Posts Tagged‘crispy’

Best Liver Ever – Crispy Liver with Sweet Sour Spicy Onions

by KitchenRebel on September 12, 2014

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If you like liver you will love this Crispy Liver and Sweet Sour Spicy Onion recipe. If you don’t like liver, this might make you change your mind about liver.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals, but their micronutrient content doesn’t always hold up to what is found in meats and organ meats – especially liver.  It’s why liver is known as natures most potent super foods.

  • An excellent source of high-quality protein
  • Contains all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
  • Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A, which is rapidly depleted during periods of stress, as well as by consuming a low-fat diet
  • All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
  • One of our best sources of natural folate
  • A highly usable form of iron
  • Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
  • CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
  • A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA

Sweet Sour Spicy Onions:

ingredients

2-3 tblsp Olive oil
2 Onions, sliced
1 Jalepeno Pepper, sliced
1/2 tsp Cayenne (optional if you like it with a real spicy kick)
1/2 tsp Smoked or Sweet Paprika
6 tblsp Red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
juice of half lemon
Salt to taste

instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in pan till medium hot
  2. Add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions begin to soften
  3. Add jalapeño pepper
  4. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until onions start to brown
  5. Add paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using), add 1/2 teaspoon salt, saut̩ for 2 Р3 minutes, till fragrant and start caramelizing
  6. Add vinegar, stir to deglaze pan. Deglazing is when you use liquid to get all the brown bits off the bottom of pan
  7. Add brown sugar and lemon juice. Stir through and let liquid cook off for 1-2 minutes
  8. Check seasoning, add salt.
  9. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

Heat olive oil in pan till medium hot unnamed-1

Add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions begin to softenunnamed-2

Add jalapeño pepper unnamed-3

Sauté for 5-6 minutes until onions start to brownunnamed-4

Add paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using), add 1/2 teaspoon salt, sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, till fragrant and start caramelizing unnamed-5

Add vinegar, stir to deglaze pan. Deglazing is when you use liquid to get all the brown bits off the bottom of panunnamed-6

Add brown sugar and lemon juice. Stir through and let liquid cook off for 1-2 minutesunnamed-20

Check seasoning, add salt.
Remove from heat and set aside. unnamed-8

 

Crispy Liver

Calfs liver has a milder flavour. Always eat organic meat, especially organ meats.

I always soak liver in water to get rid of excess blood and the ‘liver’ taste. Remove skin, cut out any sinews. Rinse well.

ingredients

1 lb Calf Liver
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 dashes (about 1-2 tsp) worcestershire sauce
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil for frying

instructions

  1. Soak liver in water to get rid of excess blood. Remove any skin, cut out sinews. Rinse and drain well. Cut into desired size.
  2. Put liver in a bowl add soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Marinate for at least 30 minutes
  3. Heat olive oil in pan till medium hot
  4. Add flour to shallow dish, dredge liver pieces in flour
  5. Carefully add liver to hot oil. Always drop away from you to avoid splashes
  6. Fry liver for 2-3 minutes per side, until outside is browned and crispy, and liver is just cooked through
  7. Serve with onions, and mashed potatoes.

 

Prep and marinade liver: Soak liver in water to get rid of excess blood. Remove any skin, cut out sinews. Rinse and drain well. Cut into desired size. Put liver in a bowl add soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes unnamed-10

In a pan, heat olive oil till medium hot
Add flour to shallow dish, dredge liver pieces in flour unnamed-11

Carefully add liver to hot oil. Always drop away from you to avoid splashes unnamed-14

Fry liver for 2-3 minutes per side, until outside is golden brown and liver is just cooked through unnamed-15
Serve with onions, and mashed potatoes.

My favourite is liver and onion sandwiches. And I love it with extra onions!

unnamed-17

Best Ever Fried Chicken

by KitchenRebel on July 6, 2014

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It’s National Fried Chicken Day today and I’m excited to share my new improved Fried Chicken recipe, with a secret ingredient that will give you perfectly light, crispy, crunchy coating every time.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t have fried chicken.  Believe it or not, you can eat the real thing, not oven ‘fried’ or almost as good as fried chicken, but real damn honest to goodness, slap your mama good, fried chicken. Because we all know there is NOTHING like the real proper fried chicken.

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When my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, he’s main concern was not being able to eat fried chicken. He is fried chicken obsessed. I’m not even exaggerating, I think he is a fried chicken addict. You may think you like fried chicken or know someone who does, but not like this. I think he may actually love fried chicken just as much as sex. lol

But eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t eat fried chicken. He has managed to maintain normal blood sugar and I lost over 60lbs, dropped 8 dress sizes, easily!

Yes, you read that right, I ate fried chicken and lost weight. And for the first time in my life weight loss was easy and actually a real pleasure! No gimmicks, no fancy diets, no weird foods and no spending extra money. In fact eating better and spending LESS money!

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You just have to follow the 3 chicken rules.

First rule of chicken – ONLY EAT ORGANIC CHICKEN. No exceptions! EVER.
Not just to be a decent human being and not support the torture and abuse of animals, but because its what your body needs. Real food without chemicals.

Chickens have it the worst off of all the factory farmed animals. Did you know that cage free chickens don’t ever see sunlight?  Cage free doesnt mean clean, chemical free or humanely treated. They are still pumped full of chemicals and hormones because of their unnatural living conditions.

Eating factory farmed chickens is like poisoning your body. You might as well just go eat KFC and fast food, give up on healthy eating and prepare for the diseases you and your loved ones will suffer at some point. Over 75% of diseases are caused by diet. We are eating ourselves sick. You’re eating your way to cancer every time you eat those cheap supermarket chickens!

Second rule of fried chicken – Fry in olive oil. No canola, corn or other harmful oils and oil blends. One of the biggest lies is that you can’t fry in olive oil.  We put olive oil on our salads because its good for you, so why not use it to fry your food. And its how people have been frying foods for centuries.

You wouldn’t pour canola or corn oil on your salad, so don’t put it in your food. EVER.  Most commercial vegetable oils are a mixture of unidentified oils that have been extracted with chemicals. Stop using these oils immediately!! If you have them in your cupboard, just throw them out or use them in the garage or for DIY projects or cleaning. They are not fit for human consumption. And if you’re thinking about the money you’re wasting, its cheaper than the damage you’re causing your body and cheaper than doctors bills!

Third rule of fried chicken – Moderation! Yep, its that bitch moderation again, you have to eat and drink with her at all times.
This applies to all fried foods. You can be healthy eating fried foods, but you can’t eat it everyday or every week. Once a month or less. Everything in MODERATION.
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I make a lot of fried chicken. A. LOT.  I usually joke that I make more chicken than the average chicken restaurant. I’ve tried so many different recipes, from brining, buttermilk, over night marinating, the cold water extra crunchy method, the double crunchy method, Southern fried, Country fried, Korean fried chicken, broasted, panko coated, Japanese Katsu, to every version of KFC copy cat recipe you can find on the inter webs. I’ve sourced fancy and unusual ingredients and learned about different peppers and seasoning. I studied KFC history and the evolution of the recipe. Did I mention my husband is fried chicken obsessed?
You name it, I’ve tried it. But this is by far the easiest and my favourite recipe. It’s the one I get most compliments and recipe requests. And best of all, its quick and easy. With no special or expensive ingredients.  I can get complete fried chicken meal, including sides, to the table in under an hour.

ingredients

1 whole fryer chicken (3-4 pounds) cut into pieces.
2 Eggs, beaten
1/3 cup hot sauce (of your choice, I used Louisianna Hot Sauce and Chipotle Hot sauce)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Good quality olive oil for frying. About 1/2 – 3/4 inches of oil in pan.

