"GRILLED CHICKEN AND SAUTEED ASPARAGUS"

Been busy lately, sorry haven't been updating as frequently as I used to ha.

Anyway, here's what we had last night... simple, quick and of course tasty.
The chicken, I just marinated with the classic "quick" barbecue mix of soy sauce, sugar(splenda) and lemon juice (ok, kalamansi will always be better), and the asparagus are the leftover stems that some would normally discard after cooking the tips and thinner spears.
I peeled the thicker end of the asparagus spears and cut it into thinner slices, and sauteed it. Still taste good, and it surely feels good not to put them to waste.

-CHICHAY

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"GRILLED CHICKEN"

What You Need:

• 6 pcs of chicken legs

marinade:

• 3 tbsp lemon juice


• 1 tbsp soy sauce


• 2 tsp sugar (or 1 packet of splenda)


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 2 tbsp olive oil

How To:

-Whisk together the marinade mix in a bowl.

-Marinate the chicken legs for at least 2 hours.

-Drain the marinade from the chicken and grill this over medium-high.

-When the chicken are done, transfer to a dish and cover with foil until ready to be served.

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"Sauteed Asparagus"

What You Need:

• 1 bunch of asparagus stems (use the tips for another dish)
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
  

How To:

-Peel the asparagus stems and cut them into thin sticks. Set aside.

-Saute the garlic in a hot pan with olive oil.

-Add the asparagus sticks and saute for a bout 2-3 minutes.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Serve the chicken and asparagus with rice or with mashed or baked potatoes.

"BUTTERED ASPARAGUS AND ZUCCHINI"

Here's an easy side-dish option that is perfect with pork chops, fish, or barbecued chicken too.

"Buttered Asparagus and Zucchini" is something that I can eat for lunch. It's funny the other when I cooked this as supposedly our side dish with our barbecued chicken, I liked it a lot, that I about 2 cups of it with my rice, and totally forgot about my chicken!

[CHICHAY TIP: There are two kinds of asparagus, the "pencil" asparagus, or the thinner one, and the other kind which have thicker stalks. If you are using the thicker one, asparagus stalks will be quite tough, and you need to peel them and get rid of the tough outer fiber. Soak the peeled ones in cold water while peeling the others. I normally separate the stalks from the crown part, cut it in bite-size pieces, and cook it (blanch in hot water for a few minutes) until soft, before I saute it with the crown part. The stalks can be very tough and fibrous if not cooked properly. The crown part of the asparagus is more tender and less fibrous, so it doesnt need par-cooking. Be careful though not to overcook it as it sort of "melts" when it is overcooked.]

-CHICHAY

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"BUTTERED ASPARAGUS AND ZUCCHINI"

What You Need:

• A bunch of pencil asparagus, cut to bite pieces.


• 1 zucchini, sliced


• 1 small shallot, minced


• 3 cloves of garlic, minced


• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
  
• 2 tbsp water


• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)


• salt and pepper

How To:

- Heat up butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

- Add the shallots and garlic, lower the heat, and cook until softened.

- Add the zucchini, season with salt, and saute while stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes.

-Add the asparagus, the oyster sauce (if using) and water, stir a bit, cover and cook on low for about 5-8 minutes, until the asparagus are tender.

-Season with salt and pepper and serve.