Monday, October 12, 2009

Chicken, let me count the ways....

Chicken is the universal meat when you think about it. Everything "tastes like chicken." Chicken is most people's "go to" meal when faced with picky eaters. At weddings there is always an option for chicken as a meal. Chicken is a crowd pleaser so why is it so easy to get stuck in a rut when cooking it? Is it just me or does anyone else feel like you sometimes start relying on the same recipes, or same style of recipes when it comes to chicken?

A few weeks ago I had bought a whole chicken on sale and didn't want to reach for my usual method of seasoning/marinating so I did a little searching on myrecipes.com, which, by the way, has really become one of my favorite food websites to use. I found this recipe for Baked Curry Chicken. It called for a whole chicken cut up, but, I skipped that part and cooked the chicken whole making sure to make sure the marinade covered the bird well.

The reviews on the website for this recipe were high on praise and I had to agree! The chicken came out so moist and very tasty. Most importantly it was different from my usual whole chicken recipe. I later made chicken stock from the bones and with some of that leftover marinade added in to flavor it. Delicious!

Baked Curry Chicken

(from MyRecipes.com)


1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb.) whole chicken, cut up


Stir together first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish until blended. Dip chicken in honey mixture, 1 piece at a time, thoroughly coating all sides. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in a single layer in a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; pour remaining honey mixture over chicken.


Bake at 375° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done.


Sangria!!!!

A few weeks back I was watching an episode of "Grill It!" with Bobby Flay. I love Bobby Flay with his unique flavor offerings and combinations but ironically this time the recipe that caught my attention the most was one for a Rose Sangria Spritzer.

My sister-in-law was coming over later that week and we were going to have some girlie time together. I had planned on grilling some pizzas for dinner and thought this sangria would be a nice addition to our dinner since we both enjoy rose wine. There was really no way of going wrong.

We both loved this and it was so easy to make. I did not add club soda to it since it was optional and kept the recipe as is. Delicious! I knew Bobby would never steer me in a wrong direction!!

Rose Sangria Spritzer

(from FoodNetwork.com)


2 bottles cold rose wine

1 green apple, thinly sliced

1 orange, halved and thinly sliced

1 pint fresh raspberries

Simple syrup, to taste

Ice cubes

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Club soda, cold, optional


Combine wine, apple, orange, raspberries in a pitcher, add simple syrup, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Serve over ice, garnish with mint and top with a few splashes of club soda, if desired.