We’re eating spicy Chinese-style blood orange chicken served with steamed rice and garnished with green onions.

Apparently I need a serious vacation to get over my vacation! We’re back from paradise but I’m still not really feeling this whole “work” thing, if you know what I mean! Alas, I do believe I made some promises back in in March or April that I would start updating WWE at least three times a week. I still fully plan for that to be the case, although I’m slow getting started with it.

This dish is one I whipped up over the winter when local blood oranges were in season and I was craving Chinese food without leaving the house. Likely you won’t be able to find blood oranges in the markets since it’s the middle of May but you can always substitute any freshly squeezed ripe orange juice and zest in the recipe.

Recipes in this post:

• Chinese-Style Blood Orange Chicken

Related posts:

1. Sweet & Spicy Asian Bourbon Chicken
2. Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken & Whipped Sweet Potatoes
3. Super Easy Sriracha-Peach Chicken Wings

We’re eating sweet and spicy grilled chicken breast marinated in a mildly spicy soy, bourbon & brown sugar sauce and served over a bed of fluffy basmati rice with a ladle of bourbon sauce to finish off the dish.

How many times have you been walking through the food court at the mall and passed by a fast food Chinese place that was pushing samples of their bourbon chicken? Well, growing up in Virginia and Maryland I had this experience a lot. Normally I would succumb to the juicy grilled chicken sample without actually indulging in a full order. (frankly, I think I’ve done this in the past month or two!)

The bourbon chicken at the mall was always sweet and savory and very lightly marinated. It was indeed the initial inspiration for my bourbon chicken. Oh yeah, that and the fact that a recent house guest happened to leave half of a bottle of Evan Williams which I’m not likely to drink…ever. Anyway, in my version of bourbon chicken the meat is much more heavily marinated and the flavor of the bourbon is more pronounced yet not overwhelming. I also chose to make a sauce using part of the marinade, as both Tyler and I are big fans of rice and gravy. Next time you’re craving some sweet and savory bourbon chicken I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Recipes in this post:

• Sweet & Spicy Asian Bourbon Chicken

Related posts:

1. Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken & Whipped Sweet Potatoes
2. Super Easy Sriracha-Peach Chicken Wings
3. Grilled Kinda-Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

Bored of plain old chicken breasts for dinner? Do what we did and turn it into a spicy asian-inspired pasta dish! We’re eating pasta tossed with a home made spicy cashew sauce filled with sauteed carrots, red bell peppers, crispy green beans, cilantro, jalapenos, and yes…slices of seared chicken breast meat. The dish was savory and spicy with just a hint of sweet.

A: this was seriously easy to make! the sauce requires zero cooking… just a bit o’ whisking. i love these types of meals!
T: I know, I was amazed at how quickly you made the sauce. You walked into the kitchen, I was zoned out at the computer, and like 5 seconds later you were done! That’s quick.
A: hehe yeah that part was particularly quick. although i sat on the floor meditating in front of the cabinets before launching into sauce making action. forming the game plan was totally key.
T: Now I’ve never seen you sitting on the kitchen floor meditating in front of the open cabinet doors before… was this a new approach to cooking creativity?
A: yup, i’ve never done it before. the cabinets are a mystical wonderland full of forgotten goodies. some times it’s good to get a refresh on what the hell’s in there! (and i “reorganized” while meditating)
T: I think it worked out well. This was different than anything I remember you making in the past, and it was quite tasty. It had a great spice level and a nice Thai-esque feel to it. It was a good thing to do with chicken breasts, too, because they can get kind of boring for me.
A: me. freaking. too. i get soooooo bored with chicken breasts. I mean, yeah yeah, they’re good and all, but they just don’t generally excite me or spark creativity… unless i stuff ‘em with goodies, but i’ve done that pretty recently.
T: yeah, stuffing em with goodies is a GREAT thing to do with chicken breasts. Damn dry flavorless pieces of crap. They should grow chickens that have duck breasts. That would be the shit.
A: okay crack head. so what’d ya rate this meal?
T: 4.4/5. It was quite tasty, and delightfully spicy. And I really get excited about fresh jalapeños It might be nice to try this with rice noodles instead of fettuccine (as you said while we were eating). What’s your rating?
A: i feel pretty similarly. i give this meal a 4.323/5. it was good, with the exception being the pasta. the pasta was just alright. in the recipe i don’t tell the user what type of pasta to use, but i suggest vermicelli. i think with the right pasta this would have gotten a much higher rating from me.
T: Yeah, from me too, I think. It might have also been interesting to have some of those super-hot peppers soaked in fish and soy sauce that they sometimes have at thai restaurants. But it was good as it was. So, you were saying that the sauce requires no cooking, and that rice noodles require no cooking… does this mean that this meal (aside from the chicken) could theoretically pass as a “raw food” meal if the veggies and stuff were left uncooked?
A: to tell you the truth, i don’t really know the “rules” of raw food “cooking”. i am apt to think that the process that the rice noodles had to go through to become rice noodles would exclude them from the whole raw food thing. you could always make veggie “pasta” with one of those little devices for making veggie pasta… can you tell i don’t know what they’re called?
T: One of those little devices… is that a brand name? I just thought of something… where do you draw the line of processing before something no longer counts as being raw? I’ve always thought it was the act of heating that made the difference, but would something marinated in lime juice be considered cooked? Can raw food people eat ceviche?
A: these are some good question that i just don’t know the answers too. if anyone who reads this knows anything about the whole raw food movement, let us know in the comments!

Recipes in this post:

• Spicy Cashew Pasta with Chicken

Related posts:

1. Sweet & Spicy Asian Bourbon Chicken
2. Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken & Whipped Sweet Potatoes
3. Super Easy Sriracha-Peach Chicken Wings

In an attempt to break away from the heavy holiday foods (for at least one meal), we’re eating a spicy thai jicama salad filled with finely shredded fresh jicama, granny smith apples, red onions, brussels sprouts, and jalapenos. For an extra added kick the salad is tossed with a chili-lime vinegarette. The salad is crispy, spicy, and sweet all at the same time and the asian peanut oil really allows the peanut-y flavor to shine through and bring the whole dish together.

A:Alright guys, this one is perfect for a pre-holiday meal, considering the loads of heavy food one is bound to consume during the month of December! T & I really dug into this salad with gusto and were left wanting some more so badly that i had to make it again the next day! We did what i suggest in the recipe, and served it with thin slices of chicken breast. That’s definately a great way to go. Now this salad isn’t exactly for the whimpy at heart… if you can’t stand the heat get the hell out this salad! okay, i suppose you could also just eliminate the shaved jalapeno, but personally that’s one of my favorite parts! I wish everyone a very delightful holiday season, what ever you may celebrate!

Recipes in this post:

• Spicy Thai Jicama Salad

Related posts:

1. Citrusy Squash & Kumquat Salad
2. Balsamic Green Beans & Mushrooms