Category: Main Dish: Poultry

BBQ Turkey Legs

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This is a recipe my boyfriend has perfected. He made it for a party that he threw for his skills instructors (pictured above) because he runs an EMS program at the local community college. This is a compilation of many recipes found online so it is now his.

Ingredients:

  • 2 liter lemon lime soda
  • 1 TBS crushed red pepper
  • 1 TBS black pepper
  • 2 TBS hot sauce
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • Turkey legs

Directions:

Light your BBQ for direct heat cooking. Add first 5 ingredients together in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Add the turkey legs and cook, uncovered for 45 minutes or until the meat reaches a temperature of 180 degrees. Remove onions and place on the BBQ to create a bed for the legs, add turkey legs on the BBQ with direct heat and lid on. Coat with honey. Cook until there is a nice char on the meat.

Lemon Chicken

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Really good wine pairing for this dish pictured above

This is another recipe from my new cookbook I recently purchased called Cooking My Way Back Home.  The original recipe calls for olives and feta which I will include but I did omit because I did not think my children would like it.

Ingredients:

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut on the diagonal into 3 pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 4 TBS unsalted butter
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 TBS dried oregano
  • 1 TBS sugar
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 TBS fresh flat-leaf parsley

Garnish:

  • 1 cup nicoise olives, pitted and quartered
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 TBS chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, put the flour in a shallow dish and dredge each chicken piece in it.  Heat the oil and add the chicken pieces, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  Lower the heat and add 2 TBS butter to pan scraping up any bits, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the oregano, sugar, wine and lemon juice, raise the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add stock and cook 4 more minutes.  Turn the heat to medium-low and add the chicken with the remaining 2 TBS butter, stir to coat each chicken piece and cook 2 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.  To serve place chicken on plate, cover with sauce and garnish with olives, feta and parsley.

Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich with Biscuits and Coffee-Laced Gravy

 

This is the first of many recipes I will be posting from my favorite new cookbook Cooking My Way Back Home by Mitchell Rosenthal.  In this recipe the coffee-laced gravy is the star.  You can make the gravy and just serve it over biscuits if you like but I wanted to post the recipe in its entirety in case you want to try it  the way its suppose to taste.

Coffee-laced Gravy

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cubed
  • 3 ounces breakfast pork sausage links, casings removed
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 TBS unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 TBS brewed espresso or other strong coffee
  • 3 cups Chicken Stock, warmed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
  • 6 Country Biscuits (recipe follows)
  • 6 fried chicken breasts (recipe follows)

Directions:

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until some of the fat is rendered.  Add the pork sausage meat and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula, for 3 minutes more, or until it starts to brown.  Add the onion.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

Add the butter and stir until melted.  Lower the heat to medium-low.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes to cook away the raw flour taste.  Pour in the espresso and stock and stir well, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge and browned bits.  Raise the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Add the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has a nice gravy consistency.  Finally, stir in the sage, then taste and correct the seasoning.

Split each biscuit in half horizontally and lay the halves, cut side up and side by side, on a plate.  Top with a hot fried chicken breast, ladle the hot sauce on top, and serve immediately.

Country Biscuits:

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 TBS baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 TBS sugar
  • 1 TBS salt
  • 1/2 pound, plus 1/2 stick butter, frozen, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Scatter the butter on top, on low speed with mixer beat until the butter is about the size of peas, combine all bits with buttermilk until it forms into a dough. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured work surface. Fold and pat until soft and cohesive. Roll out to 1 inch thick and transfer to a sheet pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to a day.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Re-roll the dough into a round 1 inch piece onto lightly floured work surface. Cut as many biscuits as possible into 2 inch rounds. Place the biscuits on prepared pan and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake the biscuits for 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Hot Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk
Canola oil, for deep frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Town Hall Spice Mixture (recipe follows)
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and beat with a mallet until 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and buttermilk into a bowl and coat. Let soak for 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or heavy bottomed frying pan to 375 F. In a bowl stir together flour, spice mixture and 1 tsp salt. Toss the chicken into the flour mixture and out of the buttermilk and cook in hot oil for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Town Hall Spice Mixture

Ingredients:

2 TBS cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp celery salt

Directions: Mix all ingredients together. Store in airtight container in cool cupboard. Keeps for up to 6 months.

