// roasted rosemary/thyme chicken thighs //

If you want something fancy but don't have a lot of time to prep, this is one easy recipe. Just make sure you have 45 minutes to an hour to roast the chicken thighs. I basically winged this one because we had a lot of leftover fresh rosemary and thyme (not like the "Scarborough Fair" song). The key is to roast it at least for 45 minutes, but if you can leave it in a little longer...I like mine extra crispy!

Ingredients:

• chicken thighs (I used 6)
• fresh rosemary(about 2 long sprigs) - take off stem and chop up
• fresh thyme - I just left on the stem and placed one stem on top of each thigh
• Kosher salt
• ground pepper
• olive oil (about 1-2 tbs)
• one garlic clove for each thigh

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Rinse and dry thighs. Place in baking pan
3. Drizzle olive oil over chicken thighs
4. Salt & pepper evenly
5. Sprinkle rosemary evenly
6. peel garlic clove and stuff into chicken (or place underneath)
7. bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour

// roasted whole chicken //

All trussed up and ready to go!    ;]

This was an incredibly easy recipe, guys. All you need is a whole chicken plus salt & pepper. Butter is in the recipe, but I actually forgot to add it and it was still good. Try it out soon, you'll be surprised how easy it is. Looks impressive, too if you're serving to guests! I made home-made stuffing + steamed squash for the sides.

// braised orange chicken //

braised orange chicken w/carrots & bok choy

whisk together the liquids

flour-coated chicken thighs in sauce

looks ugly, but it'll taste yummy

remove chicken and let sauce thicken

Geesh. I might as well change this blog to one based off of chicken thigh recipes, but I can't help it! It's my favorite...especially the braised dishes...and fried. This one is a variation of the "orange chicken" that you usually order at Chinese restaurants. Found it pretty easy to follow, but one thing I wasn't sure about was whether to cover with a lid when placing in the oven. I did it WITHOUT a lid since the recipe calls for a "pan" and I used my dutch oven. Came out perfect. Give this recipe a go. On the side, I made carrots and bok choy sauteed in olive oil until soft (about 1-2 minutes) and then add in some balsamic vinegar to taste. Let simmer until carrots soften to your liking.

// fried honey-mustard wings //

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I think the summer heat here in the ATL has been making me a lil irritable and lazy. It just feels like you're walking around in a big broiler outside. Today has got to be the first day where I'm not sweating as soon as I step out of the shower! Anyway, I know I just posted the Korean Fried Chicken wings (KFC) not too long ago, but I wanted to share this simple recipe since they're both similar. In fact, I just used the same recipe from the KFC one for the batter and frying part. I even double-fried the wings, which is the game-changer folks! The only difference is the sauce, which is listed below. Just pair it up with some crisp veggies or salad...or over rice. ^_^

Ingredients for Honey Mustard wing sauce:

1/2 cup honey 

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp butter

Directions:

Mix ingredients on medium-high heat until butter is melted and sauce is formed. Drizzle over wings after they've been fried twice.

// sweet Korean fried chicken //

sweet Korean fried chicken wings

double-fried (pre-sauce)

boiling the sauce to thicken

sauce meets fried wings

These are by far THE best wings I've eaten in awhile. It's the perfect crispiness and the sauce is killer. This recipe calls for a double-frying method, which ironically is less greasy than if you only fry it once. Also, I rarely fry anything in my kitchen, since I have a small loft space and am always afraid of smelling like grease for a week, but this actually left no smell evidence. Shocking, I know! Oh, and the sliced ginger in the sauce makes such a difference, too. After thickening in the sauce, it basically turns candy-like. Sooooo good! Please. Try. ASAP.

// braised chicken w/dried plums //

Definitely one of those dishes that taste better than it looks. This one was done on a whim. I happened to be searching chicken thigh recipes on Martha Stewart's site and noticed I had all the ingredients for this one (leftover white wine, dried plums & onion). Paired it up with mushroom gnocchi (it was a boxed version, on sale at Target) and it was soooooo good! Amazing comfort food. You can also try it with carrots and maybe some kind of potato on the side.

// crispy curry ginger-lime chicken //

Chicken thighs have got to be my favorite part of the chicken. It's always tender and juicy and is pretty cheap at the market, too. When I'm cooking for a ton of ppl, a chicken thigh recipe is my go-to. Found this one when I was just Googling crispy chicken thighs. Made it recently at FAM DINNER and it was a hit. The only thing that took the longest was grating the ginger and squeezing the lime juice. I'd say one lime makes about 1 TBS of juice. Broiling takes about 20 minutes after you flip it over in the beginning. I served mine over white rice along w/steamed carrots (just add Krazy Jane salt when you cook it).

