Peri peri chicken pasta

The last time I made Peri Peri chicken I had a lot of leftovers. My only problem was that I make two versions, a milder one for me and the boys and a spicer one for my husband, and the spicer one was the leftovers. So what to do?

As I did the dishes it hit me, use the chicken in a pasta dish. The boys and I love pasta and we could pretty much eat all the time. So I saved the chicken without the sauce to stop it from being too spicy. I chopped it up into bite size pieces, added a few other ingredients and voila a yummy quick lunch.

Peri Peri Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

Leftover chicken from Peri Peri chicken (I used 3 boneless, skinless thighs) cut into pieces

Penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup of heavy/double cream

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute for 3 - 5 minutes. 

3. In a measuring jug add chicken stock and flour, whisk to combine. Add to skillet and stir for a minute.

4. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Taste to see if any additional seasoning is needed.

5. Add chicken and pasta and mix. 

6. Serve and sprinkle with scallions and Parmesan cheese.

Happy Home Cooking!

Chicken Pot Pie

I'm not a huge fan of chicken pot pie. I love the filling and I love the pastry but I don't like them together, what can I say I'm a little strange. However my husband loves it, together! Plus this is one of those dishes that freezes really well. I have in the past made several pies and stuck them in the freezer making the next month really easy!

In the pictures shown there are no mushrooms in the pie because my husband hates mushrooms. I love them and could happily eat a mushroom pie, hmm, interesting idea!!! So if you are wondering why they are in the recipe but not in the pictures that is the answer.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 (3.5lb) whole chicken

5 cups water

2 celery stalk tops with leaves

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tablespoons/ 1.5 oz butter

3 scallions, sliced

2 large celery ribs, chopped

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 carrots, diced and cooked

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup heavy/double cream

Pie Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

10 Tablespoons/ oz butter, cold and cubed

5 Tablespoons water

Directions:

To make the pie crust:

1. Mix the dry ingredients.

2. Add half the butter to the flour mix and place the other half in the freezer. Bear with me! Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your finger tips, until it is the size of breadcrumbs. You can use a pastry cutter.

3. Add the remaining butter and continue to rub it in until it is the size of small peas. Try to make sure that the butter stays cold.

4.Sprinkle the water into the flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork. It should stick together but still look dry.

5. Form into a disk and wrap with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour but ideally overnight.

6. Roll out pastry on a floured surface until larger than the pie dish. Gently place the pastry in the dish and push down to fill it. Trim the edges.

7. Roll out a second piece of pastry for the topping crust. Again just a little bigger than needed.

To make Filling:

1. Add chicken, 5 cups water, 2 celery stalk tops with leaves, salt and pepper in a large Dutch oven. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer mixture 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is done.

2. Remove chicken, reserving 3 1/2 cups broth in Dutch oven; discard celery tops. Let chicken cool; skin, bone and cut into bite-size pieces.

3. Melt butter in skillet. Saute green onions, chopped celery and mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.

4. Gradually whisk in flour until blended.

5. Gradually add reserved broth; cook whisking constantly, for 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

6. Stir in chicken, carrots, salt, pepper, thyme and cream.

7. Spoon mixture into prepared pie dishes. Brush the edge with water. Place the second piece of pastry on top. 

8. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the pie to seal the crust together.

9. Brush the top of the pie with egg white and cut a vent in the top.

10. Bake at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Happy Home Cooking!

Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are one of those dishes that can be an appetizer, party snack or meal. Around here it's wing night once a month.

I have to admit that this is not completely from scratch, I do cheat and use bottled wing sauce. I simply haven't gone all the way and tried. I really want to because everytime I find a sauce I like the store stops carrying that brand.

So talking about sauces when I first made this I used Emeril's Hot Wing sauce. It's a really delicious sauce and wonderfully seasoned, hey it's Emeril! The only problem is I can't seem to find it at any of the local grocery stores. You can order it directly from his website or you can find it on Amazon.

