Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

Pow!  This spicey chicken will knock your socks off!  I'm not one for hot food or food that's too spicey but this spice rub has  a sweet kick without overpowering everything.  We love barbequed chicken at our house but the sauce is often full of sugars, so I decided to use spice to add interest instead.  I "grilled" these in the oven and they came out crispy all over.

ALL-PURPOSE SPICE RUB
from Everyday Food Magazine (July/Aug 2006)

1/3 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional)

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients, using your hands to break up the sugar. Store in an airtight container, away from heat and light, up to 6 months.

SPICE-RUBBED GRILLED CHICKEN
from my kitchen :)

8 chicken drumsticks
All-Purpose Spice Rub

In a shallow baking dish cover the chicken with spice-rub, make sure you get some under the skin as well.  Let sit in fridge for 30 minutes or more for the chicken to "absorb" the flavours (you can also skip this step if you need to).  Preheat oven to 425.  Prepare a foil-lined cookie sheet and spray it with cooking spray.  Place chicken pieces on prepared cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes.  Take chicken out, turn over to crisp the other side and bake for another 20 minutes.  Serve with some dipping sauce like ranch or sour cream to help balance the spice.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from "My Big Book of the Seasons"

by Bertha Moris Parker

Illustrated by Eloise Wilkin

1966, Western Publishing Co.

 

This book is from our local library.

Recipe: Shrimp Scampi Pizza

This is a delicious, easy recipe your whole family will gobble up.  Lots of garlic (12 cloves!), olive oil and shrimp flavour in this pizza.  Next time I'm going to try making it on thin crust whole wheat dough.  I've been experimenting alot lately with tomatoeless pizzas (don't worry, we still love tomatoes) and have found some yummy recipes and will be sharing more soon.

SHRIMP SCAMPI PIZZA
from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, 8 smashed and peeled and 4 finely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, trimmed
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
2 pounds shrimp—peeled, deveined and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 baguette, split lengthwise and quartered crosswise

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the smashed garlic until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a food processor; reserve the olive oil.

Add the parsley to the garlic in the food processor and pulse to finely chop; set aside 1/4 cup. Add the ricotta and parmesan to the food processor; pulse to combine.

Preheat the oven to 500°. In the same skillet, heat the reserved olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved 1/4 cup parsley-garlic mixture.

Spread the cheese mixture on the cut side of each piece of bread and arrange on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Spoon the shrimp mixture on top and sprinkle with more parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!

 

Storms rolling by last night.. creepy but beautiful, eh?

Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Muffins

This muffins are scrumptious!  Fresh lemon paired with earthy and sweet blueberries is a perfect combination.  My family always eats the whole batch the same day I make them.

LEMON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
from The Boston Globe

Butter (for the pan)
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems and leaves
Extra sugar (for sprinkling)

Set the oven at 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, including top surface. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet.

In a bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Gradually add the egg whites and mix until blended. Beat in the vanilla, lemon rind, and lemon juice.

With the mixer set on its lowest speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter alternately with the milk.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand, and use a rubber spatula to fold in the berries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Set the muffins on the sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are golden, turning the pan halfway through baking. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!

 

from "The How and Why Wonder Book of Sea Shells"

Written by Donalf F. Low

Illustrated by Cynthia and Alvin Koehler

1961, by Wonder Books, Inc.

This book comes from my local library.

Recipe: Baked Chicken with Peaches

Yum, yum, yum!  Oh this was sooo good having juicy peaches in every bite!  Like all roasted dishes, this came together very quickly and was easy to make.  The tricky part was cutting up the juicy peaches.  I served this with fresh-picked sweet corn on the cob.

I was originally going to make Peachy Keen Chicken from Mommy Cooks! but didn't have all the ingredients I needed.  I found this recipe at All Recipes.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH PEACHES
from All Recipes

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
4 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Place chicken in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Place peach slices over chicken, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, ginger, cloves, and lemon juice.

Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, basting often with juices, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
 

Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!

1962, Franklin Watts, Inc.

This book is from our local library.

Recipe: English Muffin Bread (Bread Machine)

If you like English Muffins, or bread with lots of crrrrunch when you toast it, then you'll love this bread.  It was so easy to make that I made loaves all weekend long as my family would finish a loaf each day.  We had it on BLT's, toasted for breakfast with jam and just plain with butter.

ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD (Bread Machine)
from That's My Home

2 t. Yeast
3 C. Bread flour (or 2 cups white flour, 1 cup whole wheat)
1 t. Salt
2 t. Sugar
1/4 t. Baking soda
3/4 C. Milk
6 Tbsp. Water (add 3 to 4 extra Tbsp if using 1 cup whole wheat)
Cornmeal

Put all ingredients in your bread machine except cornmeal. Dough setting. 

Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan; sprinkle all sides with cornmeal.

When machine beeps, remove bread pan and turn out dough into prepared loaf pan.

With your hands, carefully press it evenly into pan. Sprinkle the top with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm oven for 20 to 30 min or until dough almost reaches top of pan. (To warm oven slightly, turn oven on Warm setting for 2 minutes then turn off)

Preheat oven to 400º F. and bake 25 min. Cool.

Makes an 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1957, E.P. Dutton & Company, Inc.

I purchased this lovely book at a local thrift shop for 25cents.

Recipe: Lettuce Soup

Did you buy too much lettuce at the farmer's market, have a bunch coming up in your garden or, like me, received a huge bag of it from your sweet neighbour?  If you don't feel like salad for the next 2 weeks, this soup is a delicious option.  It can be served hot or cold and the taste is savoury, fresh and earthy.  After you put some in your bowl, try it with a couple small drops of apple cider or white vinegar and it will burst with flavour.

LETTUCE SOUP

from Serious Eats

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
10 large outer leaves of Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces (I just used a mix of lettuce I had on hand)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (I used red potatoes, skin left on)
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used fat-free half and half)
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart saucepan. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften. Add the lettuce, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot and reduce the heat so that the liquid stays at a brisk simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes depending on the size of your dice.

Off the heat, add the cream, nutmeg, lemon juice, parsley, and a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or cold. The soup will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and the flavor improves as it rests. Reheat gently before serving if desired.

Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Sour Cream Lasagna with Kohlrabi

This lasagna is so delicious.  The sour cream sauce screams with flavour from the olives and parmesan cheese.  The tomatoe sauce balances the dish with lots of oregano, parsley and basil.  My husband and daughter don't like olives but they loved this dish. 

The Marble Jack cheese even worked well on this when I wasn't sure it would.  I didn't have any Mozzerella so had to improvise and I was pleasantly surprised at how well these flavours worked together.

I was trying to think of a clever way to use the Kohlrabi from my CSA and decided to blend it into the tomatoe sauce for the lasagna.  My neighbour had given me some of her home made sour cream (which tasted amazing) and I used it in this recipe.  Like all lasagna's there's quite a few steps here, but it keeps for many meals, or if your family will be eating a different times that evening.

SOUR CREAM LASAGNA WITH KHOLRABI
adapted from All Recipes

1 (8 ounce) package lasagna noodles
1 lb ground turkey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch white sugar
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (12 ounce) packages shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (or Marble Jack which I used)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the lasagna noodles, and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir in the garlic,l and cook until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes.

Chop the kohlrabi into 1" chuncks and boil in salted water until soft, about 20 minutes.  Drain water and blend in a food processor until smooth.  Add to tomatoe mixture.

Stir together the sour cream, eggs, Parmesan cheese, green olives, salt, black pepper, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese in a bowl.

To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce, 1/3 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat this layering 2 more times. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the lasagna.

Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

 

Printable Recipe

 

Enjoy!

 

from the book "Big and Little"

by Joe Kaufman

1966, Golden Press

I got this book from our local library.

Recipe: Hamburger Buns (Bread Machine)

These easy and delicious buns are made in the bread machine.  They remind me of the flat hamburger rolls that are so popular these days.  I'm not sure if they were supposed to turn out as flat as they did, but we enjoyed them like this. 

I found this recipe on Amy's site New Nostalgia.  My bread machine usually takes the yeast and dry ingredients first.  I was nervous to make this in the order given but it worked out great.

HAMBURGER BUNS (Bread Machine)
from New Nostalgia

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoons honey
1 egg, room temperature
4 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix) ( I used 3 cups whole wheat, 11/2 cups white)
2 1/4 Tablespoons yeast (or one pkg)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Pour milk, water, melted butter and honey into a glass bowl. Microwave until warm, just to take the chill off (about 12 seconds). Add the egg.

Pour into bread machine. Measure flour and put on top of wet ingredients. Make a little well in the flour, add yeast and salt.

Set machine to dough cycle. When finished, take dough out, knead for a few turns, then divide into 16 pieces (12 for larger buns). Roll into balls, place on greased sheet (I used parchment paper instead), flatten tops down a bit, cover with a cloth and let rise 30 minutes until about doubled.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

*You can brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse sea salt or whatever you would like. (I did this and this is when the buns "deflated" when I brushed them.)

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1960, Harper & Row

I got this book from our local library.