Korean Fried Chicken... and Gochujang Garlic-Ginger Sauce

Korean Fried Chicken... and Gochujang(Gochuchang) Garlic-Ginger Sauce. I've really been enjoying Korean food lately... actually, over the last few years to be more precise. I'm just fascinated with their cuisine. And it's been quite fun trying to duplicate some of the dishes at home.... trying to:).

I've tried my hand at making kimchi (fermented napa cabbage) this past year. Incidentally, I have another batch fermenting right now. But I've also made other Korean dishes such as kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew/soup),  which I absolutely loved.  My very first Korean dish I made was the japchae (sweet potato noodle stir-fry), which I posted  some time ago. It's been my absolute favorite! But over the years, I managed to also cook some kalbi (marinated short-ribs), bibim guksu (noodles with kimchi), bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables, fried egg, and gochuchang), and some banchan (side dishes).

I know the names of these Korean dishes may sound quite complicated... the names may be, but the actual dishes really aren't. In reality, most of the dishes sort of play on each other. For example, if you make kimchi, then you can use some of it to make the kimchi stew, or  noodles with kimchi. Or if you have some side dishes leftover, then you can make the bibimbap.... which is basically rice with leftover banchan, a fried egg on top, and their special red pepper paste, gochujang.

What I love about Korean food is that many of their dishes are vegetable based. And some of the dishes can be made with the leftovers... as I mentioned above, from previous meals. I really like that, because this way nothing gets wasted, and you make a new dish every time.  In any case, I haven't ventured out too far when making Korean dishes at home. But recently, I made the Korean version of fried chicken, and thought to share the recipe with you...

I've heard of the popular Korean fried chicken, known for its extra crunch and delicious seasoned sauce, but I've always wondered how it tasted. And since I live nowhere near a Korean restaurant, I just had to make it at home:). So when I came across Saveur's recipe, I just couldn't wait to try it. So impatient was I, that I ended up making my Korean fried chicken with breast meat of all things(just what I had in the house). But normally wings are used, or whole chicken parts.... much, much better! The chicken breast dries way too fast ... especially since it's fried twice(key signature of Korean fried chicken). I can only imagine how delicious the chicken wings would be. Love, love chicken wings.

The idea behind Korean fried chicken is it's extra-crunchy exterior... and the sauce that covers it. It's interesting because the chicken is only seasoned after it's fried. Therefore the sauce needs to be well-seasoned in order to provide that extra boost of flavor and seasoning the chicken needs. And I've got to say, this sauce packs a ton of flavor! Lots of garlic is used, so you'll definitely taste it. But the ginger and the other condiments sort of balances out the garlic... still garlicky, mind you, but flavorful. I suppose you could use less garlic if you want. Up to you. Definitely not for the faint of heart:). The sauce is on the saltier side, so please don't be tempted to add any extra salt to the chicken.... it's really best left unseasoned.

I'm sure there are a ton of variations on the Korean fried chicken... different types of batter, sauces, etc,. But we really enjoyed this dish. Leftovers were added the next day to our Saturday morning scrambled eggs. Just yummy! Hope you enjoy...

Tip: Make sure your chicken is patted dry before adding it into the batter. Also, use cold water to make the batter....  when the cold batter hits the hot oil, it gives it that extra crunch.

You will need: adapted from Saveur

Sauce:
5 cloves garlic (if you feel this is too much for you, opt to use a  bit less)
1 (1½") piece peeled ginger
3 TBS soy sauce(you can use low sodium to cut down salt)
3 TBS gochujang (Korean chile paste)
1 ½ TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS honey

Batter:
2/3 cup flour
1 TBS cornstarch
2/3 cup cold water

Meat:
1 1/2 -2 lbs chicken pieces (though I used chicken breasts for this post, I highly recommend chicken thigh meat or chicken wings (about 16))

Additional:
oil, for frying( I used coconut for mine)

Directions:
1. Chop garlic and ginger in a food processor. Add soy, gochujang, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; purée. Put sauce into a bowl.


2. Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2". Heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350˚. 

3. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅔ cup water in another bowl. Add chicken pieces to batter and mix to completely cover.
4. Working in batches, fry chicken until lightly golden, about 6–8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
5. Return oil to 350˚. Fry chicken again until golden and crisp, 6–8 minutes more. Drain again.
6. Coat chicken in sauce....  if you have leftover sauce, try it as a dip for baked potato wedges. Delicious!

Homemade German Liverwurst... "Pateu de Casa"

Freshly made... without waiting 24 hours "settling" time. 

After 24 hours "settling" time in the fridge.

Homemade German Liverwurst( poached version)... or "Pateu de Casa". It so happened, that a few months back, I was introduced to the idea of making my own homemade liverwurst. A phone conversation with my sister made it all happen. You see, we ended up talking about recipes.... and then she mentioned that she had just finished making a batch of homemade liverwurst. I mean really, homemade liverwurst? Oh, I was all ears... I loved the idea of homemade liverwurst! And because my sister was thrilled with the final result, I instantly asked her for the recipe. Decided to attempt the liverwurst recipe myself.... 

I felt the liverwurst would  be a great project to make. First and foremost, because it would be free of preservatives, and secondly, because I could use ingredients I wanted. And well, thirdly, because the technique sounded interesting... and I'm always up for trying something new. But in the end, I was hoping the final product would be somewhat similar to the liverwurst I grew up with... the type my mom would spread on toast for us... topped with a few slices of pickle. It was always so, so delicious! 

Now, normally you can make a "pâté " by processing some cooked liver, fat, some spices, and a bit of brandy or cognac. Not a difficult process. And you'll have a good pâté . But making a German-style liverwurst is a bit different. The process involves mixing ground fresh liver, ground fat, some meat, and spices. And all this normally gets stuffed in some sort of casing, which then gets cooked.... or more like poached. The result is a soft and spreadable liverwurst.... similar to the Oscar Meyer braunschweiger we know here in the states. This is also the type of liverwurst Romanians are used to as well... or maybe just our family:). So I was excited to try my hand at making a homemade version...

I was ready to finally make the liverwurst after our local grocery store, that normally carries Montana grown meat, brought in some beef tongue. I've noticed they don't always carry it, so I bought the tongue. Then the butcher kindly gave me some free back fat when I told him I was making liverwurst. Sweet of him. Sometimes it just pays to live in Montana:). And even though pork liver is more widely used when making liverwurst, I ended up using beef liver... just because it is always available. In any case, it's nice to know the recipe works with beef liver as well.... in case you can't find or want to use pork liver. 

While the recipe uses some sort of casing to stuff  the raw liver mixture, I didn't have any. So I chose to make my own version of a "casing". I basically wrapped the liver mix in parchment paper, and then used foil to wrap again... this way the foil would help keep its shape, as well as keep most of the water out as it was poaching. Interestingly, my sister "poaches" the meat in glass jars... so that's another way of doing it. Probably smarter:)

The final product was simply amazing! Delicious. So worth it. And because I knew exactly what went into it, it was doubly worth it:). Plus, it makes a nice amount... you can give some away... or use as an hors d'oeuvre for large gatherings. A big thanks to my sister who did the hard work of finding just the right recipe... that beats the store-bought version. Hope you enjoy...   

                 

Note: If you remember the Romanian "Beef Tongue and Olives" dish I posted earlier.... this recipe used some of the beef tongue. So if you want to see how the tongue was cooked, you may want to check out that recipe. 

~ While you have the option of using some nitrites(or curing salt) to help with keeping the "pink"color, I chose not to. The liverwurst does have a tendency to quickly oxidize and turn gray when exposed to air... but the gray doesn't bother me.

You will need: adapted from HERE. Will yield about 2 3/4 lbs of liverwurst.

1.25 lbs beef liver(can use pork, which is often used)

1/2 lb cooked beef tongue(can use heart or pork shoulder)

3/4 lb back fat

3 tsps table salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 onion +1 TBS oil, grated and cooked till soft and golden  

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground mace

2 tsps dried marjoram

1/4 tsp ground coriander, optional

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Cook beef tongue till tender  and peel skin off while tongue is still hot... I cooked mine in the pressure cooker with 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, half an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 TBS of kosher salt and 12 cups of water... for 40 minutes.

