I have mentioned before that I plan out my menus so that way I know what I’m going to make during the week. Its great. It takes a lot of the guess work out of making dinner. That is until I decide that I don’t want to make what I had planned. That is what happened to me yesterday, I originally planned to make some kind of turkey burgers but they just didn’t sound good yesterday. I was in more of a meatball kind of mood. A spicy meatball mood to be more exact.

Ever go to a Thai restaurant and have the server ask you how spicy you want your Pad Thai on a scale of 1 – 4? Well is it just me or are these rarely accurate? If you give me a scale of 1 – 4  and I order 4 I am thinking 4 is “I can’t feel my face hot” not “oooh this has a nice kick to it hot” which is what I tend to get. Then again I like spicy. With that in mind, on my scale of 1 – 4 I give these a 3 as in “my tongue is a little tingly and my throat is a little hot but I can’t stop eating”. If that sounds too hot for you cut back the sriracha to a tablespoon.

Makes about 20 meatballs

You will need:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/3 cup dry plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients except peanut oil in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Roll into 20 meatballs.
3. Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook meatballs until browned. Transfer to a baking dish.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 more minutes or until cooked through.
5. Transfer to a serving platter sprinkle with more sesame seeds and chopped green onions if desired.
6. Serve

Enjoy!

Ryan and I are still pretty busy with our house which means that I haven’t been cooking much lately. It’s really kinda sad, but then again, I’ll have my new kitchens (yep that is plural I now have 2!) to cook in soon enough. I do have a few recipes saved up for times like this when I just can’t get into the kitchen and this recipe for Asian Grilled Chicken just happens to be one of them. And guess what? It also happens to be perfect for summer. To be honest,  I am not quite sure why it took me so long to share this.  It really made some of the best, juciest grilled chicken I’ve had in a while and the Asian-inspired twist is a nice change from traditional BBQ sauce.

Someone once told me that she refused to eat the dark meat of chicken. She says “Ohh its not good for you, the chicken breast is so much better”. My response to her “Blah blah blah. Everything is fine in moderation. Especially juicy, succulent, fall of the bone, melt in your mouth chicken legs.” Too this day I stand by that comment, but alas, if you prefer chicken breast go ahead and substitute a couple of bone-in skin on breasts for the chicken legs. Note that the cooking time will be a tad bit longer.

You will need:

• 6 chicken legs
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Place in a bowl.
2. Whisk soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chili, sesame oil and rice vinegar together in a bowl. Pour over chicken. Cover chicken and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill to medium- high heat.
4. Cook chicken on the grill for 25 – 30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken legs. Chicken is done when it is punctured and juices run clear.
5. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Ok. Ok. Ok. I know I’ve been sharing a lot of shrimp recipes lately. The truth is, I love it. I love the subtle sweetness. I love the fact that you can do just about anything with it. And I love that you can cook it in a realtivley quick amount of time. I mean there is nothing better than coming home from a long day at work and having dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Especially when that dinner tastes as good, and is as good for you, as this shrimp and broccoli stir-fry loaded with ginger and garlic.

I use fresh ginger in this recipe. For the longest time I was a ground ginger kind of girl, the strangle gnarled looking root at the grocery store wasn’t something that ever made it into my basket. Then one day I decided what the heck lets give it a try. And I haven’t looked back sense. Ok so I use ground ginger in a pinch, but the flavor of fresh ginger is so intense and lovely that you can’t even compare them. Another good thing is that it keeps for quite some time in your fridge. Simply wrap it in some plastic wrap and you’re good to go for at least a couple of weeks.

Serves 2 – 4

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
• 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot oil (optional)

1. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet. Stir in broccoli florets and garlic. Pour water or chicken broth over the top. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is slightly tender.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook just until the shrimp are cooked through. About 5 minutes.
3. Serve.

Wonderful with a plate of jasmine rice. Enjoy!

My experimentation with the loveliness that is edamame continues with this chili garlic edamame. Sure edamame is great steamed with a little kosher salt tossed on top, but toss it in some sauteed garlic and spicy sambal oelek and you’ve got a whole new ball game.