I've tried a few others that I found at the grocery store but currently my favourite is Hooters sauce. I have always heard that Hooters has the best wings but I was sceptical because well what is Hooters really renowned for? Cute girls in skimpy shorts.

About a year ago the CBS show Undercover Boss was about Hooters. I was kinda shocked that the owner and CEO thought of Hooters as a family restaurant. Well after trying the wing sauce with my wings I decided I would have to give it a go. On Mother's Day they were offering free wings for all mothers. I told my husband that's where I wanted to go.

Well yes the uniforms are skimpy and the waitresses are all beautiful girls. But I have to say it was a very pleasant experience and the food was delicious!!! Ok so here is it, officially Hooters I apologise for my mis-judgement!

I do hope to give homemade wing sauce a go. Then I could control the spice level. But that is for a later date. Also if spicy isn't your thing then drizzle the wings with BBQ sauce.

The Blue Cheese Dressing is a must and so delicious. It doesn't last long around here. The further in advance you make it the better the taste. Home Made Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe.

I love adding baby carrots and celery to the plate and recently I started using baby sweet peppers. They are like mini bell peppers and so yummy. Plus the veggies even out the fried wings and fries!

Buffalo-style Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

20 whole chicken wings

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 bottle of wing sauce

Baby carrots or 8 large carrots cut into sticks

8 celery ribs, cut into sticks

Baby sweet peppers

Seasoned fries

Home Made Blue Cheese Dressing

Directions:

1. Separate the chicken wings into drumettes and wings, discarding the wing tip joint. Place chicken wings and drumettes into a large ziplock bag.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Add the seasoned flour tithe plastic bag and toss to coat well.

3. Pour the chicken wings and excess flour onto a baking sheet and spread evenly. Allow the chicken to sit on the floured baking sheet to dry out for about an hour.

4. Preheat deep fryer or a large pot filled halfway with vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.

5. Add the chicken to hot oil and fry until cooked through and crispy, about 10 - 13 minutes.

6. In a large bowl add the butter. Place the wings in the bowl and drizzle with the wing sauce. Toss to coat well. Serve hot with the fries, vegetables and Blue Cheese Dressing on the side.

Happy Home Cooking!

Grilled Pineapple & Chicken Quesadilla

One of the first things I realised when I moved to Louisiana is that they love their Mexican food. Apart from faijitas I wasn't the biggest fan until I got pregnant with my youngest. Then I seemed to want it all the time. So I have a new found appreciation of it, although there are still some restaurants we go to where it just looks like a puréed mess on a plate.

It is interesting when you start to look at different cuisines and how each kind have their own version of similar dishes. Take Cajun Jambalaya, very similar to Chinese fried rice or Italian

Risotto or Spanish paella. All very similar basic ingredients with a unique blend of spices to that region.

Well quesadillas to me are like a grilled sandwich only instead of bread you use tortillas. Now to jump to the pizza aisle, two of my favorite pizzas are BBQ chicken and Hawaiian. So when I was surfing Pinterest I found this recipe. Grilled pineapple and chicken quesadillas. Another genius idea!

So I figured I would give it a go. I believe The Pioneer Woman is the original creator of this recipe but I found it on The Girl Who Ate Everything blog. (by the way love her blog name and her blog!)

Now if you want to take it to the ultimate Home Cooking Diva level you could make your own tortillas. Trust me they are so easy. Plus I have to say its like tasting the difference from fresh baked bread and a store loaf that's been sitting on the shelf a few days. If you want to give them a try here is the recipe for Home Made Tortillas

I used my panini press to grill the pineapple and chicken and then finished it off on the stove on a skillet. I would have used the press for this but it wasn't big enough and I didn't fancy cleaning up the mess. Although I do know they have several Quesadilla makers available at affordable prices. Think I may add it to my wish list as I love quesadillas!

Also the original recipe called for toasting the tortillas before assembling them. I cut this step out because I like a less crispy quesadilla.

This makes a great lunch or snack food. It's also a great way to use up any leftover BBQ chicken, we always seem to have some. You could even throw the pineapple on the grill and then stick it in the refrigerator and it will really be a quick lunch.

