Mustard and Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast

I must first say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my nephew Connor!!  I hope you have a fantastic day.  Wish I could be there to help you celebrate, but know that I love and miss you dearly!!  Enjoy your day kiddo!!! xoxoxoxo

Chris and I didn't have plans for Easter, but I still wanted to make special/different.  I'm not a huge ham fan.. I like it, but I really have to be in the mood for it, and I of course, was not in the mood for it.  Chris is not a fan of lamb, he wants it cooked until it's dead and then he wants it cooked for about 10 minutes more.  It's tough and not very good when it's cooked that way, so he won't eat lamb.  My next idea was a herb crusted beef tenderloin, but than I got to the store and that idea was squashed due to no beef tenderloins.  What's a girl to do?  Well, in this case, this girl grab what she thought might be the next best thing - a sirloin tip roast.  Why not?  It was cheap, it was there, I needed something for dinner... SOLD!

I will admit, this was a bit too done for me, but I wanted to try grilling it as a full roast and unfortunately, Chris likes his beef done much more then I do.  The great thing was, even at a medium well to well done, the roast was fantastic.  It was still tender and very flavorful.  It was the perfect Easter dinner for the two of us :)

Mustard and Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless sirloin tip roast

Directions:
Place the garlic cloves into a bowl of a food processor.  Pulse a few times to break up the garlic.  Add the parsley, rosemary leaves, Dijon, olive oil and lemon juice.  Pulse until smooth.  Rub the mixture all over the roast.  Place on a plate and loosely cover with plastic wrap.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours.

Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.  Place the roast directly over the flame and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes - flipping every 10 minutes to get all sides of the roast crusted.  Remove from grill and wrap in foil.  Place back on the grill and use the indirect heat method.  For a propane grill turn on the side burners only and keep the temp in the grill about 325 degrees.  For a charcoal grill, move the coals to one side of the grill and place the foil on the opposite side.  Allow to cook with indirect heat for another 15-30 minutes depending on how done you want it.  I let mine go 30 minutes and you can see how done it is.  Remove from the grill, allow to rest for 5 minutes, slicing against the grain.  (the sauce you see in the picture is some left over white bbq sauce from the Alabama Barbecue Chicken I made.) Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Bloody Mary Steaks and The Winner!!

Orange Honey Grilled Chicken

YAY!  I made it through last week!  It was touch and go there for a little while, but I made it.  I worked a ton of extra hours, had some emotional ups and downs, but alas... here I am, another week and I'm ready to go :) One good thing that did happen - they hired a replacement for my boss.  How do I feel about my new boss?  I don't know.  It's hard to tell until we actually start working together and that will happen today......so I'll keep you updated.  I'm hoping for only the best, but of course am still worried.  I mean, what if he's an ass??  I wonder if I can sweet talk him with some homemade goodies?  Hmmmm... sucking up... now that's a thought :)

Anyway, on with the food!!!

Simple.  I hate to keep using that word over and over again, but I can't help myself.  I love sharing recipes with you that take little to no time in the kitchen.  Even though I love to cook there are nights where the task seems incredibly daunting.  This is a meal you can make in under 30 minutes if you marinated the chicken the night before.  Add a wonderful side salad and some bread and you have the perfect light weeknight meal.

Orange Honey Grilled Chicken
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 lbs chicken - breasts, thighs - skin on, skin off - bone in, no bone - it's your choice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the chicken.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry.  Place chicken in a shallow dish or a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal and place in fridge over night (minimum hours to marinate = 4).

When ready to grill chicken.  Preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Oil grill grates.  Place the chicken directly on the grates and cook for 6-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Potato Rounds

A Tribute to My Mom

"Mother is the word for God on the hearts and lips of all little children" - William Makepeace Thackeray

I first heard that quote in the movie, The Crow, with Brandon Lee.  Well it wasn't that exact quote, they switched some words around and left out little, but the meaning was still the same.  To most children, our mother is truly what we believe God to be: All caring, all knowing.  My mother was that to me.

As I got older, I can't say that I always felt that way.  But those were times when I was a stupid kid who thought she knew everything.  How could my mother possibly understand what it was like to be a teenager?  I mean really....who did she think she was, right?  lol  Good thing for me, I have greatly matured since those days.  Today, I can honestly say that I am proud to call my mother my friend. 

