While the specific term ‘butterflying’ might be relatively recent, this practice of preparing meat for faster and more even cooking has roots in ancient civilizations, with evidence of similar techniques in ancient Egypt and Greece.
Chicken drumsticks are guaranteed to be delicious when attached to the whole bird, but when cooked by themselves, there are a few extra challenges. The awkward shape can make it tough to get an evenly brown color on all sides—especially when grilling—leaving some of the skin pale and unappetizing. The simple answer is to butterfly them.
You might ask,’ are butterflied chicken drumsticks worth it’? Absolutely, if you’re an avid fan of grilled/roasted chicken drumsticks. The process has hardly any downsides, between the lower cost, quicker cooking time, and crispier flavor. Spending a few minutes to butterfly the chicken legs is definitely worth it!
The process is pretty straightforward … just pat the legs dry with a paper towel and use a gentle swiping motion (with a sharp knife!) to cut through the meat and expose the bone. Use the knife to separate more of the flesh from the top of the bone until the leg opens up (like a butterfly!). Be careful not to separate the meat completely from the top of the bone.
In this recipe, after the chicken legs have been grilled, they are glazed and roasted on a rack above some potato wedges. The flavor of the overall meal is amazing.
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Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks
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Instructions
Chicken & Potato Spices
Mix oil, all of the spices & salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Chicken
Holding the end of a chicken drumstick, slice on either side of the bone as far as you can without slicing entirely through the meat. Once the initial cuts are made, make an additional cut on both sides of your first cuts again do not cut all the way through the meat. This will open the drumstick up & it will be butterflied.
Potatoes
Wash & cook potatoes in microwave until 3/4 of the way done. Remove from microwave & slice potatoes in wedges.
Spice Rub
Place potatoes in oil/spice mixture. Toss to coat the remove & lay single file on a foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
Add butterflied chicken to remaining oil/spice mix & toss to coat well. Heat a griddle & fry chicken until golden brown on both sides. While chicken is cooking make the chicken glaze.
Chicken Glaze
In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, chili flakes, honey, mustard, olive oil, salt & pepper until it emulsifies, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
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Lay a wire rack over top of potatoes on prepared baking sheet that has been set aside. On the wire rack, place partially cooked chicken drumsticks. Brush chicken with glaze.
Place potato/chicken tray in oven & cook for 20 minutes or until FULLY COOKED & tender. Remove from oven & place potatoes & chicken on serving plates.
CELEBRATING FATHER’S DAY!
Father’s Day is celebrated on many different dates around the world. It gives us the opportunity to thank or reflect on that special person we call ‘Dad’.
The imprint of a father remains forever on the lives of his children. For daughters, he is the standard against which she will judge all men. To a son, he is his first hero.
Fathers are some of the most unsung, unpraised and unnoticed valuable assets of our society. Growing up, I recall that wonderful feeling of being very protected by our father.
Both of our fathers are no longer with us, but we will always hold dear fond memories of them. It seems a father’s love and influence are never fully appreciated until they are no longer with you.
I think both are dads would have enjoyed this meal I’m preparing today. Since the trendiness of balsamic vinegar in North America has only gained momentum over the past few decades, its probably not a version they would have been familiar with but liked it just the same.
Peaches and balsamic vinegar are the perfect accompaniment to pork chops. Pork chops pair so well with fruit and the natural sweetness of honey balances perfectly with the moderate, natural acidity of the balsamic vinegar.
The history of balsamic vinegar is a fascinating journey that spans centuries. Balsamic vinegar’s rise in prestige began with its medicinal use in the Middle Ages, gained royal favor and eventually became globally recognized as a highly prized product originating from the beautiful Italian regions of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
These balsamic pork chops are served with peaches, gorgonzola and a hint of thyme making them sweet and savory at the same time.
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Balsamic Pork Chops w/ Peaches & Gorgonzola
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Instructions
In a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil & let it warm up.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme. Add the peaches, toss to coat, & set aside.
Pat the pork chops dry, and cover them in the salt & pepper.
Add the pork chops to the hot oil in the pan & cook for 6 minutes on one side without moving the chops around, then flip them.
