Archive for September, 2023

This recipe from Half Baked Harvest is our new favourite way to prepare chicken wings.

Toss the wings in a dry spice rub, flour and oil and bake or broil along with some whole cloves of unpeeled garlic. Remove the garlic halfway through cooking the wings, peel and add the cooked garlic to a saucepan with hot sauce, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Toss the cooked wings in Parmesan cheese, toss with the buffalo sauce and return to the oven for about 5 minutes before serving.

Bake or broil the wings

Make the sauce

Easy garlic Parmesan buffalo chicken wings

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. President’s Choice Authentic Louisiana Hot Sauce is additive free. Use butter that contains only cream, with no colour added. Genuine Parmesan cheese is additive free; it’s the real thing if the name is stamped on the rind.

Ingredients:

2 pounds (907 g) chicken wings or drumsticks

6-8 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

For the dry rub

1 tablespoon (15 ml) smoked paprika

1 teaspoon (5 ml) onion powder

1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic powder

Kosher salt and black pepper

¼ cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour

For the sauce

½ cup (125 ml) hot sauce

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pepper

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) onion powder

6 tablespoons (90 ml) salted butter

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or rub with oil.

On the sheet pan, toss together the chicken wings, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the flour and toss again. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, tossing to coat. Drop the garlic cloves around the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes then pull the garlic off the pan. Flip the wings, then return to the oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is crispy and cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Remove the garlic skin and chop/mash the roasted cloves into a paste. In a saucepan set over medium heat, melt together the hot sauce, butter, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and mix in the garlic.

Remove the chicken from the oven and toss with Parmesan. Then pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken and toss the chicken wings up in the sauce. Bake another 5 minutes, until the buffalo sauce is baked onto the chicken. Serves 6.

From Half Baked Harvest

This recipe from Real Simple dresses up lamb chops with a delicious relish of olives, capers, lemon, vinegar, rosemary, cayenne and olive oil. Mix the relish ingredients together and let the flavours blend while you sear the chops. Serve the relish over the chops.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used President’s Choice garlic-stuffed green olives, which are additive free. Unico capers and Eden Organic red wine vinegar are all-natural. Check the cayenne for colour or anti-caking agents and use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Make olive relish

Sear lamb chopes

Serve relish over the chops

Ingredients:

2 x 1 lb. (454 g) frenched racks of lamb, cut into individual chops

2/3 cup (165 ml) mixed green and kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) drained capers

2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon zest

2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon (5 ml) finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish

1/8 (0.6) teaspoon cayenne

¼ cup olive oil (60 ml)

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high until very hot. Coat lamb chops with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil and ¾ (3.75 ml) teaspoon salt. Add chops to hot skillet in batches. Cook until browned and a thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare (or until desired doneness), about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Stir together olives, capers, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, rosemary, cayenne, and ¼ cup (60 ml) oil in a bowl.

Serve lamb chops topped with olive mixture. Serves 4.

From Real Simple

This recipe from justapinch.com adapts the deep-fried chicken recipe from the Bon Ton restaurant in Kentucky to the grill. Brine the chicken in spiced water for six hours, then coat with a dry rub. Grill and then baste with a vinegar-water-brown sugar combination before serving. Cook’s note: I used chicken drumsticks instead of thighs.

Avoiding additives and preservatives:

Check the dry spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use tamari instead of soy sauce. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce is additive-free, as is Allen’s cider vinegar.

After brining the chicken for six hours, apply the dry rub mixture.

Make the baste.

Grill the chicken, rotating from direct to indirect heat to prevent flare-ups.

Grilled Bon Ton chicken

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs

For the brine

1 qt (1 L) water

2 tbsp (30 ml) kosher salt

2 tbsp (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) cayenne pepper

2 tsp (10 ml) garlic powder

1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) white pepper

For the rub

1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder

1 tsp (5 ml) white pepper

1 tsp (5 ml) chile powder

1 tsp (5 ml) onion powder

1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt

For the baste

½ c (125 ml) cider vinegar

½ c (125 ml) water

2 tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar

Preparation:

Mix all brine ingredients together and marinate chicken in a large non-reactive bowl for 6 hours.

Mix baste ingredients together and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from brine and rub generously with the seasoning mixture. Let stand while your grill gets hot.

Grill chicken for about 25 mins or until juice runs clear, rotating direct and indirect cooking as necessary to avoid flare-ups or excessive charring.

Brush lightly with baste just before serving. Serves 4.

From justapinch.com

This delicious salad from Taste of Home can be served warm or cold. Cook the farro and make the dressing. Grill the peppers and corn; chop the grilled peppers into bite-sized pieces and remove the kernels from the corn cobs. Combine the farro with peppers, corn, tomatoes, cheese, radishes and green onion and stir in the dressing. Cook’s note: I used Israeli couscous instead of farro.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lime juice; the concentrates usually contain preservatives. Check the spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Krinos feta cheese is additive-free.

Cook the farro or Israeli couscous

Grill the peppers and corn

Farro salad with charred peppers and corn

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) farro, rinsed

¼ cup (60 ml) plus 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil, divided

¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice

1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic powder

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cumin

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt

2 large red peppers

2 medium ears sweet corn, husked

1 cup (250 ml) chopped fresh tomatoes

½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese

½ cup (125 ml) sliced radishes

½ cup (125 ml) chopped green onions

Preparation:

Place farro in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, until tender, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for dressing, whisk together ¼ cup (60 ml) oil, lime juice, garlic powder, cumin and salt; set aside.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss peppers with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) oil. Cook until all sides are blistered and blackened, 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs. Transfer to a cutting board. Chop peppers; discard stems. Transfer to a large bowl.

Brush corn with remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml) oil. Cook until lightly browned and tender, 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Cool slightly. Cut corn from cobs; add to peppers. Drain farro; add to corn mixture. Stir in tomatoes, cheese, radishes, green onions and dressing; toss to coat. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 8.

From Taste of Home