Chicken Stuffs

Hey there foodies

So we missed a recipe last week due to technical difficulties, but don't worry, great things come to those who wait.  If you've been keeping an eye on our Twitter page you may have seen photos of some fat pieces of stuffed chicken.  Well, I think it's about time to reward you with the recipes!

This is yet another dish that you can get creative with.  Follow the directions and try your own combination of seasonings and fillings.  Lots you can do with this so have fun!  I will show you two different versions I have made.

This dish came out particularly amazing.  And the best part is, it's really easy to make.  This is the type of thing you'd find on the menu at some very high end restaurants.  But you can make it at home in the time it would take to drive there!

Start with a nice size chicken breast and pound it as flat as possible.  Grab a mix of spices and preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  For the first recipe, I  first used a dry rub of garlic powder, chili powder, red pepper, black pepper, and salt.  Work this into the breast while you are tenderizing it.

Now butterfly cut the breast and rub some more of the seasoning into the inside.  Once saturated, rub in some barbecue sauce.  This will keep the insides tasty and moist!

I wanted to go with a western theme for this piece, so I chose a combination of diced ham, onion, and a spicy cheese blend.  You could add some diced peppers too if you can fit them in!  Use about a handful of each ingredient.  Try to make sure they're all on one side of the cut so you can fold it easily.

Fold the chicken up, making sure everything fits nicely within the pocket.  Now cover the outside with barbecue sauce.  You don't need a lot for this, a few blobs will coat the chicken nicely.

Now for the fun and messy part.  Grab a few strips of your old friend BACON!  Two to three strips should suffice.  Stretch out each strip, making sure it doesn't break.  Now carefully, tightly wrap the bacon around the chicken.  Hold it tightly so nothing falls out.  You may want to start by putting the bacon on the bottom and wrapping it around the top.

You will notice a few grill marks in the photos here.  I originally tried to grill the chicken but noticed it wasn't cooking properly.  The sides don't get cooked, and you can't turn the chicken because the stuffing will fall out.  If you want to cut out a bit of the fat though, put it on a foreman grill for a few minutes after the juices start dripping, but the real cooking will be done in the oven.  Warning, if you use the grill first, the bacon may come out a bit soft in the end...

Wrap the chicken securely in tin foil and place on a cooking tray in the oven.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.  Keep it at 450 degrees, the tin foil locks in the moisture and prevents it from overcooking.

Take the chicken out of the foil and place onto a plate.  Cover with the leftover juices and serve with a nice side dish.

**  BONUS RECIPE  **

Want a quick, easy, and satisfying side?  Take a box of store brand Scalloped Potatoes and make as directed.  Halfway through cooking, add in a can of mixed veggies.  Now you have some healthy vitamins to go with your protein-laden cuisine!

I've done this a few times, so let me share an additional style.  Follow the above directions, but instead use a salt and pepper dry rub.  This time, I used spinach and cream cheese as the filling.  Take a handful of canned or frozen (thawed) spinach and some diced onion.  Take a bar of cream cheese and cut off about half an inch lengthwise.  Add this to the spinach/onion mix and fold over.  Again wrap with bacon.  This time, I breaded each piece with a simple flour coating.  I didn't find this necessary with further recipes, but if you want to get playful and try frying the chicken, this would be a very welcome step.  Wrap in tin foil and cook for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.  This time around, I used the cranberry sauce as seen with the recipes from last season.

One piece of advice, make sure you dry rub the inside of the butterfly cut.  I tried this a few times, and the ones seasoned inside and out came out much better.

The best thing about this recipe is that it is quick and easy.  Start to finish it shouldn't take more than half an hour.  Plus, you can be very creative with the ingredients.  Other filling ideas I've had include Ham and Pineapple and Spinach and Feta.

So have fun cooking and enjoy!  And please, if you enjoy these recipes, please leave your comments and follow us on our Facebook page.  Followers get sneak peaks and photos of other interesting recipes.

Bon Apetit!

jb

Shepherd's Pie - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hello Foodies and welcome to another holiday edition of Edible Rex.  Hope you're all enjoying this great St. Patrick's Day and are looking forward to an easy-to-make traditional recipe.  This day includes some festive dishes like Corned Beef & Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread, but since I want to get back to my local pub crawl, I'll give you all something quick and easy...  Shepherd's Pie!

