Char Siu has been around for many years and was generally roasted over a fire. Nowadays, you can BBQ it, pan fry, bake or broil/grill it. No matter which way you choose to cook char siu, the shiny red glaze gives it a very unique look and flavor. Char siu doesn’t have a lot of fancy ingredients or complicated procedures. Instead, it pairs a tasty marinade with a lean cut of quality meat for a super good meal.
Char siu chicken is a sweet and savory dish of chicken that’s marinated and cooked in the style of the traditional Chinese barbecue pork dish, char siu. The chicken is marinated and placed on wooden skewers. It’s cooked until tender but not falling apart. The use of the skewers changes how the meat cooks. It should heat slowly and evenly from all sides.
The char siu marinade is very distinctive in its flavor … classic Chinese. It has a lovely depth of flavor, it’s sweet and savory, and a hint of Chinese Five Spice Powder flavor that makes this distinctly Char Siu.
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Char Siu Chicken
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Instructions
Place marinade ingredients in a large Ziplock bag & mix to combine.
Cut chicken into bite size or leave as individual large pieces & thread onto skewers. Carefully place chicken in bag & seal, turning to coat chicken. Marinade for 3 – 24 hours. Soak bamboo skewers prior to using.
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Remove skewers (reserve marinade) from Ziplock bag & lay across a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes then remove from oven & baste with some of the excess marinade. Return to oven to continue roasting, basting another couple of times before chicken is completely cooked. Be sure not to overcook thighs so they are nice & moist.
Prepare rice while chicken is roasting. When chicken is cooked, transfer rice & chicken to a serving plate & sprinkle with green onions.
Recipe Notes
• Alternately you can grill the chicken over medium-high heat for about 6-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully as they can easily burn due to the sugar in marinade.
The original Peachy Chicken recipe has been printed on the back of the Heinz Malt Vinegar bottle for many years. Peaches paired with chicken just go together extremely well. The chicken cooked in peach sauce just melts in your mouth and the sauce itself has a sweet & sour flavor that is just amazing.
Malt vinegar transforms simple baked chicken into something incredibly special! Made from malted grains of barley, malt vinegar has a tart flavor and can help to enhance the flavors of other foods it is paired with. It is best known for topping fish and chips.
Malt vinegar is produced from the same grains that are used for making beer, and so it has a similar lemony, nutty, and caramel flavor profile as malted ale. It can range in color from light to dark brown while some distilled varieties are clear.
Usually found in condiment or bakery aisles at the grocery store, it’s become a culinary mainstay in British and Canadian cuisines.
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Peachy Chicken
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Instructions
In a large skillet, brown the chicken thighs, onion & garlic in the oil.
Combine the reserved peach juice, orange juice concentrate, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes (if using), basil, salt, cloves, cinnamon & pepper. Pour over browned chicken mixture. Cover & simmer 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Add peaches; heat. Combine cornstarch & water; stir into sauce. Heat, stirring, until sauce is thickened.
Serve chicken & sauce over rice.
Recipe Notes
• If malt vinegar is not available, try using apple cider vinegar as a substitute.
Of course, you can eat casseroles all year long, but they hold a special spot in our hearts when the crisp days of fall roll around. A longtime staple in North America’s cuisine, these baked concoctions appear at family reunions, holiday gatherings, potlucks, and more.
In terms of comfort food, casseroles are high on the list of our favorite autumn dishes. Double points if they have a good amount of cheese, and triple points if they also contain veggies. There are plenty more reasons to love them. They’re hearty, super-easy to prepare, the perfect dish for freezing and keeping in stock as well as being adjustable to whatever size you need.
This chicken zucchini bake is a great combination of cheesy chicken and vegetables that can be baked individually or as one casserole.
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Chicken Zucchini Casserole
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Instructions
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Slice chicken into thin strips.
Slice green onions & mushrooms. Mince garlic & julienne zucchini. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the chicken, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, half of the green onions & salt & pepper to the saucepan. Cook & stir often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.
In a bowl, mix together the cheese, sour cream, remaining green onions, beaten eggs, Italian seasoning & red pepper flakes until well combined.
Stir in the chicken/ veg mixture until well coated.
Spray two individual baking dishes (or an 8 x 8-inch baking pan) with non-stick spray.
Pour the chicken/cheese mixture into the two dishes, divided evenly.
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Allow to cool 5 minutes. Top with sliced green onions for garnish if you wish & serve.
HONORING LORETTA’S MEMORY!
