Asian inspired barbecue chicken

I am looking forward to another weekend of barbecuing, but I am in the mood for something a little different, something with an Asian flare with hints of ginger, honey, and sesame.  Because barbecue chicken often takes a while on the grill and we will be at a bbq potluck, I decided to bake the chicken prior to grilling.  That way there is no risk of anyone getting sick from under-cooked chicken just in case the grill is full and tummies and too hungry to wait patiently.  I baked the chicken the night before the BBQ, and refrigerated it until we were ready to throw it on the grill.  It took about 20 minutes on medium heat to heat up the legs and crisp the skin.

Asian BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

• 15 drumsticks
• 1/4 c sesame seeds
• 1/4 c oil
• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1 T ground ginger
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 T chili garlic sauce
• 1/3 c honey

Arrange chicken in a shallow dish.

Combine sesame seeds, oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili garlic sauce, and honey.  Whisk until evenly mixed.  Pour marinade over chicken.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Drain and reserve marinade.  Arrange chicken on a broiling pan.   Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once about halfway through.  While the chicken is baking, transfer marinade to a sauce pan, and bring the sauce to a boil.  Simmer, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes (Important: do not skip this step).

Remove the chicken from oven and baste with the boiled sauce.  Turn the oven to broil, and broil for 2-5 minutes on each side; watch closely so the glaze does not burn.  Alternatively, you can transfer the chicken to a grill and grill the chicken to get the golden grill marks.  Since I was going to a BBQ potluck, I cooled the chicken and refrigerated it until grilling.

Ramen Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 packages chicken flavored ramen, noodles broken into bite sized pieces, and flavor packets reserved
• 1/4 c sesame seeds
• 1 small cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
• green onion
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 3 T white vinegar
• 1 T white sugar
• 1/2 t black pepper

Combine cabbage, onion, ramen noodles, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and one flavor packet until dressing is smooth. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  For best results, pour the dressing over the salad at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the noodles to soften.