Recipes By Kay Chun
265 recipes found
Chicken Arroz Rojo
This colorful and satisfying one-pot dish is a variation on classic arroz rojo and makes it a complete meal by adding juicy chicken thighs. Caramelized tomato paste and fresh tomato give the rice its signature reddish hue; the dish is studded with sweet golden corn and black beans for pops of vibrant color, flavor and texture. Tossing cubed boneless, skinless chicken pieces with fragrant oregano and cumin before cooking adds another dimension of flavor. Leftovers are wonderful tucked and rolled in flour tortillas for tasty burritos the next day; you can add scrambled eggs for a breakfast version.
One-Pot Chicken Arroz Rojo
This colorful and satisfying one-pot dish is a variation on classic arroz rojo and makes it a complete meal by adding juicy chicken thighs. Caramelized tomato paste and fresh tomato give the rice its signature reddish hue; the dish is studded with sweet golden corn and black beans for pops of vibrant color, flavor and texture. Tossing cubed boneless, skinless chicken pieces with fragrant oregano and cumin before cooking adds another dimension of flavor. Leftovers are wonderful tucked and rolled in flour tortillas for tasty burritos the next day; you can add scrambled eggs for a breakfast version.
Grilled Tofu Salad With Honey Chile Dressing
This vibrant salad features a beautiful platter of tofu and bountiful summer vegetables that are kissed on the grill just until lightly charred and smoky. It’s equally delicious warm or at room temperature and can be prepared a few hours ahead (cover and keep at room temperature until ready to serve). A spicy vinaigrette with tart lime juice, briny fish sauce and hot chiles, inspired by nước chấm, is balanced by sweet honey and brightens the grilled vegetables. Cherry tomatoes add pops of natural sweetness that balance the dressing. Roasted peanuts (or even roasted almonds) are a nice addition, too, for crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
Calamari Salad With Potatoes and Olives
Make this fantastic seafood-meets-potato salad for your next potluck or summertime party. Calamari turns tender with just a quick boil and readily absorbs the tangy lemony dressing while warm. Crunchy celery, briny olives and pickled spicy pepperoncini add piquancy and personality to the salad, while scallions bring lovely mild onion flavor. (Chives would also work nicely.) The salad is equally tasty at room temperature or chilled, and can be made a few hours ahead. Leftovers are wonderful tossed with warm pasta and a bit more olive oil.
One-Pot Bean and Tomato Stew With Cod
This hearty white bean stew comes together super-quickly thanks to canned beans, a true pantry hero. Onion, carrots and sweet bell peppers sizzle in olive oil with garlic and anchovies to start the rich sauce. Evanescent but memorable, the anchovies disappear as they cook but lend their prized saltiness and savory depth. There’s a double dose of tomatoes from the use of tomato paste, which cooks until caramelized, and fresh sweet cherry tomatoes. Cod fillets are added on top of the thickened stew and steam gently until flaky and juicy. The meal comes together in one pot; it’s low-effort but full of layered flavor.
Chicken Jorim (Soy-Braised Chicken)
Korean jorim is a classic braise of meat, fish or veggies simmered in a savory soy sauce until they’ve absorbed all of the flavors of the thickened liquid. Typically done with beef, the stew is equally flavorful with quick-cooking chicken. Here, cubed chicken thighs and potatoes are braised in a tangy sauce infused with ginger, garlic cloves and mushrooms, a simple combination that delivers deep flavor. Serve the stew over warm rice to balance and soak up the intense sauce.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Thought to hail from Hong Kong, this beloved salty-sweet glazed shrimp dish gained adoration through fast food chains and Chinese-American restaurants stateside in the ’80s and ’90s. The secret to these lightly battered shrimp is a double-fry method that uses cornstarch to create the crispy golden crust. The hot shrimp are tossed in a sweet, satiny sauce of condensed milk and mayonnaise that clings to the coating. Candied walnuts add extra crunch and wonderful nutty flavor. The finished dish hits all the notes of sweet, savory, crunchy and tender all at once. Serve with fragrant jasmine rice to balance the sweet dish.
Squid Ink Pasta
Stained a striking black hue from a dose of squid ink, squid ink pasta has a subtle briny flavor that pairs extremely well with seafood. This recipe coats the noodles in a garlicky, fresh tomato sauce infused with canned clam juice, which reinforces the flavors of the shrimp and calamari. Although shrimp does look nice whole, here it’s coarsely chopped to help it fold into the pasta for bites that include pasta, shrimp and calamari all at once. A good spritz of lemon juice brightens the briny dish.
