Chicken wings can be done in thousands of variations. Buffalo, Garlic, Parmesan, Thai Peanut, Deep-fried, Grilled, Smoked, Baked. They are all delicious when cooked right. I like this recipe because you get a little hint of smoke without being overpowering and the smoke balance the sweetness of the Asian flavors in a great way. It is also a very safe way to cook the wings since you smoke them first and then just finish them over a grill. Sometimes it is hard to get the inside cooked through without scorching the outside. This way none of your guests will risk getting salmonella.

Mix together both the marinade and the glaze. You can add red pepper flakes to both the glaze and marinade if you want the wings more spicy. I use a soy sauce for braising in this marinade. Tends to be a little less salty which works better with wings.

Smoke the wings for about 30-40 minutes at 225 degrees F. Use fruitwood (apple, cherry) for a good mild smoke flavor. You don't want the wings to get too much of a smoke flavor. The wings will still be slightly undercooked but that it is ok since you will finish them on the grill. Toss the wings in the marinade and let them soak for 10-15 minutes. Stir a couple of times to make sure that all the wings gets marinated.

Make sure that the grill is hot and that you have the glaze available. Finish the wings on the grill, make sure that you cook the wings throughout without burning them. Depending on how hot your grill is you can either baste the wings with the glaze or toss them in the glaze when they are finished. You don't want to burn the sugar and honey too much. When the wings are done, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top. Serve hot!!

​Japanese flavors are amazing and if you combine it with fresh vegetables you can create some amazing tapas with almost no effort at all. Most ingredients are available at any Asian market    

​How to make the Shishito Peppers:
​Rinse the peppers and toss them with the olive oil - make sure that they are evenly covered. Set the grill on high. Use a vegetable tray so the peppers dont fall through the grill grates.

​Grill on high until the peppers are roasted  and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Take the peppers of the grill and toss them with the Ponzu sauce. Season with the flaked sea salt. Serve immediately  and sprinkle the bonito flakes on top of the peppers. If you want to make the Japanese tapas completely vegan - skip the bonito flakes.

​How to make the Asparagus:
​Rinse the Asparagus and cut the hard bottom part of the Asparagus off. Pour the olive oil in a large sautepan and heat on medium high. When the pan is hot, add the Asparagus.

​Sauté for 5-6 minutes on medium-high until the Asparagus are nicely browned and has softened. When ready, pour the Chuka dressing into the pan. The dressing will start caramelize almost instantly so be careful so you don't burn the dish. Toss the Asparagus in the dressing, add the sesame seeds and then quickly toss one more time. Remove from the burner and serve immediately. You can also do this on a grill if you prefer a more charred flavor. Toss the Asparagus in some olive oil, and set the grill on medium. Place the Asparagus on a vegetable tray and brown on all sides. When almost ready, toss them in the chukka dressing and sesame seeds and finish the Asparagus on high heat until they have a nice glaze.

​How to make the Brussels Sprouts:
​Rinse the Brussels Sprouts and remove the stalk and the harder outer leaves. Quarter the Brussels Sprouts.

​Add oil to large saute pan on medium heat. Slowly sauté the Brussels Sprouts until they are slightly browned, make sure that you don't burn the leaves. This will take about 4-6 minutes. When slightly browned, add the vegetable stock. The stock should just cover the base of the ban up to 1/16 of an inch. Give the pan a good stir and then allow to steam-fry until all the liquid has cooked off and the sprouts are tender. 

​While the Brussel Sprouts are slowly steam-frying, mix the Dijon Mustard and the Wafu dressing together. You can also grill the Brussels sprouts on a vegetable tray if you prefer them more earthy. This is my favorite way of preparing them. Set grill to medium, toss the Brussels sprouts in some olive oil and grill until brown and crispy. When the Brussels sprouts are finished cooking, whether you sautéed them or grilled them, add the Mustard-Dressing mix and stir thoroughly. Make sure that the Brussels Sprouts get covered evenly. Serve immediately.

​This is a great trio of appetizers to serve together. The Shishito Peppers adds sweetness and acidity to the dish, the Asparagus with the Chuka dressing adds some heat and finally the Brussels Sprouts adds richness and creaminess. Enjoy!!

This is a great grill recipe with strong Japanese flavors. The charred Eggplant and Skirt Steak combined with the smoothness and sweetness of the Miso makes a perfect dinner course. It is easy to make and fast to serve which makes it perfect when hosting guest. Getting a good Skirt Steak cut is key since Skirt Steak needs to be cooked to medium-rare to have great texture. If you cook it to rare, it is too raw and chewy, if you overcook it - it is tough and dry..  
Start the preparation by finely mincing the garlic. To make the skirt steak marinade, mix together the Garlic, Red miso, Mirin, Rice Wine, Tobanjan, and sugar in a bowl. Make sure it gets thoroughly mixed.

​Trim the Skirt Steaks. Remove some of thicker parts of fat and try to remove as much of the silver-skin as you can. pan. Lay the skirt steak in the marinade and flip it a couple of  times to generously coat all over. Vacuum-seal and marinate the steak for a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge. Turn a couple of times.

​Start by trimming both ends of each eggplant so you have pieces of similar size. Slice the eggplants in half.
Combine the Miso Glaze ingredients and whisk to combine and remove lumps. Taste the glaze. If you want a sweeter glaze, add more sugar.

Set up the grill for two heat-zones. One side should be set to medium (eggplant) and the other to searing hot (Skirt Steak). 
It's important only to use medium heat for the eggplant because otherwise it will char too much before it cooks through.

​While the grill is heating up, brush the cut side of each eggplant with the oil. Do it 2 to 3 times to use up all the oil.
When the grill is heated on both sides, start with placing the eggplant cut side down on the grill and cook for 4 minutes until it turns a light golden brown.
​After 4 minutes, turn the eggplants over, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. While it is cooking, use a brush to spread a generous amount of Miso Glaze on the cut side of each eggplant. When the eggplant is squishy and soft, turn over on final time and caramelize the miso-glaze side for 30 seconds.
Remove eggplants from grill, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Two minutes after you put on the eggplants, add the skirt steaks on the grill (on the hot side). Grill the skirt steak for about 3 minutes per side, to medium-rare. The steak might stick to the grill because of the miso, so ease it off carefully. When the steaks are done, let them rest for a few minutes.
Slice the skirt steak thinly and against the grain. Serve with eggplant.