Grilled Pineapple and Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

8 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Butter

1/2 pineapple cut into quarter section

2 boneless chicken breast, pounded thin or butterflied

Tony's creole seasoning or other Cajun seasoning

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

3 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. To grill pineapple: place wedges on panini press and close lid and grill. You can also cut into wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat either on a grill, grill pan or skillet. Cut into slices and set aside.

2. To grill chicken: season with the Tony's to taste or just use salt and pepper if you don't want the spice. Place on the panini press and close lid and grill until done. I didn't clean the press after the pineapple because I was cooking the chicken straight away and pineapple juices added a little bonus to the chicken! When the chicken is done brush with the BBQ sauce and shred.

3. To assemble: take four tortillas and spread evenly with cheese, chicken and pineapple. Pour a little extra BBQ sauce over. Place the remaining four tortillas on top.

4. Melt a little butter in a skillet and add each quesadilla to the skillet. Cook until the bottom tortilla is slightly browned and then flip and cook on the other side until the cheese has melted

5. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream and/or BBQ sauce.

Happy Home Cooking!

Peri Peri Chicken update

I was so excited at one of my finds will at Target today getting groceries and I just had to share it with you. 

They are now selling Nandos Peri Peri sauce.

So if you are going to try the dish getting the sauce just got a whole lot easier!!!! Thanks Target!

Happy Home Cooking!

Chicken & Dumplings

I have to be honest this is the first time I have ever cooked this dish. I think I may only have eaten it once too, so I was going in blind!!! I picked an Emeril Lagasse recipe because I love Emeril and his cooking, like me he's not a Louisiana native but he knows Cajun cooking!

Here is the link to his recipe Emeril's Spicy Chicken & Dumplings. Yes it does say 'spicy' but it's not too bad and actually I found it a little weak on spicy side!

It was a big hit around here and definitely going to be a regular. Although straight up I have some changes I want to make.

1. I only used one large japaleno pepper so that might be why it wasn't as hot so I think I'll add 2 next time and a little Tony's!

2. I cut my chicken up too small and it all fell apart, plus I think I'll cook the cooking time for the chicken down.

3. I'll make my dumplings bigger, maybe 3 inch x 3 inch squares.

4. Oh and I added 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/4 didn't do it for me, if you are going down that road you may as well go ALL the way.

Now I do want to talk about the chicken itself, and no it wasn't one of my girls!!!! About a month ago I saw Whole Foods had a sale on their organic whole chicken which made it about the same price as the Gold n' plump variety that I buy (I like it because it's natural and not a lot of skin or extras like Sanderson Farm). So I got a few of the Whole Foods chickens and threw them in the freezer. I used one for this dish and can I say I am a convert!!!! The stock was beyond delicious and I didn't really have to skim too much stuff off the top as it boiled. The meat was juicy and perfect. So Whole Foods please have another sale so I can go get more!!!! I guess it's back to the old saying of quality ingredients make quality dishes.

Happy Home Cooking!!!

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is a Louisiana tradition. The first time I was coming over here to visit my husband when we were dating, my housemate's boyfriend told me I had to have Gumbo, he didn't know what it was but he had heard of it. So when I got here I asked Ken about it and he introduced me to Gumbo. To me it is a cross between a stew and a soup and as to what the traditional recipe is well that varies from kitchen to kitchen. Some say it's traditional to add tomatoes, some say it's a huge no no. As to the the meat well it can be anything that a Cajun can think off.

At the end of my first trip to Louisiana my mother in law gave me a gumbo mix pack and tin of Rotel tomatoes to take back to Northern Ireland to make Gumbo. I am really good at following recipes but I'm horrible at mixes, adding water seems to be beyond me! Anyhow I decided to cook it for my mother and was really excited to introduce her to it. Well the mix was for a huge pot and back then I didn't own a measuring cup never mind knew what to do with one. So I add a bit of mix and a bit of water. Well the concentration was off and well let say we couldn't eat it and had some unhappy stomachs for a day or so. 