Chicken Kebabs with Avocado Dip

I’m back to college and trying to juggle studying, children, and work with my personal life. That means less time to share recipes but I haven’t stopped cooking. Cooking gives me a break from studying and relaxes me. This is a rather simple recipe I found in Jamie Oliver’s book titled Jamie does Spain, Italy, Morocco, France, etc. etc. Love his recipes and books and this one is simple and delicious.

This can be served as a main or an appetizer.

Ingredients;
4 boneless chicken breasts
4 pitas or flatbreads (Olga bread works well)
1 lemon

For the marinade;
Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated, thumb size piece
1 TBS hot paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
3 TBS olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the avocado dip;
2 ripe avocados
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
1 fresh green or red chile, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions;

Cut chicken into pieces for kebabs and mix marinade ingredients together, combine with chicken and cover with plastic wrap, place in fridge for 30 minutes or overnight. Make avocado dip and set aside. Place chicken pieces on skewers, grill for 5-7 minutes on each side and serve with bread and avocado dip.

Charlie’s Chicken

One of my best friends, Sharlene, made this dish at her Christmas party this year and my children and I loved it so I copied it down and gave it a try. I haven’t perfected it yet but I will keep trying. Charlie is her father in-law and this is his recipe.

Ingredients;

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
Dash thyme
3 to 4 lbs chicken tenders
1/4 to 1 cup olive oil and butter combined
4 green onions sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
2 TB lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup apple juice

Directions;

Mix flour, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, and thyme in plastic bag, add chicken and shake to coat well. Brown chicken in oil/butter and remove to casserole dish.
Add onions and mushrooms to sauté pan that you used to cook chicken and simmer for 3 minutes, add vegetables to casserole dish. Mix lemon juice, sugar, 1 tsp. salt, and apple juice together and pour over chicken.
Bake at 325 degrees covered with foil for 60 minutes.

Roy Choi’s Stir-Fried Chicken Henhouse Bowl

 

I bought this wonderful cookbook titled Secrets Of The Best Chefs by Adam Roberts. The selling point of the entire book is the inclusion of this delicious recipe by Roy Choi. Ever since the first time I made this a month or so ago I’ve been craving it; it’s time to make it again tonight. But first, lets share it with anyone out in internet land that wants to try it and have their flavor senses thank them. To start, you must make his sweet chili sauce, it is an integral part of the dish and cannot be omitted.

Sweet Chili Sauce

This very spicy, slightly sweet sauce can be used on all types of protein or just plain rice. You can omit some ingredients, as I did, because I was unable to find everything and I needed it a little less spicy for the children, but don’t skip the key ingredients. Key to this sauce is the chili sauce, citrus, herbs, onion, garlic, and ginger.

Ingredients;

1 (10-ounce) bottle Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce
2/3 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
2/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1 med orange)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 med limes)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 medium cloves garlic, peeled and slightly chopped (to get them started, the blender will do the rest)
3 TBS sriracha hot sauce
2 TBS Korean crushed red pepper
2 TBS toasted sesame seeds
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 dried Anaheim chili, stemmed and coarsely chopped (optional)
1 Serrano chili, stemmed and coarsely chopped (optional)
4 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. Korean chili paste
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend for 1 minute, until you have a smooth puree. Taste to adjust for citrus, heat, and salt. Use immediately or refrigerate in a jar for later use. The sauce will last for about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Henhouse Bowl

Ingredients;

Canola oil
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup cleaned and sliced Chinese broccoli or whole spinach leaves or a combination
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce, plus more to taste
A big handful of cilantro leaves, plus more for later
A big handful of Thai basil leaves, plus more for later
1 or 2 red fresno chilies, thinly sliced
A few TBS of toasted sesame seeds
A three-finger pinch of fried shallots
2 fried eggs (optional)

Directions:

Set a wok on high heat. Swirl 3 TBS canola oil until it’s hot, add the onions. Lower heat and let the onions cook. When they start to brown, remove to bowl and set aside. Add more oil, add chicken, warm chicken and remove to onion bowl. Add more oil, increase heat, add the greens, stir until wilted, add to onion and chicken bowl. Oil again, add rice, flatten like a pancake. Allow to sit for a bit, lower heat, sizzle a minute, start moving it around. You don’t want a film on the bottom; you want the rice to be in direct contact with the heat. Slowly cook and warm rice without adding color. Add onions, chicken, and greens to wok and stir. Add the chili sauce. Stir and taste. Add cilantro, basil, sesame seeds, and fried shallots and top with the same and a fried egg.

