Caesar Turkey Brochettes

I have never BBQ’d celery before and it was a fun choice for this dinner.  Turkey, chicken or lean pork work for this dinner.

2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vodka
1 tbsp sesame oil
3/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 boneless turkey breast, skinned, or 4 turkey thighs, skinned and boned, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 ribs celery or banana peppers, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

BASTING SAUCE:
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

• Mix together lime juice, vodka, sesame oil, celery salt and pepper; toss with turkey until coated.  Marinate for 30 minutes or covered and refrigerated, up to 8 hours.
• Alternately thread turkey, celery and red onion onto skewers.
• BASTING SAUCE: Mix together ketchup, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.
• Grill skewers, covered, on greased grill over medium heat, turning often and brushing with basting sauce during last 5 minutes until glad and turkey is no longer pink inside, about 18 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 main course servings

Wasabi Sesame Grilled Chicken

I absolutely love the flavour of Wasabi and the sesame flavoured chicken really accents it well.

3 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp wasabi powder or paste
750 g boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup sticky rice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

WASABI SAUCE
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp wasabi powder or paste

• Wasabi sauce:  in a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic and wasabi powder.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a large resealable bag, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and wasabi powder.  Add chicken, close bag and move around to coat evenly.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• Place chicken on greased grill over medium heat and grill for about 12 minutes turning once or until no longer pink inside and thermometer reads 77C.  Let stand 5 minutes before slicing
• Meanwhile in a saucepan bring rice and broth to boil,  reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender and broth is absorbed.  Stir in cilantro.
• Divide rice among 6 plates and top with sliced chicken.  Drizzle with wasabi sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

I used Pistachio’s in this recipe but they could easily be replaced by toasted almonds or cashews.  It would be easy to switch them up.  Also adding a handful of dried cranberries will add a little zing to the chicken.

1 cup shelled raw pistachios
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp Greek plain yogurt
2 tbsp grainy mustard
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil

• Preheat oven to 400F. Roughly grind nuts in processor or chop by hand.  Add breadcrumbs and blend, using on/off turns.  Transfer to shallow baking dish.
• Mix basil, dill, rosemary, yogurt and mustard in medium bowl.  Spread mustard mixture over both sides of each chicken breast.  Dip chicken into nut mixture, coating completely.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 7 minutes.
• Serve with salad.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

I love a good burger and they are always best from home.  Lately I have been foregoing the bun as part of my desire to lower carbs…they are still delicious.  This is a nice change from the usual ground beef burger.  Don’t forget to grease your grill before barbecuing.

750 g ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup thick teriyaki sauce
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp wasabi paste

• In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, ginger, teriyaki sauce, green onions, sesame seeds and bread crumbs.  Shape into 6 burger patties.  Broil or grill burgers 4 to 6 inches from the broiler or over medium high coals for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once.
• Meanwhile mix together mayonnaise and wasabi paste; spread on 6 lightly toasted burger buns
• Place cooked turkey burgers in buns.  Serve with sliced cucumber and watercress or arugula

Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

Chicken thigh meat is tender and juicy, don’t tell the kids the other meat is liver…they will never know or omit them and double the chicken thighs.  Freeze left over teriyaki sauce for later use.

225 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
225 g chicken livers

QUICK TERIYAKI SAUCE:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp sake
2 slices fresh ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch

Quick Teriyaki Sauce:  In saucepan; bring soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake, ginger and 3/4 cup water to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes.  Whisk 2 tbsp cold water with cornstarch; add to pan and cook, stirring, until thickened.  Discard ginger.  Let cool

Alternately thread chicken and half the onions onto 4 skewers.  Repeat with livers and remaining onions.

Grill covered, on greased grill over medium high heat, turning halfway through and brushing with about half of the teriyaki sauce, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 8 minutes for thighs and 4 minutes for livers.  Brush with more teriyaki sauce, if desired.

Makes 4 main course servings.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

A bit of a switch from your regular burger.

750 g ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, minced
 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup thick teriyaki sauce
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp wasabi paste

• In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, ginger, teriyaki sauce, green onions, sesame seeds and bread brumes.  Shape into 6 burger patties.  Broil or grill burgers 4 - 6 inches from broiler or over medium high coals for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once.
• Meanwhile, mix together mayonnaise and wasabi paste; spread on 6 lightly toasted burger buns.
• Place cooked turkey burgers in buns.  Serve with sliced cucumber and watercress or arugula.

Parmesan Chicken Fingers with Lemon

A great recipe even my youngest will enjoy!

4 large chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter (approx)
Lemon Wedges

Cut each chicken breast into strips about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.  Dip each strip into beaten eggs, then into mixture of bread crumbs and Parmesan

In large skillet, melt 1/2 the butter; cook chicken in single layer until crisp, about 3 minutes on each side, adding more butter as necessary.  Drain on paper towels and serve with lemon wedges.  Makes 4 servings.

