Asian Roasted Chicken with Rice and Asparagus

Sorry all, but I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. I've been making new things, things I enjoy, but I just haven't felt inspired to share the recipes with ya'll. So I apologize for the lack of posting, but I guess that means that I'll only give you the best! Of course, the "best" is entirely subjective to my tastes. Hopefully you agree.

The other night I was inspired to bring back the ol' spatchcock method when roasting a chicken. When deciding how I wanted to flavor the bird, I remembered an Asian marinade I made to go with chicken thighs a while ago and how delicious it was. Why not modify it and rub an entire bird? The rub has a spicy ginger flavor and is rounded out with miso paste (available in Asian markets). Miso paste, along with being the base of miso soup, can also be used to make dressings, marinades, and generally adds a nice touch to anything Asian you can dream up.

I served the chicken with rice, stir fried with asparagus and red bell pepper (of course). For the easy recipes, read on! Note that I made this up as I went, so measurements are estimated. Feel free to modify for your own tastes.

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Korean-Style Short Rib Soup

As one who loves lazy cooking, I'm always on the lookout for new and fun recipes to make in my slow cooker. I've made short ribs in the past and enjoyed them, so I decided to give this Korean-style recipe a go. I love all manner of Asian soups and stews, especially if they are served with fixins (uh, hello, Pho). This soup fit the bill quite well.

The flavors of the soup came out delicious, and the short ribs were perfectly melt-in-your-mouth tender, but I had the same complaint as I did with the Oxtail Ragu post - it was just too greasy! I even separated the broth from everything, refrigerated it for an hour, then scooped off as much fat as possible. I shredded the meat piece by piece, pulling out as much fat as possible. Even still, when it all came together it had an oiliness to it that was off-putting to me. I just don't know what to do!

I'm still posting the recipe because the spices were great and perhaps it's just my taste that's keeping me from totally loving it. I bet it would also be good slow cooked with chicken or another meat that is a bit less fatty than short ribs.

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Beef Empanadas

My sister is getting married in Puerto Rico next month, so my mom and I decided to throw her a Latin-themed bridal shower to get everyone pumped for the big tropical wedding weekend.

We had the entree portion catered by Manna restaurant in Takoma Park, a great authentic Dominican/Puerto Rican take-out joint. I had to test the food prior to hiring them so I went there for lunch once and had the mofongo, a dish that I fell in love with last time I went to Puerto Rico. It was bangin! Fried, mashed plantains served over a salad with all sorts of fixins and crispy pork. Delish. Mofongo isn't great for a catered event since it can get soggy if left out, so instead we got a mixed grill of seasoned beef, chicken, and shrimp along with some fried yuca, fried sweet plantains, rice and lentils, and black beans. Everything came out SO flavorful and the guests raved. If you are in need of authentic Latin catering, or are just driving through Takoma Park, I highly recommend stopping by Manna for a bite. They are so darn friendly too!

Anyway, back to the subject. For appetizers, my mom made tortilla roll-ups, a classic app in my family (perhaps I'll post it in the future), we had chips and a variety of salsas/guacamole, and I made beef empanadas. Smitten Kitchen never fails me!! I made the filling and the dough ahead of time so that the day of, all I had to do was roll out the dough, fill and bake them. Luckily I had my aunt as a helper, because this is time-consuming work, especially when you're trying to decorate a house for a shower at the same time.

You can buy pre-made empanada disks to save time, but if you do have the time to spend, homemade dough is much better. See below for the dough and empanada recipes.

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Everything Chickpea Crackers

Don't be fooled by the "Chickpea" in the title - these awesome crackers still have a bunch of butter in them so while they're healthier than many, they're still delicious crunchy flaky crackers.

I've made crackers once before and tried to top them with tons of goodies like poppy seeds, sesame seeds, chipotle powder, etc. but after they baked, all the toppings slid right off. This time, I brushed the crackers with an egg wash before sprinkling on the toppings. Worked like magic!

Don't be afraid by having to break out a rolling pin; these are incredibly easy to make.

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Valentine's Day

Every year, we decide last minute that we want to try to get away on Valentine's Day and make a feeble attempt at finding a good deal on a B&B within a couple hours of the DC Metro area. Needless to say, it usually falls through due to our lack of planning (note: it did work out excellently once, when we spent the weekend in a B&B near Luray, VA). Anyway, we inevitably end up staying in and cooking a delicious fancy meal. To be honest, cooking in is so much less stressful than planning a weekend away and ends up being more romantic!

Clockwise from left: roasted cauliflower, flowers from my honey, crab legs, and filet mignon

On this year's menu were Alaskan king crab legs, grilled filet mignon, and roasted cauliflower with dates. To start, we made a warm almond-crusted manchego cheese appetizer. Decadent, nutty, and unhealthy, it was the perfect way to start a romantic evening. I bought the king crab legs from Cameron's, a seafood market near my office. Don picked out the filets and decided to wrap his with bacon, obviously. The crab legs were steamed in beer, lemon, and garlic then served with melted garlic butter though they really didn't need anything. The filets were rubbed with a simple salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil mixture then grilled to medium-rare perfection.

For the appetizer recipe and meal pictures, see below.

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Woodberry Kitchen

My sister took us to this awesome restaurant last weekend when my parents were in town, so I thought it would be great if she were the one to post the review, having been there several times. Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy her fabulous review of Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen.

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Mozzarella Asparagus Crostinis

I had unexpected company come over one night, so had to make an appetizer from ingredients that were already in the fridge, since planning and shopping wasn't an option. Everyone has mozzarella cheese in some fashion or another, lemons, and bread. Add a vegetable and - voila! - crostinis! I used asparagus but really any tasty vegetable you like can be used (broccoli, spinach, or eggplant are some ideas).

For the simple recipe, see below:

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