Add the peach vinegar mixture to the hot pan over the pork chops. Cook for 3 minutes.
Remove the pork chops from the pan & set them aside on a clean plate, leaving the peach vinegar mixture in the pan.
Turn the heat up to high. Cook for 8 -10 minutes, until the peaches are soft & the sauce has reduced.
Place the pork chops back into the hot pan. Spoon the peaches & sauce on top of the chops. Scatter the gorgonzola on top of the peaches & pork chops. Broil on high for 3 - 5 minutes, or until the gorgonzola has melted.
Chicken thighs are my personal favorite for several reasons: They’re flavorful, tender, cheaper, and cook quicker than other cuts. It might sound like an unusual combo, but fresh, tangy mango brightens up savory chicken in the most delightfully unexpected way. Adding mango to chicken is any easy way to bring summer flavor to an otherwise ordinary chicken dinner.
The origins of mango chicken can be traced back to the Indian state of Punjab, where it was originally created by a chef named Kundan Lal Gujral, the owner of a restaurant called Moti Mahal. According to the legend, Kundan Lal Gujral created the dish in the early 20th century when he mixed leftover tandoori chicken with a creamy mango sauce. The dish became popular with customers and soon became a menu staple at Moti Mahal. From there, mango chicken spread throughout India and eventually became famous worldwide.
Mango chicken is typically served with rice or bread and is known for its unique blend of sweet and spicy flavors.
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Mango Chicken Thighs
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Instructions
Sauce
Peel, pit & dice mango into small pieces & set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, chicken stock, lime juice, ginger, garlic & red pepper flakes. Set aside as well.
Chicken
Slice chicken thighs about 1/2 - 3/4-inch thickness. Place chicken in a bowl & add cornstarch. Mix well until chicken is evenly coated with cornstarch.
Cooking
Preheat a large cooking pan over medium to medium-high heat & add oil. Add dredged chicken & sear it on all sides until almost done. Take chicken out & set aside.
Lower heat to medium. Melt butter in the pan; add diced mango & cook, stirring for a couple of minutes until softened.
Whisk the sauce again & pour it into the pan with mango. Gently stir & let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
Add chicken back to the pan, stir & let cook another 2-3 minutes, until chicken is completely done & sauce is a little bit thicker.
Serve mango chicken with sauce over rice.
Originating from Linz, Austria, the Linzer torte is one of the oldest tortes in the world, found in an Austrian abbey in the early 1700s.
It is made with a buttery pastry dough with a significant amount of ground nuts, typically hazelnuts, but often with almonds or walnuts. With a lattice design on the top, it is traditionally filled with red currant jam; but raspberry, apricot and plum are quite popular too.
Linzer cookies employ the same recipe as the Linzer torte but instead the dough is cut into cookies and two of them form a sandwich around the preserves. Moreover, the top cookie has a small cutout in its center (known as Linzer eyes), thus exposing the underlying jam and adding to the visual appeal.
When Linzer torte was brought to North America in the 19th century, it became very popular. Today the Linzer cookie is still very commonly used in celebrating Christmas and other holidays as well.
There are countless versions of Linzer tortes around showcasing different nuts, different preserves, and so on such as tahini and sesame Linzer, beets Linzer, a lemon curd Linzer and a chestnut apple Linzer just to name a few.
With my passion for ‘recipe development’, I wanted to come up with a ‘Linzer torte’ that showcased persimmons and cranberries for Christmas. This is what developed!
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Spiced Persimmon & Cranberry Linzer Torte
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Instructions
Crust
In a bowl, sift together flour & salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar & vanilla until light & fluffy. Beat in as much flour mixture as possible. Mix in the rest & gently knead till dough comes together. Form into a disk & wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Cranberries
In a saucepan, combine whole berry sauce, raspberries, sugar, orange zest & cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens & is bubbly. Remove from heat & allow to cool. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Persimmons
Place the melted butter in a large bowl & stir in the honey & spices. Stir well, then add persimmon slices. Toss to coat each slice well.
Cheesecake Filling
Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth then add sugar & blend well. Add eggs & vanilla, beat until smooth.
