(un) Garlic Ginger Chicken Thighs

I've been on a cooking kick lately and chicken has been the main course. Like I've mentioned A LOT lately, The October issue of Food Network Mag is amazing! If you haven't picked it up yet, you should.

Once section of the mag contained Guy Fieri's 10 Tailgating Rules (and recipes), one of them being Dirty P's Garlic-Ginger Chicken Thighs. Sounds good, right? But how does one prepare such a dish for a tailgate? Guy's tip: marinate over night so all you have to do is unpack and cook the meat at the tailgate.

I don't do much tailgating myself, but thought this would be a perfect work-night dinner. It's quick and packed full of flavor. If you paid any attention to my title of this, you might be asking yourself "Why did she name this (un) Ginger chicken?" Well.... to be honest, the recipe called for it, and it was the only ingredient I didn't have at home and was so lazy and tired from work that day, so I skipped that part. Oops! I don't think missing the ginger did anything to ruin the dish, but I bet the flavor would have been even better if I had used it. Oh well.. next time. ;)


Recipe:
2 pounds skin-on, boneless chicken thigh (I used bone-on thighs, they came out just fine.)
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced peeled ginger (or not, in my case)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice (fresh?? Not so much...try Tropicana)
Ground Pepper
Vegetable Oil, for the grill

Guy's Directions: (If cooking by grill)
1) Combine chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, juice and 1 tsp of pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
2) Preheat a grill to medium high and oil the grate. Grill the chicken skin-side down until marked, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

My Directions: (cooked at home via oven)1) Combine chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, juice and 1 tsp of pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook skin-side down for about 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Place skillet into the oven and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked through. Remove, let cool, then serve over rice or potatoes. (In my case, overly fried rice...it was like eating fried rice crispies. Better luck next time on that.) ;)

Breakfast Cupcakes

My friend's Lauren and Megan both have birthdays just days apart and I couldn't let the occasion go by without baking for them. Lauren's party was during the work-week so I waited until Meg's party to whip something up I searched high and low for morning-friendly cupcakes, since we were meeting for brunch to start the celebration and found a great recipe for Strawberry Filled Oatmeal Cupcakes.

Cupcakes for breakfast sold me immediately! And after baking them, I was hooked. I ate mine right out of the oven and couldn't get over how great the warm oatmeal cupcake tasted with strawberry filling oozing out. The recipe calls for a touch of cinnamon and that just topped it off!


These would be great not only for breakfast gatherings, but also if you were hosting a shower or girls night. They definitely don't leave you feeling stuffed like many rich, chocolately cakes do. Plus, who doesn't love a filled cupcake? Look at how amazing these look when split open!


Recipe:
Cupcake Recipe: Makes 12
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup rolled oats (I used Quaker instant)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
12 tsp strawberry jelly

Oatmeal Crunch Topping Recipe:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp (heaping) all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into little pieces

Directions:
1) Put all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and proccess until lumps form. Set aside. (I used a mini processor..it worked great.)
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3) Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.4) In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Alternately add dry ingredients and sour cream, blending well after each addition.
5) Spoon half the batter into 12 cupcake papers. Make an indentation and place 1 tsp of jelly in each cupcake. Fill cupcakes with remaining batter. Using your fingers, sprinkle a little topping over each cupcake. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes are golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cool.

While baking, some of my cupcakes had large divots from the strawberry filling dropping, but they still tasted amazing!

Almost Thanksgiving, Dinner

In an effort to quickly make my grocery list, I grabbed Food Network Magazine while running out my door. (Go Figure!) While sitting shot gun on my way to the store, I picked out a few delicious-sounding recipes. The first of which I was very excited to make because I couldn't begin to put my finger on how it would taste. To my surprise, FN's Honey-Mustard Chicken with Apples totally hit the spot! (Mustard and apples cooked together sounds weird, right? Well the recipe calls for onions too, and they all blend amazingly together!)

After baking, the apples almost melt in with the chicken and onions. I couldn't serve the dish without some sort of starch so I whipped up my favorite mashed potoates, and together with the apple/onion mixture, it was like Thanksgiving on a plate! Seriously, every bite was a burst of flavor in your mouth. I couldn't get enough!


Recipe:
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2 to 2.5 pounds)
Salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
2 cooking apples (such as Cortland), cut into chunks
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 to 3 tbsp honey mustard
1.5 tsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, then transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the drippings.
2) Add the onion and apples to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Mix the broth with the mustard, then add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Arrange the chicken, skin-side up, in the skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
3) Mix the butter and flour to form a paste. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken, apples and onion to plates. Bring the pan juices to a simmer, whisk in about half of the butter/flour mixture and boil to thicken, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, adding more of the butter/flour mixture as needed to make a slightly thick gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I couldn't let a weekend go by without baking so before starting my talapia dish, from the post before, Lauren and I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes. Sounds delish, right?? They were!


