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Tag: gluten free

Bacon Wrapped Mochi

Bacon Wrapped Mochi

I feel like the words “bacon wrapped” alone should be enough to get you running into your kitchen, but these Bacon Wrapped Mochi are truly the perfect snack. Salty, sweet, and savory hit all the right notes; ready in minutes with just a handful of read more

Yakimatsu

Yakimatsu

I just recently returned from a family trip to Hungary, where the food was heavy on rich meaty dishes, but light on veggies. I found myself craving one of my meatless meals where I make an array of plant based dishes so there’s a variety read more

Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats

How many times have you heard, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”?  Now….how often do you actually eat breakfast? Yeah, me too. It’s just a lot to expect a person to get up and do everything they have to do to get ready for the day, AND make something worth eating. But I have found that if I have something ready to grab and go in the fridge, that I can quickly load with fun and yummy toppings, I not only will eat breakfast but I will actually look forward to it. These Overnight Oats fit the bill. They are jam packed with healthy ingredients like oats and chia seeds that energize me throughout my busy day, with a flavor that has taken a delightful detour through the tropics.

ingredients oats

Coconut Milk Overnight Oats

I’ve tried various overnight oats recipes over the years, but found them a little bland and boring. Using coconut milk as the dairy base was a game changer! It transforms the oats and chia into a lush, pudding like consistency. Let’s face it, oats are a blank canvas and they need to be infused with flavor to prevent them from tasting like cardboard, and coconut milk does the trick!

measuring cup overnight oats

Then I let the mixture sit for a few minutes, and stir again. Otherwise all the chia seeds sink to the bottom, but if you wait a few minutes they start to thicken and when you stir them again they will more evenly disperse. The chia seeds are what help overnight oats set, so you want to make sure they are well mixed.

portioned oats

Now they just need to be covered and put in the refrigerator overnight. And then the fun can begin!

Overnight Oats Toppings!

Coconut chips, bananas, and chopped dates are my favorite toppings for these. The chips add crunch, the bananas continue the tropical island party, and the dates are fun and chewy.  Overnight Oats are perfect for any nuts or fruits you want to add, but this combo is hard to beat. I’ve seen some recipes that add the toppings the night before, but I prefer to have fruit that’s freshly cut for the best flavor, color, and texture. I like to really lean in to my toppings and add a generous amount to each serving. Go big or go home, right?

chopping bananas

Add a layer of dates on top of the bananas:

Finally I add a generous pinch of coconut chips:

chips

Enjoy your Overnight Oats right away, while the bananas are still in pristine form. Try these and let me know what you think, I want to hear if these cured your breakfast blues too. Leave a comment here or tag us @funkyasiankitchen!

recipe card oats

For some more quick and healthy breakfast ideas, check out our Green Smoothie and Halo Halo!

 

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recipe card oats

Overnight Oats

  • Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus chilling time)
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: serves 6
  • Category: breakfast
  • Cuisine: Pan-Asian

Ingredients

Scale

For the oats:

  • 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk or coconut cream
  • 14 ounces water 
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
  • ½ cup chia seeds

For the topping:

  • 3 bananas
  • 12 dates
  • 1 cup crunchy coconut chips, nuts, or anything crunchy

Instructions

  1. Combine the coconut milk, water, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a container.
  2. Stir with a fork.
  3. While stirring, add the chia seeds and the oats.
  4. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes and stir again.
  5. Pour the mixture into 6 containers (the containers should only be filled half way since you will need space for the toppings).
  6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  7. Pit the dates and chop them into small pieces.
  8. Peel and chop the bananas.
  9. Top with the dates, bananas, and coconut chips.
  10. Serve your Overnight Oats immediately.

Notes

*I like to put the overnight oats into plastic lidded containers and store them in the fridge. Top them with fruit only when ready to eat to keep the banana from turning brown.

Keywords: breakfast, chia, oats, overnight oats, gluten free, fruit, bananas, make ahead, snacks

Tsubuan (sweet red bean paste)

Tsubuan (sweet red bean paste)

Sweetened red bean paste, or Tsubuan, is probably one of Japan’s most recognized sweet flavors. It’s used in mochi, ice cream, and pastries. It’s even delightful just spread on toast. You can find tsubuan in Asian markets, but it’s so much better when made from read more

Roasted Sesame Dressing

Roasted Sesame Dressing

It’s time we settled the old Hellman’s vs Miracle Whip debate once and for all; Japanese mayo is the best mayo hands down. Richer, thicker, and with more yolky goodness than its American counterparts, it is essential to this Roasted Sesame Dressing. (And this Potato read more

