Sriracha Marmalade Salsa Grilled Chicken

Sriracha, salsa and orange marmalade as a marinade.  Does that sound like a weird combo? It was a simple, fast marinade and basting sauce I came up with when I was in a rush and really did not feel like cooking but was intent on eating.  Only 3 bottles that you may already have open and in your fridge. Substitute any "no sugar" jam - peach or apricot would work well.  Any type of salsa; homemade would be even better.  Mango lime is a favourite but I don't have any right now.  No Sriracha?  Try sambal olek or a Buffalo hot sauce will work.  This is a flexible recipe.

Although I often read that you aren't supposed to put sweeter ingredients on the chicken before grilling as it'll cause flare ups I find the no sugar added marmalade does fine but I have a tip for that in the method section.

INGREDIENTS:
4 large chicken breasts - local or organic (this'll work with tofu, pork etc.)
1 cup (250 ml) salsa - your choice
1/2 cup (125 ml) orange marmalade, no sugar added
1/4 cup (60 ml) Sriracha to taste - or hot sauce of your choice

METHOD:

1.  Put the chicken breasts in a pan.  I have four that were quite large and I ended up dividing them in two when almost cooked through.

2.  Stir the three marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl.

3.  Pour marinade over chicken.  Use a fork to coat tops of breasts.  Marinade in the refrigerator for one hour and preferably over night.

4.  Brush the left side of the grill with vegetable oil to help prevent sticking while cooking.  Heat the right side with lid closed to medium-high.  Set chicken on cool side of grill, bone side down, and close lid.  Grill chicken for approximately 15 minutes per side until a meat thermometer reads 165'F (74'C).

While the chicken is cooking prepare the salad.  I served the chicken with cooked brown rice and a fresh green salad with sorrel, garlic chives and mint out of the spring garden.

Sorrel (rumex acetosa)

Garlic chives

NUTRITION FACTS (per patty or 1/8th of recipe):  440 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1150 mg sodium, 155 mg cholesterol, 32 g carbohydrate, 0 g fibre, 20 g sugar, 61 g protein.  %Daily Values: 15% vitamin A, 45% vitamin C, 6% calcium, 6% iron.

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc

http://nancyguppy.com/

Caldo de Pollo (Mexican-style Chicken Stock)

The original recipe is adapted from chef and cookbook author Susanna Trilling. Peggy, my mom and I took one of her cooking classes at her ranch in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2005. I have never forgotten the countryside or the food! I especially like the way the stock is seasoned. "Seasons of My Heart, A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico" Ballantine Books, November 1999 ISBN 0-345-42596-0

Dried thyme from last summer's garden

Allspice, clove, dried chiles, thyme and bay season the stock

Dried mulato pod chile - mail order from Chilly Chiles, Ottawa

I say chile (chi-LAY), some say chili.  Both are correct.


Makes approximately 2 liters or quarts

3.5 pounds (1.5 kg) chicken parts (carcass, necks, backs, legs etc.)
3 quarts (3 litres) + cold water
1 large red or white onion, chopped
A few whole cloves
2 stalks of celery with leaves, sliced
1/2 large or 1 smaller head of garlic (yes, all of it)
2 carrots, scraped and thickly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 whole dried chile de arbol (sub mulato pod or dried chipotle, got none?  Use a jalapeno or some ground cayenne)
6 black peppercorns
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
6 whole allspice

1. Combine chicken in large stock pot with enough cold water to cover - about 3 quarts/litres. I tend to use chicken legs to make stock as they are economical. I also use a carcass leftover from a farm chicken when I am fortunate to have one.

2. Add the chopped onion and celery, sliced carrots, bay leaf, hot chile, peppercorns and allspice. The chile is standard in Mexican chicken stocks. Cayenne or jalapeno also work well.  If you don't have whole allspice or peppercorns use the ground version.

3.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer another hour until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork. Remove chicken pieces to cool. Strain stock.  You can discard vegetables or use as part of your next soup.  Slice carrots, squeeze garlic out of cloves and add back to pot.  Remove meat from bones and add back to broth.

Nice colour, not too much fat. 

You can cool stock overnight and then remove fat that hardens on surface if you wish.  I use it the way it is thinking fat has gotten a bad rap.  Helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins and keeps you full longer.  Chicken skin, interestingly enough, is  a good source of vitamin D.

The stock freezes well and keeps up to six months in your freezer.

This stock is the basis of a good "Country Tortilla Chicken Soup."  I developed the tortilla soup at this link for the Chicken Farmer's of Canada so of course I recommend it http://chicken.ca/recipes/view/country-style-chicken-tortilla-soup/
Use the caldo de pollo instead of water in the tortilla soup recipe at the link above.  You can use the chicken, veggies in there too and simplify some of the steps.

It is hot so a bit of a steamy picture

My friend Rob enjoying the soup

Grilled Maple Dijon Chicken & Potatoes - April's Maple Syrup

This recipe features local maple syrup but you can also use local potatoes, garlic and chicken. I choose Ontario potatoes in the store over PEI etc and I choose potatoes from local growers whenever possible. Azilda, Blezzard Valley and other growers around Sudbury usually have potatoes in our North Bay grocery stores. The Schlosser farm have Powassan grown potatoes for sale. If you want to buy local chicken you should search out a local farmer shortly as they usually want your order BEFORE they raise the chicken.

2 Tbsp mustard, dijon - 5 ml
3 Tbsp maple syrup - 45 ml
1/4 c + 1 Tbsp peach jam - 75 ml
2 Tbsp cider vinegar - 30 ml
1/2 tsp black pepper - 2.5 ml
4 each chicken breasts, bone-in - about 2 1/2 lb or 1 kg
4 each potatoes - 4 each
4 each garlic, cloves - 4 each
1 Tbsp olive oil, XV, cold pressed - 15 ml
1 each onion, red, fresh - 1 each
1 each red pepper, sweet - 1 each
1 Tbsp rosemary, fresh, minced - 15 ml


Preheat the grill to medium high.

1. Mix mustard, maple syrup, jam of your choice and vinegar together in bowl. Last year's peach jam works really well.
2. Preheat barbecue grill to medium heat. Place chicken on top shelf of barbecue and paint top side with sauce. Grill the chicken 10 minutes and flip and paint other side. Grill until thoroughly cooked. Baste with any extra sauce while cooking. Alternatively, the chicken can be cooked in the oven at 400°F(204°C). The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
3. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by washing the potatoes and red pepper. Cut pepper and unpeeled potatoes into 8 wedges each. Cut onion into thin slices and mince the fresh garlic and rosemary. Toss everything with olive oil. Microwave for 10 minutes on HIGH power. Finish in grill basket with chicken.
4. To serve place chicken breasts in centre of platter and scatter cooked potatoes along outside. Decorate with a few small Canadian flags and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per 542 gram serving): 580 calories, 8 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 145 mg cholesterol, 340 mg sodium, 63 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 26 g sugar, 61 g protein. Daily Values: 50% vitamin A, 190% vitamin C, 8% calcium and 15% iron.