Chicken Ole'

This is a delicious casserole that I've made for years at home, but find I can make it with just a few substitutions here in Japan as well.  In recent years, taco seasoning is sold in Japan, so I substituted that for the chili powder.  I substituted tomato paste with water for tomato sauce.  I can't find canned black beans here, but I did find some canned kidney beans.   I couldn't find canned green chilis, but I just added some salsa (from Costco) and that worked great!  It's fast and easy!

Chicken Ole'
2 chicken breasts, cut up in chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic granules
1 teaspoon salt

1 large can tomato sauce
1 can green chilis (4 oz)
1 can black beans
1 can corn

Corn Chips or Tortilla Chips
1 cup or so of grated Monterey Jack Cheese
1 can black olives

Mix together the chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.  Sprinkle the mixture over the chicken and, using your hands, mix them together well.  Let sit for a couple of minutes, then fry the chicken in a large, sided skillet in olive oil.  When the chicken is done, add the tomato sauce, green chilis, corn, and black bean.  Heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve over crushed corn or tortilla chips.  Top with cheese and olives.  Dinner is ready in about 20 minutes!!

Omurice

Every Tuesday evening here, members of the branch at church gather for family home evening.  It’s kind of Japanese “Chopped” as two and sometimes a third always do the cooking.  Another lady in the branch donates vegetables, then these two ladies figure out what to make with them.  One goes shopping while the other starts chopping and cooking.  They come up with delicious meals.  One evening, this omurice was the delicious result.  It is easy, quick, and you have everything you need for it right now- probably.   Living here, we nearly always have leftover rice, but you may not.  But other than that, you’ve probably got everything.

This will make dinner for 4.  It’s easy to expand or reduce, depending on how many you need to feed.  It’s basically one cup of rice and one piece of meat person. 

Omurice

4 cups of cooked rice

1 onion, chopped

1 piece of meat per person, ie: chicken thigh cut up, 1 hot dog cut up, 1/3 lb. ground beef, bacon slices cut up, etc.  You can use as little or as much meat as you wish.  The one they served us just had a little bit of hot dog in it.

Oil (I use olive oil)

Salt and pepper

½ cup ketchup

½ cup frozen green peas

4 eggs

Heat some oil in a large fry pan. Add the meat and cook until done.  Add the onion and fry on medium heat until golden and translucent.

Add the cooked rice and stir and fry together for about 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Push the rice to the sides of the pan and pour the ketchup in the middle.  Spread the ketchup and cook just the ketchup alone for about 30 seconds, then stir the rice and ketchup together and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add the peas and cook for 2 more minutes.  Divide the rice mixture into 1/4ths.  Put each ¼ into a bowl or other mold.  Traditionally, omurice is a sort of oval shape.  Turn bowl upside down on a plate.

  Repeat for all four bowls of rice.  Beat 1 egg with some salt and pour it into a small fry pan and move it around like you were making a crepe.  You want a crepe-like thin round sheet of egg.  Cook on one side til done, then gently turn it over.  When done, put the cooked egg over the rice like a blanket.  Tuck in the sides.  Repeat for the other three.  Serve immediately.