Barbecue chicken, baked, and asparagus.

BAKED BARBECUE CHICKEN
Okay, so, I don't have a grill, and I'm not close with anyone who does have a grill, so my barbecue chicken got baked.

Ingredients:
Jardine's 5-Star Texas-Style sauce, Dragon soy sauce, chicken breasts, and regular soy sauce.

Directions:
Marinate in soy sauce, Dragon soy sauce, and Jardine's for at least a few hours. The last two ingredients are things I found at Central Market that I had previously never seen before. The Dragon grants a smoky back flavor, while the Jardine's gives it that sweet and spicy Texan barbecue taste. Yum. The regular soy sauce just speeds up marinades. After marinating, place the chicken breasts flat on a pan and stick into an oven preheated to approximately 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. Serve with Jardine's. Very basic recipe, just ultimately an ad for those two special sauces for those of you who live near a Central Market.

ASPARAGUS
Yum, my favorite vegetable - next to radishes. Or red cabbage. Okay, my favorite green vegetable.

Ingredients:
Asparagus. It should be thin and not hard at time of purchase.

Directions:
To prepare asparagus, begin by holding each stalk with fingertips at each end. Bend slowly, and the stalk will break naturally at a good place, leaving you with the top, which is what you want. Rinse the asparagus. Place in a covered pan and fill with water until most stalks are slightly submerged in water. Cook on medium/medium-high heat for 6-10 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft but still somewhat crunchy (you can test this by trying a piece). Serve with cream sauce or salt and butter.

CREAM SAUCE
A family favorite with asparagus, straight from France.

Ingredients:
Creme Fraiche (it comes in a hot pink plastic tub and is usually near the sour cream or cream cheese at high-end grocery stores), 1 stick of butter.

Directions:
Empty entire container of Creme Fraiche into a saucepan. Place on medium heat. Add one stick of butter. Allow the two to melt together, stirring occasionally, until both are fully melted. DO NOT let the sauce boil.

Simplicity's the key for tonight. Sorry there's nothing more elaborate. PS - Even if you're not a huge fan of asparagus, try it with the cream sauce - everyone loves it.