Recipe Review: Sambal Chicken Skewers

So I bought a grill recently. It's a tiny propane camping grill, but it is perfect considering the last two large grills we had died due to the massive wind storms we get here. This one is portable, so I can bring it inside during bad weather.

DivaMom subscribed to Bon Appetit Magazine. I really don't know why since neither of us have much time to cook (hence the lack of posts).  I'm not working much this summer so I have a bit of free time, and decided to try the Sambal Chicken Skewers recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1/3 cup hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)

• 2 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger

• 1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

• 1/4 cup Sriracha

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch–2-inch pieces

Special equipment

• 8 bamboo skewers soaked in water at least 1 hour

Ingredient info

• Hot chili paste is available at Asian markets and many supermarkets.

Preparation

• Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Whisk brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, fish sauce, Sriracha, and ginger in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Thread 4 or 5 chicken pieces onto each skewer. 

• Transfer marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by half (about 1 cup), 7–10 minutes.

• Grill chicken, turning and basting often with reduced marinade, until cooked through, 8–10 minutes.

I made a few changes:

1. I used bonless skinless chicken breast. 
2. The recipe says to use the marinade to create the baste(I know WAY too much about food borne illness to attempt this). I created a seperate batch of marinade to reduce to make the basting sauce . 
3. I used metal skewers instead of bamboo.

Result 

 

Verdict:

YUM!!!! This is slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and completely wonderful! It was pretty easy and quick to make. The most difficult part of this recipe was finding the Chili Paste. I ended up driving all over town looking for it, but couldn't find it near home so I drove about 30 miles to a store that I knew carried it.

I have no idea what sides I'm going to make with this, but this is so yummy it can stand alone! 

(link to the recipe : http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/07/sambal-chicken-skewers)

I Cooked! - Parmesan Chicken & Salad Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette

This is an amazing recipe, and pretty easy to make!

Preheat Oven: 200 F

4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 C. Flour
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
½ tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Water
1 ¼ C. Seasoned Bread Crumbs
½ C. Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for serving
Butter
Olive Oil

Directions:
1. “Butterfly” the chicken breasts then cover with waxed paper on a flat surface.

2. Flatten with a rolling pin or meat mallet until ¼” thick

3. Combine flour, salt, pepper & Parmesan cheese on a dinner plate

4. In a shallow dish beat eggs and water

5. Put bread crumbs on a dinner plate

6. Coat each chicken breast on both sides first with flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs

7. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet, then cook 1-2 chicken breasts on medium heat 2-3 minutes each side until cooked through

8. Add more olive oil and butter to do the next set of chicken breasts

9. Put finished chicken breasts on a baking sheet in oven (200 F) to keep warm until ready to eat

_____________________________________________________________________

Lemon Vinaigrette

¼ C. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (2 Lemons)
½ C. Olive Oil
½ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salad Greens to serve with same number of Chicken Breasts made

Directions:
1. Mix dressing, then toss with salad greens

2. To serve: place a mound of salad on top of each chicken breast, then grate a little more Parmesan cheese on top 

I've made this twice. The first time I made it frying the chicken in the olive oil/butter combo suggested, and the second time using Grapeseed (aka rapeseed) oil. The grapeseed was so much better! The chicken came out crunchier and far less greasy! Honestly though, my favorite part of this recipe is the vinaigrette! It's divine, especially if you prefer vinaigrette over nasty ol' sugary or creamy dressing! 


(sorry no pics, my hands were covered in egg and breadcrumbs while cooking. Just use your imagination.)

Product Reviews - Presorvac Marinator, Maverick Voice Alert Anticipation Digital Thermometer, and Mediterranean Chicken Recipe

First, The Recipe:

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken

(serves 6)

2 lbs of boneless chicken breast (either whole or cubed)

4-6 cloves of garlic

½ cup of lemon juice

2 teaspoons of thyme

1 teaspoon of paprika

¼ - ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of black pepper

½ cup of olive oil

Combine ingredients in a bowl (plastic with a cover), pour over chicken, and refrigerate 6 hours or over night.

Bring the meat to room temperature.

Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler.

Remove meat from the marinade, reserving the marinade. If using chicken cubes, thread on to skewers. Place the chicken on the grill rack or broiler pan and grill or broil until cooked through, basting with reserved marinade while cooking. Cooking time will depend upon the size of poultry pieces. Do not let the meat become dry.

I love this recipe. It's tasty, easy to whip up, and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand, but I hate the marination time, so when I saw the Presorvac Marinator on Woot.com I had to try it (especially since it was only $29.99 with shipping)! 