If you want to use fresh chicken and not leftover or a cooked rotisserie marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator with;

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1 med Asian pear (grated)
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Pat very dry and cook the chicken in the 1st step instead of the 2nd step, before cooking the onions.

Fried Shallots

You want the shallots and oil to come up in temperature together. So add sliced shallots to a pan of cold canola oil. Slowly bring up the heat and cook, until the shallots are deep golden brown.

Chicken Teriyaki

 

My daughter loves Asian inspired dishes and chicken teriyaki with steamed rice is one of her favorites. There are many teriyaki recipes out there but this one is really yummy and simple. Found on foodnetwork.com by Nigella Lawson.

Ingredients;

  • 2 TBS sake (Japanese Rice Wine)
  • 1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 TBS light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
  • Splash sesame oil
  • Chicken breast
  • 1 tsp peanut oil
  • Sushi rice

Directions;
Combine the sake, mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and sesame oil in a bowl. Slice the chicken into strips and place in the sauce for 15 minutes.

Heat the peanut oil in a sauté pan and add the chicken, sauté until cooked on the outside and then add the remaining teriyaki sauce. Cook thoroughly.

Serve with cooked rice.

Coq Au Vin

Every other Friday my best friend Dawn comes over with her son and I make a new dish. Having a meal with friends makes it so much more fun. This recipe called for adding cognac and then lighting it on fire. That was a blast and now I want to find more dishes that I get to light on fire. This is the one and only Julia Child’s recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Ingredients;
3 to 4 oz chunk of lean bacon
2 TBS butter
2 – 3 lb chicken, cut up.
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups full-bodied red wine
1 to 2 cups chicken or beef stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 TBS tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/4 tsp thyme
12 to 24 brown-braised onions
1/2 lb sauteed mushrooms
salt and pepper
3 TB flour
2 TB softened butter

Directions;
Remove the rind of the bacon and cut into lardons. Simmer for 10 minutes, rinse in cold water and dry. Use a 10 inch fireproof casserole dish. Saute the bacon slowly in hot butter (2 TB) until it is lightly brown. Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat. Season the chicken, return bacon, cover and cook for 10 minutes turning the chicken once.
Uncover and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, light the cognac with a match and shake until the flames subside.

Add wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to simmer, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. While the chicken is cooking prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Recipes are as follows:

Brown Braised Onions

Ingredients:

18-24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter

1 Tbs butter

1 1/2 Tbs oil

1/2 cup beef stock, wine, or water. (red or white wine is fine)

salt and pepper to taste

A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme.

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onion and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Pour in the liquid, season to taste, add the herbs. Cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes.

Sauteed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs oil

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms

Directions:

Heat the butter and oil and as soon as it starts to foam add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes. As soon as they have browned

Returning to Coq Au Vin recipe

Remove the chicken to a side dish.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid for a minute or two skimming off the fat. Raise heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Season and discard bay leaf. Blend the butter and flour into a paste and beat into hot liquid with a wire whip until thick enough to coat a spoon.

Place chicken, onions, and mushrooms together and baste with sauce.

Fried Chicken

 

I haven’t had much luck with making fried chicken, until this recipe. I found this recipe in the book Secrets of the Best Chefs by Adam Roberts. This is Angelish Wilson’s recipe and I can’t get over how simple it is.

 

Ingredients;
1 to 2 (4 pounds) chickens cut into pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil

Directions;
3 hours before you want to fry, clean the chicken, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate. 1 hour before frying remove from fridge and bring to room temperature.
Set up 2 bowls. One of room temperature water and the other of flour. Heat the oil. In large stock pot or dutch oven , pour in the vegetable oil and do not fill it more than halfway. Heat until it reaches 370 degrees. Dip each piece in water than the flour than place in oil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning every so often.

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