Tag: The Kitchen Witch

Chicken, Main Course

Cider Glazed Chicken

by Wendi19 Comments on Cider Glazed Chicken

Since I seem to be all about le poulet why not post another chicken recipe?  I grabbed this one from The Kitchen Witch, who grabbed it from Cooking Light.  Why do I get the feeling that The Universe is trying to get me back together with Cooking Light?

There’s a story about this dish.  It involves Tivo.  I may have mentioned that I fought Tivo for the longest time.  And then once it came into my life, I couldn’t live without it.  I imagine people once felt the same way about electricity, cell phones, and Facebook.  Anyhow, the beauty of Tivo is that The Mistah and I get to keep up with our shows even if they don’t appeal to both tv viewing members of our household (I’m looking at you Wipeout).  And for those shows that we both enjoy, we can watch them together on our schedule, not the network’s.

So there I was, halfway through the latest episode of White Collar when The Mistah came through the door.  He saw that I had started watching it without him and was all sad faced.  In a moment of inspiration, I told him that he could start watching it from the beginning , I would fix dinner, and when he got to where I was in the show, we would finish watching it together.  Who says compromise is hard?

In the time it took him to reach the 29 minute mark, which through the magic of Tivo is less than 29 minutes since we are not held hostage by commercials, Cider Glazed Chicken was prepped, cooked, and plated.

Sadly, there is no photo documentation that this meal ever existed at BAH.  We were too busy finishing that episode of White Collar.  You’ll just have to mosey on over to TKW’s blog for the photo.

Cider Glazed Chicken

Based on The Kitchen Witch’s Adaptation of Cooking Light’s Recipe

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 boneless chicken breast cutlets
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Pat chicken cutlets dry and season with salt.  Melt butter in a large, nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the apple cider and mustard to the pan, scraping up any bits off the bottom, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until reduced and syrupy.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Return the chicken to the pan, coat with the sauce, and serve with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes.

{printable recipe}

Random

You Are My Sunshine

by Wendi11 Comments on You Are My Sunshine

Jen at My Morning Chocolate was gracious enough to send Bon Appetit Hon a Sunshine Award.  I don’t care who you are, having another person say thanks for inspiring me or supporting me or just doing what you do, feels good. As greedy as I may secretly be, I can’t hoard all this sunshine.  So I am passing the award on to a few folks who make my world brighter.

As Simple As That – “I used to admire fashion designers and thought why did God make me a writer and not a seamstress? I wanted to be able to create a piece that could speak out loud to the world and hang from the shoulders and waists of elegant people. I wanted so badly to mix silk and satin, beads and pearls, to ultimately create something beautiful. Something wonderful. But then I learned with age and experience that I am already a designer. A creator. A maker. I am a weaver of sentences, a seamstress of stories. I create the hemlines to a plot, the V-necks to a poem, the ruffles in a romance. When the last period has found its home at the end of a sentence, I have made something that can resonate to the world like a fine piece of clothing. The gift that I find to be the most beautiful part of my work is that it cannot be felt on my body, the way silk feels to my fingers. It can be felt in my soul. I can read a sewn together sentence over and over again and bring it everywhere with me, just like my leather bag or over-sized Audrey Hepburn sunglasses. I can take words and allow them to seep into my being and then use the passion behind them to do unto others in this world that needs more love. That is more blessed than the most timeless fashion pieces. I can give to others what I sew on my heart.” That is what Hanna Katy posted on her ‘About’ page and that right there is why I admire her.  She says the most powerful, thought provoking things.  I wish that I had a fraction of the grace and awareness that she possesses.

Honey & Jam: I could stare at Hannah’s photos all day long.  And sometimes, that’s exactly what I do.  One day, I hope to possess the skills to capture images like this.

And since I am not one for following rules, and it’s been far too long since I’ve bestowed any It’s A Major Award!, I’m going to take this opportunity to hand out a few of those cheekier awards as well. (For the genesis of the IAMA!, please read this and this.)

The Kitchen Witch: Whether she’s writing about something serious that is touching and brutally honest or she’s giving you her coveted Grandma Rhetta’s lemon bar recipe, Dana never fails to impress me with her wit, her love of life, or her humanity.

