Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

Printable version

I was shopping for groceries recently and I stumbled across chicken leg quarters for 98¢ a pound. I picked up a package and went about my business. As I continued to shop, I realized that any other time I had bought leg quarters it was to grill, usually over a summer holiday weekend. Suddenly, I found myself wondering the isles thinking “what the heck am I going do with this chicken?”

My grill was covered with snow and Northern Indiana’s weather this winter has been more like what you’d find in the Himalayas. I decided it was time to experiment and roast them in the warmth of my kitchen rather than grill them and risk frostbite in the frozen tundra of my yard.

For this recipe, I make a dry rub similar to the seasoning found on barbecue potato chips. Also, I roast the chicken on a baking rack over a sheet pan allowing heat to circulate around the entire quarter and keep it out of the juices while it cooks. The end result is a well seasoned and perfectly roasted piece of chicken to devour.

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Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

I used this recipe for my print column but it contained only the rub portion. My space in the paper is limited so I decided to just use the seasoning part. This marks the first time I have broke apart a recipe and only used half for the paper. I have simplified recipes, but never left out a major part such as a brine or marinade like I have created here. I decided to do that because this rub is exceptional and is worth a try regardless of a marinade.

Soaking the chicken in buttermilk really does make a difference in the tenderness and moisture of the meat. I decided to add salt, sugar and a few select ingredients to impart flavor as well as tenderness. The end result was fall apart, juicy and flavorful meat. The buttermilk marinade, combined with the seasoning of the rub made for exceptional chicken. I can’t wait to adapt this recipe to the grill this summer.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

Serves 6 to 8; 1 hour 15 minutes active
4 to 12 hours inactive
3 C Buttermilk
1/4 C Salt
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Worcestershire
1 Tbs Hot sauce
1 Tbs Garlic, rough chop
5 lbs Chicken leg quarters
2 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1/2 Tbs Pepper
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garlic powder

Marinate chicken
Mix together buttermilk, salt, sugar, Worcestershire, hot sauce and garlic. Place chicken quarters in 2 1-gallon zip-lock bags. Pour marinade over chicken, seal bags, place bags in container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, no more than 12.

Make rub, season chicken
Mix together paprika, sugar, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade, rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Liberally coat quarters with rub. Let marinate 20 minutes.

Roast chicken
Preheat oven to 400°
Place chicken on a baking sheet fitted with a baking rack. When oven is ready roast until internal temperature reaches 165° and juices run clear, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10  minutes, then serve.

Mini Jalapeño Corn Muffins

Printable version

I made a miscalculation while making a recipe last week that left me with an open box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix sitting on the counter. Rather than bag it up and put it away, I challenged myself do something with it.

I started looking around the kitchen and discovered a few fresh jalapeño peppers that were in need of being used and a small block of cheddar cheese in the fridge. I diced the peppers and shredded the cheese and added it to the muffin mix.

Instead of normal sized muffins, I went with the mini size, because when it comes to food you eat with your fingers I believe that smaller is better and eating 10 mini muffins seems to make me feel less like a glutton than eating 3 normal ones, even though it’s the same amount of cake.

The flavor of the jalapeño blended perfectly with the corn and the cheese helped moisten the cake and make them richer in flavor. By themselves the muffins were yummy, but even better with the delicious bean soup I ate along side them.

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Mini Jalapeño Corn Muffins

I was experimenting with some meatballs I had made when my Mom suggested I make corn muffins and drop a meatball in each cup before I bake them. I thought it was worth a try. I opened a box from the pantry and realized I didn’t have enough muffin mix to match the amount of meatballs. If the recipe turned out great I would have to remake it to get the right amounts.

That's when I took the meatball thing in a different direction.

This left me with the open package of muffin mix that I mention in the introduction. I’m glad it happened though because these little guys turned out awesome. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of corn muffins in general, the cheddar cheese really added a richness and moisture that transformed these little guys into a treat I really enjoyed. Now I just need to come up with a soup recipe to match these guys.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Mini Jalapeño Corn Muffins

Makes 36; 45 minutes
1 box Corn muffin mix (8.5 oz)
1 C Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/2 C Jalapeño, seeded, diced
1/3 C Milk
1 Egg

Create batter
In a bowl stir together corn muffin mix, cheddar cheese and jalapeno until thoroughly mixed together. Stir in milk and eggs until a batter forms. Set aside and let rest 5 minutes.

