Category: Almonds

No. 596Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Chin Chin’s Classic Chicken Salad

Chin Chin’s Classic Chicken Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

THE classic Chinese chicken salad from the Chin Chin restaurant-always a Little Jewel.

CHIN CHIN RESTAURANT

Very hard to believe that Chin Chin began as a counter and to-go eatery in Sunset Plaza years ago about 1983.  In those days as a young girl  I was driving over the hill from the valley to Sunset Plaza to get regular facials at famed spa Ole Henrickson and always stopped in for lunch. Sitting at the tiny counter (wish there were photos) I would order of course the Chicken Salad along with an orders of Chicken Fried Rice and Dumplings to take home for dinner.  All my family members were crazy about the food.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

Along with sitting at the counter to eat, the-then tiny eatery had shelves with some products, most important were the jar of preserved red ginger, which is key to the salad.  I make the dressing ahead, enough for a few of salads. Fresh ginger and green onion are also elements in the dressing so the dressing must be used with a few days. Shredded poached chicken, iceberg lettuce and fried wonton strips and deep fried rice stix are added for crunch. All the ingredients are tossed in a large bowl with the dressing.

Chin Chin’s Classic Chicken Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Alas, I no longer live near any of the Chin Chin locations and it took a but of searching, but I was happy to find a reasonable duplicate of the salad recipe online. I have been enjoying the salad at home. Here served with some chopsticks I kept from a to-go order a LA friend picked up for me not long ago.

Enjoy Chin Chin’s Little Jewel Salad.

 

No. 593Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Santa Fe Salad

Santa Fe Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Today I am recreating a favorite restaurant salad–Cheesecake Factory Santa Fe Salad another Little Jewel from the Kitchen.

CHEESECAKE FACTORY

Beginning in Beverly Hills in 1978 (wow) starting with just cheesecake then expanding to a full menu, the restaurant chain has thrived over the years. Of course the cheesecake is great, however one of their salads has remained a favorite-the Santa Fe Salad. Although the menu is a throw back to the 80’s, the food is still great.

SANTA FE SALAD MEMORIES

It may seem a bit dated, but this salad has a taste combination that remains flavor relevant. Fond memories of getting lunch with my bestie at my home in Pasadena. Sadly she has passed, but enjoying the salad reminds me of her. The core ingredients of the salad are simple, roasted chicken if desired, grilled fresh corn, black beans, tortilla strips and Romaine lettuce, but the dressing(s) are the KEY. Tossed with a Spicy Peanut-Cilantro Vinaigrette which is so yummy I like spike it flavor up with the addition of a side of their Peanut Sauce which I always order.

Santa Fe Salad | Bijouxs Litle Jewels

 

SANTA FE SALAD AT HOME

Now that the Cheesecake Factory is just not down the street, I took a try at making the salad myself, knowing the salad dressings would be the key. Yes there are a few components to the salad, however you can make the dressings ahead and store in the refrigerator. Of course, I searched around the internet and found a few versions of the salad recipe. Guess I’m not the only one who craves this salad. I came pretty close with my sleuthing and tinkering to try to get the flavors correct. The peanut sauce is not exact yet, but close. I serve the salad without the chicken, which is how I order it.

Santa Fe Salad

Food memories are always a Little Jewel.

 

No. 577Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Baked Fish with Almonds

Baked Fish with Almonds | Bijouxs Little Jewels

An exotic sounding recipe but actually this a simple bake for fresh white fish, baked with a sweet & spiced almond crust and resting on a bed of thinly sliced onions. The flavors are similar to classic Bastilla, via a take on a recipe by Paula Wolfert. Baked Fish with Almonds, the latest Little Jewel recipe in the Membership Collection.

PAULA WOLFERT

Here’s my food story. To begin, the origin of the recipe is from Paula Wolfert in ‘Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco’. As I mentioned, I was soooo lucky as a young girl to attend a cooking class taught by Paula Wolfert, there I came to love Moroccan cuisine. Cooking from her books is a travel lesson on food.

FIRST WE SURF

Now the next part of my story. After recently moving to the beach town of Ventura, I met Steve Walden the iconic long-board surfer here in town. He connected me to Jim Kempton, a fellow surfer and author of the cookbook First We Surf Then We Eat. I purchased the book and came across the recipe for Baked Fish with Almond Sauce, attributed to Paula Wolfert. Familiar…back my mind went to my long ago cooking class, funny how so many things in life connect.

BAKED FISH WITH ALMONDS

This version of the recipe comes from the fishing village of Safi, the best waves in Morocco. It was adapted and inluded in the First We Surf Cookbook. The recipes, both the orginal and adapted are winners. The almond sauce bakes into a rich crust atop the mild white fish. The fish is baked on a bed of onions along with some water to keep the fish from drying out. The onions and pan sauce are additions to serve with the fish, along with couscous and a simple cabbage salad.

Moroccan cuisine, a Little Jewel from the Kitchen.

 

No. 480Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Claudia Roden’s Orange & Almond Cake

Orange & Almond Cake | Bijoux Little Jewels

An old world cake for the Passover and Easter holidays—Orange & Almond Cake is a delightful and simple cake. Discovering a vintage recipe cookbook is always a little jewel. Somewhere in my web-wanderings I discovered a middle eastern cake comprised of nothing more than whole oranges, ground almonds, eggs and some sugar, this cake intrigued me. Continue reading Claudia Roden’s Orange & Almond Cake

Still Hungry?