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Category Archives: Dinner

Honey I Changed the Wings – Try Honey Ginger Chicken Wings!

I am a lover of chicken wings. While I do not eat the killer hot wings that use the spiciest sauces imaginable so all you feel is burning in your mouth, I do like a little bit of heat on them to go along with a really nice crunch. I often order wings from the local places around here or make my own and while Michelle will eat wings with a little bit of heat, Sean tends to turn them down. This means when I make wings at home I have to come up with alternatives to Buffalo wings and the classic sauce. I have tried a few different kinds, including the honey mustard wings recipe I posted here not that long ago, but when I saw a sale on chicken wings at the local grocery store not that long ago I thought I would try something different one night for dinner while Michelle was away. I came across this recipe from the Cooking Channel (it’s actually a Tiffani Thiessen recipe) for honey-ginger chicken wings that you bake in the oven so you can avoid all of the frying and make something a little better that still tastes great.

Honey Ginger Chicken Wings

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice plus 1 tablespoon grated lime zest, plus more zest, for garnish

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 3 tablespoons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 chicken wings (about 4 pounds), tips removed, drumettes and flats separated

In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice and zest,tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, scallions, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Reserve 3/4 of a cup of the marinade for later use. Pour the remaining marinade into a 2-gallon zip-top bag. Add the chicken wings and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible; massage the bag to distribute the marinade over all of the chicken wings. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place a rack inside the baking sheet.

Put the wings skin-side down on the rack in the baking sheet and spoon half of the marinade from the bag over the wings. Cook the wings for 20 minutes, then flip the wings, baste the wings with the remaining marinade from the bag, rotate the pan and cook until the honey has caramelized and the skin on the wings is a dark amber, about an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

Pour the reserved 3/4 cup of marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the marinade until the liquid is thick and syrupy and turns into a glaze, about 4 to 5 minutes. Coat the wings with the thickened marinade. Transfer the wings to a serving platter and garnish them with lime zest.

It is a little bit of work to get the wings done but it is worth the effort you put into it. The marinade tastes great and you get excellent flavor from the honey, soy and ginger. The sesame oil has a very distinct taste as well so if you are not a fan of sesame oil you might want to cut the amount back or eliminate it altogether. To me, 3 tablespoons of sesame oil was a lot to add and I only put one in because I thought it would overwhelm the taste of the wings. For me, they came out perfectly. Sean really loved the wings and they came out with crisp skin (not as crisp as when you fry them of course) and good flavor. They can be great to have as an appetizer for any type of get together or as the main dish. I served them with some yellow rice and zucchini and it was a nice meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

1 Comment

Posted by MikeG on August 25, 2016 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce, Snacks

Tags: chicken wings, chicken wings baked in the oven, chicken wings recipes, Cooking Channel, Cooking Channel honey ginger chicken wings, honey ginger chicken wings, Tiffani Thiessen honey ginger chicken wings

Sometimes You Just Want a Sandwich – Chicken Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw

21 Aug

For me, anytime can be just the right time to have a sandwich. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack – sandwiches can be versatile enough where you can make something for that time of day. This is particularly true in the summer months when it might be too hot to make a two-hour meal in the kitchen with the oven and stovetop going or just for any night of the week where you may not have a lot of effort to put into making a big meal for dinner. The boneless chicken breast, to me, is the ideal vehicle for a sandwich. On its own for dinner it does not carry much in the way of flavor and is easily dried out on the oven. However, mix it together with some nice spices, a bread coating and cook it just right and it can go well with any type of sandwich you can come up with. Sean had asked me to make chicken this week and I decided to go the easy route and make some chicken sandwiches using this recipe from Bon Appetit for chicken sandwiches with cabbage slaw.

