BILLIONAIRE BACON - WRAPPED CHICKEN!!!

Chicken...Bacon...Brown Sugar...Spice

The PERFECT combination!

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday...

BILLIONAIRE BACON - WRAPPED CHICKEN

This is so easy to make! Simply cut 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) into 1 inch cubes. Using 1 pound bacon, cut each strip into 3 pieces. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around 1 cube of chicken and secure with a wooden toothpick. (You may need to stretch the bacon piece a little.) Set aside.

In a bowl, combine 2/3  cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp. chili powder, 1/2 -1 tsp. cayenne pepper. (Adjust to your taste)  Dredge each piece of chicken in the sugar/chili powder/pepper mixture. Be sure you cover all sides.

To bake*...spray a broiler pan/rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken on the rack/tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until bacon is a bit crispy. Do not overbake! This recipe makes about 15 appetizer servings. Careful, they are addictive!!!

(What you see on the Deep Flexipan is 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces. It made about 30 pieces.) 

*I baked this on a deep flexipat/perforated baking tray by Demarle at Home. No oils, butter or nonstick sprays are needed. The chicken came out perfectly...AND as it cools, the sugar/spice/bacon drippings harden...as my son says, "Dessert!"  It peels right off the pan! The flexipat was easily cleaned with just soap and water. I LOVE DEMARLE PRODUCTS!!!

(This is all that's left...just some bacon fat and a little chicken drippings. Let it cool. While cooling, fit a piece of aluminum foil into a glass or mug. Pour the drippings into the aluminum foil, and let cool. When cooled...and thickened...wrap the foil up and toss into the trash.)

These are delicious hot, warm, or room temperature...

ENJOY!

(adapted from Paula Deen's "Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps" recipe)

Please note...if you make prepare the chicken ahead of time, the sugar/mixture may "melt". No problem...just sprinkle the chicken with a little more brown sugar/spice and bake as directed.

CHICKEN ROULADES

Chicken Roulades...my new favorite dish to make. Why? 
Because it is so quick and easy ...and it's much more economical to prepare, than to purchase them at the meat market.

You know...I had not even thought of that until last night when one of my customers mentioned that she had just purchased 4 roulades for her family...and spent $20 on just the chicken dish! At our party, we made these tomato/spinach/Parmesan cheese stuffed roulades for under $10...and still had chicken left to make an appetizer!

The beauty of Chicken Roulades is that you can stuff them with just about anything. Chicken Cordon Bleu is a "roulade"...my Publix has these and other varieties available in the butcher shop. Other meat markets have them stuffed with crabmeat...cheddar cheese...even sausage! There are so many ways to prepare them...

The recipe for my version came from a fitness trainer...as part of the "HEALTHY COOKING" class we held last week. The original recipe required browning the roulades in a pan on the stove. But, I tweaked the recipe a bit, to use on my Demarle at Home Silpat...and to make the dish even easier! A quick dip in egg whites, mixed with a little chicken broth, then a roll in Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs, and the roulades were ready to BAKE! You can bake these in traditional pans, but you will need to turn them during baking. But when using the Silpat and the Perforated Baking Tray, the roulades cook on both sides...in about 25 minutes! No turning....and best of all, cleanup takes just seconds with just a quick soap and water wash. 

These roulades were delicious, both hot and cold. They would also make a nice heavy appetizer...

For the "Healthy Cooking Class", we served the Roulades with red peppers stuffed with quinoa and vegetables, a shrimp/mango appetizer, Portobello Mushroom "Pizza", and Fresh Blueberry/Peach Crisp. Every recipe was approved by the fitness trainer...and all the dishes were DELICOUS and HEALTHY...and they're 

EVERYDAY EASY!

Enjoy! 

CHICKEN ROULADES
     with Tomato, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese

Boneless chicken breast (I used a cutlet...on sale), pounded THIN. Take the thin chicken breast...place a thin slice of fresh tomato on the breast. Add several leaves of fresh baby spinach. Sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan cheese. Roll as tightly as you can. Fasten with toothpicks.  Dip the chicken roulade in a dish of beaten egg (or egg white) and a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth, mixed together. (Basically, you will "roll" the roulade in this mixture). Roll the roulade in Italian seasoned bread crumbs. (Light!) Place on Silpat/tray and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes (more or less, depending on the thickness of the chicken and the oven). Remove from Silpat and slice. (This is really a pretty presentation...white meat with red and green swirl)

If desired, you can make a sauce to pour over chicken...chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, a splash of white wine (actually calls for red wine vinegar...I think the wine would be better)and a little seasoning, such as garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Simmer while the chicken is baking...reducing the liquid. Spoon over the roulades. Sprinkle the top with a little chopped fresh basil.

