Chicken and spice

Chicken is one of those great summer grill foods. You can marinate it, you can spice rub it, you can grill it and then spread it with a barbeque sauce. A couple years back I came across a yummy Middle Eastern spice rub recipe from Rachael Ray that I now like to use with boneless chicken breasts. It also works well with fish and other meats. The key to getting moist and tender boneless chicken breasts is in the preparation and the cooking. You can buy thin sliced breasts known as cutlets, you can buy pre-sliced tenders, or you can buy boneless breast halves. I find the very thin cutlets work best in recipes where they are breaded and fried or in stir-frys where you cook the chicken very quickly. For this spice rub recipe, I prefer the boneless breast halves. To prepare the chicken for the spice rub, I find it best to use the butterfly and pounding technique. You all have surely eaten dry boneless chicken breasts cooked by someone who didn't know that the uneven thickness of a chicken breast that is thrown on the grill straight from its package creates a situation where the thinner part of the breast cooks first and then the thicker part is still not fully cooked. So these cooks flip the chicken over and over until they get that (what I call) shoe leather consistency. Anyhow, once you have prepared the chicken using the butterfly and pounding technique, you can then spice rub the chicken as directed in the recipe. I wrap the spiced chicken tightly in plastic wrap and then let it marinate for as much as 24 hours. When you are ready to cook the chicken, place the chicken on a medium to medium high heated grill pan (drizzle some olive oil in the pan first) or on your heated gas or charcoal grill. And here's where you really need to pay attention. I time the first side for 3-4 minutes, then flip and time the second side for 3-4 minutes. Immediately place the cooked chicken on a clean plate and then tightly wrap with aluminum foil. The meat will continue to cook in this warm setting. Mix some additional spice rub and a little sea salt with extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes and use this as a dipping sauce. The chicken can then be served with any grilled veggies, salad, corn on the cob, and rice or garlic/rosemary oven roasted red potato wedges. Hope you enjoy and happy grilling!

Rhubarb is in the house...

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/: "Rhubarb is a vegetable with a unique taste that makes it a favorite in many pies and desserts. It originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago. It was initially cultivated for its medicinal qualities. It was not until the 18th century that rhubarb was grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America. Rhubarb is often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but rhubarb is actually a close relative of garden sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber." Here in Maine rhubarb has been ripe now for the past month. I am typically a rhubarb scrounge this time of year, calling on friends and strangers to let me pick some of their rhubarb for my mother and me. Best used within a day or so of picking, rhubarb also freezes quite well. When using rhubarb for recipes or freezing, you should peel off most of the skin on the stalks - this eliminates having stringy fruit pieces in your rhubarb dish. My mother is a big fan of either rhubarb pie or strawberry rhubarb pie. The tart of the rhubarb is offset by the sweet of the strawberry and this makes a delicious combination. The past few years I have been fond of a recipe I found online for Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch. The combination of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture on the bottom with the crunchy oat/brown sugar/flour/butter (I swear by Smart Balance as a tasty and good substitute for butter) topping makes for a yummy dessert that people go crazy for when I make it. Try it yourself!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 3 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup rolled oats

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries, and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, butter, and oats until crumbly. You may want to use a pastry blender for this. Crumble on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.
4. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and lightly browned.

Note: I like a stronger intensity of rhubarb in this recipe and so I adjust the measurement to 4 cups of rhubarb and 2 cups of strawberries.

Welcome

Hey everyone...this is my first blog and so I thought I would introduce myself and all. I'm a guy who lives in small city Bangor, Maine who also works at a local university doing the office gig. But in my life outside work, I enjoy food - cooking it, eating it, reading about it, viewing it. Admittedly I am a novice chef having never gone to cooking school but I have had very good responses to my cooking and so may just find this outlet one more way to expand on my passion. I am not sure how I will set this up, but then life is a test in many ways, is it not? 'Til the next time, I say to all you foodies out there...cook up, as food matters! Peace.