 

I cleaned the chicken and put it in the marinator's dish:

added the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and other assorted seasonings:

 Popped the top on and started it up:

This thing is VERY loud. Don't use this if you have a sleeping baby! The marination cycles (there are 5) lasts about 10-15 mins. After it ran once I flipped the chicken over and ran it again. This is what it looked like after 2 cycles:

Normally I would grill the chicken outside, but since this is December in Michigan, I decided to bake it instead. I preheated the oven to 400 sprayed a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray then placed the chicken in the dish:

Clean up is pretty easy, both the lid and marinator dish are top rack dishwasher safe. the motor part isn't so I just wipe that down with a wet cloth (not that it really gets dirty). I baked the chicken until the internal temp reached 180. 

I also have a new cooking thermometer, also bought via Woot.com:

I put the probe into the chicken and it will let me know when it is ready.

It's a little weird having the cord in the oven plugged into the "brain" on top of the stove, but the probe/cord are oven safe up to 450, and I have another for the grill that is safe up to 600. The thermometer is pretty easy to use and it came with batteries so that's always a plus. When the food is done the thermometer actually says "your meal is done" however it doesn't remind you the probe and the cord are hot. I burned first the back of my hand on the cord, and then the pads of my right thumb, forefinger and middle finger on the probe (yes, I'm that much of a dumbass that I didn't learn my lesson after burning myself the first time).

The end result:

I completed the meal with Garlic Mashed Potatoes (from a box) and some steamed broccoli.

So you must be wondering...what is the verdict on the marinater? Thumbs Up! It's a winner! The meat was juicy, tender, and well marinated! If you like marinaded meat, this is a must have!

Grilled Chicken Parmigiano Sammich - A Dining Diva Production

I had lots of leftovers from this cooking feat, but I didn't want to eat the same exact thing, so I got a little creative and made a sandwich (sammich)!

I baked some bread:

Then I sliced it in half-ish and then slit it down the middle:

I used some garlic spread on the bread and toasted it. Then I diced the chicken and reheated it in the toaster oven:

Once the bread was toasted and the chicken warm I assembled the sammich. A couple slices of Swiss cheese, then the chicken, then a couple slices of provalone on top.

I forgot to grab fresh lettuce, green pepper, onions and banana peppers at the store. Next time I'll have to grab those to make this sammich complete, but as it was it was pretty darn good!

I Cooked - Grilled Chicken Parmigiano (Rocco DiSpirito)

I found this recipe for Grilled Chicken Parmigiano. I've always been a fan of Rocco DiSpirito's, I even have his books, but I've never made any of the recipes. I always feel overwhelmed when I open the cookbooks.

The recipe calls for making marinara. Well, that wasn't going to happen. I bought store bought generic organic marinara. And what's the point of buying canned Roma tomatoes then dicing them yourself? I just bought a can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs. I couldn't find low fat cheese so I used regular cheese, and I wasn't buying new panko crumbs so I just used what I had at home. Yeah, I know I defeated the purpose of this being low-cal, but I'm about convenience.

 I pounded out the chicken the best I could, and seasoned it with salt and pepper:

 I grilled it on my stove top grill:

According to the recipe the grilling should have taken 1.5 minutes per side. I found it took much much much longer.

I then placed the chicken in a dish with marinara, diced tomatoes and basil:

 Then topped with cheese and baked:

 These are the products I used:

When it was done I sprinkled the panko crumbs on top:

I have no idea what purpose the panko crumbs serve, but since the recipe called for them, I put them on. I made a pot of rigatoni since I can't just eat chicken and cheese.

This turned out surprisingly good! You can't go wrong with fresh basil though. Overall this recipe was pretty easy, quick, and tasty. If you have kids you might be able to get them to eat this one.

Review - Battle of the Spicy Chicken: Wendy's vs. White Castle (Nationwide)

Wendy's released a Spicy Chicken Nugget earlier this year, and now White Castle has released a Buffalo Chicken Ring in response (ok, I don't know it's really in response, but it sounded good). Just for you, my dear reader, I will jump on this grenade and try them both.

