grilled honey vinegar chicken

well, it's been a while since i posted, but i've been cooking between then and now, please calm down. and let's get back to the food. there are two cooking skills that i refuse to learn because my husband does them so well: making fried rice and grilling. but sometimes you gotta prep that meat for the grill, ya know? this is a great marinade that my sister jen introduced me to. the combo of spices, sweetness, and tang from vinegar - so yum.

grilled honey vinegar chicken
2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 1/2 t. paprika
2 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 c. honey
4 T. apple cider vinegar
about 2 lbs. chicken thighs or drumsticks

mix honey and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. measure all spices into a gallon-size zip top bag. toss chicken with spices in bag. grill until internal temperature is 160 degrees. a few minutes before removing from the grill, brush with the honey/vinegar mixture.

slow-roasted garlic chicken

cooking a whole chicken freaked me out for years... it just looked so daunting. but when i got married i had this weird desire to be able to cook one for my husband and me. maybe i have some hidden desire to be a housewife in the 1950's. but then i got this recipe (from where or whom i don't know - please identify yourself!) and it looked do-able. and i can say wholeheartedly: it is do-able and delicious, to boot! this is one of james's top 5 recipes that i make. i've included a couple pictures to show what i mean by seasoning under the skin and how i tie penny's (henny penny reference) thigh's together after stuffing her. the cool part of this is the first hour she cooks under foil, getting all juicy throughout, but then you take the foil off and crank the temp up to give her a nice tan - extra yummies! join me in 1950 and cook penny up tonight. (sorry - i forgot to take a picture of penny all cooked and golden... guess we just got too excited about carving her up.)

slow-roasted garlic chicken
2 T. kosher salt (or regular)
1 t. black pepper
1 ~5 lb. chicken
4 garlic heads, top 1" cut off
1 medium lemon, halved
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth

heat oven to 375. mix salt & pepper and set aside. remove giblets & pat chicken dry. rub chicken all over with one garlic head, rub all over (under skin, too - see picture) with oil & season with salt and pepper (in cavity, also). place 1 garlic head, top pieces of garlic and half the lemon in cavity & tie thighs together (see picture). arrange remaining garlic, lemon & onion on bottom of baking dish and place chicken in middle. add broth to pan and cover tightly with foil. roast until chicken reaches 135-140 degrees, about 1 hour. remove foil, brush chicken with juices and increase oven temp to 450. basting occasionally until temp of chicken in inner thigh is 165 degrees, skin is golden brown and juices run clear - about 30-40 minutes more. let rest 10 minutes before carving. (optional: pour pan juices into small saucepan and simmer over med. heat until thickened; about 7-10 minutes)

thai-ish honey peanut chicken

can something be "thai-ish"? because i believe this is. probably not the most authentic thai recipe, but it calls for ingredients that you most likely have around the kitchen... so who can complain about that? also, it's delicious and super easy: win-win! this recipe is adapted (barely) from thepioneerwoman.com. when i make this, i throw in whatever veggies i have lying around, and if you want to go vegetarian, i think this would be great with firm tofu. something else i love about this recipe: you can marinade the chicken anywhere between half an hour to 6 hours ahead of time. don't you love when a recipe is flexible? and thai-ish?

thai-ish honey peanut chicken
1 lb. chicken, in 1" chunks
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. honey
1 T. lime juice
1 minced garlic clove
2 T. peanut butter (smooth? chunky? natural? yes to all!)
1/2 t. curry powder
1 t. sriracha sauce (spicy chinese sauce - in most grocers in the asian section)
1/2 t. flour to thicken sauce (optional)
any chopped veggies you'd like

mix all ingredients except flour and veggies and marinade from 1/2 to 6 hours. cook chicken in sauce over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until done. reduce heat and add veggies and flour (if desired). serve with rice.

chicken devan

as we're in the midwest right now, i thought it would be appropriate to share a very midwestern recipe. it's a classic casserole (or "hotdish", if you're from minnesota) that's gooey and yummy - we love it served with rice. the name of this one is chicken devan, but for years my mom called it "chicken dawn" (not sure why). even better, she has it written on her old recipe card as "chicken dwan", which i think sounds great. now james has added a new name to the mix, calling it "chicken devine" since it's one of his favorites. i don't care what you call it, you'll enjoy! p.s. you can cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8x8" if you're not that hungry.

