Chicken in Sauce Piquante

Chicken pieces (I used boneless breasts and thighs)
2 T vegetable oil
1 T Cajun Spice Mix (see below)
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
1 recipe Sauce Piquante (see below)

Rub the chicken pieces with oil.
Blend the spice mix, cayenne, marjoram, sage and salt and rub all over the meat.
Barbecue for about ½ an hour @350F.

Place in a baking tray and cover with Piquante Sauce.
Bake in oven or bar-b-que for ½ hour or more at 350F.

Cajun Spice Mix

½ C paprika
¼ C black pepper
I ½ T or more cayenne
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder

Combine the spices thoroughly and store in a closed jar in a cool, dry place. Add more cayenne if you want a hotter mix. Use within a month.

SAUCE PIQUANTE

¼ C olive oil
I medium onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ green pepper, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
1-2 hot fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped
3 C chopped tomatoes or canned Italian style tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh
1 tsp dried marjoram or 2 tsp fresh
2 bay leaves
2 T Cajun Spice Mix
1 T Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp cayenne
1 T red wine vinegar
¼ tsp or more Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1 tsp or more of salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Heat the oil in saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juice along with the herbs and spices, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 -15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste for salt and pepper and add more Tabasco if you like it hotter.

From FOODS of the WORLD: Creole and Cajun Cooking

Swiss Chicken Cutlets in Oregano Wine Sauce

2 slices Swiss cheese, thin
4 (4 oz) chicken cutlets, ¼ inch thick (I used the pounded, chicken breast method, see below)
2 T all purpose flour
½ tsp black pepper
2 T unsalted butter
½ C dry white wine
½ C chicken broth
½ tsp dried oregano
chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
fresh oregano sprig, to garnish

Cut each cheese slice in half; place 1 half on top of the cutlet.
Starting with the short end, tightly rollup cutlets, jelly roll style
Tie securely with string.

Combine flour and pepper, add cutlets, toss gently to coat.

In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add cutlets; cook turning frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes.
Add broth, wine and dried oregano to skillet.
Increase heat, bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
REMOVE STRING (I forgot this step)

Garnish with parsley and oregano sprigs.

If cutlets are unavailable,, simply pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of waxed paper to a ¼” thickness.

From the “Recipezaar”

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

Absurdly easy and quite tasty:

1. Heat 1 C honey, 3/4 C soy sauce, 1/2 C minced or planed ginger, and 1/2 C minced garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add some orange juice to increase volume and add another good flavour.

2. Place 4 or 5 bone in chicken breasts, skin down in container and pour over marinade.

3. Refrigerate overnight. (Or at least 4 hours…)

4. Wait til the next day before preheating oven to 350.

5. Cook chicken covered for 30 minutes. ( Make sure that the sauce does not cover chicken, and only reaches about halfway up.)

6. Uncover, turn chicken pieces over, increase heat to 375, and cook for 30-40 minutes longer, basting occasionally.

7. The skin should get crispy and near black..really dark.

From Recipezaar

Chicken and Coriander Fritters

Chicken and Coriander Corn Fritters

2 C corn kernels
4Tminced cilantro
1 T cornstarch
2 eggs
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 to 2 T fish sauce
9 oz. (250 grams) ground chicken

Combine half the corn with all ingredients except chicken in a food processor until smooth. Add to the rest of the corn and the chicken and mix until well combined. Drop by tablespoons into deep-frying oil (2 to 4 inches at 350 degrees) for 3 or 4 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with:

Sweet Thai Chile Sauce

1/2 C white vinegar
1/2 C sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T dried red chiles
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine, boil for a few minutes and serve.

(Source: ASIAN TAPAS, Christophe megel & Anton Kilayko, Peripus Books,

Chocolate Pasta with Savory Fillings

For the Pasta

3 large eggs
1 C unbleached flour
½ C unsweetened cocoa (I used the dark or brut cocoa)
1 T milk

Sift the flour and the cocoa powder onto a work surface. Make a well and break the eggs into the hollow, add milk. Lightly beat the egg mixture and then draw the flour in until you can work it with your hands. Knead for about 8 minutes (do not skimp) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 3 hours. Roll out and cut as desired.

