CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ OVEN BBQ CHICKEN

OVEN BBQ CHICKEN
Whole chicken pieces cut up, washed and dried
BBQ Marinade (recipe below)
BBQ Seasoning (recipe below)
BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

  • Rinse Chicken well and pat dry.
  • Loosely layer chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour BBQ marinade over and sprinkling BBQ seasoning over each layer.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a jelly roll pan with PURE.
  • Place chicken pieces on pan.
  • Generously brush with BBQ sauce.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and crisp.
  • Brush with more BBQ sauce.

BBQ MARINADE
2 cloves roasted garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil (I prefer Canola)

  • Whisk all the dry ingredients together until well blended.
  • Add oil, whisking until dry ingredients are well incorporated.

BBQ SEASONING
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • Blend ingredients together well.
  • Store in an airtight container.

BBQ SAUCE
2 cups Heinz ketchup
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 packed tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients, stirring to blend.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring frequently.

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ BLOOD ORANGE CHICKEN

BLOOD ORANGE TART CHICKEN

1/4 cup chopped tart dried cherries, diced
1/2 cup white wine
12 chicken thighs, skin on
1 can Kern’s Apricot nectar
3 tablespoons blood orange vinegar
3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 + 3
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
  • Brown chicken, salt and peppering generously and to taste until skin is crisp.
  • Drain fat, reserving any crisp bits to add to next step.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet.
  • Saute’ onion and roasted garlic.
  • Add cherry pieces, vinegar, wine and apricot nectar – simmer 20 minutes on low.
  • Spray a large baking dish with PURE.
  • Lay chicken pieces in a single layer side by side.
  • Top with onion mixture.
  • Bake uncovered 30-45 minutes uncovered.
  • Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

    CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

    I wanted to make something special to take to my nieces house for Superbowl Sunday last year so thought I’d try Chocolate Covered Cherries. I found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. This recipe is sooooooooooooooooo simple, but messy! Have fun making them. They are quite rich though – be forewarned!

    1 cup butter, melted
    1 can sweetened condensed milk
    3 pounds confectioners sugar (about 8 cups)
    3-10 ounce jars maraschino cherries(about 120 cherries), really well drained
    1-2 pounds milk chocolate candy coating, chopped (I used almond bark)

    • Combine butter and milk until smooth.
    • Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar until a soft dough forms.
    • Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten into 2 inch circles.
    • Place a cherry in the center of each one.
    • Wrap sides around cherry until cherry is completely covered and roll into a smooth ball.
    • Melt chocolate until smooth and dip each ball into the chocolate.
    • Place on wax paper until cool and sprinkle with sprinkles.
    • Cool well.
    • The centers will liquefy over the 24-48 hours.  
    I made these for superbowl but aren’t they just perfect for Valentines?  Join me Saturday afternoon 2/12 for our annual Valentine’s Day “Weekend of Romance” Foods.

    PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST & WILTED SPINACH with PARMESAN PASTA

    PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST & WILTED SPINACH with PARMESAN PASTA
    3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    2 tablespoons butter
    2 cloves garlic, minced*
    1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    2 ounces white wine
    1 lemon, juiced
    4 ounces bacon, diced
    1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
    3 cups fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
    spaghetti, cooked and well drained
    1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
    1 large tomato, diced
    *While I prefer fresh garlic, I have found that the roasted jar garlic is a great substitute, especially in the winter.
    • Brown bacon until crisp.
    • Add onion slices and garlic, sauteing until tender.
    • Move bacon and onions to the sides and add butter.
    • When butter is melted, add chicken and brown well on both sides.
    • In the meantime, prepare the pasta per package directions.
    • Remove chicken, keeping warm.
    • Add spinach and saute’ until spinach wilts.
    • Move spinach to outer sides.
    • Toss pasta with wine and lemon juice.
    • Mound pasta in center of pan.
    • Top with Parmesan cheese.
    • Layer chicken pieces over top.
    • Serve immediately.