You'll need ground beef, onion, beef broth, canned or frozen veggies, mashed potatoes, and shredded cheese.  Since we're all loyal to the bachelor style of cooking, use instant mashed potatoes... it saves a lot of time!  Also have a skillet and brownie pan ready to cook everything, and preheat your oven to 350*!


Start by browning the ground beef in a skillet, and add in a handful of onion (about half a cup).  I also suggest adding a few spices, like basil, black pepper, and a few shakes of cayenne.  When it starts getting brown, add in a can (or frozen bag) of assorted mixed veggies.  Mix everything together and drain the oil. Then place it all in the brownie pan.

Add half a cup of beef broth to the pan.  Don't use more than this or the pie will come out very liquid.  You can use canned broth, or prepare your own from bullion cubes.

Now prepare your mashed potatoes.  If you want to use fresh potatoes, go ahead, but for the time-starved (or just plain starved) mix up a batch of instant potatoes.  A 3.3oz pouch of brand-name dried potatoes will yield enough for the entire meal.  In fact, you can get creative and get some of the flavored varieties to add a special zing to the meal.  Mix up the batch as per the instructions.  Once fluffy, carefully layer them on top of the beef-onion-veggie mix in the pan.

Now for the crust.  Take whatever shredded cheese you have and generously cover the top of the potatoes.  I used a heavy layer of Parmesan cheese first which gives it a nice flaky texture, then topped it with another layer of a Mozzarella and Cheddar mix.

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  Enough time to enjoy a fine Guinness while you wait!

This will yield 3-4 generous portions, or 2 for the famished pub-crawler.

So have a great St. Patty's Day, try not to get too wild, and Bon Apetit!  Or should I say, Erin Go Bragh!

Season 2, Episode 1 aka The Good Morning Burger

Welcome Back Foodies!  Edible Rex is back with a new season of awesome recipes for all you aspiring chefs... or people just looking for something better than fast food for dinner.  I'm finally going to reveal my famous chili recipe, and stay tuned for more delights like Stuffed Chicken and Pot Roast.  But let's go nuts with our first new recipe...  The Good Morning Burger

Props to you if you get the reference.  Yes, got to admit, this recipe is not my own.  Like anything worth quoting, this one is from The Simpsons:

 "We take eighteen ounces of sizzling ground beef, and soak it in rich, creamery butter, then we top it off with bacon, ham, and a fried egg. We call it the Good Morning Burger..."

I can hear Homer drooling right now...



The burger is as tempting to make as it is difficult to manage.  But this recipe makes it simple for even the least experienced of bachelor chefs.


Start by putting a liberal amount of butter in a frying pan big enough to hold four burger patties and melt it to cover the bottom of the pan.  If you want to fry the bacon, add it now.  It'll add to the heart attack you'll have later.  Personally, I prefer crisping it in the microwave, but to each their own.  Add four burger patties (as close to 18oz as possible) and spread them out equally.  Lastly, top each patty off with a slice of ham.

Ok, since you're an oft-unprepared bachelor chef, you might be missing an ingredient.  So improvise!  I used large-cut pepperoni in place of ham.  Similar meat, more spice!  I also threw in a handful of diced onion... goes great on burgers.



While that's cooking, grab half a loaf of french bread (or a giant roll) and cut it open.  Put aside...  it soon shall meet its toppers!




When the burgers begin bleeding through, flip them.  When the burgers are near your specified 'done-ness', stack them up 2-by-2 and top accordingly.  Leave to cook a few minutes more.

While that is cooking, add an egg to the frying pan.  The recipe calls for a fried egg, but a scrambled egg cooked in the grease of its fallen meat brethren should do the trick.  I'm just not a fan of the standard 'solid-yoke' fried eggs.

When cooked, place it on top of your burgers.  Cheese is optional, but I like to use it not just for the taste and texture, but to keep the burger together.

Place it on top of the bun (and another piece of cheese if you wish) and cover.  Check it out, your giant creation.  Awesome.  But that's not it...

The Good Morning Burger is really messy.  So want to contain it better?  Grill it!  Yes, make the Good Morning Burger panini style.  Break out the ol' Foreman grill, the burger should fit perfectly on the small one.  Lightly push down on the bread... this will squish it down, covering the melange of meaty innards.  And make the bread nice and toasty!

So celebrate Simpsons Mania while making a crazy-awesome meal.  Add a side of fries for ultimate perfection.  And don't forget, have fun, foodies!

Happy New Years! Cocktail Weenies for your Party!