So, for the woman who took care of all of us when we were sick, even though she was just as sick.  For the woman who rode backwards in a car (ugh, she does not like that all), on the curvy roads of Needles highway, holding coffee cans while her two daughters let their motion sickness get the better of them. For the woman who, still to this day, slaves for two days to make her most amazing homemade taco shells because she knows it's a family favorite. For the woman who taught me to be proud of who I am. For the woman who allowed me to live through those pesky teenage (and a little beyond, let's be honest) years.  For the woman who taught me all about unconditional love....

I give you all I can give from so far away.....my love and my gratitude for all that you have done and continue to do for me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, without you I would not be the woman I am today.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  Love and miss you bunches! xoxoxo 

 

Guest Blogger: Smoked Tri Tip and Brisket

Once again, I'm truly honored to introduce today's guest blogger.  There are definitely blogs out there that make me go....wow, I wish I would be daring enough to do stuff like that!  And Larry's blog, Big Dude's Electric Ramblings, is one of those for sure.  He just recently posted instructional recipes on how to make (I'm talking stuffing people!!) your own sausage.  See, it's things like that, that make me go, dang, I need to be more adventurous in my kitchen!!  But alas, my fears hold me back, but I do get to live vicariously through others, thanks to the internet...and I'm ok with that!  AND, he has one of the most beautiful yards/grounds I've seen!

So, let's let Larry take us on a wonderful instructional journey on how to smoke tri tip and brisket... YUM!!!   And of course, since I have a guest, you know where I am... so make sure you come check out my Fire Day Friday post.  Today's recipe:  Steak Sandwiches with Chimichurri Mayo

Let me begin by saying how flattered I am that Jenn would invite me to do a guest post on her terrific blog.  She is a serious grill-meister and great all around cook.  Right after she asked me, it was my normal BBQ day and I thought a post about smoking would work well - I BBQ at least once a month and cook for friends and family as well as myself.

I really enjoyed reading about Kingsford's Barbecue University on the blogs of Chris at Nibble me This and Robyn at Grill Grrrl.  One that really stuck out on Robyn's blog was Chris Lily's brisket recipe.

My normal method is to brush on a coat of Worcestershire sauce then rub with Billy Bones Beefmaster, but I was out of it and wanted to give Lily's a try.  I tripled everything and used it on two whole briskets.

This is as posted by Robyn

Ingredients:

1 beef brisket FLAT (5-6 pounds)
1 Tablespoon beef bullion base (look in your soup stock aisle at the grocery store)
1 cup bee broth

Dry Rub Recipe:
1/2 tblsp salt
1/2 tblsp paprika
1/2 tblsp black pepper
1/2 tblsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions:
I mixed the beef base with a little hot water to make it easier to run on the meat and I did it the night before the cook.  On cooking day, I removed the briskets from the fridge an hour before cooking while the smoker was coming up to temp.  About 30 minutes prior to cooking I added the dry rub then put them into the cooker at 225 degrees (forgot to take  a photo - it was 5:30AM after all).

I cooked them to an internal temp of 170 degrees, then put them in a foil pan, poured over a cup of homemade beef broth, covered it with foil, and returned to the smoker.

When they got to 190 degrees, I removed them from the foil pan, wrapped tightly with foil and rested for about 30 minutes.  One cooked in 10 hours and the other took a little over 11 hours.

For the Tri Tip, I once again used the basic process from John over at Patio Daddio.

Ingredients:
1 Tri-tip roast (2-3 pounds)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Tbsp Plain yellow mustard
2 tsp Chili powder
2 tsp Beef base
1/2 tsp Garlic salt

Method:
I combined all of the ingredients, except the Montreal Steak Seasoning, in a small mixing bowl, mixed it well, rubbed it all over the pre-trimmed roast, and put in a plastic bag to get happy for 8 hours.

I removed it from the fridge an hour prior to cooking and just prior to putting it in the smoker, I added a medium coating of the steak seasoning -it was a little salty so I'll go lighter next time.

I cooked it to an internal temp of 125 degrees, removed it from the smoker and since it was done too early, I stuck it in a preheated cooler - I gave it 2 1/2 hours to cook, but it only took 1 1/2 hours.

