Texas Barbecue Chicken with Couscous Stuffed Red Peppers and Basil Garlic Crostinis

A colleague that I assigned to an implementation in Ennis, Texas brought me back some really nice sauce that we decided to try tonight. The finished product was pretty awesome - if I say so myself.


Texas Barbecue Chicken - what you need...

• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Bottle of barbecue sauce. This was from Texas  so I dropped that in the name but, really you can use any dang sauce you like.
• Ziploc bag

Place chicken breast in Ziploc bag and pour sauce into it. Place sealed bag in fridge for a few hours (I did this early in the morning and let it marinate the whole day). I skipped a step this morning and didn't flatten the chicken breasts - so I strongly suggest that you do this before bagging and tagging (doing this helps the chicken cook evenly).

Image Courtesy of seriouseats.com

When ready preheat grill and place marinated chicken breasts on the upper grill grate.  It only takes a few minutes per side, so keep an eye on it or you will wind up with dry chicken. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Give it a couple of minutes to rest before plating.

Couscous Stuffed Red Peppers

Swung by the local fresh & easy and grabbed a prepackaged offering that comes in a ready to use grilling pan.  Unwrap and put on the grill - that is it, nothing complicated.  If you are in a time crunch but, want a filling side dish then this is the way to go.  While there is some great layering of flavor in this, I have to believe that if you spent a few more minutes you can get a customized result that blends the flavors your want (garlic, basil, parmesan, feta, whatever).  Next time I am going to give fixing this myself a whirl and I will let you know how it goes.

Basil Garlic Crostinis - what you need...

• Fresh baguette
• Butter
• Garlic
• Basil
• Seasoning of Choice - mine is Cavender's

The method that I am sharing works for me.  I like the texture of the finished result but, crostini snobs out there will tell you that this isn't a "true crostini. Personally, I am not wanting something that will disintegrate the first time you bite into it (plus, this is my blog). You have been warned - read on if you want a soft crispy product. If not, then there are a zillion other recipes out there for you.  I will leave you to decide now...

Thanks for sticking with me - it really means a lot that you have bought into my vision.  Move oven rack to near the top of the oven and pre-heat broiler to 275 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pan. Add garlic and basil to taste.  Once all ingredients are combined/melted, add seasoning to taste.  While the butter is melting, slice the baguette into 1/4" portions. Place on ceramic baking sheet. Brush/spoon/pour melted butter mix over the baguette slices.  Place on top rack of oven and cook for five minutes. If yours isn't a light golden brown, then leave it there for another minute but, keep an eye on it. There is a fine line between yummy bread product and burnt toast.

 

Marinated Chicken Breast with Garlic Basil Parmesan Couscous and Peas (+ bonus tip)

It all started because I found an unopened bottle of salad dressing that was going to expire in the next couple of weeks.  That pesky bottle of red wine balsamic dressing became the genesis of a marinade that resulted in one of the most succulent pieces of poultry I have ever enjoyed.

Just place your boneless, skinless chicken breast in a large Ziploc bag and pour the entire bottle of dressing into the bag.  Seal and place in the fridge for about six hours. When you go to grill it, you will find that the chicken has absorbed about 3/4 of the liquid in the bag.  Grill as you normally would - be sure to cook to 165 degrees.

Couscous is simple and a completely different texture from rice (I like it better).  Just bring 1-1/4 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 Dorot cubes of basil, 2 Dorot cubes of garlic, and the packet of spices to a boil. Once boiling, slowly stir in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.  Allow to sit five minutes - fluffing with a fork before serving.  Peas are steam simple - I won't insult your intelligence by pretending I did anything special to these.

I promised you a bonus tip and I don't want to disappoint.  To keep your leafy greens and sliced veggies fresher, longer - place into a Ziploc bag with folded paper towel. You can also place into a bowl with a paper towel caught between the lip of the bowl and lid. Store in the fridge upside down for up to five days.  Be sure to replace the paper towel anytime you take product from the container.

Simple, Healthy Summer Lunch

With the mercury now routinely climbing over 105 here in Phoenix we cooked a simple lunch that didn't drag anymore heat into the house.

