Recipe: Raspberry Basil Glazed Chicken and Cooking RED to Remember

Cooking RED to Remember

I started off Thanksgiving with less than a thankful heart. My in-laws live too far away. Where are we going to get money for a down payment on a house? I hate this apartment. Why am I such a horrible cook? Why do I have to be so concerned over this other thing? Why don’t we have family here?

I was put to shame by this story. This woman has one of my favorite blogs, and her personal story about losing both her brother and her cousin to AIDS destroyed me. What an incredibly strong woman. And she was exactly right when she said that no one can fully understand the loss. I can’t. I’ve never lost or even known anyone with AIDS, but I can empathize. And be thankful to that I had my ass handed to me.

I am thankful that my in-laws are so awesome, I start to miss them. I’m thankful that we weren’t laughed out of the realtor’s and have actually been pre-approved for far more than we expected. I’m thankful that we know better than to buy a house at our pre-approved amount. I’m thankful that the reasons we hate this apartment weren’t here this Thanksgiving. I’m thankful that only one spontaneous dish was just not awesome instead of horrible. I’m thankful that the other concern has no real hold over me. I’m thankful that, after slapping myself awake, I realize, again, that the two people who are always here for me are the only family I need at my table.

The chicken recipe wasn’t chosen as a dedication to Cooking RED to Remember. The pieces simply fell together. I am thankful for that, too.

Raspberry and Basil Glazed Chicken
Serves: 4 to 6

1 cup fresh raspberries, warmed on the counter
1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced (about 1 large leaf)
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oil
pinch of salt

whole chicken or 4-6 leg quarters
2 Tbsp water (to keep glaze from burning in the pan)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash, pat dry with paper towels, and arrange the chicken in a baking dish. Salt lightly. Set aside.

2. Using a large spoon, mash the raspberries through a sieve or strainer into a bowl. This will take elbow grease, just stick to it! Put the pulp into cheesecloth or the like (I use these, since I don’t have cheesecloth), and squeeze out the remaining juice into the bowl. Pour the juice into a blender or food processor with the basil, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and oil. Blend for 1 minute.

3. Baste the chicken and cook for 20 minutes covered. After that, cook for 1 hour basting every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes, covered. I hate how aluminum foil can take some of the skin away when you remove it, so I ingeniously covered the chicken with one of my massive mixing bowls.

Eat. Mmmm.

Recipe: BBQ Chicken Pizza with Flax Meal Dough

BBQ Chicken Pizza - Flax Meal Wheat-ish Dough

We are pizza people. The blood of our veins is thick with sauce and flows easily by pepperoni grease. However, once you find that recipe that fills your home with a warm pizza smell, the honeymoon with delivery is over.

Ours ended not too long ago with the discovery of a recipe so simple it made me want to try bread baking again – not, but it is simple. With one exception.

Recipe: Sucker-Punch Lemon Chicken

Okay, I will be straight with you – if you do not like sucking on a straight lemon that has a concentration +5 – walk away. There is a VERY good reason it has sucker-punch in the name. If you do – stick around! Have a Lemon Head while you wait! I really like lemon. My husband thought he really like lemon, until a bite of his chicken knocked his teeth out. Our daughter on the other hand made a happy plate like I had fed her Lemon Heads. It’s your choice.

I really like lemon.

Okay, so taste has the first reason for why I like lemons. Second reason is that those little shits can clean! Mikey (my husband ) used the the half-rinds and kosher salt to scrub the stains out of our sink and the hard-water spots our of our shower. Oh. My. God. The smell-good beauty of it. And after he was finished with them – down the disposal they went! Now the stains are out of my tub and sink and my disposal smells all fresh like.

I really like lemons.

Sucker-Punch Lemon Chicken

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
(These first two ingredients will take about 2-3 medium lemons)
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp water
3 green onions, sliced
2-4 chicken leg quarters

1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water

Garnish (optional)
1 green onion, sliced
lemon, thinly sliced

Directions
1. When zesting the lemons, a regular fine cheese grater can be used, remember to only get the yellow part; the white is bitter. Press and roll the lemons to get the most juice out of them. Stir together the zest, juice, soy sauce, sugar, water, and green onions until the sugar is totally dissolved.
2. Put the chicken skin down in a container and cover with 1/3 of the lemon marinade. Marinate 30 minutes or overnight.
3. Heat 1 tsp oil over Medium-High heat in a large frying pan. When the oil gets hot, put the chicken, sans marinade, on for 3 minutes each side. Turn skin side up, adding all of the lemon marinade. Turn the heat down to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Mix together the cornstarch and water. Bring the marinade to a high boil and pour in the cornstarch, stirring or swirling the pan to mix. Once the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat and serve! Garnish with the reserved green onion and lemon slices.

Goes great with rice and steamed bok choy.