Cha Cha Cha Recipes

CHA CHA BOWL

Steps:

• Pineapple and Zucchini Salsa:
• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt, to taste. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Bring to room temperature just before serving.
• Black Beans:
• Place beans in a saucepot. Cover with water and cook at a low simmer until tender but not mushy. Add garlic and salt, to taste.
• White Rice:
• Heat oil in a 4-quart pot. Add rice and cook approximately 3 minutes or until rice starts turning light brown. Then add water, garlic, and salt. Simmer until the water is absorbed, then cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Fluff just before serving.
• Al Pastor Adobo Marinade:
• Place chiles in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until softened. Transfer softened chiles to a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients, except pork or chicken, and puree until smooth. Cover pork tenderloin in marinade.
• Preheat a grill. Grill pork tenderloin, turning as needed, until it reaches 150 degrees F when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer. Let rest for 10 minutes before dicing into cubes.
• To serve:
• In 4 or 6 serving bowls, layer rice, beans, and pork. Top with pineapple and zucchini salsa.

CHILAQUILES CHA CHA CHA

Steps:

• In a 12-inch pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
• For the tomatillo and orange tomato sauce:
• In a food processor, pulse ingredients for tomatillo sauce for 15 seconds. Do the same for the orange tomato sauce.
• For the tortilla chips:
• Cut the tortillas in half and cut each half into 4 triangles. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while hot.
• Add the salt, pepper, cumin and sauces to the pan. When sauce is hot, add the chips and the eggs and stir. Add the cheese just before serving. Garnish with cilantro.

CHA CHA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange chicken in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Squeeze lime juice over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
• Mix salsa and garlic together in a bowl. Spoon 1/4 cup of the salsa mixture over each chicken breast; top with more lime juice.
• Cook chicken breasts in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 50 to 60 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CHA CHA CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine the vegetable stock, thyme, bay leaf, and some salt and pepper. With the back of a bench scraper, scrape the "milk" from the cobs into the pot. Then add the cobs to the pot as well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the cobs, bay leaf and thyme. This is your corn stock.
• In another large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the poblanos and onions, and sweat until soft, about 15 minutes. Slowly add the corn stock, then the corn kernels and the potatoes, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust.
• Transfer half of the soup to a blender and carefully blend until smooth. Pour this back into the pot and add the half-and-half. Thin the soup with additional water, if desired.
• Garnish with a couple pinches of smoked paprika and some chopped cilantro. Serve with two spoons, cuz IT'S DAT GOOD.

CHERRY CHA CHA

Steps:

• Blend the graham crumbs with the melted butter and the icing sugar. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan, saving out some to sprinkle over the top when finished.
• Whip the cream, fold in the marshmallows and spread half of this over the graham base. Spread the tin of cherry pie filling over the cream mixture. Spread the rest of the cream mixture over the pie filling and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs.
• Keep in the fridge.
• I use the bagged graham wafer crumbs and.
• I've never tried this with KoolWhip so don't know if it would turn out the same.I say.never fool with perfection -- lol.I've also used 2 tins of the pie filling if it looks thin.

BUN CHA

Steps:

• For the grilled pork patties and pork belly: Turn on a kitchen exhaust fan or open a nearby window. Things are about to get smoky! Combine the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Cook until the sugar mixture darkens to a deep, dark brown hue similar to soy sauce and the mixture is smoking, 5 to 7 minutes; swirl the pan as needed to ensure even cooking.
• Immediately turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the hot stovetop. Carefully add 2 tablespoons of water to the saucepan (the mixture may sputter). Use a heat-safe rubber spatula to stir the caramel until completely smooth. Transfer the caramel to a medium heat-safe bowl and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.
• Meanwhile, put the ground pork and the pork belly into 2 separate medium bowls.
• Stir the fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, bouillon and black pepper into the caramel until well combined. Add 6 tablespoons of the sauce to the ground pork then add the remaining sauce to the pork belly. Use your hands to mix each meat with the sauce until well combined. Refrigerate each for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Do not refrigerate overnight or the meat will get too salty.)
• Scoop the marinated ground pork into 18 portions (about a scant 1/4 cup each), placing each on a large baking sheet. Roll each portion into a ball then flatten into a 1/2-inch-thick patty about 2 inches wide.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Preheat an outdoor grill or a large 2-burner cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the grill grates or grill pan with oil. Working in batches if needed, cook the pork patties until charred and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side, rotating the meat as needed to ensure even cooking. Transfer the cooked patties to a clean baking sheet.
• Reduce the heat slightly (between medium and medium-high). Working in batches if needed, cook the pork belly until charred and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side, rotating the meat as needed to ensure even cooking. Place the cooked pork belly to the same baking sheet as the pork patties and place in the oven to keep warm while you make the dipping sauce.
• For the dipping sauce: Combine the sugar and 1 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot and starts to steam, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup cold water, the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, carrot, green papaya and chiles. Stir to combine.
• For serving: Divide the vermicelli among 6 individual serving bowls. Place the lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro and mint on a platter.
• Divide the pork patties and pork belly between 6 medium serving bowls or plates. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm sauce over the meat in each bowl. Serve each diner a bowl of pork and a small bowl of noodles. Pass the platter of vegetables and herbs. To eat, dip the noodles, herbs and vegetables into the warm sauce. Alternatively, you can hand tear the lettuce and herbs and add them to the sauce along with the other vegetables before dipping in the noodles, or enjoy the dish anyway you like.

CHA CA LA WONG

Steps:

• Place the fresh turmeric, ground turmeric, ginger and galangal in a food processor or mini-chopper. Process until very fine, almost a paste. Transfer to a stainless-steel dish. Wash food processor immediately to prevent staining. Place the fish in a bowl. Rub mixture all over fish, remembering to wear gloves or plastic bags on your hands to avoid turmeric stains. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Combine fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of the garlic, half the chile flakes, the lime juice, sugar and 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl. Stir well. Refrigerate. Place noodles in another bowl, cover with warm water and set aside 10 minutes until softened.
• Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, drain noodles and add to boiling water. Cook 1 minute, then drain.
• Spread lettuce on a serving platter. Spread noodles over lettuce. Cover lightly with a sheet of foil or plastic wrap.
• Place oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and heat to a high temperature. Add fish pieces. When seared on one side, 1 minute or so, turn to sear other side, sprinkle with salt and remaining chile flakes and cook through, another minute or two. Remove to another platter. Add onions to pan and reduce heat to medium. When onions start to brown, add remaining garlic, stir, and add scallions. Stir again. Tuck fish pieces back into the pan and add the dill. Cook about 1 minute, just enough to warm fish. Remove pan from heat.
• Spread contents of the pan, including all the oil, on noodles. Scatter herbs on top, then toss on peanuts and fried shallots. Serve with sauce on the side.

CHA CHA'S WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

CHA CHA CHA CAJUN SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, mix cajun spice mix and beer. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk to make a thick paste. Don't let it burn. Gradually stir in cream to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce becomes thick and turns a rich rusty color. Add shrimp and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and cook shrimp over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Serve with fresh baguette(s).

CHA CHA CHA SANGRIA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, white wine, and red wine in a large bowl and stir for several minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the sliced orange and lemon. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
• Stir the mixture and divide it into pitchers. Add the sliced fruit and serve the sangria over ice.