Wendy's is known in part for their Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which is very good, so it was only a matter of time before they released a spicy chicken nugget. When you order these new nuggets, they look like the original nuggets, except you can see the black pepper. The outside has a crispy, almost bread crumb-y texture. The inside is pressed meat (duh, what *IS* a chicken nugget? what part of the chicken is a "nugget?" Scary thought!), with the spice from the added black pepper. Not very exciting, kind of a let down. These nuggets don't measure up to the greatness that is their Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

White Castle, known for their tiny cheep burgers, is a favorite of the after bar crowd*. Probably because when you're drunk you don't care what you're eating, nor can you really see it, so the notion of eating a "chicken ring" isn't frightening (but sober minds know there are only a few places on a chicken that form a ring, and none of them are places you want to eat). The new Buffalo Chicken Rings are pressed meat (duh again), breaded in some sort of flour (or maybe even a batter), and fried. They aren't covered in a red buffalo sauce like I expected, but when you open the sack you can smell the buffalo sauce. The rings are dry to the touch, but when you put one in your mouth you can taste the buffalo seasoning. I guess it's mixed into the batter they dip the chicken in prior to frying. These are actually pretty good! At least they are if you can stop wondering where exactly the "chicken ring" is on the chicken. I think I'll order these again!

White Castle wins this battle!

*Note: I was completely sober when I did this taste test.

Review - Holly Hotel (Holly, MI)

The Holly Hotel is a misnomer. It hasn't been a hotel in decades. It is a restaurant with a comedy club in the basement.  DivaMom received a certificate for Holly Hotel in honor of their 31st anniversary. It was $31 off of a meal for two, and considering 1 meal can cost that much it was brilliant marketing especially if you send it to someone that can't allow a coupon to go to waste.

I made reservations for 7:45, I arrived on time and another couple walked in right behind me. The server that was on the phone when I walked in (I assume she was taking a reservation) looked around the room, and addressed the couple that walked in behind me and asked them if they had a reservation. They answered "No" and she said that there were tables being cleared off and she would be able to seat them shortly. Then she walked away. No acknowledgement of my existence, nothing. She returned soon after, and seated them without even so much as looking at my direction. Now I know my parents weren't glass makers and she couldn't see through me, but I have no idea why I was ignored. I stood there for about 10 minutes before another waitress came out (I had seen her and she had seen me as she was racing around taking care of her tables) and even asked if I had been helped. I told her what happened, she apologized profusely, and proceeded to seat me in what can only be described as "the train room."

The train room is a small 4 table room set up much like a dining car of a train. There are paintings and drawings of trains everywhere and there are overhead luggage shelves much like I'd imagine an old style train would have. I love this room. To add to the ambiance the entire hotel is decorated for Christmas, with classic old-fashioned ornaments that remind me of my childhood, lots of evergreen vines, and colored lights. There are even wrapped "presents" on the luggage shelves.

For dinner I ordered the Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin and it came with a salad or soup (I chose the green salad). DivaMom ordered the Chicken Strudel Holly Hotel (shredded breast, broccoli, herbed gournay, filo) and it came with cranberry quinoa. She also ordered the French Onion soup.The Holly Hotel also serves fresh bread and butter with their meals, and last night it was avocado/pepper butter with a cheese focaccia. I hate avocado, but this butter was amazing! It was slightly salty and it complemented the light cheese taste of the bread.

The soup arrived first, and DivaMom was in heaven. She loves their french onion soup because the cheese is on the bottom, the soup in the middle and the soup crock is topped with pastry dough and baked. This arrangement helps her avoid the cheese, while still enjoying the soup and bread. (she's a little crazy if you ask me, the best part of french onion soup is the cheese!). My salad arrived next. It was salad greens filling and surrounding a small shell made of filo dough, with dried cranberries and a blackberry vinaigrette. The salad was delicious, but could have used blue cheese crumbles to offset the sweetness of the vinaigrette. The filo dough shell was a little cumbersome to eat, I finally just picked it up with my fingers and bit into it. It was light and crispy, just the way filo should be!

The entrees arrived and I was not disappointed! I had 2 medallions of beef tenderloin with "glace de veau" (aka, gravy), some roasted mixed root veggies (carrots, parsnips, potato, and mushrooms), and mashed potatoes. The chef send out a third piece of meat with the explanation that when he plated the food it didn't look like enough meat. I ordered my meal well done, and I was happy to see my request was met. The meat was tender, but not pink, not an easy task but he/she (IDK the gender of the chef) achieved it! The gravy was tasty, which is amazing to me since I HATE gravy, and the mashed potatoes were perfection! I didn't care for the roasted veggies, but they were well seasoned and what I ate of them tasted ok. I'm not a fan of parsnips or mushrooms.

DivaMom and I passed on dessert. For once there wasn't anything on the dessert tray that struck our fancy, but we have had their personal apple tart, and it is amazing with a little vanilla ice cream.