When ready to eat, I took it to the grill and cooked it over high heat for about 5 minutes per side to add a crust - since it had been resting for an hour, no need to rest again.

Here's both pieces of meat before and after carving.

And my plate which included a salad, mostly from our garden, and some sauteed cremini mushrooms that need to be used.

The brisket was moist, tender, and tasty and I definitely prefer this cooking method, but without a side by side taste test, I couldn't say I preferred it to my normal.  I cooked the tri tip 5 degrees more than normal and it came out closer to medium than medium rare - perfect for Bev, but a little too done for me.  It was also moist, tender and the flavor was excellent - I think using the grill for crust addition worked out very well.  This was only the third time I'd cooked tri tip and the first time to smoke then grill, but it's just the reverse sear I used for other beef cuts.

I'd say a pretty darn good meal and I would have gladly served it to special company with perhaps the addition of a carb.  Have a great day and please stop by my blog at http://bigdudesramblings.blospot.com/ sometime.  Larry.

One Year Ago:  Penne with Beef & Bell Pepper

Sweet and Sour Grilled Chicken

I do love a good bowl/plate of sweet and sour chicken.  When I was going to college, there was a fast food Chinese restaurant that I would visit (frequently) called, The Egg Roll King.  The one dish I would order over and over and over was there sweet and sour chicken.  The reason I loved it so much at the time was because all it included was battered, deep fried chunks of chicken with a sweet and sour sauce.  No veggies, just deep fried chunks of goodness.  I tend to over look it nowadays when I'm at a Chinese restaurant - once I branched out and tried new things, I swore I'd never go back to it - but sometimes, you need to set aside silly little statements like that and just do it!  And I'm glad I did, this was DE-LIC-OUS! And, if you wanted to use the marinade as a sauce for a stir fry, well, by all means... just do it!! (actually, that was what the original recipe was for...hehe)

Sweet and Sour Grilled Chicken
Adapted from the Food Network Kitchens
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (such as Sambal Oelek)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 lb chicken (I used boneless, skinless breasts)

Directions:
In a saucepan, add all ingredients except the chicken.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Stir until sauce has thickened, this should take only a few minutes.  Once sauce has thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Place the chicken in a shallow dish or resealable bag.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce.  Pour the remaining cooled sauce over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees and oil the grill grates.  Remove the chicken and discard the marinade.  Place chicken directly on the grill grates and allow to cook for 7-10 minutes per side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  Remove from grill and allow to sit for 3 minutes before slicing into.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Hoisin Barbecued Chicken + 100th Post = Giveaway!!!
 

Hummus Topped Tilapia

I have a secret:  I put hummus on top of tilapia and Chris LOVED it!!  Sometimes, if you don't tell your picky eaters what's on the plate, they find that they love things they never thought they would love!  It's sort of like when I was growing up and my parents took us to a Rocky Mountain Oyster feed. I had no idea what I was eating, but I loved it!  Ok, I loved it until my dad whispered "you're eating cows balls" in my ear....then I pretend I did like them, but honestly, I loved them.  I couldn't wait for the next time we had them!! lol

This is a very simple and healthy week night meal.  If you really felt inclined, you could make your own hummus, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I used store bought.  It was convenient and it was perfect!

Hummus Topped Tilapia
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
1-2 Tablespoons red pepper hummus (or any flavor you want - the amount you use is up to you, depends on how thick you want the layer of hummus to be)
3 Tablespoons panko
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.  Rinse the fish, pat dry with paper towel, and place in prepared dish.  Spread an even amount of hummus on top of each piece of fish.  Sprinkle with panko and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Enjoy! 

One Year Ago:  Creamy Pesto Dip

Soy and Honey Glazed Chicken

 

Looking for something fast and easy for dinner tonight?  Well, look no further.  It doesn't get much faster or easier than this.  What's nice about this recipe is that you can put the marinade together the night before or right before you are ready to leave for work, that way, when you get home, everything is ready, just heat up the grill and viola! dinner is served!  Now tell me that wasn't easy :)

Soy and Honey Glazed Chicken
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
dash of sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the chicken.  Rinse the chicken and place in a resealable bag.  Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal bag.  Let marinate 8 hours or up over night (minimum time to marinate is 2 hours) in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill to 350 degrees and oil grill grates.  Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.  Place the chicken directly on the grill grates and grill for 7-10 minutes per side or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Lemon Pepper Chicken

