Man, oh, man...that was goooood Chicken!

Yesterday being Tuesday, it was my weekly eat-some-good-food-and-watch-some-good-TV-with-Carol-and-John night (aka "LOST Night" for now). We all seem to really enjoy these evenings, but since I started working full-time hours at my biggest client's office, it's been a little difficult to organize myself for my part of the food contribution. Basically, I either have to cook it on Monday night and reheat it at Carol's, or bring the ingredients and prepare it at her place on Tuesday.

Either way works fine. But then there's the added complication that I'm, well...lazy. So I'm constantly on the hunt for what I call "super-easy" recipes that are really yummy. I've posted a few of them here already. And just found a new one recently, thanks to my new favourite website: Pinterest.

This was named "Man-Pleasing Chicken" by the person whose website the recipe originally came from from (she stole it from somewhere else). It's very aptly named. And so super-easy. It literally took less than five minutes prep time and 40 minutes mostly ignoring it in the oven with just one check-in to baste.

The combination of mustard, vinegar and maple syrup is out of this world. Very flavourful, and the meat comes out moist and amazingly delicious.

Be sure to use a good quality Dijon. I was pleasantly surprised by its rich, full but not overpowering flavour, which was beautifully tempered by the maple syrup.

The recipe, as I made it was:

1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup real Maple Syrup
1 tablespoons vinegar (I used cider vinegar)

Or, the easy way to customize it for your quantity of chicken is:
1 part Dijon
1/2 part Maple syrup
1 tbsp of vinegar to each part of Dijon

Just mix the ingredients till smooth and pour over the chicken pieces in a baking pan (use one with sides, not a cookie sheet). Turn the chicken to get it well coated, and leave it skin-side up, and then bake for 40 minutes at 450 degrees, basting halfway through. No need to turn it during baking.

Don't worry if it starts turning black on top. That's actually what you want...and it tastes really good! It's just the sugars in the maple syrup.

I used thighs, because I like 'em, but we all agreed this would work nicely on any type of chicken, and probably REALLY nicely on pork...possibly even better than chicken. But if I was putting it on pork, I'd marinate it for a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

Heroin Wings. Yeah, you heard me.

This is the wing recipe I made last night. It turned out great...really great. I'll definitely be making these again.

HEROIN WINGS

4 lb chicken wings

1/2 cup butter

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tsp paprika (I used smoked paprika and it was NOM)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the wings up into "drummettes". (Freeze the pointy "tips" for soup -- they make great broth!) Then combine the grated cheese and the seasonings. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. (Do not omit this step, or you'll still be scrubbing the pan come New Year's Day!) Melt the butter in a shallow bowl or pan.

Dip each "drummette" in butter, roll in the seasoned cheese, and arrange in the foil lined pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F. Kick yourself that you didn't make a double recipe!!

Description: "Once you try these, you'll understand the name -- utterly, totally addictive! You'll impress the heck out of your friends -- and wish you'd made more! They're great leftover, too." 

Source: ""500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes, from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love" by Dana W. Carpender"

Easy Broccoli Chicken

Thursday nights have been a boon to my cooking experience. Every Thursday, I go over to John and Carol's and we have dinner and watch a couple of episodes of my all-time favourite TV show, Deadwood (and often stay up too late yakking). This Thursday it was my turn to make the main course. I came across this recipe on the Kraft site and we all liked it quite a bit. I had an unaccustomed second helping, and so did Carol...and John had thirds!

 

It's a good family recipe, as it's not spicy or exotically flavoured. Just real comfort food that fills your belly nicely. And the fact that it's sauteed and then braised made the chicken nice and tender and moist. It was super easy to make too, which is the first thing I look for in a recipe these days. Good after-work recipe...only took half an hour from start to finish with very little prep time. Could have easily fed five...there was plenty left over, even after all our seconds and thirds, for a large lunch portion.

