Chipotle and ancho chile chicken marinade

I marinated whole chicken thighs here, but you can also use boneless thighs or breasts, or try beef, pork, or even tofu (though maybe pan fry instead of grill it).

It’s finally spring, at least technically it is, and for many people that means it’s time to pull out the grill and get in some outdoor cooking. This is one recipe I’m ready to fire up all year round, though. In fact, that’s exactly what I did this past January. I live in Baltimore, and as you may have heard, the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl this year. Leading up to the big game though were other big games, and for at least two of them, I whipped up this grilled chicken recipe for the get together. While it was hard to fire up the charcoal grill in 30 degree weather while the wind was fighting me as I was trying to light the briquettes, I did win out in the end.

While I’ve used this marinade with chicken thighs, it can be applied to other cuts and other meats as well (I plan on trying this with beef next, and who knows, maybe it would also work with tofu?). I prefer the thighs, though, because they are more flavorful than breasts, and are more moist on the whole.

Chicken Breasts and Morels

I love morels! I got morels at the farmers’ market this spring, but haven’t gotten a chance to post it until now. They taste woodsy and rich, and they absorb flavors beautifully. They need a sauce that compliments their flavor, yet allows them to stand alone. If you can’t find fresh morels, don’t worry. You can substitute dried with liquid or even sub other mushrooms (not quite as tasty, but still pretty yum).

This is a combo of a couple of recipes to make it my own. I did borrow mostly from the Chicken Breasts and Morels recipe from the Mycological Society of San Francisco‘s cookbook. Many people suggest to soak fresh morels to get off all of the grit. Don’t do it! This mutes their flavor. Just give them a good shake and lightly dab them with a moist cloth. MSSF offers other great morel tips, too.

I paired this dish with my homemade pasta, but that's a recipe for another post.

Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Wings

My mother was the cook in my house growing up. Really, every adult who inhabited our brick house in Madison,Wisconsin, was a cook, but more literally, my mom was the cook, as in, professionally, too.

And for years it was absolutely established in my mind that she made the best chicken that was ever served as chicken. I could eat her salty caramelized chicken with rice for every meal of the day. I’d ask for it by special request when given the opportunity.

But whoa. My dad one time during a visit home, stepped up his game and made these spicy Vietnamese chicken wings that made me ask, where has this been all my life?

My dad's recipe for spicy chicken wings.

And honestly, I don’t know where they’ve been. It’s not like my dad never cooked dinner–he did, but these wings were no where in my recollection.  Now that they’ve made their appearance though, I think dad’s wings might have trumped mom’s chicken (but shh, don’t tell her I said that). Consider this recipe come fall when football season starts up again (omg!) for something a little bit different and yet a little familiar to spice up your game day spread.

Restaurant Review: Bastille

I chose Bastille in Alexandria for DC’s restaurant week purely because it was walkable from Braddock Rd Metro and it had 4 “$” signs. If only all shots in the dark were this much of a success! I would go back any day of the year, Restaurant Week or no. If that’s not high praise, I don’t know what is.

Appetizers

These beignets make for an upscale snack!

Restaurant Review: Rasika

Last restaurant week, my husband and I ate a little too much. I know that doesn’t mean much, coming from a food blogger, but it’s true. We went to Capital Grille for lunch exactly 6 hours before going to Rasika. For the most part, our food was delicious, but after Cap Grille’s steak and crab & lobster burger for lunch, we had to take most of our Rasika meal home. On the plus side, I can vouch for it being excellent the next day, naan included!

Appetizers

Delicious texture but a little salty.

Matzo does Passover!

I consider myself to be more of a cultural Jew than a religious one. Because of this, some find it surprising that I love Passover. I go all out eating only matzo, no meat with milk, no pork, no shellfish, no random grains that were banned because my people might get them confused with other forbidden grains (*cough* rice *cough*).  Anyway, what I really love about Passover are the stories. There are Plagues! Darkness! Disease! Killing first borns! Pissed off G-d! Awesome!

Plus, even though I haven’t been home for Seder in 3 years (this year being the first year I haven’t done one at all), eating the food is a way for me to get back to my roots and remember my family. So, I would like to dedicate this post to my Grandpa, who always hid the afikomen and may or may not have given me more hints than my cousins; and my Dad, while not a Jew, dove in head first into tradition and made Seder more fun (including singing Freak Nasty’s “Da Dip” chorus during the part where you dip parsley into salt water. “You put your hand up on my hip, when I dip, you dip, we dip!”). So, Grandpa and Dad – this is for you!

Mmmm Schmaltz!

Black bean and chicken tacos with cabbage slaw

When I made this I wasn’t really sure I was going to like it. I’m not particularly excited by black beans or cabbage. I figure at best, I’d have a relatively healthy and budget-friendly meal for me and the boy, and that in itself would be a win. That’s all I was going for.

Whole wheat tortillas grilled and folded in half make enormous and delicious taco wrappers.

But man oh my. I really enjoyed this. Really, really. The cabbage slaw in particular. I could have gobbled it up by itself, but in the taco it served as a great counterpoint to the warm beans and chicken resting inside waiting to be consumed.

Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs

I purchased some ground chicken recently with every intention of cooking it up into a dish of Thai Drunken Noodles. But lacking basil and motivation one evening, I did a Y-turn and though that spaghetti and meatballs would taste good, and why not make said meatballs out of chicken? Fried meat can be healthy, can’t it?

Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs

Teriyaki Chicken and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Though I will not be posting a recipe for it at this time, I just ate my weight in pho and so might be rendered somewhat incoherent during this particular post.

Teriyaki chicken with oven-roasted brussels sprouts

The other day I was craving something of the chicken persuasion, but also something quick that required no marinating time. Marinating, as delicious and tenderizing as it is, does no good for a procrastinator who has neglected that week to set a menu and therefore, have things ready in advance.

In the past I had purchased a premade teriyaki sauce from the store that you could just “dump and heat” and fizz, bam, boom, instant dinner! This night, however, I had no such thing. However, I did have my wits mostly about me as well as the necessary ingredients to boil up a delicious meal with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts and rice.

Delicious, delicious roasted Brussels sprouts caramelized to perfection.

Malaysian Honey Turmeric Wings

Malaysian Honey Turmeric Wings

I used to spend a lot of time prepping for dinner, but that was back when I was eating dinner with the boyfriend at 10pm each night. We’ve changed things up now, though, which means we eat more around 7pm, but since I don’t get home from work until around 6pm or later, this is problematic when I want to cook something that requires a lot of prep work.

This led to some trolling around on Tastespotting for recipes I could prep the night before, which resulted in this one such recipe for Malaysian Honey Turmeric wings.

Mmm, chicken wings. I love chicken. Is it because I was born in the Year of the Rooster? (Or does that just sound perverse to love chicken for that reason? But I digress.) I’m kind of a wuss when it comes to super spicy foods, so I’m not always up for hot, hot, hot buffalo wings, but for sweet and savory ones? Sign me up. Also, that tumbler of turmeric on my spice rack that I bought thinking I’d cook up some fabulous Middle Eastern dishes? Well, that phase came and went without me even cracking the safety seal. But for this recipe, I did.

Props to Rasa Malaysia from whence I borrowed this recipe.