Chicken with Mixed Veggies and Kluski Noodles

Tonight was about using whatever I had in the refrigerator and pantry, so I came up with this dish that was good for a first timer.  First thing, I got my Kluski Noodles going-it usually takes them about 20 minutes to cook.  I chopped up 5 cloves of garlic, and one jalapeno and I sauted those in a very large skillet with 1tbs of EVOO over med heat for 1-2 minutes. I had 2 different types of mixed veggies in the freezer and I added those to the skillet and let those saute for about 5 minutes.  While the veggies cooked, I took some leftover chicken thighs and drumsticks, removed the skin and bone and chopped the chicken into very small pieces.  I added the chicken to the veggie mix.  To the skillet I added 1/4 C unsalted Chicken Stock, 1/4 C heavy cream and 1/4 C low fat sour cream.  I stirred it and brought it to a boil and then reduced it and let it simmer.  While it simmered I added 1tsp marjoram, 1tsp oregano, 1tsp of red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp thyme and a 1 tsp of onion powder to the skillet and mixed it in and continued to let it simmer.  As it was simmering it was getting really thick, so I added about 1/4 C of skim milk.  When the noodles finished cooking I added them to the skillet with the chicken and veggies.  I also added about 1/3 C of the noodle water to the skillet just to keep the dish loose.  The end product was like a chicken stew and it was good, but it would be better with fresh vegetables and the addition of white wine to the sauce would've been nice.  From start to finish this dish took less than 30 minutes, so if you don't have a lot of time give it a try and let me know how it turned out.

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks and Smallwoods

Tonight I was tired and I wanted something that required little effort, little mess and clean up, and I didn't want to sacrifice taste, so we grilled up some drumsticks and made a Smallwood.  I started by preheating my gas grill,  the 3 left burners on med and the 2 right on low.  I would've used my charcoal grill, but I was out of charcoal, and like I said I was tired.  You know when I was a kid I hated the dark meat of chicken, but now it's my favorite.  I love thighs and drumsticks they just cook up so juicy and flavorful.  Don't get me wrong I do like a good breast, but it has to have the skin on and bone in. So I pulled my drumsticks from the frig, a stick of unsalted butter and my veggies for my Smallwood.  I melted 4 tbs of butter in the microwave.  I rinsed and dried my drumsticks, placed them in a large bowl, poured 1/2 the butter over them and sprinkled them with S & P and then I just worked it all into the flesh.  I sat those aside and started chopping up the veg for the Smallwood.  If you don't know what a Smallwood is, it's just your favorite veggies roasted in a foil pack with butter or oil and your favorite seasonings.  I learned this little trick on a rustic camping trick.  You know when your camping primitively, which I seldom do now, everything tastes great.  Especially over an open fire.  Camping for me today consists of setting up camp in Hocking Hills and using my Coleman Stove, Coleman Grill and just about Coleman everything.  We save the campfire for smores. I failed to mention that we sleep in the trailer that we haul our ATV's in with a queen size blow up mattress, fans and heaters and electric.  I have to say it's pretty cushy.  We just lack running water and a toilet, but who needs a toilet when you have the woods and a shovel.  Right?  OK, back to the Smallwood- tonight I had on hand garlic, poblano, red and jalapeno peppers, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash and red skin potatoes.  I chopped the veggies and quartered the potatoes and left the garlic cloves whole (they roast up so nicely).  I placed in a bowl and remaining butter and some cajun spices mixed it all up and just placed in a foil packet.  I placed the Smallwood on the low heated burner side and the chicken drumsticks on the medium side.  I grilled it all for about 25-30 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally and basting it with the butter that was leftover in the bowl. Always check your chicken with a thermometer, there's nothing worse then serving up bloody chicken. I also shook the Smallwood occasionally, so that everything inside cooked evenly. That's pretty much it and look how it turned out.  Looks good doesn't it?  Well it's not difficult so give it a try.  Bon Appetit!

Grilled Pork Chops with Smallwoods

I'm very sorry to say, but my dad past away 2 weeks ago Saturday morning.  Obviously not really interested in posting lately, been so busy, so tired, so everything!!!  Although, yesterday Will and I did have a really nice day, we rode the bike to Yellow Springs and had lunch at Peaches Grill.  Love Peaches, great biker joint with great burgers and over 20 brews on tap.  Anyway, we spent most of the day riding and later stopped to visit with his folks.  My in-laws are great people, I'm blessed to have them.

