Recipe: Oven-Barbecued Chicken

May 17, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

Lately I’ve been so busy with work, family, and stuff I’ve barely had time to cook a single meal. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do, but when I’m pressed for time, tired, in a hurry- it becomes just another chore. I hate that. I finally got a chance to cook a few nights ago and I pulled out one of my favorite recipes- Oven-Barbecued Chicken from Cook’s Country Magazine.

Most BBQ Chicken recipes made in the oven seem to produce a sauce that’s thin, runny, and barely coats the chicken. Not this one. It’s thick and spicy and fully coats the chicken.

Oven-Barbecued Chicken

1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons finely grated onion
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry
Salt and Black pepper
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place oven rack in upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element and heat to 325 degrees.
Whisk ketchup, onion, Worcestershire, mustard, molasses, maple syrup, vinegar, chili powder, and cayenne in small bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat and season chicken with salt and pepper. Once pan begins to smoke, add chicken and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned on each side. Transfer to a plate.
Add sauce mixture to skillet and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Take pan off heat and add chicken back to pan. Turn to coat well with sauce. Place in oven and cook 10 to 14 minutes. Set oven to broil and keep cooking until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch chicken carefully during this portion. The sauce will burn if it is too close to the heating element.

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: chicken recipes

Recipe: Pimento-Cheese Pinwheels

May 12, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

This recipe is great both as an appetizer and a bread dish with supper. They are best eaten while still warm from the oven with the cheese still melted and gooey. I would think that any pimento cheese could be used in these roll-ups but would think that a firmer, heartier pimento cheese is best so as to not produce a soggy pinwheel. No doubt these would work very well using puff pastry in place of crescent rolls.

And how good would a pinwheel with mozzarella and pepperoni taste? The potential combinations are endless. Great recipe for older kids who have an interest in making their own snacks.

The dough was a little difficult to cut through without smooshing. Freezing the logs for a little while would help with the slicing, but not sure how it would affect the cooking time of finished product.

Pimento-Cheese Pinwheels (Kraftrecipes.com)

4 0z cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped pimentos
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon tabasco
1 (8-oz) package refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
With an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat together all ingredients except crescent dough.
Unroll dough and press seams together.
Spread cream cheese mixture on dough.
Starting on 1 long side, roll up dough.
Cut into 16 slices and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield:16 pinwheels

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Appetizer recipes

Recipe: Slow Cooker Black Beans and Black Bean Chimichangas

May 6, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

Happy Belated Cinco De Mayo! I meant to post this recipe a few days ago but didn’t have time. It only takes a quick glance through my collection of recipes and it’s evident that I like Mexican food. A lot. Mexican food is very forgiving. Even someone with the most elementary cooking skills can cook some decent Mexican inspired food. The same can’t be said for other ethnic foods. I’ve pretty much given up cooking Chinese-type recipes because I’m never happy with the way they turn out. Indian food? Don’t even know where to start.

This is a recipe I tore out of a Southern Living Magazine in 2008 and I just tried it for the first time. I had never cooked beans in a slow-cooker before and I’ll admit I ever so slightly look down on crock pot cooking. But I must say these crock pot beans turned out fantastically. They were perfectly cooked through, but had a more substantial texture and flavor than canned beans. I altered the recipe slightly, upping the amount of cumin and adding a little oregano. I’m thinking a bay leaf might be a good addition too.

This recipe makes an enormous amount of beans and would be a great dish to make for having company over.

Slow-Cooker Black Beans

1 (16-ounce) bag of dried black beans
2 bacon slices
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups diced cooked ham
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth

Rinse and sort beans according to package directions and place in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak for 8 hours (overnight).
Drain and rinse beans and place in slow cooker.
Cook bacon over medium-high in a large skillet heat until crisp. Crumble bacon and add to slow cooker.
Saute onion and celery in bacon grease for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue sauteing for 1 more minute.
Reduce heat to medium and add diced ham, cumin, oregano, and red and black pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth and loosen any pieces stuck to bottom of pan.
More mixture into slow cooker and add the rest of the chicken broth.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to season.

Yield: more beans than you could ever eat in a month!

Black Bean Chimichangas

1 (8.8-oz) pouch ready to serve Mexican rice
2 cups Slow-Cooker Black Beans
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
10 (8-inch) soft taco-size flour tortillas
1/4 cup butter, melted
shredded iceberg lettuce

Heat rice according to package directions.
Divide rice, beans, and chicken between tortillas, placing just below center of tortilla. Fold bottom third up and over filling, then fold sides over and roll up. Place seam side down on a greased jelly-roll pan. Brush tops with melted butter.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Once out of oven, sprinkle with cheese and serve with lettuce and salsa.

