Friday, August 31, 2012

The Thigh Who Loved Me/oven bbq'd chicken thighs-Looneyspoons Cookbook

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 6 boneless, skinless breasts)
3/4 C. ketchup
1/2 C. salsa
1/4 C. honey
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. cornstarch

Arrange chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  I browned the chicken in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray first.  Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together ketchup, salsa, honey, Dijon mustard, chili powder and cumin until well blended.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Turn pieces to coat both sides.
Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. When chicken is done, arrange thighs on a serving platter and keep warm.  Pour sauce into a small pot, skimming off as much fat as possible.  In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 T. water until smooth.  Add to sauce.  Bring to a boil, and cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.  Pour extra sauce over chicken or serve on the side as a dipping sauce.
I served this with corn on cob, squash and green beans. 
 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Life in the Fast Loin-skillet pork loin chops drizzled with apricot-mustard sauce-Looneyspoons Cookbook

Sauce:
1/3 C. water
1/2 C. no sugar added apricot preserves
2 T. each, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper

4 boneless pork loin chops
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
 
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper and let stand for a few minutes.  Heat olive oil in a 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add pork chops and cook for about 6 minutes per side, until nicely browned on the outside and just slightly pink in the center.  Cover skillet with lid if they're splattering.
Remove pork chops from skillet, cover with foil to keep warm.  Pour sauce ingredients into same skillet.  Using a whisk, cook and stir sauce for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens.  Make sure you scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet for added flavor.  Serve pork chops drizzled with hot apricot-mustard sauce.
I served this with corn on the cob, green beans and squash.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Fake 'n' Bake Chicken-Looneyspoons Cookbook

4, boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 C. hoisin sauce
1/3 C. hickory-flavored barbecue sauce
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. grated gingerroot
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray.  Dish should be just large enough to hold the chicken breasts in a single layer.  
Whisk together all remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Spoon sauce over chicken.  Turn pieces to coat both sides with sauce.  Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.  Spoon sauce from bottom of pan over chicken and serve.
  I browned the chicken in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray before baking it.
I served this over quinoa, along with squash, green beans and corn on the cob.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Jamacian Me Hungry-Caribbean jerk-style chicken-Looneyspoons cookbook

Marinade:
1/3 C. chopped green onions with white parts
1/4 C. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 T. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T. grated gingerroot
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (wear gloves) I did not use the peppers...too hot for me!
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. each dried thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. each ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg
12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used boneless skinless breasts)
Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.  Place chicken in a large, heavy duty, resealable plastic bag.  Add marinade and seal bag.  Turn bag several times to coat chicken with marinade.  Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.  
Grill chicken and then serve with mango salsa-
Salsa recipe:
1 whole fresh pinapple
1 medium red bell pepper
1/3 C. minced red onions
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 T. minced fresh cilantro
1/8 tsp. salt
Slice pineapple into large pieces or rings.  Cut bell pepper into half and remove the stem and seeds.  Place pineapple and pepper on grill and cook until heated through with nice grill marks on both sides.  Remove from heat.
When cool enough to handle, dice pineapple and bell pepper and place in a medium bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Tastes better when eaten within 1 day.
I served the chicken and salsa with quinoa and grilled asparagus.
 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Salmon Cowell-grilled salmon in an orange ginger marinade-Looneyspoons Cookbook

Marinade:
1/4 C. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 C. hoisin sauce
1 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T. grated gingerroot
1 tsp. grated orange zest
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 boneless skinless salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each)
Directions:
Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.  Place salmon in a large, heavy-duty, resealable plastic bag.  Add marinade and seal bag.  Turn bag several times to coat salmon with marinade.  Marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  
We grilled the salmon along with asparagus, baked broccoli and baked squash. I think this marinade would also work well on chicken.