Ginger Five Spice Marinade

Chinese Five Spice is a really handy item to keep in your pantry because its warm, sweet and spicy flavor enhances both savory and dessert dishes. Five Spice’s composition of cassia cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves and ginger (or sometimes Szechuan peppercorns in place of ginger) is based on the traditional Chinese philosophy of balancing yin and yang in food because those spices represent the full spectrum of flavor- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy. Personally, I don’t pick up on the salty, sour or bitter flavors that are supposedly present in Five Spice but who am I to argue with ancient Chinese philosophy? All I know is that it tastes fantastic, especially when mixed with a little citrus and fresh ginger to brighten the flavor.

I often pair this marinade with flank steak or london broil but it also works well with chicken and pork. For best results, marinate about two pounds of meat (that’s usually enough for four people with some left over) for at least 24 hours to really allow the flavors to penetrate. Or, instead of a marinade, use this recipe as a glaze and brush onto pan-seared or grilled salmon or tuna toward the end of the cooking time.

GINGER FIVE SPICE MARINADE

Whisk together:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice

If you’re using the recipe as a glaze, use only 1 teaspoon of oil and cut the remaining ingredients in half because you won’t need as much.

The Superbowl Is My Excuse to Eat Wings and Fries

I’m not a sports fan so I never know the names of the famous players, when the big games are on tv or which teams belong to which cities (with the exception of Boston and New York teams because I lived in those places). I’m hopelessly and laughably ignorant of such things. Last year, I took a day trip to Philadelphia and spent the whole day in the city without knowing that it was hosting the final game of the World Series that night. So it’s not entirely surprising that I didn’t know about the Superbowl this weekend until I was informed by a friend. And then I forgot that someone told me about the game until my husband reminded me yesterday.

But let’s toss aside my lack of sports enthusiasm for a moment. Because do you know what I do get enthusiastic about? Wings. And fries. And then more wings. Yum. I know that sports fans also like wings and fries so maybe I can contribute to the collective American sports fervor by serving up huge platters of my family’s favorite wings and fries to my football-loving buddies. So next year I’m hosting a Superbowl party. And you’re invited. You can bring the beer.

The following recipe makes two kinds of wings- one for those with delicate palates and one for those who like it hot.

LEMON & ROSEMARY CHICKEN WINGS

Whisk together:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced

Pour over 2 pounds chicken wing pieces. Marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours.

SPICY BLACK BEAN CHICKEN WINGS

Whisk together:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine
3 tablespoons Chinese black bean sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

Pour over 2 pounds chicken wing pieces. Marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours.

TO COOK THE WINGS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with tin foil and place a wire baking rack on each. Spray rack with cooking spray or brush lightly with vegetable oil.

Using tongs, place the lemon and rosemary wings on one baking rack in a single layer. Make sure to shake off excess marinade before placing on the rack.

Using the same technique, place the black bean wings on the other rack.

Bake for 40 minutes, turning over once. Switch positions of baking sheets in the oven halfway through cooking time.

When cooked through and beautifully browned, remove wings to a large platter and cover tightly with foil while you prepare the sweet potato fries.

SWEET POTATO FRIES

4 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Peel sweet potatoes and slice into fries measuring 1/3″ by 3″ or 4″ long, depending on the length of the sweet potato.

Mix together the salt, garlic powder, white pepper and dried parsley.

Toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, until each piece glistens.

Remove and discard the dirty foil from the baking sheets used to cook the wings.

Spread half of the fries on one sheet and half on the other sheet.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, switching baking sheet positions in the oven halfway through cooking time. At the halfway mark, flip over the fries with a spatula to ensure even cooking and browning.

Before removing fries from baking sheets, sprinkle liberally with the spice mixture.

Serve immediately with the two kinds of wings.

Serves 4.

Vegetarian Envy

Here’s another post that originally appeared on World Wide Webers. Click on this post’s title to view the original.

I am not a vegetarian but I hold them in the highest regard. I wish I possessed the willpower and unerring commitment to better health, saving the planet and/or animal rights exhibited by most vegetarians. With only a few exceptions (and I shall not name names), my vegetarian pals are svelte, disciplined not only at the table but in life as well, and concerned with the well-being of the planet and her inhabitants. These are good people and sometimes I wonder if their goodness is a consequence of their vegetarianism or the reason why they became vegetarians in the first place. I, on the other hand, become a salivating, quivery lump whenever I smell bacon. And even though I love animals (not including birds or squirrels), I have no moral qualms about roasting them and slathering them in gravy. Every once in a while, usually after sharing a meal with one particular vegetarian friend (who invariably orders a salad with fat free dressing on the side… oh, the restraint!), I feel inspired to be a better person by cooking a meal composed solely of what grows in the soil. Should you someday also be so inspired, I invite you to prepare this delicious Asian influenced noodle bowl. This is a fun, slurpy dish with big flavors and lots of vitamins. Your taste buds and animals everywhere will thank you.

BOK CHOY NOODLE BOWL

16 ounces udon noodles or your favorite Asian noodle
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 whole star anise
1 tablespoon grated or crushed ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 carrot, julienned (cut into 2 inch long matchstick sized pieces)
6 ounces of baby corn, each piece cut in half lengthwise
4 scallions, cut into one inch pieces
3 cups of chopped bok choy (do not pack down the bok choy when measuring)

In a large soup pot, bring broth to a low boil over high heat. Add star anise, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the carrots. Cover, lower heat to medium and continue on a low boil until the noodles are ready.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the noodles according to the package directions, except undercook by 1-2 minutes. Drain thoroughly. If the noodles require less than 3 minutes to cook, do not cook them.

Add the baby corn to the broth. Add the noodles. If the noodles are uncooked, then boil for as long as directed by the package directions. (Tip: You might need to add an extra half-cup or so of broth if you use uncooked noodles and they soak up some of liquid.) Add the bok choy and scallions when the noodles are ready. Lower heat to low and simmer uncovered for a minute or two until the bok choy is wilted.

Ladle noodles, vegetables and a generous portion of broth into deep bowls. Serve steaming hot. Whomever gets the piece of star anise in their bowl has to stand up and sing a song for the amusement of everyone else.

At the table, try setting out various garnishes so that your guests can customize their noodles. Here are some tasty options:

soy sauce
sesame oil
chopped cilantro
finely chopped or grated lemongrass
chili garlic sauce
lime wedges
thinly sliced daikon radishes
toasted sesame seeds
bean sprouts
cubed, firm tofu (bring to room temperature before serving)

Serves 4.

Lemongrass Chicken Spring Rolls with Sweet Sesame Dipping Sauce

These easy-to-assemble spring rolls are sure to be a big hit at your table. Finely grated ginger, garlic and lemongrass give a real kick to tender morsels of chicken. Don’t be put off by the idea of handling the rice paper wrappers because they look more delicate than they actually are. And they come in huge packages of at least fifty so it’s okay if you accidentally rip one. You’ll definitely have enough for this recipe. Try doubling or tripling this recipe for your next cocktail party.

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS WITH SWEET SESAME DIPPING SAUCE

For the spring rolls:

16 round rice paper wrappers
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cut into very small pieces
1/2 cup of pea shoots or bean sprouts
1 cup shredded bok choy or cabbage
1/4 cup chopped bamboo shoots
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup shopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lemongrass, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 inch knob of ginger, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey

Whisk together all of ingredients for the dipping sauce. Set aside until ready to use.

If using pea shoots, trim off most of the stems if they seem stringy or woody. If the shoots are longer than two inches, cut them in half.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the spring rolls, except the rice paper wrappers.

Fill a shallow bowl with very hot water.

Work with one rice paper wrapper at a time. Dip the wrapper in the hot water until it becomes soft, flexible and translucent. Gently shake off excess water.

Lay wrapper on flat surface. Place one tablespoon of the filling in a log shape on the bottom third of the wrapper.

Gently lift the bottom edge of the wrapper and fold over the filling. Fold in the sides of the wrapper. Gently roll up the wrapper until a small cylinder is formed, taking care to press out any air bubbles in the filling section. Be sure to press the edges with gentle pressure to seal the spring roll.

Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You will probably need to replenish the hot water a couple times as it cools down.

Makes 16 small spring rolls. Serve with dipping sauce.

TIP: If you don’t have any plain leftover chicken, you may use chicken canned in water or broth, or sliced chicken from the deli. Be sure to thoroughly drain the chicken if using canned. If using sliced chicken from the deli, ask for the slices to be extra thick so that the chicken doesn’t disintegrate when you chop it.

Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup, as we all know, is THE classic comfort food. Warming the body and soul on chilly days, soothing the aches and pains on sick days, and a mother’s best friend on picky-eater days. I freely admit that I have a fondness for Campbell’s, straight from the tin and zapped in the microwave. It’s an uncomplicated soup that reminds me of less complicated days. But when I am feeling a little more grown-up but still craving chicken noodle soup, I dress up a homemade version with fresh ginger and scallions. This Asian inspired soup is not only easy to prepare and low in fat, it tastes just as mmm mmm good as my beloved Campbell’s.

GINGER CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 whole black peppercorns OR Szechuan peppercorns
2 nickel sized slices of ginger AND 1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed AND 2 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 ounces of your favorite dried Chinese egg noodles
8 cups of low sodium chicken broth

Place chicken, peppercorns, slices of ginger and crushed garlic in a small saute pan with high sides. Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Poach chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time.

Discard the poaching liquid and spices.

Chop chicken into small, bite size pieces.

In a large soup pot, bring broth and remaining ginger and garlic to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling broth according to package directions.

One minute before noodles are finished cooking, add chicken, scallions and bamboo shoots to the soup. Stir gently to distribute chicken and vegetables throughout the pot.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 very generously.