Happy New Years everybody! Figure while I'm cooking up some snacks for my party tonight I'd share a quick and easy recipe for Cocktail Weenies.

So quick, that you can cook these up in the few minutes you have running between work and your party!

You will NEED two packs of hot dogs, some brown sugar or maple syrup, and a bottle (~18oz) of a sweet BBQ sauce. In addition, you can try out some other flavored ingredients, such as: hot sauce, chili or red pepper, garlic, beer, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, salt. Hey it's a festive event... be creative!

Get a sharp knife and slice the hot dogs lengthwise into 1/3" pieces. Throw them into a medium sized pot. If adding dry spices or vinegar, put them in now and mix it so the pieces are equally covered. Now pour in the entire bottle of BBQ sauce, stirring as you go. Save the bottle with it's innards dripping in sweet sweet BBQ sauce. You'll want to fill it about 3/4 way with water (also try cola or a stout beer).

Add the brown sugar/maple syrup into this bottle (at least 3-4 tablespoons, add more per taste) and let it melt. Cover and shake vigorously so the sauce, liquid, and sugar all mix together. Pour this into the pot and stir.

Heat to a boil then let sit under medium heat for 10-15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks. Keep covered on a low heat until ready to serve.

So quick and easy. And cheap too. This appetizer is good for at least 12 people and cost under $4 to make. If you want to go ritzy though, try some smoked sausage or bratwurst instead of hot dogs.

Your cooked party dish will be the highlight of New Years. Well that and the countdown...

Enjoy, and have a decadent 2011!

-Josh


(ps - pix coming soon)

Habanero Fritters

Let me start this one with a shoutout to my friends Merdan and Torre at The Corner Bar on Elliston Place in Nashville.  If you pop in at the right time, you might just find me working the grill there!  They are the inspiration for this recipe… and the dudes who gave me the Habaneros for this recipe!

And I might as well also give a shoutout to Adam Richman at Man V. Food.  I saw this first on his show and decided to come up with my own recipe for these spicy demons.  This is the signature appetizer at Salvador Molly’s in Portland, Oregon.  But my recipe seems a bit more tame, for anyone who witnessed Adam’s masochistic act on the show!

You will need a box of cornbread mix (and the necessary ingredients.  Some require just water, some milk, some egg, etc), butter, sugar, an egg, breadcrumbs, onion, spices, and the great Habanero!  You will also need a deep fryer.

Habaneros are the hottest peppers you can commonly find and eat in the US, reaching up to 300,000 Scoville Units (units of spiciness). They are extremely hot, but also very sweet and flavorful.  You can sometimes find them in Chili and hot sauces in restaurants and supermarkets.

For this recipe I used six large Habaneros.  You can use more or less depending on your heat preference.  The ones I made were pretty darn spicy, but not insanely hot.  Throw them into a food processor with half a cup of onion and puree finely. 

(if you are sensitive to heat, try not to breathe deeply.  The aroma can burn your nose!)

Prepare the cornbread in a large bowl as per instructions on the box.  Add a quarter cup of butter, a few tablespoons of sugar, the egg, and your habanero/onion mix.

You will need about a cup of breadcrumbs for the recipe.  Use whichever type you like, but I prefer the ones I made for the Meatloaf recipe.  Take some bran flakes and grind them in the food processor.  When pulverized, stir them into the mix.

(I actually used raisin bran.  The scattered raisins were a pleasant addition to the fritter!)

Add some spices too.  Salt, pepper, and oregano are the basic staples, but you can also add garlic, basil, and anything else you can come up with!

Mix everything together well.  You are now ready for cooking.

Using a ladle, I scooped out several balls of the mix and dropped them into the fryer.  I didn’t have one, but I’d recommend using an ice cream scoop, as it will release a better sphere.

With a long spoon, rotate the fritters until golden brown on all sides.  When ready, lift the basket.  If you see batter seeping out through the wires, they’re not done yet, so put it back quickly!  When they are finally done, keep in the basket for the oil to drip.

Let cool for a few minutes, and there you go!

Another hint I might suggest would be to put the batter in the freezer for a short while before frying it.  Keep an eye on it, you don’t want it to freeze solid, just enough for it to clump together better.  Think more ice cream consistency than cornbread batter.  I did this quick without this step, and some of the larger ones fell apart upon hitting the oil. You could also toss them in a pan or griddle for a few seconds before throwing them into the fryer – just long enough to solidify the outside.  They’ll be more pancake-shaped, but they’ll fry up better if you’re in a rush. 