After I got married, a few months later, I was on a mission to learn to make Gumbo from scratch because well the mix and I weren't getting on too well. I found a recipe and added my spin and now I use the same base and just switch between seafood or chicken and sausage. I add tomatoes to mine and okra. Okra helps thicken the gumbo. Yes I do make the roux from scratch although I don't always stand there for 45 minutes to get a dark chocolate roux. I don't like burning my roux so I have a habit of stopping at a dark peanut butter color. Sauteing the vegetables in the roux adds their flavor throughout the entire gumbo.

Gumbo freezes really well and I have been known to make a massive pot and freeze enough for 4 or 5 meals. It's also great if you are cooking for a large group of people. As a Christmas/Thanksgiving Turkey leftover dish just switch out the chicken for the turkey!

Oh and yes I have cooked this for my mother, she was a little apprehensive at first but she does prefer this version to her first experience!

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb hot smoked sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices

1 whole chicken

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

2 quarts chicken broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

Frozen okra, thawed

Tin of diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 tsp Creole seasoning

½ tsp dried thyme

1 T Worcestershire sauce

½ to 1 tsp hot sauce

½ cup sliced green onions

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

 1. Boil chicken in pot with Tony’s seasoning until cooked. Strip chicken meat and set aside.

2. Brown sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove to paper towel, reserving drippings.

3. Measure drippings, adding enough oil to measure ½ cup. Heat in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot.

4. Add flour to hot oil; cook, stirring constantly, until roux is the color of chocolate (about 30 - 45 minutes). 

5. Add onion, green pepper and celery; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often.

6. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan; add garlic and next 7 ingredients. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

7. Add sausage to pan and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in green onions; cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

8. Remove bay leaves; serve gumbo over rice. 

To complete the meal serve with potato salad and bread.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

I can honestly say Jambalaya is one of my favorite Cajun dishes. It's ability to be cooked on mass makes it one of the most social dishes. 

On the subject, my friend is holding a Jambalaya Plate Benefit for Corbin Duplechin, a precious little angel that was taken from his parents too soon. You can read the details and how to get involved if you live in the Baton Rouge area on the link above.

So back to the jambalaya. This is one of the dishes that I used to cook from a box mix, Zatarians was my brand of choice. It was fairly good but when I needed to change my diet to less processed this was the first that I started from scratch and I can honestly say that it really doesn't take much more time than the box mix and it tastes a million times better.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Prep Time: 1 hour

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt and ground pepper

1 lbs sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices

2 cups chopped onion

1 cups chopped celery

1 cups chopped green bell pepper

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 cups chicken stock (or water flavored with chicken bouillon)

1 Tbsp Kitchen bouquet (browning agent)

1 Tbsp seasoning salt (I use Tony’s, surprise surprise!)

2.5 cups uncooked long grain white rice

Directions:

 1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to a large Dutch oven or stockpot along with the sausage and cook over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes. If it starts to brown the bottom of the pot don't worry this adds to the color and flavor, just don't let it burn.

2. Remove chicken and sausage from pan; set aside.

3. Add onions, celery, green peppers and garlic; cook, stirring 7 – 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to wilt.

4. Stir in chicken stock, reserved chicken and sausage, Tony's and Kitchen Bouquet.

5. Bring to a boil; add rice and return  to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.

6. Cook 10 minutes; remove cover and stir. Replace cover and cook 15 – 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

To complete the meal, serve with salad and fresh bread rolls.

Peri Peri Chicken

I lived in London for 3 years and right across from my flat they opened a Nando's chicken. I LOVED this place. I love chicken anyway but something about the way they cooked it and the sauce just was divine! Anyhow that was a long time ago and the nearest Nando's is Washington D.C. (The irony is like Starbucks they have one in Belfast now after I move away!!!)

