Dark Meat is Better

Soy-Glazed Chicken Thighs

3/4 c. dry sherry
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
2 T vegetable oil
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground black pepper
1/2 t red crushed pepper flakes
8-10 chicken thighs, boneless

• Marinate the chicken in a bowl or zip lock bag for 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Grill or broil chicken.   When broiling, make sure that you either stand by it, or set a timer...OR IT WILL BURN.

Christmas Eve

Patrick, my dad, and I got dinner ready for this eve, while our hard working female counterparts worked the day away. It was gooooood.

Asian-Marinated Flank Steak

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup sake

1/2 cup sugar

1 large bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 1.5 cups)

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thick slices

4 cloves garlic

1.25 tsp dried crushed red pepper

STEAK

Combine first 7 ingredients (...not the steak) in a food processor or blender, blend until pureed. Pour marinade into a large heavy-duty freezer bag. Add the steak to marinade in bag and seal.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day, turning bag occasionally.

Remove steaks from marinate and grill over medium heat to desired doneness.

Rigatoni with Gorgonzola Cheese

2.5 Tbsp butter

.5 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1.25 cups whole milk

.5 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp flour

12 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1 lb rigatoni or penne pasta

.25 cup grated Parmasan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Butter 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Melt 1/2 Tbsp butter in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Bring milk and cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter in another medium saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stir for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk mixture. Whisk until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add Gorgonzola and whisk until cheese melts and sauce is almost smooth. Set aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to pot. Add Gorgonzola sauce to pasta and toss to coat. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake pasta until sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

We also made green beans with vinaigrette, the sweet potato biscuits, and a salad.

Easy

Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts

3/4 head of garlic, pressed/minced
2 Tbsp ginger, grated
1.75 cups soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey

Mix together.
In a bowl, marinate the chicken in this mixture for one hour before grilling.




French Bread

5 cups white flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast (I use instant yeast, if you use active dry yeast, you must proof it first.)
2 cups luke warm water

First still together dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add and stir in the water.
Once the mixture is mostly stuck together put it on the counter and knead it for 10 minutes. Use extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to you and the counter.


Place the kneaded dough into a clean, oiled bowl, and cover.
Let it rise (at least 1-2 hours, but may go for longer).
PUNCH it, because it's fun, then divide it into two long loaves.
Using a knife, make slits in the loaves.
Brush with eggwhite if you want to get a browned top of the bread. Or don't.
Place in the pans.


Then into a COLD oven.
Set to bake at 400° and timer for 23-25 minutes


Baked Rice

For four people:
2.5 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 cup uncooked rice
1.5 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs parsley
1 sprig thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 bay leaf
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 °.
Melt the butter in a heavy oven proof saucepan and cook the onion and garlic, stirring with a spoon, until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and stir briefly over low heat until all the grains are coated with butter.
Stir in the broth, making sure there are no lumps in the rice. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and cayenne. Cover with close-fitting lid and place in the oven.
Bake the rice exactly 17 minutes. Remove the cover and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs.


The usual salad as well.