Chicken Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

¼ head of green or red cabbage, cored, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs

¼ cup cornstarch

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

⅓ cup mayonnaise

8 slices bread, toasted or sandwich rolls

Toss the red onion and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl to coat the onions. Let the onions sit for about 5 minutes to allow the onion to soften slightly. Rinse the onions under running water, then shake off the excess water. Place the onion in a medium bowl and add the cabbage, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss the ingredients to combine them and season the slaw with salt and pepper.

Pound the chicken breasts or thighs with a meat mallet or a rolling pin between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until the chicken is about ¼” thick.

Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs, mustard, and cayenne pepper in another shallow bowl. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. Working with 2 pieces of chicken at a time, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then coat the chicken in panko, shaking off any excess.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil to the skillet between the batches if needed, cook the chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain.

Spread the mayonnaise over one side of the bread slices and build the sandwiches with the chicken cutlets and the slaw.

You can always get yourself a bag of coleslaw mix and use that instead of dealing with the cabbage and onions on your own if you are looking to save some time. I used chicken breasts because that is what we had, but thighs work well here too and may give you even more flavor and won’t take as long to cook through. The breasts tend to be a little thicker and bigger even after pounding them and you want to make sure they are cooked all the way through without burning the breadcrumb coating. It’s a pretty simple and basic recipe that you can then play with to make your own. You can add other toppings like bacon, avocado, pickles or really anything else that you might like. You can even spice up the coating some more if you like to have a spicier chicken sandwich by adding some Sriracha or hot sauce to the egg mixture for the coating. You end up with a nice, crunchy chicken sandwich that is great for lunch or dinner. I served the sandwiches with some waffle fries to round out an easy meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 21, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Sandwiches, Uncategorized

Tags: bon appetit, Bon appetit chicken sandwich, cabbage slaw, chicken sandwich recipes, chicken sandwiches, chicken sandwiches with cabbage slaw, fried chicken sandwiches

Bust Out the Bacon – Bacon Honey Bourbon Turkey Meatballs

19 Aug

Even though the weather is still pretty warm around here, I know that summer is starting to wind down, school will be starting up in a few weeks and before you know it the fall weather will be upon us again. Cooler weather means turning back to using the oven more for meals, but it also can mean things like parties on the weekends for football games and get-togethers and you may even start thinking about your holiday parties for the year. Whether you are looking for a new snack option to try out or want something a little different for dinner, meatballs can be the perfect option for you. Meatballs can be much more versatile than just the standard ones you might throw into some tomato sauce. You can make Swedish meatballs, sweet and sour meatballs or make meatballs using other proteins like pork, sausage, lamb or turkey. I came across this recipe on a blog called Gal on a Mission and the original recipe calls for using ground chicken, but I thought ground turkey would work out just as well and tweaked it a bit to make it my own.

Bacon Honey Bourbon Turkey Meatballs

For the Meatballs:

6 strips of bacon

8 ounces button mushrooms, washed and dried

16 ounces ground turkey

1 Italian sausage link (mild or hot), casing removed

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoons chili powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

3 fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

½ cup breadcrumbs

For the Honey Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:

½ cup water

1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, homemade or store-bought

3 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon honey

fresh chopped parsley, to garnish (optional)

For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray or grease a large skillet. Set the pan aside.

Pulse together the bacon and button mushrooms in the food processor until they are well blended. Place the mushroom and bacon mixture, the ground turkey and the Italian sausage, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic, and breadcrumbs into a medium mixing bowl and mix until all of the ingredients are well combined. Scoop the meat mixture using a medium cookie scoop or roll the mixture by hand and place the meatballs onto the baking sheet or in the skillet. Repeat the process until all of the meat has been used.

Bake the meatballs for about 20 to 25 minutes in the oven until they are golden brown.

For the honey bourbon barbecue sauce whisk together the water, barbecue sauce, bourbon, and honey in a large skillet. Simmer the skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, add the cooked meatballs to the sauce, coat each meatball, and simmer the meatballs over low-to-medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Garnish the meatballs with the fresh parsley, if desired, and serve.

It’s a pretty simple recipe that combines some great ingredients so you end up with meatballs that have excellent flavor. The turkey, combined with the bacon and sausage, give great texture and taste to the meatballs and provide some of the added fat the meatballs need when you use turkey to boost the flavor. the mushrooms help to provide some extra texture, but if you’re not a mushroom fan, I think you could leave them out and the recipe would be fine. I really liked the sauce for the meatballs. You get the sweetness of the honey with the hint of flavor from the bourbon and your barbecue sauce for a thick, rich sauce that everyone will love. I made the meatballs a little bigger since we were having these as a dinner, but if you make them smaller I think they are perfect to use for any type of party appetizer you might be looking for so you can offer something a little different this year. For dinner, I served them with some rice but they might go really nicely with some German potato salad or roasted potatoes.

That’s all I have for today.Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 19, 2016 in Appetizers, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce, Sausage, Turkey

Tags: bacon honey bourbon barbecue sauce, bacon honey bourbon sauce, bacon honey bourbon turkey meatballs, Gal on a Mission, meatball appetizers, turkey meatballs, turkey meatballs recipe

A Fitting Feast Anytime – Make Ahead Fried Chicken

18 Aug

Fried chicken is one of those things people love to eat but hate to make. Granted it is not the healthiest way to eat chicken but to me it has to be one of the tastiest. I may not make it very often because of all the oil it uses the big cleanup that typical follows making fried chicken, but if you can make the time to make a big batch of it (provided the weather is cool enough in your kitchen in the summer to do it), it can be great to have for outdoor parties, picnics or as your favorite meal. Fried chicken is one of those things that tastes great anytime you want it, whether it is for dinner that night, cold for lunch the next day, re-heated or even as a late night snack. I have tried a bunch of fried chicken recipes in the past but recently i have found myself returning to this one from Melissa Clark at New York Times Cooking for make ahead fried chicken. It seems to strike the perfect balance of spices, good coating and great taste.

Make Ahead Fried Chicken

FOR THE MARINADE:

1 quart buttermilk

2 torn bay leaves

2 thinly sliced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons hot sauce

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon honey

12 drumsticks or a mix of chicken pieces, about 2½ to 3 pounds of chicken

FOR THE COATING:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon good chile power such as chipotle powder

Corn, grapeseed or vegetable oil, for frying

Make the marinade: Whisk together all the marinade ingredients, except the chicken, and place the marinade in a large bowl or plastic bag. Submerge the chicken in the marinade, cover the bowl or seal the bag, and let the chicken rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or, better, overnight.

Make the coating: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne pepper, salt and chile powder. Place a paper bag inside another paper bag (this is to prevent seepage, use large bags or several small ones) and transfer the flour mixture into it. This is so you can shake the chicken pieces. (You can also just mix the flour in a large bowl and dredge the chicken parts in it, or use a heavy-duty plastic zipper bag for shaking.)

Take a piece of chicken out of the marinade and place it in the bag with the flour mixture. Close the bag and shake it so the chicken is fully coated. (Or, if you are using a bowl, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.) Remove the chicken piece and place it on a plate or sheet pan. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces, one by one. Let the chicken rest for 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature. Reserve the coating mixture.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy cast iron skillet with a lid, heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees on an instant-read thermometer or candy thermometer. Just before frying, shake the chicken pieces in the coating mixture once again, one by one.

Fry the chicken for about 6 to 8 minutes in a covered pan, then uncover the pot and flip the chicken with tongs. Continue frying the chicken for about another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the coating is dark golden brown and the juices run clear when the meat is pricked with a fork.

Place chicken on a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Serve the chicken within 8 hours, but it’s best to serve within 4 hours.

The recipe indicates that you could leave the chicken at room temperature for 4 hours, and while you probably could I personally don’t feel right about and refrigerate it. I like cold fried chicken anyway so it’s fine with me and you don’t have to worry about any potential bacteria from leaving the food out too long. I made a mix of chicken pieces – wings, legs, thighs and breasts I had cut in half – and found that the timing worked out well, though I did make the chicken in batches and kept the finished pieces on the rack in a sheet pan in a warm 250 degree oven so that they kept warm. I also checked the temperature of the chicken along the way with my instant-read thermometer to make sure the pieces were at 165 degrees just to be safe. Keep a close eye on your oil and the temperature as you go along if you cook in batches to make sure it stays at the right temp so you can get an even crust on the chicken. The chicken was very flavorful and juicy thanks to the marinade and the double coating you put on the chicken really helps to give it a nice crunch. For the marinade I actually do not always use the Old Bay as Michelle finds it a bit overpowering, so I do occasionally leave it out and the chicken still tastes great. I still use other fried chicken recipes, but this is one that always seem to fall back on as a good go to recipe everyone likes. It tastes just as good the next day for lunch as it does the day you cook it.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on August 18, 2016 in Dinner, Leftovers, Lunch, Picnic Fare, Poultry

Tags: fried chicken, fried chicken recipe, fried chicken recipes, make ahead fried chicken, Melissa Clark, Melissa Clark make ahead fried chicken, NYT Cooking

Savoring Succulent Sauteed Sea Scallops Over Spaghetti Squash

16 Aug

As much as I love scallops, they are just not something we eat very often. Scallops tend to be very expensive in terms of the fish for sale today. For sea scallops in my area they are generally priced in the twenty dollars and up per pound range, and that may be for scallops that are not even that good. If I am going to spend that much money for scallops, I want to make sure they are of good quality. I always get dry scallops, meaning they are not scallops that have been soaked in a solution to help them look nice and white and to plump them up, making them have a lot of water. When you buy “wet” scallops, they release all of the solution and liquid when they cook, making it almost impossible to get a good sear on them and instead they steam in all that liquid, making them rubbery. It is worth the extra effort if you are going to get sea scallops to make sure you get dry scallops or scallops labeled chemical-free. In any case, I got my dry scallops from Hudson Valley Seafood and set about finding a new recipe to try. I had already picked up my vegetables at the farmer’s market as well and had a nice spaghetti squash I purchased, so this recipe from Martha Stewart came along at just the right time.

Sautéed Sea Scallops Over Spaghetti Squash

2 1-pound spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking pan

4 leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

10 large sea scallops, muscles removed, sliced in half

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup dry white wine or water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 bunch fresh chives (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the spaghetti squash, cut-sides down, on an oiled baking pan. Cook the squash until it is easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 45 minutes. Using a fork, separate the flesh into strands and transfer the squash to a bowl; cover the bowl and set it aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan set over medium heat. Cook the leeks and shallots, stirring, until they are crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the leeks and shallots to a plate and set it aside.

Place the flour in a small bowl and dredge the scallops in the flour. Return the saute pan to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cook half of the scallops until they are golden, about 3 minutes per side. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and set them aside on a separate plate. Repeat the process and cook the remaining scallops.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the white wine or 3/4 cup of water. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Slowly whisk in the butter until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the squash and the leek mixture among your dinner plates; top the vegetables with the scallops. Drizzle the scallops and vegetables with the sauce, and garnish with the chives, if desired, before serving.

While the squash takes some time to cook to get it tender enough, that is really the only long part of the recipe. I liked the recipe because it was basic and healthy, giving you a nice, light meal that is great for any day of the week. If you didn’t want the spaghetti squash or can’t find one, I think rice or noodles would substitute well in the recipe, but the squash seems perfect for this dish. Be careful not to overcook the scallops so they don’t get rubbery on you. Just that little bit of flour is really all they need to get some nice color to them so you can enjoy the sweetness of them. I did cut the recipe in half since I was making this for just Sean and myself since Michelle is away on business so we had just the right amount of scallops and a little bit of squash leftover to use for another meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on August 16, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Seafood

Tags: Hudson Valley Seafood, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart sauteed sea scallops, sauteed sea scallops, sauteed sea scallops over spaghetti squash, sea scallops, sea scallops recipe, spaghetti squash

Steak and Summer Go Hand in Hand – Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

13 Aug

There are always some meals that I immediately associate with the summer. Naturally people think a lot about things like hamburgers and hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, watermelon and all of the great summer fruits and vegetables you can get. One of the things I always associate with summer is steak. Even though I made steak throughout the year and I don’t even have a grill to use, the idea of grilling a nice piece of steak is something I love. Since I need to do next best around here, I very often use one of my grill pans when making steak to get that same feeling. As much as I love steak, the price keeps me from buying it too often. Every once in a while I will treat us to a rib eye steak for dinner or a New York strip, but that’s about it and only if they are on sale. When I last went to the farmers’ market here in Monroe, I picked up a meat package from Bishop Farms, a farm out of Fulton, NY that offers some great beef, pork, lamb, chicken and more that are all-natural, no steroids and antibiotics. I had purchased a few things from them before and got a package of ground beef, short ribs, beef kebabs and sirloin steaks that looked awesome. I decided to make one of the sirloin steaks the other night and used this recipe from Martha Stewart to make a quick and easy meal.

Sirloin Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 pounds and 1 inch thick), trimmed and cut into 4 equal portions

1 pound red new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place the mustard mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Add the steaks, and rub the steaks to coat them well. Let the steaks marinate at room temperature for about 10 minutes or refrigerate them for up to 1 day.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then add the asparagus to the sheet pan and toss them with another tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 15 minutes more.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or grill pan over high heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Cook the steaks for about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. If the pan darkens quickly, reduce the heat. Let the steaks rest for about 5 minutes. Serve the steaks with the vegetables or slice the steaks into thin slices and serve over the vegetables on a large platter. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

It’s a very simple recipe that comes out nicely. I used Yukon gold potatoes in my recipe because that is what I had on hand to go with the asparagus. I chose to keep the steak as one large steak and then slice it after it rested, but you could certainly do whatever is best for you. The steak was perfectly cooked and the marinade was quite nice with the mustard and garlic. The marinade would be good on other things like chicken or lamb, but I think I might add a touch of soy sauce to it next time to really boost up the flavor. The whole meal only takes about 30 to 40 minutes to cook, which is great for a weeknight and if you have a grill you could easily do it all outside without having to heat up the house.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 13, 2016 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Potatoes, Vegetables

Tags: Bishop Farms, Bishop Farms Fulton NY, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart sirloin steak, roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, roasted potatoes and asparagus, sirloin steak, sirloin steak recipe, sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and asparagus

A Great Take on a Takeout Classic – Homemade Chinese Pork Spare Ribs

11 Aug

Everyone has their personal favorites when it comes to takeout Chinese food. I am partial to sesame chicken myself while Sean likes sweet and sour chicken and Michelle goes for beef and broccoli. Egg rolls are always a favorite as well but one thing that we all seem to really love are the Chinese spare ribs that you get. The ribs are nicely cooked and crisp, have that dark red color and some char and a nice, sticky flavor right down to the bone. While you may not have a super high heat oven like your local Chinese restaurant may have to get that kind of char you can still come pretty darn close to it when you try this recipe from Saveur for Chinese pork spare ribs.

Chinese Pork Spare Ribs

¹⁄₃ cup hoisin sauce

¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce

3 tbsp. dry sherry

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

³⁄₄ teaspoon red food coloring

¹⁄₄ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

1 (2 pound) slab spare ribs, preferably St. Louis style, cut into individual ribs

Whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, garlic, sugar, red food coloring and Chinese five spice powder in a large bowl. Add the ribs; toss the ribs to coat them well with the marinade. Set the bowl aside, covered with plastic wrap, to let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange a baking rack on top of a rimmed, foil-lined sheet pan. Remove the ribs from the marinade and reserve any marinade left in the bowl; arrange the ribs on the rack, meat, not bone, side up. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven; pour enough water into the pan so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the pan, making sure the water does not touch the ribs. Bake the ribs for about 35 to 40 minutes. Baste the ribs with the reserved marinade; flip the ribs and baste them again. Bake the ribs for 35 to 40 minutes more. Add more water to the pan if it dries up. Raise the heat of the oven to 450 degrees. Flip the ribs again and baste them again with the remaining marinade. Continue the baking until the ribs are nicely glazed, browned, and tender, about 20 minutes more. Serve the ribs with Chinese mustard or duck sauce, if you like.

I was a little skeptical as to how they would turn out, but I have to admit the flavor was spot on to what you get at a takeout restaurant. The combination of the hoisin and soy sauce, along with the five spice powder, seem to really do the trick. The red food coloring gives you that familiar red color to your ribs but if you don’t want or need to have that you can really leave it out altogether. I put it in to give that “authentic” look to the ribs. Everyone really enjoyed the flavor of the ribs and said it tasted just like takeout so it does give you a better option if you can make the ribs yourself and control the ingredients and save some money instead of ordering out next time. I used the left over ribs and took some of the rib meat and made some great fried rice with it as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 11, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork

Tags: Chinese pork spare ribs, Homemade Chinese pork spare ribs, Making Chinese takeout ribs at home, ribs recipe, Saveur, spare ribs, Takeout Chinese ribs recipe

Better Than Store-Bought – Buttermilk Fried Chicken Fingers with Ranch Coleslaw

09 Aug

Chicken fingers are one of those things that you probably have a love/hate relationship with. They make a great snack or party appetizer and without a doubt are one those things that most kids love to eat. I remember when Sean was little and went through a phase that no matter where we were – at home, visiting family or out to dinner – he just wanted chicken fingers. The problem is that so many of the chicken fingers you get in the store, from fast food restaurants or even casual family restaurants just do not taste get, at least to adults. There are lots of different chicken finger recipes you can try out there, but this one from Epicurious.com for buttermilk fried chicken fingers was a big hit. They are easy to make, have great flavor and everyone will love them. And what better pairing to make it a good lunch or dinner item than putting it with some ranch coleslaw from Bon Appetit?

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Fingers

For the buttermilk marinade:

3 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 1/2 cups milk

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

2 medium jalapeños, sliced (optional)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon hot sauce

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2×4-inch strips, or 2 pounds chicken tenders

For the seasoned flour:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

2 tablespoons onion powder

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons ground sage

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Canola oil, for frying

Homemade or store-bought ranch dressing, for serving (homemade recipe below)

In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, onion, jalapeño, salt, and hot sauce. Add the chicken pieces, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Set 2 cooling racks over rimmed baking sheets lined with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated garlic, onion powder, thyme, sage, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

In a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven, pour in enough oil to come up to 2 inches. Set the pot over medium-high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches of 4 to 5 pieces, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking each piece to remove any vegetables and excess liquid, and dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour. Fry the chicken pieces, turning once, until they are golden and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes total per batch. Transfer the chicken to the wire racks and warm them in the oven while frying the remaining batches.

Serve the chicken fingers with the ranch dressing, if desired.

Ranch Coleslaw

For the Ranch Dressing:

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped dill

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

For the Coleslaw:

3 cups thinly sliced red and green cabbage

1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup Ranch Dressing

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

To make the ranch dressing, stir together the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, vinegar, and garlic powder in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

To make the coleslaw, toss the cabbage and carrot with the ranch dressing in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate the coleslaw for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld before serving.

For the chicken fingers recipe, I actually cut the amounts in half for the recipe I was making because it seemed like a lot both for the marinade and the flour and I was only making 1 pound of chicken. It worked out well for me as I did not end up with a lot of leftover flour and the marinade did its job very well. The chicken fingers picked up great flavor from the buttermilk marinade and the seasoned flour and had a nice little zing to them from the hot sauce. For the coleslaw, I actually doubled the recipe for the dressing so I could use some with the chicken fingers and have plenty leftover for the slaw. The taste of the dressing is spot on in terms of the ranch you would expect to get and it really makes the coleslaw stand out. I used the food processor to cut up the cabbage and carrots so they would be really fine, but you could easily slice it yourself or even buy a store-bought coleslaw mix to use instead. I just happened to pick up carrots and cabbage at the farmers’ market this weekend and it was a good use for them. The chicken fingers are better anything you can buy in the frozen section of your supermarket or what you will get at restaurants and you get to control the ingredients going into them so you can make them taste how you or your kids will like them best. The coleslaw is a perfect side dish for sandwiches, burgers, ribs, pulled pork (which I will be making this week) and just about any summertime lunch or dinner. I got a picture of the coleslaw but forgot to get one of the chicken fingers. I will make them again to get another picture and post it here.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 9, 2016 in Appetizers, Condiments, Cooking, Dinner, Dressings, Lunch, Picnic Fare, Poultry, Salad, Sandwiches, Side Dishes, Snacks

Tags: Bon Appetit ranch coleslaw, buttermilk chicken fingers, buttermilk fried chicken fingers, chicken fingers, chicken fingers recipe, coleslaw, coleslaw recipe, Epicurious.com, ranch coleslaw, ranch dressing, ranch dressing recipe

It’s Getting Fishy – John Dory with Artichokes and Peppers and Pan Roasted Tiger Prawn Shrimp

08 Aug

Getting fresh fish in the summertime or really any time of year is a great thing, but finding really fresh fish can always be something of a challenge. I know the supermarkets in my area primarily have a very small selection of prepackaged, frozen fish. If I drive about 20 miles I can go to markets that have regular fish counters, but they do not always have the greatest selection to choose from. That is why I was so happy to learn that there is a real fish market right near my house now, Hudson Valley Seafood, that offers some fantastic fresh fish. They had been wholesalers in the area for many years, supplying restaurants in the region with their fish and have just recently opened a retail store. They get fresh fish daily so there is always something new to see. The store is great, with that fresh fish and not fishy smell that you like to see in a market and the prices are very reasonable. When we ventured over their for the first time a couple of weeks ago, they had some great selections, including John Dory fish and some truly immense colossal Tiger prawns. We decided to try a little of each, using a recipe from Food Network for the John Dory while using a quick recipe from Bait to Plate for the prawns.

John Dory with Artichokes and Peppers

Olive oil, to saute
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 onion, small diced
1/2 carrot, small diced
4 artichoke hearts, diced
3 (3-pound) whole John Dory fish, scaled, eviscerated, and filleted with the skin on
2 ounces white wine
3 ounces chicken stock
1 pepper of your choice, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 lemon, juiced

Saute the garlic, onion, carrot, pepper, and artichoke hearts in the olive oil in a saute pan set of medium heat until the vegetables just begin to brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and chicken stock. Simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are fork tender.

After cooking the vegetables , puree about half of the mixture in the blender. Add the pureed half back to the mixture and stir to combine.

Season the fish fillets with salt and coriander. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saute pan set over medium heat. Carefully place the fish fillets in the pan, flesh side down, and cook the fish until it is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked through and no longer translucent, about another 2 minutes. Remove the fillets from the pan and set them aside. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice. Add the lemon juice to the artichoke mixture and stir well. Serve the fish with the artichoke mixture on the side.

Pan Roasted Tiger Prawns

2-3 U-3 Colossal Tiger Prawns

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon, for serving

To clean the tiger prawns, remove the head of the prawns (be careful, they have a very sharp horn on the front), but leave the chest plate and legs on the shell in tact. Split the pawns down the back with a sharp knife and thoroughly clean out the intestines (think of it as deveining a shrimp, just on a much larger scale). Rinse the prawns thoroughly and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, chili powder and fresh parsley. Pour the marinade over the prawns and toss them until they are well coated. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat a grill a pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the prawns with salt and pepper and add the prawns to the pan and allow them to cook until they begin to turn pink and the shell looks nicely roasted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the prawns and cook them on the opposite side, about 2 to 3 minutes more or until the prawns are cooked through and pink. Serve the prawns with lemon wedges, if desired.

The John Dory was a very mild fish that tasted wonderful. The mix of the artichokes and peppers were a nice compliment to the fish itself. If you want a fish that is not going to taste fishy and is a firm but delicate white fish, this could be for you. They went very nicely with some rice pilaf and corn on the cob. The Tiger prawns are something of a treat, since they can be quite expensive. The best way I can describe them is that it is like eating a lobster tail. The meat is very similar and has wonderful flavor to it. We cut them up and shared 2 of them among us and it was more than enough. Make sure you clean them out well when you go to devein them as it is a large amount to remove and you do need to be careful handling them. These would be great on the barbecue as well as the grill pan and cooking them in the shell is the best way to go.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 8, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Seafood, Uncategorized

Tags: Bait to Plate, colossal Tiger prawns, food network, Food Network John Dory recipe, Hudson Valley Seafood, John Dory, John Dory recipe, pan roasted John Dory with artichokes and peppers, Tiger prawns recipe, u3 Tiger prawns

A Simple Side Dish for Any Time – Homemade Fried Rice

30 Jul

Most people love getting takeout Chinese food for dinner once in a while. I know we do it about once a month and there are always standard favorites that we like to get with the meal. Egg rolls are always a given and Michelle and Sean love to get wonton soup, but one thing the whole family loves is the fried rice you can get. While I like all of the fried rice I am always partial to pork fried rice myself. There is something about the taste of the rice with the bits of pork that is just perfect for a Chinese food meal. I have made fried rice before at home and while it never quite comes out just like takeout, it gets pretty close. Of course I don’t have a commercial kitchen, stove and overhead vents to do everything they can do, so I have to make do with what I have. When we had some leftover pork from dinner the other night I decided to use a piece and try this fried rice recipe from Sam Sifton at New York Times Cooking. Of course, this recipe doesn’t have any pork in it originally, but it also doesn’t have some of the other vegetables I added to it to make it a well-rounded dish of vegetables and rice.

Homemade Fried Rice

3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed

1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste

1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)

1 tablespoon minced ginger, or to taste

3 to 4 cups cooked white rice, cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup Shaoxing wine, or water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup minced cilantro or scallions

Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or a large skillet, and turn the heat to high. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion, pepper and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Drain the peas if necessary and add them to skillet; cook, shaking the pan, for about a minute, or until the peas are hot. Remove them to the bowl with the other vegetables.

Put the remaining oil in the skillet, followed by the garlic and ginger. When the mixture is fragrant, about 15 seconds later, add the rice, breaking up any clumps with a spoon as you go along and tossing it with oil. When the rice is well coated, make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Scramble the eggs, then stir them into the rice.

Return the vegetables to the skillet and stir everything together to integrate it all well. Add the wine or water and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro or scallions and serve.

I added some pork into the dish after the vegetables were done and before the rice, cooked to heat it through for 2 or 3 minutes since it was already cooked, and then removed it from the pan and continued the steps. You could just as easily do the same with chicken, beef, shrimp or anything else that you like. I added in some leftover veggies as well like corn and broccoli because it helped to make the side dish one that was then filled with vegetables and rice, meaning I just needed a protein to make the meal. I loved all of the great flavors from the dish with the eggs mixed in and the sesame oil seems to add the perfect touch right at the end to the rice. This is a great way to make use of all of those leftovers you may have in the fridge and just aren’t sure what to do with them. I served this with some steak for a complete meal but really, if you add enough chicken, pork, shrimp or other protein to the rice it can be a one dish dinner all on its own.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!