Abby Gets an 'F' in Blogging.....and an Asian Invasion in the Kitchen

My friend Jessica told me the other that I get an 'F' in blogging. I couldn't argue. I didn't quite realize when I got into this blogging thing that people expect posts often. However, it's a little different with a cooking blog. I don't know anyone who cooks who makes 365 different recipes a year. There are going to be lots of repeats, and I am not going to blog about something I have already told you about.

I'm not making excuses for the last month though, I just haven't been cooking as much to be honest. So, just give me a 'D' or a 'C-' instead of an 'F', pretty please.

No big news in the Melad family worth noting while I talk about food, but I will keep you updated, and promise to cook more.

Here is another episode in the "Asian food for white people" book (it's a joke, don't take offense, I'm not a racist). I'm getting better and better at these thanks to my in-laws who teach me everything I know about Asian/Pacific Island cooking.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): If by cheese you mean soy sauce, then 5. Otherwise, 0.
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 4

Spicy Chinese BBQ Chicken
1 Tbl toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbl cracked white, pink, or green peppercorns
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 Tbl garlic salt
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl peanut or canola oil
1 Tbl rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger

In a small sauce pan, combine, the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and ground ginger, mix well, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Pre- heat grill or saute pan over medium heat. In small mixing bowl, combine sesame seeds, pepper, poppy seeds, pepper flakes, garlic salt, and mix well. Rub mixture on all side of chicken breasts. Remove BBQ sauce from heat, and transfer sauce to serving bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Spray non-stick spray on grill, or lightly oil grill grate with olive oil. Grill chicken breasts over medium heat until cooked through and juices clear, turning 2-3 times, basting with BBQ sauce each time you turn. Save remaining BBQ sauce for serving sauce.

Fried Rice
2 cups cooked white rice (preferably 1 day old)
1/4 cup finely chopped vegetables (carrots, onion, green pepper, peas, etc.), sauteed in butter
1 egg, fried
4 Tbl butter
3-4 Tbl soy sauce
salt/pepper
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Heat large fry pan over medium heat. Once pan is hot, add rice and allow to fry for a few minutes. Add butter, soy sauce, and sauteed vegetables. Mix well in pan (after mixing, rice should be light tan/brown color). Continue frying rice. Chop up fried egg and add to rice. Season rice with salt and pepper (and sesame seeds if using), continuing to stir and fry for about 2 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4-6 people.


I made the above two dishes with the pea pods and mushrooms recipe posted a while back for an all over yummy meal. Here are my notes:
- A lot of recipes call for sesame seeds, and then add an extra step to have you toast them in fry pan. Just make it easy on yourself and buy the already toasted sesame seeds in the spice section at the store. They taste the same.
- Pepper: not sure what to tell you here. Hopefully, you magically have a spice mill to grind the peppercorns. If not, you can use a coffee grinder. Otherwise, you are SOL like I am and have to put them into your pepper grinder and grind by hand. Makes for strong (sore) forearms.
- BBQ sauce: I'm sure you can use whatever BBQ sauce you have in your fridge, but I like the KC Masterpiece Original
- You can save your leftover Chinese BBQ sauce covered in the fridge for several weeks
- If you remember/have time to make the white rice the day before, that is best. But if you want to make white rice day of, just give it time to cool in fridge for a little before frying it up.
- If you can handle managing multiple pans and one time, you can fry the egg in a small fry pan while doing everything else, and also saute veggies in another small pan at same time as well. Otherwise, just do it quickly before you start cooking so it's ready to go.
- Eye-ball the soy sauce when you're adding it to the fried rice. Add 3 Tbl, mix it all up and see if it's enough or not enough. Rice should be slightly covered with soy after mixing up.
- Don't give me crap about not adding sprouts of whatever else to the fried rice. I hate sprouts. You can add whatever you want to yours, I like mine without.

Easy Chinese food. You can even get some fortune cookies in International aisle at grocery store if you want to get fancy.