I participated in a mystery dinner the other night where each of us brought several ingredients, but only one person knew the secret recipe. We watched in anticipation as each person shared their contribution – rice, chicken, chicken broth – so far, so good. Pineapple, cheese, and black olives? Chow mein noodles, coconut, and green onions? Where in the world did she get this idea? Java, as it turns out. For those of you, like me, who have forgotten our high school geography, Java is an Indonesian island in Southeast Asia. My friend picked up this recipe from a missionary to Java many years ago. Since many Indonesian and Asian dishes are quite spicy, I suspect that this one has been modified for American palates. Though we looked at the table with a bit of hesitance at first, everyone who tried the meal loved it. Apparently, there are meanings to each of the toppings, which I would love to find if anyone knows what they are. The title of the dish, Snow on the Mountain, refers to the coconut which is sprinkled on top. The rest of the toppings, though mysterious in meaning, were quite tasty combined together. If you’re ready for an international meal without a lot of work, give this delicious dish a try:
Snow on the Mountain
1 lb chicken, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
4 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chicken broth, heated and thickened with 1T. cornstarch
toppings: chow mein noodles, green onions, sliced almonds, black olives, pineapple chunks, shredded cheese, coconut
Put rice on the plates as the base, followed by chicken and the toppings. Pour thickened chicken broth over all and enjoy!
What a really cute idea to have everyone bring one or two of the ingrients. This recipe sounds yummy. I love cooking with pineapple, really makes the food sweet.