Asian-Style Marinade

Don't judge me....but I don't love steak. My husband gasps every time I say it, because I'm pretty sure it's blasphemous to him. And my in-laws raise cattle, so I'm pretty sure I'm breaking some sort of secret family law. But I'll take fish or chicken over steak almost any day.

Unless the steak is in some yummy Asian-style marinade. Like teriyaki, or sesame, or something along those lines. Oh, and it can't be a fatty steak. Or thick cut. Or pink.

I love this marinade because it is SO easy to make, and so much cheaper (and healthier!) than the marinades you can pick up in the store. This marinade will go with steak, but also chicken and pork. We used ours with cubed up steak for shish-kabobs. But you can marinade thin cut steak, chicken, or pork with it, and serve over sauted veggies. Yum!

The marinade is so easy...it took one picture! Combine your dry seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder (or dried minced garlic - that's what I had on hand), dried oregano, and black pepper) with soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil.

I love how the marinade carmelizes on the meat! It's the sugars from the honey, and all that goodness. 

You know you are putting shish-kabobs on your menu!!

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Asian-Style Marinade
by Girls in Aprons

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 to 3 Tablespoons honey (I like more!)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 T black pepper
(Optional: 1 to 2 tsp red pepper flakes)

Combine the soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Add dried seasoning and combine. Marinade meat for at least half hour. Baste additional marinade on while grilling.

How To: Grilled Corn on the Cob

With summer just around the corner (for some of you summer is already there!) I know your backyard grill is going to get a serious workout! I know I plan our weekly menu around meals that can be grilled. Because, let's face it, I love the way grilled food tastes and I want to use it as much as I can before the rain comes back!

In the past my grill has basically cooked meat. Meat, meat, meat. But I always saw commercials with people grilling meat and peppers and corn, and I wanted to try it out! I had a few ears of corn just lying around (who doesn't?) and thought I'd add it to our barbeque last night.

Let me tell you - it's easy, smells wonderful, and the taste and texture are so different and amazing! For some reason the husks smell like roasted marshmallow and the corn was a little firmer, almost crispy. I definitely ate my fair share last night! Grilling vegetables brings out a different flavor than just sauteing them or frying them or however you usually cook your veggies. Give it a try!

Carefully peel back the husk of your corn

Taking the silks out is easy if you pull them all from the top. They only go about half way down the corn. You can pull any stragglers.

Soak them all in water about 20 minutes before grilling them. This keeps the husks from just burning like crazy. Which would be bad. You don't want that. Trust me.

Place the corn on a gril over medium heat. Turn every ten minutes or so. When the husks are black all the way around you know your corn is ready! Mine took about three turns or so.

Done!

Carefully peel the husks back, butter and salt (and I love parmesan cheese on mine too) and enjoy hot!

Teriyaki Burgers with Glazed Pineapple and Asian Slaw

I looooove me some Red Robin. Sometimes I branch out and try something new, but usually I cave and go for my all-tme favorite burger: the Bonzai Burger. Who would've thought that I'd actually like pineapple on my cheeseburgers? If you've never had it, you must try it. Go to Red Robin, or put in on your bucket list. Or better yet, try out this recipe!

To be honest it never dawned on me to actually make my own Bonzai burger at home until my sister Carissa said she glazed her pineapple with teriyaki sauce and put it on her burger. She's a genius! We have homemade cheeseburgers about three times a month. Don't judge - I have five boys in this house and it's nice to eat dinner without hearing complaining!! We usually try to switch it up and make different variations: guacamole and bacon, marinara and pepperoni, "Fair" burgers (you know, loaded up with sauteed onions) but the Teriyaki burgers I make are my favorite! The Red Robin Bonzai burger doesn't have Asian slaw on it, but I have a sort of addiction to cole slaw on my burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, so I figured this would just make the burger so much better. And I was right, as usual. :)

For the slaw, whisk together mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. Sesame oil can be a little pricey (not too bad though) but don't skip it! It really gives the slaw a great nutty flavor. I love using sesame oil on fried rice too.

Mix dressing with a bag of coleslaw. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. This is really good on it's own or on the sandwich (or both!!).

