Monday, July 25, 2011

Bacon Chicken

Here is another of my recipes from my book that i created sometime ago. It is a really simple recipe and who does not like Bacon.

Bacon Chicken

Ingredients

1 3lb Chicken cut up
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 cup of smoked ham cut into strips
3 tomatoes diced and seeded
2 large red peppers, cut into rings and seeded
2 onions diced
1/3 cup pimentos
1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped and stems removed
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
3 table spoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

In a large deep skillet that can be covered, add bacon over medium high heat and render off the fat. Remove bacon once crispy and set aside.

Next add chicken to skillet with bacon fat and brown on each side, about 15 minutes or so. Remove chicken and set aside. Drain off some of the bacon grease, leave about a table spoon in the pan. Add olive oil followed by the onions, peppers, garlic and pimentos and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomatoes and ham to the skillet and saute for an additional 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add the chicken back to the skillet and cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley, crispy bacon and serve.

Note: both the bacon and the ham can be salty so additional salt might not be needed.

Enjoy Cooking

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Chicken in Yogurt Sauce

If you have not guessed I have been on a yogurt kick lately. Tonight I made a batch of this and it was tasty.

Chicken in Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

1 3lb chicken cut up and skinned
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1 cup of fresh tomatoes, diced and seeded
1 large onion quartered and sliced
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1/3 cup of slivered almonds
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped and stems removed
1 chili, seeded and minced
3 cloves or garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced and zest
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of saffron
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In the food processor place the coconut, garlic, chili pepper and ginger powdered and process to a powder.

In a large bowl blend well the yogurt, onions, lemon zest and juice, tomatoes and the remaining spice. Then add the powder mixture from the food processor and stir well. Now place the chicken in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover, place in the fridge for about 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a deep baking dish transfer the contains of the bowl, add the almonds to the top, cover and bake for 75 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken and plate, stir the the sauce to re-blend and pour over chicken and garnish with the parsley. I plated this with a simple saffron rice.

Enjoy Cooking

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

BBQ Rack of Pork Chops

Here is another favorite BBQ recipe of mine, the sauce has allot of ingredients but it is so worth it. It is not easy to fine a rack of pork but just going to a local butcher and they will have one.

BBQ Rack of Pork Chops.

1 5 to 6lb rack of pork

6 peaches, chopped and pits removed, you can leave the skin on
2 large onions rough chopped
6 radishes, rough chopped
2 red peppers, chopped and seeded
1 to 1 1/2 inches of fresh ginger, pealed and chopped
1 to 1 1/2 inches of fresh horseradish, pealed and chopped
6 to 8 cloves of garlic
1 cup raw honey
1/2 cup of pecans, rough chopped
1/2 cup of Red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of Cilantro, chopped and stems removed
1/4 cup raw sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 to 6 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped
4 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
1 table spoon of Chinese Five spice powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In the food processor place the pecans and pulse to mince, then add the onions, peppers, garlic, radishes, horseradish, ginger and the olive oil and pulse to chopped finely but not to puree. Once you have a paste, remove contains from the food processor and place in a large bowl.

Next add the peaches, sugar and honey to food processor and pulse to almost a puree. Pour into the same bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. The sauce will be a bit thick.

Now add the remaining ingredients, excluding the pork, and stir to combine.

Place a extra large zip lock bag into a baking pan, place rack of pork in bag. Next add the sauce to the bag covering pork. Make sure all parts have been coated. Seal bag and place pan in fridge for 6 to 8 hours. Its best over night.

Fire up the grill, you want a slow roast.

Remove pork from the bag and place on the grill, meat side down. It a nice char on this side, turn over, bone side down and raise the distance of the grill from the heat, baste the pork with the sauce, cover grill and slow roast the rack of pork. Re-baste the pork very 10 minutes. You want to slow roast the rack for about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, the internal temp should be 180 degrees.

Remove from grill cover and let rest before carving up the rack.

Note: with the remaining sauce left over I place it in a sauce pan bring to a boil for a few minutes then pour over rack right as it come off the grill and before covering to rest.

Enjoy Cooking

Monday, July 11, 2011

BBQ Chicken in Yogurt Sauce

Here is another of my staples for the BBQ.

BBQ Chicken in Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

2 3lb whole chickens cup up or 12 chicken legs or a combo of chicken parts you like
2 cups of Greek Yogurt
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup of Ketchup
1 large onion rough chopped
1 red pepper rough chopped
2 Anaheim pepper, rough chopped and seeded
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
4 radishes rough copped
1/2 raw sugar
1/4 cup garlic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 6oz can of tomato paste
3 table spoons olive oil
3 table spoons of fresh grated ginger
3 table spoons of fresh grated horseradish
3 table spoons ground cumin
3 table spoons paprika
3 table spoons of Chinese Five Spice powder
salt and pepper to taste
Note: if you want more heat add 1 to 2 teaspoons of Cayenne pepper

Directions

In the food processor place onion, red pepper, Anaheim pepper, radishes, garlic, ginger, horseradish and olive oil and pulse to mince to almost a puree.

In a large sauce pan add all the remain ingredients with the exception of the chicken and yogurt, whisk to combine. Place on a medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, once hot, add the ingredients from the food processor and stir to combine and simmer for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place yogurt in a large bowl, then add the sauce and whisk to combine. Rinse and pat dry the chicken, then place the chicken into the bowl making sure all pieces are covered. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees - Yes we need to par bake the chicken prior to BBQ. Place chicken on a rack covered baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

Fire up the BBQ

Return chicken to bowl with the sauce for re-coating.

Place chicken on BBQ and cook until crispy and charred. About 15 minutes or so, brushing on sauce during the process.

Remove from BBQ and let rest before serving.

Enjoy Cooking

BBQ Skirt Steak

Here is my version of BBQ skirt Steak.

BBQ Skirt Steak

Ingredients

3 lb of skirt steak, about 1 to 1 1/2 thick, cut into large 6 inch blocks
1 small onion, rough chopped
1/2 cup of black bean sauce
1/2 water
4 table spoons soy sauce
3 table spoons of grated horseradish
2 table spoons rice vinegar
1/4 olive oil
2 radishes, rough chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a food processor or blender all of the ingredients (with the exception of the steak of course) puree until smooth. Place sauce in a large zip lock bag and then place steak in bag, seal and toss. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Heat up the BBQ, remove steak from bag and place on the grill. I cook the steak about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Brushing on the sauce during the process.

Remove from Grill and let rest for about 3 to 5 minutes before slicing.

A variation i do with this is also include whole mushrooms in the bag with the steaks and grill those as well, then slice up and serve with the steaks.

Enjoy Cooking

Eggplant in yogurt sauce

Here is a quick summer recipe.




Eggplant in Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

1 Large eggplant, cut into slices (skins left on)
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
3 cloves garlic minced
3 table spoons fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
3 sprigs of mint, stems removed and chopped
3 sprigs of fresh oregano, stems removed and chopped
salty and pepper to taste

Directions

You can either roast the eggplants in the oven or on the BBQ.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, oregano and lemon zest. Salt and pepper each of the eggplant slices and then brush on the olive oil mixture on both sides. Roast either in the oven or on the BBQ until slightly soft, you do not want them too soft. Remove and plate up on serving platter.

In other bowl whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and mint. Spoon over the plated eggplant then garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Enjoy Cooking