The other night Ryan and I were watching a baseball game and I didn’t want to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen making dinner. Instead I decided to make us a few different appetizers to snack on while we watched. I went with an Asian them and I cooked up a few of these potstickers, some wontons and this edamame dish. So quick and easy that I had it all on the table before the 2nd inning was over.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1 pound edamame in shells
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
• kosher salt

1. Cook edamame according to package directions. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat peanut oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sambal oelek and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Pour chili-garlic mixture over the top of edamame and toss to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Serve.

Enjoy!

When I shared my recipe for Udon Noodle Stir-fry a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Udon was my new favorite noodle. Well when the weather returned unusually cold and rainy last week, I used the opportunity to try my hand at some Udon  Chicken Noodle soup. I like to think of it as an Asian inspired twist on everyone’s favorite cold weather soup with chicken, mushrooms and green onions in a spicy broth.

Now when I say spicy broth, I don’t want you to think that its too spicy. You can really adjust it to be whatever you want it to be. I decided to add 2 teaspoons of sriracha because I do like a little bit of a kick. If you don’t you can cut back to 1 teaspoon or omit it. If you are serving people with varying spice levels, I’d say leave it out of the original batch and serve it on the side so people can stir it in themselves.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divded
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 – 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 (10 ounce) package dried udon noodles.
• 3 green onions, chopped

1. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook chicken just until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. In the same pot add remaining olive oil, garlic, shitake mushrooms and ginger. Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Pour in chicken broth, soy sauce and sriracha. Return chicken to pan. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Prepare udon noodles according to package directions.
4. Divide noodles between bowls and ladle soup over the top. Sprinkle with green onions.
5. Serve.

Enjoy!

After making edamame hummus a few weeks ago, a whole new world of possibilities seemed to open up. I immediately started thinking of more recipes that I could add some edamame too. Enter this quick and easy stir fry. Its loaded with marinated pork, shitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, edamame and my new favorite stir-fry noodle: Udon.

I decided to use Udon noodles for this recipe after trying Udon noodle soup at a Japanese restaurant a few weeks back. These noodles are thick and made with wheat flour, salt and water. You can find them cooked in the refrigerator section but I often find them dried in the Asian food aisle at my local grocery store. From what I hear these noodles are also wonderful served cold in a variety of dishes during the summer, I can’t wait to give it a try!

Serves 4

You will need:

• 3/4 pound pork, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced and divided
• 1 (10 ounce) package udon noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 cup shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 3 green onions, chopped

1. Place pork in a bowl. In another bowl whisk together soy sauce, sambal oelek, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and 1 minced garlic clove. Pour marinade over the top of the pork and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. While your pork is marinating, cook udon noodles and edamame according to package directions. Set aside.
3. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until onions start to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add in edamame and noodles. Stir to combine. Transfer to a plate.
4. In the same skillet, add pork and marinade. Cook until pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Return noodle mixture to the pan. Add green onions. Toss to combine well.
5. Serve.

Enjoy!

If you don’t know, edamame are scrumptious little devils. I usually get the privilege to eat them at sushi restaurants. They are usually steamed and sprinkled with kosher salt. I could seriously eat them all day. And as good as they are on their own, they are also wonderful in this Asian twist on traditional hummus with edamame, garlic, lemon juice, tahini and oil.

You can usually find edamame in the frozen vegetable section at the grocery store. They are sold in their pods or shelled. When I am simply eating them as a snack I prefer to eat the pods but when I want to add them to things, like this hummus, I really to recommend buying the shelled variety. It makes things a whole lot easier.

Serves 4 as an appetizer

You will need:

• 1 1/2 cup shelled edamame cooked according to package directions and cooled
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons tahnini
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt to taste

1. Combine first six ingredients in a food processor and process until well blended. With food processor running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste test for salt and consistency. If you would like it a little smoother, return lid to food processor and turn on then slowly drizzle remaining olive oil.
2. Season to taste with salt. Serve.

Enjoy!

I am always looking for different ways to cook chicken wings and I have discovered yet another version. With these wings you get the best of both worlds. You see, they are sweet and spicy. First they are marinated with soy sauce, garlic and other yummy flavors. Then after being baked, that’s right baked not fried, they are tossed in a tangy sauce made with sweet thai chili sauce, sriracha ginger and more soy sauce.

