CSN Giveaway Winner!

I know all anyone cares about is who won...so I will make this short and sweet.  The winner was decided by Random.org.  Each comment was assigned a number and the lucky number was 27.  The 27th comment was left by Bunny.  So Bunny you are the winner of the $40 CSN Stores gift certificate!

Congrats to Bunny.  I've never met Bunny in person, but it feels like we are old friends.  She was reading my posts, when only my mom and a handful of other people were.  So I'm so glad she won.  Everyone please visit Bunny at BunnyGoRound.  She shares about her life, her pets, her job, and her love for food and a good drink.

And the winner is....

First let me thank everyone for participating in this giveway.  There were well over 100 entries.  I hope you all enjoyed looking at the other blogs and I hope you even found a few new favorites.  The winner was chosen by Random.org.....and the winner is Ana Powell.  Ana please email me your address so I can get the book to you.

Everyone visit Ana at Magic Flavours!

*This is a temporary post.  I will add this to the original giveaway post.

CSN Giveaway!

CSN Stores and me are teaming up once again to bring you another awesome giveaway.  One lucky reader will win a $40 gift certificate good at any of their stores.  They have over 200+ online stores that sell just about anything you could want or need.  Whether your looking for bistro sets, cookware, shoes, things for you, or things for your kids...They have it!  They sell a ton of cool stuff for under $40.  If I could win...I would pick one of these Le Creuset items, both of them are under $40!

Visit csnstores.com to see all the cool stuff they have!

Rules: This giveway is only open to US and Canadian residents.

To Enter: You must follow publicly through Google Friend Connect or through Facebook.  To follow with Facebook, just click the Like button on the right side of the page.  Then leave a comment telling me how you follow.  If you follow both ways please leave two comments and you will receive two entries.


For Additional Entries:  You can blog about this giveaway, or share it on Facebook, or Twitter.  One additional entry for each way you share it.  Just be sure to leave a comment for each way you share it.


And please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you win!


The winner will be selected with a random number generator.


This giveaway ends August 25th at Midnight CST.  The winner will be announced on August 26th.


For more giveaways check out:
My other giveaway!  Hurry it ends August 17th!
Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner for another CSN Giveaway
My Kind of Cooking for a chance to win Linda Burgett's latest cook book.

Madras Chicken

Madras chicken may not be an authentic Indian dish, but it can be found at every Indian restaurant in America.  If you don't normally make curries this is a great one to try, because it uses curry powder.  So there is only one spice to buy, not five or six different spice like there are in most curries.  I like my food very spicy, so I added the a hot pepper.  For a milder version leave it out.

Madras Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 tbs ginger, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 serrano or other hot green chile, chopped

2 tsp madras curry powder

1 cup coconut milk

1 fresh tomato, chopped

2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbs ghee or oil

salt

In a mortar and pestle add the ginger, garlic, and green chile.  Make a paste.  *If you don't have a mortar and pestle, just skip this step.  In a large saute pan heat the ghee over a medium flame.  Then add the ginger, garlic, green chile, and red onion.  Saute for a few minutes until onion is translucent.  Season the chicken with salt.  Add the chicken to the pan.  Then add the madras curry powder.  Cook the chicken until it is opaque.  Then add the tomato and coconut milk.  Allow the chicken to simmer for about 5  minutes.  Then taste and season with additional salt if needed.  Stir in the cilantro.

Serve with rice and sweet mango chutney.

Hoisin Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

This recipe combines two of my favorite things Asian flavors and grilling.  Hoisin sauce is one of those things you either love or you hate.  It has a strong assertive flavor.  I love Hoisin and use it all the time in stir-fries.  If you have tried Hoisin and didn't like it try a different brand the flavors vary greatly.

 

This marinade can easily be adapted to suit your tastes or what you have on hand.  Don't have any oranges, use canned pineapple juice.  If you like things spicy add some Srichacha.  This marinade also works great on chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, or even on salmon.

Hoisin Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

2 tbs chopped fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp honey

juice of a orange

6 inch thick bone-in pork loin chops

Combine the Hoisin, ginger, garlic, honey, and orange juice in a bowl.  Then place the pork chops in a plastic re-sealable bag and pour the marinade over the pork.  Marinade in the fridge for at least a couple hours and up to overnight.  Preheat the grill to medium.  Pat the porks dry with a paper towel before grilling.  Grill for about 7 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through. 

Want more grilling recipes...Try my  Sweet Balsamic Grilled Chicken or Greek Grilled Chicken.

Black Pepper Chicken

One of my favorites at the Chinese buffet is black pepper chicken.  Those yummy little bits of deep fried chicken in that spicy black pepper sauce, I could eat it every day.  This version is not deep fried and I could still eat it everyday without the guilt.  Plus it makes a great weeknight meal since it can be made in less than thirty minutes.

If you have never tried oyster sauce before, it tastes nothing like oysters.  The flavor doesn't even resemble seafood of any kind.  It is just salty and delicious.  I highly recommend Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce.  You will probably have to go to an Asian market to find it, but it is worth it.

Black Pepper Chicken

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup oyster sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp black pepper, preferably freshly ground

1 tsp sugar

2-3 tbs peanut oil

Season the chicken with 1 tsp of soy sauce and allow it to marinate for a few minutes.  Meanwhile combine the oyster sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar.  Then set the sauce mixture aside.  In a wok over a high flame add the oil.  Then add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken turns opaque.  Then add the bell pepper and garlic.  Continue to stir-fry for a couple minutes.  Then add the sauce.  Cook for about 1 minute more.  Serve with steamed rice.