Celebrating Moms

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."
Rudyard Kipling

With the advent of a bit warmer weather and the rain has stopped temporally it is an excuse to celebrate. I thought it was a fine day to bring out the grill. This meal has an Asian flair. I am showing two different sides served for the Sweet and Spicy Chicken Skewers.

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Spinach and Feta. Recipe posted May 7, 2014.

Asian Cabbage Salad
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Skewers

Cook's notes: Submerge bamboo skewers in water for a half hour to prevent sticks from burning on the grill. Green peppers or sweet peppers, mushrooms, red onion chunks and tomatoes can be added on the chicken skewers.

Recipe serves 4 and has been adapted from https://www.cafetecumseh.com/
Ingredients:
20 oz. package of chicken boneless fillets, cut into large chunks

Marinade

• 1 TB. fresh ginger, minced or substitute 1 tsp. ground ginger 
• 1 TB. fresh garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 2 TB. maraschino cherry juice 
• 2 TB. pineapple or orange juice 
• 2 TB. fresh lime juice 
• 2 TB. fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 cup honey 
• 2 TB. rice wine vinegar or substitute another vinegar just not balsamic 
• 3 TB. sesame seeds 
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil 

Directions:

• Combine all marinade ingredients in blender;mix well 
• Pour marinade into a large zip loc bag, add chunks of chicken, seal, place in a bowl and refrigerate several hours 
• Drain chicken in a colander
• Reserve 1/4 cup marinade to baste chicken skewers a few times during grilling

Cabbage Salad

• 3 cups coleslaw mix 
• 3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped 
• 1/2 cucumber, finely chopped 
• 3/4 cup shopped peanuts 

Directions:
Mix salad ingredients and drizzle with dressing,refrigerate 1 hour

This lite dressing works great and is a time saver. If you happen to be a more adventuresome cook then making your dressing works well too.

Asian Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1 TB. rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 TB. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. sesame oil 

Direcctions:
Mix all ingredinets in a blender

1. Pre-soak pasta and it will cook in about 60 seconds.

2.Grate frozen butter straight into pastry dough for fast, even distribution.

3. Caramelize onions in half the time by adding a little baking soda.You can read the full explanation of how this works over at Serious Eats. Love that SCIENCE!