1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Two large chicken breasts (about 1 pound total), skinned and boneless
2 ounces cellophane noodles

Dressing:

1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 pound asparagus, blanched al dente and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch batonnettes
2 cups cleaned spinach leaves
2 tablespoons thinly shaved green onions

Make the marinade: Combine the marinade ingredients, mix well, and place
in a non-reactive dish. Place the chicken breast into the marinade,
turning it over to make sure it’s coated on both sides. Cover and
refrigerate for 4 hours.

Drop the bean threads into the hot water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes
or until the noodles are “glassy” and soft. Drain, run under cold water,
and reserve. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the wasabi
powder, and 1 tablespoon of water. Let sit 5 minutes. Add the rice wine
vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix well. Thinly slice the
chicken breast. Toss together the noodles, chicken, asparagus, cucumbers,
and the dressing. Place a nest of spinach on a salad plate. Make a small
amount of noodle salad in the center of the spinach. Garnish with green
onions.
Serves 4

In a bowl combine dressing preserves and soup. Place chicken in a
ungreased 11×7x2-in. baking pan; top with dressing mixture. Cover and bake
at 350 F. for 30 minutes; baste. Bake uncovered 20 - 30 minutes longer or
until the chicken runs clear.

9 ounces (250 grams) bean thread noodles**

12 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 cooked peeled deveined medium shrimp
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts (about 3 1/2 ounces), rinsed

1/2 English hothouse cucumber, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 red jalapeño chile with seeds, sliced into thin rings

2 tablespoons chopped toasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian
markets.

*Clear dried noodles (also known as cellophane or transparent noodles);
available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian
markets.

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. DO AHEAD Dressing can be prepared
2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Place noodles in another large bowl.
Cover with boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse
under cold water to cool; drain well. Insert scissors into noodles; cut several
times. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Add tomatoes and all remaining ingredients,
except peanuts and lime wedges, to noodles; toss to coat. Divide among 6 plates.
Sprinkle with peanuts; garnish with lime wedges.
Makes 6 servings.

For the pupusitas
1 cup masa corn flour, such as Maseca
2/3 to 1 cup water

For the chicken: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the
oil shimmers. Add half of the onion and 1 chorizo link (without its
casing). Break the sausage apart and cook for about 3 minutes, until the
onion is translucent. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chicken
in a single layer. Brown the chicken on one side and then add 1/2 cup of
the chicken broth, stirring to dislodge any browned bits from the bottom
of the pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the chicken cooking liquid to make the
pupusitas. Use tongs to turn the chicken over, then add the adobo
seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the chicken
to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into small,
bite-size pieces, reserving 3/4 cup of the shredded chicken for the
pupusitas. Return the rest of the chicken to the pot.

Cut the remaining chorizo link into 1/2-inch slices and add to the pot,
along with the tomato and beans and the remaining onion and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and
cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

For the pupusitas: In a medium bowl, combine the reserved 3/4 cup chicken,
1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and the reserved tablespoon of
chicken cooking liquid; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the corn
flour and water; knead with your hands for 2 minutes. With lightly greased
palms, divide the dough into 8 balls of equal size. Working with 1 ball at
a time, flatten into a 5-inch disk and place 1 heaping tablespoon of the
chicken-cheese mixture in the center. Fold the dough around the
chicken-cheese mixture, sealing the edges. Re-form the ball, then flatten
again into a smaller disk (3 to 4 inches) of uniform thickness to form the
pupusita. Have ready a clean, dry towel. Heat a flat grill pan over high
heat. Cook the pupusitas on each side for 3 minutes or until they have all
browned. Stack together and wrap in the towel until ready to serve.

To assemble: Ladle the warm shredded chicken mixture into individual bowls
and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Serve with 2
pupusitas and a lime wedge.

Recipe Source: From Takoma Park, MD, resident Carolyn Feola de Rugamas.

To prep in advance: Cook bacon strips in batches in a skillet over medium
heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Allow bacon to
cool, then crumble into pieces and refrigerate for up to two days.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken thighs on foil-lined
baking sheets and season with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with foil
and bake chicken for 30 to 40 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees on
an instant-read thermometer. (Depending on your oven size, you may need to
do this in batches.) Cool and refrigerate up to 2 days.

To assemble during the party: You’ll need a very large pot, at least 12
quarts, or two 6- to 8-quart pots. Put olive oil in the pot and place over
medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, season well with salt; cook,
stirring often, until the onion softens and browns slightly, about 10 to
15 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, for
about 2 to 3 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the beer, beans, the
whole chipotles (if using) and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce
to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Chop the chicken into 1-inch chunks. Add to the stew, along with the
bacon, lime juice and 1/2 cup cilantro. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. If using dried chipotles, remove and discard. Allow stew to cool
(see note), divide among four self-sealing 1-gallon freezer bags, label
with contents and reheating instructions, and freeze.

To serve: Heat the stew in a saucepan over medium heat. Ladle into bowls
and serve with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream and tortilla
chips on the side.