While I was grilling off four chicken breasts (for our lunch salads this week), I threw a couple seasoned Jennie-O turkey breasts on the upper deck of the grill.  While the first side was grilling, I sliced a beefsteak tomato and seasoned with Cavender's (If you have no other spice in your home - then have salt, pepper, and this. I cannot tell you enough about how amazing this stuff is).  After flipping, I cleaned some celery hearts and spread some soft cream cheese in them.

It was just that simple - no heat added to make the A/C work harder and a heck of a lot healthier than was you can get at burger doodle.

Product Review | Wild Oats - Smoked Bacon Spinach Salad

My workday started from home but, shifted to needing to be in the office for a couple of meetings. I dashed out of the house before packing a lunch for myself so a stop to fresh and easy was in order.

If you haven't been in a while, then the evolution you will see in the store might be a bit jarring.  Personally, I find it handy for quick pit stops like I had this morning (even though I think the beverage cooler at the back of the store makes me think I am in a liquor store).  The grab and go stuff is all upfront, right by the register (exactly where it belongs) and there are a few new additions that you will want to pay attention to.  You will notice several organic offerings branded as "Wild Oats", you can only get the sandwiches, salads, and eggs (product review coming later this month) at your local fresh and easy store.  Each of these offerings is made to be sold within 24 hours. For example, the salad I had today, was made yesterday, delivered last night, and placed on the shelf this morning.  There is a limited supply, so swinging by the store during your morning drive time is perfect.  Right off the bat you will see a couple of differences between the Wild Oats products and the standard sandwiches/salads; the "eco-friendly packages and the slightly higher price. This morning, I picked the Smoked Bacon Spinach Salad for the brown bag lunch meeting I needed to be onsite for.  I will say, this was definitely fresh and and on par with what I would fix for myself at home. Contents were exactly as advertised and I was actually filled by the eight ounces of food.  Was it worth the extra money - in this instance yes. If I was on a restricted diet, had an urge to have organic food, and needed it in a grab and go format (which I have not seen anywhere else); then the slight up-charge is well worth it.

While I am on a product review rant, I am going to get on my soap box and complain about something I did see in the store at Kyrene and Baseline.  Back when the chain launched, they had a "clearance" cooler. You got used to walking in the store and checking the cooler before you started shopping. It was okay, but horribly inefficient for traffic flow.  After the Yucaipa buyout, these stores had switched to keeping clearance items in their original locations and doing away with the separate location.  So, if you were buying steak, you would see the marked down trays in with ones that weren't discounted - and could decide what worked well for you.  Clearly this store didn't get (or care about) that memo and are using a section that is clearly designed for something else (just look at the signage in the photo).  Since this is the store that is the easiest for me to swing into on my way home from the office, I hope it is something they correct in the short term future (especially since this looks like a section that is supposed to help me put together a complete meal quickly).

     

Simply Done | Pork Chops with Caramel Citrus Glaze

This blog is not about travel but, travel figures into the story of this meal. We spent the weekend in California to catch a BNL concert. On the way home, we decided to take the road less traveled and were rewarded with the amazing vista above Palm Springs.  As the miles passed beneath our tires we knew that we were one step closer to the "normality" of home - picking lemons from the tree (the second such harvest, if you want lemons, give me a shout), grocery shopping, laundry, and dinner decisions.  Before we hit the state line, I had already decided that I had hit my limit of dining out so, I would need to cook tonight.

Standing in our local Fresh & Easy store, I pondered our options.  Thanks to whatever unholy winds blew through the Phoenix area while we were gone, grilling was really out of the picture (I would have to clean it before I cooked out there and I just did not feel like it) so, I was gravitating towards doing something in the oven.  We haven't had pork lately so I was leaning that way and then I saw the, "Simple Pork Chops with Caramel Citrus Glaze" in the meat section and we were off to the races.  With an ingredient list that I can actually pronounce and understand, simple oven instructions, we had a foundation of a meal that we served with parmesan roasted potatoes and green beans.  I cannot blame the chefs at the store for their decision (I would rather have under-seasoned than over-seasoned), but I felt this was a little bland and I added some Cavender's to add some depth of flavor.  My only other knock was some that my chop had a lot more fat on it than I would like but, a knife fixed that once it was pulled from the oven.  Though I applied a couple of tweaks, this was a great pick to keep us out of another restaurant.

