Roast chicken is one of those dishes that is an absolute must in any cooks arsenal of recipes. However, it can easily go wrong and often takes much more time than necessary for less than perfect results. Here is a quick and simple method to get a perfect roast chicken, with tender juicy meat and crisp skin, every time
Ingredients:
- Whole chicken
- 1 stick of butter (do not substitute margarine), softened
- 2 tbls fresh rosemary, minced
- 4 stalks whole fresh rosemary
- 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
- salt
- pepper
- Canola oil
Instructions:
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Whip together the butter, minced rosemary, and garlic until well blended and soft
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Butterfly the chicken by cutting out the breast bone laying it out flat
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Brush the bottom of the butterflied chicken with Canola
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Salt and pepper the bottom of the chicken liberally
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Spread out the rosemary stalks on a roasting pan and place the chicken, bottom down on top of them
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Carefully pull up the edges of the skin on the breasts and legs and shove the butter mixture evenly under the skin.
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Brush the top side of the chicken with Canola oil and salt and pepper
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Place in a oven preheated to 450 degrees until the thickest part of the breast reaches between 168 and 172 degrees (45-60 minutes)
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Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let stand for 5-10 minutes
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cut into quarters and serve
I rarely bake, but recently decided to make some traditional chocolate chip cookies, but things went a little different. I started with a very traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, and made some additions. First I added cinnamon and Brandy and then a tiny amount of baking powder to help keep a good consistency with the additional liquid, I finished by adding half a cup of finely diced fresh Jalapeno peppers when I added the chips reasoning that the sweetness of the peppers along with the heat they would bring should pair well with the chocolate and brandy. I have to admit I was a little unsure about the addition at first, but the cookies were delicious. The flavor of the Jalapeno complimented the sweetness of the cookie and bit of the brandy perfectly and the only heat was a slight tingle on the tongue as an after taste. I highly recommend giving these a try.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp Brandy or Bourbon (optional)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- ½ cup fresh Jalapeno pepper, finely diced
Instructions
- With a mixer, whip the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, brandy, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy
- Add 1 egg and whip until well mixed and then add the second and whip until the mixture is once again well blended, smooth, and creamy
- In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well blended
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture slowly while continuing to mix.
- Continue to mix until everything is well blended and a sticky dough forms
- Stir in the chocolate chips and diced Jalapeno
- Scoop 24 evenly sized balls of dough out onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper with at least 1 inch between each ball
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until cookies are well set, but still look under done (approximately 15-18 minutes)
- Remove cookies from oven and move immediately to a wire rake to cool
This is a variation on an incredible dish that my uncle taught me years ago. Its basically just a quick cooked onion, but it is delicious and makes a great side dish, snack, entree, or even main course.
Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium vidalia onion
- ¼ cup Beef, Chicken or vegetable stalk
- 1tsp Chipotle or Ancho chili powder
- 1 glove of garlic, peeled
- salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions:
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Cut a slice of the top and bottom of the onion so it will set flat with the the open top exposed.
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Place the onion on either an oven safe or microwave safe, depending on which cooking method you are using, root side up.
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Using a pairing knife or grapefruit knife hollow out a ½ inch diameter hole in the center of the onion ¾ of the the way deep.
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Brush the entire onion with a thin layer of olive oil
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Salt and Pepper the entire onion
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Place the glove of garlic in the well you hollowed out in step 2
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pour the chili pepper into the the hollowed out well
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Fill the well to almost the top with stalk
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Either bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until soft or microwave on high for 6-8 minutes until soft.
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Carefully peel of the skin and serve whole
This is an excellent twist on a classic Thai desert. Though it is hard to improve on the Thai classic coconut rice served with fresh, ripe slices of mango, I find the sweet addition of ginger and the slight kick of the cayenne pepper adds a depth to the dish that takes it from great to fantastic. I prefer the stickiness of short grain white rice in this dish, however, any medium grain rice is also excellent. Though I haven’t tried it, you could also substitute brown rice by adding more liquid and increasing the cooking time to 45 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup of short or medium grain white rice
- 2 tbls of minced fresh ginger (do not substitute powdered ginger)
- 1 tsp of ground Cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 fresh mango peeled and cut into slices
Instructions:
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Bring the coconut milk, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt to a low boil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat
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Stir in the rice
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Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes
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Stir rice mixture well
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Serve warm with the fresh mango slices
A refreshing variation on a simple classic. The fresh mint brings a new flavor to an old favorite that makes it both unusual and refreshing. The Habanero is used to add a slight sweetness to the sauce with just a touch of heat. Don’t be afraid of the Habanero in this recipe, the sweet wonderful flavor of the habanero will come through in the final dish with very little of the heat so don’t substitute another pepper or you will lose the flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbls unsalted butter
- 2 tbls flour
- 2 gloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbls finely diced fresh mint leaves
- 2 tbls finely diced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup cream or half-and-half
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Asiago cheese
- ½ lb fettuccine
- ½ lb raw shrimp
- 1 Habanero pepper
Instructions:
A. Make the Sauce
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Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan
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Once the butter has melted add the flour and whisk until well mix
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Cook over medium heat until the roux is a light tan color (3-5 minutes)
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Add the minced garlic, mustard powder, and red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds stirring constantly
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Slowly add the cream while whisking constantly until all cream is added and the cream and roux are well mixed.
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Cut a slit in each side of the Habanero and add it to the sauce. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let the sauce come to a boil.
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Remove the Habanero and discard
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Add the cheese in 4 equal parts, whisking after each addition until completely melted before adding the next
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Once all cheese has been added use the sauce immediately
B. Cook the Fettuccine
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Cook the Fettuccine noodles in bowling water about 1 minute less than the instructions. The noodles will finish cooking in the next step.
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Remove from water and drain for at least 30 seconds
C. Put it All Together
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Shell and de-vein the shrimp. Remove the tails if desired
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Add the shrimp to a large pot and let cook for about 30 seconds
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Add the noodles, sauce, mint, and parsley. Stir until well mixed.
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Cook over medium-low heat until the shrimp are just cooked through (about 2-3 minutes)
D. Serve Immediately