We were watching a cooking show, the BBQ University, man does that show make me hungry, and he was cooking Peri Peri Chicken Wings. They looked so good and it reminded me of Nando's. So I got on their website and the wonderful, thoughtful people have put their sauce in a jar and they will ship it to you!!! Yes even down here in Louisiana. So I order some and created this dish!!!! It is definitely a huge hit around here!!!!

Anyhow I do cheat and use a jar sauce! However you may remember my weekend project that I started a while back to grow some Buckeye Chilies, which is gives the Peri Peri Sauce it's Peri Peri. So once my babies grow I'll be experimenting with my own version. For now I order regularly from Nando's and if you wish to do so too, click this link, US Store Garlic Peri Peri Sauce or UK Nandos Shop. I prefer the Garlic Peri Peri Sauce. I have found it in at World Market in the US but the selection is extremely limited.

I also like to use the mini sweet peppers in the dish but regular peppers will work too. You can easily find them at Target or Walmart.

 

Peri Peri Chicken

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 bottles Nando's Garlic Peri Peri Sauce

12 mini sweet peppers or 1 small red and 1 small yellow bell pepper

1/8 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

2. In a hot skillet, sear the chicken skin side down until golden brown. Flip and brown the under side. Remove from skillet and set aside on a plate.

2. If using mini pepper slice in half and de-seed. If regular peppers, cut into 1 inch slices.

3. In a large 8 x 13 dish add the two bottles of sauce, vinegar and water and mix until combined.

4. Add the chicken, skin side up and add the peppers.

5. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and cover with foil.

6. Place pan in oven and bake for 35 minutes.

To complete the meal, serve with Potato wedges and salad.

Happy Home Cooking!

Sauce Update - March 28, 2012

Chicken Parmesan

I don't know how traditional a version of this dish this recipe is but it gets a thumbs up from my family.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil 

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 T chopped fresh basil

2 T balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

 ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ tsp black pepper

4 (4oz) skinned, boned chicken breast halves

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 T olive oil

Cooking spray

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

3 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 6oz uncooked)

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté for 7 minutes.
2. Stir in canned tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat; stir in parsley, basil, vinegar, ¼ tsp black pepper and garlic.
4. To prepare chicken: combine flour, parmesan and ¼ tsp black pepper in a shallow dish.
5. Place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to ¼” thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. 
6. Dip each breast half in egg white; dredge in flour mixture.
7. Heat 1 T oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden.
9. Arrange in a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
10. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
11. Serve over pasta with the spaghetti sauce.

Happy Home Cooking!

Fried Chicken

Today is definitely not on the healthy list but man there is nothing like fried chicken. I must say I've always loved it. As to the unhealthy aspect well it's all about balance. Some of my dishes are really healthy but then there are a few that are really unhealthy, so it all averages out! Well at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

For the longest time I was intimidated by fried chicken, I'm not really sure why but it just seemed hard. When I first got married I really wanted to try it but I wasn't brave enough to try the real thing. So I found a recipe that you coated the chicken with ranch dressing and coat with bread crumbs and fry. It was ok but it wasn't the real thing. So after a year of getting comfortable with 'faux' fried chicken I took the daring step into the world of real fried chicken and I don't know why I was so intimidated! So if you are like me go ahead a give it a go, you will surprise yourself. 

The key is a candy thermometer to makes sure the oil is the right temperature and a meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is cooked. I have a deep fat fryer and it actually works even better but I always feel like I'm wasting oil because I don't like reusing the oil after frying chicken or fish. Talking about oil I use peanut oil, it just adds to the flavor. Obviously if you have nut allergy or someone that you are cooking for I don't advise this and vegetable oil works great.

FRIED CHICKEN

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (3 to 3 ½ lb) broiler-fryer, cut up (I cheat and buy the pre-cut up chicken)

½ cup buttermilk

Tony's

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp black pepper

½ tsp ground red pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp paprika

1 large egg, beaten

½ cup buttermilk

Peanut oil

Directions:

1.   Season chicken with Tony's to taste and place in a dish. Cover with buttermilk and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour but overnight works good.