Yield: 5 servings

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: cinco de mayo recipes, Mexican recipes, ways to use rotisserie chicken

Recipe: Chicken and Bacon Kabobs

May 4, 2012 By Christin M 1 Comment

Cooking on the grill is one of the things I most love about the warmer months. Our old house had a built-in gas grill right outside the kitchen door. I used that thing all the time. Since we moved to our new house 2 1/2 years ago, we’ve been gas grill-less. I’d like to get one, but I’m not quite sure where to put one. I’m worried that a grill purchase will lead to a patio needing to be built and maybe some relandscaping. And then if we were going to do all that we might as well put in one of those super cool outdoor fireplaces. So purchasing a grill might be a dangerous road to go down. For now I’ll continue to make-do with my grill pan. Love to cook on it, just hate to clean it.

This chicken kabob recipe is one of my favorite things to grill. It’s delicious and very hard to mess up. Even if you start to enjoy the glass of wine you are drinking a little too much and forget you have food on the grill, the bacon helps keep the chicken from drying out.

Chicken and Bacon Kabobs (recipe from Allrecipes.com)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
10 large mushrooms, cut in half
2 green onions, minced
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
1/2 pound bacon, cut in half
1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 1 hour)

Mix first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add mushrooms and chicken and stir to coat.
Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat grill for high heat or heat grill pan over medium-high heat.
Wrap chicken chunks with bacon and thread onto skewers alternating with pineapple chunks and mushroom halves.
Arrange skewers on grill and cook 15-20 minutes, brushing occasionally with marinade.

Yield: 4-5 servings

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: chicken recipes, recipes for grill

Recipe: Strawberry Peanut Butter Wrap

April 30, 2012 By Christin M 1 Comment

For the last several months, I have been collecting strawberry recipes and images on my “strawberries” Pinterest board. I’ve developed quite a collection if I do say so myself. Feel free to follow me on Pinterest. If you are a visual person like I am, it’s a great place to organize recipes you’d like to try, projects you’d like to do, or just anything that makes your heart sing. It’s like having lots of different scrapbooks, only with much less time invested and none of the clutter.

Strawberry Peanut Butter Wrap

1 “Flat Out” – I think that’s what they’re called
1 tablespoon peanut butter
3-4 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 of a banana, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons granola (I used Special K Low-fat Granola)

Spread peanut butter on Flat Out bread. Layer strawberry and banana slices on top. Sprinkle with granola.
Starting at 1 short end, roll flat bread up. Cut in half on the diagonal and serve.

Yield: 1 serving

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Pinterest, strawberry recipes

Recipe: Strawberry Cobbler

April 29, 2012 By Christin M 2 Comments

Peach Cobbler is something I’ve made countless times, but until a few days ago I’d never made a strawberry cobbler. Local strawberry fields are still bearing their fruit, but they won’t be for much longer. I’d like to try at least 3 or 4 more strawberry recipes before the season is over.

I’m surprised there aren’t more strawberry cobbler recipes out there. Strawberries cook up just as well in a cobbler as peaches do. When making a cobbler or any type of biscuit, it’s best to use Martha White or White Lily flour. They create a cobbler that is amazingly light and fluffy. So good, I almost wanted to just eat the topping and leave the strawberries. I’ll definitely be making it again.

Strawberry Cobbler (recipe source- Californiastrawberries.com)

Filling

6 cups strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Biscuit

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baling powder
2 tablespoons sugar, plus more on top
4 tablespoons butter, cubed and chilled
1 cup heavy cream
8″ pyrex dish
ice cream or whipped cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine ingredients for filling and place in pyrex dish.
To make topping, combine all of dry ingredients. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. (I use my fingers for this. Don’t work the butter in too much or biscuit will toughen up.)
Add cream and mix just to incorporate. Spoon filling on top. It will be clumpy- that’s OK. Sprinkle with sugar to give some shine.
Bake until golden brown and biscuit is cooked all the way through. Serve with ice cream.