Make mini muffins
Preheat oven to 400°
Line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake wrappers. Spray a little cooking spray in each cup. Fill cups half way with batter. Place in oven and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and muffin tops have browned a little, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then serve.

Sweet Onion and Red Pepper Soup

My original French onion soup

Three years ago I made a french onion soup for the print column and decided it was time to revisit the classic and try and improve on my original take. I went with red onions as an experiment and threw in a jar of diced roasted red pepper for extra flavor. That combo on a sandwich is yummy and I thought it would work in a soup. I added Italian seasoning and oregano along with an equal part combination of chicken and beef broth as a replacement for the veal broth in traditional French onion soup.

All the elements for a great soup were in place and for the most part I did like it, but in the end I think it needed more work before I document it in an information graphic. The biggest flaw was the onions, I used at least double the amount I should have and I'm not sure if red onions are the right choice for onion soup.

I do think it is worth sharing and I hope to revisit this again sometime, if those of you out there in web land have any suggestions or tweaks I would love to here them. If you like what you see in the recipe give it a shot.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Sweet Onion and Red Pepper Soup

Serves 6 to 8, 1 hour
1/4 C Unsalted butter
3 Jumbo red onions
1 jar Roasted red pepper
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp Oregano
3 1/2 C Chicken broth
3 1/2 C Beef broth
1/2  baguette, sliced thin
2 C Italian cheese blend, shredded

Caramelize onions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven melt butter over medium heat, add onions and cook until onions have released sugars and have cooked down, 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Make soup
Add red pepper and seasonings, cook until pepper is soft 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes more. Remove from heat and spoon into oven safe bowls. Top with thin sliced pieces of baguette and shredded cheese. Place under a broiler and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and serve.

Mini English Muffin Pizzas

Printable version

When it comes to a party, pizza is king. Whether it be a work party, school party, frat party or church party – pizza will always satisfy the crowd.

Super Bowl Sunday is not only a big day for football parties but more than likely the biggest day of the year for pizza parties. Domino’s Pizza will increase sales by nearly 80% over a typical Sunday and sell more than 11 million slices on the day of the big game. If you were to string those pizza slices end to end it would stretch the length of more than 21,000 football fields. Pizza restaurants in general will typically double their normal business on Super Bowl Sunday.

For this recipe, I take English muffins and top them with sauce, cheese and mini pepperoni to create a personal snack pizza for an easy pizza party treat.

The key here is to use the English muffins as the crust, any number of toppings can be featured to make custom pizzas. The muffin provides a quick alternative to pizza dough and a variety of toppings should help please all the different tastes that come from a room full of people attending a party.

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Mini English Muffin Pizzas

This was really a simple snack to make and perfect for kids. It's a great treat for Moms and Dads to bust out when hosting a slumber party. Just put out a few toppings to choose from and each kid can have there own custom pie in just a few minutes.

I can’t wait to try this with my niece and nephews. They always want to help me cook but rarely do I have something for them to get involved in because most of the elements of cooking involve fire and knifes. Not here though, custom English muffin pizzas are easy and as kid friendly as food gets.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Mini English Muffin Pizzas

Makes 12 mini pizzas; 25 minutes
6 English muffins, split
1/2 C Pizza sauce
2 C Mozzarella cheese
5 oz Mini pepperoni

Assemble and bake
Preheat oven to 425°
Separate English muffins, on each half layer pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, mini pepperoni and a little more cheese. Place on sheet pan and bake until cheese is melted and edges of muffins are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Wonton Poppers

Printable version

This is my favorite Super Bowl creation for 2014 - jalapeño wonton poppers. Which combines ... you guessed it ... Jalapeno poppers and wontons!

Wonton wrappers are paper-thin sheets made from flour, water, eggs and salt and are sold pre-packaged at most super markets. They can be filled with any number of ingredients or fillings and are usually steamed, boiled or fried. They are the Chinese cuisine equivalent to the Italian ravioli. The wonton is the perfect devise to deliver the popper filling for this recipe comprised of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, cayenne pepper and jalapeño.

Tradition poppers use either half or a whole jalapeño stuffed with filling and if you’re a popper fan like me, this means you may end up eating lots of jalapeños by the end of the night because they are simply to powerful to resist. Adding the jalapeño to the filling and using the wonton to deliver it requires much less of the spicy pepper and will help reduce indigestion caused by a spice overload.