Baking
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Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out 2/3 of pastry into a 10-inch circle. Place in an 8-inch springform pan. From the remaining 1/3 of the pastry cut a 5-inch circle. In the center of this circle cut a 3-inch circle (this should resemble a Linzer cookie). If you wish you can cut out a few 'stars' for decorations. Lay pastry ring & stars on parchment paper & place on a baking sheet. Blind bake pastry in the springform pan for 8 minutes or until barely set. Bake the ring & stars until golden.
Remove springform pan from oven & pour cream cheese mixture over warm crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly golden & cheesecake tests done. Set aside to cool.
Assembly
When cheesecake has cooled, place the slices of persimmon, overlapping each other to form 2 circles around the outer edge. Spoon spiced cranberries in the middle of the persimmons.
Sprinkle baked pastry ring & stars with powdered sugar & place on top of cranberries. Press down slightly. Your torte should resemble a large Linzer cookie when finished.
Recipe Notes
- You will have extra cranberry sauce which can be easily used over the holiday season I found. Brion & I liked them so much we added extra to our slices of torte.
Couscous is a beloved and popular dish internationally. Although we know it has been around for centuries, its definite origins are unclear. Like pasta, many believe couscous was created in China, while others believe it originated in East Africa. More likely, however, couscous originated in Northern Africa. There is archaeological evidence that dates back to the early 9th century that consists of the kitchen utensil needed to prepare the dish from North Africa.
Over time, the North African staple became popular around Africa, in Andalusia, and the Mediterranean. Economic growth and the development of wheat farming aided in the acceleration and distribution of couscous. With increased migration from North Africa to multiple European destinations, couscous was popularized all around Europe and became very popular internationally, particularly in France.
In Morocco, couscous is a time-honored dish, typically served on Fridays and meant to be eaten with a group of people, either family or friends, or both.
In this recipe, chicken is roasted with assorted veggies, then served atop a mound of light, fluffy steamed couscous.
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Roasted Chicken & Veggie Couscous
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Instructions
Chicken
Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a sheet pan with foil.
In a small dish combine all chicken spices. Drizzle chicken quarters with oil & sprinkle seasoning combo evenly over all. Place chicken on sheet pan & roast slowly for about 1 1/2 hours.
Vegetables
In a zip-lock bag, place all prepared veggies. Add olive oil & close bag. Carefully toss veggies. When chicken has been roasting for about 3/4 of an hour, remove from oven & add the veggies to the sheet pan & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Continue to roast until chicken is cooked & veggies are tender crisp. While chicken & veggies are roasting, prepare couscous.
Couscous
Heat the 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a saucepan on medium. Add green onion, cumin, ginger & garlic. Cook & stir for about 3 minutes until green onion is softened.
Add honey. Heat & stir for about 30 seconds until green onion is coated. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Add couscous & the teaspoon of olive oil. Stir. Cover. Remove from heat. Allow to stand for 5 minutes without lifting lid. Fluff with a fork.
Stir in parsley along with salt & pepper to taste.
Serving
In a large serving dish, place couscous on the bottom. Top with roasted veggies & chicken quarters. Drizzle with sweet chili sauce if you prefer.
Recipe Notes
- If you wish, you could turn the heat up a bit when you add the veggies to the chicken.
The concept of ‘loaded cabbage steaks’ is an interesting twist on traditional cabbage dishes and are a tasty alternative to traditional tacos.
Sometimes it’s hard to get excited about cabbage but I think this recipe will change your mind a little bit. Roasting the cabbage provides a subtly sweet flavor. Cabbage is very affordable, mildly flavored and easy to prepare. This recipe involves roasting thick slices of green cabbage with olive oil, salt, and taco seasonings. You can top them with either ground meat or black beans, shredded cheese, diced avocado, sliced cherry tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. Lime crema adds a zesty finish.
It’s time to elevate cabbage from a humble vegetable side dish to the main attraction with these loaded cabbage steaks!
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Loaded Taco Cabbage Steaks
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Instructions
Taco Seasoning
In a small dish, combine all ingredients & mix well.
Lime Crema
Whisk together the ingredients using milk to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. Set aside.
