The Best Dang BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

Sauce:
2 slices bacon
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cups ketchup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1T dry mustard
2 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme
salt & pepper
8-10 pieces chicken, or 1 whole 4-pound chicken cut into parts

1. Sauce: In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside for another use. Leave the bacon fat in the pan. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, dry mustard, paprika, cayenne pepper and thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer, lower the heat to low and continue simmering for 20 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Wash and pat dry the chicken parts. Trim off any extra fat that hangs off the chicken meat. Season with salt & pepper, set aside.

4. Pre-heat oven to 350º F. and preheat your BBQ grill to medium-high.

5. Place the chicken on the grill skin side up and grill for 5-7 minutes, then flip the chicken and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes until skin is nice and brown.

6. Remove the chicken from grill and place skin side down on a cooling rack on top a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spoon the BBQ sauce on top of the grilled chicken pieces; you will have some sauce left over.

7. Place in a 350º F oven for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°.

8. Remove the chicken to a platter and serve with the extra BBQ sauce.

TIPS & TRICKS

• This BBQ is sauce is fantastic on beef and pork. I love to make a double batch; it can last in your fridge for weeks.

• I prefer to cook chicken on the bone whenever possible. The bone insulates the meat so that it doesn’t dry out when cooking and they are so flavorful. If you want to use boneless thigh, follow the timing of the recipe. If you wish to use boneless breast they will cook completely on the grill, no need to cook in oven. Top with BBQ sauce before serving.

• Cooking time for bone in thighs & legs are about 35 minutes, bone in breast 25 minutes

• We are going to start the chicken on the grill then finish it in the oven, so we get the smoky grill flavor and a sauce that isn’t burnt.

• Start by preheating you grill. Pat dry your chicken pieces and trim off any excess fat that is hanging off the side of the meat. This prevents the fat from catching on fire on the grill.

• Season with salt & pepper right before cooking so that the salt doesn’t bring out any moisture in the meat.

• When cooking the chicken, if the flames should flare up around the chicken, with your tongs simply pick the piece up and allow the flames to subside then place back on grill. If your fire gets to hot, lower the temperature to medium.

Pasta with summer beans

Ingredients

2T olive oil
1 medium or 2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 pound dried pasta
1 pound green, yellow or purple beans
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, plus more for serving
1 cup basil leaves, torn into bite size pieces
salt & pepper

1.    Trim the ends, and cut the beans into bite size pieces. Set aside. Cut the tomatoes in ½ and set aside.

2.    In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions until soft, about 3-4 minutes.

3.    Add the garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes more.

4.    Add the tomatoes and toss until warm, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

5.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt.  Add the pasta and cook for half the cooking time instructed on the package, then add the beans and finish cooking the pasta as directed, until al dente.

6.    Drain the pasta and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

7.    Toss the pasta with ½ cup of the cooking liquid, the onion mixture, basil, and the cheese toss until pasta is coated with sauce. If the mixtures seem a little dry, add a little more of the water.  

7B. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta into bowls and serve immediately. Serve with extra cheese.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    There has been lots of research that shows the benefits of peel/crushing garlic and letting it sit 10-15 minutes before cooking it. This allows the enzyme alliinase to release, before exposing it to the heat. Alliinase as many health benefits. So I try to get in the habit of peeling the garlic and just letting it sit while I prep the rest of the recipe
•    You can use any variety of beans that look good to you, or you can do a combination of all the 3 colors!
•    If cherry tomatoes aren’t available, you can substitute chopped tomatoes.
•    Try to buy pasta that is 100% durum wheat to get the maximum nutritional benefits. Any shape will work for this recipe. I like to use shapes that are about the same size as the beans, so it will all fit on the fork for the perfect bite! Penne, rigatoni, mostaccioli are perfect or you can break the tagliatelli or fettuccini noodles into smaller pieces.
•    I like to buy a big wedge of cheese and grate it myself. You can do this easily in your food processor or blender. Just cut the cheese into small cubes and allow it to sit on your counter for 15-20 minutes to slightly soften, it makes it so much easier to grate. Store in glass or plastic containers until ready to use.
•    You could add cooked chicken or shrimp to make this a heartier meal.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Summer Fruit

Ingredients

Custard:
2 tsp. gelatin
3T water
2½ cups cream
½ cup milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1T vanilla paste, 1 vanilla bean split open, or 1T vanilla extract ,
2 cups fresh fruit: peaches, figs, or berries
3T granulated sugar
3T Cointreau or Amaretto liquor.

1.    Place eight ¾ cup ramekins on a tray. Set aside.

2.    In a small bowl, place the 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let sit for 5 minutes until it becomes “jelled”.  Set aside.

3.    In a small saucepan, add the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Cook over low heat just until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, about 5-7 minutes. Do not boil. 

4.    Remove from the heat. Run a spatula around the edge of the jelled gelatin and stir in the gelatin. Mix until dissolved. Remove bean if using a whole bean.

5.    Pour the mixture into each ramekin.

6.    Place ramekins in the refrigerator. Chill 5 hours or overnight.

7.    Clean, peel and slice the fruit.

8.    Toss the fruit with the 3 tablespoons of sugar and liquor. Let sit at least 30 minutes to allow the juices to release.