 

Easy Broccoli Chicken 

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 cups  fresh broccoli florets (or use any frozen veg you like, but the fresh broc was excellent)
• 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken)
• 1   soup can water
• 1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked  
• 1 cup  KRAFT Shredded Three Cheese with a Touch of PHILADELPHIA (couldn't find that, so I used the three-cheese Tex-Mex blend and it worked fine)
• (Optional: I sauteed some chopped onion before adding the chicken to the pot and added a generous grinding of my favourite McCormick Garlic & Pepper Medley Grinder. I'd say almost any added seasoning you like would be nice)

Saute chicken in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 2 to 3 min. or until browned on all sides.
ADD broccoli, soup and water; stir. Bring to boil.
STIR in rice. Cook on low heat 5 min. Sprinkle the cheese on at the end to let it melt before serving.

Thufferin' Thucotash

It was Deadwood Dinner again tonight, and my turn to make the side dish. Carol suggested a carb, and my favourite carb (besides potatoes) has always been corn, so I went looking for a corn recipe...something better than just dump a can in the pot and heat it up.

The word "succotash" kept echoing in my head. So, after a few attempts to find something appropriate via google by searching "corn recipes" I just typed in succotash...and immediately got several likely possibilities. The one I settled on was actually not even via Google...it was in my Food Network app on my iPhone. It's called Not So Sufferin' Succotash.

....and now that I've just discovered that my iPhone is out of juice, I'll just wing the recipe here...because I didn't really follow it anyway.

I finely diced one large yellow onion and sauteed it in butter till it was soft and starting to brown. Then I threw in about a can and a half of peaches and cream corn, and about half a can of black beans. Really, the amounts just depend on how many you're feeding and what proportion of corn to beans you prefer. I like corn far more than beans, so I went easy on the beans.

Once I got all the veg cooking, I added about a teaspoon of ground sage and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Once they'd cooked for a few minutes, I tossed in about 2/3 of  half-pint of 35% cream (whipping cream) and then let it cook on medium-low (very light boil) for about 15 minutes, which reduced the cream to a thick saucy kind of presence in the pan.

So, super easy, very simple ingredients we all might have on hand at any given time (except for the cream) and very quick...chopping the onions was the hardest part. From start to finish, the whole thing took about half an hour....most of which was just left on its own to cook.

It went over very well at the table, and I must say it did taste really nice and made a perfect accompaniment to the very deelish pulled-pork barbecue that Carol made. The only thing I'd do differently next time would be to rinse the black beans better. I was lazy there and only gave them a cursory rinse, and they gave the dish a rather greyish cast that wasn't very appetizing. Didn't bother the flavour though, which was yummm.

Onion & Sage Bread

This bread is to die for. It's best while still warm, but still delicious once it cools off. You won't believe the incredible aroma that wafts through your home while it's baking. It's the heady smell of baking bread combined with that mouth-watering aroma of a Thanksgiving turkey stuffed with traditional onion and sage stuffing. And it tastes incredible!!

Thought I'd share it this weekend, in case anyone doesn't have enough cooking to do for Thanksgiving dinner! ;-)

Patti's Onion & Sage Bread

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 large red onions, chopped medium coarse
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp granular sugar
2 pkgs dry yeast
5 cups white flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp coarse salt
1 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the onions and sage and 1 1/2 tsp black pepper in 2 tbsp olive oil till soft. Set aside and let cool.

Add sugar and yeast to warm water in a small bowl to proof. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, and add the cooled onion mix.

When the yeast mix is ready, add it to the flower and onions in the bowl. Stir to combine and then knead until well mixed. Knead on a floured board for 10-15 minutes. Coat the inside of a large bowl with oil, and then place the dough in the bowl and rotate it around to coat the outside of the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with waxed paper and then place a damp cloth over the whole thing and set aside. Let the dough double in size (about 1 hour).

When dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide into two. Form two loaves and place them on a greased baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops of the loaves with oil.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp ground black pepper with the coarse salt and rosemary. Sprinkle this over the loaves. Let the loaves rise again, uncovered, for about half an hour.