2.  Weigh out 8 oz (1/2 lb). Cut beef tongue in chunks. Grind fine. Set aside and refrigerate. 

2. Weigh out fat and liver. Cut in chunks. Freeze till solid. You may want to place the fat and liver on a parchmement/ plastic wrapped plate before placing in freezer... easier removal later on.

3. Grind frozen fat and liver using a fine grinder plate. Re-freeze and re-grind.

4. Measure out spices.

5. Grate onion and cook in 1 TBS oil on medium/low heat... until soft and golden. Allow to cool.

6.  In a large bowl add cold cooked tongue, cold ground fat and liver, cooled onion, and spices. Mix until thoroughly combined. I added an extra step and processed the liver mixture ( in 2 parts) for a few seconds... until mixture was a bit smoother. Original recipe does not include this step... so it's optional. Just don't over process and warm up the mixture too much if you decide to use the food processor. You want the mixture to be as cold to freezing as possible. 

4. Place liver mixture in fridge and allow to sit overnight or up to 24 hrs.

5. Remove liver mixture from the fridge and divide into 3 parts. 

6. Place one part of the liver mixture onto a large piece of parchment paper... fold over the parchment paper and roll into a log. Twist ends of parchment paper.

7. Place parchment paper wrapped liver mixture on a piece of foil. Wrap yet again.... twisting the ends to tighten log.

8. Repeat with the other 2 portions of liver mixture. 

9. Add the 3 wrapped logs  in a large pot with cold water. Heat pot on low until temperature reaches 170 deg F( no higher)... simmer and adjust heat as needed to maintain a constant temperature. Internal temperature should be around 145 deg F...  which should take about 40 minutes(or so) total cooking time. 

10. Remove from water, unwrap and allow to cool. Re-wrap with fresh parchment paper tightly(and then again in plastic wrap if desired) ... or place in small glass containers and cover. 

11. Refrigerate for 12- 24 hours to allow the flavors to settle as well as the liverwurst to "mature".

Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems... and Sauteed Chard with Eggs

Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems... and Sauteed Chard with Eggs. Growing up I ate lots of  pickled vegetables, and even to this day I love pickled vegetables. It was mostly during the winter that my mom would  fill a barrel full of pickled vegetables that included carrots, cauliflower, green tomatoes, cabbage, peppers etc. Sometimes she would  have smaller jars  filled with pickling cucumbers, or jars filled with red bell peppers. Every so often she would stuff red bell peppers with shredded cabbage, sometimes adding shredded carrots to the cabbage to make them different. She would allow these vegetables to pickle over a matter of weeks.... where fermentation would do it's work.  We always looked forward to the vegetables and they didn't last long. Pickled vegetables went so well with stews or as a side to some sort of meat dish. I still pickle from time to time... though sometimes I opt for the quicker version of  "pickling".... just because I don't have the patience. Fermentation though, is ideal.  

So from time to time, I enjoy making the pickled carrots and daikon, a recipe I posted some time ago. But I will be honest, I don't necessarily use it for sandwiches only. I love the crunch of the vegetables and find them wonderful just to eat on their own... as a snack:).  In any case, the other day, I ended up seeing these beautiful bunches of rainbow chard at our local organic store. Was going there only to pick up some vitamins, but they looked so pretty that I couldn't resist. Ended buying a bunch. 

I thought of  using the chard leaves to make a simple lunch... reminiscent of spinach and eggs. I remembered my mom making spinach and eggs for us when we were little, so I was inspired to make the sauteed chard recipe which I'm sharing below. It was quite delicious and very quick to put together. And really, anything that has an egg on top will make the dish that more enjoyable for me:). 

The rainbow chard stems were so beautiful, that I quickly decided to pickle them... and since I had plenty of celery and carrots on hand I added some as well... to  sort of "stretch" the vegetables a bit. Actually, I ended up making a jar with just carrots and celery only, because I had some extra pickling brine and not enough of the chard stems. In any case, the pickled vegetables were delicious and a wonderful way to use up the chard stems... loved the colors! They aren't too sweet as other quick-pickle versions out there, and actually you can adjust the vinegar amount to taste.