    POLYNESIAN CHICKEN & ITALIAN FARRO & GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

    Today we would like to introduce our brand new theme day, Classic Good Eats. 
    Tamy here and I’ll be moving in over here on Thursdays.  You can normally find me at my home blogs 3 Sides of Crazy. Always Eat On The Good China, on Saturdays at THE Motivation Station and now on Thursdays here at OUR KrAzY kitchen.  I love to cook and I love to experiment with foods.  Fortunately I also have a wonderful husband who is the best “guinea” pig around.  LOL Really, I have never met a more tolerant man.
    I also love to research foods we’ve never tried before as well as try old, old recipes or just plain make things up.  I also take requests if anyone would like me to test out a recipe for them.
    Today we’re making Polynesian chicken (the cheating way) and Italian Farro with Gorgonzola garlic dipping sauce.  I saw a package of Pedon Italian Farro  at the grocery store the other day and it looked interesting (reminded me of rich looking barley) – so the impulse buy won and here we are.
    Here’s the history lesson first:  Grano Farro has a long and glorious history: it is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the primary ingredient in puls, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor. Important as it was, however, it was difficult to work and produced low yields. In the centuries following the fall of the Empire, higher-yielding grains were developed and farro’s cultivation dwindled: By the turn of the century in Italy there were a few hundreds of acres of fields scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany.

    Farro would probably still be an extremely local specialty had the farmers of the French Haute Savoie not begun to supply it to elegant restaurants that used it in hearty vegetable soups and other dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in farro among gastronomes, and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Italy as well, especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.  

    POLYNESIAN CHICKEN
    4 Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts
    1 stick butter, divided in half
    1 cup Frank’s Sweet Chili hot sauce
    1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
    1/4 cup flour
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Using a small food processor,  grind the Knorr soup mix into a fine dust.
    • Add the vegetable soup dust to the flour in a large plastic bag and mix well.
    • Dredge chicken breasts in soup and flour mixture.
    • In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt one half of the butter.
    • While that is melting, melt the remaining butter in a 2 cup measuring cup in the microwave.
    • Add the hot sauce to the measuring cup and heat an additional 20 seconds. Mix well. Set aside to cool.
    • In the skillet brown the chicken breasts on both sides until almost done. 
    • Spray a small cookie sheet with PURE.
    • Coat each piece of chicken with hot sauce mixture and lay on cookie sheet.
    ITALIAN FARRO

    small bag PEDON farro

    2 tablespoons Frank’s Sweet Chili hot sauce
    • Bring a 2 quart pan of water to a boil.
    • Add the Farro and simmer, 10-12 minutes.
    • Drain thoroughly.
    • Add hot sauce and toss to coat.
    • Serve immediately.

    GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE
    1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
    1/3 cup mayonnaise
    3 cloves garlic
    2 tablespoons buttermilk
    salt and pepper to taste
    • In a small food processor, process the crumbles until finely ground.
    • Add garlic, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Mix until well blended.
    • Add buttermilk.  Add a bit more if you would like a thinner sauce.
    We are looking for an avid foodie to host a couple of anecdotal/tutorial posts with pictures the 1st & 2nd Sundays of the month.   If you are interested, please leave a comment on this post and Martha or I will get back to you ASAP.

      ALL DAY MEATBALLS

      Hi, Tamy here filling in for Diana and I thought I’d bring you one of our favorites for this busy time of year. You know, when you just want to walk in the door and grab dinner without actually having to prepare it.
      If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! Now while I usually keep the combination of spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes that make it more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.These recipes have been floating around so long in the box that I have no idea where they actually originated, but one looks like a page from an old, and I mean OLD magazine and the other is handwritten. I have them stapled together with a note to combine them together. I’m like that – whatever works for my family. I had a girlfriend in college who loved fashion but was on such a strict budget there wasn’t room for the things she eyed. I remember Julie borrowing a fancy designer dress from a Joann, a girlfriend of ours for an event and then later that night she took it apart, made a pattern and made her own dress before putting Joanns dress back together. To my knowledge Joann never knew. Now I can’t do that with recipes literally, but I do do it in my mind as I’m eating a particularly tasty tidbit. Some days I feel like an archaeologist unearthing pieces to make a whole from.

