Asian Roasted Chicken Leg Quarter

Chicken leg quarters are a cheap economical cut that's very forgiving if you're a beginning cook because they will stay moist and juicy through all kinds of common cooking mishaps unless you severely over cook them (like when I fell asleep on the sofa once and couldn't hear the timer go off for a good hour). I find because they are thick, its best to marinate it over night for a good flavor. Also, once cooked they reheat very well which is perfect for the busy person like myself who really only wants to cook once or twice a week while reheating the rest of the time. This recipe makes for a delicious asian style quarter with lightly crispy golden skin and great flavor.

Asian Roasted Chicken Leg Quarter

4 chicken leg quarter
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup shaoxing cooking wine
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tblsp finely chopped scallion
2 tblsp brown sugar
1 tblsp rice vinegar

Wash and trim leg quarters. Add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and wisk together. Plate the quarters into a ziplock bag and pour marinade over. Close up and squish around a bit. Let marinate over night in fridge. 10 mins before cooking take the quarters out and lay on a rack skin side down over a cookie sheet or other flat pan to catch drippings. Set over to 375 and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them skin side up and roast for another 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reach 160. Take out and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Hot Days, Cold Soups

Around here summer can mean blindly bright sun light and muggy hot humid days. When the very air begins to stick to my skin, not only to I lose my will to face a hot stove but also for trying to take on any cooking that's too finicky. All I want at the end of a long work day is to come home and sink down into my couch bathed in AC but a girl's still gotta eat right? That's when cold soups come into play. I started fiddling with the idea around the time when a cucumber challenge came around the food forum. As I looked around for something new to try I started noticing all the chilled soup recipes. Many looked to be little more than herbed fruit juices and I thought to myself, hey that seems quick and easy enough for me. I began with a watermelon cucumber soup and while refreshing and delicious, it wasn't very filling. I see it as a great starter but not a meal. My next try at a grilled corn soup was much more fulfilling. I could dig into a bowl every night and did so two nights in a row. Its the perfect end to a hot drag your heels home kinda day. The recipes I give below are single serving but you can multiply it for as many guests as you'd like to feed.

Watermelon Cucumber Soup

1.5 cups cubed watermelon pieces
3 inches seedless cucumber chunked up
3 basil leaves
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredient in blender and blend until you get a uniform puree. Strain solid from puree and serve chilled.

Chilled Corn Soup

1 corn on the cob
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 sweet vidalia onion
salt & pepper

Remove the silk from the corn and soak the entire cob with leaves in cold water for 30+ minutes. Slice the half onion into thick 1/2 inch slices. Grill the corn and onion over a medium grill until cooked through and let cool. Slice the corn off the cob and add to a blender along with the onion and 1/2 cup of stock. Blend until you get a good puree. Strain solids from puree. Add the solids back to the blender with the remaining stock. Blend and strain again, pressing on the solids to get all the juice you can. Discard solids. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Served lightly chilled.