Bake the bread in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Patti's Beefy Nachos

Somehow, this recipe has never been posted on my blog! I was just sharing it with a friend by email, and when I couldn't find it here, I thought this would be a perfect time to rectify the situation!

This is a great recipe for fall or winter meals (so, sorry for posting it in the summer). But could be good for summertime too, maybe served with a nice cool salad and ice-cold beer. Oy...I'm making myself hungry!

Patti's Beefy Nachos

Amounts are to taste. If you like something a lot...use more. If you don't like something, omit. This is a very forgiving recipe.

1 packet low sodium Old El Paso Taco seasoning
1 to 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
chopped onions (cooked or raw...your choice)
chopped garlic (optional)
Shredded cheese

Additional yummy stuff:
Chopped olives and any other desired chopped veggies
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Scoops Nachos


If cooking the onions, saute them (and the garlic, if desired) in oil in a pan, then add the beef. Brown the beef till mostly cooked through, then sprinkle on the taco seasoning and prepare as per instructions on packet. I usually decrease the water to about 3/4 cup to make the "sauce" thicker. Simmer till sauce is thickened and beef is completely cooked.

Line a 9x12 baking pan with non-stick foil, or spray with Pam. Spread meat mixture to cover bottom of pan. Sprinkle your onions (if raw), olives and any other chopped veggies you like, then liberally sprinkle with shredded cheese (I use the pre-shredded Jack/Mozza mix). Place under the broiler till cheese is melted to your liking.

To serve, put a couple of big scoops of the meat mixture on each plate. Have your Scoops nachos and your salsa, guac and sour cream on the table so people can assemble each scoop with their favorite dress-ups.

I particularly love olives, so I use a lot, and sprinkle them right on the meat before broiling, but you could serve those on the side if you have guests who aren't fussy about them. I use the pre-chopped salad olives...they're just easier. Can go through most of a small jar for one recipe.

This also reheats well, because the meat and nachos aren't mixed till they're served. But you may want extra cheese when reheating, as the original cheese will tend to blend into the meat mixture in the microwave.

Patti's Greek Style Ribs

This has to be what I'd call my signature dish. I don't remember where I got the recipe, but it doesn't matter because I've changed it so much from the original that I can safely call it my own. It's gotten rave reviews every time I've made it for friends, and it's one of the very few dishes I'll actually cook for myself when I'm home alone.

I'm told that no one else who's tried this recipe has had quite the same success with it as I do. I think I know why. The ingredients in this recipe are kinda like sexual lubricant or Cow Bell. When you think you've used enough, you haven't. Use more. LOL...I should rename this recipe "More Cow Bell Ribs." Or maybe "K-Y Ribs." Yeah...no.

You can do this on steak and it's very good. I've heard someone tried it on chicken and it was good. I'd like to try it on those giant beef ribs some time...that would probably be awesome. But usually I use it on the racks of short pork ribs you see in the stores that cost around $11-12 (CDN) per package and look like a ton of meat till you actually get them on your plate. One package is enough for two people, especially if you're having salad and/or veggies on the side. Usually, if I'm making them just for me, I'll pig out on just the ribs, and still have some left over (they re-heat really well in the nuker).

These ribs turn out sooo juicy and flavourful you won't believe it. Just remember...when you think you've put on enough stuff...put on more.

Butter
Seasoning salt
Oregano
Thyme
Garlic salt
Garlic Powder
Lemon Juice

Turn your oven on to Broil. While it's getting up to temp...

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray the foil with Pam (or use Alcan Slide non-stick foil, like I do...love that stuff!). Peel any white membrane from the ribs.

Place the ribs on the cookie sheet and slather both sides with butter. C'mon, use your hands, don't be shy, that's what hot water and soap are for (couldn't hurt to use somma that before you get your hands all over the meat too!!). Then go to town with the dry ingredients on both sides of the meat, using the really powdery ones first so they'll stick well. Really sprinkle them on there. I've been known to use 1/4 to 1/3 of a small bottle of herbs on a single rack.