Hoisin Chicken Stir Fry

 

I mentioned last week that I've been working pretty long hours, so by the time I get home, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of my computer.  Some nights I get home so late, I don't even want to cook dinner.  And the night I made this, was one of those nights.  I was trying to get my post for that day written and was having a major mental/creative block, but once the words started flowing, it was hard to stop them, so it was very late when I looked up and thought about making dinner.  Not wanting to put any thought or effort into dinner, I decided to scratch what I had planned and to just throw together something fast and fairly light.  When I think of fast and light, I always go right to stir fries.  This stir fry has all the usual ingredients I have on hand, so feel free to change it up a bit if you prefer different flavors/ingredients.  This is one of those canvas recipes I always talk about :)

Hoisin Chicken Stir Fry
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into bite size pieces
1 small zucchini, slice thin
1 red pepper, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup hoisin
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sriracha (you can use less if you want it to be less spicy)
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin, rice vinegar, sriracha, soy and sesame oil; set aside.

In a wok or a deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.  When the wok/skillet is hot, add the chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes.  Add the red pepper and continue to stir fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add the zucchini and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add the sauce mixture and stir to coat everything.  Once the sauce starts to boil and thicken, remove from the heat and toss, again, to coat.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy! 

One Year Ago:  Pass it On Week 4:  Chicken Pesto Pizza

Penne with Tuna and Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Sauce

FRIDAY!!!  YAY!!!  I MADE IT!!!  WOOHOO!!!  It was touch and go for awhile there, but I made it...whew!!

It's been a long week here...and next week looks to be even longer...BUT...I have managed to keep up with most things, including cooking and blogging...the two things I thought for sure would suffer.  Ok, let's be honest, my cooking has suffered, I mean who wants to start cooking dinner when you walk in the door at 8pm, right?  But, all in all, things haven't been TOO overwhelming............    yet :)

This pasta dish was fantastic.  Simple and delicious.  I do love pasta though... I could eat it every night, but Chris and my fear of a bigger butt keep me from actually do it.  I do make sure we have it at least once a week.  I can't help myself...it's the Italian in me!  To make this a very quick week night meal, you can forget the roasting and pick up some jarred roasted red peppers and saute the garlic for about 1 minute in olive oil...but that's only if you don't have the time to roast everything....fresh roasted veggies are always so much better!

Penne with Tuna and Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Sauce
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
10-12 oz whole grain penne pasta
1 can albacore tuna
2 red peppers
5 cloves garlic (skin on)
2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons jalapeno hot sauce (optional)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat grill (400-425 degrees) or oven (425-450 degrees).  Place the garlic cloves in a square of foil, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Fold over the edges to enclose the garlic.  Place the foil packet and 1 red pepper on the grill.  Allow the garlic to roast on the top shelf for about 20-30 minutes or until it has softened.  Grill the pepper, turning occasionally, until charred and blackened.  If you are baking, roast the garlic for 40 minutes or until softened.  Turn the broiler on and char all sides of the pepper.  Place the pepper in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and allow to cool.  Once garlic and pepper are cool enough to handle.  Squeeze the garlic from it's skin into a food processor.  Peel back the blackened skin of the pepper, remove the stem and seeds, and place in the food processor.  Add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and hot sauce.  Pulse until smooth.

Meanwhile, remove the stem and seeds of the remaining red pepper and roughly chop.  Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain well.  Add the tuna and sauce to the pasta.  Toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the basil just before serving.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Hudson's Baked (or Grilled) Fish with Dill Sauce

Thai Style Honey Peanut Chicken

I LOVED this dish!  It was fantastic!  Truly the "peanut" flavored chicken I have been searching for!!  I know I may have said that before....but this really, really IS the peanut chicken I have been looking for!

This is another One Perfect Bite masterpiece, by the way (and I swear, I am not stalking Mary)!  I did not change the ingredients, but I did change the method of cooking.  I went with the more stir fry way of cooking.... and no, Andrea, I did not use the velveting technique on this one either... sorry :(  I'm just lazy, I can't help it sometimes!