I figured I could just tuck Reese's cups inside any chocolate cupcake recipe, but wanted to make sure they'd be great so I searched high and low and found a great recipe from Mindika Moments, which I soon found out was her own homemade recipe. The batter was very fluffy, which helped keep the Reese's cup from sinking while baking. They turned out so rich, incredibly delicious and look beautiful! (Thanks to my baking assistants Lauren and Becky) ;)


Recipe:
8 ounces cream cheese (about 1 cup), softened
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup water
36 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a large bowl combine cream cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes.
3) Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Place 1 mini Reese Peanut Butter Cup on top of the batter. Do not put the cup down into the batter, just set it on top. Bake about 18 to 20 minutes. The Reese’s will settle down into the cupcake as they bake.
4) Remove from the oven and let cool slightly in the tin, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack. When cool, frost with the frosting. Then top each cupcake with a mini peanut butter cup sliced in half.

Frosting Recipe:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp coco powder
3-4 cup powdered sugar

1) Beat the peanut butter and butter with a mixer until smooth.
2) Add the coco powder and mix well.
3) Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired thickness of frosting.
4) This frosting is quite thick so you'll need to thin it out a little, add a couple tablespoons of milk. I used about 4.
5) Frost as desired then top with little Reese's chunks.

Cooking Party # 2: Talapia with Hash Browns

I seriously love Food Network Magazine lately. I've been getting the magazine for 6 months now, checking out recipe after recipe and just wasn't inspired enough to actually try one. After making FN's ever so delicious Bow-tie Pasta with Broccoli and Potatoes, I knew I was hooked. In the same section as the pasta recipe, I found an interesting recipe for Talapia with Hash Browns. I really enjoy fish and absolutely LOVE potatoes so I figured this would be great. And it definitely was.


I spent last weekend hanging out with friends in the city, and was reminded that all summer long I wanted to have everyone over for a BBQ. It wasn't quite the weather for it, so I had a fish fry instead. Becky and Lauren came over just in time to help me prep for the meal. (Well, Lauren came just in time to help me bake cupcakes too, but that will be in the next post.)

My girls were a huge help with the slicing and chopping of vegetables, as I fried and prepared the potatoes and fish. The end result.. a meal made in perfect harmony! We loved how well the vegetables married with the fish and potatoes.

Recipe:
1 12oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (I bought cubed hash instead)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed then thinly sliced
kosher salt
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives, roughly chopped
3/4 pound tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
3 scallions, white and green parts only, chopped1 1/2 lbs skinless talapia filets
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Toss hash browns with the garlic and 1 tsp salt in bowl. Heat 2 tbps of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the hash browns, flatten with spatula and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Flip the potato cake and pat it back into shape. Cook and crisp until, another 6 to 8 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, mix the olives, tomatoes, roasted peppers, scallions and parsley in a bowl. Cut the fish into 12 pieces and season with the dried herbs, salt and pepper.
4) Scatter half of the olive mixture over the potato cake and top with the fish. Scatter the remaining olive mixture on top and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Serve directly from skillet.

Cupcakes from Coast to Coast!

I just LOVE checking out cupcake boutiques, so it should be no surprise that while on work trips or personal vacations, I try to seek out the local hotspots.

While in California for work, I made a quick stop to Yummy Cupcakes, in Santa Monica. I am pretty sure they competed on the Food Network show Cupcake Wars, but I can't seem to find proof. lol. Either way, the shop was so cute. Covered in pink and brown decor, the bakery smelled and looked amazing. With so many different flavors, it was hard to pick just one, but I went with a chocolate, cream cheese frosted cupcake covered in coconut. It was definitely YUMMY!



Next stop: Michigan! While in the mall, I came across Just Baked. (Yes, a mall is a weird place for a cupcake shop, but there are 2 or 3 other Just Baked street locations.) These too were delicious. They even had my most favorite flavor ever! A rich chocolate cupcake, with butter cream filling, topped with a big mound of butter cream frosting, then coated in chocolate ganache. This is usually sold in cake from, called Bumpy Cake and is hands down my all time favorite cake... (to the point I had my family bring a cake with them when they came to visit.) I was so excited to see it! My all time favorite cake ever...now in cupcake form. I loved it!

Chicken with a Cheesy Twist!

Last week, I was in the mood for some sort of yummy chicken dish. I always have chicken on hand, but wanted to try something other than a simple spiced, grilled chicken breast. Like always, I searched through my favorite cooking blogs and found a great recipe for Chicken with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Sauce, from Annie's Eats.

It's a fairly simple recipe but somehow, I managed to mess it up. :( Rather than making a sauce, my end result was more of a paste, but it tasted great none the less. I have to say, goat cheese mixed with sun-dried tomatoes was a very tasty combination. The tartness of the cheese blended very well with texture and flavor of the tomatoes. I just wish I would have gotten the sauce right, to really get the full affect. Oh well.. I still love the dish. :)

Check out my version versus Annie's.

My version

Annie's Eat's version (So much better!)

Recipe:
2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (and drained, if packed in oil.)
2 oz herbed goat cheese
salt and pepper

1) Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts. Cook through, about 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Set aside.
2) In the same skillet, add the wine. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the chicken. Add the chicken broth and reduce that by about half too. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and heat through.
3) Remove skillet from heat and stir in the goat cheese. Top the chicken breasts with sauce and serve.