Cabbage Steaks
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Keep your cabbage core INTACT, slice your cabbage in half first then into thick slices – ending up with 6-7 slices. Place them on your baking tray & brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Season with 1/2 of the prepared 'taco seasoning' Roast for 30-35 minutes or until golden.
Ground Meat or Beans
In a large skillet, heat the oil & sauté onion for 2 minutes. Add in the ground meat, using a wooden spoon break everything up until no longer pink & cooked through. Season with remaining taco seasoning. Divide the meat between the roasted cabbage slices then top with the cheese & pop back into the oven until melted – about 5 minutes.
If you're using the beans, simply top the cooked cabbage steaks equally with some beans, covering the cabbage & then top with the shredded cheese. Pop back into the oven until the cheese has melted – 5 minutes.
Remove cabbage steaks from oven & top with tomatoes, avocado & arugula. Drizzle with lime crema & serve hot.
Cheese might not be the first thing that comes to mind if you’re looking for a satisfying, easy, elegant way to end your meal, but it makes for a fabulous dessert. Europeans have long served dessert cheese, either after the salad or after the main course.
While a sweet cheesecake can be a thing of great joy and incredibly versatile; there are various regional styles, easy no-bake versions for when you don’t want to turn on the oven, and many ways to make it suited to all seasons by switching up the flavor. But there’s a whole other avenue to explore too: savory cheesecakes, a great appetizer option for any party, or even weekday dinner for your family. If it sounds a little weird, think of it like a cheesier, less eggy version of quiche.
As with sweet cheesecakes, there are both baked and no-bake versions of savory cheesecake, some with crusts and some without, but crusted and baked seems to be the most prevalent sort, and the vast majority of those follow a similar formula.
Brion & I have never been much for ‘blue cheese’ but when it comes to Gorgonzola, that’s a whole different story. Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese produced in Northern Italy. It’s creamy and crumbly and has streaks of blue mold that give it a strong, piquant flavor. This savory Gorgonzola cheesecake could be served as a cheese or dessert course with fresh fruit to end a nice summer evening meal. A simple recipe with a taste that lingers long in the memory.
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Savory Gorgonzola Cheesecake w/ Peaches & Hemp Heart Granola Crust
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Instructions
Base
Line 2 - 5-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Place granola in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form.
In a bowl, mix crumbs & melted butter until well combined. Divide crumb mixture between the two lined pans; press into the bottom to form the crust. Set aside.
Peach Topping
Add peaches to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in lemon juice, water & cornstarch. Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in sugar. Return to a gentle boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until peaches thicken slightly. Remove from heat & cool completely. This can be prepared after you bake the cheesecake if you wish.
Cheesecake
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Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & Gorgonzola in a bowl until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add sour cream, honey, salt & pepper; beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Divide cheesecake batter, pouring over the granola base in each of the springform pans.
Bake for 1 hour & 20 minutes or until set & lightly browned.
Remove cheesecake from oven & cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Spoon peach topping over cheesecake, slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you wish to make one 9-inch cheesecake, double ingredients but only use 3 large eggs. You should have enough peach topping for a 9-inch without having to double that recipe.
- For this recipe I chose not to prebake the hemp heart base but If you wish to do so there is no problem in with that.
When you think of Mexican food you probably think of the standard burritos, nachos and quesadillas. While those dishes are definitely tasty why not do the summer ‘thing’ and incorporate these ingredients in a salad.
The idea of a full meal salad has always appealed to me. Of course, there are many of these using a variety of ingredients. Probably one of the most popular was the taco salad. The earliest record of it dates back to the 1960’s with its predecessor being the small teacup sized ‘Tacup’. It consisted of beef, beans, sour cream and cheese, served in a small ‘bowl’ made entirely of a Fritos tortilla.
The taco in a Tacup was invented by Charles Elmer Doolin, the founder of Fritos (tortilla chips). He created a device that looked like tongs but with two tart molds at the end of each tong. One mold would fit within the other mold with a tortilla sandwiched between them. The scalloped-edged shell was dipped into hot oil. Holes in the bottom mold exposed the tortilla to the hot oil, enabling it to cook evenly.
