Chilli Chicken

This was my first foray into Indo/Chinese cuisine and I was surprised by how delicious it was!! Not very difficult to make, although preparing the chicken is a bit time consuming. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs of skinless boneless chicken breast tenders (fresh, not the breaded variety it will save you a lot of extra work!)

1 egg

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp Soya Sauce reduced sodium

1 Tsp garlic paste

2 tsp arrow root powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Canola Oil for frying the chicken 

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For the sauce

1 3/4 C water

2 tsp arrowroot powder mixed with 1/4 C water

2 Tbsp reduced sodium soya sauce

2 Tbsp lemonade

2 Tbsp white rice vinegar

2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tsp ginger powder

dash white pepper

1 long skinny chilli pepper seeds removed, sliced into small rings

1 sweet onion diced

5 cloves fresh garlic

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For garnish:

2 scallions sliced in tiny rings

small bunch of cilantro coarsely chopped.

If desired, slice chicken into squares measuring about 2 x 2 inches

In a bowl combine egg, soya sauce, garlic paste, arrow root powder, baking powder, baking soda. Beat until all ingredients are well mixed.  Add chicken and let marinade for a minimum of 2 hours. 

In a large skillet fry chicken over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.  Place chicken on a large plate lined with ample paper towels to drain. Keep warm.

When finished with the chicken, clean the skillet.  Over medium heat, add a little oil, perhaps 1 Tbsp, and briefly sauteeing the onion and later the garlic until clear but not browned.  Set aside.

In a sauce pan combine the water, reduced sodium soya sauce, lemonade, white rice vinegar,  dark brown sugar.  Bring to a simmer.  Mix 2 tsp arrowroot powder mixed with 1/4 C cold water.  When the mixture in the pan beings to simmer, slowly add the arrowroot water wisking all the time.  Your sauce should begin to thicken.  Next add ginger paste and white pepper.  Taste a bit of the sauce adding more sugar or vinegar to achieve the taste you desire.  Add the chilies. For a decent amount of spiciness, add about 3/4 of the chili, for milder, use less. This chilli packs a punch so adding a little at a time and simmering it with your sauce and tasting it will give you a good indication as to whether to continue to add more or not.  Next add the onion and garlic, allowing to simmer for perhaps 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Place the chicken on a bed of rice such as basmati (my personal favorite) top with chilli sauce.  Garnish with scallion and cilantro. Serve while hot.  This recipe serves 4 adults.

Recommended vegetables: Steamed snow peas, sauteed mushroom medley.

Quiche in a Blender Recipe

At the risk of becoming utterly bored, I have been experimenting with soft foods to make them at the very least palatable. Here follows a recipe for those of you who, like me, have to eat soft foods subsequent to oral surgery.

You will need a blender for this recipe.

1 frozen pie crust - pierce with fork pre-bake for about 10 minutes*
4 eggs
1/4 cup light cream
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 red onion cut into 8 pieces
2 cloves garlic (or 1 clove elephant garlic)
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp dill
1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/4 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1 C shredded mozzarella

* Many pie crusts are still manufactured with lard. Read ingredients carefully when making your selection.

Place eggs, cream and spice in blender and start blender on low. Gradually add onion, garlic, feta cheese. Blend on medium for about 1minute until frothy. Place the mozarrella cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the egg mixture on top. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour until done. You can test this by inserting a knife in the middle and ensuring it comes out clean or gentle pushing the top of the quiche. It should give some resistance and no longer giggle like jell-o.

Second Installment in the chair

Today was the day I for the first time I got to experience Nitrous Oxide (N2o2). The idea of being "gassed" was not very appealing to me. However, anyone who is extremely anxious, should not pass up this opportunity to turn a dental visit into something that at least bearable. Despite popular opinion, this gas does not make one feel "loopy" or "drugged" at all, it alters one's perception only in the fact that one simply doesn't care. Not only that, but some interesting jokes can result subsequent to administration, causing a lot of giggling or laughter --hence its nickname "laughing gas".

Folks, this is the anxious patients' best friend. If you have the funds to cover it, and you are overly anxious patient it is worth it. A small mask is placed over the nose, and first oxygen is administered which is later mixed with the N2O2. The nice thing is that this method is quickly reversible, should you have trouble with it in the least bit, the mask is removed and you are back to reality within minutes.

Again, I want to thank the staff of my new dentist office for their compassion and dedication to patient comfort.

Smoothies A La Post Dental Surgery

For this recipe you will need a blender. Due to the consistency of the the liquid, you may have to take the jar off the stand and stir it up with a spoon to prevent clumping on the bottom.

What you will need:

3/4 C yoghurt -- plain

1/2 C apple sauce

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2-3 Tsp brown sugar

1/2 C ice

3/4 C frozen berries of your choice. I used mixed berry medley

Place the ingredient is the blender in the order and puree for about 30-45 seconds until desired consistency is achieved.

Avoid using straws after dental surgery as it my cause the bloodclots in the sockets of your mouth to become dislodged and cause a VERY painful condition called dry socket.

Other ideas for soft foods -

(you should avoid eating hot foods on the first day to speed healing)

Applesauce

Yoghurt

Milk Shakes

Smoothies

Eggs

Jello

Soups
Avocado
Bananas

More information about post op dental care

5 hours of dental work later

Have I mentioned that I should be a science experiment? In the realm of medicine and dental care, there is no such thing as a straight line to success for me. There are always complications. This is part of what has driven my fear of going to the dentist, because I have trouble getting numb and I don't tolerate numbing agents that contain epinephrine very well. The epinephrine helps potentiate lidocaine or novacaine. (Read: gives it a longer half-life and generally produces better numbing results). I have TMJ, so keeping my mouth open for long periods of time can be an issue.

Although my treatment yesterday was painful and long, I have to say that it taught me a couple of things. One is that you do have a voice once you hit the chair. If you are in pain, the dentist will stop -- but you have to ask. I think this is one of the key issues in good dental treatment -- creating a relationship of trust and communication between you and your dentist.

As it turns out the nerve canal running along the tooth to be extracted and the tooth that needed a root canal was quite inflamed and not all of the work could be completed as a result. The bad news is that I have to go back next week and have the treatment finished. The good news is that we got one of the teeth out (although it took two dentist to perform the operation...) We exhausted the recommended amount of numbing agents, and simply had to stop.

I was prescribed an antibiotic to deal with the inflamation and Ultram and Naproxin Sodium for pain. Wouldn't you know I didn't sleep most of the night, not because of the pain, but as -- true to form, I am allergic to something and was itching like mad last night.

While I was filling the prescriptions at the pharmacy (conveniently located right across from the dentist) the dentist came over to check on me because of the complexity of the case. Later last evening she called and asked how I was.

I have to say, I have never seen a staff with more compassion and concern. I am so impressed with my new dentist. Check out their office here, and make sure you tell them Peppy sent ya.