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

1. Place oven rack in upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element and heat to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk ketchup, onion, Worcestershire, mustard, molasses, maple syrup, vinegar, chili powder, and cayenne in small bowl. Set aside.
3. 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.
4. Add sauce mixture to skillet and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. 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.

For Mother’s Day my family treated my mother and me to Brunch at Zink! American Kitchen. Previously, we had dined at Zink! only for dinner. You can read the review here.

We ate outside on Zink’s FABULOUS patio. I have a very strong liking for consuming my meals outside if given the choice. In fact, when choosing a place to dine, the presence of and quality of the outdoor space is often more important than the food. Well, maybe not really…. but food being equal, I’ll choose the restaurant with the killer outdoor eating space any day. Zink’s patio is not only expansive and located next to an eye-catching fountain, but it has really cool lounging areas with sofas.

Texas Bloody Mary with jalapeno and chipotle peppers.

It had been a while since I’d hit a buffet and my excitement was such that I really didn’t display any restraint. I took a picture of the food, but there was so much food piled on the plate, you couldn’t distinguish one food from another on the plate. It just looked like a jumbled mess and didn’t do justice to the quality and flavor of the food.

Among my favorites were oysters on the half shell, prime rib, salmon, green bean casserole, and shrimp and grits. It was divine. Probably as good as buffet food can possibly be. Because as anyone who really enjoys good food knows, there IS a limit to how good buffet food can be.

I’ve never been, but Zink also offer cooking classes for $40 a person (includes tastings, beverages, and take-home recipes)

Upcoming Classes

• May 19- California Cruzin (Cal Med Cuisine)
• June 16- Cookin for Dad’s Day (low & slow ribs, cornbread, and smoked chickens)
• July 28- Summer Farmer’s Market -Part 1 (Heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, and melon)
• August 25- Seafood Alaska (King Salmon and Halibut)

Zink! American Kitchen is located in the Southpark area of Charlotte, NC in The Village at Southpark (a little ways down from Crate and Barrel).

Visit there website for more info on cooking classes and to see the menu.

]]> http://www.fortmillscliving.com/2012/05/15/mothers-day-brunch-at-zink-american-kitchen/feed/ 0 http://www.fortmillscliving.com/2012/05/13/fort-mills-cupcrazed-returns-to-the-food-network/ http://www.fortmillscliving.com/2012/05/13/fort-mills-cupcrazed-returns-to-the-food-network/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 02:31:40 +0000 Christin M http://www.fortmillscliving.com/?p=3216 Cupcrazed, a cupcake and dessert bar, is quickly becoming one of Fort Mill’s biggest attractions. Open for not even 2 years, owner Heather McDonnell along with her sister-in-law Debbie, have already made two appearances on the Food Network. In September of 2011, they were the winners of “Cupcake Wars”  and the cupcakes they made for the show, Shrimp creole and Sweet Tea, generated a great deal of interest. Read about that episode here including a dramatic kitchen fire started by Debbie while frying okra.

Just tonight the first episode of “Cupcake Champions” aired with Heather and Debbie competing against 3 other winners of “Cupcake Wars”. The format for this show is the same as for “Cupcake Wars” with 3 elimination rounds. Winner of the show gets to bake cupcakes for The VIP Party for the Broadway Show Spiderman. In the first round, the bakers had to produce a cupcake using the ingredients apricot, pumpkin, molasses, currants, kale, and oats. The Cupcrazed Girls decided on an Apricot Cupcake with a Molasses pecan pie filling containing currants and a kale oat struesel, all topped by a pumpkin cream cheese frosting.

I would never be able to go on a show like this as I get nervous just watching other people do it. The first round started out rough with Heather accidentally using powdered sugar instead of flour. With just 20 minutes left on the clock, they had to start a second batter from scratch. The finished cupcake didn’t look like it turned out very well and the judges gave it harsh reviews, but somehow they squeaked through to round 2 with Heather in disbelief stating, “I couldn’t have done anything else wrong”.

For the second elimination round, the three remaining bakers were asked to create 3 cupcakes representing the enemies of Spiderman. One Cupcake had to personify The Green Goblin, but the remaining two Spiderman enemies were up to the bakers. Heather and Debbie decided on 1) A Matcha Green Cupcake with raspberries topped by a tiny piano for The Green Goblin, 2) A Brown Sugar Honey Cupcake with Chai Tea Buttercream Frosting and Honey Bee Pollen for Swarm, and 3) A Red Velvet Pomegranate Cupcake with Blood Orange Pomegranate Frosting topped with Chocolate Bloody Red Swirls for Carnage.

I had high hopes for these cupcakes but unfortunately in Heather’s words “They looked like a disaster” and Heather didn’t make it through to Round 3. But for those of us that have had the fortune of frequenting Cupcrazed, we know that Heather is always a winner. She created a thriving business in one of the worst economies ever. She has succeeded at what 99.9% of people would have failed doing. Day after day Cupcrazed bakes up cupcakes that are not only delicious, but completely unique  just like Heather and Debbie.

For more on Cupcrazed visit Cupcrazed.com

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

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

Yield:16 pinwheels

Getting ready to play.

Wade Hampton was the home team and they definitely had a home court advantage with a large number of people to cheer them on.

