Chicken

BBQ Chicken

August 3, 2015, posted by Gina – For years I have made BBQ in the crockpot because it is so easy and so good. A few years ago a friend made BBQ for my family after I had surgery and everyone really loved it. I asked for the recipe and discovered that it was chicken breasts and BBQ sauce. We were all surprised as we all thought it was pork. I have made it many, many times since then.

This past week I had a meltdown trying to think of what to prepare for dinner. With it being so hot, grilling is not an option and so many comfort type foods just don’t seem appealing. I decided to make the crockpot BBQ chicken. Once in the grocery store I spied some lowly, chicken thighs. I suppose I should not say that because chicken thighs have gained popularity over the past few years. Once home, I cleaned the thighs and topped them with a sprinkle of paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper and then placed them in the crock pot. A whole bottle of spicy, sweet BBQ sauce with a little liquid smoke mixed in went on top. I cooked the chicken for about 5 hours on high, chopped it and served them on Hawaiian rolls. My family loved this and we have eaten it all weekend. If you need an easy, yummy meal give this a try.

Do you have any summer time recipes you’d like to share? Click on the title of this post to expand the comment form which will appear beneath the post. Leave us your recipe or give us your feedback if you try this one.

Cookbook Club: Cinco de Mayo on the Water

May 6, 2015, posted by Gina – Yesterday, my Cookbook Club met for a Cinco de Mayo lunch. We are currently working our way through the Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks and you’ll find links for each recipe throughout this post. The hostess set up her boat house so that we could enjoy the day right on the water. It was quite a beautiful sunny day, not too hot, with a slight, pleasant breeze. Idyllic!

We started the festivities with margaritas and what I can only describe as the BEST GUACAMOLE I have ever had. For a start, the super fresh avocados and tomatoes had everything to do with setting it apart. It had a bit of a kick from the 8 dashes of Tabasco sauce and lemon juice, rather than lime juice, brightened it up. Combine all that with some minced red onions and garlic and you have the perfect guacamole.

After enjoying the appetizer, we served GAZPACHO topped with homemade parmesean croutons, ROASTED CHICKEN, ORZO with ROASTED VEGETABLES and ZUCCHINI with PARMESEAN. My favorite dish was the orzo with roasted vegetables; the dressing, the feta and the pine nuts married so well with the vegetables.

Gazpacho

Roasted Chicken

For dessert we had FROZEN KEY LIME PIE and CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE. The pie had a great flavor although I think I prefer a regular key lime pie. The ganache on the cake was delicious and while the cake was good, there are other chocolate cakes I like better.

Chocolate Ganache Cake with Sugared Flowers

The tables were set with brightly colored plates and napkins and pots of zinnias for centerpieces. The setting, the perfect weather, a delicious lunch and great company made this a very enjoyable day. Do you do anything special for Cinco de Mayo? Maybe you prepare an authentic meal or just head to your favorite Mexican restaurant for margaritas? Do you have a favorite spot on a lake or river where you can get away? We’d like to hear from you, so if you’d like to leave a comment, click on the title of this post and a comment form with unfurl for you at the end of the post.

Cookbook Club Early Spring Lunch 1 comment

March 11, 2015, posted by Gina

Does a cookbook club sound fun to you? I belong to one and we are currently trying out recipes from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks.

We have 12 members, as we determined that’s how many people most of us can seat comfortably in our homes, we meet once a month and we take turns being the hostess. The hostess plans the menu, prepares the main course, sets the theme, if there is one, and sends the menu out via email. The members sign up for the dish they would like to prepare and the big rule is they must prepare the recipe exactly as it is written in the cookbook.

: Provençal Tomatoes

Once we are finished with our meal, we make notes in our cookbooks as each person talks about their recipe. They may suggest any changes they would make to it and whether or not they would make it again.

All recipes can be found in Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks; Family Style, Parties and The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. You can also find the recipes online (google “Ina Garten’s Parmesan Chicken”, for example).

The Menu for an Early Spring Lunch

YUMMY DRINK – Herbal Iced Tea*

APPETIZER – Smoked Salmon Dip

SALADS – Tabbouleh and Tuna Tartare

MAIN COURSE – Parmesan Chicken, Provençal Tomatoes and Chive Biscuits

DESSERT – Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake and Coconut Cupcakes

The Verdict: Surprisingly, everyone liked ALL of the items which rarely happens. My favorite was the orange chocolate chunk cake. I make the Parmesan Chicken on a regular basis for my family and the tomatoes were fabulous even though it’s not peak tomato season. Many thought the coconut cupcakes would be great for Easter, maybe put a few jelly beans on top. Both salads were delicious and the tabbouleh in particular tasted very fresh.

: Tabbouleh Salad

: Tuna Tartare

*A note regarding the herbal iced tea, we all agreed that it was a little tart. The original recipe it calls for pure apple juice which, in addition to being much more expensive than regular apple juice, was not very sweet. We decided that this tea would taste better if it was slighter sweeter and used regular apple juice to obtain that sweetness. Maybe it’s the Southern predilection for sweet tea, who knows? Honestly, it was a little tart, 12 people can’t all be wrong, right?

: Chive Biscuits

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, washed, remove the insides
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence or French Roasting Rub
1 tablespoon garlic salt

Directions:

Place chicken in a shallow roasting dish. Rub chicken with olive oil. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken then place the squeezed lemon inside chicken cavity. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning, herbes de Provence and garlic salt over the chicken. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 minutes per pound.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce and Rice Consommé

This week we tried two new recipes; one for chicken and the other for rice. The rice recipe is actually one that has been around for a while and we don’t know how we ever lived without it. Both recipes are super easy, delicious and together make a great weeknight family meal.

Ingredients:

4 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 whole garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon grainy mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have eight thinner pieces of chicken. Salt and pepper both sides.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken and keep on a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and saute for one minute while stirring.

Add the wine and cook until reduced in half.

Add the mustards, cream and chicken broth. Stir and cook for 5 minutes while stirring.

Serve chicken with sauce on top.

Rice Consommé

1 cup raw rice
1 can beef consommé
1 can water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 package onion soup mix
1 small jar sliced mushrooms

Combine all ingredients in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover and bake in a preheated oven on 350 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.