Note: Because this is a very large quantity of thick stew, it takes hours
to cool down. To help it cool, either pour it into a shallow pan and set
it in a sinkful of ice cubes; or, before you start to cook, fill a clean
plastic bottle with water and freeze, then use it to stir the stew until
cool.

– Adapted from Tony Rosenfeld, Fine Cooking magazine

Chop scallions, separating white and green parts. Pat chicken dry, then
cut into 3/4-inch pieces and toss with salt and pepper. Heat a wok or
12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderately high heat until a
drop of water evaporates immediately. Add oil, swirling to coat, then
stir-fry chicken until golden in places and just cooked through, 4 to 5
minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add bell pepper,
garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and scallion whites to wok and stir-fry
until peppers are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir together broth, soy
sauce, cornstarch, and sugar, then stir into vegetables in wok. Reduce
heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in cashews, scallion greens, and chicken along with any juices
accumulated on plate.

Makes 4 servings.

Coat a large, wide, deep pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat.
Pat the chicken skin dry with paper towels and season generously with
salt. Add chicken skin side down to the pan. You should hear a big
sizzle as the thighs hit the pan. Do not try to move the chicken, the
skin will stick itself to the bottom of the pan and will unstick
itself when it is ready. If the pan is smoking excessively turn the
burner down and continue to cook. When the skin is brown and crispy,
turn the chicken over and brown it on the other side. Remove the
chicken from the pan and reserve.

Lower the heat if you have not already done so and ditch most of the
excess fat. Add the pancetta and brown. When the pancetta has started
to get brown and crispy add the onions. Season with salt and crushed
red pepper and sweat over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the
garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season
with salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until they release their
juices. Add the wine and reduce by half. Return the chicken to the
pan. Add chicken stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the thyme and
bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the chicken
for 30 to 35 minutes. Add more chicken stock, if needed.\

While the chicken is cooking puree the almonds in the food processor.
Drizzle in a little olive oil while the machine is running to make
this a loose paste. Season with salt and reserve.
Once the chicken has cooked for 30 to 35 minutes, remove it from the
pan and reserve. Taste the sauce for seasoning and stir in the almond
puree. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer to thicken the sauce, if
needed. The almond puree will help to thicken the sauce and to make it
very rich.

Serve the chicken over Sauteed Haricots Verts or your favorite green
vegetable. Spoon the mushroom almond sauce over and garnish with
chopped chives.

Sauteed Haricots Verts:

1/2 pound haricots verts (baby string beans), stem ends removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of
well salted ice water for shocking.

Add the beans to the boiling water and cook until the beans are tender
but still toothsome about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the boiling
water and place immediately into the salted ice water. Once the beans
are cool, remove them from the water and set aside until ready to use.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add the garlic and the crushed
red pepper and bring to a medium-high heat. When the garlic has become
golden and very aromatic, remove it and discard. It has fulfilled its
garlic destiny. Add the beans to the pan and saute until they are hot
and coated with oil. Season with salt and serve right away.

Yield: 4 servings

In a large deep frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Season
the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put the
chicken in the pan and brown well on both sides, about 8 minutes in all.
Remove. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Reduce the heat to
moderately low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally,
until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and
wine. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any
brown bits. Boil until the wine is reduced to approximately 1/4 cup, 1 to
2 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, olives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon
salt, and the chicken, skin-side up, with any accumulated juices. Cover
and simmer until the chicken is just done, 20 to 25 minutes. Push the
chicken to the side of the pan and then mash the garlic cloves with a
fork. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon pepper and the basil, bring just to a simmer,
and serve.

Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the
onion, pepper, and salt. Saute about 5 minutes. (You’re not looking for
much change in the texture of the onion at this point.) Add chicken,
oregano, and chives to pan. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Squeeze 1
lemon half over it all. Stir, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes
or until chicken is done. Uncover, increase heat, and cook until liquid
almost evaporates. Squeeze remaining lemon half over chicken, stir, cook
another minute. Serves 2.

Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder or cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup lime juice (4 to 5 limes)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons nam pla (fish sauce)
1 small, hot chile, seeded and minced (or more to taste)
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup smashed roasted peanuts
1/4 cup finely minced celery hearts
1/2 cup firmly packed celery leaves
1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves
1/4 cup firmly packed shredded mint leaves
4 leaves green leaf lettuce

Place several inches of oil in a wide pot and heat to 300 degrees. Mince
chicken coarsely. When oil has reached 300 degrees, lower the chicken, all
at once, into the oil. Immediately swirl with a spoon to break up clumps.
Cook until chicken just loses its pink; this may be as little as 10
seconds. Pour chicken immediately into a colander, discarding oil (or
saving for another use). Let chicken drain for a moment. Place chicken
in a mixing bowl. Add the chili powder and mix well to color chicken
evenly. Add the sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, minced chile, ginger and
peanuts; toss vigorously to blend. Add celery heart, celery leaves,
cilantro and mint, and toss gently (so as to keep the leaves fluffy).
Place the lettuce leaves on 4 serving plates and top each leaf with a
quarter of the chicken mixture. Serve immediately.