Tanghulu (Candied Fresh Fruit Skewers)
This popular Chinese street food snack turns fresh fruit into a glossy, colorful candied treat. Tanghulu was originally made with hawthorn berries, a fruit popular in traditional Chinese cuisine and medicine. These days, more widely available fruit like strawberries, grapes and tangerines are the stars, skewered and coated in a syrup mixture that sets into a crackly shell. Be sure to dry the cleaned fruit well to help the syrup adhere. A candy thermometer is crucial for this recipe, as the sugar mixture must reach 300 degrees in order to form the hard candy shell (otherwise the coating will turn chewy and sticky). To clean the pot of any remaining caramelized sugar, add some water to the pot, bring it to a simmer and stir until the hardened sugar melts.
Braised Pork With Leeks and Mushrooms
Inspired by blanquette de veau, a classic French veal stew, this comforting braise unites pork, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a creamy, rosemary-infused broth. In this simple braise, nicely seared pork and softened veggies are combined with the broth and aromatics and simmered until the pork is tender and juicy. The dish is finished with a beurre manié — a mixture of equal parts butter and flour — that gets whisked into the stew at the end of cooking to create a smooth, thickened sauce. The final addition of just enough heavy cream creates a silky texture, with fresh chopped parsley to brighten the rich stew.
One-Pot Sesame Salmon and Quinoa
This vibrant and satisfying one-pot meal pairs quick-cooking quinoa with rich, silky salmon. Broccoli and garlic are softened in olive oil to create a flavorful vegetable base for the quinoa, which steams in the pot until al dente. Cubed salmon is added during the last 10 minutes of cooking to ensure juicy, tender and flaky fish. The punchy dressing combines just three ingredients — ponzu (a pantry flavor bomb), tahini and lemon juice — yet creates a rich and tangy sauce that can be doubled to use later in the week on roasted chicken or leafy green salads.
Beef Fried Rice
Fried rice is perfect for easy and fast weeknight cooking, as it is highly customizable and can be made with all sorts of veggies and protein. This beef version employs a traditional Chinese technique of velveting meat that quickly tenderizes tougher cuts. Simply mix the beef with cornstarch and oil (seasoned here with soy sauce) and let stand for 30 minutes (or even just 15 minutes, if that’s all you’ve got) before stir-frying until browned. Feel free to add more vegetables to this fried rice, like shredded cabbage or snow peas. Be sure to have all of your prep ready before cooking, as the process goes quickly.
Stir-Fried Cabbage and Pork in Fish Sauce Butter
This quick, weeknight cabbage and pork stir-fry is humble in ingredients yet packed with flavor, thanks to briny fish sauce, rich brown butter and potent aromatics (ginger, garlic and red-pepper flakes). Chopped cabbage gets a nice char in butter that browns as it cooks, adding richness to the lean vegetable. Fast-cooking ground pork is infused with garlic, ginger and scallions, and the final addition of salty fish sauce, bright lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro creates a punchy sauce. If you like a jolt of heat, use a thinly sliced bird’s-eye chile in place of the crushed red pepper.
Fried Cabbage
Southern fried cabbage smartly marries lean cabbage with pork in the form of rich, meaty bacon. First, you chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy. Next, the cabbage cooks right in the bacon fat with onion and garlic, quickly soaking up tons of smoky flavor. Covering the cabbage as it cooks helps it soften quickly and evenly, achieving a uniquely silky texture. A touch of stone-ground mustard gives a tangy lift. This easy side pairs well with roasted chicken, fried chicken, pork chops and grilled sausages.
Galbitang (Short Rib and Korean Radish Soup)
This traditional Korean soup features fall-off-the-bone tender braised short ribs and Korean radishes in a clear and soothing broth. Seasoned with onion, garlic and ginger, the radish releases its own sweet and savory juices to create a layered soup that is an elixir for cold winter months. Soaking the beef for 30 minutes beforehand helps remove impurities for a clear broth; there aren’t too many ingredients involved in making this soup so attention to detail pays off. A tip on easy degreasing, if time permits: Make the soup a day ahead and chill completely in the refrigerator; the fat will rise and solidify on top, making it a breeze to remove (and thereby yielding an even clearer and cleaner-tasting broth).
Gombaleves (Creamy Mushroom Soup)
This hearty, warming soup is a Hungarian version of creamy mushroom soup, with a good dose of Hungarian paprika and fragrant dried herbs imparting its unique, earthy hue and flavor. Although any mix of wild mushrooms can be used, common white button or cremini mushrooms are wonderful here (or use a combination); the key is to lightly caramelize them to maximize their complexity. A final swirl of tangy sour cream and lemon juice brightens the rich, creamy soup.
