Spicy Sicilian

This is an excellent side dish for the BBQ chicken recipe I previously posted. You can make this as spicy or as mild as you like and with whatever vegetables you prefer. I occasionally add garlicky broccoli.


1 lb thin fettuccine pasta
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup peeled chopped ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dry sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chili oil
black pepper to taste
1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced thinly
6 scallions, sliced thinly on a diagonal

Cook fettuccine until al dente. Meanwhile, put the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, chili oil, and black pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Drain fettuccine and put it into a large bowl. Add the sauce while the pasta is still hot, as it will draw in more sauce as it cools. Mix in the peppers and scallions and serve at room temperature.

This is a twist on BBQ chicken, that is spicy and full of flavor. I think it tastes best cooked over a charcoal grill, but a gas grill works very well. It's a complete summertime BBQ meal when served with sesame noodles and broccoli.


2 chickens, cut up into manageable pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup dijon mustard
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
9 ounces tomato paste
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes

In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in vegetable oil. Add all the ingredients (except the chicken). Bring to a boil, and simmer 30 minutes. Cool sauce and use half to marinade the chicken. It should marinade for a minimum of 2 hours and/or overnight. Grill, roast, or bake chicken until the internal temperature is between 180-185*F. The remaining sauce can be heated and served on the side.

I made these pork chops at a friends house and used whatever ingredients were on hand. They turned out so good, I had to record the recipe.

2  1 1/2" center cut pork chops
1 large apple
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter

Core the apple and slice it crosswise into 1" rings. Combine OJ, pepper, ginger, thyme, honey, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Marinade the apples in the OJ mixture and refrigerate 1-4 hours.
Preheat oven 450*F
In a hot (oven proof) saute pan, on medium high heat, pour in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper the pork chops liberally and place in the hot pan. Do not move the chops until they have formed a dark crust on them, about 4 minutes. Turn the chops over and fry another 4 minutes, until its browned on the other side as well.
Place the entire pan in preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until they are slightly pink in center. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and tent them with foil. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
Turn oven to broil (or use a grill pan on stove top) and remove apples from marinade (reserve marinade). Brown apple rings on both sides under broiler.
Meanwhile, pour off most of the fat in the saute pan, and place it on the stove top on medium high heat. Pour the apple marinade in the pan and scrape up bits left from the chops. Bring to a boil, add the vinegar and reduce it by half.
Remove it from heat and stir in the butter.
To serve, place 1 or 2 apple rings on each chop and drizzle the sauce over it.