Sunday, November 23, 2008
Chicken, Corn, and Sausage Stew (GOOD)
This is a rerun from an earlier recipe (see here), but this time I added a can of cream of chicken soup to give it a level of creaminess that definitely enhanced the dish (though also increased the sodium content by a ton).
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Cider Roasted Chicken (EXCELLENT)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Cider Roasted Chicken (EXCELLENT)
If you have the time to prepare this one, it makes an incredible roast chicken. The cider brine needs to be done the day before, so this is almost certainly a weekend dinner. This will give you some of the most moist and flavorful roast chicken you'll ever make ...
3 quarts water
1 quart apple cider
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 (6-pound) roasting chicken
2 cups apple cider
1 large onion, peeled and halved
4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.
Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the onion halves, parsley, and garlic into cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs. Place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 175°. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off). Carefully remove and discard skin. Baste chicken with half of reduced cider; return to 400° oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve jus over chicken.
Cider Roasted Chicken (EXCELLENT)
If you have the time to prepare this one, it makes an incredible roast chicken. The cider brine needs to be done the day before, so this is almost certainly a weekend dinner. This will give you some of the most moist and flavorful roast chicken you'll ever make ...
3 quarts water
1 quart apple cider
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 (6-pound) roasting chicken
2 cups apple cider
1 large onion, peeled and halved
4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.
Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the onion halves, parsley, and garlic into cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs. Place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 175°. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off). Carefully remove and discard skin. Baste chicken with half of reduced cider; return to 400° oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve jus over chicken.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus (GREAT)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus (GREAT)
A perfect and easy appetizer for the holiday season. It's very simple ... asparagus wrapped in phyllo dough and dusted with parmesan cheese, but they taste great and look like they take a lot more effort than they do. Props to Paula Deen for the recipe. Click here
Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus (GREAT)
A perfect and easy appetizer for the holiday season. It's very simple ... asparagus wrapped in phyllo dough and dusted with parmesan cheese, but they taste great and look like they take a lot more effort than they do. Props to Paula Deen for the recipe. Click here
Red Curry Marinated Pork Tenderloin (DECENT)
Monday, November 10, 2008)
Red Curry Marinated Pork Tenderloin (DECENT)
This was good, but needs one tweak for next time to make it better. The pork tenderloin was marinated ina red curry paste and coconut mixture I found in a recipe for Red Curry Marinated Shrimp at FoodNetwork. The flavor was very good, but the one change I'd make next time is to reserve some of the marinadeahead of time, and boil it down into a sauce when cooking the pork. Outside of that, it had very good flavor and was cooked well (I hit it on 450 for about 20-25 minutes until done)
Red Curry Marinated Pork Tenderloin (DECENT)
This was good, but needs one tweak for next time to make it better. The pork tenderloin was marinated ina red curry paste and coconut mixture I found in a recipe for Red Curry Marinated Shrimp at FoodNetwork. The flavor was very good, but the one change I'd make next time is to reserve some of the marinadeahead of time, and boil it down into a sauce when cooking the pork. Outside of that, it had very good flavor and was cooked well (I hit it on 450 for about 20-25 minutes until done)
Big Boy Chicken Noodle Soup (Very Good)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Big Boy Chicken Noodle Soup (VERY GOOD)
Nothing in a can can really beat a homemade chicken noodle soup, and this was no different. In addition, few things are much easier to make, especially when you shortcut the chicken and use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken like I did. This was basically chicken, carrots, onion, garlic, egg noodles, okra, and green beans simmered together in a pot and the results were quite good. And sine I'm a nerd that makes my own chicken stock, the flavor was that much better. Definitely a winner with some crusty bread on the side.
Big Boy Chicken Noodle Soup (VERY GOOD)
Nothing in a can can really beat a homemade chicken noodle soup, and this was no different. In addition, few things are much easier to make, especially when you shortcut the chicken and use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken like I did. This was basically chicken, carrots, onion, garlic, egg noodles, okra, and green beans simmered together in a pot and the results were quite good. And sine I'm a nerd that makes my own chicken stock, the flavor was that much better. Definitely a winner with some crusty bread on the side.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Taco Soup (VERY GOOD)
Saturday, Novermber 1, 2008
Taco Soup (VERY GOOD)
Brought dinner over to some friends that recently had a baby, and Paula Deen's Taco Soup is a great one for that since it makes a ton of food and is easy to put together. Click here for the recipe
I will say this about Taco Soup, the recipe calls for a TON of food. Since this dinner was for four, I cut out one can of beans, one can of tomatoes, and one can of green chiles. I also left out the black olives (personal preference).
This is a great cold weather meal that sort of combines two great comfort foods ... chili and tacos ... into one big bowl.
Taco Soup (VERY GOOD)
Brought dinner over to some friends that recently had a baby, and Paula Deen's Taco Soup is a great one for that since it makes a ton of food and is easy to put together. Click here for the recipe
I will say this about Taco Soup, the recipe calls for a TON of food. Since this dinner was for four, I cut out one can of beans, one can of tomatoes, and one can of green chiles. I also left out the black olives (personal preference).
This is a great cold weather meal that sort of combines two great comfort foods ... chili and tacos ... into one big bowl.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps (VERY GOOD)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps (VERY GOOD)
A Rachel Ray recipe that needs no modifications, which is a rarity. Click here for the recipe. I used romaine lettuce instead of iceberg since that's what I had on hand, but pretty much any lettuce will work.
I'm a fan of lettuce wraps, and if you've ever been to P.F. Chang's restaurant, they have a hot sauce that goes with their lettuce wraps that is excellent. I managed to dig up the coycat recipe online a while back, and it's definitely a keeper. A great sauce to use as a topper for many different things ...
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-3 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste (to taste/heat level desired)
* Dissolve the 1/4 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water in a small bowl.
* Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil ... Mix well.
* Combine the 2 teaspoons water with the Chinese hot mustard
* Add your desired measurement of Chinese mustard and garlic chili sauce to the sauce mixture ... whisk together to incorporate
Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps (VERY GOOD)
A Rachel Ray recipe that needs no modifications, which is a rarity. Click here for the recipe. I used romaine lettuce instead of iceberg since that's what I had on hand, but pretty much any lettuce will work.
I'm a fan of lettuce wraps, and if you've ever been to P.F. Chang's restaurant, they have a hot sauce that goes with their lettuce wraps that is excellent. I managed to dig up the coycat recipe online a while back, and it's definitely a keeper. A great sauce to use as a topper for many different things ...
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-3 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste (to taste/heat level desired)
* Dissolve the 1/4 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water in a small bowl.
* Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil ... Mix well.
* Combine the 2 teaspoons water with the Chinese hot mustard
* Add your desired measurement of Chinese mustard and garlic chili sauce to the sauce mixture ... whisk together to incorporate
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