For the Spinach and Ricotta Filling

1 lb spinach
½ C Ricotta cheese
¾ C of crumbled blue cheese (such as Stilton)
Freshly grated nutmeg

Cook the spinach for 2 or 3 minutes either by steaming or blanching in boiling water. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop roughly. Mix with the cheeses. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

For the Beet and Goat’s Cheese Filling

1 lb raw or cooked beets (not vinegared)
½ C Ricotta cheese
4 oz goat’s cheese

Cook the beets whole with the skins on. Do not pierce the beets. Peel beets and leave to cool. Chop and mix with cheeses and seasoning.

Cashew Chicken Filling

2 chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
¾ C chopped cashews
¼ tsp dried basil
1/3 C onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp thyme
1/8 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
1T butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 C asiago cheese

Poach chicken in 2C water and bay leaf, 20 min. Remove breasts to cool slightly, then chop finely. Cook onion, basil, thyme, paprika and salt until tender, Add chopped cashews. Remove from heat, blended in eggs, cheese, chicken.

To Assemble

Cut the pasta into rectangles and place a good amount of the filling inside and warp up. Wrap in clean towels, tie with string and immerse in boiling salted water until cooked. Remove wrap and cut each roll into serving pieces.

To Serve

2/3 cup pine nuts
1 C unsalted butter
Big handful of fresh sage

While cooking the pasta, toast the pine nuts until golden. Make a sage butter by melting the butter in a pan, dropping in the sage and cooking for a few minutes. To serve, untie the bundle and cut into slices, discarding the ends. Arrange one slice of each slice on their ends on a plate and serve with the sage butter.

Originally called Reverend Mother Arm taken from Real Chocolate Delight.
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Doug’s Grilled Duck with Cherry BBQ\Mole Sauce on Field Greens

This is a long recipe, but it is worth it, and most of it can be made ahead of time.

For the Rub, combine the following:

1 ½ C dark brown sugar
¼ C coarse kosher salt
½ C paprika
3 T dried parsley
2 T each of dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried onion flakes
1 ½ T dried Worcestershire Sauce (I used regular – dried is hard to find)
1 ½ T lemon pepper
1 T garlic powder
1 tsp each of allspice and cinnamon

Seal in jar or Tupperware container. If using liquid Worcester, the rub may harden somewhat over time but just throw it in the food processor to break it up. It’s also great on pork.

(BBQ Bible Sauces Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen)

Preparing the Duck

1. Trim excess skin and fat from the breasts leaving a strip of skin about 1 ½ to 2 inches wide down the middle of the breast.
2. Apply generous amount of rub to all sides of the breasts. You cannot put too much of this on. It is gorgeous!

For the BBQMole Sauce

1. Melt 3 T unsalted butter in sauce pan over medium heat.
Add:
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced and
2 C pitted Bing cherries (fresh, canned or frozen), drained.
Cook until onions are soft but not brown.

2. Add:
2 T high-quality, pure cocoa powder
1 tsp pure chili powder (not a blend)
1 ½ C port
½ C sherry vinegar
4 tsp ketchup
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 canned chipotle, minced or teaspoons chipotle chili powder
½ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp course kosher salt, or more to taste
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
½ C honey
And bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups – stirring occasionally.

4. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, lemon juice or honey, or more to taste, the sauce should be a little sweet, a little sour and VERY flavorful. Use right away or put it in a jar and refrigerate. It will keep several weeks.

(BBQ Bible Sauces Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen)

For the Balsamic Drizzle:

Combine in saucepan:

1 C good commercial balsamic vinegar
1/2 C honey
1/3 C sugar
3 T soy sauce

Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Simmer until reduced to 1 cup.
Skim and discard foam.
Strain into a jar and cool to room temperature.
Cap the bottle.
The drizzle will keep for several months at room temperature.