Today, July 25, my sister Loretta would have been 82. Over the years I have shared many experiences on the blog that I had enjoyed with Loretta. She was an avid follower of the blog and always encouraged me to keep writing. In February of 2023, Loretta’s time on this earth ended. Loretta was a beautiful melody in the rhythm of my life. Her passing has left such an empty place in my heart.
The phrase ‘too much of a good thing’ is certainly not true when it comes to the many memories we shared. I will always give anything to recollect and relive the memories we created together.
She was a constant in my life during her lifetime. Loretta was so much more than just a sister to me. Only her love, kindness, and the memories we shared can bridge the gap between the departure of her passing.
Loretta was a very kind, gentle soul. She was a sister, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend and professional health care worker as well as many other things she did with such love and compassion.
I wanted to make something special on the blog to honor her memory. This blackberry chicken seems fitting since she loved berries.
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Blackberry Chicken
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Instructions
In a small bowl, mash 2 Tbsp berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika & cumin.
Place chicken in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper & remaining paprika.
Bake, uncovered, at 375 F. for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm.
Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch & remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook & stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries. Mashed potatoes or pasta with some roasted veggies round out this meal nicely.
September is the bridge between summer and fall. The beginning of the fall season is just around the corner so it’s time to transition meals between the summer and fall. Turn the oven back on to embrace the changing season. For many, this means baking, but there’s also sautéing and slow roasting, braising and boiling.
It’s National Chicken Month which gives Canadians from coast to coast another reason to celebrate their favorite protein. It’s the time to cook and eat all sorts of chicken dishes in salute of all the hard-working Canadian farm families that raise the chicken we love.
This recipe for skillet chicken with grapes and caramelized onions is an easy recipe that makes a perfect pair for a crisp green salad, quinoa, or fresh bread. Quinoa is still very much a small niche crop in Canada. The search for seed to produce quinoa varieties that can reliably flourish in Canada continues, and it is entrepreneurs as well as research scientists who are leading these efforts. Quinoa is a cool-season crop and is particularly sensitive to heat, which limits the areas of potential commercial production in Canada.
Its popularity skyrocketed in 2006/7 when restaurants began featuring this ancient grain on their menus, and it quickly won over people’s taste buds with its unique flavor and texture profile.
Serving quinoa with this chicken meal really makes it special.
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Skillet Chicken w/ Grapes & Caramelized Onions
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Instructions
Caramelized Onions
Heat butter over medium low heat in a heavy ovenproof skillet. Add the onions cook for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. When the onions are a deep golden color, remove from the pan and set aside.
Chicken Thighs
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Combine the flour, salt, chili powder, thyme, allspice, & black pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
In the same pan as the onions, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add each piece of chicken & fry for a few minutes until golden brown; flip & cook for a few more minutes. Transfer to a plate (it will not be fully cooked at this point, just browned – it will finish cooking in the oven).
Turn the heat down & let the oil cool off a little bit. Add the wine – this will definitely bubble & sizzle! Add the broth & simmer until the mixture is thickened slightly. Add the onions & chicken to the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, add the grapes, baste with the sauce & bake for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- To make without using wine:
- Use 3/4 cup chicken broth (instead of the 1/3 cup wine & 1/4 cup broth). Add remaining flour (leftover from dredging chicken).
- Make a roux with excess oil in skillet & dredging flour.
- Add chicken broth & cook until a sauce forms.
- Add the onions & chicken to the pan & bake as directed above.
In 2019 & 2020 Brion & I spent a couple of holidays in the beautiful town of Mérida on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Of course there were many places to explore such as the archeological sites like Chichen Itza and Uxmal while we were there. If you would like to see pictures and read about some of our adventures in Mérida, you can find them on the website blogs in February 2019 & January 2020.
When I decided to make this chicken meal today the peninsula’s bright and sunny flavors came back to me remembering the chicken lime soup we had tasted there. In Yucatán, the lime they use for this soup is the region’s native lima ágria.
In Mexico, using lime juice is quite common. People squeeze limes over grilled meats, fruits, vegetables, salads, soups, drinks, and even chips. The lime juice brings out the flavors in food in a way best described as ‘bright’. It’s tangy, refreshing, and brings out the best flavors in the food it’s on.
The apricot-lime glaze, with a touch of hot sauce, makes the perfect combo of sweet, sour, and spicy on these chicken thighs.
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Apricot-Lime Glazed Chicken
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Instructions
Heat grill to medium. In a small bowl, combine preserves, lime juice, hot sauce & red pepper flakes.
