Cornbread Waffles with Spicy Chicken

First, buttermilk is 100% the best way to bread chicken.  I'm sold.

Second, these cornbread waffles are still so light and fluffy thanks to the beaten egg whites.

Cornbread Waffles with Spicy Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about ½ pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

For the waffles:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large egg yolks, plus 4 egg whites
1stick salted butter, melted, plus butter for serving
Sliced jalapeño peppers and spicy honey, for serving

Directions

Make the chicken: 

Whisk the buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Combine the panko, salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne in a second medium bowl. Using tongs, lift the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, shaking off any excess, and coat in the panko mixture. Place the chicken on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 365˚. (Reduce the heat slightly, if necessary, to maintain the oil temperature.) Working in two batches, carefully add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean rack set on a baking sheet.


Make the waffles: 

Preheat a waffle iron. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg yolks. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently until halfway combined. Pour in the melted butter and gently mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the waffle batter, stopping when there are still a few white streaks.

Lightly coat the waffle iron with cooking spray. Working in batches, scoop the batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions until crisp. Top the waffles with butter, the fried chicken and sliced jalapeños. Drizzle with spicy honey.

Original link:

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a35889701/cornbread-waffles-with-spicy-chicken-recipe/

Spiced Chicken with Apricots and Raisins

This Moroccan-inspired dish is an delicious weekday meal. It was a huge hit at our house. Serve with couscous.

Spiced Chicken with Apricots and Raisins

Ingredients

8 pieces of bone-in chicken (legs and thighs, or whole chicken cut up)

1 teaspoon cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
Cooking oil
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
2/3 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/4 cup dark or golden raisins (or both)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Put all the chicken in a bowl and add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add all the spices to the chicken and mix it all until the pieces are all covered. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for about two hours. This step is optional but recommended to achieve a more flavorful chicken.

In a large deep frying pan heat 2 tbsp oil over moderately high heat. Cook the chicken until browned, turning, about 8 mins in all. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened. Add the broth, allspice, and raisin pepper flakes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken, apricots, and raisins. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, and simmer the chicken until just done, about 20 minutes. Serve topped with parsley, accompanied by couscous.

Pork Chops in Garlic Mushroom Sauce

This garlic mushroom gravy is a simple and delicious accompaniment to these ribs.  We'd had a lot of potatoes lately, so we made brown rice as a side.  Plain pasta would also be delicious.

 

Pork Chops in Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

2 pounds pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
Paprika

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

Vegetable oil

8 ounce sliced fresh mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups beef broth

Directions

Mix paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Season both sides of pork chop with seasoning mixture and set aside.

Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Wipe each pork chop dry with a paper towel and sear in the pan until golden brown, about 2 mins per side. 

Remove pork chops from skillet and move to a 250 degree oven.  Allow to cook while preparing the mushroom sauce, until temp reaches 145 degrees.  Depending on the thickness, this may not take long. For thin chops, consider cooking in a 200 degree oven to slow cook time.

Meanwhile, reduce pan heat to medium, add mushrooms (and additional oil if needed), sprinkle with salt (or garlic salt), and cook until golden and excess moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mustard; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add butter to skillet and allow to melt.  Add flour to the skillet, stirring to remove any lumps. Slowly add beef broth, whisking until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Check for seasoning again.

Return pork chops to the skillet and serve.

Original link:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/269592/pork-chops-in-garlic-mushroom-sauce/

Sirloin Pork Roast

Sirloin pork can be a lean cut of pork, and sometimes quite inexpensive.  It makes an excellent roast!   This was an incredibly easy weekday meal (for when you work at home and can start cooking at 2pm).  This was great with roasted potatoes and brown gravy (recipe for gravy below).

Sirloin Pork Roast

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork sirloin tip roast, boneless pork loin roast or boneless center cut pork loin

Paprika

Garlic salt

Onion powder

Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons minced garlic divided
2 teaspoons rosemary (fresh or dried), chopped finely
1 teaspoon thyme leaves (fresh or dried), chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 medium carrots diced
1 stalk celery diced

4-5 cremini mushrooms, rough chopped
¾ cup beef broth

Directions

Wipe pork loin dry with paper towel.  Rub with a mixture of garlic salt, paprika, onion powder, and black pepper.  Let come to room temp.

Preheat oven to 225 F.

