Steamed Ginger Chicken

It's been nearly 3 years since I have blogged.  I could have continued on with my old one, but lots has changed since I updated.  So I decided to start fresh.  If you would like to see my old blog, feel free to visit www.mrs-summers.blogspot.com.  :)


My husband, Josh, has been deployed for a full month now.  The kids and I have our routine down, which is probably one of the most vital things any military spouse can do for him or herself.  We are trying to keep a sense of normalcy, which includes me attempting to cook dinner every night.  I'm trying to watch what I eat, so dinners need to be quick, simple, and healthy.


Last night I tried out a recipe from this cute book:

This book is old...like 1968 old.  But I couldn't resist the cute kitsch cover, plus it's Vietnamese food.  How can you go wrong?  I am going to use my modified recipe because it was a Sunday and NOTHING is open over here.


STEAMED GINGER CHICKEN


5 dried shitake mushrooms
8 chicken tenderloins
2 green onions (reserve the green tips for garnish)
3 thin slices of fresh ginger root
2 tomatoes (I had to use can because I ran out of fresh)
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 1/4 tsp of fish sauce
dash of black pepper
1/8 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cooking oil


Small deep heat-proof bowl
Large heavy pot or skillet with cover
Water


Directions:


1.  Soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 15 minutes.  Drain, remove the tough stem, and slice into thin strips.
2.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
3.  Slice the white part of the green onion.  Reserve the green part for garnishing.  Cut the thin slices of ginger into very thin strips.  Slice your tomato, skin included into small pieces.  Combine all ingredients with the chicken into your heat proof bowl.

4.  Add the remaining seasonings and oil and mix thoroughly with your hands.

The next part was a little tricky for me.  The recipe says to put the bowl into a skillet with about an inch of water and then cover.  I did this, but the sound that the bowl was making on the skillet as it increased in temperature freaked me out.  I had visions of the bowl cracking and ruining the meal.  So I moved it into a large pot with a steamer attachment.  

I covered the bowl, but not the whole pot.  I realized this wasn't actually "steaming" my food, so I improvised by taking off the lid, covering the pan with some foil, and then with a kitchen towel:

After 15 minutes, you can tell it's working.

And after 30 minutes, it's time to eat!

I topped my meal with green onions, fresh cilantro, and some lime wedges.

Serve over some steamed Jasmine rice and Sriracha sauce.  Hello goodness.  :)