Tequila Mussels

What to do with leftover tequila? If you're not the kind that do tequila shots, try this mussels recipe.

2 lbs. New Zealand greenshell mussels
1 cup tequila
1 can diced tomato (14.5 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (more if you prefer)
2 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon oil
Lime juice (from 1 lime)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and butter in a pan or wok. Add in chopped garlic and cook till garlic is softened. Add in tomato, tequila and mussels.

Cook covered for 5 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat. Add in cilantro and lime juice. Mix well and serve hot with bread, garlic bread or my Quick and Easy Garlic Bread.

Chicken, Ham and Chorizo Jambalaya

After watching a show on Food Network about jambalaya, I've been jonesing to have some. I know this is not an "authentic" jambalaya recipe but I gotta do what I gotta do to satisfy my fix! Try to get smoked chorizo, I made the mistake of getting fresh chorizo and they turned into small meat patties instead of sliced sausage.

A helpful tip: Never stir your jambalaya, instead turn the rice and don't do it often. You don't want to break the rice into mush.


1 lbs. chicken breast or thigh, or both (cut into cubes)
1.5 lbs. smoked chorizo (sliced in an angle)
1.5 lbs. cooked ham (diced)
2 medium onion (chopped fine)
2 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 cups chicken stock
6 cups long grain rice
½ cup oil

Spice mix:
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon cayenne
½ tablespoon onion powder
½ tablespoon garlic powder
black pepper, to taste

Marinade mix:
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Marinade chicken with marinade mix for about an hour. Add oil to a pot or wok, turn to medium heat. Add in chorizo and brown for about 5 minutes.


Add in marinated chicken and ham to brown for about 20 minutes.

Set meat aside, leaving oil in the pot or wok. Add chopped onion into oil. When onions are starting to brown, add in garlic. Be careful not to burn them.


Once onion and garlic are browned, add in browned meat, chicken stock and spice mix.


Turn heat to high. Once mixture is in a rolling boil, add in rice.


Turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, covered. Uncover and turn rice from bottom to top, mixing everything together. If rice is starting to burn on the bottom, add a little bit of water. Cook for another 15 minutes, covered. If rice is not done, cook a few more minutes. Turn heat off and let stand for 10 minutes.


Turn rice and your jambalaya is done! Makes about 10 servings.

Grandma's Quick Ginger Braised Chicken

Just got home after a long bus ride from Connecticut. Realized I have some 2 month-old frozen chicken breasts in the freezer so I made this quick dinner dish to use it up. Now I'm not saying this recipe ask for 2 month-old frozen chicken breasts, I'm just saying it's quick. LOL.


2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 cup thinly sliced ginger (more if you like)
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cup water
3 tablespoon oil


Heat wok. Add in ginger slices once it's hot, without oil. Fry until ginger is fragrant and dry. Set aside.


Add oil into wok and brown chicken pieces. Set aside. Return ginger back into the wok with onions. Fry until onions are soft, then add in garlic. Fry until it's brown.


Add in soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper and sugar. Fry until mixture is thick. Add in chicken pieces and water. Cook for about 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.


Add in sesame oil and stir. Dish and serve with white rice.

Maple Baked Butternut Squash

This is just another version of Sweet Baked Butternut Squash that I made for Thanksgiving. Instead of brown sugar, I'm using maple syrup. Makes good side dish.

2 medium sized butternut squash
1/2 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine)

Peel and cut butternut squash into wedges. Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add squash into the baking sheet, cover squash with more aluminum foil. Bake for 30 mins.

Take squash out of the oven. Mix maple syrup with butter, drizzle half of the mixture on top of the squash, and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes on 400 °F.

Drizzle with remaining syrup mixture before serving.

Ray's Iced Lemon Tea

What's better than lemon and tea? Iced lemon tea! I've been drinking this since I was kid but I'd usually get them pre-packaged when I was in Malaysia. The smell of fresh juicy lemons mushed with sugar and mixed with freshly brewed tea. Yum ... this is one of the drinks that will keep you asking for more. This recipe yields a gallon.

6 lemons
6 tea bags, Lipton black tea
2 cups sugar
6 cups hot water
4 cups cold water

Wash lemons thoroughly. Slice lemons and put them into a pitcher (one that measures to a gallon). Add in sugar. Using a wooden spoon, mush lemon slices with sugar until sugar is almost dissolved. You now have a tasty mixture of lemon syrup, infused with the juices of the lemon and the oil from the zest.

Steep tea bags in 6 cups of hot water for 5 minutes. Add steeped tea into the pitcher. Mix with lemon syrup until sugar completely dissolve. Add in 4 cups of cold water. Mix well.

Serve chilled with ice cubes. Enjoy!