Honey Sesame Chicken Skewers

http://makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com/2008/03/40-honey-sesame-chicken-skewers.html


Ingredients:

1 cup honey
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

Make-Ahead Preparation:

Combine honey, sesame seeds, lime juice, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, paprika and turmeric in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut chicken into strips approx. 1" wide or into 1" chunks. Place chicken in ziploc bag and pour honey-sesame mixture over. (You can freeze the chicken before or after grilling. Choose which method you would like below.)
If freezing uncooked chicken:

Place the bag with the chicken and marinade in the freezer. Freeze up to two months.

Allow chicken to thaw in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator. Thread onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in warm water so that they do not burn. Discard any leftover marinade.

Preheat grill or broiler. Grill or broil on high approximately 6 to 8 minutes each side.

If freezing pre-cooked chicken:

Place bag with chicken and marinade in refrigerator and allow to sit at least overnight.

Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken onto wooden skewers that havae been soaked in warm water so that they do not burn. Discard any leftover marinade.

Grill or broil on high approximately 6 to 8 minutes each side. Remove from grill or broiler and allow to cool completely.

Wrap cooled chicken in foil (either on or off the skewers) in tin foil and place in freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Allow chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a preheated 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

The Best Burgers

Now, some of these measurements are a little sketchy, because I eyeball a lot. These can be grilled, or pan-fried.

Makes 6-8 burgers, depending on size

6-8 slices bacon, uncooked
2 slices white bread, or fine-textured wheat
About a cup of milk
2-2.5 lbs ground round or chuck (85/15 or 90/10)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1-2 tbs teriyaki sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay bacon out on a foil-lined jelly roll pan so that no pieces overlap. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Set bacon aside, and drain on paper towels

Meanwhile, place bread in a large bowl, and slowly pour about half the milk over top. Begin to mix with your hands, forming a liquidy paste. Add more milk if it gets too gummy. Bread should be nearly dissolved, but the mixture should still have some substance to it. Add meat, soup mix, teriyaki and liquid smoke. Add 2-3 tablespoons of rendered bacon grease. Mix together to bring everything together, but do not overmix. Form into patties, about 6 oz each (the size of a baseball). 2.25 lbs will yield 7 burgers.

If you are pan-frying the burgers, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and add about a tablespoon of rendered bacon grease. Don't crowd the pan--there should be space around all the burgers, otherwise they'll steam and not cook. Cook burgers on one side without moving them, about 5 minutes. Turn burgers over, there should be a nice deep brown crust on the burgers. Reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking 5-7 minutes, or until juices run clear. Cook in batches until all burgers are done.

To grill burgers, preheat gas grill, or charcoal. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, flipping several times, depending on how fast or slow they are cooking.

Serve with bacon, barbecue sauce and cheese.