Tag: red wine vinegar

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle Sauce

Perfect recipe for a barbecue.. I made this last summer and it was a big hit!

Dry Rub

1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 smashed garlic cloves

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

8 to 10 chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Score the drumsticks a couple of times and marinate them in the chipotle mixture in a zip lock bag over night or for at least 2 hours.

Chipotle Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce, preferably fresh
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo (added a pepper in there as well)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

Bring all the ingredients to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings and set aside.

Grill the chicken till done and baste with half of the chipotle sauce. Use the rest of serving on the side. Serve the chicken with a salad.

Greek Style Roasted Chicken Breast

How about some delicious Mediterranean style chicken today??!!

2 chicken breast, sliced in half and pounded thin (making 4 cutlets)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Mix the garlic, oregano, salt, olive oil and vinegar together and marinate the chicken in the mixture for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge. Take out half an hour before cooking.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
Salt

Transfer the flour, salt and pepper to a wide bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and set aside. Heat a wide frying pan with the butter and oil. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes each or until they are golden brown. Take out of pan and transfer to a 350 degrees F oven to finish cooking. In the meantime, add more oil to the pan if needed and add the onions and sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and olives and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken brown and bring to a boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or till the sauce has reduced to about half. Add the dill and salt if needed. Serve the sauce over the chicken cutlets.

Orange Barbecue Chicken

It’s the beginning of fall but I thought I should post a recipe for grilled barbecue chicken. I like making my own barbecue sauce as the store bought ones have far too much sugar and honestly, it is a very quick sauce! Make this one, quick!

1 to 2 pounds chicken tenders or breast

1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the spices and rub all over the chicken and marinate in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours or over night.

Barbecue Sauce

Juice and zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Mix all the ingredients together and taste for seasonings and keep aside. Take the chicken out half an hour before grilling/cooking. Baste the chicken with the sauce before, during and after the cooking process. Cook till the chicken is done and serve with the sauce on the side.

Baby Kale Orange Salad with Cranberry Dressing

This is a perfect salad to make for the holidays. I have been using baby kale more and more. I added delicious oranges, which are so reminiscent of winter. I also made a delicious dressing with dried cranberries. This recipe makes quite a bit of the dressing- which can be kept in the fridge and reused for other salads…

Cranberry Dressing

½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Add the cranberries, red wine vinegar and orange juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes or till the cranberries are soft and reconstituted. Add to a blender and blend till smooth. Add the mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend again till the dressing is emulsified. Check for seasonings and refrigerate.

4 cups baby kale
4 to 5 navel oranges, segmented
½ cup slivered almonds
Salt
Pepper

Add the baby kale, orange segments and almonds into a salad bowl. Add about 1/3 cup of the dressing and toss. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo

I have to eat brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving- it is a must. I like them best roasted till they are nutty and yummy. This particular one of course has Latin flavors- chorizo to be specific. I like the Mexican style chorizo, which is the fresh and uncooked variety. I love the yummy garlic and paprika flavor of this sausage. It enhances any dish to a new level. I have been making brussels sprouts with walnuts and a cream sauce. This one is a bit different- it includes pecans and the delicious sausage. It is a very simple dish to put together and all the prep work, including cutting the brussels sprouts, shallots and pecans. You can do it the day before and put the dish together in the morning. It can be reheated right before you sit down to eat. Enjoy!!

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Mix well and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out and keep aside.

4 ounces fresh chorizo, casing removed and crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Add the chorizo and olive oil into a large frying pan. Saute for 2 minutes and add sliced shallots. Saute until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the roasted garlic and sprouts. Add the pecans and vinegar. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Top Ten Vinegars To Have In Your Pantry

Top Ten Vinegars I love collecting vinegars. They are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. Well, I guess depends how often you use them. I do end up making salad dressing at home but also have a bunch of store bought salad dressings in my fridge. So, the point of this list is not to make you feel guilty if you don’t make your own dressing. Although it is the most easy thing you could do. It takes all of 5 minutes to whip up a yummy dressing. Especially if you have the necessary ingredients- hence the vinegar list.

I recently bought the muscat orange champagne vinegar from Trader Joes. It is delicious. I made a blood orange salad and used this vinegar and it was unbelievable. I paired it with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of honey. The vinegar is very soft and subtle, yet very flavorful.

I would love to know which vinegars you have in your pantry…

All purpose white vinegar- it really is an all-purpose vinegar. It can be used for cooking and cleaning. If you ever run out of a particular vinegar- use this one.
White wine vinegar- delicious in any salad dressing and/or a sauce.
Balsamic vinegar- I use this for everything, mostly an everyday salad dressing. A bit of balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper – just drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and you are done…
Rice vinegar- Great for stir fry sauces, etc.
Red wine vinegar- I consider this an all-purpose vinegar as well. Good have.
Sherry vinegar- Special vinegar- for spanish dishes and to give a kick to your usual salad dressings.
Malt vinegar- I used it for some Indian recipes.
Raspberry vinegar- Same as sherry vinegar. Great to have. This goes fabulously well with walnut oil and makes a great salad dressing.
Champagne vinegar-Special occasion vinegar- love it.
Apple Cider vinegar- Any time I add apples to a salad, I use this vinegar to make the salad dressing.