chicken devan
2 (10 oz.) package frozen broccoli
2 c. sliced cooked chicken (i use mix of white & dark meat)
2 c. cream of chicken soup
1 c. mayo
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. curry powder
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs (or crushed crackers or potato chips)
1 t. butter melted

preheat oven to 350. in a large bowl, combine soup, mayo, lemon, curry, and cheese. add in chicken and broccoli - stir til combined. spoon mixture into a 9x13" baking dish. in a separate bowl, mix butter and bread crumbs and then sprinkle over the top of chicken mix. bake for an hour or until bubbly.
to freeze: mix all ingredients, put in pan, cover with foil, seal well & freeze. do not thaw, but cook an extra half hour (check it - may need more!).

shredded bbq chicken sandwiches

on today's episode of "cooking with beer" we will be making delicious pulled chicken sandwiches. these are an adaptation of a rachael ray recipe, but with a few changes. first and foremost, i refuse to call something that i cooked with a can of beer a name so diminutive as "sammies", as she calls sandwiches. i made some other changes, but feel free to mess with this one - you can omit tabasco if you're a heat-wimp, omit the liquid smoke if you don't want to buy it (hey, it's cool), or crank up any other ingredient to your taste. they're forgiving sandwiches (but not so forgiving as to allow insulting nicknames)... just don't wear a white shirt when you eat them.

shredded bbq chicken sandwiches
1 c. chicken broth
1 bottle or can of beer (go cheap!)
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 T. olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 med. onion, chopped
2 T. worcestershire sauce
1 T. tabasco
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. black pepper
3 T. brown sugar
4 T. tomato paste
1 t. paprika
sliced pickles & burger buns to serve

bring liquids to a simmer in a medium pot and add meat. gently poach chicken for about 10 minutes, turning at 5 minutes. reserve the beer liquid in a bowl, remove chicken, slice and shred using two forks. use the same medium pot to sauté the garlic & onion in the oil for about 5 minutes (or until onions are tender). add chicken, about 1/2 c. beer liquid, and the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer 5-10 minutes. use extra beer liquid as needed. top with pickles in a bun.

chicken satay

i was looking for a delicious protein to accompany our coconut noodles and found this recipe on allrecipes.com (but i made a couple changes). satay is one of my favorite thai flavors - peanutty goodness. this recipe is fun - you can marinade chicken in it; cut it into pieces, skewer and grill it; bake it; or like i did - sauté the chicken in a pan with about half of the sauce. mmm... peanutty...

chicken satay adapted from allrecipes.com
4 T. creamy peanut butter (i used crunchy - also yummy)
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. lemon or lime juice
1 T. brown sugar
2 t. curry powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. thai sweet pepper sauce

mix & add more of any ingredients to taste. cook in sauce, but reserve some sauce to serve with chicken. chicken can be baked, skewered & grilled, marinaded, or sautéd. sautéd tofu can be substituted for chicken.

chicken pho, a.k.a. phở gà

if there were a food about which i could write a book, pho might be that food. pronounced "fuh", pho is a delicious vietnamese brothy noodle soup that kicks classic chicken noodle soup to the curb, in my opinion. i crave it. my husband and i fell in love over pho. the wonderful sauces and herbs you add to it make a heavenly aroma. and we've seen pho restaurants with some of the goofiest names, such as "9021pho", "pho that", and "what the pho?". i mean, come on!

it is typically served with sliced rare beef, tripe and tendon, and the broth is made in a slow cooking process involving oxtail. well, kids, this blogger isn't much for red meat or for all-day cooking affairs, so when dao, a vietnamese friend of ours, offered to teach me how to make a simpler, quicker chicken version i squealed at the opportunity. and it is delicious!

chicken pho (phở gà in vietnamese)
2 cans chicken broth
2" of fresh ginger (whole, but peeled)
1 quartered small onion
5 star anise
2 chicken breasts
1-2 T. fish sauce, if desired (you can substitute salt)
1 lb. rice stick noodles (damp or dry)

garnishes:
fresh basil
fresh cilantro
bean sprouts
sriracha sauce
hoisin sauce
hanh dam (thinly sliced onion soaked in vinegar - so good)

bring broth and 3-4 cans water to boil. add ginger, onion & anise and bring back to boil. once boiling, add chicken breasts, simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. remove chicken, cut into thin slices, set aside. (i taste the broth here and add fish sauce or salt to taste - you want it to be salty as adding the noodles later will lessen the salinity). bring water to boil in another pot and cook noodles til just done (don't overcook!). drain and place noodles in individual bowls, add some chicken, and cover in broth. rip up basil & cilantro leaves into soup & garnish as desired!
this broth can be frozen, too.

honey-grill marinade

thank you, joy, for one of our most-used recipes! i love this marinade: delicious, easy, and seems to go well with everything. fire up the grill because this is could be your dinner tonight!