Not only does this chicken taste fantastic, but it is a very simple dish to throw together.... and with a week like I've been having, simple and quick are life savers!  You can adjust the heat on this by cutting back on the curry and Sriracha, but I would have to agree with Mary when she says don't leave the Sriracha out all together...it just adds something wonderful to the chicken!

(by the way, you'll see orange peppers in the pictures, but those were in my rice, not in with my chicken, so don't think I left out an ingredient.)

Thai Style Honey Peanut Chicken
Adapted from One Perfect Bite
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 lbs. chicken, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together all the ingredients, except the chicken and the oil, until smooth; set aside.

In a deep skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and stir fry for 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through.  Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil.  Allow to cook until the sauce has thickened.  Serve over rice and enjoy!!

One Year Ago:  Rigatoni with Spring Herbs and Tuna

Chorizo and Shrimp Wraps

I am so proud of this dish.  Why am I so proud, you ask?  Because this is the first dish that Chris and I created together.  (aaawwwwwhhhh!!!)  I know I tell you all the time that when I ask Chris what he wants for dinner, I very rarely get suggestions.  BUT, I caught him early in the morning, before he had eaten anything at all and this was the meal that we came up with.  It was great to actually sit there and bounce some ideas off of each other and to have him actually participate instead of just "yea, that sounds good".  So thank you Chris :)

Simple and versatile, this dish can be made with all sorts of varieties of fillings.  You can add beans, you can add chicken, you can leave out the rice, you can use regular sour cream and make your own guacamole.  The idea is that your tortilla is a canvas and you can paint whatever you want on it.  Both Chris and I wanted something with chorizo again, so that is why we came up with this idea.  You could use ground beef with some taco seasonings too...that would be a very good substitute if you don't like chorizo.   Get the whole family involved in this meal....it's even easy enough for a week night meal.

Chorizo and Shrimp Wraps
Created by Jenn and Chris
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 3/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 Tablespoon Crema Mexicana
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 lbs ground chorizo
15 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Queso Fresco cheese
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
small or medium sized flour tortillas

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add the rice and cover.  Simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed, and remove from heat.  Let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff with fork.

In a small bowl mix together the Crema Mexicana and Sriracha; set aside.

In a large skillet, add the chorizo and cook over medium high heat for 6 minutes.  Drain any access grease.  Add the jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the yellow pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink and are heated all the way through.

Warm the tortillas if you desire, then top with rice, then the chorizo/shrimp mixture.  Drizzle some sriracha crema over top, crumble some queso fresco, top with chopped tomatoes and avocado.......and Enjoy!

 

One Year Ago:  Murphy's Hot Hamburger

Alabama Barbecue Chicken

In honor of my pal, Stephen's (The Obsessive Chef) birthday today, my post is dedicated to him :)  And boy will he be so proud...

I brined!

I have been so hesitant to try brining again, as the first time I did it, the pork I brined turned out to be more like a salt lick then an actually edible piece of meat.  Ok, ok...I believe the problem was because I did not rinse the meat, but still... I was not in a hurry to try it again.

I put all those fears aside yesterday and brined a whole chicken.  Do I think it made a difference?  I don't know.  Next time, if I think about it before hand, I should keep half the chicken out of the brine and than cook it the same as the chicken in the brine...that truly will be the only way to tell.  BUT, because I know three bloggers that swear by it...and I trust these three bloggers with all their food advices...I'm going to say that it at least did not hurt the chicken.  For those of you not familiar with this process, brining is similar to marinating.  Brining using a lot of salt.  The salt basically works its way into the meat and cells to help keep the meat from dehydrating.

I will say that the brining helped with this chicken, but I also think that the flavors of the spice mix and sauce mix help that out too.  And let's not forget my patience at the grill.  I took advice from Chris at Nibble Me This who talks about indirect cooking all of the time.  I finally put that method to use too.  I started off with all three burners on and then turned the fire off directly under the chicken after about 8 minutes.  I had to adjust that heat from time to time throughout the grilling process, but the key is to keep the temperature in the grill at 350-375.  Whatever the reason....whatever the process...this chicken was fantastic.  Spicy and moist and incredibly delicious.

I think Chris even claimed - "it was the best chicken I have ever made" :)  I'll take that compliment!!