These came out as a spicy, crispy, sweet snack that was perfect for a day of football with the guys.  When you bite into them, the heat comes on strong and heavy, but fades rather quickly.  This isn’t the type of heat that will ruin your day or make you bowl over your friends for the faucet.  But you might want to have a beer or glass of milk ready for the kick you are about to receive! 

Enjoy the burn!

Bonus: Latkes, The Director's Cut

Ok, remember last week for the first night of Hanukkah I tweeted that I made some Sweet Potato Latkes.  Well, they didn't really work out.  But figured I'd post the story anyway.  I added in some comments and suggestions, so next time they will come out better!

The art of Bachelor Cheffing emphasizes finding new uses for leftovers.  So originally I had tried to make Sweet Potato Latkes from my Thanksgiving remainders. 

I took a container of mashed and prepared sweet potatoes, and added the same ingredients as the regular latke recipe… onion, egg, and spices.  Scooped them into the oil in the same way.  Prepared sweet potatoes are mushy and soft, so they clump together nice.  I hoped they would fry just as well.

Well, they didn’t  L

Mmm...  Burned Sugar

Holiday sweet potato dishes are already formed into a pasty consistency, and contain a ton of added sugar.  The combination of these two factors led to the demise of the dish.  The sugar quickly caramelizes and burns.  Even turning down the heat, you get a charred patty before the potato ever cooks.  Even trying to salvage the burned latkes, I found they fell apart instantly after taking them out of the oil.

The few bits that weren’t burned did taste good, but I basically had to pick the unburned bits off the full latkes.  And they were still a bit raw in the middle.

These few came out ok...

Not so much these guys...

What I would suggest, if you want to try this, is use fresh sweet potatoes.  Grate them by hand, and follow the recipe for the original latke.  Do this properly and you will have a decadent, crispy pancake!

What can I say, they can’t all be winners.  Half the fun is learning from your mistakes.  Delicious, delicious mistakes…

Well, the pics came out good.  Too bad they didn't survive outside the pan

Happy experimenting, and enjoy!     

Lotta Latkes!

Happy Hanukkah everybody!  Let’s enjoy the holiday with the traditional dish: Potato Latkes!

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrates the miracle that during wartime, the lights at the Great Temple in Jerusalem lasted eight days when there was only enough oil for one day.  So for that reason, oily foods are theme of the holiday meals.  Jelly Donuts are often seen, but everyone’s favorite dish is the Latke – A pan fried potato pancake.

And for a traditional dish, they’re fairly easy to make.  You just need uncooked potatoes, onions, egg, and spices.  Luckily, you can more than likely find the potato and onion pre-chopped in your local supermarket freezer section… which is what I used!

Use about a pound of potato and half a pound of onion.  If you have fresh potatoes, use a cheese grater and cut them into small flakes.  Put them and about half a pound of chopped onion into a large bowl.  Make sure the potato is thawed and sticks together… you may need to add a little bit of water.  Add your spices;  I used a few shakes of salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and a sprinkle of chili powder.  Throw in an egg and mix together.

Prepare a frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom.  I probably used a bit too much, but you don’t need a ton to fry these babies up right!

When you hear the oil crackle, spoon out a clump of the mixture and carefully drop it in the pan.  Latkes can be any size, but I found that the smaller ones cooked better.  Flatten them with your spatula.  After 4-5 minutes you will want to flip them… they should come up easy and stay together otherwise let them sit another minute or two. 

Ok, you’re not supposed to use metal in a Teflon pan, but I did anyway… just be careful.  I don’t trust plastic spatulas in boiling oil, even if they are kitchen-rated.

After another 4-5 minutes, scoop up each patty and let it drip back into the pan to remove the excess oil.  Place on a paper towel atop a plate or other surface.  I luckily had a pizza box lying around which was perfect!

The excess grease will drain out after a few minutes and you will have a crispy, potatoey Latke ready to be scarfed down at your Hanukkah celebration… or as a quick snack.  They’re also good for breakfast in place of your every day hash browns.

Traditionally, Latkes can be served with Sour Cream and Applesauce.  But, I didn’t have either of these lying around at the time.  But what I did have was leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving.  So, like a good bachelor chef, this is what I used, and it worked just as well.

Chag Sameach (Happy Holidays) and Bon Appetit!