Thursday, October 18, 2007

Strange Crispy Chicken Bites

I really love to try STRANGE recipes. Not those that take things I can't pronounce, but ones that take everyday things and combine them in an unthinkable way. Well, someone thought of them, but...not me.

I got this recipe from a Japanese television program and shared it with my Japanese students. It isn't exactly Japanese - at all, really - but it's pretty good.

Take boneless skinless chicken legs and cut them up into bite-sized pieces.

In a bowl, combine a little bit (maybe 1/2 cup or less) of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of salt, and some garlic paste in some form or other. Mix it well and stir in the chicken pieces. Cover and let it set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Longer is fine.

In another bowl, crush up some kind of non-sweetened cereal. Take the chicken pieces out of the mayo, one at a time, and roll them in the cereal. Place as close together as you need on a cookie sheet or pan. Cook at 400F or 210C for about 20 min - depending on your interpretation of bite-sized. When done, remove to a paper towel, and eat hot!

Nice and crunchy!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Berry Sauce

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how to make this sauce. However, my mother, who has PLENTY of common sense and cooking experience, loved this sauce so much, she asked me how to make it. Thus, the recipe - if you can call it that.

One package of frozen blueberries
One package of frozen raspberries - the same amount as the blueberries.

Dump both packages in a saucepan, put the lid on and turn the heat on as low as possible. Go about your morning fixing pancakes or toast. Forget about the berries. Notice the great smell just as the berries boil over. Rush to the stove. Pop off the lid. Get out the potato masher and smash the berries all up. Dump 1/2 cup of sugar, or however much you like, into the pan and stir it nicely. Then, crank the heat up a bit and glance at the clock. Wait for the sauce to boil for a minute, turn it off, and WALA - berry sauce.

This sauce is great over plain yogurt and Japanese Corn Flakes - harder than ones in the States and don't get soggy as fast. My baby dumped all of her pieces of pancake in her bowl with yogurt and berry sauce, and that has become her breakfast of choice. I too must admit that the slightly burnt flavor of those pancakes is best hidden by something, and something with fruit is always a nice something.