(BBQ Bible Sauces Rubs and Marinades by Steven Raichlen)

For the Tangerine Shallot Dressing for the Field Greens

Mash into a paste:

1 clove garlic
2 or 3 pinches of kosher salt
Remove to a jar with a tight fitting lid.

Add and whisk together,
¼ C fresh tangerine juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 small shallots, minced

Add 2/3 C of olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth:

Taste and adjust seasoning.
Keep in jar for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

(Joy of Cooking – All About Grilling by Rombauer, Rombauer Becker and Becker)

Bringing it all Together

BBQ rubbed duck breasts to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Remove and cover with tin foil for five minutes.

Toss field greens in dressing and put a handful in the centre of the plate.

Slice duck breast and fan pieces out on top of field greens.

Spoon a small amount of BBQMole sauce over duck. Place one or two of the Bing cherries beside the duck.
Drizzle the balsamic reduction around the perimeter of the plate.

Bon Appetite!

Paul’s Hot Chicken Stirfry

In a cup mix together:

4 T oyster sauce
1 T kecap manis
2 T chicken stock
1 T mirin
1 tsp sambal oelek
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ginger

In a pan saute roughly 3 C of chicken cut into bite size pieces.
When browned on all sides, sprinkle a little chicken stock over the top and toss.
Add mixture, toss and cover.
Check on it every couple of minutes or so. You want it to sort of carmelize but not burn.
If you do get too dry just add a little chicken stock; a little sauce is nice.

Serve with rice and peas.

Variation: brown some cashews and add at the last minute. Might need a little more stock as these will soak it up a little.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

(Bon Appetit, May 2006)

Jerk Mixture

Boil
3 T dark rum
2 T water
in saucepan for 3 minutes; transfer to blender.

Add:
½ C malt vinegar
10 scallions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled ; chopped
2 T dried thyme
2 Scotch bonnets, seeded; chopped
2 T oil
4 tsp allspice
4 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp salt ; 2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dark brown sugar

Blend until smooth.

Take 2T of this jerk mixture, mix with 1 C catsup and 3 T soy sauce. Set aside.

Chicken Preparation

Take 2 or 3 chickens, halve lengthwise, rinse and pat dry.
Arrange in baking dish.
Pour 1/2 C lime juice over chickens.
Spoon jerk mixture over chickens and rub in.
Cover and refrigerate for up to one day.

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove chicken from marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast skin side up for about 50 minutes or until juices run clear.
Cut each piece in half and serve with reserved wet jerk sauce.

Thai Barbecue Chicken

Marinade:

2 stalks fresh lemongrass
2T chopped fresh ginger
2 T chopped cilantro
1 ½ C llight soy sauce
1T sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
2 T red curry paste
2 pounds chicken parts, breasts & thighs, bone –in

Remove grassy parts of lemongrass, leaving stalks about 6 inches long and cutting off and hard root section. Using blunt edge of knife, bruise each stalk then chop. Combine marinade ingredients in blender & process until smooth. Pour into nonreactive bowl
and add chicken. Marinate covered in the fridge 4 hours or better yet, overnight.

Remove from marinade and grill chicken over high heat until brown all over then lower the heat and cook through – 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve with:

Sweet and Spicy Sauce

( so good that I recommend you double this recipe)

1 T finely chopped thai chiles
½ C white vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1 tsp finely chopped garlic

Combine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.

-Laurie

Lebanese chicken pizza

Prepare a pizza dough.

½ pound ground chicken
½ pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
¾ C Italian parsley finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp paprika
¼ C pine nuts
1 T olive oil

In bowl combine all ingredients except oil which you will use to oil your pizza pan. Place dough in pan, add chicken mixture, sprinkle wit more oil and bake at 400 for 18 to 20 minutes.