When I was thinking of making these wings, I was originally going to make some sriracha chicken wings. However, I did recently share my recipe for Sriracha Chicken Nuggets and I didn’t want to do something too similar just yet. Then I thought to myself, why not go with a sweet and spicy chicken wing instead of a straight up spicy one? I knew that sriracha would give me the heat I wanted but where could I get the sweet? That is when I turned around and saw my jar of sweet thai chili sauce that I picked up at the grocery store a few weeks ago. It gave these wings the perfect twist.

Serves 2 – 4

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
• 1 1/4 pound chicken wings tips trimmed and cut at the joint
• 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sriracha

1. In a bowl whisk together peanut oil, rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chili oil (if using). Place chicken wings in marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place marinated chicken wings on top, cook 20 – 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and skin has darkened. Turning once.
3. In another bowl whisk together sweet Thai chili sauce, 1 teaspoon of sriracha and remaining teaspoon of soy sauce. Taste and add more sriracha if desired.
4. Transfer hot wings to the bowl and toss to coat.
5. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Enjoy!

I truly do love working on this blog but sometimes creating and writing new recipes to post to the blog five days a week can be a little draining on the creativity department. Sometimes I sit down to write my weekly menu and the paper remains blank for quite some time.  During times like this, I turn to family, friends and in the case of this fried rice, you all to give me some inspiration. You see back when I posted my recipe for Andouille and Shrimp Fried Rice a reader suggested that I try kimchi fried rice with a fried egg on top. Well, now is my chance to say thank you, because man on man was it good.

I personally have not had much experience with kimchi. Just in case you haven’t either, it is a popular Korean dish of fermented vegetables with seasonings. Most commonly the vegetable is cabbage and it is usually a little on the spicy side.  While it sounds like it might be a more exotic ingredient, I was able to find some at my local super market with no problem. It was in the refrigerated produce section. They had a spicy and a mild version, because I like heat I went with the spicy but you could always opt for the mild version to keep the spice down.

Note: This, like most fried rice, is best made with cold day old rice.

Serves 2 – 3

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 cups diced pork, raw (about 3 small pork chops)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (optional)
• 1 cup chopped kimchi
• 2 cups cold left over rice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 – 3 large eggs

1. In a large skillet, heat peanut and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add pork and 1 teaspoon soy sauce, cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in garlic, green onions (reserving a few for garnish), sambal oelek (if using) and kimchi. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in rice and remaining soy sauce, mix well. If mixture seems too dry add a little (a teaspoon or two) of the juice from the kim chi jar. Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Once butter has melted carefully crack eggs into the pan and cook 3 – 4 minutes or until egg white is cooked and yolk is set. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
3. Divide the rice into servings, place one egg on top of each serving. Garnish with green onions. Serve.

Enjoy!

For the longest time Ryan and I have had a love hate relationship with hoisin sauce. He loves it, I hate it. He loves putting it on just about anything. And for me, well, I had just about given up on Hoisin sauce. I had just assumed that I would never like the stuff.  Yet something made me give it a try again recently, perhaps it was the fact that I asked Ryan to pick up a bottle and I’m pretty sure he picked up the biggest bottle in existence, but either way I decided to give hoisin sauce one last try and I have to say I may have changed my tune. You see, when mixed with fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and a few other yummy ingredients, hoisin sauce can really boost up the flavor of your chicken dinner.

For those of you who are unsure what hoisin sauce is, its a sauce that is typically used in Chinese cooking. The ingredients usually include soy bean paste, garlic, chilies and other spices. The combination makes the sauce salty, sweet and slightly spicy. I usually pick up my bottle at the Asian grocery store but I have also seen many varieties in the Asian section of my local grocery store so you should be able to find it pretty easily.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 6 chicken drumsticks
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Transfer to a bowl or other deep dish.
2. In another bowl mix together hoisin, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, crushed red pepper, vinegar, sesame oil and honey. Pour over chicken. Cover chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Transfer marinated chicken to a baking dish. Pour marinade over the top. Place sliced onions around the chicken. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 15 – 20 minutes more or until the chicken skin has browned and the chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve.

I served this with rice and poured the pan juices over the top. Delish! Enjoy!