Three Baking Sheets to the Wind: I’ve finally found someone else whose brain is filled with as many inane pop culture references as mine is.  Could we have been separated at birth?  Doubtful, considering the mad kitchen skills and creativity that Ali clearly possesses.

You Are What You Eat…Or Reheat: We all secretly love trashy food.  Katie gives us a safe place to own those feelings…every Wednesday!  Spaghetti casserole anyone?

Thanks to Jen for sending a little Sunshine my way.  I hope you’ll take a few moments to check out these other blogs that make my world a little brighter.  And now that they have received some of these sunny rays, I hope that they too will pass them on.

Chicken, Main Course

As Seen On…

by Wendi10 Comments on As Seen On…

Barefoot Chicken

I watch a lot of tv.  I blame it on The Mistah.  He’s the one who thought it was a good idea to bring Tivo into our relationship.  In the six years since we got Tivo, I’m convinced that my reading comprehension skills have dwindled because I spend my free time watching whatever shows I’m into at the moment.  Lost, Gilmore Girls, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Absolutely Fabulous, you’ve all contributed to my downfall.

However, because of Tivo, I can free myself from the chains of the Mad Men’s advertisements.  No longer must I sit through 30 second infomercials proclaiming the virtues of Crazy Glue (strong enough to hold a man suspended in mid air!) or Nu Finish (the once a year car polish!).   My brain will not be washed into handing over $9.99 for a blanket with sleeves.  Maybe Tivo isn’t the devil I make it out to be after all.

My cooking often reflects the intersection of the cooking shows I watch and the blogs I follow.   That’s how Ina’s Indonesian Ginger Chicken came to be sitting on my dinner plate.  I’ve got a Season Pass for Barefoot Contessa, so Ina and I hang out regularly.  And then The Kitchen Witch blogged about Ina’s chicken. While it may not do anything to improve my reading comprehension, this recipe will free up about an hour of time that I can use to plow through my list of shows Now Playing on Tivo.

Ina’s Indonesian Ginger Chicken

Adapted from Ina Garten

BAH Note:  Ina’s original recipe calls for two chickens.  When I made this, I had neither the freezer space nor the appetite for 7 pounds of chicken.  So I cut that in half.  If you’ve got a crowd to feed, or space in the deep freeze, go ahead and make a big batch.

  • 1 chicken, approximately 3 1/2pounds, quartered (or 3 1/2 pounds of chicken parts)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
  • Dash of sriracha hot sauce (optional)

Combine the honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and grated ginger in a small sauce pan.  Heat over low to melt the honey and stir well.  Taste for seasoning and add 1 to 2 tablespoons more soy sauce if desired.  If using sriracha, add a few drops and taste.  Add more if desired.

Place the chicken skin side down in a baking pan and cover with the sauce.  Cover the pan with aluminum foil and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Approximately 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook, pull the pan out of the refrigerator and let the pan sit at room temperature.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the covered pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Then carefully remove the foil, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees.  Bake  for another 30 to 45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce turns a deep, dark brown.

{printable recipe}

Fish, Main Course

Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter

by WendiLeave a Comment on Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter
image from http://www.istockphoto.com

If you were to poke around in our freezer on any given day, you would most likely find a bag of salmon fillets.  We tend to be a little predictable here at BAH.  When we like something, we stick with it.  Over time that can get a bit mundane so I’m always looking for ways to put new flavor into our favorite dishes.  Our latest salmon entree was inspired by The Kitchen Witch and her take on a Men’s Health Magazine recipe.  The Mistah used to get Men’s Health.  Actually, someone gave him a gift subscription.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed that it didn’t come with a free gift like a football phone, but if I had put my disappointment behind me and peeked between the covers, I might have discovered Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter.  It may not be a football phone but then again, I bet I could get one of those on eBay along with the complete series of Time Life Home Improvement books, all for about what I spend on a bag of salmon fillets.  See, it all works out in the end.

Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter

The Kitchen Witch and Men’s Health Magazine

  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced chives
  • 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

Place the butter in a ramekin and melt carefully in the microwave.  Add the chives, ginger, lemon juice, and soy sauce and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Dry the salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan or grill pan until just smoking.  Add the salmon (skin side down if using a fillet with skin) and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.  Carefully turn the fish over and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Serve the salmon with about a tablespoon of butter sauce spooned over the top.

{printable recipe}

Main Course

Spicy Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango

by Wendi4 Comments on Spicy Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango

Spicy Shrimp Avocado and Mango

Back in January, The Kitchen Witch launched a month of butt shrinking recipes to kick off the year.  After all the excesses of the holidays, it’s nice to settle back into more sensible eating habits.  As much as I enjoyed the homemade Berger Cookies and the Muddy Buddies, that’s not a winning diet plan.  While January (and February) may have come and gone, this butt shrinking recipe is sticking around because the combination of shrimp, mango, chili, and avocado is sublime.  Kitchen Witch did hers more like a lettuce wrap while The Mistah and I converted ours into entree salads.  Whichever you choose, you really can’t go wrong.

Spicy Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango

Inspired by The Kitchen Witch and Bobby Flay

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 red chili
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 red bell pepper – roasted, peeled, and seeded
  • 1/4 cup mango nectar
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup rice stick noodles, cooked per package directions
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 mango, sliced
  • 4 to 6 whole romaine lettuce leaves

Combine olive oil, red chili, red pepper flakes, roasted red pepper, mango nectar, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse to thoroughly combine.  Let the marinade sit at room temperature for at least one hour.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.  Reserve 1/4 cup marinade.  Place remaining marinade in a medium bowl.

Dry the shrimp with a paper towel.  Add the shrimp to the marinade in the medium bowl.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package.  Rinse in cold water, toss with sesame oil, and set aside.

Divide the lettuce leaves between two plates.  Drape the rice noodles over the lettuce.  Arrange mango and avocado slices on top of lettuce and noodles.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook five to seven minutes, until they turn opaque and are just done.

Place shrimp on top of the mango and avocado.  Drizzle with reserved marinade and enjoy.

{printable recipe}

Dessert, Sweets

Food Memories – Gramma Rhetta’s Lemon Bars

by Wendi8 Comments on Food Memories – Gramma Rhetta’s Lemon Bars

Gramma Rhetta's Lemon Bars

Today’s food memory comes from Dana of The Kitchen Witch.  If it weren’t for the fact that I live in Bawlmer and she lives somewhere in Colorado, I would swear that we’re twins.  Because not only do we manage to somehow share a brain across a continent, we both luv lemon and have a special place in our hearts for our Grandmother.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchen Witch on 20 July 2009.  My thanks to Dana for sharing her story, and her memory of Sassybritches.  She sounds like one feisty lady I would have liked to have known. Continue reading “Food Memories – Gramma Rhetta’s Lemon Bars” →

Random

It’s A Major Award

by Wendi8 Comments on It’s A Major Award

kreativblogger

Anyone who has ever been a roommate of mine can attest to the fact that I have an unnatural, almost freakish compulsion to watch A Christmas Story (ACS) anytime it is on television.  The Mistah learned this the hard way one Christmas Eve as I sat glued to TNT during their 24 hour ACS marathon.  That man, he puts up with a lot without so much as a complaint.  He just went down to the basement where he had days worth of European Soccer games waiting for him on Tivo.  Nothing says Happy Holidays like quality time spent in front of the tele. Continue reading “It’s A Major Award” →

Random

Honorable Mention – The Images

by Wendi6 Comments on Honorable Mention – The Images

Sometimes I miss the forest for the trees.  Like when I could have posted all of my 2009 Maryland State Fair entries, but instead only linked to a couple of them.  Many thanks to  TKW (The Kitchen Witch) for her suggestion to give all the images their Honorable Mention. So without further ado, I give you my 2009 MSF portfolio:

Big Wheels Blush Bushels Distant Sails Tilghman Volunteer Fire Co. Tilghman Island

That last picture, the very blue landscape, that got the official MSF Honorable Mention.  But really, how could the judges NOT love the picture of the carnival rides at night?  Or the blushing tulip?  Don’t tell the other pictures, but those two were my favorites this year.