Firing up the barbecue grill this Memorial Day weekend? Here’s an easy Asian-inspired barbecued chicken recipe that will have your guests coming back for seconds. The chicken has to marinate for two hours, so get the recipe started before your guests arrive. Serve this chicken with traditional barbecue sides, like potato and macaroni salad and corn on the cob. Click here for a recipe for a carrot and raisin salad that also goes well with this grilled chicken.

Ingredients

1 medium sized (about 3 lbs.) chicken, cut into pieces (see healthier suggestion, below)
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger root (or 2 teaspoons dried ginger)
1 clove garlic, minced (use 2 cloves of garlic if you like a lot of garlic flavoring)

Directions:

1. Wisk together all ingredients in a small bowl and pour the marinade into a large Ziploc plastic bag.
2. Add chicken to the bag; roll the chicken around in the bag so that it is completely covered with marinade.
3. Refrigerate chicken for 2 hours.
4. Grill on the barbecue over medium high heat until done, about 10 minutes per side. The leftover marinade in the Ziploc bag can be used to baste the chicken on the grill, but discard any remaining marinade. Never reuse marinade.

Healthier suggestion: Boneless chicken breasts and thighs can be used in place of chicken parts. Boneless chicken is mostly fat free, and boneless pieces will cook faster, so allow less grilling time.

If barbecuing isn’t an option, prepare the recipe as stated and then stir-fry or sauté the chicken on the stove top.

Happy Memorial Day!

This article also appeared on Examiner.com. You can read it here.

Accordingto the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is the most popular day for dining out, and this year, nearly half of Americans will either have a sit-down meal in a restaurant or order takeout on May 10. Those mothers who prefer not to dine out cite limited menus, rushed meals to accommodate consecutive seating times, and the loss of family intimacy that comes with eating with tens (and sometimes hundreds) of strangers.

Why not plan to serve Mom a slow-cooker meal for Mother’s Day dinner? This way Mom enjoys the best of both worlds on her special day. Preparation and cooking will be easy enough for young family members to help pull the meal together, giving Mom some time away from the kitchen. In addition, Mom gets to relax as well as enjoy a great dinner with loved ones. And what mother would say no to that?

If there’s no slow-cooker recipe book in the house, you’ll find something your mom will love atSlowCooking.com. The following recipe for Rosemary Beef with Wine Sauce is on my Mother’s Day table this year. If Mom would prefer chicken, cubed boneless chicken breasts can be substituted for the beef. Remember to switch the bullion cube to chicken-flavored.

Rosemary Beef with Wine Sauce
Total slow-cooker time: approximately 3 hours on high setting

Serves 4

1 2-lb. London broil steak, cubed
2 T. olive oil
½ c. diced onion
1 beef bouillon cube
1 large can Italian plum tomatoes, drained (do not add the liquid to this recipe)
2 T. dried rosemary (fresh is good also)
½ c. red wine (optional)

Directions:

Add the olive oil, onions, beef bouillon, and beef cubes to the slow-cooker on high setting and cook for about 2 hours, stirring to be sure the meat browns on all sides, the bouillon dissolves, and the onions become soft.

Add tomatoes, rosemary, and wine and allow to cook for approximately 1 hour longer.

Serve with noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Happy Mother's Day!

This article also appeared on my Examiner.com page, where I write about food and ways to prepare it. You can read the article here.