Archive for the ‘Asian’ Category

Thai Chicken Drumsticks

Aug 26th, 11 / 0 Comments

Another winner from Rachel Ray’s magazine! I think I’m going to have to subscribe because I really like these recipes I’ve tried lately. This one was not fast, but it was easy!! I marinated the chicken the night before and left it in a Ziplock in the fridge just waiting for us. While it was in the oven, I made the rice and prepped the cucumbers. RRs method for making the rice took longer than her recipe said it should, so I will just make the suggestion to prepare jasmine rice according to your package’s directions. If you’d like to see what she suggests, check it out on her website. Apologies for a “2 seconds before I bit into it” picture! I promise to step the photography up here soon! :) But for now, just use your imagination. This one was good! The chicken moist and flavorful (not just in the skin!) and the cucumbers and rice were a perfect compliment. I also served some spring rolls and we were a happy, well fed family!

Source: Adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine
Yield: 4 servings

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
8 chicken drumsticks
2 cucumbers—peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
Jasmine Rice – prepared according to package directions

In a food processor, puree the cilantro stems, garlic, oyster sauce, half of the lime juice and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Place the chicken on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake, turning once, until cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, cilantro leaves and remaining lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken and rice.

Asian, Chicken, Main Dishes

Grilled Japanese Eggplant

Jun 7th, 10 / 1 Comment

Let me guess. You have a bag full of Japanese Eggplant from your CSA box (or your garden, or your neighbor’s garden) and you haven’t a clue what to do with it. Am I right? Because if so, you and I are so in the same place. I got these slender, gorgeous eggplant from my farm box but I was stumped on what exactly I should do with them. They were too small to make into eggplant parmesan and would have been too much chopping to make into ratatouille, so they went on the grill.

This marinade is easy to put together and it works for any size eggplant. If you have large eggplants, you can cut them into wedges (think thick steak fries), or if you have baby eggplants like me, just slice the tops off and cut them in half lengthwise. You could also throw in some other veggies – mushrooms would be an excellent addition!

Grilled Japanese Eggplant

Inspired by: Aubergines.org (a neat little eggplant website!)
Serves 4

1 to 1.5 lbs Japanese eggplant
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger

Slice tops from eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Place eggplant in a large shallow baking dish or long tupperware with a lid (a plastic baggie will work too, but I’m personally trying to get away from using too many of those, so go for the reusable option!)

Mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the eggplant and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (up to 1 hr), tossing occasionally. Preheat grill. Grill eggplant on each side for 2-3 minutes, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade.

Asian, CSA, Vegetables

(66) Thai-Style Chicken Stir-Fry

Apr 27th, 10 / 1 Comment

In my attempt to use up various packs of meat from the freezer, I pulled out this Thai-style stirfry recipe. My husband LOVES stirfry (and egg rolls!) so he was pumped to see this on the menu! I was a little concerned about two whole jalapenos, but I carefully seeded them and the dish was mildly spicy, but could have used a touch more heat. So if you like a kick, leave some seeds in!

This was a hearty, filling, and DELISH meal! Spend the 25 minutes of marinade time chopping and you’ll be ready to roll when the time is right!! After that, this is quick to make! I served over jasmine rice and with some frozen eggrolls (again, the freezer holds all sorts of surprises!). I will make this again for sure!

Thai-Style Chicken Stir-Fry

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Source: adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices yellow squash
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices onion
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (keep some seeds if you like a kick!)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator 25 minutes. Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 2 minutes or until chicken begins to brown. Add zucchini, squash, and next 4 ingredients (through jalapeños); stir-fry 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add reserved marinade, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, basil, cilantro, and green onions.

Asian, Chicken, Main Dishes

(52) Kimchi-Style Slaw

Mar 26th, 10 / 0 Comments

This recipe was suggested by Cooking Light to go with the Barbecued Pork Chops. This made the meal extra spicy but may I just say… YUM! I only used 1 tsp garlic (I didn’t want dragon breath!) which worked fine. The flavors here were spicy and tangy and even my non-slaw loving husband liked it. (actually, the baby did too, go figure!). Using bagged shredded cabbage made this a super quick side!


Kimchi-Style Slaw

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Cooking Light, June 2009

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Combine first 7 ingredients (vinegar through sugar) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cabbage and green onions; toss to coat.

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Asian, Sides, Vegetables

(51) Barbecued Pork Chops

Mar 26th, 10 / 0 Comments

I am officially in love with pork chops on the bone! They end up much more tender than boneless ones, and for me, the tradeoff of a few more calories is worth it!! This recipe was so simple to put together. I wasn’t quite sure how the flavors would work – especially that much sesame oil. But it was amazing how much flavor the chops had after just 30 minutes of marinating. They were spicy and sweet and a little smokey all at the same time. Very intriguing!

I will say that I failed to properly do the glaze. OOPS. I was washing dishes while the chops cooked and the sauce simmered. It was so little in the pan and 2 seconds too long = sauce glued to the pan. I was able to save a little bit, though! These are pork chops that I will definitely make again!!


Barbecued Pork Chops

A simple 8-ingredient marinade, made with mostly pantry staples, brings out the vibrant flavor of these chops. Pair with kimchi-style slaw for a flavorful duo and a quick cooking dinner solution, ready in about 40 minutes (including a 25-minute marinade).

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)
Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons sake (rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) bone-in pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; add pork to bag. Seal; marinate at room temperature 25 minutes.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove pork from bag; reserve marinade. Sprinkle pork with salt. Cook pork 3 minutes on each side or until done. Pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until thickened. Brush pork with reduced marinade; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

CALORIES 195 ; FAT 9.4g (sat 2.5g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 31mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.9g; SODIUM 433mg; PROTEIN 17.7g; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1mg

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Asian, Main Dishes, Pork