I failed to mention that my parent's gave Will and I this really kick @#$$ charcoal grill.  I've never been much for charcoal grilling,  but I'm a convert!!! Love it.  So when we got home we grilled up some nice pork chops (no brining-trying to cut back on salt).  I just seasoned them with some Cajun spices and little EVOO.  I guess it took them about 20 minutes to grill.  We also did something referred to as a "Smallwood".  A Smallwood consists of taking your favorite veggies, garlic, your fav herbs/spices w/ butter/evoo and place them into a foil packet and grill them.  I don't puncture the foil.  Just let the veggies steam in their juices.  If you add potatoes, sweet potatoes or carrots you will have to steam for a least 25 minutes.  Oh, but when it's finished, it is oh so yummy.  What I love about this dish is that you use seasonal veggies and they are SOoooo good.  Give it a try, it's so easy and very little mess and clean up.  BTW, in our Smallwood we had asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, red skin potatoes, red bell pepper, zucchini, squash, jalapeno and flat leaf parsley.    Bon Appetito!!!  Will be back soon.

Roasted Chicken & Potatoes with Steamed Green Beans

This dish is semi-homemade and semi-healthy.  I'm sorry to say that I steamed my green beans in 2 tbs of bacon fat and 1/4 C chicken broth w/ some S&P for about 25 minutes (that's where the semi-healthy comes in).  FYI,  Unless I'm using green beans in a salad or asian dish, I typically will cook them to the very, very tender stage ( not baby food).  I haven't brined chicken before, so I brined my bone in chicken breast for a day (see previous post for brining).  Not sure I'm totally sold on the brining poultry and roasting, because the chicken had an interesting texture that I didn't hate, but didn't love either.  BTW, I always use organic, free range chicken, so that's not a factor.  Began by preheating my oven to 425 on bake convection mode.  I took 1/2 C panko, 1/2 C italian bread crumbs, 1 pkg of french onion soup dry mix, 8 baby yukon gold potatoes quartered, EVOO, 2 bone in chicken breasts that had been brined. I mixed the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  I took my potatoes and drizzled them with EVOO and then placed them in the dry mixed and coated the potatoes.  I removed them and placed them on a cooling rack that I placed on a sheet pan (I covered the sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up).  I  then drizzled EVOO all over the chicken and placed the breasts in the dry mix and coated them and placed on same cooling rack with potatoes. I put all in the oven and I let them roast for about 30 minutes. After 30 mins I removed from oven and let the food rest for about 5 minutes. At this point my beans are finished steaming and I sprinkled some bacon pieces on top.  That's it.  I personally didn't like the onion soup mix on the chicken, it gave it a sweet flavor, but Will really like it.  I thought that the it worked great on the potatoes.  I love the potatoes and green beans as is, but next time the chicken will done differently.  Do you have any recommendations for the chicken?  Would love to hear from you.

Something Healthy! Will You Try It?

Hey guys sorry it's been awhile since my last post, but most of the dishes I've made recently have been repeats.  This is a combination of several dishes using greens.  Do you ever use greens?  Well, you should because they are really good for you and they are loaded with vitamins, minerals and flavor. Kale is one of my favs and it sautes up so beautifully.  I don't cook them to death because I like for them to have some texture.  Anyway tonight we did a combination of the chicken w/ spinach and kale w/ mushrooms and asparagus.  I do a variation on this dish a lot because it tastes great and it's healthy.  So tonight I started with:  1 bag of chopped and cleaned kale, 8 oz pkg of mushrooms sliced, 1 bunch of asparagus cut into 1/2' pieces, 6 cloves of garlic minced, 8 slices of pancetta cut into small pieces, 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1" cubes,  olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, Cavendar's greek seasoning,  italian seasoning, S&P, crushed red pepper, and chicken broth, parmigiana reggiano. I started the process by getting my water boiling for my linguini.  I then got my mushrooms sliced, asparagus cut and my garlic minced.  I set all of this aside and in the meantime added some olive oil to a large skillet and heated it on medium.  Once that was hot I added my pieces of pancetta and browned, about 5-7 minutes.  While that was browning I cut my chicken into 1" cubes, placed it in a bowl and liberally sprinkled Cavendars greek seasoning and olive oil over it and with my hands and just worked the oil and seasoning all over the chicken. I removed the pancetta from the skillet and added my chicken and half of the chopped garlic to the skillet and I cooked the chicken through about 7-10 minutes or so and removed it and set it aside.  I added my mushrooms, asparagus and remaining garlic to skillet and sauted it all for about 5 minutes then I added the kale over top, sprinkled with S&P, crushed red pepper and italian seasoning and covered it.  I checked it after about 5 minutes and stirred it and covered again until wilted and added about 1/4 C of chicken broth and I let it simmer for another 5 minutes.  It probably cooked a total of 10-15 minutes.  Once everything was finished, I plated my pasta, added the kale, mushroom, asparagus mix over top, over that added some chicken, over that the pancetta, drizzled some balsamic vinegar over that, and topped it off with freshly grated parmegiano reggiano.  That's it.  Of course we had to have some bruschetta.  Very easy, very healthy and very tasty.  This probably made enough for 4 people.  Will you try it pleeease????