Magic Onion Jerk Marinade

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I mostly keep vegetarian these days.  Every once in a while I'll have meat (if I'm a guest at someone's house, or if I'm having company and want to barbecue, etc.).  As I used to keep a blog dedicated to the art of barbecue, I have learned a thing or two about cooking ribs and chicken and whatnot, and one of my favorite recipes is for jerk chicken drumsticks.


This Jamaican-style jerk marinade can be applied to anything, though it definitely works best with chicken drumsticks.  I can't speak for how authentic it is, having never been to the Caribbean, but I can tell you that my difficult-to-impress brother said it's some of the best chicken he's ever had.  I think part of the key, aside from the specific spices, is in the onion-based marinade.

THE STUFF:

Half of a yellow onion (the big Spanish kind)

Two cloves garlic

1 tsp allspice
1 tsp agave nectar, or honey (or slightly less of white sugar)

1.5 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 or 2 habanero peppers or Scotch bonnet peppers

Olive oil
1 tsp salt

Juice of half a lime

WHAT YOU DO WITH THE STUFF:

1. Put dry spices (allspice, peppercorns, thyme, cumin) into a spice grinder and whazz it up, as Jamie Oliver would say.

2. Cut onion, peppers, and garlic into small, food-processor-friendly chunks.  Place them into a food processor.

3. Add spices, lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Blend it all up until it turns into a sauce-like consistency - use olive oil to thin it out as necessary.

Apply this marinade to raw chicken drumsticks (or whatever you're cookin) and let it sit at least a few hours, preferably overnight.  I recommend smoking the chicken drumsticks on a slightly-higher-than-normal-smoker-heat, like 300-325ish for about 1.5-2 hours, turning them during the halfway point for proper browning and skin crisping.  When they're done, drizzle them with some lime juice mixed with a little bit of agave nectar.  I just recently tried smoking with oak wood, and it was awesome.  Do that.

Noodle Soup

My last post mentioned my Jewish heritage... now it's time to talk about my ASIAN HERITAGE!  Well, I am part Russian, but I guess no one considers that Asian, even though Russia makes up most of the continent.


Anyway, noodle soup is one of my favorite dishes ever.  Most young Americans who hear the phrase "noodle soup" probably think of packaged Top Ramen or Cup O Noodles or some other atrocious tribute to sodium and cholesterol.  A delicious, less-sodiumy, healthy, homemade noodle soup is really not difficult to make though.

Using things like fresh spring onions, garlic, and scallions ups the flavor and health benefit.  Noodle soups could also feature watercress and various other microgreens to add vitamins and minerals to your diet.  Still, no matter what you add, a great noodle soup should really be about the noodles.  For this reason, if you're health conscious, I recommend using soba noodles (soba = Japanese buckwheat, considered a "superfood").


Soba noodles actually have about 8 grams of protein per serving, which is a decent amount for your average person.  If you're about to go work out or if you're coming home from the gym, however, and you want to add a bit more protein, you can always add shrimp or barbecued pork.  Or, to keep vegetarian, use chopped peanuts - this works best if the recipe is altered to a noodle sautee rather than a soup.  Good times.


Anyway, here's how I do a single serving of noodle soup:

INGREDIENTS:

1 bundle soba or udon noodles

1.5 cups vegetable stock

1 clove garlic, minced

1 spring onion, chopped

1/3 tsp chopped ginger

One small, well-chopped Thai chili (optional - makes it REAL hot!)

Handful chopped watercress (optional)

Soy sauce

Fish sauce

Peanut oil

Water

COOKIN':

1.  Fill a small saucepan with water to boil (enough to cover noodles).  Bring to boil.

2.  Toss in noodles for 5 minutes, or as directed on package.

3.  Drain noodles and rinse with cold water to inhibit further cooking.

4. Return saucepan to stove over medium-high heat.  Add about 1 tsp peanut oil.

5. Add garlic and spring onion, let simmer to brown.  If garlic browns too fast, add a dash of stock or water for moisture.

6. Add chili and ginger, plus about 1 tsp soy sauce.  Add literally only a drop or two of fish sauce.  Let everything bubble a bit for 30 seconds or so.

7. Add stock and chopped watercress.  Let soup heat up until lightly bubbling.

8. Toss in noodles, stirring to reheat them through.  Serve up in a big freakin' bowl.

**FOR A THAI TWIST:  Replace watercress with chopped fresh basil, and squeeze in the juice from a lime wedge.  Thai food rules.  


This recipe can also be altered for a sauteed noodle dish - just skip the vegetable stock, and use some sake or vermouth as a de-glazing agent!  Add chopped peanuts for added protein.