Appetizers, Chicken

Honey Sriracha Buffalo Wings

It’s #WCW aka Wednesday Chicken Wings. My mom’s buffalo wing sauce is just to DIE for. Add a little Asian flair to your next party.

Honey Sriracha Buffalo Wings (Serves 4)
• 2 dozen chicken wings
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 cup flour
• 4 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• vegetable oil
• green onions, chopped, for garnish
• sesame seeds, for garnish
For the sauce:
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 3 tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vinegar

1. Soak chicken wings in cold water and 1 tsp salt for 30 minutes. In a bowl, whisk together eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together corn starch, flour, five spice powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, remaining 2 tsp salt and pepper.

2. Dip wings into egg mixture and coat thoroughly in dry mixture. Fry in hot vegetable oil for 5 minutes on each side, if using a frying pan. A deep fryer (at 375 degrees) would be ideal!

coating chicken wings

3. Drain fried wings on a paper towel.

4. In a sauce pan, melt butter and add in Sriracha, honey, and vinegar. Stir for 5 minutes and remove from heat to let the sauce thicken. Coat wings in Sriracha sauce and toss wings evenly.

5. Serve and devour immediately.

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Appetizers, Seafood

Spicy Tuna Nachos

Super Bowl Sunday is exactly one week away, meaning I have only seven days to craft up some funky builicious game day recipes. I started my football showdown countdown with a nachos recipe, since it’s rare and almost offensive not to watch a sporting event at home without gorging on some nachos. Try adding some spicy homemade sashimi over some crunchy tortilla chips for an Asian twist. I know what you’re thinking; homemade sashimi? While there are always some risks associated with eating raw foods, as long you’re working with some fresh tuna steaks, being mindful not to cross contaminate your utensils, and lightly curing your fish, you’ll have no problem whipping up this seemingly fancy appetizer. Top off this dish with some Sriracha mayo and get your party started before kickoff.

Sashimi Love!

Spicy Tuna Sashimi Nachos (Serves 4)
• 1 lb fresh ahi tuna steak
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lime
• 1 avocado, diced
• tortilla chips
For Sriracha mayo:
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp lime juice

1. In a frying pan, toast sesame seeds on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until mostly golden.

2. Mix together toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, and the juice of one lime (about 1 tbsp).

3. Slice tuna steak into strips lengthwise and chop into 1/4 inch cubes.

4. Evenly coat tuna cubes in soy sauce mixture. Chill for 1 hour.

5. Remove tuna from refrigerator and add in avocado cubes. The tuna will have a slightly brownish tint from the soy sauce, but don’t worry it is still fresh!

6. For Sriracha mayo, mix together mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lime juice until smooth.

spicy mayo

7. Use a slotted spoon to ladle tuna sashimi over tortilla chips and garnish with spicy mayo.

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Appetizers, Lamb

Curry Lamb Meatballs with Honey Ginger Yogurt

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending one of Madison’s most popular annual events: the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival. Yes, my day was packed with calories and I probably got gigglier than I already do on an average day, but from a foodie perspective, it was an absolutely joy to see hundreds of artisans showcase their crafts. Some of my favorite booths included BOS Meadery and Harmony Dairy. However, the most memorable booth, in my humble opinion, wasn’t even of the beer or cheese variety; it was the Old School Sausage stand. Their unique sausage varieties provided the perfect savory complement to tangy cheeses and sweet beers. I was particularly blown away by the flavor of their curry sausage, and attempted to replicate it with my lamb meatballs. I balanced out these spicy meatballs with a sweet honey and ginger yogurt sauce and while everyone was rooting for the Packers, I was having a lamb ball field day (10 points for Gryffindor if you can catch the pun) in the kitchen.

Me and the Sarah's at the Beer and Cheese Fest!
Me and the Sarahs at the Beer and Cheese Fest!

Curry Lamb Meatballs with Honey Ginger Yogurt (Yields 40)
• 2 lbs ground lamb
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 15 cayenne peppers, minced
• 1/4 cup rau ram (also known as lady thumb), chopped
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp curry
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
For the sauce:
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together lamb, onions, peppers and rau ram thoroughly. Add in eggs, panko and spices. Knead thoroughly with your hands. I strongly recommend using gloves because the peppers may burn your hands, especially if you have sensitive skin.

2. Cover a baking sheet in foil. Roll lamb into 1.5 inch wide balls and place onto baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes and then broil for an additional 5 minutes.

3. For the sauce, mix together yogurt, ginger and honey. I use a cheese grater to give the ginger a finer texture.

4. Remove meatballs from oven and serve with sauce. These go great with a side of rice or on their own as an appetizer!

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Desserts

Vietnamese Coffee Doughnuts

After spending a lovely weekend in Boston and devouring Dunkin Donuts at least twice a day, I realized that coffee and donuts are the best part of waking up (clearly my new year’s resolutions have already gone kaput). As soon as I came home and scrambled to make my own version of Dunkin Donuts, I realized that if my favorite kind of coffee is Vietnamese coffee and my favorite kind of doughnuts are the crunchy deep fried ones, then deep fried Vietnamese coffee doughnuts must be phenomenal. With only four ingredients and thirty minutes, I was able to create a fusion masterpiece, even better than either coffee or doughnuts alone. Aristotle would have been proud…and hungry.

Vietnamese Coffee Doughnuts

Vietnamese Coffee Doughnuts (Yields 8-10)
• 1 can biscuits
• 2 cups strong brewed coffee
• 1 can condensed milk
• vegetable oil

1. Fill a shallow dish with strongly brewed coffee. If you really want to make it Vietnamese coffee, brew coffee and chicory using a french dip. However, it probably won’t make a difference in flavor. Place biscuits in coffee and let them soak for 15 minutes on each side.

2. Use a knife to poke a hole through the center of the biscuits.

3. Heat vegetable oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel.

4. Drizzle condensed milk over hot doughnuts and serve with Vietnamese coffee.

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