The Cooks Hangout

…she raved about a certain Mallorcan pastry she had enjoyed numerous times on her trip, called Ensaimadas. Being obsessed with all things yeasty (and lard!), her description alone made me salivating: soft and flaky, slightly sweet pastry, made from long fermented yeast dough, lots of powdered sugar and greasy fingers from the used lard … ENSAIMADAS!!!

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Tamale Chicken Packets

1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips
1 cup chunky salsa, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
(1 to 1 1/4 pounds), cut in 1/2-inch strips
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 sheets heavy duty aluminum foil

Preheat grill to medium-high or oven to 450 degrees F. Spray foil
with nonstick cooking spray.

Center one-fourth of corn on each sheet of aluminum foil. Top with
green pepper, olives, tortilla chips and half of salsa. Add chicken;
sprinkle with onion salt and chili powder. Top with remaining salsa.
Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving
room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make four packets.

Grill 12 to 14 minutes in covered grill or bake 15 to 18 minutes on a
cookie sheet in oven. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Serve with
additional salsa and crushed chips, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

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Chicken Shawarma Recipe

Shawarma is like the ultimate on the go meal. Thinly sliced meat, wrapped in
a pita with veggies and sauce is a delicious quick meal.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (thinly cut)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon allspice
juice from 1 lemon

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons yogurt

PITA FILLINGS:
8 loaves of pita bread or 4 large
thinly slice cucumbers
thinly sliced onions
1/2 teaspoon sumac
thinly sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
pickle slices (optional)

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients except for chicken, fillings, and sauce ingredients
to make marinade. If it seems a little dry, add a little olive oil (a
tablespoon at a time). Here is an excellent tahini recipe, if you do not
have some handy.

Add chicken, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferable overnight.

In a stockpot or large saucepan, cook chicken over medium heat for 45
minutes or until done. Be sure not to overcook! If chicken becomes a little
dry, add a few tablespoons of water throughout cooking duration.

While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine sauce ingredients and
mix well. Set aside.

Take the onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprinkle with sumac. Add other
filling ingredients in a large bowl and combine well.

When the chicken is done, you can shred it, slice it, or leave into large
pieces. As long as it it thinly cut, there is not much difference. I prefer
to cut mine into wide strips.

Prepare the Pita
Place enough chicken on pita that cover 1/4 of the loaf. Add veggies and
pour sauce. Roll like a soft taco or burrito and you have shawarma! You can
also stuff the pocket of the pita if you like. I prefer to roll large pitas
(this is where making your own pita comes in handy), but it is hard to find
large loaves of pita at the supermarket.

Serving Shawarma
You can serve shawarma with fries, falafel, hummus, or with a salad like
tabouleh.

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Chicken Sausage, Pepper & Onion Heros

Ingredients
1 tbsp. oil
1 pkg. (12-15 oz.) chicken sausages
1 each red, green bell pepper
1 medium onion
4 hero rolls

Directions
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Arrange sausages on one side of pan, cover and cook 4 minutes.
Meanwhile cut peppers in thin strips. Add to other side of pan; cook
2 minutes. While they cook, cut onion in half lengthwise, then in
long, thin strips. Add to peppers; turn sausages. Cook all 6
minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausages are lightly charred and
cooked through and vegetables are lightly browned and tender. To
serve: Place a sausage on each roll and top with pepper and onion.
Makes 4 servings.

Nutrional Info Per Serving: 412 cal, 20 g pro, 39 g car, 3 g fiber,
20 g fat (5 g sat fat), 74 mg chol, 1,335 mg sod.

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Chicken Spiedies

Marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons garlic — minced or to taste
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts boneless/skinless (cut 1×1″ squares)

Appetizer Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic — mince
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1/2 cup pineapple juice

Vegetables:
3 large red bell peppers — 1/2×1″ (72 strips)
2 large green bell peppers — 1/2×1″ (48 strips)
1 large yellow onion — 1/2×1″ (96 strips)

24 8″ bamboo skewers — soak in water in the refrigerator overnight.