9.    To serve, run a butter knife around the edge of the ramekins.

10.    Fill a shallow dish with hot water. Carefully place the bottom of the ramekin in the water, for 1-2 minutes to help loosen the custard from the dish.

11.    Unmold the ramekin on to a serving dish.

12.    Spoon the fruit on to the plate and serve.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    To get the most intense vanilla flavor, use the vanilla paste or the whole bean. The paste is an easy way to get the inside of the vanilla bean; all those flavorful black speaks with no work. 
•    To peel peaches: place a small saucepan full of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and submerge the peach for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let slightly cool. The skin should just peel off effortlessly.
•    I pour the warm cream into a measuring cup for easy pouring into the ramekins.
•    Adding the sugar and liquor to the fruit allow the fruit to “marinate” and bring out its natural juices. The term is called macerating. You can change the liqueur as you change the fruits. Cointreau and Amaretto work well with most summer fruits. You could use Chambord liquor for berries, or a little pear brandy for pear. The longer it sits the more the fruit breaks down and gets “ juicy”. I like to let my fruit sit for this recipe no longer than a 1½ hours. If you don’t do alcohol, you can substitute fruit juice, like cranberry. 
•    You can make this dish all year long by just changing the fruit. For the spring and summer use apricots, berries, peaches, or figs. For fall and winter, use pears or persimmons.  

Ratatouille

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
3 onions
2 medium Italian or globe eggplants
2 red peppers
4 medium zucchini
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, (or one 14oz can diced tomatoes)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2T fresh thyme
Salt & pepper
2T fresh basil, chiffonade

1.    Cut the onions, eggplants, peppers, and zucchini into a medium dice. Set aside. 

2.    In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and cook 10-15 minutes until soft and transparent. Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring often so that the garlic doesn’t burn.

3.    Add the eggplant, toss with the onions, and cook 10 minutes.

4.    Add the peppers and zucchini and toss with the onion/eggplant. Cook 10 - 15 minutes.

5.    Add the tomatoes and thyme. Cook 10-15 minutes more until all the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes have released their juices.

6.    Season with salt and pepper.

7.    Transfer to serving bowl and top with basil. Serve warm or cold.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Use your largest sauté pan or even a soup pot to sauté the veggies. I like to use my 6qt sauté pan it is big enough that all the vegetable fit in it nicely.
•    By adding the vegetables in stages, they have a chance to cook and soften but do not become a mushy mess. They are colorful and full of flavor.
•    I use 2 wooden spoons to “toss “the vegetable (like you would a salad) Toss them frequently until they are well mixed and slightly soften. 
•    Ratatouille freezes beautifully.

Herbed Breadsticks

Ingredients

Dough:
1 package active yeast
1½ cup very warm water (110° F) 
4 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp salt
2T olive oil

1T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1T fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup olive oil
Salt

1.    Preheat oven to 400° F. 
2.    Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix together.

3.    Dissolve the yeast in the warm (110° F) water 

4.    With the food processor running, add the water-yeast mixture in a steady stream. 

5.    Turn off the machine and add the oil. Pulse a few times to mix in the oil.

6.    Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured board or counter.  Gather any bits of dough and flour and quickly knead into a large ball.  Cut the dough into 4 equally sized pieces and roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball. Cover with a clean dishtowel and allow to rise until dough doubles in size, about 45 minutes. 

7.    In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme and cheese. Set aside.

8.    Place a ball of dough on a lightly floured board and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 10”x15”.  Sprinkle one half of the dough with the herb-cheese mixture.

9.    Fold the dough over the herb-cheese mixture like a book.  

10.    Cut the dough lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Then cut the dough strips in half perpendicular to the length of the strip.  

11.     Using your hand, roll and twist the dough into thin breadsticks. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. 

12.     Bake in 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

13.     Remove from the oven. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining herb-cheese mixture and salt.  

14.     Serve hot or room temperature.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You will need 1 baking sheet for each ball of dough, or bake it in batches.
•    You can make the breadsticks sweet by substituting the herb/cheese mixture with ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp. of cinnamon. 
•    You can make these 2-3 days ahead through step #8. Store in an airtight container or giant zip lock bag. Before serving, reheat in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes. Then brush with oil and sprinkle with herb-cheese mixture and salt.
•    This dough is great for making pizzas too!!

Peaches with Honey and Almonds

Ingredients

3T unsalted butter
6T honey
½ cup Moscato wine
4 peaches pitted and sliced into ½” thick slices, about 3 cups.
½ cup sliced almonds
1 quart vanilla ice cream

1.    In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, stir in t honey 

2.    Add the Moscato and stir until blended. Bring to a boil.

3.    Add the peaches; stir until well coated with the sauce. 

4.    Lower the heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens and peaches become soft, about 15-20 minutes.

5.    Pre heat the oven to 350° F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

6.    Scoop the ice cream into bowls. Spoon the peaches and sauce on top, sprinkle almonds on top. Serve immediately. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can use any sweet dessert wine or sparkling wine in place of the Moscato.
•    You can use yellow or white fresh peaches. I leave the skin on, but you can peel if you like. This dish also works very well with frozen peaches.
•    You can substitute apricots or nectarines for the peaches.
•    You can substitute the almonds with almost any nut. I really like walnuts and macadamia nuts.