Grilled Clams with Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce

Grilled Clams w/ Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce 

As much as I love to cook, I always love whipping up ridiculously easy meals that taste really amazing. There are only three easy steps: 1) Make the sauce 2) Microwave the corn and 3) Grill the clams.  I had leftover  mango carrot salad from last night's dinner and this, with the corn, made fantastic side dishes!  If you're feeding kids, you can cut it into bite size pieces to make it easier for them to eat. ENJOY!

GINGER LIME DIPPING SAUCE:

1/3 cup Ai's Awesome Fish Sauce Dressing
1 lime (juiced)
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 -3/4 tbsp grated ginger
pinch of salt
cracked black pepper
(optional) thai dried chili pepper flakes

The sauce is the hardest thing you will have to do!  After that, just microwave 2-3 ears of corn (in husks) for 6-9 minutes (depending on microwave).  While the corn is cooking, grill the clams on high heat until they open up.  That's it!

Hoisin Jerk Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Hoisin Jerk Chicken Lettuce Wraps

(w/ julienne mango, carrots, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, jalapeno, crushed peanuts and fish sauce dressing)

This is definitely my kind of dish...loads of fresh veggies with flavorful meat! There was so much going on with the amazing flavors and textures that you do not miss the starch one bit.  As I was bringing everything out, I got a couple of wow's from the boys.  It really is a pretty presentation dinner!  And did I mention so yummy!? This also makes a great party platter. You can cook this in advance and let guests make their own wraps.  Easy and saves you a lot of time too.  

HOISIN JERK CHICKEN:

2-2 1/2 lbs chicken breast (diced)

olive oil

4 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/2 tbsp each of cumin, paprika, all spice, cinnamon

1 tbsp onion powder

3-4 garlic cloves (minced/pressed)

1/2 -1 tbsp grated ginger

1 small onion (sliced)

1/4 cup scallions (chopped)

salt to taste

• Heat olive oil in skillet to medium high.  Add onions and stir for 30 seconds.  Add chicken along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to blend seasonings.  When chicken is fully cooked, remove from heat and allow to sit for a couple minutes.  

WRAPS:

green leaf lettuce

mango (firm and not too ripe)

1 large carrot

mint

cilantro

red cabbage (shredded)

lime wedges (squeeze on wraps or add to fish sauce dressing)

jalapeno slices (optional)

crushed peanuts

• Peel the mango and carrot. Use a mandolin slicer to make 1/8th inch slices.  If you don't have a slicer, just do your best to slice it as thin as you possibly can.  Then stack the slices and cut lengthwise to make julienne strips.  Do the same with the carrots.  (If you don't have a mandolin slicer, I highly recommend it especially over the summer when it's easy to eat fresh veggies.  Not to mention it is a huge time saver!) 

FISH SAUCE DRESSING: Recipe

Place all veggies on a platter.  It will look so pretty!  

Apple Cinnamon Ribs, Honey Mustard Potato Salad, Ginger Bacon Beans, Pineapple Slaw

Apple Cinnamon Ribs

Honey Mustard Potato Salad w/ Roasted Pecans

Ginger Bacon Beans

Pineapple Jalapeno Slaw

I made this for Memorial Day, and not only did everything turn out great, but all the flavors complimented each other so well.  The apples in the ribs with the honey mustard pecans in the potato salad and the ginger in the beans with the pineapple in the slaw!  Try this for your next cookout!

APPLE CINNAMON RIBS

2 racks of ribs (spare or baby back)

Marinade:

2 apples (remove core)
2 cups white vinegar
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp all spice
10 garlic cloves

• Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chop the apples a bit to make blending easier.
• Pour mixture on top of ribs and marinate overnight. (I actually marinated for 2 days! Well worth it!)
• You can grill or smoke this.  If you're grilling, make sure to use indirect heat to cook the ribs on low for 3 or so hours.  You can also cover with foil and bake this in the oven on 275-295 for a couple of hours.  
• Prior to cooking, sprinkle both sides with salt.
• During cooking, keep brushing the ribs with the marinade.  You won't want to waste any of it!  Also, if you have extra marinade leftover, you can do what I did the next day and use it to marinate some chicken breasts.  

HONEY POTATO SALAD W/ ROASTED PECANS

2 1/2-3 lbs potatoes (peeled, any type)

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped celery 

3 garlic cloves (minced or pressed)

1 cup honey

1 cup mustard

1/4 cup vinegar

salt according to taste

Garnish:

1/2 -1 cup roasted pecans (bake 350 for 8-10 minutes or toast on a skillet stirring frequently)

chopped scallions for 

Cut potatoes in half to allow them to cook faster.  Boil water in a large pot.  Add potatoes and allow them to cook until soft but not falling apart. While the potatoes are cooking you can prep the rest of the ingredients.  Once the potatoes are done, drain, rinse and place in a large bowl.  Add all the ingredients except for the pecans and scallions and gently fold everything together.  Refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with roasted pecans and scallions when you're ready to serve. 

