I am virtually incapable of following a recipe exactly. There’s always something that I deem worthy of cutting out to save some money (“I don’t really need all these herbs”), or don’t feel like measuring (“That looks like about a cup and a half.”), or just don’t feel like including (“Eh, I’m going with sausage instead of bacon.”)
I don’t know whether it’s genetic or learned but the trait is found in multiple members of my dad’s side of the family much to the dismay of many spouses who don’t understand why we just can’t follow a recipe.
The exchange of recipes among members of my dad’s side of the family is consistent with this lax approach to recipes. How much of something? How long you cook it? What are the exact ingredients? Those are unnecessary details that you were going to change anyway so we skip them often.
But if you’re not afraid of getting creative, the ideas are great and have been the motivation for meals. I’ll be periodically sharing some sort of recipes here for your enjoyment and to help me remember when I need meal ideas. Without further ado…..
Sort of Recipe #1: Asian Chicken Thighs by George (Dad)
Here’s the recipe:
Yes, that is a “recipe” and typical of how we share recipes. In case it’s hard to see, the pictured ingredients are:
- Chicken thighs
- La Choy Soy Sauce
- Honey Truck Honey (from St. Augustine, Florida)
- TyLing Naturals Sesame Oil
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
There were also two important follow-up comments:
- He used skinless on the occasion in question but they are better with skin.
- You have to bake for about 30 minutes depending on chicken size before broiling for 5 minutes.
For those more like my Mom who prefer a little more detail and structure, here are some similar recipes I’ve found:
- Roasted Asian Chicken Thighs by Café Delites
- Sticky Asian Chicken Thighs by Chef Saavy
- Sweet and Sour Korean Chicken Thighs by Kitchen Swagger
- Asian Honey Soy Chicken by Panning the Globe
Happy eating!
