Word Made Flesh Lunch Party Menu

The recipe for the Soy-Ginger Chicken can be found here; the Banana Pudding here.

My only alterations for the recipes were:
-used a mix of chicken thighs and breasts
-used more soy sauce on account of the Brazilian stuff being weak
-added a bit more water, as we wanted plenty of sauce
-no cilantro (didn't have any in the house)

For the pudding, it's best if you temper the eggs, by adding a little of the warmed, but not boiling, custard to the beaten eggs and thinning them out as you raise their temperature. Then, when it's time to add the yolks, pour slowly while whisking with a vengeance. This ensures your egg yolks won't turn into nasty scrambled clots instead of creamy pudding! I didn't bother with the meringue because I don't have a broiler.

For the oriental salad, I shredded or diced Chinese cabbage, carrots, celery and celery tops, broccoli, red bell peppers, and green onions. About an hour before we were ready to eat, I whisked up a dressing with the following ingredients and quantity approximations:

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I added a little sesame oil too)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2-4 T soy sauce
1/4 cup white sugar (but honey would also work nicely)
1 T jaboticaba jam (for a hint of fruit flavor)
1 teaspoon pepper

Toss the dressing with the salad. Add some cooked shredded chicken if you'd like a bit of protein or a more substantial salad.

If you want crunchy noodles, crush up a packet of ramen noodles, toast with almonds in a touch of oil in the saucepan (or bake in the oven until golden brown). Pronto!