2.   Combine flour and next 5 ingredients, I put them in a ziploc bag, it easy and less messy to coat the chicken; stir well, and set aside. Combine egg and buttermilk; stir well.

3.   Dip chicken in egg mixture; dredge in flour mixture, coating each piece well, if you put the dry mix in a bowl. Or place all the pieces in the ziploc, seal and toss until all the chicken is coated well. If you want extra crispy fried chicken repeat procedure, heavily coating chicken pieces.

4.   Pour oil to dept of 1 inch into a large heavy skillet; heat to 335 degrees F. Fry chicken 20 to 25 minutes or until golden, turning to brown both sides. It should read 180 degrees on a meat 

 thermometer. 

5. Drain well on paper towels.

To complete the meal serve with corn on the cob, green beans and fries.

Happy Home Cooking!

BBQ Chicken

Now I have to admit that I really only do the preparation of this dish and then hand the chicken to my wonderful husband who has grilling down to an art. I guess that's one of the ways that I have made the month of home cooking easier in my house I have recruited his help, especially at the weekends.

The key to the delicious taste of this chicken is the rub and letting the chicken cure. If we are doing this for dinner I usually do the preparation in the morning and leave it in the fridge all day. Just make sure you give it at least an hour. And I've put 2 leg quarters and 2 chicken breast as an recommendation but go with whatever your family likes. You can even butterfly a whole chicken and cook it which is equally delicious.

BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken leg quarters

2 bone in chicken breast

1 ½ tsp coarse salt (kosher or sea)

1 ½ tsp sweet paprika

1 ½ tsp brown sugar

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp celery seed

2 cup of Barbecue Sauce (I use Kraft Hickory BBQ Sauce)

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken.

2. In a bowl mix together salt, paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and celery seed. Use your fingers or whisk.

3. Cover the chicken with the rub and place in an air tight container and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

4. Hand the chicken to your husband and wait patiently!

5. If step 4 isn't an option, place the chicken skin side up away from the direct flame on the grill. Cover the grill and grill the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. To test for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer: Insert it into the thickest part of a thigh but not so that it touches the bone. The internal temperature should be about 180 degrees F. 

6. After the first 15 minutes of grilling, using a barbecue mop or basting brush, baste the chicken with the sauce every 10 minutes while it cooks. Be sure to baste both sides of the chicken halves.

7. For the last few minutes move the chicken pieces directly over the fire to sizzle and brown the sauce on both sides.

8. Transfer the grilled chicken halves to a platter or plates and let rest for  3 minutes. Serve the chicken with the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.

To make a meal serve with baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw and twice baked potatoes.

Happy Home Cooking!

Cajun Pasta

So the first dish on our month of home cooking meals is Cajun Pasta. It's a wonderful dish that is full of Cajun flavors. You can adjust the spice level by adding or reducing the amount of Cajun seasoning.

Makes: 4 - 6  servings

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips

½ lb Cajun smoked sausage, sliced

½ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken broth

1 tsp all-purpose flour

1 cup whipping cream

1 T Cajun or Creole seasoning (more Tony's!!!)

2 T tomato paste

1 tsp cracked pepper (optional)

1 green onion, cut into thin strips

1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 (16 oz) pkg. thin spaghetti, uncooked

Directions:

1. Cook chicken and next 3 ingredients in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until meat is lightly browned; remove chicken mixture from skillet and set aside.
2. Add wine to skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until wine is reduced to ¼ cup.
3. Combine chicken broth and flour, stirring until smooth. Add chicken broth mixture, whipping cream, Cajun seasoning, tomato paste and if desired, cracked pepper to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. While the sauce is simmering cook the thin spaghetti according to the package directions and drain.
5. Add chicken mixture and pepper strips; cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Combine thin spaghetti and chicken mixture; toss gently.

To complete the meal serve with some garlic bread and salad.

Szechuan Noodle Toss

This is probably one of my top prized recipes that I have worked on and claimed as my own. It's one that I first made during my first year of marriage. Actually there's a story to this one.