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Wonton poppers

I have passed by wonton wrappers a number of times in the last couple months, picked up a package and pondered what I should make with them, only to put them back and move on. This time I went to the store knowing what I wanted to do. I have learned to be careful when impulse buying unique items, like wonton wrappers, that are perishable.

I often buy things with the intent of making it in a couple of days or sometime during the week and the items sit in the fridge or pantry. The couple of days turns into a week and next week turns to two weeks and eventually what I bought has spoiled, dried out or wilted. I have gotten better at using everything I buy, but I still occasionally throw out an item or two. These wonton wrappers are easy to put off until tomorrow and very susceptible to being forgotten about until it's to late.

I know because it has happened to me twice in the last two of years.

So, if you’re not gonna make this recipe in the next couple days WAIT to buy the wonton wrappers. Don't just buy them to have 'em, they're easy to forget about and let go to waste.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Wonton poppers

Makes 24 to 28; 45 minutes
4 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled
3 Jalapeños, seeded, diced
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz Cream cheese, room temp
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
24 to 28 Wonton wrappers
Oil for frying

Make filling
In a bowl mix together bacon, jalapeno, cheddar cheese and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed.

Fill wantons
With a scoop, grab a teaspoon of the filling and place it in the middle of a wanton wrapper. Wet the edges, fold opposite corners together, then pinch to seal. Repeat until filling is gone.

Fry
Heat at least 1-inch of oil to 350° in a fry pan. In batches, fry wantons until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn at least once in the oil while cooking. Remove to a paper towel let cool a little, then serve.

Deluxe Pigs in a Blanket

Deluxe Pigs in a Blanket

Now that Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year holiday are past it’s time to prepare for the biggest party of them all - Super Bowl Sunday.

My all-time favorite things to cook are football party snacks – wings, sliders, nachos, pizza – the list goes on. To me, Super Bowl snacks are like a simple American version of Spanish tapas, which are a variety of small appetizer-like bites served one after another to form a meal. It’s an excellent way to eat hardily with friends and family in a social setting — much like treats on Super Bowl Sunday.

For this recipe, I take the classic “pigs in a blanket” and make it a Super Bowl worthy treat. For extra pizzazz, I make it with smoked sausage and add marinara, green pepper and onion. Together, these flavors combine for an easy score.

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Deluxe Pigs in a Blanket

I decided to make this recipe because of a mistake in documenting the dish I created the day before. I had forgotten to take a picture of smoked sausage after I had sautéd it, which creates little caramelized spots on each slice. I do that because those spots are little flavor bombs that give a dish with smoked sausage a little extra flavor pop.

I bought the sausage to photograph and thought it would be a good ingredient to use in my first Super Bowl snack of 2014. Each year I have really enjoyed creating new treats for the big game. With the sausage on hand I decided a souped up pigs in blanket was in order.

Some food bloggers and gourmet cooks may turn up their nose at such a primitive treat but for me it’s a simple and tasty snack that anyone could recreate as part of their own Super Bowl spread. These deluxe blankets are tasty, simple and great to wash down with beer!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Deluxe Pigs in a Blanket

Makes 12; 30 minutes
1 sheet Cresent dough, unperferated
1/4 C Marinara sauce
12 slices Smoked sausage (1/2 lb)
12 slices each
Green pepper and onion, sliced 1-inch long

Assemble
Preheat of to 375°
Cut cresent dough sheet into 12 equal squares. On each square place a dab of marinara, slice of sausage and 1 slice of green pepper and onion. Fold opposite corners of dough together forming a role around ingredients. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake
Put blankets in oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes, then serve.

Chocolate Stout Pot Roast

Printable version

When I set out to make this roast I wanted to find a dark and thick beer to be part of the braising liquid I was going to cook it in. I was looking for Guinness when I stumbled across a double chocolate stout made by Young's. I snatched up a can and decided instantly to include a cocoa and brown sugar rub to sear on the roast to compliment the beer.

After the initial sear I braised the roast for a couple hours then added the carrots and potatoes. Cooked the whole thing another hour and then served it up. The stout beer smelled strong for the first part of the braise but as time went on the aroma faded and in the end the braising liquid was a delicious sauce to serve over the meat.

I made this for a Christmas party and I got good reviews, the one criticism was that it was a little sweet, which was a relief - I worried that the stout would be to strong but the long cook helped it blend right in to the other flavors present in the liquid.

