Poached Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad

Here's a very refreshing, yet protein-rich side dish for the upcoming warm season. I'm listing the basic soy sauce + sesame oil flavor, but you can be creative by adding mayonnaise, mustard, miso, minced umeboshi, or hot chili sesame oil (ラー油).

Poached Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad

• 2 Persian cucumbers, thin-sliced 
• 1 Chicken breast
• 1/2 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Sake
• White sesame seed
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar

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makes 2 servings

1. In a heavy bottomed pot ( I use Le Creuset pot), place a piece of chicken breast, add sake and just enough water so that chicken won't stick on the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook in a low heat.
2. Once water start boiling, cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Keep the lid on, and let it steam for about 5-10 minutes.  
3. In a bowl, add sliced cucumber, sprinkle some salt and mix. After 5-10 minutes, squeeze the cucumber and drain extra water. 
4. Take out the chicken from the pot, shred it with your hand, and add them to the cucumber. 
5. Add chopped ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar to the bowl and mix them well.
6. If time allowed, chill for 15-30 minutes, sprinkle sesame seed at the end.  

Note: .

Chili Nachos

A quick snack/appetizer using the left-over chili con carne, pico de gallo, and guacamole. It was a super-bowl dinner request from my husband. I like a dash or two of some hot sauce (such as tabasco) to spice up a notch.

Chili Nachos

• 2 cups prepared chili con carne
• 1/2 bag of tortilla chips
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (such as Monterey Jack, Queso Quesadilla, or cheddar

Garnish options:
sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, chopped scallion, pickled jalapeño, cilantro, etc...

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makes 2-3 servings

1. Set oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the chili in a small saucepan or microwave until hot.
3. Spread half of the tortilla chips on the bottom of a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.
4. Spread half of the chili over the chips.
5. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
6. Repeat with remaining chips, chili and cheese.
7. Bake for about 7-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
8. Top with the garnish of your choice.
9. Serve immediately.

Pico de Gallo (salsa fresca) and Guacamole

Healthy snack, great as a party appetizer. I make the two dippings together, since they use similar ingredients.

Pico de Gallo

• 2 packs of grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1-2 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• a cup of cilantro
• salt and pepper
• white vinegar

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makes 4-5 servings

1. Finely chop all vegetables. Keep them in separate containers. Strain chopped tomatoes and remove excess liquid. You can reserve the tomato liquid to make  a healthy cocktail-drink later.
2. In a bowl, combine all vegetables, season with lime juice, white vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Adjust flavor to your taste by adding onion, jalapeño and cilantro, little by little. Same with the seasonings.

Guacamole

• 2 Avocados
• pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt
• a pinch of ground cayenne pepper and cumin

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makes 4-6 servings

1. In a bowl, mash halved avocados, add lime juice, pico de gallo, and garlic, mix together.
2. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and cumin.
3. Adjust flavor by adding remained vegetables from pico de gallo recipe.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve chilled.

Note: The amount of ingredients are just a guide. Just chop a bunch, keep them in a separate container, add each ingredient gradually, taste, then reach to your best flavor.

Cripsy Potato Skin Chips

Utilizing saved peeled potato skins that come out of your typical potato dishes such as mashed potatoes, stews, etc. A great way to add an extra dish to your supper, or use them as a healthy snack.

Cripsy Potato Skin Chips

• Potato skins (picture above is from 4 potatoes)
• Flour
• Salt & Pepper
• Vegetable oil

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1. Save potato skins when you cook other potato dishes such as mashed potatoes.
2. Put them on a paper towel, sprinkle salt and let the paper towel soak moistures, let them dry.
3. Heat oil, sprinkle pepper and flour all over the skin to separate them each other.
4. When the oil is hot, throw in the skins, make sure to separate them. Cook a portion at a time.
5. When they're golden crispy, take them out. 

Tool recommendation:

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

CrunchyTangy lotus root salad

The crunchy, sweet yet delicate flavor of lotus root has numerous health benefits. It is high in fiber, and an excellent sources of vitamin C. Lotus root has traditionally been used to treat various respiratory problems, as well.

Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) also have remarkable medicinal qualities. Their powerful acidity has a paradoxical alkalinizing effect on the body, neutralizing fatigue, stimulating the digestion, and promoting the elimination of toxins. This is the Far Eastern equivalent to both aspirin and apple; not only is it a potent hangover remedy for mornings after; more than that, an umeboshi a day is regarded as one of the best preventive medicines available.

CrunchyTangy lotus root salad

1 section of lotus root
1 piece of umeboshi pickled plum
5~6 leaves of basil
a dash of ponzu sauce
1 tbsp of mayonnaise
white sesame seed
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makes 2~3 servings

Chop each end of lotus root, peel the skin off, slice them in 2-3mm thickness.
Soak them in water with a little vinegar for 5-10 minutes.
Remove a seed from Umeboshi, mince it by chopping, chop basil leaves as well.
Boil water in a pot, throw in strained lotus roots, cook them for 1~2 minutes, drain water right away.
While still hot, coat them with ponzu sauce, once less hot, add mayonnaise, basil and minced umeboshi and mix them together. Serve chilled, sprinkle sesame seeds when serve.