Tacups were first served in Dallas, Texas in the early 1950’s and by 1955, he was selling them in Fritos’ flagship restaurant, ‘Casa de Fritos’, at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It became popular enough that the Tacup was made bigger and served as a full, main-dish sized salad bowl.
Today’s salad is a satisfying meal, a seriously feel-good dinner salad that’s crisp, spicy, and fresh all at once. Tacos de camarones (‘shrimp tacos’) originated in Baja California in Mexico. But these shrimp tacos in salad form gives you that full meal deal. All the very best elements —seasoned shrimp, healthy fresh veggies, in an edible tortilla bowl with a homemade cilantro lime dressing.
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Shrimp Taco Salad
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Ingredients
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
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Instructions
Cilantro Dressing
In a food processor, place the cilantro, garlic, avocado, lime juice, honey, coriander & salt. Pulse to combine. With the machine is running, pour in the olive oil & process until smooth.
Shrimp
In a medium bowl, add all marinade ingredients (except shrimp) & blend well. Add shrimp tossing well to coat. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes. In a saucepan, melt a Tbsp butter then sauté shrimp over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or just until shrimp is cooked.
Salad Ingredients
In a saucepan, fry bacon until cooked but not too crisp, drain on paper towel & chop. Drain canned or cook fresh corn on the cob & remove kernels from cob. Peel, pit & cube avocado. Sprinkle a bit of lime juice on it to keep it from going brown. Halve grape tomatoes. Slice green onions, chives & dill. Drain sliced black olives. Cube cheese.
Tortilla Bowls
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Brush inside of 2 heat resistant glass bowls with oil. Place one tortilla in each bowl so that the shape more or less adheres to the bowl. Line each tortilla with cheese slices then place a second tortilla on top.
Place the bowls with the layered tortillas in the oven & bake for 7 minutes. Remove the bowls from the oven & allow to cool before removing the 'edible tortilla bowls'.
Assembly
Place tortilla bowls on serving plates. In a large mixing bowl place shrimp & all salad ingredients. Toss gently, then divide between tortilla bowls. Drizzle with cilantro dressing (or dressing of choice) & serve.
I’m one of those people who almost always has chicken frozen in my freezer, so I’m always interested in ‘another’ chicken recipe.
Marinated in honey, lime juice, soy sauce, and garlic, these honey lime chicken skewers have a tangy, sweet, and salty taste,
A perfect marinade for chicken guarantees the chicken will be flavorful and juicy. So, marinades should always combine an acid (such as vinegar or lime juice), fat, and sweetness. Salt, herbs, and spices also contribute to the end flavor of marinated chicken.
Honey and lime is an all-time flavor pairing. It not only works on sweet things, but it also plays nice with savory dishes. I think the reason it works so well is that it’s got that perfect balance between tangy and sweet. Add in a few savory and salty elements in the rest of the marinade, and the flavors are just mouthwatering.
The honey lime chicken marinade I’m using today infuses the chicken with loads of flavor, but it also helps caramelize the outside of the chicken, so you get not only gorgeous flavor, but a beautiful textural contrast between the crisp, caramelized exterior and the tender, flavorful interior.
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Spicy Honey Lime Chicken
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Instructions
Marinade
Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a small bowl or blend them in a food processor.
Marinate Chicken
Pour HALF the marinade into a zip-lock bag or container & add chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or 6-12 hours in the refrigerator. IMPORTANT: If marinating overnight, leave out the lime juice & increase zest so it doesn't 'cook' the chicken.
Glaze
Use the reserved marinade for basting & glazing. Mix the cornstarch into the reserved marinade & microwave for about 1 minute, watching carefully. Set aside.
Grilling
Spray grill with oil. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Skewer marinated chicken pieces onto skewers & PAT DRY. Discard the marinade used for marinating. Lightly spray chicken with oil to avoid sticking.
Grill on all sides until chicken cooks to a golden brown (you will need to turn chicken a couple of times), for 9-12 minutes in total (depending on the thickness & how tightly packed the skewers are), basting once or twice with the GLAZE.
Any extra glaze can be drizzled over cooked skewers. Serve with lime wedges if you wish. Serve hot or at room temperature.