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Chocolate Stout Pot Roast

I’ll never forget the first time I made a pot roast. I had it on the stove cooking away, when I decided to give Mom and Dad a call. I was living in New York City and I always made it a point to call every Sunday if I could. The roast was in simmer stage and I knew I would have time to do a little yacking before I would be able to eat. I talked to Mom first and she was exited about my pot roast, giving me suggestions and quizzing me on how I made it.

She turned the phone over to Dad and he was less enthusiastic. I asked him “What’s wrong with pot roast, we ate it a lot growing up?” He replied “Your Mom has made so many Gad damn pot roast since we been married that I could care less if I ever ate it again.” He did have a point. I decided to make it as a way of reliving dinner when I was young, I guess the reason why I remember pot roast is because Mom made it often - maybe a little to often, according to Dad.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Chocolate Stout Pot Roast

Serves 4; 4 hours
1/4 C Brown sugar
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
2 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Pepper
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
3 lbs Chuckeye roast, boneless
1 C Red onion, diced
1/2 C Carrot, diced
1/2 C Celery, diced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 can Chocolate stout beer (12 to 14 oz)
1 can Beef broth (14 oz)
3 Carrots, large chunks
3 Potatoes, large chunks

Make rub
In a bowl mix together sugar, cocoa, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Liberally apply rub to all sides of roast and let marinate 30 minutes.

Sear, sauté mirepoix
In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat sear roast on all sides in a little olive oil, 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until a crust forms. Remove roast to a plate. Add onion, celery and carrot to pot and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more or until fragrant.

Deglaze, simmer, finish
Add beer and broth to pan, scraping up brown bits from bottom. Return beef to pot, bring to a simmer, cover and let cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook another hour or until beef is fork tender. Remove from heat and serve.

Italian Grinder Fail

Originally I had planned to make a giant toasted sub, cut it into about 15 slices and present it as a Super Bowl Italian Grinder. I layered the meat and cheese, toasted it, threw on the fresh LTO and smothered it in Kraft's Green Goddess sauce. Once I closed it shut and sliced it I knew there was a problem – bread overload!

It was tasty, but I did eat it without the top portion of the bread.

Toast the bread, meat and cheeses

The loaf I had chosen was a large fresh baked french bread, the only problem was that I need 2 to 3 times the amount of meat on it to balance the sandwich. I should have went with a lighter, fluffier bread, or just made several individual sandwiches with sub buns. There was nothing wrong with it flavor wise, which is why I'm sharing it here.

Usually I would make a custom sauce for something like this but I wanted to give the Goddess Sauce a test, and I must say it passed with flying colors. It reminds me of a creamy Italian or Caesar dressing with a little extra pepper or spice.  It was a great compliment to the meats I had chosen and I'm going to try and keep this on hand to use as a special sandwich sauce when I'm in a pinch for something nice. It's not that expensive and an easy thing to keep in the pantry for the occasional saucy surprise.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Add the fresh LTO!

1/2 lb Smoked ham
1/4 lb Hard salami
1/4 lb Sandwich slice pepperoni
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese
Lettuce, Tomato, Onion
Green Goddess Sauce
1 loaf Bread that can be halved length-wise, or 6 sub buns

Layer meats
Preheat oven to 400°
Cut bread in half length-wise. On bottom piece layer ham, salami, pepperoni and cheese. Place in oven with top half of bread along side and cook until cheese is melted and bread is toasted, 5 to 6 miniutes. Remove from oven.

Finish
Add lettuce, tomato, onion and Green Goddess sauce, and top with bun. Then serve, if using a larger loaf for bread, slice before serving.

Beef Stew

Printable version

I have made beef stew several times in the past and this recipe is the first time I have used a cornstarch slurry to thicken it rather than a flour based mixture. The biggest difference is the color. Same great flavor, but the cornstarch turns the liquid a nice rich brown color rather than the blondish brown achieved with flour. I discovered the magic of cornstarch with a turkey stew that I made over Thanksgiving weekend and couldn't wait to put the technique to use with a stew like this.

Making the liquid a beautiful color is important to me because it should look as good as it tastes. The key to any great stew is the gravy that binds it all together. The beefy flavor enhanced by vegetables and a long simmer is downright drinkable when made right. It’s so exciting to have this new trick up my sleeve for thickening soups – after 20 years of cooking, I’m still a student and will be forever.

