Monday, September 21, 2009

Caribbean-Spiced Roast Chicken

I was looking for a quick way to make some chicken tonight and I found this. I fried it instead of baking it but it was AMAZING! It only took me about 10 minutes to fry it, I also only had 2 chicken breasts instead of a whole one! Definitely something I'll be making again.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 fluid ounces rum
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, rum, and brown sugar; set aside. Mix together the cayenne pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, salt, and thyme leaves. Brush the chicken with oil, then coat with the spice mixture.
3. Place in a roasting pan, and bake about 90 minutes, until the juices run clear or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Baste the chicken with the sauce every 20 minutes while it's cooking. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Delicious Arroz Con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo

1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8 serving pieces
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned low-sodium broth
1 cup light beer, such as lager
3 tablespoons Delicioso Adobo, **recipe follows
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 cups white rice
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 medium carrots, finely diced
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and quartered
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, ribbed and thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, ribbed and thinly sliced
1 cup pimento stuffed olives *optional*

Place the chicken, quartered onions, 1 cup of chicken broth, beer, Delicioso Adobo, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 of the cilantro, and garlic in a large pot or skillet over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool; once cool shred and set aside. Strain the broth into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve discarding the onion pieces.
Pour the broth into a measuring cup and add water to make 4 cups of liquid. Return it to the pot or skillet and add the rice, peas, carrots, green beans, ketchup, and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil. Let the liquid evaporate to just below the level of the rice, about 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and fully cooked, 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and the remaining sliced onions and cook until they're tender, 8 minutes. Shred the cooked chicken meat discarding the skin and bones, and add the chicken to the vegetables. Cook until it is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the chicken and vegetables to the rice mixture. Stir in the olives, sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Delicioso Adobo:
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon achiote powder*
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
Combine all measured ingredients in a small glass jar with an airtight lid and shake to blend. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Note: This recipe for adobo is a staple seasoning for many of my Latin recipes. You can make a large batch, store it in an airtight container and use it as a flavor enhancer in your favorite dishes.

*Achiote is also known as Annatto seeds
Yield: about 1/2 cup

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies!

I like this recipe because it only contains 3 ingredients.

1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 egg

Mix all three ingredients together. Roll into a ball, place on cookie sheet and flatten with fork making a criss cross pattern.

Bake at 350 for 6 - 8 minutes.

Very, very soft and chewy!