Time for grillin'

In honor of all my fabulous chicken (that I am still smiling about) and because I am trying to wish Spring into existence, I decided it was time for a yummy summer food.  I found this recipe online last year and I've made a few changes and it has turned into one of my favorites.  Now I probably need to go buy some metal skewers so I can quit catching these wooden ones on fire every time we make this.

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN SKEWERS

1 can pineapple slices

1 can pineapple chunks

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup LIGHT soy sauce (or reduced sodium)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

about two pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

12-18 skewers

cornstarch

Drain both cans of pineapple, reserving the juice.  Add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid (you should only need about 1/4 cup water).  In a saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic.  Heat over medium heat and remove just before it comes to a boil.

Soak wooden skewers in water while you cut up your chicken (this helps them to not light on fire when you're grilling). Thread chicken and pineapple chunks onto skewers being careful not to cram them on too close to each other or they won't cook thoroughly.  Place all the finished skewers in a 9x13 pan and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (although longer is better).

Lightly oil the grill grate.  Place skewers on the preheated grill, reserving the marinade.  Grill chicken for approximately 5 minutes per side.  They cook quickly, so watch them closely.  If they aren't quite done, it doesn't matter because you are going to cook them more on the stove in the next step.

Pour the leftover marinade into a large, shallow skillet.  Whisk in 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch and bring it just to a boil.  Turn it down to low and add the chicken skewers to the boiling marinade along with the pineapple rings.  Use a turkey baster or large spoon to make sure all the chicken and pineapple get covered with sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.  Not all of the chicken will be sitting down in the sauce, so you can choose to move them around halfway through if you like.  

 

Yum

One of my favorite restaurants is Outback Steakhouse... quite specifically...I like the Alice Springs Chicken.  So imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a recipe for this chicken!  I was so excited.  It might be my absolute favorite chicken of all time... and it's much cheaper (plus I get to leave off those pesky mushrooms) to make it at home.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN (A.K.A. Alice Springs Chicken)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

garlic powder and seasoning salt

canola oil (just a tablespoon or so)

12-16 slices bacon, cooked

1 bottle your favorite BBQ sauce

2 cups sliced mushrooms (if you want them)

approx. 2 cups shredded cheese (a combination of Monterey Jack and Cheddar is best)

a batch of Honey Mustard Sauce (see recipe below)

Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick pieces or butterfly them.  Cut them into smaller pieces if desired.  Make the honey mustard sauce and divide in half.  Add the chicken to one half and allow to marinate in the fridge for approximately 2 hours.  Save remaining sauce for dipping.  

Heat a tablespoon or two in a frying pan on the stove to medium high heat and sear chicken breasts for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side.  Season LIGHTLY with garlic powder and seasoning salt.  Transfer to a cookie sheet or a 9x13 pan  Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and saute mushrooms.  Brush each chicken breast with bbq sauce,  then stack with bacon.  Add a scoop of mushrooms, then approximately 1/2 cup of cheese.  Cover pan with foil and bake in a 375F oven for 10 minutes.  Dust with paprika and serve with honey mustard sauce.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

1 cup real mayonnaise

3/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon ginger powder

Mix well and refridgerate.

A St. Patrick's Day Treat

This is actually a main dish, but I call it a treat because I don't cook it very often. (I actually don't cook it often for a couple of reasons... 1.  We all LOVE it so I have to make a lot and that requires a TON of chicken.  2.  I can't stand cutting up raw chicken.  3. Once something is fried in oil, your house smells like oil for days. 4. Things fried in oil just aren't that good for you...although that really never stops me.)
This is great for St. Patrick's Day, because if you serve them in little black cauldrons, they look like little pots of gold.  I first tasted these when I was little and my aunt used to make them... I have ALWAYS loved them!  They are actually very simple but super delicious...and the leftovers heat up well in the oven (I think...unfortunately I don't ever have any leftovers.)  

As proof of how delicious these are...when I went to take the "finished" picture, everyone had already swiped them and all I had left was a measly pile.  I think I heard oinking coming from the table as everyone hogged them down. I usually double this recipe (except the oil).

GOLDEN NUGGETS

3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 cup flour

1 quart oil for frying

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and place them in a shallow container.  Let the chicken sit, and then drain off any liquid if necessary.

Mix eggs, water, salt, sesame seeds and flour (the sesame seeds makes them crispy--don't leave them out!).  Pour this mixture over the chicken and mix well. Heat oil in an electric skillet to 375F (or medium high).  

Make sure it's hot enough before adding chicken.  Carefully add chicken one layer at a time-- not too much chicken at once or they will all cook together.  Fry, turning often, for approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.


Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (we like honey, bbq sauce, honey mustard, or hot mustard...yummy!)

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Gravy

I have been searching literally forYEARS to find a good fried chicken recipe...and I've tried a lot of them, and they've all been good to fair but not absolutely fabulous.  Finally I realized I needed to take all the things I liked about all those recipes and combine them and see if I could come up with one of my own...so here it is, and I personally think it's super delicious!  I don't cook it all that often, so it's kind of a treat when we have it. 
*Disclaimer:  Fried chicken is not good for you.  It is not healthy, and it is not low fat.  If you are looking for healthy and low fat, this is not the recipe for you.  However, if you are looking for really, really, yummy comfort food, it is VERY delicious!  Let your own conscience be your guide and don't blame me when you love it.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AND GRAVY

1 whole fryer chicken, cut up (or other chicken with bones--I usually use just breasts and drumsticks)

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

oil for frying (about a quart)

1 can evaporated milk

2 cups water

Remove skin if desired (I usually do from the pieces that I can).  Clean and pat dry chicken pieces and place them in a heavy duty zippered plastic bag.  Pour buttermilk in the bag, seal and toss to coat.  Place bag in the refrigerator for one hour.  Combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, and poultry seasoning in a new bag.  Drain chicken pieces slightly and add to flour mixture, one at a time, shaking to coat.  Place chicken pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it stand for approximately one hour (put it in the fridge once all the pieces are coated). 

The goal of letting it sit is to allow the flour mixture to become pasty (this will help the breading to stay on the chicken during frying).  Pour the leftover flour mixture in a bowl and reserve it for the gravy (put it in the fridge until needed).  Once your chicken looks pasty (hardly any white flour left) it's time to fry it.

Heat approximately 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet to 365 degrees.  Make sure the oil is HOT before you put the chicken in to avoid making it soggy with oil.  Fry chicken until browned on all sides.  Resist the urge to turn the chicken a lot--it will knock off all the breading--and turn using tongs, not a fork. (I only turned the chicken a total of 4 times in the whole cooking process)

Once chicken is nicely browned, reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking until tender and completely cooked, approximately 30 minutes (depending on chicken pieces--drumsticks will cook faster than breasts or thighs).  Juices should run clear if the chicken is done!  Cooking time is the hardest part, so keep an eye on it and cut into a fat piece if you're unsure.  When it's done, remove from oil and drain on a wire rack.

To make the gravy, pour all but about 1/4-1/2 cup oil from the skillet.  Stir in 4-5 tablespoons of the flour mixture leftover from the chicken into the drippings and whisk until smooth.  Add evaporated milk slowly, stirring constantly; then add the water (I use water drained from my potatoes).  Bring to a boil over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  Add more water or regular milk to get it to the desired thickness.  The recipe will make approximately 3 1/2 cups of gravy, so adjust accordingly if you need more than that.