Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce

What you will need:
1/2 Cup ketchup
3 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp A1 Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp Cholula Hot Sauce (optional)
1/2 Tbsp dried garlic flakes
1/4 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt

What you will do:

Blend the red pepper, garlic flakes, and 1/2 of the salt in a coffee grinder or similar device until it turns into a powder.
Mix all other ingredients and spices together and bring to a simmer in a small sauce pan.
Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and allow to cool for a minimum of 10-15 minutes.
The sauce can sit for longer, but it gets spicier the longer it sits. If you like it really spicy, add more red pepper and let it sit for a day or two.

This recipe makes enough sauce for 6 large chicken breasts, with enough left over for dipping.


How to cook the chicken:

Get boneless, skinless chicken breasts and trim any excess fat off of them. Rinse them well and slice them in half long ways (or butterfly them if you like). Place half of the BBQ sauce on prepared chicken and allow to sit while you prep your coals (this usually takes me about 15-20 minutes).

Cook your chicken until it's almost completely done on both sides and then add another thick layer of sauce and allow to cook for an additional 1 minute on each side. This will caramelize the sauce and make a nice crispy crust on the chicken.

Lemon Lime Chicken with Lemon Tomato Pasta

This recipe goes out to my self-proclaimed "Favorite Aunt." (Love you, Aunt Mary)

This is another recipe that starts out with a marinade (I told you that I liked them!) However, unlike many of my recipes, we are going to steer clear of any spices more exotic than salt and pepper. The title of this post tells you almost everything you need to buy for this dish.

What you'll need:

1 Tbsp. of olive oil

3 medium sized tomatoes (Roma or the like)

1 large clove of garlic

2 lemons

1 lime

1/2 lb. pasta (I like Mezzi Rigatoni, but anything with ridges is good)

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

The marinade:

Begin by making garlic paste. If you don't know how to do this, click HERE to view my post with instructions. Roll, cut, and squeeze 1 lemon and 1 lime and whisk together with the garlic paste. It adds a nice visual touch if you cut the squeezed lemon and lime into thin strips and add that to the marinade as well. Add 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 Tbsp. of black pepper.

Trim all excess fat off of your chicken breasts. Slice them in half long way so that you end up with four 1/2" thick pieces of chicken and add them to the marinade. Place the chicken in the fridge for 45 minutes.

Prepping the sauce and cooking the chicken:

30 minutes after putting the chicken in the fridge, put a large pot of water for the pasta on the stove and begin to heat it. After another 15 minutes, take the chicken out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

While the chicken is sitting, you can prep your tomatoes. Slice them in half and then cut them into 1/4" thick strips.

When your pasta water is about 10 minutes away from boiling, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet and add your chicken. Cook until the chicken comes off the pan without sticking. Flip and repeat. You will also want to turn your oven on as low as possible to have a warm place to let your chicken rest while you make your sauce. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer it to an oven safe container (preferably one with a lid) and put it in the warm oven.

Add the tomatoes to the same skillet you used for the chicken. Add the juice of the second lemon and place a lid on the skillet. You will need to stir the sauce every minute or so to keep it from burning.

Generously salt your boiling pasta water and add the pasta. The sauce will cook for as long as it takes to boil the pasta -- about 8 minutes. When the pasta is tender, but not limp, drain it well (reserve about 1/2 cup of the water in a measuring cup), add it to the skillet with the tomatoes and toss. Add some of the pasta water to the pasta and tomatoes if you feel it's not "saucy" enough.

Sprinkle the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve with the chicken.

*Makes 4 servings.

Asian Mahi Mahi with Rice and Stir Fry Veggies

As you will come to learn, I am all about marinades and vinaigrettes. Laying at the intersection of science and the culinary arts, they pique two of my greater interests. Additionally, they are quick and easy to make, can render even the toughest cuts of meat tender and delicious, and add a complexity to your food that will impress your friends!

Basically: Acids (e.g. citrus juice, vinegar, wine) work to break down the connective tissue; oils help preserve the marinated product over long marinating periods and prevent sticking while cooking; and aromatics (herbs and spices) impart flavor.

Different meats require different lengths of time in the marinade. While beef can reside in a marinade for days and come out tender and delicious, fish will become tougher and actually begin to cook if exposed to an acid-based marinade for more than about 30 minutes (this is how ceviche is made).

A longer explanation can be found HERE.

For the marinade:

In a resealable bag, combine:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (If you don't have any, buy it! It's inexpensive and awesome!)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil (A little goes a LONG way)

1 garlic clove crushed and roughly chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

**This marinade gets better with age. If you can make it and let it sit for an hour, that is what I would suggest.

Fish - Two Mahi Mahi filets (approx. 4oz each)

Rice - Boil in a bag is fine if you don't have or don't want to deal with the regular stuff. I like short grain brown rice for this recipe.

Stir Fry Veggies - We have a frozen mix from Trader Joe's that we like, but feel free to use whatever you like. Carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, mushrooms, baby corn, snap peas, etc.

Read the instructions on your rice and veggies to plan accordingly. It will take 15 minutes to marinate your fish, and 12 minutes/inch of thickness to cook it.

Begin by thawing your fish (if frozen) in cold water. While this is happening, reserve 2 Tbsp of the marinade to add to the vegetables while they cook.

Once the fish is thawed, add the filets to the marinade bag and allow it to sit, unrefrigerated, for 15 minutes. Normally you would refrigerate a marinade to prevent bacterial growth, but because the period is so short and you want your fish at room temp when you cook it, allowing this to sit on the counter is OK. I would also suggest putting the bag on a plate to prevent any possible spillage.

While your fish is marinating, heat one cooking surface for your fish and one for your veggies. After 15 minutes in the bag, remove the fish, take off and large pieces of garlic, and place on your stovetop cooking surface.

Two things to remember:

1) You don't need to add oil to your pan/grill because there was some in the marinade.

2) Fish need to cook for 12 minutes/inch of thickness, flipped once halfway through.

Sine we usually use frozen stir fry veggies, it generally takes the same amount of time to thaw and heat the veggies as it does to cook the fish. Throw the veggies into a hot pan, and add the reserved marinade. Cover the pan and allow to steam. Stir once to prevent sticking.

Toss the cooked veggies and rice together and plate under the fish.