                                               GINGER BACON BEANS

1 lb bag of small red beans (yes, the ones you actually have to cook! I also like to put some black beans in there to have some contrast and make it look prettier for the camera :)  

4-5 strips of bacon (chopped into1 inch pieces)

1 1/2 medium onion

1 tbsp grated ginger

1/2 tbsp cumin

2-3 garlic cloves (minced/pressed)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
salt according to taste

• Boil the beans on medium until they are cooked but firm.  Test 2-3 beans before you remove from heat.  Drain and rinse. 
• In a large skillet, caramelize the bacon and onions by cooking on medium high heat with minimal stirring. The longer you wait to stir, the more it will caramelize.  Wait about one minute before you stir.   This should take 10-15 minutes.
• Once bacon and onions are done, add the beans and remaining ingredients.  Stir, cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or so.  

PINEAPPLE JALAPENO SLAW

The reason I absolutely love my no-mayo summer slaw is because it's brainless, nutritious and so very delicious.(I should write food jingles!)  There's no end to how creative you can get with slaw.  No need to measure. Just throw everything together. (There we go with another jingle!)

1/2 head of green cabbage (shredded)

1-2 carrots sliced into thin match sticks (or you can use shredded carrots)

2 cups fresh pineapple (chopped)

1-2 jalapeno (diced) 

1 medium tomato

cilantro

Dressing: (This is more than enough, I just like to make extra and use for salad dressing)

1 lime (juice)

3/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup sugar 

Make dressing and combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate until you are ready to eat. Garnish with lots of chopped cilantro. If you have kids, you can make one with just pineapple and another with the jalapeno.  

Mexican Bacon Bruschetta

Mexican Bacon Bruschetta

Every Friday at my house I get to host GLO, a middle school girls group where we cook, eat, and pray.  (Sounds like a great movie title doesn't it?)  As adults, we clearly don't pray enough.  I just want these girls to know God is a BIG God and He works in a BIG way in their lives.  So this Friday Emma wanted Mexican.  Ayanna wanted Italian.  So they got both!  It turned out amazing! The girls were so proud to know that they were going to be featured on my blog!  They are actually pretty amazing cooks!  I'll have to share some of their recipes from our own Iron Chef competitions!  This is extremely easy to make.  There's no need for measuring. You just sprinkle the spices on to everything.  If you're having a party, you can make the toppings ahead of time and just grill the bread right before everyone arrives.

INGREDIENTS:

Italian bread (sliced about 1 inch thick or less)

olive oil

garlic

salt

bacon

feta

one large onion (sliced)

tomatoes (chopped)

fresh corn

cilantro

cumin

chili powder

garlic powder

about 3 cups of marinara or spaghetti sauce

• Cook one ear of corn in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.  When done, allow to cool and remove the kernels by slicing the corn vertically with a knife. Set aside. 

• Cook the bacon. Drain.  Chop into bite sized squares and set aside.

• Pour out most of the grease and wipe off the bacon residue and add sliced onions to caramelize.  Cook on medium high heat.  Don't stir too much.  It caramelizes when you leave it alone.  When it is almost done, add fresh garlic, bacon, cumin, chili,  and a pinch of salt .  Stir for 30 seconds to a minute to combine all flavors.

• Brush bread slices with olive oil, sprinkle a little bit of salt on both sides. Grill for 1 minute or so until you get nice grill marks and it's crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside.  Place bread on a baking tray and rub one or both sides with smashed garlic cloves.  I do both since we love garlic in our house.

• Heat up marinara/spaghetti sauce.  If you can't get enough of cumin, like me, you can also add cumin to this as well. 

• Now you're ready to assemble.  Just top bruschetta with all your toppings (bacon, onions, feta, tomatoes, corn, sauce) and garnish with chopped cilantro.  

cutie pies! 

Honey Mint Chicken w/ Coconut Basmati, Corn Salsa & Sriracha Soy

Honey Mint Chicken w/ Coconut Basmati, Corn Salsa & Sriracha Soy

An AMAZING meal!  That's all I have to say!  The measurements are actually for two meals for our family. If you don't feel like making that much just divide everything in half.  This is definitely how I prefer to eat...layers upon layers of flavors! The key ingredient here is fresh mint, and lots of it.  

