Pesto Chicken

More into some extra delicious finger licking good, chicken recipes..Pesto Chicken or simply, Basil Chicken !

I have got a little over half a bunch of wilted basil leaves and three wrinkly jalapenos, what do I do ? I am thinking homemade Pesto Sauce, my own version : basil leaves, jalapenos, garlic and another Weekend Herb Blogging at Kalyn's Kitchen ! Both greens complement each other, the light "fire up my taste buds" jalapeno chilli peppers balance out the sweet, fragrant basil leaves perfectly ! Too bad I don't have any pasta lying around, I guess six chicken drumsticks left over from making my sweet Honey Spicy Chicken will do.

In Malaysia, basil leafs are known as "kemangi" or "selaseh", the leaves are smaller and darker in color, and the stems and young ribbbony leaves are distinctly reddish-purple in color. They are used mainly in strong-flavored dishes like fish curries and chilli-flavored stir-fries like in shellfish or poultry dishes. In other parts of Asia, basil leaves are used to repel mosquitos with its strong odor. On a medicinal note, the basil leaves are claimed to aid in digestion, and leaf wine is regarded as a tonic and an aphrodisiac.. lol.

What makes the sauce so great is that you could simply diversify with your favorites : sun dried tomatoes, sweet soy sauce, sesame oil, and salsas. They simply add flavors to any quick stir-fry recipes, dips, leftover meats in a salad, or a Tex-Mex-Indian wrap like I did with with my Chayote Squash And Potato Stir-fry. For this basil-flavored chicken recipe, I have chosen to blend the Pesto sauce with ABC kicap manis ( ABC brand sweet thick soy sauce ). Chicken browned to a perfection with a touch of the caramalized sticky sweet soy sauce... yummy. You wouldn't think that these delicious looking drumsticks just came out from simple pan-searing and broiling, as opposed to a messy, not-so-easy-to-clean BBQ grill. Each bite of the finger licking good Pesto chicken drumsticks coupled with a crunch of chilled cold cucumber slice is undoubtedly perfect !

In the pot, now cooking my weekend herbalistic sweet dessert ( view at your own leisure ) :

Snow white fungus, gingko nuts, sweet red dates, coupled with dried longan fruit ( like the ones used for my watercress soup ), crystallised rock sugar and half a can of quail's eggs left ( from sticky rice with chestnuts, peanuts, and chicken ).

Pesto Sauce Recipe

Ingredients :
3 jalapenos ( deseeded )
1/2 a bunch basil leafs ( remove stalks, and use leaf parts only )
2 tsp chopped garlic
salt to taste
cooking oil

Method :
1) Put all the ingredients in the blender, blend until puree, paste-like form.

Pesto Chicken Recipe

Ingredients :
6 chicken drumsticks
2-3 tbsp Pesto Sauce
1-2 tbsp ABC Sweet Soy Sauce
salt, sugar and pepper to taste

Method :

1) Rub the chicken drumsticks with sweet soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, pesto sauce, and refrigerate for 10 minutes. (Preferably overnight )

2) Heat the wok to a smoky point, quickly pan-fry the chicken drumsticks until browned on both sides, turn to medium heat, continue to flip the chicken to balance the browning ( if chicken gets bit dry sticking to pan, add cooking oil and/or more Pesto sauce and give it a quick-stir ), cover, and let broil at low heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is fully done.

Tiger Lily Buds And Edamame Stir-fry

You have seen and eaten these in Hot and Sour Soups, and perhaps a couple of Moo Shu dishes. Traditionally, these exotic lily buds are woodsy tiger lilies, and they are actually unopened yellow day lily flowers. Because of its bright golden color when it is raw, lily buds are known as "Gum Jum" in Cantonese, which translates to "Golden Needle". At the Asian grocery market, look in the dry foods section where they are packed in plastic baggies and appear slightly pale yellow in color. Dried lily buds are mainly used in authentic chinese stir-fries, soups and hot pots aka fondues. In the chinese tradition, tiger lily flowers also represent "wealth", and you will see loads of it added to Chinese New Year vegetarian dishes such as Buddha's Feast. They are also great when paired up with any recipe that calls for shitake mushroom or wood ear mushroom, such as my Clay Pot Chicken recipe.

It's a pleasure munching these long, slender, needly flowers. Crunchy in texture when cooked, these tiger lilies lend a light earthy flavor as opposed to the heavier flavored chinese mushroom and portabello mushroom. I don't think I have seen any fresh golden petals like I used to when I was back home. I remember picking them out from my bowl of glass noodles when I was a kid, and crunching each lily flower bud before slurping my noodles.

I couldn't think of anything more light and pleasant to go along with my lily flower stir fry recipe than edamame beans. I love edamame bean pods steamed, eaten cold or hot, but I tend to get lazy with the peeling part, not to mention the messiness of the juice squirting all over. That's why I bought some frozen prepacked ones that is conveniently available all year round at the Asian grocery frozen section. Edamame beans have a cross taste between a regular green pea and a chinese broad bean, slightly crunchy, and easier on the bean taste. I think this would fit well in my second submission to the Weekend Herb Blogging at Kalyn's Kitchen :)

Here it is. A quick, no brainer recipe - lily buds stir fry with edamame soy beans and shrimp. This, I have to say, is yet another great addition to my spring and summer stir fry or salad medleys that I enjoy !

Tiger Lily Buds And Edamame Stir-fry Recipe

Ingredients :
1/2 cup dried lily buds ( soaked in water, washed and rinsed )
1 cup frozen edamame beans ( de-shelled )
4 peeled shrimp
1 tbsp oyster sauce
white pepper
sesame oil
mirin wine

Method :

1) Pan fry the shrimp until slightly browned. Add the edamame beans and lily buds, stir-fry, toss and turn for 1 minute.

2) Dash in sesame oil, white pepper, oyster sauce, and a splash of mirin wine. Continue stir-frying for about 3 minutes.