Japanese Fried Chicken

Japanese Fried Chicken

Well guys, I did it. I finally caved to peer pressure and I got an air fryer. And wow am I having fun playing with it!  We have this Japanese Fried Chicken on our restaurant menus, and it is hugely popular. I wanted to see if I could capture the juicy, crunchy deliciousness of it in an air fryer, and I was not disappointed! All the crispy, savory goodness with none of the hassles of deep frying, so let’s get into it.

japanese fried chicken ingredients

Prepping Japanese Fried Chicken

There isn’t a culture that doesn’t make fried chicken, and I love them all, from Korean Fried Chicken to Nashville Hot. But Japanese Fried Chicken, known as karaage, holds a special place in my heart. It gets marinated with ginger, sake and oyster sauce, and that helps it stay extraordinarily juicy and flavorful. And instead of flour, I use potato starch. That makes for super crispy fried chicken, and it happens to be gluten free.

I start making this by cutting up the chicken into bite-sized chunks. I use thighs because they have a better, meatier flavor and it is we typically what use when making this dish. Also since we’re using an air fryer that is much drier that frying in oil, the extra moisture from thigh meat is very much appreciated.

chunks japanese fried chicken

ginger fried chicken

When it’s thoroughly mixed I press plastic wrap down on the chicken and let it chill in the fridge for at least a half hour, or up to overnight. The extra time in the fridge really allows the flavors to penetrate giving you an even more delicious fried chicken.

Air Frying Japanese Fried Chicken

Although this recipe is made using an air fryer, you could easily adapt it to oven-frying or even traditional frying. And I put both techniques in the recipe notes. There’s no reason not to make this chicken!

The trick to air frying and oven-frying is to use a modest amount of oil to re-create a similar mouth feel and texture as fried food. However, it would be a mistake to think you don’t need to use any oil. Foods just don’t get crispy without oil, no matter how much air you pump at it. To help with that, I use a can of spray oil, which I consider a great resource for quickly and evenly getting oil across the surface.

I like to spray the fryer basket with oil. This allows the bottom of the chicken to sit on an oiled surface and develop the same texture as the top of the chicken, which will also be sprayed.

dredge

I put the chicken in two layers but I think if you can fit it in one layer, it would be easier to flip the chicken. And don’t be too aggressive when flipping/shaking the chicken as you want to preserve the coating and not have it flake off.

I cook the chicken at a moderate heat so it the coating doesn’t get too dark before the chicken is finished cooking. You’re looking for a nice golden crust and juicy chicken. When it’s done it will look like this:

Serve it with some Kewpie mayo, lemon wedges, and shichimi pepper for an outrageously delicious starter.

It’s wonderful served alongside:

Make Japanese Fried Chicken this weekend-I promise it’s worth lugging the air fryer out. Then take a moment to rate the recipe below, and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

 

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recipe japanese fried chicken

Japanese Fried Chicken

  • Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus marinating time)
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: small plates
  • Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken
  • 2 Tablespoons peeled grated ginger (minced ginger is ok too)
  • 3 Tablespoons sake
  • 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup potato starch
  • Oil spray
  • Lemon wedges, kewpie mayonnaise, and shichimi pepper for serving

Instructions

  1. Cut the chicken into 1½ inch pieces. Place it in the bowl.
  2. Add the ginger, sake, oyster sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix the chicken to thoroughly coat.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
  4. Spray the bottom of the air frying basket with oil.
  5. Dip the chicken pieces a couple at a time into the potato starch.
  6. Set the chicken into the air fryer basket/tray and spray with the oil. If you have to stack the chicken in two layers, spray each layer of chicken with oil.
  7. Air fry the chicken at 360 degrees for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken every 5 minutes so the chicken cooks evenly. (I also sprayed the chicken with oil again the first time I went to flip it.)
  8. Transfer the chicken to a plate. 
  9. Serve the Japanese fried chicken with some lemon wedges, kewpie mayo, and shichimi pepper.

Notes

*If you have the ability to cook the chicken in one layer in the airfryer, I highly recommend it so you reduce the chance that the coating will peel off from flipping it around. 

*You can also oven fry this chicken if you do not have an air fryer. Preheat the oven to 400. Put down a piece of parchment paper. (You can also use aluminum foil). Spray your parchment paper with oil. Lay your prepared chicken on the paper and spray again with oil. Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. (I would spray the chicken again after you flip it). Serve immediately.

*If you would like to deep fry your chicken, pour 2 inches of oil into a deep heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Test the oil by dipping a piece of chicken into the oil. It should bubble immediately. If not, let the oil continue to heat for a couple more minutes. Depending on the size of your skillet, put enough chicken into the pan so that it’s only half full of chicken. Do not crowd the pan otherwise your chicken will soak up a lot of oil and not cook properly. Cook for 6-8 minutes until crisp and golden. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Serve immediately.

Keywords: air fryer, fried chicken, japanese, appetizers, small plates, gluten free