Chicken Basting Sauce

I fixed this sauce to pour over chicken and bake it.  We really liked it and I wanted to save it. Just a splash of this and that.  I didn't have ingredient amounts.  Have enough butter to basted it with and just pinchs and splashes of everything else.

Butter
Real lemonjuice
Sugar
tarragon
hot pepper flakes
garlic powder
salt
black pepper
oregano
basil
onion powder

Additions:  You know you can make it what you want based on flavors you like.  Suggestions/variations would be:  white wine, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, any kind of sauce you like in your fridge or pantry.  This is what makes cooking fun.  Experimenting.

And I've found that chicken cooked in a clay pot OR even in a pyrex dish with the cover on - allows more of the juices and flavor to be kept, whereas a metal pan often dries it out.  Learning this has really made a difference in our chicken dinners.  We used to always use a metal pan. 

Thai Peanut Marinade for Chicken

Ok so perhaps you may have to buy a few ingredients for these.  Some ingredients here are not what the average person keeps in their pantry. It is well worth your time.  This is some of the BEST chicken I have EVER had.  What makes cooking and eating fun, is by experimenting with new flavor combinations.  George took a recipe and twisted it a bit and came up with his own.  And let me tell you, it was heavenly.  It was not too "peanutyy" as many thai peanut marinades can be.  It was just the right flavors.  George tried to re-create for me the ingredients he used. I will put the real recipe here and put George's substitutions in parenthesis. Here goes. 

Thai Peanut Marinade

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (George used a mix of rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (George used the bottled lime juice)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (George used lite brown sugar)

1/2 Asian or domestic cold-pressed peanut oil  (George used ginger oil but said any oil would do)

1 tablespoon sesame oil  (George said this was very important - no substitution here!)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemongrass (George used coriander seed instead)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed, about one tablespoon

2 tablespoons chopped shallots or green onions (white onion was used)

1 cup of peanut butter

1-inch cube fresh ginger root, diced (George used ginger powder)

1 tablespoon curry powder or Garam Masala** (George used a mixture of these both)

For the chicken he cubed up some chicken thigh meat and marinated the cubes for several hours.  Recipe recommends at least six hours, preferably overnight.  
Then George put them on skewers and grilled them.  However, you can fry them in peanut oil, after coating them with flour, peanuts, and garam masala all shaken in a paper bag.  I loved the grilled version and the taste was awesome.  I'm sure fried would be good too.  But grilling may actually keep that flavor alive!  ENJOY and I hope you fix this b/c it was special.  I'm keeping it on my blog for reference for myself!

**Garam Masala - is an Indian sweet spice used in curries and marinades and gives off a sweet exotic fragrance. There are many variations of this, but you can make your own or buy a blend already made.  

We use Penzey Spices for any exotic spice blends.  It's just easier!  Get on their mailing list and you will get a catalog periodically with all their spices and spice blends one thing we like is that there are lots of neat recipes in their catalog.  When you order, they always send a free gift.  We have really enjoyed trying their various spice blends on chicken, meat, fish, potatoes.  Fun to taste varied flavors.  We will stand at the kitchen and smell the spices and try to pick which one to use by eliminating one at the time.  lol

Bottom line is ENJOY.  Penzey's motto is "Love People.  Cook them tasty food."

Sweet N Sour Chicken

Sweet N Sour Chicken

8 bonelss, skinless, chicken breasts
1 (20 oz) pineapple chunks
3 tbls. brown sugar
3 tbls. ketchup
3 tbls. soy sauce
2 tbls. vinegar (we use red wine vinegar)
1 tbls. cornstarch
1 tbsl. ground ginger

Directions:

1.  Grill chicken or broil chicken 5 minutes on each side until chicken no longer pink in center.
2.  Combine pineapple chunks, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and ginger in saucepan.
3.  Cook until sauce boils and thickens.
4.  Spoon sauce over broiled or grilled chicken before serving.

This only has 216 calories per serving.  It was wonderful and I plan on using the sauce (w/o) the pineapple chunks on other things like pork chops.  This was so easy and so tasty.  It's one of the Jenny Craig recipes.  I'm posting in my blog so I will always have it!  Hope you try it too.

Pollitos en Vino Rojo (Chickens in Red Wine)

POLLITOS en VINO ROJO (Chickens in Red Wine)
2 whole chicken (cut up)
olive oil
vinegar
onion
garlic
herbs (we used approx. 2 tbs. oregano (a lot), teaspoon basil, dash of paprika, and teaspoon of thyme). 
salt and pepper
bacon
tomatoes
spring onions
carrots
red wine

Cut chicken in pieces (if not already cut) and marinate for 24 hours in the oil, vinegar, sliced onion, whole garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.

Cut bacon in cubes, place on fire and in the fat cook the chopped tomatoes, spring onions and chopped carrots.  Cook 5 minutes, add the chicken and the strained marinade, then the wine.  Cook gently until chicken is tender.   Serves 4-6. 
(This makes enough sauce that you could add more chicken to it if you desire)
It shoooore wuz good!

Coca-Cola BBQ Leg Quarters

Coca Cola BBQ Leg Quarters
4 chicken leg quarters
1 stick margerine
1 8 oz. can Coca-cola
2 tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 cup ketchup
salt & pepper, to taste
Mix margarine, Coke, Worchestershire sauce and ketchup in a saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat.  Put leg quarters in large baking dish.  Pour sauce mixture over chicken and cover.  Bake for 45-60 mintues until tender at 350 degrees. 
Side notes:
We have also grilled the chicken before and used the sauce to baste.  Or the original recipe says to use a fryer and simmer for same amount of time.  Also, you can use any cut of chicken, it does not have to be a chicken leg quarter. Any way you do it ---turns out very good.  It's tangy, a little sweet, but not too much so.  Yummy. 
We've not had this recipe in a while....I think it's forthcoming.  I'd forgotten about it - till I came across it in the recipes!  I better go put chicken on the grocery list.
It's always nice to have recipes like this that uses ingredients you have in your pantry or fridge. 
Have an awesome day!