For the pineapple, cut thin slices (about 1/4 inch) off a fresh pineapple. Saute with your favorite teriyaki sauce (I like Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze). Don't use the watery teriyaki sauces. You want a nice thick sauce! Flip the pineapple over and continue to cook until the pineapple is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

While cooking your burgers, season with salt, pepper, garlic, and ground ginger. Then my trick is to transfer the burgers to the pan the pineapple was in so they soak up the leftover teriyaki sauce and pineapple juices. Layer your bun with burger, pineapple, and slaw. No need to extra condiments!! And have napkins ready - this one is messy!

Teriyaki Burgers with Glazed Pineapple and Asian Slaw

by Girls in Aprons

ASIAN SLAW:

1 bag coleslaw mix

1 cup mayonnaise

2 T rice vinegar

1 T sesame oil

3 T honey

1 to 2 T sesame seeds (use as much as you like!)

Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. Stir in coleslaw and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

GLAZED PINEAPPLE:

1 fresh pineapple

Teriyaki Sauce (the thick stuff!)

Cut the pineapple into thin strips (about 1/4 inch thick). In a saucepan over medium heat pour about 1/4 cup of sauce into pan and top with pineapple. After about two minutes flip the pineapple over and add more sauce if needed. Remove and set aside. Turn off heat and reserve left over sauce and pineapple juice.

FOR BURGER:

1 pound hamburger

Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger

4 hamburger buns

Separate hamburger into four patties. Season on both sides with seasonings. On your grill cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the meat is no longer pink. Dip both sides of the burger in the left over sauce and pineapple juice in the saucepan. Layer your buns with burger, pineapple, and slaw.

**If you are only using the slaw for the burgers you can half the recipe.

Tutorial: How to Grill Chicken

I have to admit, a year ago I had never touched a grill (well, except to move it). I hadn't the first clue how to turn it on, what temperature was appropriate, how to clean it, and certainly not how to actually cook with in. In fact, I was so intimidated by the grill that I either postponed dinner until my husband could take care of the cooking, or I used my grill pan on the stovetop, which works great but doesn't get nearly as hot as an actual grill, and therefore the results aren't exactly the same.

Then we ended up living with my parents for a year, and my dad is a grill-aholic. He about fell over when I said I'd never grilled, and I'm pretty sure he dropped everything he was doing just to teach me a few things, such as how to turn it on.

Now that I know how to grill, I usually grill up 2 additional chicken breasts to use throughout the week. Sliced thin, they make great sandwiches. I also toss chicken into salads, pastas, or use it instead of hamburger or burritoes or nachos. I also love chicken on my pizza, but my husband doesn't (one of those questions I should have asked him before we got married).

First of all, you are welcome to marinade your chicken. I usually start marinading in the morning, giving the chicken about 8 hours to become friends with the marinade. You can always use those premade bottles of 30-minute marinades, but the fun really comes from doing it yourself. I always include the following (for 3-4 chicken breasts):

• Extra virgin olive oil, about 1 cup
• An acid, usually lemon or lime juice (1/3 to 1/2 cup), plus zest
• A splash of vinegar (any flavor), about 2 Tbsp
• Aromatics aka fresh herbs. My favorites are rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme.

Sometimes you can even experiment. Try marinading in Sprite with herbs :)

Now for the grilling. Start by firing up your grill and getting it hot, about 350 to 400 degrees. Spray the grill with a good non-stick spray. We use one specifically designed for high heat (from Pam). Using tongs, lay the chicken out and let cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, closing the lid of your grill as you cook. You want the outside of the chicken to be a nice golden color with beautiful grill marks.

Obviously, at this point, your chicken looks great, but I promise the inside is still raw. Here's where my dad's fancy-pants trick comes in. Using a long piece of foil, about 18 inches long or so, fold up the sides to make a long dish. He calls it a "boat". I call it, well, a boat, or the foil-thingy-that-holds-the-chicken. Anyway, after the chicken has grilled on both sides, place the foil boat on the top rack of the grill and place the chicken inside the boat. This is great because it cooks like it's in a hot oven (allowing the insides to cook without burning the outsides) and it cooks in its juices.

Don't worry if your grill doesn't have a top rack. You can also transfer the chicken to a preheated 350 degree oven to finish cooking. The whole idea is to let it get nice grill marks and a crispy outside without drying out the inside by keeping it on the high-heat flames. An oven will work great, too.

 Confused? Check out the pics:

Cook in the foil boat for 10 minutes with the lid closed. Check to ensure the chicken is cooked through. It should read 165 degrees on a meat thermometer and the juices should run clear.

I promise the outside will have that great grill flavor while the insides remain moist and delicious.