Season chicken with 1/2 tsp black pepper & grill, covered, turning occasionally 10-15 minutes. Uncover & continue grilling, basting with sauce until chicken is cooked through, 5-7 minutes more.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. cut each ear of corn into 3-4 pieces. Add corn to pot with 2 tsp salt & simmer until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain, transfer to platter & serve with chicken & lime wedges.
Often, when we think of chicken meals, rice comes to mind as an accompaniment. Couscous can be used as a fluffy grain alternative to rice and, because the flavors of each are subtle, swapping them won’t throw your entire recipe off course. Both rice and couscous take on the flavors of the seasonings you add, and neither needs much to shine.
While rice is a grain and couscous are a type of pasta, you can buy whole-grain versions of both. Couscous’s flexibility has made it a favorite ingredient in kitchens worldwide. This tiny pasta can be used as a side dish, as a part of an entrée, or added to soups and salads to boost texture. Its mild flavor makes it ideal for combining with seasonings ranging from sweet to spicy, and it can be used to recreate dishes from any cuisine.
Couscous is a pale, delicate grain that North Africans have served for centuries with a meat or vegetable stew on top.
Although it is made from wheat, couscous is the North African equivalent of rice, and it could be called a second cousin of German spaetzle, although it does not contain egg and the granules are much smaller.
Steamed in a manner similar to rice, couscous takes about 10 minutes to prepare. Delicious when served hot, it is equally good at room temperature.
Today, I’m preparing a sheet pan meal with roast veggies and chicken thighs and serving them with a couscous accompaniment. Should be good!
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Pearl Couscous w/ Chicken Thighs
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Instructions
Vegetables
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In a plastic bag place Italian dressing. Add carrots, onions, zucchini, mushrooms & garlic. Shake well to marinate (do them separately if you wish). Place on a foil lined baking sheet & roast until tender. Marinate cherry tomatoes in a bit of dressing & add to the pan for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Chicken Thighs
In a small dish combine all chicken seasonings. In a plastic bag, place chicken & 2 Tbsp olive oil. Shake well to cover thighs with oil then add spice mixture & shake well again.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Add chicken thighs & roast in oven at the same time as veggies are cooking.
Couscous
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high until just shimmering. Add the pearl couscous & toss around to toast until golden brown.
Boil water & add it to the toasted pearl couscous. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cover & cook for about 14 minutes or until couscous is tender. Remove from heat.
Serving
On a serving plate, place the couscous & vegetables. Top with chicken thighs & drizzle juice from roast chicken over all. Serve.
A glass of beer, a loaf of bread, a bowl of cereal, a standard of measurement, a form of currency, a medication – they all began with barley – an ancient grain, possibly even older than rice. Barley’s once exalted status has been redefined. No longer does it serve as a unit of monetary exchange or a unit of measurement. No physician thinks of prescribing it for an ailing patient. Now, barley is largely relegated to being a food or a key ingredient in the making of beer.
We owe much to the desert nomads and the camel caravans who endured sandstorms and unrelenting heat to trade their sacks of barley with distant neighbors, who then traded with other distant neighbors. Our steaming bowl of mushroom barley soup is a hand-me-down recipe with roots that take us back to prehistoric man. In 2005 barley ranked fourth for cereal production. There are many types of barley, many different uses for it and a long history of its importance to mankind.
Barley has a unique family-friendly quality. You can make a batch ahead on a Sunday, and it keeps well for at least three days in the fridge, and up to three months in the freezer. Monday, you can use it as breakfast and Tuesday, put a cup or two in your salad, and on Wednesday, you can add a barley casserole to your meal.
Four ways to cook barley. For each cup of barley, add 2 1/4 cups of water.
-Stove top: bring barley to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 50 minutes.
-Rice cooker: barley will cook in the same amount of time as brown rice — approximately one cycle in a rice cooker.
-Oven: place barley and liquid in a covered casserole dish and cook it in the oven.
-Slow cooker: cook barley in a slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours on low heat.
Barley Chicken & Mushroom Casserole is such a wholesome and comforting meal.
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Barley Chicken & Mushroom Casserole
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Instructions
Chicken Thighs
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the seasonings until well combined. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place them in the baking dish.
Rub both sides of the chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the chicken, rubbing it on both sides of the chicken thighs.
