Chicken-Pork Meatballs with Sriracha Mayo

Chipotle got smart and made an Asian version of itself in DC! It's called Shophouse and it is derricious. Bubs and I alway make time to go there. What I like is their super spicy sauce. Of course, not so spicy for me so I have to add in maybe a gallon of extra sriracha. But enough for bubs to sweat me a river (ew!). So Chipotle was my inspiration for these meatballs. They also work so well for making 'pseudo' Banhmi (dericious vietnamese sammich). I'll be posting later on about making a quick banhmi next! A quick factoid about cilantro, because I love them and because they are all over these meatballs!

Factoid: Cilantro Lovers Share a Genetic Trait (and so do Haters)
Cilantro is oh-so-heavenly. It's refreshing, crunchy and a lovely lime-y flavor that compliments all kinds of cuisines like guacamole, curry and meatballs (!). However, I know some hateful people that are repulsed by it. Why is it so polarizing to them? Only science can explain...

A new study conducted at the University of Toronto found that among 1,400 young adults, 21% of East Asian roots hated it and 17% of white people Caucasians hating it too. The results were published in Flavour Journal. It's possible that hater have a mutated or even an absent receptor gene for the protein that would interact with the very pleasant smelling compound found in cilantro.

It's all still speculative! There may be a genetic mutation of some sort that makes people just want to throw cilantro across the room and stomp on it, but there is yet to pin-point a single gene that's responsible. So... I guess science hasn't quite explained it yet (harhar)

Oh right, so you fussy people who hate cilantro. You can substitute it with Thai basil.

Chicken Pork Meatballs with Sriracha Mayo Dip
Makes 15-20

Korean Spicy Braised Chicken - Dak Doritang

One test down, and two more to go. And then I'm free from this academic year...and then I have another 3059708235 years of schooling :(


Anyhoo, if you've been reading my blog, you'll find that most of the food I post are red and filled with chilies. I absolutely love spicy food. Like fire-in-your-hole spicy. Bubs thinks that I must have burned off all the capsaicin receptors. They're the ones that make you feel the burning, crying, mouth numbing sensation when you eat spicy food. I like to snack on raw jalapenos, and it doesn't kill me. I give one to bubs and he'll be sweating out of his ears. Sooo.. here's radical health news for today!


Innovative Surgeries: Spicy foods into getting rid of your Muffin tops
I think a lot of people know that eating spicy food increases core body temperature and may cause you to burn more calories and yadayadaya. What's even more crazy is that at Brigham and Women's Hospital, they're doing surgical procedures that insert capsaicin (stuff in red pepper) to destroy some nerve fibers of the vagus nerve. Results on lab rats show significantly reduced visceral fat - you know those hateful beer bellies and muffin tops.

This is going to be the next new catchy 1-800 Get Thin jingle on the radio and soon you'll be singing ♩ ♫rub chilies into your spinal cord♬♪...Um.. maybe more catchy and witty than that :/
But on a more serious note, it'll fix the fat people obesity epidemic. Woo.

Without further adieu, another one of my favorite spicy dishes.


Korean Spicy Braised Chicken - 닭도리탕
Adapted from Korean-cuisine

Ingredients
Seasoning paste
4 tbsp soysauce
3 tbsp Korean chili paste
2 tbsp Korean chili powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 tsp minced ginger
3 tsp black pepper
8 tbsp water
2 tbsp rice wine or white vinegar


Pot Ingredients
2 lb chicken thigh (or drummettes or breast)
1/2 cup water
1 large potato
1 large carrot (or handful of baby carrots)
1 onion
5 cloves garlic halved
2 serrano chilies (or jalapenos for less heat!)
10 perilla leaves or green onions (optional)

Mix all the ingredients for the seasoning paste in a large bowl (so you can put your chicken in it). If you have Youndoo, which I used here and also most of the stews I make here, then instead of soysauce + honey, use 2 tbsp of regular soysauce and 2 tbsp of Youndoo.

Set the sauce aside so you can work on your chicken. Feel free to use chicken breast (skin, no skin). Cut them into about 2 inch cubes and cut out the fatty parts. Marinate it in the sauce.