The pickled vegetables are great chopped up and put in salads of all kinds... great in potato and egg salads especially. They are equally good as a side dish/ appetizer... or put in sandwiches as well. So here's a couple of recipes using the beautiful rainbow chard ... gluten-free and good for you. Hope you enjoy...         

Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems... with celery and carrots.

Note: The pickled vegetables are best after they've been brined at least a day... and they get more flavor as the days go by, but the color from the stems sort of leech out after a few days.   

You will need:

Vegetables:

stems from one bunch of rainbow chard, cut in sticks

2 celery stalks, cut in sticks

2 carrots, cut in sticks

extra carrots, celery, chard stems, as needed to use up all the pickling liquid

Pickling Liquid: extra celery and carrots may be needed  to use up all the pickling liquid, otherwise you may need to cut the amount in half

1 1/2 cups warm water

3-6 TBS white vinegar, can add acidity to preference

1 TBS kosher salt

1 TBS sugar

1 garlic, grated or chopped finely

chile peppers(optional)

Directions:

1. Julienne the chard stems, carrots and celery. I like to cut the carrots in long slices on a bias and then cut in strips.

2. Place the chard stems, carrots and celery in clean canning jars.... stacked upright.

3. In a measuring bowl add water, vinegar, salt , sugar and grated garlic. Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. You can add a bit more vinegar, if you like a bit more tang.

4. Pour mixture over vegetables in jars. Seal and refrigerate for a day or even longer for better flavor. Enjoy in sandwiches, as a side with  meats, etc.... or chopped up and put in potato salads, egg salads etc.

Sauteed Chard with Poached Eggs

Tip: You can make this spicy by adding some cayenne pepper to the chard. if you like. Feel free to use other types of cheese... I just had some Romano on hand. Of course, you can omit, if you like.

You will need:

bunch of rainbow chard leaves, chopped

1/4 of a medium onion, chopped

2 TBS olive oil

2-4 TBS water, as needed

salt/pepper

3-4 eggs

grating of Romano cheese, to taste

squeeze of Meyer lemon, optional 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a hot skillet and add the onion. Cook onion until soft and takes on a bit of golden color... about 5 minutes on medium heat.

2. Add chard and a bit of water to help wilt it down. Stir and cook  for a 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze  a bit of Meyer lemon juice over the chard to brighten the flavors... not too much. 

3. Level the chard in the skillet, to make a base for the eggs. Crack the eggs on top of the chard , season with salt and pepper, if desired and cover with a lid.

4. Cook until eggs are set to your liking.... on low heat, so you don't burn the chard. 

5. Grate some Romano cheese over the eggs and chard.     

Iced Petite Vanilla Bean Scones... Starbucks Style

Petite Vanilla Bean Scones... Starbucks Style. It's been awhile since I've baked a dessert of sorts. Baking isn't something I often do on a regular basis. Normally I try to limit the sweets in our diet. Try to anyway, not always the case. But I've taken a long break from the dessert department for some time now... longer than I normally do. So I kind of missed it. It's not that I haven't eaten desserts, though. Actually it's been quite the opposite. My recent vacation has had me eating more than my share of sweets. It seems there was always a bakery that I "just had to try".... even if I ran in and bought a small pastry to sample. And when on vacation, I normally don't look at calories or the fact that certain foods may have ingredients that I normally wouldn't use at home. Sometimes vacations are just that... a break, a respite, a recess, a holiday from the normal routine. Granted, I don't go overboard.  

When my husband and I go on a "big city" vacation, be it here or international, we try to use the public transportation as much as possible. It just makes us experience the city more fully... and well, it makes us feel like a local. Oh, and we walk a lot. And I mean a ton... even when using the subway. Because it's not like you don't have to walk up and down the stairs, through corridors, and ramps to finally get to that subway train. However, we love it... our feet, maybe not so much:). But this way we get our exercise, and can sample foods throughout the day without feeling too much guilt:). 

The fact is that when you are on vacation and walk quite a bit, you find yourself... well, in need of a resting place. A place where you can stop and catch your breath, warm up a bit, and check out your map for your next destination. Starbucks always seems to be everywhere... or at least very close by.  So at times, we stop there for a cup of coffee and a pastry. As much as I don't frequent the coffee place when I'm at home, I do stop there on occasion when traveling. It's just convenient. Out in the city, or inside the airport. 