Alabama Barbecue Chicken
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Best-Ever Recipes
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
For the sauce - 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the chicken -
1 whole chicken (2-4 lbs), rinsed and giblets removed
1/2 gallon water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes, drained and sealed in a foil packet with slits cut out of the top
vegetable oil for the grill grates

Directions:
For the sauce - mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined and smooth.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.  Reserve half of the sauce for dipping - the rest of the sauce will be used to brush over the chicken after it has cooked.

For the chicken - in a very large bag set inside a large pot, add the water, salt, sugar, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Place the whole chicken in the bag and seal.  Allow to brine for at least 2 hours.  Remove from the brine and rinse thoroughly.  Pat chicken dry.  Remove the back bone and cut the chicken into halves or quarters.  In a small bowl, mix together the remaining pepper and cayenne together.  Season the chicken and place on a platter in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Place the wood chip packet directly on the primary burner.  Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until  hot and the wood chips begin smoking, about 15 minutes.  Turn all burners to medium-low. (Adjust the burners as needed to maintain temperature around 350 degrees F.)

Use a grill brush to scrape the grates clean.  Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in oil.  Holding the wad with tongs, wipe the cooking grates in the center of the grill.  Place the chicken skin side down in center of the grill, cover, and grill for 10 minutes.  Turn off the middle burner and grill another 10-15 minutes longer.  Turn the middle burner back on and flip the chicken over.  Grill for 10 minutes.  Turn the middle burner off again and grill another 10-15 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board or platter and brush with 2 tablespoons of the sauce.  Tent with foil and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil tent and brush with another 2 tablespoons of the sauce.  Serve and additional sauce and enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHEN!!

One Year Ago:  Italian Baked Pork Chops

Baked Hoisin Tilapia with Hot Mustard Sauce - And a couple of other things -

Last week I told you all that my boss was leaving...well, we are two weeks away from her last day and it's crunch time at work.  I have been asked to take on a large chunk of her job, along with what I am already doing.  Though I am nervous, as most of her job is a bit above my skill set, I really am excited about the opportunity to learn more.  Hopefully they will have someone in there to take her place soon and things will lighten up for me...but for now, I move forward...it's about all I can do.  This will be a challenging time for me and I hope it does not cut into my blogging, but, if it does, please just bear with me ... I promise, I won't leave you for long :)

Before I get to today's recipe, I want to share something with you that I feel really good about.  Most of you probably don't remember my post from last May where I told you a little something about me - I'm a fire spinner.  (You can click on this link to read the full story)  Back then I shared still pictures of me spinning and I swore that some day I would share actual video with you.  Well that day has FINALLY arrived.  Friday night, I brushed the dust off the old fire poi and "lit up".  What a fantastic time I had too!!  It felt GREAT!  I can't wait to do it again!!  But first, the video of my debut return to fire spinning.  And thankfully, not only did Chris bravely agree to video my return, but he also placed a kick ass song over the video to make it really cool.  When he shot the video, there was no music....all you could hear was the Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh of the fire circling around me...which really is cool.  But come on - he dropped Fire Woman by The Cult right over top of the video and it actually works really good.  So, anyway, enough of my rambling... I hope you enjoy:  (for best results, view at 720p)


Ok, ok... enough showing off ...let's get to the food :)

I've adored hot mustard sauce since I was a kid.  On special occasions, we used to go to this Chinese restaurant called Imperial Palace.  I remember the first time I tried the hot mustard sauce.  I remember the heat going straight to my nose!  What I also remember was that it did not last long and.... I LOVED IT!!  I couldn't get enough of it.  The hotter the sauce, the better.  Mom even bought some so that we could have it at home.  A few weeks back, when I was on Savory Spice website, I noticed that they had hot mustard powder.  I knew right away I needed to purchase some so that I could bring those great childhood memories back!  Not that I haven't had hot mustard sauce since I was a kid, it's just that since I found my beloved Sriracha, I really don't use any other spicy condiments.  And of course, what better dish to try it with first then ... yep.. you got it... Tilapia!!!