COCONUT BASMATI:

sweetened shredded coconut 

canned coconut milk

basmati rice 

Cook rice in a rice cooker, so it will cook while you are prepping the chicken.  When finished, sprinkle with 1/2 to 1/3 cup of shredded coconut, salt, and toss.  You can also stir in about 1/4 cup of coconut milk for an even bolder coconut flavor.  

HONEY MINT CHICKEN: 

5 to 5 1/2 lbs of chicken (I just buy one whole tray at Walmart)

MARINADE: 

2 cups fresh mint (you can include stems, it will be pureed)

7-10 fresh garlic cloves 

2 limes (juice and zest)

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder 

Allow chicken to marinate at least 15 minutes, the longer the better.  Grill on medium high for 20-25 minutes. During grilling, you can dip the chicken back into the leftover marinade and place back on the grill.  Just give marinade time to cook off.  You don't want to waste any of it, trust me!

CORN SALSA:

2 ears of corn

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup vinegar or juice from 1 lime 

tiny pinch of salt

chopped cilantro

In a microwave, cook corn (with husks) for 5-6 minutes.  Once cooled, slice vertically to remove corn.  Toss with the rest of the ingredients.  

SRIRACHA SOY DRESSING:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp sriracha (you can add 1 or 2 and see how spicy it is for you)

Put everything together.  Pour sauce on top and  garnish with some chopped fresh mint! I also like to add some sliced red cabbage for extra texture and nutrition (it's so good for you!)  The family doesn't seem to mind when it's placed between a whole lot of yumminess!  Give it a try!

Pineapple Stuffed Tilapia

Pineapple Stuffed Tilapia

I sincerely apologize for taking so long to post recipes!  Having a baby, moving and going back to school has kept me extremely and insanely busy.  But the good news is I am finally back in upload mode and even better, I have a tremendous backlog of recipes for you guys! Here's one I made last night.  If you haven't tried whole fish (bones and all) you are seriously missing out.  I can't say enough about how juicy, rich and moist it is when you cook fish while it's still on the bones.  It's so amazing that two out of the three fish you see in this pic was devoured by moi within a matter of minutes!!!  I didn't even bother with my sides (Bacon Pineapple Fried Sticky Rice and Honey Lime Slaw). That should tell you how good it is!  

Unless you're in an Asian grocery store, where pretty much all fish are sold whole,  finding whole fish isn't as easy in regular grocery stores.  I have found the two places that consistently carry whole tilapia is Sam's club or Walmart.  It's already cleaned and ready to cook.  So here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS:

whole tilapia (1 per person)

lemongrass (1 stalk, grated or smashed then rubbed on fish, can also use the stalks to stuff)

ginger (1 tbsp grated)

garlic (about 1 small clove per fish, minced/pressed)

lime (grate zest and juice)

fresh pineapple 1- 1 1/2 cup chopped (Sorry,  if you really want the wow factor, no canned stuff here.) 

salt, garlic powder

basil, mint, cilantro, crushed peanuts, Thai chili flakes

Ai's Awesome Fish Sauce

roasting rack with baking tray on the bottom

Thaw, drain and dry fish

Cut two diagonal slits on each side of the fish

Rub fish with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and lime juice.  Feel free to stuff it inside the slits.

Season both sides with moderate salt and garlic powder. (Can also add Thai chili flakes if you're not cooking for kids.)

Stuff insides and slits with pineapple chunks.  

Spray roasting rack with non stick spray and add place fish on top.  You can also add more pineapple on top.

Place rack in the middle of your oven and bake at 500 for about 25 minutes.  Extra large fish add 10 or so minutes.    

Remove fish and allow it to sit for a few minutes.

Remove fish with a thin metal spatula and place on a platter.  Top with chopped basil, mint, cilantro, peanuts, chili flakes and fish sauce.  

Just make sure you remove the bones as you eat.  The slits you cut should help you pull the meat off easier without pulling on the bones.  This goes great with rice noodles, rice paper rolls, lettuce wraps or sticky rice.  Add fresh greens, cucumbers, carrots and pour fish sauce dressing on top and devour!

Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

 Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

My girlfriend Huong, introduced me to vinegar in fish sauce and I have been using it in every sauce I make ever since.  This sauce has the perfect combination of every flavor.  You can use it in traditional Vietnamese dishes or get creative and add this to a Jamaican jerk marinade (which is absolutely fantastic by the way!)

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. This will last you a while.  Pour it in an empty wine bottle for an easy dressing or marinade on the spot!

1 cup concentrated fish sauce

1 1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup water (you can add another 1/2 cup if you don't want it as strong)

2 cups sugar