      OLD FASHIONED ALL DAY MEATBALLS
      2 pounds ground beef
      3/4 cup quick cooking oats
      1 cup whole milk
      1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
      1/4 cup garlic salt
      1 teaspoon white pepper
      1 small Vidalia onion, chopped fine
      2 eggs
      3 tablespoons vinegar
      1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      1/4 cup raspberry jam
      1/4 cup brown sugar
      1 1/2 cup ketchup
      • In a large bowl combine the quick cooking oats, milk, eggs, onion and garlic salt.
      • Crumble the beef over top and then mix in well.
      • Shape into 1-2 inch balls.
      • Place in slow cooker.
      • Mix together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, raspberry jam and brown sugar.
      • Pour over meatballs.
      • Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the meat is no longer pink.
      With this recipe I found two other old scraps of recipes (Chicken with Tarragon Sauce and Baked Tomatoes with Broccoli stuffing) that had been torn from old cook booklets, one was even handwritten it was so old. The Brussel Sprouts and carrots were my addition for texture and color. They begged me to put them together and make this dish:
      serves 4.

      FRENCH ONION CHICKEN

      These were serious Dolly Parton chicken breasts that I found on sale.  I just didn’t realize HOW big they were until I opened the package today.  I made these tonight with bone in breasts, but next time will use boneless to make the meal easier for everyone.

      FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
      4 chicken breasts
      4 tablespoons butter
      4 slices bacon, diced and browned
      1 package Laura Scudder’s French onion dip mix
      2 tablespoons dehydrated red pepper
      1/3 cup flour
      1 large bunch green onions, sliced
      2 cups homemade chicken broth
      PURE
      1 cup sour cream

      • Rehydrate the dehydrated red pepper in chicken broth for an hour before beginning to cook.
      • In a large skillet melt butter.
      • Sift together the flour and Laura Scudder’s green onion dip mix into a large plastic bag.
      • One at a time dredge chicken in flour mixture coating well.
      • Brown chicken on both sides until crisp.
      • Using an electric skillet, spray with PURE.
      • Add browned chicken breasts.
      • Gently pour the broth mixture around the edges of the chicken. 
      • Top chicken pieces with green onions.
      • Set on 200 degrees and simmer for an hour.
      • Brown bacon and drain oil.
      • Remove chicken and keep warm.
      • Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken pieces.
      • Bring drippings to a boil and reduce to 1 cup.
      • Remove from heat and quickly whisk in sour cream for gravy.
      • Serve with mashed potatoes.

      Try a New Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

      Try as I may, I just can’t think about December recipes without coming back to cookies. Holiday cookies are the best, and these cookies are our family’s all-time favorites. A classic Martha Stewart recipe, but worth Every Single Masochistic Step. Truthfully, they take some time but it’s not that bad, and you can divide it up and make them in stages if you need to.
      Fresh ginger, molasses and high quality chocolate make these cookies spectacular. Please don’t even consider skipping the fresh ginger, or you’ll be sorry.

      Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
      Makes 2 dozen

      7
      ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
      1 1/2
      cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
      1 1/4
      teaspoons ground ginger
      1
      teaspoon ground cinnamon
      1/4
      teaspoon ground cloves
      1/4
      teaspoon ground nutmeg
      1
      tablespoon cocoa powder
      8
      tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
      1
      tablespoon freshly grated ginger
      1/2
      cup dark-brown sugar, packed
      1/2
      cup unsulfured molasses
      1
      teaspoon baking soda
      1/4
      cup granulated sugar

      1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.


      2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.


      3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

      4. Heat oven to 325°. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

      Don’t forget to visit me at The Bad Girl’s Kitchen for more fabulous recipes!

      CHILE RICE CASSEROLE

      Chile Rice Casserole

      2 1/2 cups water
      1 cup rice
      2 cups Sour cream
      Salt to taste
      2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
      4 ounces Green chiles, diced
      3 tablespoons Butter or margarine
      1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

      • In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
      • Add the rice, cover pan, and slowly simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 30 minutes. Let the rice cool. 
      • Mix the cooked rice with the sour cream, chiles and salt.
      • Mix together the 2 cheeses.
      • In the bottom of a greased 1-1/2 qt casserole, spread half the rice mixture. 
      • Sprinkle with half the grated Jack cheese mixture on top and then add the rest of the rice.
      • Top with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese mixture.
      • Dot with butter.  I also added a chopped tomato for color. 
      • Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.Serves 8.