This dish is way simple and way spicy.  If you want to tame the mustard sauce, use warm/hot water when mixing the powder and allow to sit at room temperature.  If you are looking for a knock your socks off sort of spice, which is what I wanted, use cold water when mixing together and immediately put it in the fridge.  Seriously, at least with the hot mustard powder I have, the colder the water, the hotter the sauce.  And remember, a little goes a long way.  And if you really want to simplify this recipe even more.  To make the fish, just season it with salt and pepper and pan sear.  Honestly, the sauce is the star here...but that shouldn't surprise you at all coming from me!

Baked Hoisin Tilapia with Hot Mustard Sauce
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons hoisin
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Sriracha
1-2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
4 Tilapia fillets
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons hot mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
drop sesame oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Rinse the tilapia and pat dry.  Place in prepared dish.  In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin, 1 tsp rice vinegar, Sriracha and soy sauce.  Pour evenly over the fish.  Bake for 14 minutes, rotating dish halfway through.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard powder, rice vinegar, water, and sesame oil.  Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.  Serve along side Tilapia.  Enjoy!

 

One Year Ago:  Pass it On Week 3: Brava Steak
 

Guest Blogger: Paprika Shrimp

I will tell you a little secret:  I love having guest bloggers because I get to read their posts before anyone else!!  That may sound silly to you, but there is just something about being the first person to read someones post.  It's like you are in on a little secret that no one else knows about........at least for that brief moment.  It's kind of cool.

ANYWAY - enough about me, let's talk about today's guest blogger - Katrina of Betty's Eats.  Katrina's blog is filled with delicious healthy/healthier recipes, fitness reviews, and she even just recently completed a recipe challenge where she actually cooked her way through those cookbooks/magazines that fills most of our bookshelves.  I love her stories of her family, I love her writing style, I love the recipes :)  So make sure to stop by Betty's Eats and say hello....after you are done here, of course!!

And, of course, don't forget about my Fire Day Friday post over at Our Krazy Kitchen...it's one you'll want to check out:  Grilled Garlic and Parsley Chicken

Hey there Jenn's people.  I'm Katrina (Betty Ray in my teeny corner of the blogosphere) of Betty's Eats where I document my journey into attempting to find the balance between tasty and healthy (somewhat) food and a happy and healthy lifestyle and family.

I am the little girl growing up who would eat nothing but bologna, bread and black olives.  Dessert came after every meal.  As I got older, the pickiness never subsided and dessert was still mandatory and usually came courtesy of Entenmanns.  Dinner was meat, potatoes, pastas.  After two kids and hitting the ripe old age of 30 (which was a while ago), that diet wasn't really working anymore.  Exercise was no longer an option but a requirement.  All those desserts didn't just magically burn themselves off.

Now at 37, I have a new husband, a new home, a new career and a new found appreciation for a variety of yummy eats.  My husband lived a much less sheltered life than I did and opened up a new world to me.  when it comes to food, well he will eat just about anything and has a taste of ethnic foods that a few years ago would've sent me running for the door.  Some still do.  In my eagerness to enjoy some of the finer things in life with him, I began experimenting.  Hey, I like lots of new stuff!  Healthy can be delicious?  Wow.  Now it's time to get the kids up to speed.  I am slowly introducing them to new flavors, textures, and cuisines.

This recipe is a less scary version of a little Euro/Asian fusion and the turnips add a healthy dose of fiber, potassium, calcium and vitamin C.  Paired with kid friendly brown rice noodles, they will dive right in.  Even if they push away the shrimp, they will get a taste for the new spices on the noodles (and you can always say the turnips are potatoes).  Baby steps we say, baby steps.

Hope you enjoy this Paprika Shrimp.  Modified from a recipe found in Power Foods, a cookbook that makes all those scary healthy things appetizing.

2 tbsp safflower oil
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 peeled turnip, cubed
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp mirin
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
One shot Sriracha (optional)
Red pepper flake, to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add ginger and paprika.  Cook, constantly stirring, about 30 seconds.  Add walnuts and saute about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add turnip and cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add shrimp.  Cook until pink and opaque throughout.  Add vinegar, mirin, sriracha, and salt & pepper to your taste.  Cook until heated through.

Serve with noodles or rice and top with parsley.  Eat while hot.

Printable Recipe

Note:  This dish is extra fabulous the next day so be sure to make extra.  Your co-workers will love your use of the office microwave to heat up your shrimp (so worth the dirty looks)! :)

One Year Ago:  Pasta with Zucchini, Tuna and Almonds