Despite the little hiccup in the beginning the experience was enjoyable, the server that we had was great, and the environment is beautiful. Holly Hotel is a nice place to go for a nice slow meal. Don't go there if you are in a hurry or looking to kill time before another event (unless the event is the comedy show in the basement).

Review - Chili's (Nationwide)

Friday I went to a late yoga class with a girl friend, and after I was STARVING (since I hadn't eaten since the disastrous McRib lunch that afternoon and it was now almost 10pm). Since it was late and so many places close their kitchens at 10, we decided to go to Chili's.

I like Chili's for the most part. My only real complaint is the service. I usually end up with the worst servers at Chili's, but this time it wasn't so bad. She did ask to take our order, then wandered off to take care of another table, but that was really the worst thing she did.

As usual I ordered the Chicken Crispers! YUM! I love these things! Maybe it's a blessing that Chili's usually has terrible servers. They act as a deterrent to keep me from eating these things all the time and weighing 500 lbs! I have no idea what they put in the batter that makes them light and fluffy while maintaining crisp chewiness (maybe it's faerie dust, because it's something supernaturally good) but if I ever figure it out, I'm in trouble! I have tried on many occasions to duplicate this batter, but it always ends in disaster. The crispers came with corn and fries, and I always substitute barbecue sauce for the honey mustard. The corn and the fries were good too, but the chicken is the star! My friend ordered her favorite Chicken Tortilla soup, and some chips and queso. She loves the Chicken Tortilla Soup, so there was little talking from her side of the table when that arrived. We shared the queso, and it was ok. Just ok.

I also ordered a coffee with Kahlua and Bailey's. Most places either put too much alcohol (is there such a thing? lol) or too little. Chili's got it right, and they don't even serve coffee drinks on a regular basis. We had to ask for water specifically, which annoyed me. We are having hot food and hot coffee, if I burn my mouth on the extremely hot chicken, what am I suppose to do? Stick my tongue on the window? Grrr!

Overall the food was great, the service was mediocre, and the prices were reasonable. Chili's has such a diverse menu, there's something for everyone, even the pickiest eaters!

Review - Le Grand Bistro (Grand Blanc, MI)

Last night DivaMom and I went to Le Grand Bistro. It's a cute little restaurant with a cafe atmosphere located in the Grand Mall (really it's a strip mall). The atmosphere is...cute. It reminds me of Panera before Panera got HUGE, crowded and lowered the quality of the food.

I wanted to order the Pollo Marinara sandwich, however they were out of that sandwich as well as the Beefeater (I didn't want that, but the server told me, so I thought I'd pass it along). I grudgingly ordered the "Pasta" which was penne pasta with marinara sauce and grilled chicken. DivaMom ordered the Chicken Barcelona which consisted of grilled chicken breast topped with bacon, peppers, onion, provolone cheese, scallions and fresh tomato. Both meals came with soup and we both ordered minestrone.

 The soup was surprisingly good! big chunks of veggies, nice size pieces of penne pasta in a light broth. Many places add too much salt to their soup, but this soup was very clean tasting and not at all salty! My entree was ok, the pasta was cooked to perfection, the marinara was good, but the chicken was gamey. This was one of the rare times I picked out all of the chicken and just ate the pasta. They should really think about marinading the chicken in lemon, or wine, or something. ANYTHING! DivaMom enjoyed her entree, so much so she didn't talk much while eating LOL. There wasn't time for dessert, so I will have to revisit Le Grand Bistro to test those out. It's a sacrifice I'll make for my readers!

I'm not sure I'll choose to go there for dinner again. The gamey chicken was a big turn off for me, but if someone else suggests meeting there for lunch, I won't object. I may avoid the chicken though.

Review - YaYa's Chicken (MI/FL)

Today I tried Yaya's Flame Broiled Chicken. This is a chain restaurant that has locations in MI and FL. It's what I'd call semi-fast food. It seems like the food is prepared ahead of time, but if you come during the lunch rush, you may have to wait a bit for the latest round of chicken to finish cooking.

I love chicken, but not so much when it's on the bone. YaYa's only has bony chicken, so if you have picky kids, this may not be the place for you. The menu is long, and seems to have some healthy selections.


I ordered a chicken breast (with bone) and mashed potatoes (no gravy). The chicken tasted great! It was flavorful, not gamey, and it wasn't dry. I was worried that the chicken would be salty, but was surprised that the seasoning that was used wasn't salty at all! The potatoes needed some help though. I guess if you like gravy you wouldn't notice that they tasted like they came from a box, rather than homemade like "YaYa" (grandma) would make.


I'd eat there again, but I think I'll try the baked beans next time.