Early on all of the matches were close. Madison Ott playing at #1 was the first to finish, giving Nation Ford their first match of 4 needed.  Next David Habbick playing #5 singles won his match. Shortly after Nation Ford’s #2 Danny Randar and #3 Stephen Zoeller lost close matches.  At this point, my son Chase had won his first set and was about to lose his second set. When sets are split, a 10-point tiebreaker is played- the first to ten by 2 points wins the match. Just as Chase lost his second set, #2 doubles won their match in a tiebreaker, giving Nation Ford a 3-2 lead.

Danny

Chase

By the time Chase’s tiebreaker started, EVERYONE had crowded around his court. He had to play through the whole tiebreaker knowing the  State Championship rested on his shoulders. I was so nervous, I could barely watch. Came pretty close to throwing up. I think Coach Billy almost did too. Chase got off to an early lead, but for most of the tiebreaker I was unsure of the score. It was 7-2 , then 9-5, then 9-9. At that point I didn’t know if he could pull it out. He stayed aggressive, pulled his opponent into the net and lobbed over him to go up 10-9. Next point he drilled a ball at his opponent who was at the net and his opponent couldn’t get it back. The whole team stormed the court.

Chase with Coach Billy after the match.

Chase’s win wouldn’t have been possible without Coach Billy. Not only does he give the boys the technical skills and the strategy to win matches, but the confidence to make it happen.

Tomorrow Nation Ford will be playing Chapin (winner of the Lower State) in Columbia for the AAA State Championship.

Hopefully it won’t all come down to Chase because I still haven’t recovered from yesterday.

On both May 12 and 13, admission to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden will be free for Moms and the first 250 mother’s each day will receive a free potted plant courtesy of Rountree Plantation Garden. The garden opens at 9am each morning.

Artist Bob Yost will be doing a Tiffany Style Stained Glass Demonstration every hour and Pat Groome will do mosaic art demonstrations.

Admission prices- free for Moms, garden members, and children under 4; $12 adults; $11 seniors 60+; kids 4-12 $6

Find more info on the gardens at dsbg.org

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

6500 S New Hope Rd

Belmont, NC

704-825-4490

Vendors will be set up selling various items,there will be a silent and live auction, live music, games for kids, wine tasting, and an Italian Idol competition. New this year will be a Saturday afternoon Beer Tasting (4pm) featuring 4 domestics and 2 imports. Cost is $12. Wine tasting will be at 7pm on both Thursday and Friday. Ticket cost is $20 per person and tasting will include 4 whites and 4 reds. Catch the Italian Idol Contest from 11:30 to 1pm on Saturday.

Among the food offerings ate homemade Italian sausages, lasagna, ziti, eggplant parmesan, cannoli, strawberry shortcake, and tiramisu. There tends to be a long line for food around peak dinner time so plan accordingly.

Festival takes place at Saint Philip Neri Catholic Church in Fort Mill, located in the area behind the Bi-Lo on Highway 160.

292 Munn Rd

Fort Mill, SC

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

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

1. Heat rice according to package directions.
2. 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.
3. 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

The festival will continue today from 10am to 10pm.

Food vendors include Savannah’s Tea Room, Beef O’Bradys, Fort Mill BBQ, and Bojangles.

Dozens and dozens of craft vendors are set up selling just about anything you can imagine.

Kids section with lots of rides and activities.

Deep fried strawberries!

Try some Abita Strawberry Beer from the beer truck.

Today’s festivities include live music on two stages, a petting zoo and pig races, a car show presented by Beef O’Brady’s, and a strawberry shortcake eating contest at 3pm on the Walmart Stage. All capped off by an 8:30 fireworks show presented by Comporium.

Shuttles are running every 15 minutes from the Baptist Church parking lot off of Tom Hall ST, Fort Mill High School, and Nation Ford High School. Shuttles are color-coded. Make sure you know the color of your shuttle so that when you leave, you don’t end up at the wrong lot.

It’s funny that the word Casual is in the name of the restaurant, because to me it seems like one of the more formal restaurants in the Fort Mill area. Definitely a good choice for a romantic dinner or a special occasion. The dining room is spacious and warm with large windows that overlook the Tega Cay Golf Course. Part of the kitchen is open to the dining room and the smells of the chef cooking over an open flame fill the dining room.

We started with oysters on the half shell- always a favorite of mine. For an entrée, I ordered Grilled Pork Chops with red cabbage, potatoes au gratin, and apple cherry demi-glace ($15.95). The cabbage and potatoes were the stars of this dish. Other entrees include steaks, shrimp and grits, and jumbo scallops with corn risotto, chardonnay cream sauce, and grilled asparagus ($21). Any other night I would have ordered the scallops, but I had eaten asparagus 2 out of the previous 3 days and needed to take a break from those long, woodsy spears.

Casual water also has an extensive sushi menu as well as a martini menu.  Their dessert menu is the only thing about Casual Water that I think could use a little improvement. It consists of a ‘dessert tree’ of various mousses and didn’t look at all enticing to me and seemed a little out of place in a restaurant that is on the upscale side.

All in all are dining experience was very pleasurable and we are sure to return.

Casual Water is open Tuesday-Saturday from 5-10pm and kids eat free on Tuesday nights with an adult purchase.

This Saturday May 5 kicks off Casual Water’s Outdoor Summer Concert Series with music by The Stranger (Billy Joel Tribute) at 7pm.

15083 Molokai Dr

Tega Cay, SC 29703

803-548-3500

casualwaterattc.com