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By J.Ho, March 19, 2007 11:39 am

I was poking around the net the other day for some unique recipes (as I always do) and I came across Soul Fusion Kitchen. There are some very interesting posts and recipes on this site. The first thing that jumped out at me as the Huli Huli Chicken and Korean BBQ Short Ribs. This looked very easy and very delicious.

I don’t have much experience in making my own marinades, but seriously, how hard could this be? The site gives a great base Korean marinade for that could be used for just about any kind of meat. It suggests using the same marinade for chicken and short ribs and then grill them both together. Marinade them separately though. It also suggests a few variances of the marinade.

I’m never one to follow any recipe to the letter. As I was preparing the suggested base marinade as shown on the site, I naturally came up with my own added ingredients. I considered leaving out the the sesame seeds since I didn’t feel like toasting them. I eventually talked myself into toasting and adding them to the marinade. I put a few tablespoons of sesame seeds in a hot frying pan and shook them around till they browned up a bit. As soon as I placed them into the marinade I heard a quick sizzle and immediately picked up on the awesome aroma the hot seeds gave to the marinade. Good move on my part!

Base BBQ Marinade:
10 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
4-5 green onions sliced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 cups soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil

What I added:
Few splashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
½ cup dry white wine (in addition to the vinegar)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (I used more)

Now, it’s butt-cold out here in New England. When you have 24° weather and your outdoor grill is completely iced over, cooking outside just isn’t in the cards. Luckily I have my handy-dandy old reliable Ronco Showtime Rotisserie! I seriously believe my Ronco Rotisserie is the best invention since bottled beer! It’s been a lifesaver. I use it for roasting beef, chicken, pork, vegetables … you name it. It sounds corny when they say “Set it and forget it!” They aren’t kidding though. Put your meat in, set the timer and walk away!

I placed the chicken parts in one of the wire baskets that came with the rotisserie. Set the timer for 40 minutes and went on to drink some beer and make some risotto and roasted asparagus.

The rotisserie has three settings besides the time: a roasting setting, a no-heat rotation setting and a pause to sear setting. After 35 minutes or so of roasting I set it on “pause to sear.” What this does is pause the rotation, while keeping the heating element running. I paused for about four minutes for each side of the chicken parts facing the heating element to get a good crust on the skin. After the searing I ran it in roasting mode for another five minutes and then in no-heat rotation to let the meat cool allow the juices settle in. This way is better than letting the meat sit outside the roaster.

The net-net of this experience was that the chicken was fabulous! It was a tad salty for my tastes. I’ll probably not put any Worcestershire sauce in it next time since that brings more salt to the already salty soy sauce. I’ll probably add another jalapeño pepper though. I’m, not one for super spicy foods, but fresh jalapeños bring great taste to foods without a lot of heat.

Thanks again to Soul Fusion Kitchen. I’m glad I found this recipe and I think everyone should try it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Yankees suck!

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By J.Ho, March 8, 2006 7:59 am

I can’t wait for the arctic weather in the Boston area to leave.  This is one of my favorite summertime grill foods.  Nice, sweet, plump scallops … marinated and skewered … Addictive!

1 pound (or more) of large sea scallops (fresh or frozen, thawed)
18-20 fresh white mushroom caps
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
3 medium bell peppers (1 green, 1 yellow and 1 red), cut into 1-inch rectangle pieces (stem and white inside part removed)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
12 slices bacon
Set of metal or wooden skewers

Place scallops, pineapple chunks and vegetables in a large, shallow container. Wisk together the remaining ingredients, except the bacon.  Pour over mixture in container and mix well with the scallops. Cover and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours, stirring frequently.

Fry bacon until almost cooked, but not crisp. Cut each slice in half widthwise.  Remove scallops, pineapple and vegetables from marinade, reserving marinade. Thread one end of each strip of bacon on a skewer, then a scallop and a pineapple piece. Bring the bacon round the scallop and pineapple pieces with the skewer.  Then add a mushroom cap and bell pepper to the skewer.  Alternate till you have three or four scallops on each skewer.

Grill kebabs on a hot grill, turning and basting frequently with the marinade, for about 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp and scallops are completely white.  Serve on a bed of steamed sticky white rice.