Yield: 5 or 6 servings

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: strawberry recipes

Recipe: Grilled Asparagus and Steak Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette

April 27, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

I’m a big time salad eater, but I hate same-old, same-old salads. The more creative the salad, the better. This recipe for Asparagus and Steak Salad from Fine Cooking Magazine is a unique combination of flavors, but they work well together. Love the addition of Mango. I can’t ever seem to pick a good Mango at the store, and if I do chances are pretty high that I’ll lose part of a finger trying to cut it. Instead, I buy the jarred mango slices in the produce section of the store. I dab then well with paper towels to get rid of some of the excess moisture. Trader Joe’s has pretty good pre-cut mango too.

The Hoisin Vinaigrette is a keeper. Even my kids liked it and they only like a salad dressing once in a blue moon.

Grilled Asparagus and Steak Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette (slightly adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

Peppercorn Medley (the kind that comes in a grinder)
salt
2-3 New York Strip Steaks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

For the Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons chicken broth
2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon or Chinese mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic

For the salad

6 cups mixed greens
1 large mango, peeled and slivered into wedges (I used jarred mango from the produce section)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (if desired, soak in ice-water to take away some of the bite)

Prepare steak and asparagus

Coat steak with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and ground peppercorns. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Toss asparagus with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare grill or heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill steak for 4-5 minutes per side, or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to a plate and tent with foil. Grill asparagus until tender-crisp.

Prepare vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until well blended.

Assemble salad

Arrange mixed greens, asparagus, and mango on a platter. Thinly slice steak and place on top. Garnish with red onion and drizzle with dressing.

Yield: 4 main course servings

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: salad recipes

Recipe: Chicken and Asparagus Pasta Bake

April 22, 2012 By Christin M 1 Comment

Today is definitely a day for comfort food. The weather has been cold, windy, and rainy. It’s a day to snuggle on the couch, watch some television, and eat something warm and hearty. Casseroles are probably my all-time favorite comfort food and they are immensely popular in the south. This chicken casserole recipe makes enough to last 2 meals if served with a side salad and I love cooking with asparagus this time of year when it is at the height if its season.

Chicken and Asparagus Pasta Bake (adapted slightly from Celebrate Magazine)

1/2 pound fresh asparagus (I used 1 whole bunch from the store)
1/4 cup butter
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
4 green onions, chopped
2 handfuls spinach leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) carton whipping cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used all the meat I could get off of 1 rotisserie chicken)
1 (8-ounce) package medium egg noodles, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut off tough ends from asparagus and cut into 2-inch pieces.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute asparagus and mushrooms for 4 minutes. Add green onion and saute for 1 more minute. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
Gradually add in broth and cream and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, chicken, and spinach.
Spoon into a greased 13X9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: casserole recipes, things to do with rotisserie chicken

Recipe: Lasagna Rolls with Spinach

April 16, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

I’ve been in a cooking dinner slump. Ever been in one of those? I think I’ve only cooked about 2 dinners in the last three weeks. Of course we were out-of-town for one of those weeks. But still, those are horrible numbers for me. When I need inspiration to cook dinner I often read through some cooking blogs. Recently I came across this lasagna roll recipe on The Captivating Life Blog. I’m pretty sure I’ve cooked lasagna rolls before, but I know it’s been a long long time. I like the addition of spinach, which I didn’t even taste, and apparently my kids didn’t either because they didn’t complain. Maybe I’ve finally convinced them that anything green in pasta is parsley.

Making lasagna in the form of rolls is a really good way to control your portions. Because I know that when I cook a big tray of lasagna, I can always convince myself that I really didn’t cut myself a very big piece so it will be alright if I have seconds. And that seconds was really just a little sliver, so maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if I had thirds.

I changed the recipe slightly, using cottage cheese instead of ricotta.

I guess my rolls turned out a little more like pancakes.

Lasagna Rolls with Spinach (slightly adapted from The Captivating Life)

1 pound of ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic clove, diced
2 (15-ounce cans tomato sauce)
1+ tablespoons Italian Seasoning
8 lasagna noodles
1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese
1 egg
2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper

Brown ground beef in a large nonstick skillet. When it is mostly browned, add onion and garlic and continue to cook for several more minutes, until onion is softened. Add tomato sauce and Italian seasoning and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring a pot of water to boil and cook lasagna according to package directions. (Add some salt to the water for flavor, but no oil)
Mix cottage cheese, egg, and spinach in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Once noodles are cook, lay them out to cool slightly and then spread 1/8 of the cheese mixture along each noodle.
Top the cheese mixture with a little meat sauce, but leave the majority of the sauce to pour on top of the rolls.
Starting at one end, roll each lasagna noodle up. Pour sauce on top and grate 1-2 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese on top.
Top with mozzarella and back in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: dinner recipes, pasta recipes