SEASONONED FLOUR MIX: 

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

instructions

1.    Beat eggs, add hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces to egg mixture, mix to coat each piece. Cover and refrigerate.

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2.    In a large bowl add flour, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, turmeric, salt and pepper

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And the secret ingredient…

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Baking powder! Its the secret to light, crispy coating every time. Remember to always buy aluminum free baking powder. 05

3.   Mix or whisk flour and seasonings together to combine thoroughly.
4.    In large pan, heat olive oil till medium hot. (350-375 is ideal temperature for frying. )

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4.    Dredge chicken in seasoned flour. Only dredge the pieces you are about to fry. Adding any moisture to the seasoned flour mixture will activate the baking powder.
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5.   Shake off any excess flour, and carefully drop chicken pieces in hot oil. Always drop facing away from you to avoid splashes.

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6.    Once you’ve filled the pan, turn the chicken over, starting with the first piece you added. This seals in the crunch and ensures crispy coating on both sides without deep frying.

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7.  Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remember dark meat takes longer, about 12-15 minutes. White meat cooks quicker, about 8 -10 minutes.

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And now its chicken time… KrFC time! As my hubbys says, the best time of all.

Instead of heavy, rich side dishes, try lightening things up by having guilt free Cauliflower Mash instead of mashed potatoes, or mac and cheese. And spicy garlic green beans instead of greens cooked with ham or animal fat.

Enjoy!45

 

Crispy Smoked Paprika Cauliflower

by KitchenRebel on June 17, 2014

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Cauliflower and its cousins, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, are packed with rich nutrients, they offer a healthy dose of potassium, Vitamin C, fiber and folic acid. Cauliflower boasts a cornucopia of B vitamins: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9.

This sometimes stinky family contains sulfur compounds. Thats that gassy farty smell they sometimes have. And you sometimes have after eating them. These sulfur compounds help prevent cancer.

Not all cauliflower is white. You can find green and orange varieties, the difference is in the amount of chlorophyll present during growth.

There are many ways delicious ways to enjoy cauliflower, I used to think I hated cauliflower and now the biggest problem is deciding how to prepare it. I think cauliflower mash or this crispy cauliflower can make even cauliflower haters enjoy cauliflower.

And best of all, its so simple.. The hardest part of this recipe is doing the dishes!

Preheat Oven to 420 (I just like that number, and my oven is a lil wonky) you want high heat (400-450) You want crispy not mushy. 

The measurements for this recipe really depends on the size of your cauliflower. Just eyeball it and sprinkle away. 

ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

1-2 tsp smoked paprika

1-2 tsp garlic powder

salt

olive oil

instructions

  1. Wash cauliflower and cut into florets.
  2. Spread cauliflower out on baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. I use an olive oil sprayer. Remember you don’t want to go overboard with oil, you don’t want greasy cauliflower. And you want to keep it healthy.
  4. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. Toss to coat.
  5. Bake for about 15 mins, or till browned as you like

 

Caramelized Squash

by KitchenRebel on November 27, 2013

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This is my favourite, favourite way to have squash.

Use any kind of squash you like.  Toasting the squash until browned and caramelized gives it great texture and a delicious nutty flavour that enhances the sweetness of the squash.  No extra sugar needed!  (One of my pet peeves is adding sugar to vegetables.)

You can use as much or little butter as you like. I’ve made this by simply rubbing pan with butter and almost dry toasting the squash. But of course squash and butter are a marriage made in heaven.  So sometimes I splurge and use a spoonful or two of butter. Just be mindful of the fat content of the rest of your meal, and the rest of your day.

instructions

  1. Cook squash until tender. (steam or boil)
  2. Peel and cube cooked squash
  3. Heat 1 – 2 tablespoons of butter in pan, add cooked squash. DON’T move the squash around the pan, let it cook on medium high for 2 – 3 mins, until brown, then turn to brown the other side.