25

May

Oh, This Chicken

I have a (really fun) [but] (slightly annoying sometimes) habit of changing any recipe I come across to make it my own.

No, I’m no mad scientist (okay, maybe a little mad) or even a culinary, educated kook. So, sometimes, I follow a recipe to a tee and do not change/alter/edit/omit/add ANYTHING from it. But it’s gotta be a pretty awesome recipe…pretty perfect…

Giada’s Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumettes
This slightly sweet and tangy chicken is so delicious, I instantly liked the Giada. (Sure, I want to be jealous of her–sweet, beautiful, talented in the kitchen, Italian–but why? Wouldn’t it be more fun to meet her for lunch instead? …at her house, of course…where she does all of the cooking and I watch and learn.) This chicken is so delicious and, after making it 5+ times, I have yet to screw it up. (Victory!) I’ve added my comments in (parenthesis) if you like to break the rules a little.  😉

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumettes 
Giada’s recipe

  • 3 pounds chicken drumettes (or drumsticks)
  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice (or orange juice)
  • 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine (or whatever red is already open)
  • 1/4 packed cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil (don’t forget this…it makes the chicken! find it next to the olive oil at the store)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 3)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground arrowroot powder or 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or 1 TB flour)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

step one: In a gallon ziploc bag, combine juice, soy sauce, wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, chili powder, and red pepper flakes until the sugar is dissolved. (Do this by sealing the bag and gently mixing with hands.) Using tongs or hands, put the chicken drumettes in the bag. Remove as much air as you can from the bag, seal it, and stick it in the fridge for 2+ hours to marinade.

step two: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil (or parchment paper) and spray with non-stick spray.

step three: After 2 hours (or even overnight), take the chicken out of the fridge. Using tongs, place each piece on the baking sheet. Do NOT throw away the marinade! Season the chicken with sea salt and bake until the skin is brown and caramelized, between 25–35 minutes. (Keep an eye on it.)

Marinated chicken, ready to cook
Right out of the oven…don’t let the “burnt look” alarm you…it’s tasty!


step four: While the chicken is baking, pour the marinade into a saucepan. Whisk in the arrowroot or cornstarch and bring to a boil over medium heat (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, arrange on a platter or in a large serving bowl. Take a pastry brush and brush the marinade onto the chicken, and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.

Eat. Be merry. One of these days I’ll try one of her pasta dishes…
but for now, this one’s my favorite.

 

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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18

May

Summer and Mangoes

Matt grilled burgers last night. They were delicious! I haven’t been eating much (any) beef lately, but I wanted a burger and he obliged.

Burgers

Grilled corn on the cob
Grilled squash
Summer salad

 
I thought a colorful salad would be fun with it, but nothing typical and boring. Plus, it’s (almost) summer…why not mix it up?
 

Summer Salad
*4 servings*

6 cups baby spinach or lettuce of your choice
1/2 cup chopped: strawberries, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper
Mango Madness dressing (recipe below)
Toss salad. That’s it. It’s pretty, colorful, and really really healthy. The crunch of yellow bell pepper goes really well with soft, sweet strawberries. Who knew? Not I, said the fly.

And now for the dressing…I added 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, but if you want less of a kick, go for 1/4 teaspoonful.

Mango Madness Dressing (ole!)
makes 1 1/2 cups dressing, 6-10 servings

1 large mango
Juice and zest of one lime
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 TB agave nectar
Process all ingredients in food processor, mixing until smooth. Top on salad, dip for fruit/veggies, sandwich spread, salsa with chips.


 
Here’s how I slice a mango:

Take your knife and cut around mango lengthwise. Twist two halves of mango in palms in opposite directions, to loosen fruit from giant seed.



Holding half of the mango in one palm, carefully slice the mango horizontally and vertically, taking care not to slice through to the peel (and your hand).

 Flip the sliced mango inside out and pull or slice off the mango chunks. 

*This method avoids mushy, mucky mango mess and gives you clear cut cubes of mango. I learned this from Cafe Red Onion, a Latin fusion restaurant in Houston.

 The end result…a creamy HEALTHY mango dressing! Ole!

My happy plate…

Happy Wednesday! Matt and I are having a picnic in the park tonight! We’ve never done that before, and the menu includes sweet and sour chicken drumsticks, spinach orzo salad, healthy potato salad, and homemade hummus! I’ll show you more later. Salud!

 

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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