I can't remember where I found the original recipe that this is adapted from and I actually believe it was supposed to be a cold dish, so you can see it's beyond adapted! Anyhow I learnt a valuable lesson, read the ingredients list CAREFULLY! The original called for a teaspoon and a half of CRUSHED red pepper well I didn't pay much attention to the 'crushed' part. I grabbed the GROUND red pepper it of the cupboard. As I measured it out I thought it looked a lot but I didn't put all but most of it in there. Fast forward to sitting down at the table with my poor, patient husband. One bite and well it was a shock how spicy it was! But he keep eating it and needless to say he was sweating and made a few trips to the bathroom.

After that the recipe nearly ended up in the trash pile but my husband talked me into trying it again, only not with such a generous helping of ground red pepper. I did try it with crushed red pepper but it was lacking. So from there and a little tweaking it became my recipe Szechuan Noodle Toss.

It's wonderful fast food. I can't emphasis enough how important it is that you do all the prep before you start cooking. You will probably spend more time prepping than cooking. When I was preparing for my post-delivery time after the birth of my second son I cut everything up and froze it. It worked well although I do like my red bell pepper to be crunchy and the freezing process had made it soggier. But under the circumstances it was wonderful to be able to put a meal on the table so quickly and easily and know that it was healthy.

Talking about healthy this is a wonderful way to get those great veggies in. I'm a huge fan of red bell peppers, I could remove the seeds and just eat them by themselves. They actually have more vitamin C than an orange. They also contain Vitamin A and K as well as lycopene.

Garlic is a huge favorite in my cooking. I know some people don't like the taste or the lingering effects to your breathe but we love it. It's health benefits are worth it. "Garlic is lipid-lowering, anti-thrombotic, anti-blood coagulation, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-parasitic. Impressive enough for you? All of those benefits have been documented in the well over 1,200 (and counting) pharmacological studies done on garlic" from The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden. Which by the way is an awesome book if you are looking at a diet overhaul. In the ever increasing Lipitor world garlic actually lowers cholesterol too, so these little potent gems not only add amazing flavor but they kick butt when it comes to your health.

Spinach is one of those vegetables that I know I should eat more of but really don't. I guess it's more I don't know what to do with it. I think this is one reason I like this dish so much. But Popeye was on to something with it, it's a packed with lots of nutrients and vitamins and is said to be the best source of vitamin K.

So anyhow I got a little carried away with all the healthy talk, perhaps my next post needs to be something sugary and loaded with calories!!!! Hey sometimes just simply being told something is good for you and actually knowing what the exact benefits are make the difference in choosing or not choosing to eat something. As a kid I remember being told that eating carrots would help my eye sight and I was so afraid of going blind that I would eat them like a crazy child. I still ended up wearing contacts so maybe it's a good thing I did eat them.

Anyhow finally recipe time. Again DO ALL YOUR PREP BEFORE YOU START COOKING!!!

Szechuan Noodle Toss

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 Tablespoon peanut oil (refined good quality)

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 (16 oz) pkg thin spaghetti

1 large sweet red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons sesame seed oil

1 (10oz) pkg fresh, trimmed spinach, torn into bite size pieces

3 Tablespoons sesame seed oil

1 T rice vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce (use reduced sodium if you are worried about sodium content)

1/4 tsp GROUND red pepper (reduce the amount if you don't like spicy food)

Directions:

1. Prep all your ingredients. 

2. In a measuring jar combine 2 T sesame oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 T rice vinegar and 1/4 tsp red pepper, stir and set aside.

3. Cook spaghetti according to package directions: drain.

4. Heat wok and when hot, add peanut oil, allow the oil to heat for a minute then add the chicken and 2 T soy sauce and stir fry until cooked. 

5. Remove from the wok and set aside.

6. Add 2 T sesame seed oil to wok and allow to heat for a minute. Add the red bell pepper, scallions and garlic and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

7. Stir in spinach and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until the spinach wilts.

8. Add the chicken and the spaghetti to the wok.

9. Pour the mixture from step 1 over the pasta and toss gently to coat.