So on our last trip, when heading back home, we found ourselves with an early am flight. Real early. Ended up having our coffee and breakfast from Starbucks.... right there in the airport. Normally I don't have sweets early in the morning, but the cranberry scones with orange icing sure looked delish! And I had to try it:). Loved it, really. When I came home I started thinking about the scone. On a whim, I decided to look up a recipe for it. Kind of got carried away and found myself looking at other Starbucks copycat scones. Ran into a recipe for their petite vanilla bean scones. Now, I haven't seen these mini scones in any of their shops while traveling, maybe they don't sell them everywhere.... or maybe they were so tiny that I missed them:). In any case, they sure sounded wonderful. Love anything mini. And glazed? Why, I've never made scones that were completely covered in a glaze. Had to try it!

The recipe for these mini scones are adapted from Pioneer Woman, with a slight variation. I made mine in a food processor for ease, though I've included the 'by hand' method as well in the instructions. Also, I felt I could cut down the butter a tad bit and substituted some vanilla bean paste instead of 2 whole vanilla pods for the scones themselves. Used the vanilla pod only for the icing to get those vanilla bean specks showing. Sort of saves you a bit on expense. And after making a few glazed scones with just the vanilla bean icing, I felt the icing still needed a touch of "something" to elevate it... decided to add a few drops of rum extract. Not too much ... anywhere form 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of rum extract. Doesn't overpower, but gives it that extra flavor boost. Totally optional though, especially if you aren't used to rum. 

Loved these mini scones... maybe not like the Starbucks, but still delicious! That icing just puts them over the top.... makes them extra special. Oh, and if you don't have any vanilla pods... opt to make them with lemon or orange peel. Hope you enjoy...  

Note: You may refrigerate the cut triangles for an hour or until dough is firm... this will make the scones rise higher. I wasn't necessarily looking for "tall" scones so I chose to bake mine immediately after cutting into shapes. 

Also, you can make the icing as thick as you like, I preferred less thick, and used only 4 cups of icing sugar. 

Tip: Scones will keep for a couple of days if glazed. I've even frozen them... defrosted by taking them first out of the freezer bag and allowing them to completely thaw on the counter. You don't want to leave them in the freezer bag as it will cause condensation and make the icing sticky.

You will need: adapted from Pioneer Woman

Makes about 50-60(2 inch) petite scones... can make double the size and get about 25-30 smaller scones  

SCONES

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups sugar

5 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 TBS) unsalted COLD Butter, cut in cubes

1 ex-large egg

3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold 

2 tsps vanilla bean paste

GLAZE

4-5 cups powdered Sugar*

1/2 cup whole milk*

1 whole Vanilla Bean

1/8-1/4 tsp rum extract, optional but makes the icing have that "European" flavor 

* you may need to adjust quantities of milk and sugar to attain desired thickness. Also, you may need to make another half batch of the glaze if making the petite version.... I used  most of my icing for about half the batch and drizzled some on the other half.

Directions: Food Processor and Alternate Method(by hand)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mix cream, vanilla and egg until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

2. In a food processor add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse a few times until combined. 

• ALT METHOD: In a bowl, sift together flour,  sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3.  Add butter to flour mixture and process for 30 seconds or until mixture looks like coarse crumbs... smaller than peas. 

• ALT METHOD: Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles crumbs.

4. Add cream mixture to the butter/flour mix and process for an additional 30 seconds or so ... or until mixture comes to a ball.

• ALT METHOD: Pour the cream mixture over the flour/butter mix and stir gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. You may knead it a bit to fully combine, being careful to not over-knead. 

5. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Lightly press it together to form a rough rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands or a bench scraper to make it straight.

 You can use a knife to trim outside edges if you really want... though I didn't. 

6. Cut the rectangle into squares... whatever size you like. You can make large, small or a petite version. 

My petite version was roughly 2 inch by 2 inch squares.... or anywhere form 1.5 to 2 inch. So you will need to cut 2 inch strips lengthwise... then cut 2 inch strips widthwise to form 2x2 inch squares(or anywhere from 1.5-2 inches roughly). Then cut each square in half, diagonally... to form two triangles.

