoons cooked rice
3-3½ cups of water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon chicken powder
5 large frozen shrimp, soaked in cold water then peel and devein, chop or leave whole

Optional topping
2 thinly sliced ginger, cut into long strips
1 green onion (scallion) leaf, thinly slice lengthwise
1 teaspoon salted soy bean
1-2 dash ground white pepper
1-2 dash ground red pepper flakes
a wedge of lime

Method:
Add cooked rice and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes then reduce to a low simmer, cover partially so that it doesn’t spill over. Stir occasionally making sure the grains doesn’t stick to the bottom. Cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes until you reach the desire consistency. If it’s too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, you can also remove some liquid.

Up the heat back to medium and add chicken powder and fish sauce. Give it a quick stir follow by the shrimp. Seafood like shrimp takes very little time to cook. If using other pre-cooked meat then you just want to warm it up and bring it back to a boil.

Ladle rice porridge to a bowl. Add your choice of topping.

Serve hot with a wedge of lime.

I don’t have Cambodian Smoked Fish at the moment so I just left it out and use dried shrimps instead. By pre-soaking the dried shrimp it will wash away the grainy stuff that might of been attached to them. It will also expand in size. I then toast to seal in the outer layer and pound it lightly with a mortar and pestle. This will keep it nice and crunchy and it doesn’t get soggy too quickly once it’s tossed in the salad. Chopped roasted peanuts are a great addition too but I totally forgot to include it this time.

Cook’s Note: If possible, try to buy the green mango in the vegetable section of the Asian Supermarket.  The skin will have a light green color. The shape will be bit flat and oval. The flesh tend to be white or pale yellow.  These variety has a crisp texture an a tart taste. Do not use the mangoes in the fruit section. Even though the outer peel may look green and hard to the touch, their flesh will still have that yellow color and tend to be soft  and mushy when you cut into it unlike those you find at the Asian stores.

Cambodian Green Mango Salad with Dried Shrimp (makes 2 servings)
(Ngorm Svay Kjey Nung Bongkea Kream) ញុំាស្វាយខ្ចីនិងបង្គាក្រៀម

Video Tutorial:

Ingredients
1 medium size green mango, skin peeled and shredded
1 tablespoon lime juice (1 lime)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup dried shrimp, pre-soak in water about 30 mins
1 teaspoon chopped fresh bird’s eye chili (optional)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh chopped herbs (mint, green onions, sawtooth, or basil)
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

Method:
Heat a small pan and lightly oil it. Add dried shrimps and give it a quick stir. Fry it to give them a nice crispy texture. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and lightly pound it to break up the fibers. This will allow the shrimp to absorb the flavors from the dressing but also retain that nice and crunchy texture. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, salt and fresh chili.

Add shallots, green mango, dried shrimp and fresh herbs. Toss the salad to combine.

Transfer to a serving plate and E-N-J-O-Y!

I tried to plan ahead when possible so that I can pull the meat out to defrost and marinade to the full extent which was what I did with these chicken pieces.  This is a very quick and easy dish to put together. I had to wait for my rice cooker to switch to warm before I began cooking. It doesn’t take long to cook so you don’t want the stir-fried to be waiting on the rice. It should be vice versa.

HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Stir-Fried Black Pepper Chicken
(Cha Mon Marich Kmao) ឆារម៉ាន់ម្រេចខ្មៅ

Ingredients
1 lb chicken thigh, skinless & boneless, cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
cilantro sprigs for garnish

Marinade for chicken
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (sweet)
½ teaspoon tapioca flour (or corn flour)

Method:
Combine ingredients for marinade and add to chicken pieces. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Use a mortar & pestle and lightly pound the whole black peppercorn. It should be coarse.

In a hot pan add the marinated chicken pieces. Spread them out evenly and allow to caramelized for about 3 minutes before moving it around. Cook until chicken pieces are cooked. The sauce will start to thickens.

Toss in coarse peppercorns and stir to coat with chicken pieces. Add onion wedges and stir it around so it picks up all the yummy sauces on the pan. Continue to cook until the onions are soft but not mushy. You still want a little bit of crunch on them.

Dish out when ready. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve with hot steamy rice. ENJOY!