Let the chicken sit in the sauce for at least 15 mins, so now we get the veggies prepared. Cut up the onions and potatoes to roughly the same size as the chicken bits. I used baby carrots because I'm too lazy to peel and cut up carrots :P And for the garlic cloves, just cut them lengthwise in half. Chop up your chillies finely and julienne perilla leaves if you're using them.

Preheat a big pot, add some oil and fry up your potatoes and carrots for about 5 mins and pour in 1/2 cup of water. Then add the chicken, onions, garlic and chilies. Stir it and bring to a boil.


Once boiling, put on the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for around 15 mins, occasionally stirring once or twice. Then take off the lid and let it simmer for another 15 mins so the sauce can reduce and thicken. The meat and veggies should be properly cooked through by now.


Top it off with some perilla leaves, green onions and sesame seeds!

Enjoy with a huge bowl of steaming rice!

Baked Jalapeño Cheese Poppers

Are you gearing up your liver for Cinco de Mayo?!  Más cerveza por favor! We're making some spicy Mex inspired party finger food. I don't have a potluck to bring it to, but maybe you do. Did you also know that Cinco de Mayo isn't a celebration of Independence in Mexico. I used to date a Mexican so I've been told 235398 times. Terrible. Here, it's a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. But also to commemorate the Mexican army's victory over ze French in the Battle of Puebla. It didn't really gain popularity until the 1980s when beer (think corona) capitalized and promoted the holiday.

Myth Buster: Our tongues are mapped into 4 areas: salty, bitter, sweet and sour
Busted! The entire tongue can taste these senses almost equally. We have taste receptors or taste buds concentrated on the surface of our tongues that can differentiate between different tastes based on different molecules or ions that binds to those buds. If we get to the deeper biology of things, sweet and bitter taste is triggered by activated G protein-coupled receptors; while salty from Na+/ sodium ions and sourness from H+ protons/ acid entering the cell. Don't ever believe those wine snobs who think you should direct wine to a certain area of your tongue to taste the different tones. Bogus.

Nerdy cooking tip: 
If you think you've over salted your food, just add some acidity like lemon juice. Since they both activate the same taste buds, the lemon juice will interfere with your salty taste receptors and fool your brain.
Thank you science.

Wow, that's 2 myth busters today... Also, don't forget to wear gloves or wash your hands after handling Jalapeño peppers. Or else fire in yo eye!

Baked Jalapeño Cheese Poppers
Prep time: 10mins          Cooking time: 20mins

Hot from the oven!

Ingredients

8-10 Jalapeño peppers - sliced in 1/2 (seeded if you hate spice in your life... haha kidding)

4 oz cream cheese (feel free to use fat free)

3 stalks scallions (chives, parsley, cilantro all work)

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar

2 tsp Red Chili flakes (optional)
salt/pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

1/2 tbsp Chili powder

1/2 tbsp Cayenne

Salt/Pepper

Start washing your peppers and slice them in half lengthwise. Cut off the tops and deseed them.

Preheat the oven to 350F








In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, cheddar, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and lots of pepper.

Chop up your green onions finely and using mostly the green parts, mix it into your cream cheese mix. You can taste it and adjust it when you want it saltier or spicier







Stuff your deseeded peppers with the cream cheese mix.

In another small bowl, scramble an egg. This will be your binder for your breadcrumbs/ panko.








On a plate, lay out your panko crumb mix (with chili powder, cayenne). Adding paprika is nice too.

I used a seasoned breadcrumb mix of rosemary and lots of pepper. I think the panko would give it more crunch though.

Roll your stuffed pepper in the egg and then roll it around in the crumb mix. Coat it nicely.

Lay them out on a baking tray. You can sprinkle some olive oil over the poppers. But that can be skipped for lighter fare.

Let it bake for 25-30 mins or until you see that cheese oozing out!






Let it cool before you eat it. Or you'll burn the roof of your mouth like I did :(

Happy Early Cinco de Mayo!

Adapted from skinnytaste.com