I am connecting this Foodie Friday this week...check out all the fab recipes!

Grilled Chipotle Chicken...YUMMY!

I don't know who "Pete" is, but he sure has a wonderful recipe for grilled chicken!

Last week, one of my cooking sites shared this recipe...

Pete's Favorite Chipotle Chicken.

Well, my family loves grilled food...and spicy food...and new ideas... so for our family gathering on Sunday, we experimented with this new recipe. It was a HIT!!!

Many thanks to Elizabeth Karmel, who shared this recipe on kitchendaily.com...

Ingredients:

2 - 3 cups mayonnaise

1 small can chipotles in adobo sauce

1 white onion, chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (add more to taste)

2 chickens, cut into pieces

4 limes, juiced

Kosher salt

1 lime cut into wedges

Fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions: In a blender, mix chipotles with adobo sauce, white onion, jalapeno and lime juice. Add a pinch of salt. Remove to a large, non-reactive bown. Fold in 2 cups of mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasonings. If it is too "hot", add more mayonnaise. Add chicken pieces, cover and marinate 2-4 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken from refrigerator and place chicken, bone-side down, in the center of cooking grate. You do not need to turn the chicken pieces (but my husband did)

Grill-roast until the chicken registers 165 degrees, near the bone. (About 45 minutes) If you do not have a meat thermometer, cook until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove from the grill with tongs and a spatula, to preserve the crust on the top of the thighs. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced lime and cilantro, if desired.

*I suggest using a whole jalapeno for a little more kick. Also, I marinated the chicken for 2 hours, but will do it for 4 next time, to allow more flavor to permeate the meat.

** I used 10 thighs (bone-in) and 3 breasts, cut in half.

To compliment the meal, we enjoyed a mixed baby greens salad, Mexican rice, and cold watermelon. Wine Guy served Terra Noble, Reserva Cabernet 2007 (from Maule Valley in Chile). It was the PERFECT wine for this meal!

MacDaddy, Wine Guy, and Drummer Boy said this was a "keeper" and suggested that I make it again soon.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend...

Jane

Be sure to check out all the fabulous Foodie Friday recipes this week .

QUICK AND EASY...AND DELICIOUS!

It's Foodie Friday!! Thanks to designsbygollum for hosting this event.

Today, I am sharing a Spanish dish that is quick and easy to prepare. And it's delicious! It's good for a family meal...or for a company dish. This dish is among my favorites to order at our local Spanish and Cuban restaurants.

Chicken Salteado

As I have said before, I rarely use recipes so my ingredient portions are "by guess and by gosh". This is truly a dish that can be prepared according to taste. Just be sure not to overdo the salt and pepper. Chorizo has a LOT of flavor.

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Olive Oil, 2-3 Tbsp.

Butter, 2-3 Tbsp.

4-5 Cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed (or dice, if you prefer)

1-2 Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 - 1 medium Spanish or Sweet Onion, quartered and sliced or chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Oregano, to taste (I use about 1/2 - 1 tsp)

Wine, to taste...I prefer to use a Spanish White Table Wine, but most any inexpensive wine will do.

In a large skillet (I use an electric frying pan), saute the garlic and onion in olive oil and butter.

Remove from pan and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and saute, adding additional olive oil and butter, if needed. Remove and set aside. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Add chorizo and the chicken, garlic, and onion. Toss together. Add oregano and a splash of wine (I use about 1/2 - 1 cup wine.) Simmer until flavors blend.

Serves 4-6

*** You can substitute STEAK for the Chicken...thinly slice lean sirloin and follow the same directions as for the chicken. However, substitute red wine for the white.

Serve with yellow rice, Cuban-style seasoned black beans and Cuban bread. A crisp green salad is a nice addition.

If you cannot find the rice, beans and chorizo in your market, you can order from

www.cubanfoodmarket.com

For the wine, I use a particular wine I buy at a Cuban/Italian market....Tres Rios is a Spanish table wine...very inexpensive (under $5) and excellent for cooking or for a Sangria base. When I prepare the Steak Salteado, I use the Tres Rios Red Table wine.

Cuban Bread is the perfect accompaniment with this meal. But I know it is unavailable in most locations. For those who are bakers, there are some recipes available online. I would suggest that you look for "Tampa Style" recipes. They are the best. Otherwise, use a crusty baguette. Below is a link for a good recipe...and information on the differences of Cuban bread. Interesting reading!
www.oo.com/kitchen-warfares-cuban-bread-tampa-style/

Enjoy!