Bake in the preheated oven, without moving or turning, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 165° F. This will take about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken thighs. During the last 15 minutes, place the cherry tomatoes on baking tray & roast. Remove chicken thighs & tomatoes from oven. Slice thighs in 1/4-inch thick slices. Keep chicken & roasted tomatoes warm.
Barley
In a saucepan, place the water & vegetable broth powder, stir to dissolve. Add barley & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer & cook barley until tender. Cooking time for pearl barley is around 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir the barley, cover the saucepan and let it stand for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Vegetables
In a saucepan, sauté vegetables in 1 Tbsp oil until tender then season to taste. Combine with cooked barley.
Serving
In a casserole serving dish, place the veg/barley mixture. Top with sliced chicken thighs & roasted tomatoes. Garnish with sliced green onion & serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you find the barley & vegetables seem a bit dry add a bit more vegetable broth.
I’m not sure how far back I came to really enjoy using fig balsamic dressing as a marinade for various roasted meats. This dressing marinade adds a bold, zesty flavor to almost anything. Bursting with fig juice, balsamic vinegar, and herbs and spices. So, it only makes good sense that I take the idea further and test the possibilities of using fig preserves with savory meals.
Most people think of fig jam or preserves as what you find in the middle of a fig newton…basically dried figs and sugar, but a good preserve is a combination of sweet figs with a nice balance of balsamic acidity and the mustard heat lends itself to a whole lot of dishes far beyond a simple cheese plate.
The flavor of the preserves is more complex and less sweet than most fruit spreads, so it gives you enough of a contrast with salty items without tasting too sugary.
This is the very definition of a winning weeknight chicken dish: quick, sweet and savory, a little something different. The herbs enhance the savory quality of the dish and provide a touch of earthiness to balance the sweet.
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Fruity Roast Chicken w/ Couscous
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Instructions
Fruit Filling
Combine apricots, raisins, apple & orange juice in a small bowl. Season with spices; mix well. Set aside to marinate.
Chicken
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Place chicken thighs in a heavy freezer bag. Gently pound until about 1/4-inch thick. On a sheet of plastic wrap lay out thighs to form a 'solid' piece. Sprinkle chopped fresh herbs over meat (if using). Mound the filling on flattened thighs then using the plastic wrap, roll up, tucking in the ends.
Line a baking sheet with foil & lightly spray center area. Transfer chicken roll to foil & top with fig preserves. Pull foil up around meat to form a catch 'basin' for meat & fruit juices (leave top open).
Roast about 25 minutes until meat is cooked. When you remove it from the oven reserve fruit & meat juices to use over your couscous if you wish. While the meat is cooking, prepare the couscous.
Couscous
Heat first amount of oil in a medium saucepan. Add next 4 ingredients. 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 & second amount of olive oil; simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Fluff with fork & stir in remaining 3 ingredients.
Place couscous on a serving plate topped with sliced chicken thigh roll. Serve.
Dill is an herb I have always favored. Due to its tangy taste and fragrance this herb has two groups of fans: those who are enthusiastic about it and those who push the plate aside in disgust if there is even a sole leaf of dill in the meal.
The herb is native to southern Russia, western Africa and the Mediterranean region.
In the 1st century Rome, dill weed was considered a good luck symbol. Ancient Egyptians used it to ward off witches. To the Greeks, dill signified wealth. Many cultures cultivated it for medicinal qualities, particularly its ability to soothe an ailing stomach.
Dill is a unique plant in that both its leaves and seeds are used as a seasoning. The thin, feathery green leaves become the aromatic herb called dillweed, and the oval flat seeds the more pungent spice referred to as dill seed.
The flavor of dill weed resembles the licorice-like flavor of mild caraway or fennel. The plant is, in fact, often mistaken for fennel fronds.
The classic combo of fresh lemon and dill create a quick Greek-inspired pan sauce for these simple sautéed chicken thighs.
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Lemon Chicken in Dill Cream Sauce
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Instructions
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Season chicken with salt & pepper to taste along with oregano, basil & garlic powder. Combine butter & oil in a large skillet. Once butter is melted add honey & stir to combine.
Add chicken to pan, brown chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a baking dish (it won't be cooked through at this point). Add butter & garlic; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chicken broth, cream & lemon juice & whisk over medium heat to form a smooth sauce.
Pour sauce over chicken in baking dish & bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven, sprinkle dill over the chicken & sauce. Add cracked pepper to taste & serve.
Recipe Notes
- Being rice lovers, I cooked some long grain rice & used it as a base under our lemon chicken & dill sauce before baking it. Real tasty!