I have a bonus product review for your consideration. I have said for years to cook meat to temperature and not time.  For years I have used a Polder probe thermometer for bigger items but, it is a pain the butt to use on smaller things (like pork chops).  I found a simple, cost effective solution in the OXO Good Grips Digital Instant Read Thermometer.  Though you should not leave this in the meat while it is on the grill or in the oven (the plastic housing of the digital readout will melt), it is a great tool to quickly check where you are at.  Caution, this is not really an "instant" unit, but you will see the numbers climb and stabilize within about five or so seconds (which should work nicely for what you need it to do). 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Garlic Basil Cream Cheese

Kauai - wonderful beaches, an excellent place to get away from your mainland cares, and someplace that has chickens wandering all over the place.  Since returning, I have been on a eat all the chicken I can get my hands on kick.  Yes, this is a thinly veiled attempt at revenge for having to listen to them crow/cluck/annoy us at every hour of the day.

I also firmly believe that bacon makes everything better and tonight's entree is a result of that belief and a willingness to experiment with the stuff that we had in the fridge.

Let's start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and gathering the following ingredients;

• Boneless chicken breast (one for each person)
• One tablespoon of cream cheese per breast
• One clove of garlic per breast (in my case that is a Dorot garlic cube in place of each clove)
• Couple of basil leaves (in my case two Dorot basil cubes).
• One piece of raw bacon per breast (I like the thicker cut)
• Wooden toothpicks.

Directions

1. Separate the needed amount of cream cheese into a bowl
2. Mince, press or finely chop the garlic and basil. (upper left)
3. Stir into the cream cheese - Tim's Tip, allow the cream cheese to soften a bit outside of the fridge to make this easier.
4. Flatten or butterfly (personally, I prefer to flatten them) the chicken breasts.  If you have it, you can use a clean mallet to make this easier. The fact that you can get rid of a bit of aggression is my bonus gift to you. (upper right)
5. Spread the desired amount of cream cheese onto one face of the flattened chicken breasts.
6. Gently roll the breast up starting with the smaller end. Be sure that it is even on both sides.
   
7. Take your piece of bacon and starting at one side of the breast, wrap it tightly around the chicken. Secure the bacon with a toothpick (again, do not use a plastic toothpick - that will not be good eats), be sure to remember how many you put in so you can pass the pop quiz remembering to remove them all) prior to serving. (lower right)
8. Place in either a small baking dish or on a baking sheet. Personally, I use a ceramic sheet, lined with parchment paper.
9. Place on the center rack of the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
10. Clean all the stuff that the chicken touched or even thought about touching. I mean it, do not skip this step - I cannot stress how important hot water, lots of soap and Clorox bleach wipes are to avoid revenge of the chicken. If you do not believe me then, listen to the US Government - they never lie... (lower left)
11. When the chicken is done (juices run clear) you can move the chicken up to a higher rack in the oven and turn the broiler on, leaving the oven door open a bit. This will help the bacon crisp up a bit. Once your bacon gets to the amount of crispy yummy you want, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

There you go - well worth the prep time and my yummy revenge for all the racket while in paradise...

Simple Sunday Lunch and Special Seasoning

As we get closer to our Kauai trip, we have re-embraced a carb free diet.  Sunday breakfast was poached eggs, bacon, and cheese but, lunch was all about handling a craving that I have had for a burger. Burgers as most Americans know them require buns and buns, unfortunately, have carbs...

There is a way around this and we gave it a go for lunch today.  The last thing I was to do is work hard today (killed myself yesterday and am not inclined to apply myself today). While the turkey burgers were on the grill (lightly seasoned of course), I grabbed some cheese, leaf lettuce and tomatoes from the fridge.  Slice the tomatoes, salt lightly and place on your plate.  Add whatever condiments you want to one face of the lettuce leaf (mayo in my case). Once off the grill, allow the patties to rest for three or so minutes. Add the cheese (cheddar in this instance) and wrap in the lettuce leaf.

On another subject, I found a steady supply of Cavender's seasoning at Wal-Mary of all places.  y father used to use this on the London Broils he would grill but, I have come to love it on just about everything you might use salt on. It adds a depth of flavor that salt alone cannot bring.  If you are watching your salt intake, there is a salt free version that isn't too bad...