Rub pork with 1 teaspoon of the garlic. Combine the rosemary and thyme in a small bowl and crumble together with your fingers. Sprinkle herb mixture onto all sides of the pork. Pat meat to gently rub everything in.

Heat oil in a 9″-10″ cast iron (or oven-proof) skillet over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides then remove to a plate and set aside.

Add onions, carrot, celery, and mushrooms to skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown. 

Add remaining 2 teaspoons of garlic and cook a minute longer. Deglaze skillet with beef broth.

Place roast on top of vegetable/broth mixture and place skillet, uncovered, in center of oven. Cook until an instant read thermometer's internal temperature reaches 145 F (about 2 hours for 3 lbs roast).

Remove roast from oven and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with pan juices.

Note:  Use the pan juices to make a brown gravy!  

Separate the veggies from the liquids using a sieve.  (The veggies are also delicious and can be served with the meal).  Add enough beef broth to make 2 cups of liquids.

Heat 4 tbsp of butter in a pan until melted.  Add 1/4 cup of flour and cook until brown and bubbly.

Whisk in liquids until cook until fully combined.  Add seasonings as desired.

Original link:

https://amandascookin.com/the-best-sirloin-pork-roast/

Country Style Beef Ribs

We got some chuck beef ribs and decided to try a new recipe.  So glad that we did!  This was delicious.

Country Style Beef Ribs

Ingredients

Rub:

4 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons chili powder
3 teaspoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tbsp oil (just enough to make a wet rub that will stick to the meat)

4 pounds country style beef ribs
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup BBQ sauce

Directions

To a small bowl, add the rub ingredients. Add just enough oil to make a wet rub that will stick to the meat. Mix together, then set aside.

Place ribs on a wire rack on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper (or Montreal).  Sprinkle half the rub over the ribs on all sides. Massage then rub into the ribs with your fingers. Flip the ribs over and repeat on the other side.  Let sit in fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Add the ribs to a 9x13 casserole dish in a single layer. Pour the water and apple cider vinegar into the dish (not directly on the ribs to avoid rinsing the rub off). Tightly cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the ribs from the oven and check for tenderness by twisting the meat using a fork - it should twist apart easily. If the ribs still aren't tender yet, cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Once tender, turn the oven temperature down to 275F, remove the foil, and drain away the liquid.

Generously brush the ribs with BBQ sauce, then place back into the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, brush with more BBQ sauce (if desired), and serve.




Original link:

https://keytomylime.com/country-style-beef-ribs-recipe/

Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic

This side dish was so delicious.  The mushrooms ended up golden brown and almost crispy.

Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic

Ingredients

10 ounces (284 g) oyster mushrooms
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
¼ cup (15 g) fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Prep the mushrooms: Gently pat the mushrooms with a clean towel to absorb any excess moisture. Trim off the hard stem at the base of each clump of mushrooms. Separate large clusters into more bite-sized pieces, using your hands or a knife.

Place a large (10-12-inch) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles and evaporates on contact, add the oil to the pan. Arrange the mushrooms in one layer. Cook, without turning, until one side is golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss. *Note: If the mushrooms don't fit in one layer in your pan, cook them in 2 batches, adding a little more oil as needed.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Without returning the pan to the heat, add the butter, garlic and parsley to the hot pan, swirling until the butter melts and the garlic is fragrant.
Pour the garlic butter over the mushrooms and serve.

Original link:
https://familystylefood.com/sauteed-oyster-mushrooms/

Indian Spiced Roasted Cabbage

I was making chicken tikka masala, and was trying to find a side dish to go with it.  This was delicious and super easy!

Indian Spiced Roasted Cabbage (Sheet Pan Kobichi Bhaji)

Ingredients

1/2 medium green cabbage, sliced into thin shreds

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp of neutral cooking oil
Salt, to taste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder, to taste (optional for desired level of heat)

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
4-5 sprigs of cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped, for garnishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Transfer cabbage and onion to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle the oil.

Sprinkle salt followed by turmeric, cumin seeds, red chili powder (if using) and garam masala.

Toss well to combine and spread it out in an even layer.

Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, tossing once half way through (see Variations)

Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander.

Serve hot on the side of rotis, raita, dal or rice or on its own as a warm salad.


Original link:
https://signatureconcoctions.com/recipes/spiced-roasted-cabbage-sheet-pan-kobichi-bhaji/#tasty-recipes-7618