Mandarin Chicken Breasts

Really yummy sweet and sour chicken!

6 (12 oz) chicken breasts, boned
Salt
1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp leaf rosemary, crumbled
1/4 tsp leaf basil, crumbled
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
2 envelopes instant chicken broth or 2 tsp granulated chicken bouillon
1 3/4 cups water
1 tbsp instant minced onion
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp cornstarch
11 oz can mandarin orange segments, drained
1 cup seedless green grapes

Sprinkle insides of chicken breasts lightly with salt.  Combine rice, 1 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp salt, parsley, rosemary and basil in a large bowl; toss lightly to mix.  Spoon into hollows in chicken breasts.  Fold edges over stuffing to cover completely; fasten with wooden picks.

Mix flour, paprika and1/2 tsp salt in a pie plate; dip chicken breasts into mixture to coat well.  Brown slowly in remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large frying pan.  Stir in chicken broth, water, onion, lemon juice and bay leaf; heat to boiling.  Cover.  Simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is tender; remove bay leaf.  Place chicken on a heated deep serving platter; keep warm.  Reheat liquid to boiling.

Smooth cornstarch with a little water to a paste in a cup; stir into liquid in frying pan.  Cook, stirring constantly,  until sauce thickens and boils 3 minutes.  Stir in mandarin orange segments and grapes; heat until bubbly.  Spoon over chicken.  Garnish with additional grapes and mandarin orange segments if you wish.  Makes 6 servings.

Sticky Chicken Sticks

From Food and Drink Holiday 2014

1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
3 tbsp packed golden brown sugar
Pinch Salt
1 tbsp Japanese soy
1 piece ginger, 1 inch long, peeled and cut into 5 slices
1 star anise
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 500 g cut into 1 inch chunks
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
12 skewers, each 6 inches long
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 green onion, thinly sliced

• In a large skillet over high heat, combine orange juice, Grand Marnier and brown sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Add salt, soy, ginger and star anise.  Bring to a vigorous boil and reduce to a scant 1/2 cup.  Pour roughly half into a small heatproof bowl, leaving ginger and star anise in skillet and set aside.
• Return skillet to high heat, add chicken to remaining sauce in pan and cook until liquid is evaporated, chicken is sticky and just cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Pour reserved sauce over, stir to coat and remove from heat.  Stir in sesame oil.
• Use skewers (you may not need all 12) to pierce 2 pieces of chicken each.  Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions; serve hot.

Duck Confit and Springtime Hash with Fried Duck Egg

If you cannot find duck you can change this to Chicken.  From Food and Drink Spring 2015.

750 g mini new potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch thick rounds
2 duck legs confit, about 275 g
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt to taste
500 g asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut on the bias into 1 1/2 inch lengths
175 g sugar snap peas ends trimmed, stringed
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 duck eggs
Pepper to taste

1. Place potatoes in a pot of cold salted water over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes or until tender.  Drain well.  Reserve.
2. Place duck legs, skin side up, in a large frying pan, (ideally cast iron) over medium low heat.  Cook for 12 minutes, turning after fat has begun to render or until duck is warmed through.  Pull meat from bones in largest possible pieces and return skin and any fat to pan.  Cook skin for 10 minutes longer or until browned and crisp.  Remove from pan, chop and reserve, leaving fat in pan.
3. Add butter and potatoes to pan, season with salt, and cook on medium, turning for 8 minutes or until nicely browned.  Remove from pan.
4. Add asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes or until softened.  Add sugar snaps, garlic and thyme and sauté 1 minute longer or until vegetables are tender crisp.  Return potatoes to pan along with duck meat and stir to rewarm and combine.  Add 1 tbsp parsley and season with salt.
5. While hash is warming, heat a large nonstick frying pan on medium low heat.  Add butter, and as soon as it has melted crack eggs into 4 separate corners, cover pan with a lid and cook for 3 minutes or until white is set but yolk is still runny.  Season with salt and pepper and serve onto of hash and chopped crisp skin.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Chicken in Gravy

From Company's Coming Cookbook…this pleased even my pickiest eater.

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1.5 kg boneless skinless chicken breast
4 tbsp butter

GRAVY
5 tbsp flour
1-4 tbsp butter
4 cups water
1/4 tsp pepper

• Put flour, salt, pepper and paprika in plastic bag.  Shake to mix.
• Put in dam chicken pieces 3 at a time.  Shake to coat.
• Put into heated butter in frying pan.  Brown both sides.  Transfer to small casserole or small roaster.
• GRAVY:  Stir flour into fat in pan, adding butter to mix if needed.  Add water stirring until boiling.  Should be fairly thin.  It will thicken in roaster.  Pour over chicken.  Cover.  Bake in 350F oven for 1 hour or until fork tender.  Uncover last 20 minutes.