Sautéed Chicken and Bell Peppers

I'll be the first to admit I haven't been posting much lately. Usually, this means I've been busy and not cooking anything new or particularly interesting. A lot of times, I fall back on old standbys which have already appeared on the blog, such as char siu. Lately, I've been cooking a lot of simple and quick chicken dishes, some of which are devised out of whatever I happen to have at the time. Sometimes, they turn out really well, and I think it's time to highlight some of these humble dinner workhorses. Grilled chicken cutlets and Chengdu-style chicken (known as "five spice chicken" in our house) are two that have seen a lot of action recently.

This particular creation was an instant hit and immediately became a staple weeknight dinner. The first time I made it, I basically dumped all the ingredients into the pan at once. Instead of properly browning, the vegetables sweated, forming into their own sauce. As I've given more thought to it, I've cooked them the ingredients in batches (as in my standard way to cook fried rice). As such, I add a little chicken stock to form up a quick pan sauce at the end.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. (approx.) boneless chicken thighs
• 2 bell peppers (I use 1 green and 1 red)
• 1 large onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• Oregano to taste (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Lime wedges for serving
• Olive oil

Rub

• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

Start by preparing the vegetables. Cut the onions into slices, lengthwise. Cut the tops off the bell peppers, remove the core, and cut into strips. Finely mince the garlic. Set vegetables aside and cut the chicken into pieces about square inch -- 4-5 pieces per thigh. In a large bowl, combine chicken and all rub ingredients. Toss to coat well.

In a large pan (I use cast iron), heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken in two batches until lightly browned. Set chicken aside. 

Turn the heat down a bit. Add all the sliced peppers and onion into the pan, adding oil as needed. Season with about 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and turning translucent. 

Add the garlic and cook a few more minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and add oregano, if using. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Add chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits. Let the stock reduce into a coating while continuing to stir. 

Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over. The dish goes well with rice, bread, or both.

Sausage and Napa Cabbage Fried Rice

It is safe to say fried rice is central to the mission of No Free Lunch. Not only was it a staple of my family's diet from when I was young, it can also be endlessly customized. Fried rice was my first recipe here (can you tell it's the same wok?), and I've done three more of them over the years. Most recently (in 2014), I wrote about how Pei Mei's Chinese Cook Book  led to me thinking more about fried rice and what really makes it good. To me, fried rice is about using humble ingredients to get something greater than the sum of its parts. Over time, I've settled into a go-to base fried rice recipe - the one I'm sharing today. 

This recipe makes use of some classic Chinese staples: napa, sausage, egg, and green onion. The amounts given here are flexible and can be adjusted to taste. The method of slowly cooking the sausage to render the fat is similar to how bacon is cooked. If Chinese sausage is unavailable (or if it is preferred), bacon could be used. Various other ingredients can also be added, such as shrimp or black mushrooms. 

Also, happy St. Patrick's Day. While we didn't have any corned beef and cabbage, I hope you enjoy this dish that also involves preserved meat and cabbage. I did have a Guinness with it!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. Napa Cabbage (about 1/2 head)
• 4 Chinese sausages (lap cheong)
• 4 eggs
• Dash of sesame oil
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 3 green onions
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

Slice the napa crosswise, into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Place the napa in a large bowl (I use this bowl for serving the fried rice later) and salt generously. Toss to coat. Let the napa stand for about 20 minutes. 

Take this time to prepare the remaining ingredients. Slice the sausages into thin disks. Crack the eggs into a bowl, beat with a fork, and add a dash of sesame oil and a pinch each of salt and white pepper. Chop the green onions. When ready, take a handful of napa, wrap in a dish towel, and squeeze out as much water as possible. Continue working in batches until all the napa has been squeezed out. Finely chop the napa and set aside.

Heat up a wok on medium heat. Add some oil and cook the eggs, constantly scraping the bottom. Cook until mostly solidified, but still soft. Set the eggs aside. Scrape out the wok. Still on medium heat, cook the sliced sausage. Toss frequently. The goal is to render out the fat in the sausages while not burning them. Tilt the wok to reserve the rendered fat in the wok and set the sausage aside. 

Turn the heat up to high and stir fry the napa. Depending on how fatty the sausages were, you may have to either remove some fat or add vegetable oil. Cook a few minutes, until lightly browned, and set aside. 

Add more oil to the wok, then add the rice and chopped green onion. Break up the rice as you add it to the pan. Stir fry for a few minutes, letting the rice stand briefly before tossing. Add the cooked napa, sausage, and eggs. Break up the eggs while adding them in. Cook a few more minutes, continuing to periodically toss the rice. 

Serve with condiments of your choice. As always, I recommend Worcestershire sauce, but Lao Gan Ma sauce is good if you like it spicy.