BBQ chicken & Sriracha Salad.

Cooking and baking have always been hobbies of mine ever since I was a child. Every Saturday morning I would wake up early, not to watch the cartoons, but instead to watch Julia Child and Jacques Pepin cook up a storm in their kitchens. When I got a little older, my mom allowed me to be her "Sous Chef" and from then on I learned the basic techniques of cooking. Now that I'm a busy college student I no longer have the luxury to take my sweet time preparing my meals :( So most of the recipes I have in my mental recipe book are fast, easy, healthy, yet still delicious. 

Here is my mom's recipe for BBQ chicken and baked beans without having to use an actual barbecue grill. I always try and eat some sort of vegetable with my meals, so I included my own recipe for Sriracha salad! Think of it as coleslaw with an Asian twist :)  

Ingredients for the BBQ Chicken and Baked Beans: 

1.) Raw Chicken 

 I prefer the taste and moistness of dark meat, so I just used drumsticks and thighs. 

2.) Vegetable Oil

3.) Seasonings - Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder 

4.) Barbecue Sauce  

5.) Van Camp's Pork and Beans 

I don't know why they have "pork" in the title, because it's just beans in a tomato sauce 

(You can omit this if you'd like, but the beans taste great with the bbq sauce!)    

Step 1: 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat up some oil in a pan on medium high heat. Season your raw chicken with Salt, Pepper, and Garlic powder. Once your pan is hot place the chicken in the pan. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes, or till each side is golden brown. The technique of browning meat is important,  because it helps intensify the flavor and retains the texture of your meat. 

 

Step 2: 

Once your chicken is golden brown on all sides transfer it to a foiled lined pan that is large enough to hold all your chicken. To finish the cooking process we are going to bake the chicken.  

 

Step 3: 

Take your favorite barbecue sauce and spread over all sides of the chicken. Ideally you should use a brush, but all I had was a spoon, so I just used the back side of it. Make sure to be generous with your sauce. 

 

Step 4: 

Place a large foil tent on top and make sure to use a knife to poke some holes for ventilation. The foil tent helps keep the chicken moist.  Bake your chicken for around 25 minutes or until its cooked. You can tell if your chicken is cooked if the juices are clear and not red/bloody (it's okay if it's brown because of the BBQ sauce!) and also by using a knife and making a small incision to visually check (no one will know because it'll be covered in barbecue goodness!) 

 

Step 5: 

I forgot to take a picture of this step :( but basically just reuse the same pan that you browned the chicken in (it has a lot of flavor!) and heat up your canned beans on low heat. I also like to nestle the cooked BBQ chicken in there for 5-10 min so the flavors come together. 

Ingredients for the Sriracha Salad: 

1.) Cabbage 

I was only making this meal for me and my roomie, so I only used half 

2.) Cucumber

3.) Canned Corn 

I chose the kind with 50% salt. Not only does the corn taste sweeter,

 but it's healthier since there is less sodium :)   

4.) Thousand Island Dressing 

5.) Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce 

This is a common hot sauce used in South East Asian cuisine. You can actually find it in the ethnic section of a regular grocery store. 

Step 1: 

Remove the core of the cabbage and cut it into thin strips and wash. 

I like to cut first and then wash, because it makes the process a little easier. 

 

Step 2: 

Wash a cucumber, cut in half length wise, and then cut half moons. 

 

Step 3:  

Place all your ingredients in a large bowl, along with half a can of corn (you can add more corn if you like!) 

Add around 2 tablespoons of thousand island dressing and a squeeze of sriracha sauce (Remember start with only a little bit and taste. Then add more if you need too. You don't want your salad too spicy!). Toss your salad till all of your vegetables are lightly coated in the dressing.

Assemble your meal together and enjoy! I also ate my chicken with a slice of toast. I love comfort food :)

   

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it goes! 

Superlove & Bon Appetit,

Emily 

P.S. Regarding the earthquake that hit Japan and affected the other nearby countries, I hope everyone and their loved ones are safe.