Birthday Recipes

I got a wok for my birthday!

But I haven't used it yet.  Because on my birthday, Kevin and Nana made all the food for me.

For breakfast, we had coffee and vanilla bean scones.  Kevin made the scones early so that they would be ready bright and early when I woke up.

For lunch, we had a Japanese hibachi soup and salad with chicken crepes topped with a cream sauce. 

Hibachi Salad:

iceberg lettuce

shaved carrots

thinly sliced radishes

Japanese-style Dressing:

1/2 cup onion, minced

1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp fresh ginger root, minced

2 Tbsp celery, minced

2 Tbsp ketchup

4 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine in blender and puree.

Hibachi Soup:

1. Make broth 

roughly chop all vegetables; combine all ingredients; bring to boil; cover and cook on medium for 45 minutes

1/2 stalk celery

1 onion

2 carrots

3 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp ginger

2 Tbsp chicken bouillon

3 Tbsp beef bouillon 

8 cups water

2.  Strain broth

3. Serve broth with mushrooms and garnish

1 cup sliced mushrooms

green onion slices

Crepes:

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/8 cup milk

3 eggs

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Mix batter and cook 2-3 minutes each side.  Layer with wax paper to prevent sticking.

Chicken filling for Crepes:

1/3 cup flour

2 chicken breasts, diced small

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Mix in a ziplock bag to coat the chicken pieces.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a skillet and cook the chicken.  Remove the chicken.

1 Tbsp oil

8 oz sliced mushrooms

3 Tbsp chopped shallots 

Brown mushrooms in skillet.  Then add to skillet:

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups spinach

2 Tbsp parsley

Cook until sauce thickens.  Add chicken.  Fill crepes.

Cream Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup white wine

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp thyme

Cook in sauce pan over medium heat, stirring, until thickened and reduced by half.

For dinner, we had chicken marsala, mashed potatoes, and focaccia bread.

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala:

3-4 chicken breasts, pounded flat

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup marsala

Cook in crock pot for 3 to 4 hours on high.  Transfer chicken to a plate, cover to keep warm.

Pour sauce with mushrooms into a skillet.  Add:

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup water with 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in

Cook 5-10 minutes, then whisk in:

 

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cook until thickened.  Add chicken, reheat, and serve over mashed potatoes.

My garden focaccia bread did not disappoint.

Many thanks to Kevin and Nana for all my special birthday meals!