7. Transfer each triangle to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

VANILLA GLAZE

1. Split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the beans with the back of a knife. 

2. Stir vanilla beans into milk and allow to sit for a bit.  At this point, if you are using the rum, you can also add it here.

3. Whisk powdered sugar with the vanilla milk... you can add more powdered sugar or even milk if it is necessary,  to get the right thickness you prefer. You don't want the glaze to be too thin.... but if you like the glaze to be thicker add a bit more icing sugar. Whisk until completely smooth.

DIPPING THE SCONES

1. One at a time, carefully dip the cooled scone in the glaze and turning it over completely cover. 

2. Using a fork lift the glazed scone, tap and lightly scrape the bottom of the scone for any excess icing.

3. Transfer the glazed scone to a cooling rack... or even parchment paper.

4. Allow the glaze to set completely. 

Jewish Matzo(Matzah) Ball Soup

Jewish Matzo(Matzah) Ball Soup... You know, I've never had matzo ball soup  before... well, until a few weeks ago in NYC... at the Carnegie Deli. Oh, I've actually known about the soup for a long time, just never tried it before. And the reason being, is that all this time I thought, " Neah, it can't be better than the Romanian version of Chicken Soup with Farina Dumplings (or Supa de Galuste)." Ashamedly not the best attitude... because when one isn't open minded, one misses out. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised to find out that matzo soup is right up there with the supa de galuste. It's equally delicious... even though they're both slightly different from one another. I'm so, so glad I finally tried it! Plus, it actually gives me an excuse to switch from one soup to the other:).

So if you remember, when I made the shredded chicken in my pressure cooker, I had some leftover chicken stock. And since I had some matzo meal on hand, I decided to make a quick matzo soup. Even with the stock being lighter in color from not using chicken bones, it still tasted delicious! It's funny how the photo actually makes the stock look like water, but the lighting was off that day... it really was chicken stock:). 

In any case, I thought I would share this recipe that's become a favorite of mine. Real comfort food. Great soup for those cloudy and dreary days.... or when you just need to take the chill off from all the shoveling:). Oh, and I forgot to mention, the soup re-heats quite well  because the matzo balls don't fall apart. So in reality, it would be a great make-ahead sort of meal you can give to someone who's fighting a cold... or just to cheer them up. Great even for the elderly, a new mom, or as a dish to bring to a gathering. We absolutely loved this soup! Hope you enjoy...    

You will need: matzo ball ingredients taken from the back of the matzo meal box:)

Matzo Balls: makes about 8 (1 1/2 TBS) balls

1/2 cup matzo meal

2 eggs, lightly beaten (I forgot to beat mine)

2 TBS oil (can use chicken fat) 

kosher salt to taste( I used a big pinch)

1/4 tsp dried onion, powdered, optional but quite tasty

2 TBS chicken stock (can use water, I suppose)

For Soup:

8 cups prepared chicken stock(or as needed), homemade is best*

1 cooked carrot, thinly sliced, optional

a few sprigs of dill, parsley, celery leaves, etc. thinly sliced

thinly sliced leeks, green onion, totally optional

freshly ground black pepper, optional

* I ended up using the stock from when I made my pressure cooker shredded chicken, so it's lighter than normal

Directions:

1. Mix all matzo ball ingredients in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

2. Add 6 cups of water to medium sized pot. Salt water well... as you would pasta water.

3. Bring water to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

4. Wet or oil your hands and form matzo balls... I like to use the 1 1/2 TBS cookie scooper and then  lightly shape into balls. Roll them loosely. Do not compact the mixture as you roll. You want to use as light of a hand as possible when rolling. This ensures your matzo balls won't be heavy.

5. Drop the balls into simmering salted water... one at a time. 

As a side note: You can cook the matzo balls directly in your chicken stock, if you like... it will just make the soup a bit more cloudy. 

6. Cover the pot and cook for 30- 40 minutes.

Assemble Soup:

1. Bring prepared chicken stock to a simmer... add any cooked carrot slices you may have from making the chicken stock... or omit.  