MARINADE-Add all ingredients except the chicken to a non-aluminum mixing
bowl and mix thoroughly until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Pound the chicken breast between sheets of waxed paper until an even
thickness of 3/16″ overall. Cut the chicken breast meat into 1″ squares and
add to the marinade, covering completely. Allow to marinate for 2 hours,
refrigerated. Remove from the marinade after 2 hours and drain.

SPIEDIES-Assemble in the following order: red bell pepper, onion, chicken
(folded into “C” shape on the skewer), green bell pepper, onion, chicken,
alternately, finishing with a red pepper strip after the 4th piece of
chicken on each skewer. Spread the skewered items out on each skewer, so
they will cook quickly. Place the Spiedies on a grill or a griddle and
cook approximately 1 minute per side, turning 4 times. Adjust the timing
according to your equipment’s heat output. Serve immediately, 4 per quest,
with dipping sauce, about 1/4 c per serving.

SAUCE- Mix all ingredients together just until blended. Chill 1 to 2 hours
to blend flavors. Serve cold.

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Sesame Chicken

Honey, teriyaki sauce, Chinese five-spice powder and red pepper flakes give
distinctive flavor to this quick, homemade version of a classic Chinese
dish.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
5 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into chunks
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1/2 cup green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons honey

DIRECTIONS
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, 1/4 cup sesame seeds,
black pepper, five-spice powder, and red pepper flakes. Place a few pieces
of chicken at a time into the bag, and shake to coat. Remove to a platter.
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Place chicken into
skillet, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken, and set
aside. Stir onion wedges and bell pepper slices into skillet; cook until
slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove, and set aside.
Return chicken to skillet, and reduce heat to low. Mix in teriyaki marinade,
1/4 cup sesame seeds, and honey; stir until sauce thickens. Return onion and
bell pepper to the skillet. Warm through, and serve.

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All-Season Grilled Chicken

1 1/2 cups chili sauce
3/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 small cloves garlic, halved
1 tsp salt
4 bone-in chicken breasts

Mix chili sauce, vinegar, horseradish, garlic and salt in a bowl. REserve 1/2 of the marinade. Add chicken to bowl; turn to coat. Cover; marinate in refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

Preheat grill or broiler. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade in bowl. Place chicken on grill or in broiler pan.

Grill or broil chicken, turning and basting frequently with half of the reserved marinade, until juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.

Heat remaining reserved marinade in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Serve hot alongside chicken.

**For a less spicy sauce, use ketchup instead of the chili sauce and omit the horseradish.

Make Ahead: Prepare large batches of marinade ahead of time, then freeze in recipe-size amounts to have on hand whenever you’re ready to fire up the grill!

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40 Clove Garlic Vampire Chicken

40 cloves garlic
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs sage
2 sprigs Italian parsley
Ground pepper to taste
3 pounds roasting or fryer chicken
3 stalks celery
Loaf french bread – optional

Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Put celery on the
bottom of the crockpot. Put 1 sprig of each herb into the
cavity of the chicken. Place chicken on top of the celery.
Cut up the rest of the herbs and sprinkle on top of the
chicken. Add ground pepper to taste. Peel garlic, and
place on top and around chicken.

Cook on low for 8-9 hours. The cooked garlic can be used in
place as garlic butter for the french bread. Just squeeze
and spread onto bread slices.

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Since he taught us his Gazpacho recipe a few weeks ago we’ve come to realize how many bland and mediocre lookalikes we’ve had before. Tasty, ripe tomatoes are a must, but well balanced seasoning is equally important.

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African Chicken Wings

Yields 60 to 70 pieces

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper (or more, if desired)
2/3 cup lemon juice
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
5 to 6 pounds split chicken wings or drumettes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chicken wings; mix well. Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings; place in the sauce and toss to coat well. Place on rimmed baking sheets that have been coated with nonstick vegetable spray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until done to desired crispness.

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