honey-grill marinade
1 (3 lb.) boneless pork loin roast, or about 3 lbs. of boneless/skinless chicken (breasts &/or thighs)
2/3 c. soy sauce (or liquid aminos for gf)
1 t. ground ginger
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. honey
1 1/2 T. sesame oil

for pork loin: trim fat, butterfly roast cutting lengthwise into 1/2" of other side; for chicken: trim fat. place in a large ziploc bag. combine soy, ginger & garlic and pour over meat. seal bag, place in bowl and refrigerate 3 or more hours, turning occasionally. remove roast, discard marinade. combine sugar, honey and sesame oil in saucepan. cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. heat grill to medium-hot (350-400), brush meat with honey mixture and cook for 20-30 minutes for pork, about 10 minutes for chicken, basting frequently.

chicken tikka masala

i'm sorry, you've never tried tikka masala? never heard of tikka masala? honey, that's gotta be changed. this is, hands down, my favorite indian dish. i cannot help but order it at any indian restaurant we visit. tikka masala is a creamy, tomato-y, spicy (as much as you like) very flavorful dish that is best served with naan (indian flatbread - try trader joe's) or rice. i know this recipe isn't straight out of mumbai - more like allrecipes.com - but it's super yummy and doesn't require building a tandoor oven in your home so, let's get cookin'.

chicken tikka masala (चिकन टिक्का मसाला in hindi)
1 c. plain yogurt
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. cumin
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cayenne (i add a touch more, you can take it out altogether if you don't like spice)
2 t. pepper
1 T. minced ginger (or 1 t. ground ginger)
3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
baking rack* (i use the kind you cool cookies on, but make sure your's is oven-safe!)

1 T. butter
1 minced garlic clove
1 finely chopped jalapeño (de-seed and de-vein it to cut down on heat)
2 t. cumin (not a repeat, you need it twice)
2 t. paprika
1 t. salt, or to taste
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. cream
1 c. frozen peas (optional)


in a large bowl, combine all ingredients in first section (yogurt to chicken). cover & refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to a day. preheat oven to 475. spread chicken on baking rack place on cookie sheet (there will be lots of drippings, so lining the cookie sheet with foil will help) - discard extra yogurt mix. cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken chunks. melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. sauté garlic & jalapeño for 1 minute. season with 2 t. cumin, paprika & salt. stir in tomato sauce and cream. simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. add chicken & peas and simmer for 10 minutes. serve with rice or naan.

*you can use skewers and grill the chicken on high heat for about 5 minutes per side, if you're feeling outdoorsy.

chicken tagine with lemons and olives

tagine is a moroccan slow-cooked stew full of complex, interesting and unique flavors. lemon and olives and... cinnamon? yessirree, and it totally works. this tagine recipe comes from dear kristin again... isn't she somethin'? super delicious and healthy, this recipe is awesome served over couscous. nummers!

chicken tagine with lemons & olives
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (~1.5 lbs.)
2 boneless/skinless chicken thigh quarters (~1 lb.)
1 t. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 T. each chopped cilantro & parsley
3/4 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. pitted whole green olives (i substitute kalmata)
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1 1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1/4 c. lemon juice

sprinkle chicken with s&p. heat oil in large pot over high heat. add chicken, cook 3 minutes each side. remove chicken from pot. add onion & garlic to pot, cook 30 sec., stirring constantly. add chicken, broth, olives, cinnamon & ginger and bring to boil. cover, reduce heat & simmer for 45 minutes, turning chicken over every 15 minutes. add rind, juice, cilantro and parsley, cook for 30 seconds, stirring. serve with sauce spooned over chicken.

korean chicken thighs

this is a favorite in my sister jen's family. she told me that for years it has been a staple celebration meal in her house, and also a staple consolation meal when someone had a bad day. i really love the flavor of this one & it's fantastic over rice.
dark chinese vinegar can be replaced with rice vinegar, but the real thing is delicious and not biting, like some vinegars can be. here's a pic of the black vinegar i bought at an asian market - hope it helps you.

korean chicken thighs
6 boneless/skinless thighs
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. dark chinese vinegar (or rice vinegar)
4-6 minced cloves garlic
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (i use more)

preheat oven to 400. brown thighs in 1-2 T. oil in a pan til golden brown on each side - not cooked through. place in oven-safe pan (9x13" works great). mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over thighs (the chicken, not your's). cover pan with foil and bake for 1/2 hour, or until cooked through. serve with the sauce.

*updated* i substituted a large chicken breast cut in half for two of the thighs. i put the breast pieces in first for 15 minutes, then added the thighs and cooked them all for 30 more minutes. yum!