Barbecued Chicken

Memorial Day barbecuing at it’s best. We picked this one from the Taste of home web site , actually,  we picked two different  BBQ recipes and this one had less calories so I said let’s go for this one!  It was originally published as Barbecued Chicken in the Country Extra July 2002, p. 49.

Barbecued Chicken

• 1 can (12 ounces) cola
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 broiler/fryer chickens (3 pounds each), cut in half

Directions

• In a small saucepan, combine the cola, tomato paste, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and salt.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Set aside ½ cup for basting; cover and refrigerate.

• Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken; brush remaining sauce under skin. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan. Using long-handled tongs moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.  Place chicken over drip pan and grill, uncovered, over indirect medium heat for 25 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserved sauce.

Tupps Tidbits ~ when grilling, I always say…keep it hot, keep it clean, keep it well lubricated

The sauce mostly tasted like tomato paste, we probably should have picked the other recipe! Definitely not a keeper, hoping to try another one next week for you!

Thank you Veterans!

Oven-Fried Fish & Chips

Supposedly this should taste & as good as fried fish according to the Dr Oz. Show but healthier!  There is an interesting twist with the batter, using mayo.

Oven-Fried Fish & Chips ~ makes 2 servings

For Fish

½ cup low fat mayo

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

½ cup flour

2 (6 oz) cod filets, cut into 1-inch strips

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Non-stick cooking spray

For Chips

1 large baking potato

½ tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1tsp kosher salt

Directions

Position rack into the upper & lower third of oven & preheat to 450F.  Cover one baking sheet with foil & place on lower rack so it heats up.

For Potatoes:  Slice potato into ¼-inch thick rounds & toss with olive oil.  Mix thyme, garlic power, salt & cornstarch together & toss evenly with potatoes.  Place on hot baking sheet & on the bottom rack in oven.  Cook for 30 minutes, flipping the potato slices half way through.

For Fish:  Mix mayo, Old Bay, cayenne pepper, lemon juice & water in a small bowl.  Add more water one teaspoon at a time, until you have a smooth & lightly thickened consistency.  Place the flour & the panko breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls & dip cod strips into flour, removing excess flour.  Then dip into the mayonnaise mixture & finally in the breadcrumbs, making sure to press the panko into the fish so that is adheres.

Place fish strips on baking sheet lined with parchment paper & spray with non-stick spray.  Place on the top rack of the oven & cook for 6-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until fully cooked.  If needed, broil for 1 minute so that the fish are browned.

Remove fish & chips from oven & serve immediately.

Tupps Tidbits ~ buy good quality fish, be prepared for messy hands when breading

We are still not sure if it was the cod we picked to use for this receipe or the recipe itself because the fish was so bad we both took 1 bite & threw it out!  The fish was definately not a keeper (as you can see from the pic we had a back up meal)!    

The “chips” on the other hand were awesome & we both liked the taste..they are definitely a keeper!

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Happy Mom’s Day everyone!  This past weekend Sean & I made the trip to his parents to grill out for Mother’s Day. And yes, we picked a new recipe to try. Asparagus is in season right now & we love grilling so this gave us an opportunity to try a new side dish.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

www.tasteofhome.com

10 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1/8 teaspoon pepper

5 bacon strips, halved lengthwise

Directions:

Place asparagus on a sheet of waxed paper; coat with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each spear; secure ends with toothpicks.

Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp.  Discard the toothpicks.

Tupps Tidbits ~ I used a very hot grill and the asparagus turned out perfect.  If the grill is “really” smoking, remember it is just the bacon cooking!

This was a hit! Fabulous! We served them with grilled chicken and a fresh fruit salad for a wonderful meal.  Gluten Free meal that is! Definitely a KEEPER in our book!

Chicken Parmesan Roll-Ups

We are 5 months into the year & are still trying new a new recipe each week. It is kind of exciting that we are still doing it!  This week’s recipe comes from Cook’s Country web site.  The “home” of Cook’s Country is the America’s Test Kitchen located outside of Boston.   They test recipes until they understand how & why they work & arrive at the best version.  They also test kitchen equipment.

Chicken Parmesan Roll-Ups 

cooks.country.com

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, Chopped fine

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

½ cup chopped fresh basil

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, about 1 ¼ pounds

½ c panko bread crumbs

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position & heat oven to 475 degrees.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onion & cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in garlic & cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes & simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Off heat, stir in half of basil.  Transfer half of sauce to 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine mozzarella & Parmesan in medium bowl; reserve ½ cup. Add remaining basil to remaining cheese. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels & season with salt & pepper.  Top each cutlet with basil-cheese mixture, leaving 1 inch border at bottom of cutlets.  Roll up tightly & arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dish.

Toss bread crumbs with remaining oil in small bowl.  Top chicken with reserved cheese, remaining sauce, & bread-crumb mixture.  Bake until chicken is cooked through & crumbs are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

Tupps Tidbits ~ Make sure the chicken is thin-cut or it will not be fulled cooked in this amount of time.

This looks and tastes like something that came from a 5 – star restaurant! I loved the cheese-herb mixture in the center of the chicken and the bread crumbs gave it a light, crisp texture. 

Definitely a KEEPER in our book! Enjoy!