Roasted Lemongrass Chicken with Sweet Lime Sauce, I made this without the lime sauce and it was delicious. I'm going to try it with the lime sauce next. I also didn't have red chilies so I just added a small amount of hot sauce.

Roasted Lemongrass Chicken With Sweet Lime Sauce

• Total:2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep:30 mins
• Cook:2 hrs
• Yield:4 pieces (serves 4)

Roast chicken with a Thai twist! Lemongrass chicken is a famous dish throughout much of Southeast-Asia, and my Thai roasted lemongrass chicken recipe is particularly fragrant and moist. Imbued with the flavors of both lemon and lime, you'll find this roasted chicken delicious as is, or serve it together with my sweet lime sauce for a delectable Thai treat your family and friends (including the kids!) will absolutely love!

Ingredients

• 4 quarter chicken pieces, or 1 small whole chicken
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
• 1/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger (grated or thinly sliced)
• 2 fresh red chilies (minced)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 can thick coconut milk
• Lime wedges as garnish
• For the Sauce:
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger (minced or grated)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch powder (dissolved in 3 tablespoons water)

Instructions

1.     Thinly slice the lemongrass and then chop it up as finely as you can (alternatively you can use a food processor or chopper for the mincing part). Do the same with the onion, garlic, galangal/ginger, and chili.

2.     Set chicken pieces in a roaster or flat baking pan, and rub these herbs all over the skin, all sides. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

3.     Cover and leave in the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour or up to six hours to marinate.

4.     Preheat oven to 350. While the oven is warming up, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and coconut milk. Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

5.     Drizzle this over chicken, turning to saturate. Try to get as many of the herbs on the skin of chicken as possible.

6.     Add 1/4 cup water to the roaster/pan in and around the chicken.

7.     Cover and set in the middle of your oven to bake 45 minutes.

8.     Remove cover and continue roasting 20 minutes until chicken turns golden-brown (whole chicken will take longer).

9.     Top with slices of fresh lime and chili, if desired, or just serve as is.

10.   Accompany with plenty of Thai jasmine rice and the sweet lime sauce (below) on the side.

11.   While chicken is roasting, make the side sauce. In a saucepan, add all sauce ingredients except cornstarch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.

12.   Taste test for sweetness and saltiness, adding more honey if not sweet enough, or more fish sauce (instead of salt) as desired. If you prefer a spicy sauce, add some fresh chili or chili sauce.

13. Add cornstarch and water mixture. Stir until sauce thickens. Serve with the roasted chicken and enjoy!

Michael's 25th birthday cake: Coconut Cake with Lime Curd and Coconut Buttercream

Coconut Cake with Lime Curd and Coconut Buttercream

A secret ingredient of sour cream makes this cake so moist, dense, and delicious!

Cook:

25 mins

Yield:

2 – 9 inch round cakes

Ingredients

·      1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix

·      1 cup al purpose flour

·      1 cup white sugar

·      ¾ tsp salt

·      1 1/3 cups water

·      1 cup sour cream

·      2 tbl vegetable oil

·      2 tsp coconut extract

·      2 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour an 11x13 inch cake pan.

Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour in the water, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mix on low until all the ingredients are mixed and moistened but some lumps still remain, 4 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake in the preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Lime Curd

Use limes, key lime juice, or even lemon to make the perfect curd at home. This recipe is easy and is done in under 10 minutes!

Ingredients

·         3 large eggs

·         3/4 cup granulated sugar

·         Pinch of salt

·         1/2 cup fresh lime juice or bottled Key Lime juice

·         Zest of 1 large or two small limes or Key limes

·         4 tablespoons unsalted butter diced

Instructions

1.                   Place eggs, sugar, salt, juice, and zest in a medium saucepan. Do not put it over the heat yet. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.

2.                   Place over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Turn all the way to low and add the butter. Stir until smooth.

3.                   Remove from heat and pour into jar(s). Makes just shy of 2 cups.

Coconut Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup coconut milk

4 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tsp coconut extract

1/8 tsp salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and coconut milk on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts, and salt, raise the speed to medium-high and beat until combined, about 1 minute, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  I added more powdered sugar to make it easier to pipe.

Assemble the Cake

Pipe buttercream around the round cake edge, fill in with lime curd.  Add second layer and frost the cake.  I put shredded coconut around the sides and then flaked toasted coconut on top. 

I doubled the recipes and made 4 layers, it was very tall.  I would suggest a 3 layer cake and make the rest into cupcakes or single layer cake.