Mornay Sauce
Mornay is a rich and velvety sauce made by adding cheese (traditionally Gruyère and Parmesan) to a classic béchamel base. It requires just a handful of basic ingredients — primarily flour, milk, butter, cheese and nutmeg — and is quick to put together. A superversatile sauce, it’s a favorite for mac and cheese and gratins, and is great with roasted veggies, boiled potatoes and poached eggs. The sauce is best used right away, but can be held at room temperature for a few hours or chilled for up to 3 days. (It thickens quite a bit as it chills, but will return to a saucy state once rewarmed.)
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
A member of the brassica family, gai lan (also known as Chinese broccoli) tastes like a cross between broccoli and broccoli rabe, with a nice balance of slightly sweet and bitter. Gai lan is typically boiled or steamed with aromatics, then enjoyed plain or drizzled with oyster sauce. Here, it’s simply pan-steamed with garlic, ginger and toasted sesame oil. White pepper, common in Chinese cookery, offers milder heat that pairs well with the gai lan, but black pepper is also fine. This quick side is wonderful with roasted chicken and fish; leftovers can be chopped and added to fried rice or pasta the next day.
Chicken Lo Mein
Chinese lo mein (“stirred noodles”) is beloved for its fun combination of egg noodles, veggies and protein tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. Making this popular takeout dish at home is a fantastic way to use up leftovers, as this dish is completely customizable depending on what’s available in the fridge. (No napa cabbage? Use green or purple!) Here, skinless boneless chicken thighs are thinly sliced for quick-cooking meat that remains juicy and tender. The rich sauce comes together in a flash and can easily be doubled for another stir-fry later on in the week. Go light on seasoning the veggies, since the sauce does bring a good amount of salt to the final dish.
Fragrant Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato
This deeply flavored saucy skillet meal comes together quickly thanks to rich coconut milk and fast-cooking ground chicken (though ground pork would also work well). Sweet potatoes get a head start in the skillet, where they’re speedily cooked until golden and tender; the simple act of covering the skillet with a lid expedites the process. The meat is browned with plenty of scallions, garlic and ginger, which impart lovely aromatic fragrance and depth to the dish. Coconut milk is added at the end to maintain its creamy texture and fresh flavor, while a finish of lime juice and chopped cilantro brightens and balances the sauce.
Beef Dumplings With Zucchini, Tofu and Chives
These beef dumplings are packed with zucchini and tofu, which keep the filling tender and juicy. The ground meat is lightly marinated before mixing with plenty of buchu, a lovely allium with long flat leaves and a mild garlic flavor. (You can find these fragrant Korean chives in any Korean market). There’s a hidden surprise here, too: Buttery pine nuts get tucked into each dumpling before enclosing them.
Hobakjuk (Korean Squash Porridge)
Traditionally made with kabocha squash, this soothing porridge showcases the natural velvety texture of winter squash. Make this when squash is in season, as the flavor of the porridge will be best when the gourds are at their peak, both nutty and sweet; use kabocha, butternut or any orange-fleshed squash or pumpkin. Sweet white rice, also known as glutinous rice, becomes sticky and thickens the mixture naturally as it cooks. Typically topped with slivered Korean dates and pine nuts, a more modern, crunchier nut-and-seed topping contrasts this creamy, bisque-like soup. Leftovers freeze very well.
Baked Korean Sweet Potatoes With Scallion-Miso Butter
Korean sweet potatoes are full of surprises: Their gorgeous purple skin reveals not orange but white flesh underneath, which has a floral, honey-like sweetness and a supercreamy texture. (Japanese sweet potatoes can be used interchangeably, and even any supermarket sweet potato variety can be used for this recipe.) Wrap your sweet potatoes tightly in foil and roast until completely soft in the center, about 1 hour. While your oven works, make a quick scallion-and-miso compound butter that complements the sweet potatoes but can also elevate all sorts of roasted veggies like cauliflower, carrots and broccoli. Split open the hot potatoes and dollop with the compound butter and a spoonful of sour cream. Each bite has a wonderful balance of sweet and salty; the addition of sour cream introduces nostalgic sour cream and onion vibes.
Sheet-Pan Chicken and Cheesy Broccoli
This weeknight sheet-pan meal takes just a handful of ingredients and turns basic chicken and broccoli into a zesty family meal. Chicken legs are coated in punchy Italian seasonings and roasted until fragrant, golden and crispy. The genius move here is tossing the broccoli in the chicken drippings, encouraging the florets to absorb all of the flavorful pan juices as they cook. A final shower of Cheddar and Parmesan creates a cheesy drape over the florets, and the errant cheese that hits the pan turns into crispy frico shards. If there are any leftovers, they can be chopped and tucked into rolls or tossed with pasta the next day.