Archive for Marinades

Chicken Thighs with Honey Mustard Garlic Wine Sauce

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Hafa Adai!  I know, I know…it’s been a while since I added a new recipe.  But this one is worth the wait, trust me.  I made this with skin on, bone in thighs, but you can use boneless, skinless thighs as well, just reduce the cooking time by half. 

 

I’ll get right to it then.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together then set aside.  You can use any white wine you like to drink. I had just enough moscato leftover from Thanksgiving (leftover moscato…what? 😂) so I used that.

Heat 4 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. (Note: don’t overcrowd the chicken; use two pans if needed.)  Cook the chicken skin side down for 12 minutes (do not turn it while cooking; you want the skin to brown and crisp).  Season the other side of the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. 

If you’re using boneless, skinless thighs, cook it smooth side down, or what would have been skin side.  Cook for 5-8 minutes or until a nice brown crust has formed on the surface.

After 12 minutes, flip the chicken over. If you have a large enough pan, fit all the chicken into one pan. Otherwise, split the sauce between the two pans.  Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat then pour in the sauce. 

Turn heat down to medium.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced, the alcohol has cooked out, and the thighs are done. 

Spoon the sauce all over the chicken. Serve with rice or potatoes, and/or steamed vegetables. 

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it.

Enjoy!

 

Chicken Thighs with Honey Mustard Garlic Wine Sauce
 
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Prep time
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Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Serves: 5-8
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg (10 pieces thighs with skin and bone)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
    Sauce:
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup stone ground mustard
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together then set aside.
  2. Heat 4 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. (Note: don’t overcrowd the chicken; use two pans if needed.) Cook the chicken skin side down for 12 minutes (do not turn it while cooking; you want the skin to brown and crisp). Season the other side of the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
  3. After 12 mins, flip the chicken over (they may all fit in one pan now). Cook for 2 mins over medium high heat then pour in the sauce.
  4. Turn heat down to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced, the alcohol has cooked out, and the thighs are done.
  5. Spoon sauce all over the chicken. Serve with rice or potatoes, and/or steamed vegetables.

 

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Posted in Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Marinades, MEALS, MEAT, SAUCES & SEASONINGS tagged with , ,

Ahi Tuna Poki Salad

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This is a new twist on Ahi Tuna Poki. Marinate good quality cubes of ahi tuna in my Japanese Vinaigrette dressing and serve with your favorite salad greens and diced cucumbers.

It’s oh-so-good, trust me.  🙂

You can find my Japanese Vinaigrette recipe here.

Give it a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

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Ahi Tuna Poki Salad
 
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A new take on Ahi Tuna Poki that's served in my tangy and slightly sweet dressing with your favorite salad vegetables
Author:
Recipe type: Seafood, Salad
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • Lettuce leaves (I like hearts of Romaine), as much as you like
  • ½ cup diced cucumbers
  • ½ cup diced red onions
  • ½ cup julienned carrots
  • 1 cup diced ahi tuna
  • ½ cup Japanese Vinaigrette
Optional:
  • Red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Make my Japanese Vinaigrette as directed in my recipe (see the link above).
  2. Marinate the ahi tuna in the vinaigrette for 10-15 minutes. Pour the tuna and dressing over the salad greens and other vegetables. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the salad (optional).
Serve and enjoy!

 

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Posted in Dressings, ETHNIC, Hawaiian, Japanese, Marinades, SAUCES & SEASONINGS, SEAFOOD, VEGETABLES tagged with

Japanese Vinaigrette

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I love salads, but it’s all about the dressing for me. I’ve been experimenting with various salad dressings but I always seem to migrate toward vinegar and oil mixtures.

I call this a Japanese vinaigrette because of the addition of rice wine vinegar and aji mirin seasoning. Traditional Japanese dressings, however, usually use plain vegetable oil, but I love the flavor sesame oil imparts, so that’s my oil of choice in this version.

This is a quick and easy recipe. Throw all of the ingredients into a bowl, whisk, and serve.

This dressing is delicious with mixed salad greens, over cucumbers, or use it to make one of my many versions of Ahi Tuna Poki.

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Give it a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Japanese Vinaigrette
 
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A tangy and slightly sweet dressing perfect for salads, seafood, or used as a marinade.
Author:
Recipe type: Sauces and Dressings
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 2.5 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • ½ cup aji mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning
  • ¼ cup white, granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup sesame oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onions
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
  2. Pour over salad greens, cucumbers, or use as a marinade. This is also a delicious dressing for my version of Ahi Tuna Poki.

 

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Thai BBQ Pork

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My Thai BBQ Pork is one recipe you’ll definitely want to try.  The secret is really in the marinade and basting sauce.  Cilantro, soy sauce, lots of garlic and fish sauce form the base for this yummy marinade.  Lime juice not only adds wonderful flavor to the meat, but the acid also serves to break down the meat, allowing the marinade to work its magic.

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The basting sauce, a mixture of rich coconut milk and some of the reserved marinade mixture gives you an added layer of flavor.  The heat from the grill caramelizes the basting sauce as the meat cooks, creating beautifully browned and juicy pork with a slightly sweet and savory coating.

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Now that I’ve got you drooling, here’s how to do it.

Place the cilantro (leaves AND stems) and garlic in a food processor along with the soy sauce.  You’ll need the liquid in there to help break down the cilantro.