Sprinkle lemon juice gently over the seasoned meat...again, don't be stingy, the lemon juice and the butter are what will make the meat so juicy and tender. I usually use at least a quarter cup all told. Careful not to wash away the seasonings as you sprinkle the lemon juice on. You can add more lemon juice halfway through cooking if you feel it needs it.

Turn the ribs so they're meat-side-down and put them on the top rack under the broiler. After 7 minutes, remove from the oven, and turn them meat-side-up. Add more seasonings and lemon juice now if you think you've lost too much onto the foil MORE COW BELL!!

Ahem. Broil another 7 minutes meat-side-up, then lower the oven to 350 degrees, move rack to middle of oven and bake for 30 minutes while you prepare your veggies or play with the cat.

You will not believe the amazing aroma that will start filling your kitchen during the first round of broiling. By the time you get these ribs on your plate, you'll be drooling like Bugsy Moran does when I rub his ears really hard. Okay...sexual lubricant and cat-drool in a recipe? This is just wrong.

Doc's Volatile Steak Marinade

I have rarely taken a steak to a bring-your-own-meat style of barbecue. Partly that's because I just really love barbecued hot dogs, but mostly it's because l like my meat medium-rare, and I've had bad experiences with over-cooked steaks and burgers at most backyard barbecues. Hot dogs are difficult to ruin, so they're a pretty safe bet, even when the cook is half-snapped.

But I did take a steak, a nice little Angus strip loin, to our potluck BBQ at Carol's last night. Sometime last year, Carol had hosted an Epicure party (sort of like a Tupperware party for gourmet food and kitchen products). During that, she barbecued some steak with a few of the different products the Epicure rep was flogging. Aside from the products that were ON them, the steaks were to die for. Perfectly cooked and oh, so juicy and tender.

So I figured I was safe to take a steak to this particular barbecue, and I was not disappointed. Tonia brought a steak too, an Angus top sirloin, and we let them sit in this marinade before cooking. Unfortunately, we were only able to marinate for about 2 hours, but even so, the steaks were amazing.

The marinade is one of those nice thick ones that sticks well to the meat, and the complexity of the flavours makes every bite a pleasurable experiences. I found I could taste most of the individual ingredients, which was lovely. The addition of cinnamon was a particularly unique choice, and worked really well. I was sorry I'd only brought a small steak. (Tip: use a bone-in steak if you try this. The best part of my meal was gnawing that last bit of meat off the bone. I may have to do a T-bone next time!)

For those who don't much like spicy foods, don't let the word "volatile" in the recipe's name scare you off. There was a good three cups of marinade overall, with only one little tablespoon of hot sauce mixed in. I barely noted any spiciness when I ate my steak. So, while I like the name, I'd probably have chosen something different, which more accurately describes its rich, complex flavours.

I'd love to try this again when I'm able to marinate for at least 8 hours, if not more. You'll notice I replaced a few of the ingredients with slightly different options, but I don't think it made any major difference. If anyone else tries this recipe, let me know what you thought!

DOC'S VOLATILE STEAK MARINADE

12 oz Guiness Stout (I used Guiness Draft)
4 oz Jack Daniels Whiskey (I used Jamieson's)
4 oz Peanut oil (I used Canola)
3 TB Worcestershire Sauce
1 TB Tabasco sauce (I used Louisiana Hot Sauce)
3 TB Honey
2 oz Soy sauce
1 tsp White pepper
2 Garlic cloves minced (I used 4 or 5)
3 tsp salt
1 TB ground cinnamon

Start with a saucepan. Mix the Guiness, the Jack Daniels and the oil. Add the Worcestershire, tabasco, honey and soya sauces. Bring to a slow boil & add the white pepper, garlic, salt and cinnamon. Mix well, turn off heat, and allow to cool to room temp. Use immediately or store in a glass jar in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
ORIGIN: Dr. Donald Houston's Kitchen, circa 1988, Tampa, FL

Caesar Salad

I got this recipe about 20 years ago from the then art director at Chatelaine magazine, where I was working at the time. My copy of the recipe is on a badly stained photocopy of a piece of Chatelaine memo paper and I've never had the heart to transfer it to a nice clean recipe card. The stains make it so much more enjoyable to use! I've made this recipe many many times and it's always a huge hit. But I warn you...this is no wishy-washy Caesar dressing!

