Recipe: Filipino BBQ Marinade

The Memorial Day holiday weekend is coming up and Americans will be grilling and barbequing as part of the annual celebration.
Here is a nice change from the store bought BBQ sauces and marinades that you may be used to. I first tasted this at a friend's rooftop BBQ cook out and was intrigued watching her making the marinade especially with the use of 7 Up. She said that it helps tenderize the meat and adds sweetness and that lemon-lime flavor. Traditionally in the Philippines, the juice of calamansi is used but here in the United States, a lemon will have to suffice.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup 7 Up or Sprite
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and taste for flavor balance, you may need to add a pinch of salt or more lemon juice depending on the soy sauce you use and sourness of the lemon.
2. Pour the marinade over the meat of your choice and marinate (chicken: about an hour, pork or beef: over night or longer).
3. Grill and enjoy!  

Recipe: Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing (Revisited)

I had another carrot ginger dressing recipe posted that was very simple to make if you didn't have Japanese ingredients.
This one is another version that has more ingredients and a more complex flavor.
This recipe makes 2 cups.

Ingredients

• 3 medium-size carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced across the grain
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• ¼ cup neutral flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil (I like Kadoya brand)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons white miso paste
• 2 teaspoons mirin

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend/process until a creamy puree. You may add a bit of water and mix until it is to your preferred consistency.
Keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

Dark sesame oil is made with toasted sesame seeds and has great depth of flavor.
The miso you find at Asian markets is often sold red or white with white being the one commonly used in miso soup.
Miring is a sweet cooking wine that gives teriyaki dishes it's shiny luster.

Video: How To Make Sushi Rolls

    Making your own sushi at home can be fun and cheaper than going to a Japanese sushi bar.
You'll need to buy sushi rice which is a small grain rice that is sticky when cooked. Other ingredients needed are dried nori sheets and seasoned rice vinegar. You can find these in the Asian Foods section of a large supermarket chain or in Chinatown. Pick up an inexpensive sushi mat too.
Fillings can be endless!

Video courtesy of AllRecipes.com