ChefsGirl

Tag Archives: asian

Straits (Westchase, Houston, TX)

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On a mini tour through Texas and my first stop..Houston! My previous post was on a great sandwich joint called Local Foods (click HERE for my review)…a local sandwich shop owned by Benjy’s. After a great lunch with the boyfriend, the next stop? A girl’s night at Straits.  They had a great dinner menu filled with small, delicious plates. The restaurant atmostphere was perfect for a girls night out...trendy, but still comfy! And the drinks were delicious…unfortunately, they were gone before I could photograph them…

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Roti Prata. Yellow curry dipping sauce.

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Spring Rolls. 

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Singapore Satay Sticks. Spicy Peanut Sauce.

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Murtabak. Roti Prata. Spiced Beef. Curry Dip.

Every dish left me wanting more. For a bar scene, the dishes were well thought out and infused with homey, yet rich flavors. I’m not gonna lie…we ordered more than one Roti Prata. It’s not a girl’s night if you can’t load up on carbs! haha…It’s okay. We paid for it at the gym…

I have yet to try their official dinner entrees, but if these small plates are a reflection of what they have to offer, then I can’t wait!

Straits on Urbanspoon

Lemongrass Chicken

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I was starting to miss some good ‘ol home cookin’ today after a long weekend of fast food joints and eating out. Some asian flavors came to mind so I figured Lemongrass Chicken would be perfect!

Ingredients

6 bone-in (or boneless) chicken thighs **I prefer bone-in for the flavor.

1 lemongrass stalk finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp of fish sauce 

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp sugar 

half a lemon 

1/2c chicken stock 

2 tbsp olive oil 

Marinade: 

Combine the lemongrass, garlic, sugar, and black pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken thighs and incorporate the marinade with the chicken well. Let it marinade in the fridge for 40 minutes remembering to turn midway through the marinade time.

*For tonight, I did 2 hours. Why not? A little extra marinade time doesn’t hurt!

Time to cook!

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil on med-hi heat. Once the pan and oil are hot, add the chicken and let each side brown for about 1-2 minutes. Lower the temp to low heat and add the half lemon juice with the chicken broth. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with fish sauce, sugar, pepper, if needed. 

Broil the thighs in the oven for 5 minutes for a nice golden brown color. 

Serve with white/brown rice and a side of veggies! Enjoy!

The flavor profiles of this dish are fantastic…lemongrass bite with a lemony garlic aftertaste. The chicken is moist and tender…Love it!