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By J.Ho, March 8, 2006 5:57 am

An Indian girl I used to date introduced me to authentic Indian cuisine, spices and cooking techniques. This is one of the few dishes that I made often. One thing is for sure, I really miss the India Clay Oven restaurant I lived near in San Francisco. So, this is my best shot at Indian food. As always, I’d love to learn more.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon ginger, finely minced or grated
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for chicken. Add chicken and toss till well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 3-6 hours. Longer marinating will result in stronger flavor. After marinating, place chicken on wooden skewers for cooking. You can also marinate whole chicken pieces. This marinade makes awesome chicken wings!

Two ways to cook this style of chicken: broil or grill. If broiling, place in a lightly greased baking dish and heat under a broiler for 20 minutes or so. For grilling, cook on a grill or a cast iron grill pan, turning often, for about 20 minutes or until done. Serve with Spiced Basmati Rice.

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By J.Ho, March 6, 2006 10:31 pm

When I lived in San Francisco, fresh halibut was readily available in many local markets. On a good day you can find large halibut cheeks which were always my favorite. Halibut is an often overlook white fish that has an excellent taste and delicate texture. This recipe is one that brings both those qualities out in smashing style.

2 tablespoons butter
1 large red onion, chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
½ to 1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 lemons zested and grated, plus juice from ½ lemon
½ teaspoon chopped dill
¼ to ½ cup white zinfandel
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons capers
1 pound halibut cheeks or filets

Heat the grill. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the salt, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and wine and reduce by half. Add olive oil and capers and stir. Remove from the heat.

In a large aluminum foil grill pouch place a spoonful of sauce. Add 1 piece of fish, cover with more sauce, and wrap tightly. Repeat with the remaining fish. Place the packets on the grill and grill for 3 minutes on each side.

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By J.Ho, March 6, 2006 10:24 pm

I miss California in the summer. Warm sun, cool water, beer, bikinis and peaches!  Grilled peaches!

3 firm but ripe peaches, pitted & quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Italian Tuaca vanilla citrus brandy
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup dry white wine
Olive oil

First off, crank up the barbecue grill to medium-high heat. Scour the grill well and lightly brush the grill with oil. Place the peaches on the grill and cook until the grill marks are formed, slightly softened and heated through, about 5 to 6 minutes total.

Meanwhile, stir the sugar, brandy, and lemon juice in a medium bowl to blend. Set the brandy mixture aside. As the peaches are ready, remove them from the grill and place them in a shallow baking dish. Top them with the brandy mixture, and toss to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes and allow them to cool and marinate, tossing occasionally. Stir the mascarpone and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Slice and divide the grilled peaches equally among 6 coupe dishes. Pour the wine over the peaches. Dollop the mascarpone mixture atop the peaches, and serve.  Your welcome.

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By J.Ho, March 6, 2006 10:19 pm

Bacon and corn … corn and bacon. Few marriages are as pleasant as this one.

8 ears white corn
1 pound bacon

Gently pull back the husk exposing the corn. DO NOT remove the husk!! Remove the corn silk and use a brush to make sure all the silk is removed. Soak the corn with the silks removed in water for 30 minutes or longer (the longer the better). This will prevent the husks from charring.

Heat a grill to medium heat. Remove from the water and pat dry. Take a strip of bacon and wrap it around the corn. Fold the corn leaves back over, covering the bacon and corn. Tie the leaves with butcher string and repeat the process for each ear of corn. Place the ears of corn on the hot grill and cook, turning occasionally until bacon is cooked and corn is tender, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.  Thanks Paula!

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By J.Ho, March 6, 2006 2:17 pm

There are two ways I do tri-tip: dry rubbed or marinated. There are several packaged dry rubs available in local supermarkets. I found one great Santa Maria-style packaged dry rub, but I forget the brand name. Grilled tri-tips are awesome if you’re looking for a quick cooking, good quality slab of beef. Who isn’t looking for that?

Dry Rub
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely ground sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Liberally pack on the dry rub to a nicely marbled tri-tip roast. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cooking. This dry rub also goes well with ribs and pork roasts.

Marinade
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup light olive oil
½ cup white sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup black pepper
½ cup garlic salt
½ cup freshly chopped garlic
½ cup dried minced onions

This should be enough to marinade two four-pound tri-tip roasts. Whisk all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large plastic storage container. Place the trimmed tri-tips in that container and pour the rest of the marinade over the roasts. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (overnight would be best). Turn them over and mix ‘em up a bit while they are marinating.

Remove tri-tip roasts from the refridgerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Cooking instructions should be the same for either dry rubbed or marinated tri-tips. Heat grill to medium temperature. Place roasts on grill and cook for about 35 minutes (turning once), or until desired doneness. Remove the tri-tips from the grill and let rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing.