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Get Roasting – Roast Chicken with Lemon, Oregano and Vermouth

You can never have too many ways to make roast chicken. All you need to do is take a look at some the recipes on my blog and you will quickly see that not only do I make a lot of chicken, but I make a lot of roast chicken. I like the way chicken comes out in the oven with its crispy skin and tender, juicy flavor and if you can get a great sauce out of it as well that is even better. I came across this particular recipe at Food & Wine for a very simple roast chicken with lemon, oregano and vermouth to get a different and fresh flavor.

Roast Chicken with Lemon, Oregano and Vermouth

1 chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds) cut into 8 pieces

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat the chicken with 3 teaspoons of the olive oil. Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, in a large roasting pan or cast iron pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of the dry vermouth, the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of the olive oil over the top of the chicken.

Roast the chicken until the breasts are just done, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the breasts and wings to a separate plate and cover them to keep them warm. Continue to cook the thighs and drumsticks until they are done, about 5 to 7 minutes longer.

Heat the broiler of the oven. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and return the breasts and wings to the roasting pan. Broil the chicken under the broiler until the skin os golden brown, about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it does not burn. Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter.

Pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of dry vermouth and the 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any browned bits. Boil the mixture until it is reduced approximately to 2 tablespoons. Add any accumulated juices from the platter the chicken is resting on. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

This recipe is very simple and you get the juicy chicken pieces with really nicely browned skin to go along with it. You also get a really unique pan sauce that has the nice flavor of the vermouth and lemon. It is a quick sauce but it packs some great flavor. You could use white wine instead or even chicken broth if you want to avoid the alcohol altogether, but I do have to say the vermouth adds a nice touch to the dish. You could easily do this dish just with your favorite chicken pieces, like breasts, thighs or drumsticks, instead of using the whole chicken. I served this with some herbed salt potatoes, which I will post the recipe for tomorrow, and some fresh green beans.

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, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: dry vermouth, Food & Wine, roast chicken, roast chicken with dry vermouth, roast chicken with lemon oregano and vermouth.roast chicken recipes

12 Make-Ahead Burger Toppings – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

16 Aug

12 Make-Ahead Burger Toppings – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

There are fewer things better than having a great burger right off the grill. The flavor you get from grilling your burger is unlike any other method and I could eat them all day long myself, but having some great condiments to go on your burger makes things even better. If you want to go beyond the typical store-bought items and try some things of your own, Saveur Magazine has put together 12 great burger toppings that you can make ahead and have ready for your next barbecue, outdoor party or just to enjoy for yourself. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on August 16, 2014 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dressings, Grilling, Lunch, Picnic Fare, Salad, Sauce, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Tags: 12 make-ahead burger toppings, homemade burger toppings, make-ahead burger toppings, Saveur magazine, Saveur Magazine burger toppings

Back to Basics – Balsamic Braised Chicken

31 Jul

As I get back into the groove of my work schedule, home responsibilities, cooking and the like after vacation, I have tried to keep meals relatively simple this week. One of old standby favorites has always been balsamic chicken. Balsamic chicken is one of those meals that is very simple to put together and you can get a great, tangy sauce and glaze on your chicken that is perfect over mashed potatoes or rice. Michelle always used to order balsamic chicken at one of our favorite restaurants so I do try to make it every now and then as a nice reminder. This particular recipe that I used this time is from Williams-Sonoma and only makes use of a few ingredients to make things even easier for you.

Balsamic Braised Chicken

3 pounds of chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, drumsticks) or 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 shallot, diced

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season the chicken well with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until it is shimmering. Add the chicken pieces to the pan along with the garlic and shallot and cook the chicken, turning the pieces as it is needed, until the pieces are well browned on both sides, about 20 minutes total. Adjust the heat as is necessary so that you prevent the garlic and shallots from burning.

Tip the saute pan and spoon off any excess fat that you can. Add the rosemary sprig, the red wine and the balsamic vinegar and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook, turning the chicken pieces occasionally,until the chicken is opaque throughout when tested with a knife, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter and cover the chicken to keep it warm.

Raise the heat under the saute pan to high and bring the liquid in the pan to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced and has thickened, creating a flavorful pan sauce, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and the rosemary sprig. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce as necessary. Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieces and serve immediately.

You get great flavor of the sauce as it clings to chicken and I love the combination of the red wine with the balsamic to really give the dish great flavor. The shallots also make a nice addition to the overall meal. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and corn to round out the meal. I think the balsamic chicken is great, but the sauce itself might be great with a piece of pork as well if you wanted to give that a try. I forgot to take a picture of this one when I made it, so unfortunately I don’t have one to show, but trust me the glaze comes out perfectly and the chicken tastes great!

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 July 31, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: balsamic braised chicken, balsamic chicken, balsamic vinegar, williams-sonoma

Back From Vacation with These Spare Ribs With Smoky Blackberry Barbecue Sauce

29 Jul

I spent the last week down in the Outer Banks in North Carolina with my family just relaxing and enjoying the sun and not doing much cooking along the way. my brother manned the grills for the week and did a great job with all of the different things that he cooked. I did make a few side dishes along the way but nothing extravagant and we all had a great time seeing each other and having fun. Now that I am back home, it’s time to get down to some more cooking. I had these spare ribs in the freezer and knew I wanted to make them, so I decided to give this recipe a try from Kitchen Daily that makes use of a smoky blackberry barbecue sauce. Their original recipe is designed to be used with short ribs, but I think it makes a pretty nice transition over to spare ribs. I used St. Louis ribs, but you could just easily use baby backs and get good results.

Spare Ribs with Smoky Blackberry Barbecue Sauce

For the Sauce:

1 pound blackberries

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 medium onion, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons seeded and minced chipotles in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the Ribs:

4 pounds St. Louis spare ribs or baby back ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the ribs on the baking sheet. Season the ribs well with salt and pepper on both sides. Cover the ribs with another sheet of aluminum foil and bake them, covered, in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the top cover of aluminum foil and bake the ribs uncovered for another 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a large bowl toss the blackberries together with the smoked paprika. Heat a medium saute pan over high heat and place the blackberries in the pan. Heat the berries, tossing them occasionally, until the berries begin to burst, about 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and started to brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the paste is glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the blackberries, cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, chipotles, Dijon mustard and the ground cumin and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened and the berries are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and allow it to cool slightly. Puree the sauce until it is smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl and discard any leftover solids in the sieve. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and allow the sauce to cool completely. Stir in the minced onion, the olive oil and the dried oregano.

Brush the ribs in the oven with the blackberry barbecue sauce until they are well coated and continue baking the ribs for another 25 minutes. Turn up the heat in the oven to 400 degrees and give the ribs a final coating of barbecue sauce, allowing them to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce is caramelized and the ribs are cooked through.Remove the ribs from the oven to a cutting board and cut the ribs into portions and serve with the remaining sauce.

The blackberry sauce has a very distinct flavor to it and the chipotles add just the right amount of heat to the sauce. The sauce has the consistency of any other barbecue sauce but if you like blackberries you will really enjoy the flavor you get. This sauce is great for ribs but I think it would do just as well on chicken or other pieces of pork if you wanted to give that a try. I tried to strain out as many of the blackberry seeds as I could but some still got through so it’s something you have to be aware of if your diners aren’t fans of the seeds. Other than that, I think the sauce was a real winner.

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 July 29, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Pork, Sauce

Tags: barbecue sauce, blackberries, blackberry barbecue sauce, Kitchen Daily, smoky blackberry barbecue sauce, spare ribs, spare ribs with smoky blackberry barbecue sauce

A Chicken Dinner Thanks to Bobby Flay – Pan-Roasted Chicken with Mint Sauce

08 Jul

Trying to find new things to do with chicken can get tricky after a while. I am always on the lookout for new ways to try making poultry with new sauces and flavors. because we eat so much chicken, you really have to try to vary things now and then so everyone does not get bored with just he same old meal. I found this recipe from Bobby Flay listed on the New York Times Cooking site (which is a great site and resource for recipes and articles by the way) and not only did it seem really simple but looked to use some different flavors to change things up for your chicken dinner. It is a very simple recipe for pan roasted chicken with a mint sauce. Bobby Flay uses bone-in chicken breasts for the recipe, but I used a combination of breasts and thighs and it worked out just as well I think.

Bobby Flay’s Pan-Roasted Chicken with Mint Sauce

For the Chicken:

4 bone-in, skin on chicken breasts

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground mustard

2 teaspoons ground fennel seed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Mint Sauce:

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 Serrano chile, seeds removed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the chicken well, then dry it with paper towels. Season the chicken generously with kosher salt. Combine the paprika, cumin, ground mustard, ground fennel seed and black pepper in a small bowl and rub the mixture all over the skin of the chicken.

Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe saute pan or skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, put the chicken breasts into the pan skin side down and cook, unattended, until the skin is golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs. turn the chicken breasts over and then place the pan in the preheated oven. Roast the chicken until it is golden brown all over and the meat is cooked entirely through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a warmed platter and allow it to rest.

Meanwhile, place the mint, parsley, garlic and Serrano chile into a food processor and pulse the mixture into a paste. Add the honey and the Dijon mustard and pulse the mixture again until it is combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture has become emulsified. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and if necessary, whisk in a few tablespoons of water to thin the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon some of the sauce over each of the chicken breasts and serve, with the remaining sauce on the side.

The chicken turns out perfectly browned and crispy and the mint sauce is an excellent addition. It does have a little heat to it from the Serrano chile, so be aware of that if you are making it for anyone who doesn’t like a lot of heat. You could just as easily leave it out of the sauce. I served this with roasted potatoes and some roasted asparagus and it made for a perfect meal without a lot of fuss or work.

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 July 8, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: Bobby Flay's pan-roasted chicken with mint sauce, mint sauce, new york times, pan roasted chicken, pan-roasted chicken with mint sauce, roasted chicken

Classic Barbecued Chicken for the Fourth

04 Jul

If you are looking for a good alternative to hamburgers, hot dogs and steak for this holiday weekend, a good option is always to do something with some chicken. You have lots options of available to you as far as just making a bunch of different chicken pieces or if you know that you have a crowd that really just wants to have thighs, legs, wings or breasts you can just go with those pieces on your grill. One thing about doing chicken on the grill is that you need to really watch it so that the skin doesn’t burn before the rest of the chicken is actually cooked through. This is one of the reasons I like to make barbecued chicken in the oven more than outside, which works out really well for me since I only have the electric grill to play with anyway. This particular recipe that I used comes from Better Homes and Gardens and is for their classic barbecued chicken, though I did modify the sauce recipe a bit to fit my own tastes. I have included my modifications in the recipe itself.

Classic Barbecued Chicken

2 3 1/2 pounds whole chickens, or 7 pounds of chicken pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cold water

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup tomato paste

Vegetable or canola oil

Water

If you are using whole chickens, cut up the chicken, leaving the drumsticks and thighs attached. Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate, covered, up to 24 hours or until you are ready to use the chicken.

For the barbecue sauce, In large non-reactive saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook until the onion softens and is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper, paprika, chili powder and black pepper. Cook and stir the mixture for about 1 minute.

Add the water, cider vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the molasses, ketchup, liquid smoke, soy sauce and Dijon mustard until it is all blended. Whisk in the tomato paste until the mixture is smooth. Bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce for seasoning and make any adjustments with salt and pepper as needed. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the sauce to prepare the chicken. Store the remaining sauce in the refrigerator and simply reheat it to serve.

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1/4-inch of the vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Working in batches, place the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet. Cook until the chicken is well browned, turning once, for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the browned chicken to a large roasting pan or baking dish. Place the chicken skin side up and add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Spoon the reserved 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce over the chicken. Cover the chicken with parchment paper and then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the chicken until all of the chicken is cooked through and an instant read thermometer inserted into one of the pieces registers 170 degrees. Depending on the pieces of chicken you are baking, this can take anywhere from 40 minutes for breast portions to 75 minutes for legs and thighs.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Uncover the chicken, removing the foil and the parchment paper, and spoon on some additional barbecue sauce. Bake the chicken, uncovered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is well-glazed and the meat is very tender. Serve the chicken with the reserved barbecue sauce (not the sauce you used to put on the raw chicken!) and store any remaining barbecue sauce, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Unfortunately, I did not remember to take a picture of the chicken when I made this one but it came out really well. you could certainly use the same idea and make this on the grill yourself, just keep a closer eye on the chicken to control the heat, cooking it on a lower heat side of a gas or charcoal grill to keep it from burning the skin easily. You should always put the sauce on towards the end of the cooking process so that the skin can get nice and crispy before the sauce goes on and you can retain the great sauce flavor that you get. Seasoning the chicken ahead of time or even brining it the night before can make a big difference here too, so if you have the time I recommend it. The sauce was great and I actually used some of the leftover chicken and remaining sauce to make some pulled chicken sandwiches, which I will post the recipe for soon as well. This goes great with any classic barbecue sides like baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, corn bread,corn on the cob and the like.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day, enjoy your meal and have a safe, happy and festive July 4th!

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Posted by MikeG on July 4, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: barbecue sauce, barbecued chicken, BBQ chicken in the oven, Better Homes and Gardens, classic barbecued chicken, classic bbq chicken, classic BBQ chicken in the oven, homemade barbecue sauce, homemade BBQ sauce

Simple and Sweet – Skillet Chicken with Rhubarb

30 Jun

When most people hear rhubarb their thoughts immediately turn to strawberry rhubarb pie (which I love by the way). You probably see a lot of rhubarb around the produce departments of markets this time of year since strawberries are in season now, but there are lots of other things you can do with rhubarb besides making great desserts like sorbet, compote or pie. I came across this recipe in the New York Times recently for a simple way to jazz up a chicken dinner with some rhubarb, scallions and honey for a bit of a different flavor. While this recipe uses a whole chicken cut into pieces, I made just chicken thighs instead but you could use any chicken pieces you like for this recipe.

Skillet Chicken with Rhubarb

1 (5 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut into eight pieces, or various chicken parts (thighs, breasts, drumsticks)

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed

1 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed

5 sprigs thyme

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch spring onions or scallions, white and light green stalks thinly sliced (slice and reserve greens for garnish)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine, chicken broth or water

3/4 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)

1 tablespoon honey, or to taste

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper. Place the chicken in a bowl with the thyme sprigs and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the thyme from the bowl with the chicken and reserve the thyme sprigs. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and sear, turning them occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a platter and set them aside.

Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium. Stir in the scallions (the white and light green parts) and cook until the scallions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the reserved thyme sprigs. and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the wine and bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the rhubarb, honey, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Return the chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes for breasts and 20 to 25 minutes for the thighs and drumsticks. Transfer the chicken pieces to a platter as they finish cooking so they can rest.

Whisk the butter into the rhubarb sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed or desired. Spoon the rhubarb sauce over the chicken pieces and garnish the dish with the sliced scallion greens and serve.

It is a very simple dish that is perfect for a weeknight or a weekend meal. The rhubarb tastes great with the chicken and we all loved the sauce. It was ideal to spoon over the chicken and also with the rice that I had served with the meal, but it would also be great with mashed potatoes or other grains as well. I apologize for the picture as it didn’t turn out that great since there was still steam coming up off the dish when I took it, but trust me it tastes great and looks good too!

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 June 30, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: chicken and rhubarb recipe, new york times, New York Times skillet chicken with rhubarb, skillet chicken, skillet chicken with rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb pie

Sweet and Simple – Sweet Glazed Chicken

20 Jun

I have made a lot of chicken lately because it has been on sale a lot around here and quite frankly right now it is one of the most affordable meats for a family. All it takes is a simple trip to the grocery store lately to see that the price of just about everything has gone up lately, causing most people’s food bills to skyrocket and bust your budget. That is why I look for the best deals I can find and go to BJ’s Warehouse to buy some meat where I can things at bulk for a good price for many meals. This was the case recently when I bought big packages of chicken thighs, breasts and drumsticks and portioned them out into the freezer, cramming it full of chicken for the foreseeable future. Now the trick will be just what to do with all of that chicken. I decided to make some drumsticks and thighs the other day and saw this easy recipe from Sunny Anderson on the Food Network for a simple, sweet glazed chicken. While she used a whole chicken on the grill and butterflied it, I opted to just use chicken pieces and my grill pan as an alternative. I’ll post the original recipe here, but I’ll also tell you how I adapted it for my needs.

Sweet Glazed Chicken

One 5 to 7-pound chicken, butterflied

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Canola or vegetable oil, for oiling the grill grates

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons grated onion

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

For the chicken, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper all over. Rest the chicken on the counter, covered, until the chicken comes to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Preheat a grill to 400 degrees. Lightly oil the grill grates with canola or vegetable oil.

Grill the chicken over indirect heat, rotating the chicken occasionally,until the internal temperature of the chicken registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 50 to 60 minutes.

For the glaze, while chicken is grilling, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the grated onion, the allspice, a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook the mixture until the onions are tender, then add the grated garlic and cook until it is tender but not browned. Add the brown sugar, the stone-ground mustard, the cider vinegar and the hot sauce. Cook the mixture until it has begun to reduce and thicken, about 5 minutes, then remove the glaze from the heat.

When the chicken is nearly cooked through, brush on the glaze. Cover he grill and continue to cook the chicken until the glaze begins to color and the chicken is done. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute in the chicken. Cut the chicken into sections and serve.

Since I decided to just make chicken pieces and use the grill pan inside, I cooked the chicken in the grill pan over medium-high heat until it was browned on all sides and got some grill marks on it. I also made the glaze as directed and then put the glaze on the chicken pieces and then put the whole pan in a 400 degree oven to finish cooking. This allowed me to get the crispy skin, a nice glaze and I still had the grill marks as if it was grilled. The glaze had just the right amount of sweet to it from the brown sugar and nice flavor from the allspice to make it a little different from other glazes you might try. It was certainly easy to put together and we all enjoyed the chicken pieces with some sweet potatoes and green beans.

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 June 20, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Sauce

Tags: chicken pieces, chicken thighs, food network, glazed chicken on the grill, Sunny Anderson, sweet glazed butterflied chicken, sweet glazed chicken

The Lamb Lies Down with Roasted Potatoes

16 Jun

I have had a boneless leg of lamb in the freezer for a few weeks now and we had been waiting for just the right occasion to make it, but it was a pretty large roast so I had to wait until we were having some people over to share it with. It was over five pounds and I had bought it at a really great sale price so it was going to make a nice, elegant meal. For me, one of the best things with lamb is just some simple roasted potatoes and asparagus, which is what I decided to make that day, so I adapted this recipe from Michael Symon for roasted leg of lamb with potatoes. I had to alter it a bit to fit my particular needs since the recipe is for a 6-pound leg of lamb with the bone in, but I really wanted it more for the marinade than anything else. I just adjusted the spices down a little bit, but here is the original recipe that I used as a basis.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Roasted Potatoes and Tzatziki Sauce

For the Leg of Lamb:
6 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh oregano
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 6-pound bone-in leg of lamb

For the Roasted Potatoes:
Nonstick vegetable cooking oil spray
4 pounds unpeeled fingerling potatoes, rinsed and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the Tzatziki Sauce:
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 cucumber
kosher salt
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons Chopped Fresh Mint
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Leg of Lamb: Mix together in a medium bowl the shallots, garlic, rosemary, oregano, sugar, coriander, red pepper flakes, and salt.

Rub the mixture all over the surface of the lamb. Place the lamb in a large baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.

Remove the lamb from the baking dish, rinse off the seasonings, and pat dry. Let the lamb sit a room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb and brown the lamb on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes.Transfer the lamb, fat side up, to a roasting rack set into a roasting pan. If you have extra rosemary lay the sprigs over the lamb with a drizzle of olive oil over the top. Roast the lamb until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of about 140 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lamb from the pan and set it aside on a cutting board loosely tented with aluminum foil to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

For the Potatoes: Position a rack in the top third and 1 rack in bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Toss the potatoes with 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets, dividing the potatoes equally among the two pans. Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend for dressing for the potatoes. Reverse the baking sheets in the oven and toss the potatoes and continue to roast them until the potatoes are tender and brown around the edges, about 15 minutes longer.

Toss the roasted potatoes in a large bowl with enough of the remaining dressing to coat them and serve.

For the Tzatziki Sauce: Put the yogurt in a paper towel-lined or cheesecloth-lined strainer and set it over a bowl and let the yogurt drain for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Peel and dice the cucumber, sprinkle it with salt and place the cucumbers in a strainer at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to drain.

Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice and zest, mint, garlic, and shallot in a medium bowl until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Naturally, you can roast the potatoes and the lamb together in the oven at the same time or even together in the same roasting pan to save yourself some space. When you take the lamb out to rest, you can then dress the potatoes and continue roasting them until they are roasted the way you like them. The Tzatziki sauce really goes well with the lamb and seems to blend nicely with everything. Don’t worry if your lamb is still pink inside when you roast it to 140 degrees; it really is at its best when it is medium-rare and has the best flavor. Overcooked lamb can be pretty tough and chewy, so this is one of those meals you want to keep an eye for temperature. It takes some prep work ahead of time, but the seasoning for the lamb is great and adds fantastic flavor and crust to the lamb. It is always a family favorite for us and something we don’t have too often, but ut is worth the effort to put in to make it once in a while.

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!

Comments

6 Comments

Posted by MikeG on June 16, 2014 in Cookbooks, Dinner, Lamb, Potatoes, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: Michael Symon, Michael Symon roasted leg of lamb, roasted lamb and potatoes, roasted leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, tzatziki sauce

Meatballs Run Amok! Pizza Bianca with Kale and Turkey Meatballs

06 Jun

You would think we would have gotten sick of meatballs by now, wouldn’t you? Surprisingly enough we managed to keep on with our meatball theme this week, using another recipe from Giada di Laurentiis that makes use of the classic Italian turkey meatballs I made earlier in the week. For this recipe, just like the one yesterday for meatball paninis, we kept it very easy and decided to go the pizza route. This one is for pizza Bianca, which is a white pie without any red sauce, perfect for those who may not like the acidity or flavor of tomato sauce. You can use some of the meatballs from the original recipe that have not been put into sauce, or just take some of the sauced meatballs and cut them up if you want just a hint of the sauce flavor. In either case, it is a very flavorful pizza.

Pizza Bianca with Kale and Turkey Meatballs

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Pizza:
Extra-virgin olive oil, for oiling the baking sheet and for drizzling
One 1-pound ball pizza dough (store-bought or homemade, such as Food Processor Pizza Dough), at room temperature
3/4 cup coarsely grated mozzarella
8 Classic Italian Turkey Meatballs, halved
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 medium leaves kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the sauce: In a heavy small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg, bay leaf and garlic. Whisk the mixture over medium heat until the mixture thickens to sauce consistency and is smooth, about 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and the garlic.

For the pizza: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a heavy nonstick 16- by 10-inch baking sheet with olive oil.

Using your fingers, spread the dough over the prepared baking sheet into a rectangle shape. Drizzle the dough with olive oil. Spoon the sauce on top and spread the sauce evenly across the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Arrange the meatballs, cut-side down, on top of the mozzarella and sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with the Parmesan cheese. Bake the pizza for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the kale in an even layer on top of the meatballs. Drizzle the kale with olive oil and sprinkle the top with salt. Bake the pizza until the kale is crispy, about 10 minutes longer.

Cut the pizza into squares and serve.

One thing I did differently with this recipe, since I did not have any kale on hand, was that I used some spinach instead. Sean and Michelle both like spinach better anyway so this worked well for us, but if you really want the kale I would think it would turn out nice and crispy and taste great on the pizza. Everyone loved this pizza, not just because of the meatballs but because of the white sauce as well. The sauce had just that hint of nutmeg to give it a really unique flavor and it just seemed to go really well with the meatballs and spinach. Sean asked that I make this one again and maybe try another pizza combination with the sauce from this recipe, which sounded like a good idea to me.

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!