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Pulse or grind the mixture until your mixture looks like the photo below.  You want the cilantro chopped as finely as possible.

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Place the cilantro mixture into a large bowl or pan.  Add the rest of the marinade ingredients to the bowl, stirring to combine it all.

Remove about 1/4 cup of the marinade mixture; place it into a small bowl along with coconut milk. This will be your basting sauce.

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Place the pork into the marinade.  Use your favorite cut of pork, but make sure you use something that has some fat; lean pork will dry out too quickly for this dish.  I like using pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into strips or cubes (for shish kabobs).  Let the pork marinate for 2 or 3 hours, longer if desired.  Keep the mixture refrigerated if you don’t plan on grilling this right away.

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To make shish kabobs, place several pieces of cubed pork onto a skewer.  I have metal skewers so there’s no soaking required.  If you use bamboo or wooden skewers, be sure to soak the skewers for several hours (overnight is good too) before grilling.

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Skewer the meat AFTER it’s been marinated.

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Place on a hot grill and baste immediately.

Grill the meat over relatively high heat.  I have a Traeger grill that has a temperature gauge built into it.  I grilled this at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours, basting and turning every 15 minutes.

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Turn the meat over occasionally, basting each time.

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The coconut milk mixed with the reserved marinade caramelizes into a lip-smacking coating that will have you oooh-ing and ahhh-ing (trust me, it’s that yummy). 🙂

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I know some people who absolutely won’t eat charred BBQ, but that little piece of charred goodness in the photo below was TO-DIE-FOR-delicious!!!

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Mmmmmm…soooo good served with hot steamed white rice and fina’denne’.

The next time I make this, I’m going to make just a little bit more marinade, reserving some to use as a dipping sauce when the pork is done.

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Give my recipe a try.  I think you’ll like it. 🙂

 

Thai BBQ Pork
 
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Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup fish sauce (I like Three Crabs brand)
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 4 pounds pork (preferably boneless pork shoulder), cut into strips or cubes
Instructions
Make the Marinade:
  1. Place the cilantro, soy sauce and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Pour the mixture into a large bowl or pan.
  2. Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, and lemon juice to the cilantro mixture. Stir to mix the ingredients together.
Make the Basting Sauce:
  1. Remove ¼ cup of the marinade mixture and place into a small bowl. Add the coconut milk; mix to combine and set aside.
Grill the Meat:
  1. Place the meat in the marinade mixture. Let the meat marinate for 2 to 3 hours (longer if you like, but refrigerate the mixture).
  2. Place the meat on the grill. Immediately baste with the reserved coconut basting sauce. Turn the meat occasionally, basting each time. Stop basting when the meat has started to caramelize and is a rich brown in color.
  3. Grill until the meat is done and nicely caramelized.
Serve and ENJOY!

 

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Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Marinades, MEALS, MEAT, Pork, SAUCES & SEASONINGS, Thai

BBQ Chicken Marinade

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The classic Chamorro marinade is quite simple.  Start off with a base of soy sauce and vinegar — the ratio is up to you, but I like using a 1:1 ratio of soy sauce to vinegar (e.g., 1 cup soy sauce mixed with 1 cup vinegar).

I also add a few other ingredients to my marinade to give it an additional depth of flavor.  What you add depends entirely on you, so you can be as creative as you can here.  Some of my favorite add-ins are garlic and onions (powdered or fresh), ginger, brown sugar (not too much because sugar burns easily), honey, and sometimes even a cup or two of coca cola (use your favorite soda).

Marinate your chicken for several hours or overnight before grilling to allow the marinade to really soak into the meat.  I like using zip lock bags to marinate any meat I plan on grilling.  Just flip the bag over every hour or so to ensure all the meat gets marinated evenly.

Grill the chicken as you normally do.  We have a smoker, so I start off by smoking the chicken  — skin side down — for 30 minutes, then I crank up the heat to 275 degrees and cook the chicken — skin side up now — for about an hour and a half or until it’s done and a nicely browned.

Make a smaller (fresh) batch of your marinade (do not reuse the marinade the chicken was soaking in) for glazing the chicken after it’s done.  Place the marinade in a small sauce pan and add some corn starch to it.  Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sauce thickens slightly.  Brush the glaze over the cooked chicken to give it a beautiful (and tasty) sheen.

Give my recipe a try.  I think you’ll love it.

My recipe below makes enough marinade for approximately 3 pounds of chicken.  It’s also good for marinating pork chops, ribs, and steaks.

BBQ Chicken Marinade
 
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Classic Chamorro marinade that's sure to make your neighbors come out of their homes wondering what's grilling that smells so good!
Author:
Serves: 2 to 3 cups
Ingredients
Marinade:
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup vinegar
Optional Marinade Additions:
  • 1 tablespoon garlic (powder or minced)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder (or ½ small onion, finely diced)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (ground or freshly grated)
  • 1 cup cola
Glaze:
  • ⅓ cup vinegar
  • ⅔ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • Add any of the other optional ingredients used in your marinade
Instructions
  1. Place all of the marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag. Seal the bag then shake it up to mix the ingredients together. Add the chicken to the bag then re-seal. Marinate the chicken for several hours before grilling.
  2. Place the glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan. bring to a boil, whisking contantly. Cookmuntil the sauce thickens. Brush the glaze on the cooked chicken.

 

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