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Beef Stew

Whenever I make stew I think about my Dad. When I was 11 or 12 he made breakfast for us one Saturday that consisted of a huge plate of fried potatoes smothered in a giant scoop of beef stew. It was a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that I will never forget. I felt like a lumberjack as I gobbled it down, and thought it might be time for my first shave once I was finished. It was a man meal, fit to be served in a man cave before walking out the door to kill something.

I don’t know why I perceived it that way, but to this day I can’t see a couple of women getting together for breakfast and deciding to smother fried potatoes with a huge heap of beef stew. Not that it can’t or doesn’t happen, it just seems as though a breakfast of potatoes smothered in meat and gravy would have been the choice of a man going out to plow under a corn field or chop a cord of wood. I guess it’s just one of those things that struck me as a kid and I have yet to see something else that would prove the insight wrong.

Eat well, cook often ...

BEHIND THIS BITE

Beef Stew

Serves 6; 2 1/2 hours
2 lbs Stew beef
4 C Beef broth
1 C Onion, diced
1/2 C Celery, diced
1/2 C Carrot, diced
1/2 C Green pepper, diced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
2 Russet potatoes, cubed
2 C Water
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbs Cornstarch
2 Tbs Water

Cook beef
In a soup pot over medium high heat, sear beef in batches on all sides until just cook through, salt and pepper to taste. Return beef to pan and add broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Sauté vegetables
In a fry pan over medium heat sauté onion, celery, carrot and green pepper until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more or until fragrant.

Make stew, thicken
Add sautéd vegetables, water, potatoes and Italian seasonings to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Once potatoes are tender stir slurry into pot and simmer 10 minutes more or until mixture thickens. Spoon into bowls and serve.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Printable version

In my family it was a tradition to eat cabbage on New Year’s Day. I remember it being overcooked and mushy. They would sauté two shredded heads of cabbage in oil in a skillet. I think the problem was that my elders cooked it to long because I dreaded having to eat the smelly stuff.

I always tried to avoid it until the last minute which is when the New Year’s Cabbage Police, consisting of my Mom and Aunt, would ask “Did you eat your cabbage? It will bring you prosperity all year long.” It was a tradition to eat on New Year’s Day and they enforced it.

Today, I’m a big fan of cooked cabbage and plan to have it on January 1st, just as I do every year. I like to cook it in soups, like this recipe, or use it in dishes that are more tasty than just plain fried. I hope it has helped me prosper. Regardless though, it’s a tradition I’m passing on to the next generation in our family, just as my Mom and Aunt made sure to pass on to us. Traditions like these connect the present to our past and future.

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Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Since I published the column above, it seems as though my Mom decided to change the rules on how cooked cabbage can be prepared for New Years Day. She said that it must be fried and all of it must be eaten. I have no idea where she came up with these rules, but I think they must have been passed on to her from a distant relative that liked to torture others with bad food. Writing about our family tradition in the local paper must have rekindled her fondness for fried cabbage because it has been a while since it's been served that way at a New Years gathering.

I volunteered to make the cabbage for our family's New Year celebration, but she and my cousin insisted that the cabbage be fried. I compromised and made a nice pot of cabbage soup and when I got to the gathering, I fried a head of shredded cabbage that my cousin had set up to appease the new found traditionalists.

Is there some sort of irony to eating cabbage prepared in the most undesirable way that makes you prosper? I say no, the tradition is to eat cabbage, making it as tasty as possible should be the objective, gulping it down to avoid gagging on it seems preposterous.

Now I must convince my family to think differently about this, or I’m going to be faced with eating a bowl of smelly cabbage each New Year’s Day for the rest of my life. Either that, or come up with a way to fry cabbage and make it delicious, which might be the ticket. Better get to work because I've got less than a year to do it.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Serves 4 to 6; 45 minutes
1 C Onion diced
1/2 C Celery diced
1/2 C Carrot diced
1/2 tsp Allspice
2 tsp Garlic minced
1/2 lb Corned beef, sliced thin, diced
3 C Cabbage, shredded
4 C Beef broth

Make base
In a soup pot over medium heat sauté onion, carrot, celery and allspice in a little olive oil until vegetables are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more or until fragrant.

Simmer, serve
Stir in cabbage, corn beef and broth. Bring to a simmer and let cook 30 minutes or until cabbage is cooked through and wilted. Remove from heat and serve.