2. Ladle some soup in a bowl, add 2-3 matzo balls and sprinkle any fresh herbs, or sliced leeks/green onion. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken... with a bonus Chicken Stock.

Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken... with a bonus Chicken Stock. Oh, and a quick tip on shredding chicken. You know, sometimes I'm all for a quick meal... because there are days when you really need to put something on the table without being in the kitchen for too long. And there are those days that you simply don't have a lot of ingredients on hand... except some chicken. I don't know about you, but I always seem to have chicken around. Chicken is just easier to cook and can be used in lots and lots of dishes. I'll be honest, sometimes I can run out of ideas when it comes to using chicken breast meat. Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of recipes out there. But when I want to fix something quick, like say in under a half hour, I tend to fall back on a stir-fry, or a quick pan sear. Normally, I have quite a few vegetables around that I toss in to make a whole meal. But the other day, after coming back from my recent vacation, I  found myself with just a few vegetables on hand... a bit of celery, carrots and some onion.What to do...

It's interesting but when I am in a hurry, I most always reach for my pressure cooker. It just cooks foods faster, and makes it taste a ton better! I couldn't do without my pressure cooker, and use it on a weekly basis. Over time, I've learned to tweak certain recipes and find it works rather well. So the other day, when I had a few chicken breasts and limited vegetables on hand, I immediately thought of making some shredded chicken. At the time, I was thinking of using some pantry/freezer items to complement the chicken and make a meal of it... could make some chicken salad, or burritos, or "pulled" chicken.  Actually I was leaning more on making some flautas, but last minute I decided to use up some BBQ sauce and made "pulled" chicken sandwiches... with a soup(coming soon). 

I wasn't planning on posting this idea, but because I normally have my camera nearby, I thought it would be great if I would just snap a few pictures... would think about it later if I posted or not. Then I thought, maybe this post would be of help to someone... especially busy moms. So I'm posting it:). You can make the shredded chicken early in the week and use it  in all sorts of dishes throughout the coming days. I'm thinking, if you have a larger pressure cooker, you can easily double the recipe if you like. 

Another thing that I like about this recipe, is that  after the chicken breasts are cooked, you will have some chicken stock left in the pot. Not a lot, and not as flavorful as one made with bones, but it's still great. You can freeze the stock, use it in other dishes, or make a chicken noodle soup... or any other soup you like. Oh, and if you've never used the mixer to shred your chicken, you might want to give it a try... saves you a ton of time shredding it by hand. Well, you'll have shredded all the chicken in under 1 minute! Feel free to use the shredded chicken as you like. Hope you enjoy...         

Note: Feel free to add any BBQ sauce you like to make the "pulled" chicken filling. 

You will need:

2.5 lbs fresh chicken breast

1 large carrot, sliced in chunks

1 celery rib, cut in chunks

1/2 onion, cut in 2 pieces

1 garlic clove, cut in 2 pieces

4 cups water 

salt as needed

Directions:

1. Wash chicken breasts. Season with a bit of salt. Set aside.

2. In pressure cooker pot, place the "foot" of the insert pan at the bottom. Add chopped vegetables and garlic.

3. Pour in water and season with salt... I think I used a couple big pinches.

4. Add the insert pan on top of the "foot"...  The pan will be sitting on top of the water and vegetables. Water will barely touch the insert pan. 

5. Place the chicken breasts on top of the insert pan. 

6. Add lid and lock. Bring to pressure on high heat. 

7. When pressure is reached, lower heat to low and cook chicken for 12-15 minutes. Mine took about 15 minutes...

8. Release pressure and remove chicken.... check to see the chicken is cooked through. If you notice that your chicken isn't cooked at 12 minutes,  bring to pressure again and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

9. Place chicken in the bowl of the Kitchen-aid mixer and using the paddle attachment mix on low-medium for 30 seconds-1 minute ... or until chicken is shredded to your liking. Be careful at the beginning, as the chicken can "jump"around. 

10. Strain stock, season with extra salt if needed, and freeze... or use for soup, or other dishes. Stock isn't as deep in flavor as one made with bones, but it is a great 'lil bonus that you can use for a quick soup.