Sriracha Honey-Garlic Wings

If you haven't tried Sriracha yet, well... why not? If you're a true foodie you've probably been hearing about this for a while, maybe you've tried it, maybe you put it on everything you eat/own, or maybe you've been waiting for an awesome recipe like this to get on board. Sriracha is a hot chili sauce identified by its iconic rooster on the front and green cap; you'll most likely find in your local grocer's international aisle (in the Asian food section). It was created by a Vietnamese man after he moved to California, and it has quite the following. In fact, there is a Sriracha cook book (with a blog that also features funny posts from other Sriracha enthusiasts). I feel like I'm a little late getting on board the Sriracha train, but since I bought our first bottle of Sriracha hot chili sauce about a month ago, I've witnessed my husband put it on his breakfast, lunch, and dinner (in the same day).

The thought that has come to many foodies that have tried Sriracha - what if I made hot wings out of this delicious sauce? I don't know how I would describe the flavor of Sriracha - it's much better than hot sauce as it doesn't have that vinegar-y taste, it's thicker, it's slightly sweet, and it's just really delicious. This recipe cuts down on the heat with some honey and other ingredients for a sweet and spicy and garlicky wing. It's got a good amount of heat so adjust accordingly if hot hot wings aren't your thing.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey is always a better option than ground beef, and I look for 93/7 lean ground turkey breast. The risk with using such lean meat, especially with burgers, is drying out and blandness. These Asian turkey burgers do not have that problem with the addition of tasty teriyaki sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and plenty of herbs and spices to keep them flavorful. Teriyaki flavors pair well with Riesling and Gewurztraminer, and these wines will also meld nicely with turkey.

Asian Shrimp & Noodle Salad

Continuing with my salad theme, here's a great, healthy, Asian-inspired salad. This recipe is taken from Kraft and enhanced with changing up some ingredients and adding shrimp. I only had 1 lb of shrimp on hand, but using 2 lbs would provide even more of the yummy little morsels. Leave out the shrimp, and you have a great vegetarian dish. I've posted this recipe previously, but I didn't have pictures at this time so I'm giving it a revival.

Wine? Make it light and crisp. Riesling, Soave, or Sauvignon Blanc.

"Bang bang" Shrimp... or maybe "pow pow" or "boom boom"

I celebrated my 23rd birthday a few weeks ago and enjoyed a meal out with my husband at our favorite chain seafood restaurant, Bonefish Grill. If you haven't been to one, go! It does not feel like a chain restaurant and doesn't taste like a chain restaurant. We always order the same appetizer every visit: the bang bang shrimp. I've tried to copy-cat the sauce in this dish, it's spicy, sweet, creamy, and oh-so yummy, but have failed miserably in the past. This time, I finally got close. This recipe is not identical, but very similar and a little healthier because I skip the deep frying, so I might need to call it "pow pow" or "boom boom" shrimp because it's not the true blue "bang bang" shrimp.

This recipe is SPICY but sweet and the wine paired with it should be on the sweet & light side. Gewürztraminer is semi-sweet and fruity with a floral nose, and pairs well with many Asian style dishes. I would also suggest the crisp, light, sweet Muscadet, which pairs well with seafood.

Chicken stir fry

This recipe is legendary in my household, or at least I've decided it is. When I recently got married, my husband insisted that he hated stir fry. I made this one night to see if I could change his mind, and he absolutely loved it. Many people insist on shortcutting with frozen stir fry vegetables, but I love the crunch of fresh vegetables. You can also change up the recipe to suit your tastes, adding mushrooms, water chestnuts, baby corn, but this is a good starting place. 

(no take-out boxes necessary)

Home-made sweet and sour sauce

I do not claim this recipe is anything close to healthy, BUT it does open you up to making your own take-out style chinese food at home and avoiding the greese, deep-fried, MSG-laden oh-so bad for you version of this American household weeknight institution. So, get in the kitchen, make some stir-fry, and try out this easy sweet and sour sauce recipe!

Asian Noodle Salad... with Shrimp!

(Original recipe for Easy Asian Noodle Salad from Kraft)

This salad makes a delicious side dish to any meal. However, I make slight variations and add in some shrimp to make it stand alone as a main dish. As a meal, this will serve about 4-6 individuals (depending on how hungry your friends are). I usually use whole wheat thin spaghetti to make this scrumptious dish as guilt-free as possible. My husband usually skips the lettuce and just slurps up the delicious noodles, veggies, & shrimp . As far as wine pairing, this dish would do well with most light whites, including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Soave.

Cooking inspired by the Chinese New Year

I admit, I do not normally celebrate the Chinese New Year, but I was inspired by a newspaper article recommending recipes for Chinese cooking. The celebration of the Chinese New Year starts February 3 this year, and lasts for 15 days. I like the idea of cultivating an inspiration for a meal (such as taking a stab at Mexican cuisine and homemade margaritas on Cinco de Mayo) so celebrating Chinese cuisine this week sounds like a fun challenge! My husband loves Chinese food and in order to save us $$$, calories, and the risk of consuming unknown ingredients of unknown quality, I've become increasingly more experimental in making my own "Chinese food" at home. Call it a take-out fake-out.

I've learned through my kitchen experiments, if you want to make Asian cuisine you need some key staples in the pantry that you will use time and time again. Thus far, these ingredients for me have included soy sauce, hot chili sauce, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, sesame seeds, corn starch, and rice. There's other pre-made sauces you can purchase such as teryaki, sweet & sour, or you can be adventurous and make them from scratch (keep an eye out for my homemade sweet & sour sauce recipe - so easy!). Now, I do not, by any means, claim to be anything near an expert on authentic Asian food, but as a newlywed/new cook, I strive for delicious food that reflects the themes and tastes of the cuisine.

Over the next week, I'll post my favorite Asian cooking experiments so far. And I need to get into the kitchen and try a few more!