        HOLIDAY WREATHS

        Good Morning everyone, Tamy here again.  Today I’m filling in for Emily and I thought I’d offer you this easy and colorful recipe for the upcoming Christmas season.  Kids LOVE these! Well, to be honest so do the adults.

        My great aunt who I only got to see a couple times a year used to make these every year special for me and I would wait out on the front steps for her arrive just to see them and know they were there. She always made them soooooooooo pretty and perfect!

        HOLIDAY WREATHS
        (these are better when they are made a few days ahead)

        30 large marshmallows (or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
        1/2 cup butter
        1 teaspoon vanilla
        2 teaspoon green food color
        3 1/2 cups cornflakes
        Red Hots
        • Combine marshmallows, butter, vanilla and food color in top of double boiler. Heat and stir frequently until well blended.
        • Gradually stir in cornflakes until well blended.
        • Drop onto wax paper and arrange into wreath shapes. I plop them onto the wax paper and then push out from the center to form the wreaths.
        • Decorate with red hots.
        • Let cool.
        • If your house is warm – chill in refrigerator until set.

        Giving Thanks ~ Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing

        Hi everyone, Tamy here filling in for Chris today.  My recipe is not from the grill, but I thought it was appropriate for so near Thanksgiving.

        Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
        1 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
        1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
        1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
        1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
        1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
        1 tablespoon sea salt
        1 tablespoon white pepper
        2 sticks unsalted butter
        4 cups hot water
        2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
        2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
        4 cloves garlic, minced

        • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
        • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
        • Chop all the vegetables.
        • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
        • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
        • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
        • Add the melted butter.
        • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
        • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
        • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
        • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
        • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
        • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
        • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.
        You can find me at my home blogs 3 Sides of Crazy. Always Eat On The Good China, on Saturdays at THE Motivation Station on Sundays here at OUR KrAzY kitchen

          TOASTED ONION SALISBURY STEAK SLIDERS & BONUS HOMEMADE ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE

          I made this recipe last week when I was trying to clean out the pantry and the fridge and was quite pleased with the results.  I never hesitate to experiment and/or substitute what I have on hand for what a recipe traditionally calls for.  We are usually (99% of the time) quite happy with the change up of ingredients.

          TOASTED ONION SALISBURY STEAK SLIDERS
          2 small flour tortillas, cut into small pieces
          1/4 cup milk
          2 tablespoons butter
          1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
          1/2 red pepper, sliced thin
          1 1/2 pounds ground round
          1 package Laura Scudders toasted onion dip
          1 1/2 cups beef broth
          2 tablespoons flour

          • Pour milk over tortillas and let sit for an hour.
          • With your hands mix ground round and onion dip mix together and let sit for an hour in fridge.
          • Mix together the tortilla mixture and the beef mixture until uniform in consistency.
          • Hand form 6 small steaks.
          • In a large skillet, melt butter.
          • When sizzling, add onions and pepper and saute’ until caramelized.
          • Lower heat slightly. Arrange onions around the outside of the skillet and add steaks. Turn regularly until brown all over and cooked through.
          • In a saute’ pan, bring broth to a simmer.
          • Sprinkle flour into broth while constantly whisking until slightly thickens.
          • Lower heat, transfer steaks into broth mixture and top with onion mixture.
          • Serve over mashed potatoes.

          Since Thanksgiving is so close and Linda did a wonderful apple cranberry sauce yesterday, I thought I would share how very easy it is to make homemade cranberry sauce.

          CRANBERRY SAUCE
          1/2 cup orange juice with pulp*
          1/2 cup pineapple juice*
          1 bag cranberries
          2 cups sugar
          ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
          1 teaspoon orange peel
          Wash cranberries and drain in colander. Mix orange juice and sugar in saucepan until dissolved. Add cinnamon and orange peel. Stir well, Add the cranberries and simmer over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring often. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes uncovered or until all cranberries have ’popped’. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for future holidays.

          Yields: 2 cups
          *You can use ALL orange juice if you prefer

          ***I like to make a double batch at Thanksgiving and freeze half for Christmas.