Recipes

[Who Shot Sam?]

OK, we have a good friend coming up to the homestead on Saturday and I need a fairly easy to prepare, flavorful grilled chicken recipe - something I can just slip onto the BBQ at the appropriate time. Anyone have any suggestions? I will have some nice fresh corn and a salad of fresh mozzarella, homegrown tomatoes and basil, but I haven't yet found any new chicken recipes I really dig.

[spooky girlfriend]

Marinating in a good white tequila and fresh squeezed lime juice with a little cilantro and garlic is good.

[mood swung]

I make "fridge door" chicken - a little bit of everything from all those bottles in the fridge door. General Tsao, honey mustard, a little kraft bbq and whatever else until it smells good. Throw it together in the morning, let it marinate in the fridge until you're ready to grill. My kids like it, and they hate everything else I cook.

or you could get KFC.

[verbal gymnastics]

OK, we have a good friend coming up to the homestead on Saturday and I need a fairly easy to prepare, flavorful grilled chicken recipe - something I can just slip onto the BBQ at the appropriate time. Anyone have any suggestions? I will have some nice fresh corn and a salad of fresh mozzarella, homegrown tomatoes and basil, but I haven't yet found any new chicken recipes I really dig.

Aren't those the ingredients to make a Burger King Chicken Royale? Just take them there, ask the local spotty faced youth to put them on the grill and hey presto, Robert's your husband of one's aunt.

[Who Shot Sam?]

I make "fridge door" chicken - a little bit of everything from all those bottles in the fridge door. General Tsao, honey mustard, a little kraft bbq and whatever else until it smells good. Throw it together in the morning, let it marinate in the fridge until you're ready to grill. My kids like it, and they hate everything else I cook.

or you could get KFC.

Yeah, there's always the Colonel.

I use those bottled marinades sometimes, though I'm perfectly willing to throw together my own marinade if it's not too complicated and doesn't involve funky ingredients that I can't get up here in the boondocks.

[bambooneedle]

I like a simple approach (and generally avoid marinades, I like chicken crisp): flour some chicken, lay hot mustard onto it, fine chop some garlic and grill with a bit of virgin olive oil. Add some stir-fried vegetables. Add snacks and good red wine.

[mood swung]

I thought y'all put shrimp on yer barbies.

[bambooneedle]

Shrimp, king prawns, chickens... none of those filthy sausages me, though-- I'd rather scrape fat from a grill.

[Goody2Shoes]

I like this one, and it has no bizarro ingredients. Marinate at least 24 hrs.

Whisk 1 cup vegetable oil in a stream into 1 beaten egg. Add 2 cups cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons salt (yes 3 Tbsp, sounds like a lot, but it's necessary), 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon black pepper. Reserve a little for basting while you grill.

It's also really good on a big fish like salmon if you subsitute rosemary for the poultry seasoning.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Thanks goody. That sounds tasty. I'll give it a try, though I may not have 24 hours to work with.

[SoLikeCandy]

My family loves my rainbow couscous salad--it could serve as either a side or a main dish. Grill and chop some chicken, make some couscous, chop up some red, yellow and orange tomatoes, red onions, scallions, add a little chopped garlic, cracked black pepper and thyme, toss in olive oil and shove it into the fridge for about 3 hours. Yumminess.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Yum. We are going for a picnic to the Storm King Art Center on Sunday to get some cultcha and let the kiddies run around amongst the Calders. Sounds like good picnic fare!

http://www.stormking.org/aboutstormking.html

[selfmademug]

We are going for a picnic to the Storm King Art Center on Sunday

What?! And miss THE game?

Another good side dish that travels very well:

Cook 1 lb. rigatoni. After draining, mix with:

- 2 extra large tomatoes (Jersey tomatoes, duh!) chopped
- 1 packed cup basil leaves, also chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, ditto
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup virgin extra olive oil
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup romano cheese
- salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

The good thing is you can mix it right in the container you'll be carrying it in.

[BlueChair]

sounds tasty

[Who Shot Sam?]

sounds tasty

Indeed. And not to hard to prepare. I could get my little guy to help me with that.

[selfmademug]

Hope you enjoy it! I did the amounts from memory/off the top of my head, so use your judgement.

[RedShoes]

This doesn't really work with the whole "prepare last minute" type recipes included here - but it's Blue & my new favourite recipe, so I thought I'd share anyway (stolen from the Moosewood New Classics cookbook):

Spinach "Gnocchi"
- 10ounces fresh spinach
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1 1/4 cups bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil (fresh)
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- pinch of ground nutmeg (more to taste)
- Tomato sauce (canned or really easy good recipe at the bottom!)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Oil baking dish.

Rinse spinach and remove large stems. Place spinach in a large pot with water that clings to it - cover and cook on high until the leaves are wilted.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add parmesan, ricotta, bread crumbs, basil, scallions, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. When spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze excess water from it and chop it. Stir it into the egg/cheese mixture. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonful into the baking dish. -I usually do this just with my hands...it's messy, but works well.

Pour tomato sauce around the gnocci to almost cover. Don't put too much or it gets soggy. Bake for around 25minutes, until firm and beginning to brown. Serve with more tomato sauce ladled on top.



Tomato Sauce (if you want to make your own):

- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups finely chopped onions
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups canned diced tomatoes with juice (2 - 28 ounce cans)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Warm oil, add onions, garlic, and salt. Saute until golden. Add tomatoes with juice and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Mmmm.

[BlueChair]

It pairs really nicely with a bottle of Baco Noir

[bambooneedle]

A couple of breasts and thighs grilled dry (burned in its own fats) with brown onions and some true tomato sauce or even some chili if you like. Or fry sliced tomatos in it as well. Add spices and mushrooms as it fries. Add a half-boiled egg or fry one. Swig straight, quality whiskey from a chilled titanium or similar non-ferrous metal hip flask to wash it down and get good aftertastes happenin'. For full satisfaction, stay away from carbohydrates for at least four hours afterwards and drink whatever water you need. Continue with the whiskey at your leisure however by all means. A bit of some bread can go fine with it. Then it's apperitif time.

Hope you enjoy it! I did the amounts from memory/off the top of my head, so use your judgement.

Ain't it true that an inspired dish is so often damn good.

[Who Shot Sam?]

All very nice suggestions, and I hope people will keep this thread going. I do most of the cooking in our house, though I'm next to useless when it comes to baking.

I am going to make mug's pasta salad for the picnic tomorrow, but I had to bug out on the grilled chicken for this evening. I did not feel like cleaning the grill and had some nice tortillas I needed to use, so I'm making a 7-layer tortilla pie instead (sounds a lot more complicated than it is).

[selfmademug]

Have a fabulous time. It's a gorgeous place; I used to drive past it on the Taconic on my way up to college in the Berskshires.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Have a fabulous time. It's a gorgeous place; I used to drive past it on the Taconic on my way up to college in the Berskshires.

What a great day out - spectacular weather, amazing scenery and wide open spaces. The kids had plenty of room to run around and make as much noise as they pleased, roll down hillsides, etc.

We parked, did our picnic, then walked around and looked at a few of the larger works near the entrance, including that massive Calder:



Then caught the tram that takes you around the grounds and leaves you at the visitor center at the top of the hill. My favorites - this piece by Manashe Kadishman (the kids enjoyed walking under it):



this one, called Storm King Wall, by Andy Goldsworthy:



and this, titled "For Paul" by Ursula von Rydingsvard (constructed entirely of cedar and graphite - my son liked this one too):



All in all a great, great day out and something that people who are in the New York area should make a point to go see. I can't believe it has taken us so long to finally check it out.