Coq au Vin Dinner Party

A few weeks ago I had some of my friends in Ft Lauderdale over to help me check-off one of my 2012 goals: making Coq au Vin from scratch. My parents actually had both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (which I have since adopted and brought to Ft Laudy with me), so I had ALL the recipes on hand for my dinner! But I had to do some menu planning  to make my dinner party EXTRA fabulous :)

After menu planning and spending nearly a FORTUNE at Publix, I got to work in the kitchen! To be quite honest, none of Julia Child's recipes (that I've made anyways) are that difficult or take that long. When I made Beef Bourgionon in the spring, it really didn't take ALL afternoon, but there were a lot of steps. The same thing for Coq au Vin. All-in-all, it maybe took 2 hours, but there were a lot of steps. Nothing complex, just a lot of steps. I set a gorg table, and used my favorite plates EVER (still) I got from John & Juan a few Christmases ago.

I decided on an app I made for the Orlando gays awhile ago: Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese & Figs. It's seriously SO easy and so delicious. And I randomly bought honey-flavored goat cheese at Publix that day, and I drizzled a little honey on top instead of the fig jam, and it was AMAZING! The boys LOVED them. (And so did I!)

I also made a delish Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail which was so refreshing on a Saturday afternoon!

We had a green salad, which was easy and delicious. I mixed arugula and spinach, topped with some cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette:

Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinager
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix first 3 ingredients, then stream in olive oil while whisking. Add salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste. (Okay, yes, I went there with the "fresh-ground pepper"... but honestly, it makes a big difference in recipes where the flavors are simple and easy.) This has become my go-to dressing for everything, it's just THAT good.

You can KINDA see the salad in this shot of the table.

Then we had the Coq au Vin, which was simply amazing. Julia Child makes some GOOD FOOD. I made some mashed potatoes (from scratch of course) and bought a few baguettes at the store (I would've made them but didn't plan enough in advance!), and our meal was complete with LOTS of red wine.

For dessert, I made Vanilla Panna Cotta with chocolate whipped cream. The easiest dessert but it tastes amazing and if you put it in classy glasses it looks REALLY fancy!

So that leaves me with ONE item left on my 2012 food hit list: croissants. I have 2 months and I feel pretty good I can find another group of friends to grin and bear it while I make some croissants.

Go out there and have a fun party and cook some good food!!

Chicken Skewers

I realize I've been delinquent in my blog posting, but Jane B (my mom) just isn't into adventurous eating, so we basically eat the same thing all the time. Which, unfortunately, doesn't really allow me any adventuresome cooking for this blog. But I did make some chicken skewers I found in People Magazine the other day. So, for today, you guys are lucky!

Chicken Skewers
1/3 cup molasses (I thought they turned out too molasses-y, so I would use less)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Sriracha, but I'm guessing you can use regular hot sauce, or the recipe called for 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped. Also, these didn't turn out as spicy as I like, so add a little more if you like a little spice in your life!)
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (I used thighs, cuz I had them, but use whatever you have on hand)
wooden skewers (my 4 chicken thighs made about 20 skewers)

Mix everything but the chicken and skewers to make a marinade. Cut the chicken into strips, and place in marinade for a few hours.

After marinating, preheat over to 425 F (or I bet these would be super yummy grilled! But if you grill them, make sure to soak the skewers in water for an hour before). Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers, and place on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet (with sides). After making these once, I'd definitely put them on a rack on the baking sheet, so they get crispier. In the mean time, boil the remaining marinade for at least 3 minutes. I boiled mine for 3 minutes, but if I was making them again, I'd let it boil down until it got a little syrupy, so it makes a better basting sauce. Cook the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn over and baste using the marinade you boiled. Bake another 5 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Let cool before eating. (I tried to eat one fresh from the oven and my mouth regretted it.)

Ok, so I have another confession to make. In addition to my shameful addition to Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, I really like Rice-A-Roni. So I bought some at the store and made it while these were cooking. It was REAL yummy.

Oven Beer Can Chicken

I've been hearing about beer can chicken for awhile (or has Brett informed me that Paula calls it: Beer in the Rear Chicken). So Ryan and I had a whole chicken in the freezer, and I was ready for an adventure! This is literally the easiest recipe for a whole chicken, and it's totally yummy!

I had to defrost my chicken, which took a few days in the fridge. Then wash and pat dry your chicken. Before washing your chicken, set yourself up for success. Get your cutting board and LOTS of paper towels ready, so you don't have to go around touching everything with your chickeny hands.

Next, make the rub. I've made a LOT of spice mixes in my day (everyone on my Christmas list this past year got a spice mix), and this is the BEST one I've tasted. It's sweet, spicy, salty, all in one.

Beer Can Chicken Rub
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Mix together. You can store this in a airtight container and use it again, I know I will!

Next, it's time to rub your meat. For this, I used one hand to rub, and one hand to sprinkle the mix. Put the mix all over the inside and outside of the chicken. You can be super generous so the skin tastes super yummy when it comes out.

Now, it's time for the beer. Get a can of beer. I wasn't sure exactly what kind of beer to use, and the website didn't specify, so I got some Bud heavy. Open the can and drink half of it. (Okay, so I couldn't stomach half a can of Bud heavy, but if you can, drink it. I just poured it down the drain!) I'm guessing if you got a different kind of beer, the chicken might taste different. Poke extra holes in the top of the beer can with a bottle opener, and put a few tablespoons of rub in the can.

Next, you want to put your chicken on the beer. Get a roasting pan, and set the beer in it. Grab your chicken and put the chicken, butt-sized down, onto the beer. The little legs should be facing down.

(Isn't that a cute little chicken?)

Bake at 350F for about 2 hours. Mine only took an hour and a half, because it was a bit smaller. But in order to avoid overcooking, check the temperature after about 75 minutes, and judge how much longer it needs to cook. Once the temperature reaches 165, take it out and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

Carve up your chicken and serve! (The skin is the best part of this recipe!!)

Bistro Lemon Chicken

Ryan and I have been on a mission to clean out our freezer/fridge/pantry, and turn into semi-vegetarians. I had some leftover chicken breasts and legs and made them into a quick dinner on Sunday night.

First, get your favorite heavy-bottomed (oven-proof) pan super hot and set your oven to 400F. Put a little oil or Pam in your pan. Then, clean your chicken. I had chicken breasts on the bone, but use whatever you have. Boneless breasts will take less time to cook. But breasts on the bone will usually stay juicier. Get some lemon pepper & salt and season the first side of your chicken.

You can be generous with the lemon pepper. Put the seasoned side of your chicken down in your pan, and while that side is searing, season the other side of the chicken. After a few minutes, the first side will be crusty (not burnt though!) so turn your chicken. At this point, I sliced up some lemon and squeezed the juice over the chicken, then put the lemon pieces in the pan with the chicken. Put the entire pan in the oven and cook 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is done.
(Don't mind my pizza stone--I forgot to take it out since making focaccia the other night!)

Ryan and I ate this with a simple tomato & cucumber salad, nothing else needed! Hope you enjoy :)

Jerk Chicken with Jalapeno-Mint Glaze & Mango Salsa

Tonight I wanted to be adventurous. REALLY ADVENTUROUS. Last night, I defrosted some chicken breast so I searched online for a new chicken recipe (something EVERYONE needs, right?). I found Bobby Flay's Jerk Chicken recipe, and adjusted it to my tastes and the ingredients I could get my hands on.

Let me warn you--this dinner is a little overwhelming if you think you're gonna be able to do everything at the same time. Just take it one step at a time, and in no time you'll have a delicious, Bobby Flay-worthy meal:)