Food Recipe Notebook

INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil 1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 cup barbecue sauce (store bought or homemade) 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1 bay leaf 1 chipotle pepper in adobo (just the pepper, not the adobo) 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Buns for serving HOW TO COOK: 1. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil, and when the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, until tender and just beginning to brown. 2. Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, and chipotle pepper and whisk together. Then add the chicken and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. 3. When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, bring the sauce back to a boil and allo...

INGREDIENTS: 2-3 pound roast 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 teaspoons sea salt 
4 teaspoons black pepper
 28 ounce bottle barbecue sauce HOW TO COOK: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil on the roast. Sprinkle with two teaspoons of sea salt and two teaspoons of black pepper. Use fingertips to rub the seasoning into the roast. Flip the roast over and repeat on the opposite side. 3. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully put the seasoned roast in the pan using large tongs and sear it for about 2 minutes, until browned. Carefully flip the roast over and sear the opposite side for a couple of minutes. If possible, hold the roast with the tongs and sear the edges as well. 4. Pour a bottle of barbecue sauce over the roast, lifting it up to allow some of the sauce to get underneath the roast. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and cook the roast in the oven, a...

INGREDIENTS 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¾ inch thickness + salt and pepper to taste 1 cup water ⅓ cup soy sauce (low sodium) ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (hot red chili sauce found in the Asian section of grocery stores) OR 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 3 teaspoons minced garlic HOW TO COOK: 1. Add water, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sriracha sauce (or red pepper flakes), brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic to a medium sauce pan. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until reduced down to half. 2. Uncover sauce pan and bring heat to medium-high, stirring regularly until thickened (about 8-10 minutes) then remove from heat. *Be careful not to let the sauce burn when it thickens. 3. Grease and preheat the grill. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. 4. Drizzle chicken (or toss) with the sauce and ga...

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons sweet rice wine 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 tablespoons cornstarch 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces 2 cups pineapple chunks 1 red onion, cut into chunks kosher salt and fresh ground pepper olive oil, to prevent sticking 12 wooden skewers soaked in water for 1-24 hours HOW TO COOK: 1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, water, rice wine, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Slowly whisk the cornstarch into the soy sauce mixture and turn off the heat. Set aside. 2. Preheat the grill. Assemble the skewers by alternating pieces of chicken, pineapple and onion. Brush lightly with olive oil. 3. Season with salt and pepper. Place t...

INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks 1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 1/2 pounds thin-sliced sirloin or top round steak 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for the marinade: 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional HOW TO COOK: 1. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and Sriracha; set aside. 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, asparagus, carrots, bell pepper and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. 3.Cut be...