// Asian Chicken Wings & Drumsticks //

Our friend Jerry was getting sent away to Afghanistan thru the military, so we won't see him for another year. We had FAM DIN in honor of him and even made him a lil memory book (thanks Suzuko for diligently sewing the book together) to take w/him. Come home safe, Jerry...we'll have a welcome back dinner fo'sho!

On the menu tonight: Asian style chicken wings/drumsticks and grilled corn on the cob w/special Vietnamese/Cambodian corn sauce. The sauce totally makes a difference! My dad used to grill the corn in the oven until it was slightly charred black on a few sides, then slice the kernels off w/a knife...then drizzle the sauce on and mix it in a bowl. Talk about spoiled kids (only food wise, of course)...

caramelized ginger chicken

A simple and delicious meal EVERY time. Another comfort food dish. You can use other types of meat/seafood with this recipe, but chicken is my favorite. Especially with the way the economy is now, you can get chicken thighs/drumsticks for really cheap at the Asian farmer's markets grocery stores. It's easy and affordable to make for dinner parties as well as have enough for leftovers if you're cooking at home for just you. To change serving sizes click here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken, any part, chopped into about 2-inch pieces, I prefer thighs bone in and skin, I chop each thigh into smaller pieces
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (peeled and coarsely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon scallion (green part only, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces) (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a heavy saucepan on medium high for about a minute until pan is hot, add sugar and turn heat down to medium. Carmelize sugar for about 1 minute. Keep a close watch to make sure sugar is brown, but not burnt.
   
   
2. Add ginger and stir for about 10 seconds.
   
   
3. Add remaining ingredients except scallions. Turn the pieces and brown the chicken for about 2 minutes.
   
   
4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid in the pan is reduced to half. Sauce should be brown and thick. About 10 minutes if you're using boned in whole thighs. If you're using boneless, skinless chicken the cooking time is reduced to about 6 minutes. Over cooking will make the meat tough.
   
   
5. Garnish with scallion and serve with steamed rice.

Com Ga Ro Ti w/ ketchup rice & peas tease...

Sorry, but I can't really give out the recipe to this one b/c it's a family recipe and my cuzs would kill me. Just wanted to post my dinner for last night. One of my favorite comfort foods from my childhood...

**UPDATE: Here's a similar recipe I found online**

Vietnamese Roasted Chicken Recipe (Ga Ro Ti)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2.5 pounds of chicken thighs
• 2.5 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil plus additional for frying
• .5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Trim excess skin and visible fat from chicken thighs using kitchen shears; set aside.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce and oil until well combined. Stir in garlic. Add the chicken thighs and evenly distribute the marinade between the thighs. For extra flavor, stuff a little garlic and marinade under the skin. Cover and marinate for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge.
   
   
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick, oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet skin side down, reduce heat to medium and fry until the skin is deep golden brown, about 6 - 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown other side for 2-3 minutes; set chicken aside. Don’t overcrowd chicken during browning; work in batches if necessary.
   
   
4. Drain rendered fat from pan and remove any burnt garlic; leaving a thin film of oil in the skillet. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up and place into oven. Roast chicken for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the thighs. To check for doneness, poke the chicken with a knife; the juices should run clear (bone-in thighs 170°F internal temp, boneless thighs 165°F internal temp). Remove chicken from skillet and serve with dirty sticky rice.

Dirty Sticky Rice with Scallions Recipe

Note: After roasting the chicken, the skillet should be full of tasty brown bits and caramelized marinade. By de-glazing the pan with the scallions and chicken stock, a lot of wonderful flavor is added to the sticky rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups cooked sweet/glutinous rice (3 cups uncooked rice)
• 10-12 green onions/scallions (white and green parts), sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. After roasting the chicken, drain rendered fat from the skillet, leaving a thin coating of grease. Place skillet on burner over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. De-glaze skillet by adding a splash of chicken stock and heat through, about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
2. Add cooked sticky rice to pan. Using two wooden spoons, fold the scallions evenly into rice. The rice should be a light brown color filled with scallions and de-glazed chicken and garlic bits.

Makes 4-6 servings