1 egg
Juice of 1 lemon
1 heaping tsp. dijon mustard or 1 level tsp of dry mustard
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Splash of Lee & Perrins (Worcestershire sauce)
Garlic Cloves to taste (I use 4 big cloves)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan\
If desired, Anchovies (real, or a squeeze of anchovie paste)

Blend together first six ingredients. With the blender running, drizzle in the oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify. Then add the parmesan and, if desired, anchovies. (I've always used Kraft parm, but I bet this would be even better with freshly grated.) I've also always used the anchovy paste...you don't taste the fishiness, but it gives a nice saltiness to the dressing.

To assemble the dressing, clean and break up Romaine Lettuce, and add as desired from the following:

Thinly sliced mushrooms
Broken up cooked bacon
Capers
More Parmesan
Garlicky homemade croutons

Berried Treasure Liqueur

This stuff is amazing. And so easy to make and extremely versatile and customizable. But you need to start it several weeks ahead of when you need it to be ready, so consider yourself warned.

Use a total of about 3 cups of any kind of fresh fruit you desire. Choose soft, juicy fruits like berries, peaches etc., not apples or pears (though maybe if you stewed them a little bit first, apples and pears might work really well too! Experiment! You can't really go wrong). I made mine with freshly picked cherries and it was incredible. If you like, you can also add some whole spices (not ground!) which works out really well ...stick cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg are nice choices...some of each or just one or two at a time.

Basically just stick to the following proportions of fruit:alcohol:syrup and you're good to go.

3 cups of crushed fresh fruits
zest of 1 navel orange
1 750 ml. bottle of vodka
1/2 cup kirsch or cherry eau-de-vie, optional
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water

Crush the fruit to a coarse pulp into the vodka and pour into a sealable container. Cover and let stand at room temperature for three to four weeks. Keep it in a dark, cool place. Gently turn the container upside down a couple of times once every two or three days to keep the fruits well mixed with the vodka.

After 3-4 weeks, strain off the fruit and filter the liquid. A coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth work well. Refilter as often as necessary to clarify.

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and let boil for one minute to create a syrup. Set aside till it reaches room temperature. Then stir syrup into the fruit/vodka liquid and decant into a sterilized bottle. (You may need a larger bottle than 750 ml to accommodate the addition of the syrup and juices.)

Mmmmm....lovely, lovely stuff. Makes a wonderful Christmas gift when made with mulling spices.

Casey Cake

I thought it would be fun to post some favourite recipes to my blog to share with my friends. I don't think anyone uses the "My Cookbook" app on facebook where I've posed some recipes in the past, so this is probably a better option. After all, what good is a recipe if you don't share it?

This one is very special to me, as it's named after my brother, who passed away last summer. I think this cake is usually called something else, but we've always called it Casey Cake because it was his favourite dessert. I'm not sure where the recipe came from originally. This one's for you, Casey!

CASEY CAKE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour one 8" baking pan.

Cake:
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
-- Cream the butter and sugar together. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together and then add to the butter mixture, mixing well. Add wet ingredients and stir till well blended. Pour into the cake pan and bake at 375 till done (nice and brown, and a stainless steel knife blade comes out clean)

Topping:
3 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp cream (or half-and-half, or even milk will suffice)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
--Combine all ingredients and spread over top of cake once it has cooled a little.

Casey and I could finish off one of these cakes in an afternoon. Oooh yummm.