Grilled Ginger-Passion Chicken (A Quick "Huli-Huli" Style Chicken!)

"Huli" means "turn" in Hawaiian, and the original Huli Huli chicken was the Hawaiian answer to BBQ Chicken. Whole birds were marinated in a teriyaki-like sauce, then slow roasted on the grill rotisserie-style. On the outside, the skin is browned and caramelized. On the inside, the meat is juicy and tender.

However, when it's 100+ degrees outside, I'm not exactly trying to stand around for an extended period of time, waiting for dozens of whole chickens to cook. I came up with this recipe as a "Quick Huli." The marinade and glaze are packed with ginger, freshly squeezed orange juice, and passion fruit juice. Instead of an entire, bone-in chicken, I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs.

Green Goddess Chicken Sandwich

What's on the agenda for today? I have the house to myself, and there's late-afternoon baseball. The weekend is almost here, my couch is open and calling, the tv is free...all that's missing is a nice, hearty sandwich to dig into. (We all deserve a Lazy Day every once in awhile, don't we?...) 

This Green Goddess Chicken Sandwich was pretty fun to throw together, one of my more interesting concoctions. It's a random mix of farmers market buys...sunflower greens, herbs, and strawberries...but they come together to make an easy, tasty lunch.

Bread? Good. Meat? Good. Strawberries and Green Goddess dressing? Gooooood! (Said in my best Joey Tribbiani voice.)

Beer-Battered Chicken Bites with BBQ Sauce (Made with Guinness!)

The NBA playoffs begin on Saturday. If you can't be in the crowd or at a bar watching, you and your friends will most likely be huddled around a big screen and watching the game unfold from home. I've had a few friends reach out to me already and ask, "What's a good recipe if I'm hosting gameday??" (Everyone should know by now how much I love coming up with gameday recipes.)

Beer, barbeque, fried snacks, finger foods...all standards, all classics. My newest recipe is what happens when I decide to throw everything together into one dish.

Crispy, beer-battered chicken with a tangy barbeque dipping sauce!

Teriyaki Chicken & Mac Salad Sliders

Baseball season has officially begun, and the Giants home opener is so close...just 24 hours before Duane Kuiper announces, "We've got baseball here at 3rd & King.", and Renel welcomes "YOUR World Champion San Francisco Giaaaants!" as they take the field. This weekend, fans at AT&T Park will get to see another championship banner raised, Buster Posey MVP bobbleheads, another World Series Ring Ceremony...

But, unfortunately, I'll have to watch all of  this at home, from my front row seats in front of the TV...

Live-tweeting shenanigans and standing ovations in my living room will have to suffice for now. And, of course, this means that I'll have to come up with my own gameday grub while I'm watching from home. I thought about making Crazy Crab Crostini this weekend, but I ultimately decided on coming up with something entirely new.

Teriyaki Chicken & Macaroni Salad. Sliders.

Yes, teriyaki chicken and macaroni salad. All on a sweet Hawaiian roll. This is basically a plate lunch. (Remember the ones I had after kayaking in Hanalei? Or the ones from Eat the Street?) However, no forks, spoons, or knives required. Now, what does a Hawaiian plate lunch have to do with baseball or the Giants, you ask? Well...nothing...but these are delicious and convenient! You can have a slider in one hand and an ice cold beer (or Hawaiian Sun) in the other while cheering on the team, whether that's from your couch or while tailgating at the stadium. Here's how to make these tasty sliders!