Flavorful Asian Chicken with Asparagus and Rice

On October 30, 2024October 30, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn RecipesLeave a comment

Asian Chicken Dinner

When we get Asian food, more often than not it is either chicken or pork. One of the things that we like about this dish is that you can vary the amount of spice to make it have a little tang or you can turn up the heat if you want. We chose to keep it on the milder side this time, but if you make extra marinade, you can always make that a little spicier and allow people to choose how much of the sauce to add to their finished dish. Asparagus is in season at the moment, so we chose to pair it with the chicken, but broccoli would work equally well. We also chose to serve it over white rice, but if you prefer brown rice, it will pair nicely as well. We made it for just the two of us, but obviously it is easy enough to increase the size to make it for more people.

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Servings 2

Equipment

Skillet

Ingredients

2 Chicken Thighs Preferably deboned
8 stalks Asparagus Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup Potsticker Sauce
1/3 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Hot Chinese Mustard
1 tbsp Chili Paste (Sambal)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 package Quick Cooking Rice cooked to the package directions

Instructions

Combine the potsticker sauce, soy sauce, Chinese mustard, and chili paste
Marinade the chicken for at least an hour or overnight
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Place the chicken in the hot pan, skin-side down
Sear the chicken for about 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown
Turn the heat down to medium-low and turn the chicken over and continue to cook until firm, about 15 minutes
Remove the chicken and let rest while the asparagus cooks
Turn the heat back to medium
Add the asparagus to the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in
Cook the asparagus until tender, the time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus. Ours were thin, so it only took 4 to 5 minutes
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and serve with the asparagus over rice

Some of Our Favorite Salmon Recipes

On July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes1 Comment

Salmon is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes and styles of dishes. It can be baked, grilled, pan-fried, or even broiled with equally delicious results. It can be added to salads or casseroles as well, but we enjoy it as a main dish. One of our go-to meals is to have salmon and rice with hollandaise sauce, but these are some of the different recipes that we’ve made that we’ve enjoyed.

Our Version of Salmon Oscar with Asparagus

Salmon Oscar – During our trip to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, we had a very delicious meal that the restaurant called Salmon Chesapeake. It was salmon topped with lump crab meat with a cream sauce. For our attempt to replicate this meal, we went with a cross between a Veal Oscar and a stuffed flounder. This isn’t a complicated recipe at all, but it looks and tastes wonderful, so it is a perfect dish for entertaining.

Salmon with Capers and Honey Sauce – We had so many similar style dishes when visiting the Mediterranean regions, we only wish that we could have been sitting on a beach while we ate. The sauce is a combination of sweet and savory and can be used on a variety of proteins including chicken or other types of fish as well. Having salmon with a light and refreshing sauce such as this makes for a wonderful weeknight dinner. We decided to bake the salmon, but you could just as easily pan fry it if you would like to create a crispy skin.

Salmon with a Spicy Pepper Sauce – During our trips to Mexico, we have always enjoyed having seafood cooked with local preparations. Not all food in Mexico is spicy and this recipe isn’t overly spicy, but it does have a little bit of heat. Although you can certainly use a fish other than salmon, we found that salmon was able to hold up to the bold taste of the creamy pepper sauce. We have often made a hollandaise sauce to go with salmon, but using the peppers provides a different alternative.

Achiote Marinated Salmon – This is another dish that is inspired by our many trips south of the border and one of the things that we enjoy about Mexican dishes are the various spices and peppers that they use in them. This dish has spice, but it isn’t at all spicy. Achiote is made from a hard seed that is ground up and provides a deep red color to whatever it is prepared with. We made a simple paste from the Achiote, which comes as a thick block with the consistency of clay. Using fresh lime juice brightens up the dish and makes it even more savory.

Salmon with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce – This a very simple dish, but it is also quite delicious. The combination of lemon, butter, and capers can make the fish both sweet and sour, as well as salty, which is a really nice combination. Like many of the recipes, it is something that works well with other fish as well, but salmon is able to take on the flavors while still having flavor of its own.

Baked Salmon Filets with Farro – One of the ingredients that you will sometimes find in Tuscan cooking is a grain called farro. We decided to bake the salmon and serve it with farro, which turned out moist and was quite delicious. We found it nice for a weekend meal since it has several steps to prepare, but it could be done on a weeknight as well.

Although these are some of our favorite recipes from the past, we certainly look forward to trying salmon in many different ways in the future. We also enjoy trying salmon during our travels and then seeing if we can replicate them after we return home.

Cooking Lamb for Dinner, an Easter Tradition

On April 6, 2023April 6, 2023 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Recipes1 Comment

One of our traditions is to cook lamb for dinner on Easter Sunday. Typically, we will cook either a leg of lamb or a rack of lamb, but sometimes we enjoy lamb chops instead. Lamb has a very distinct flavor and it can certainly stand up to robust seasonings. Below are some of our favorite recipes that we have shared previously and that are some of our go-to recipes.

Roasted Leg of Lamb – There is something about having lamb that is very emblematic of the coming of spring to us and we look forward to this meal every year. Oven roasted red potatoes is definitely our favorite starch to serve with lamb and sautéing spinach made for a light and refreshing vegetable.

Lamb Chops with Roasted Red Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Lamb Chops Marinated with Dijon Mustard and Herbs – Some people find lamb to be a little “gamey”, but we enjoy the robust flavor and it can stand up to a variety of spices. This is a simple recipe and yet it is quite delicious. The key to lamb is to ensure that you get the temperature right because if it is over-cooked, it can become dry, but if it isn’t cooked to mid-rare it can be chewy. You can substitute dry herbs for the fresh herbs, but use fresh herbs if at all possible as it will taste much brighter.

Rack of Lamb – Lamb is one those ingredients that is quite common around the world and can be used in a variety of dishes. Rack of lamb makes for an elegant presentation and is very tasty if cooked properly. Having an instant-read thermometer handy is a key to making sure that you cook the lamb to a medium temperature with a pink interior.