Easy Baked Chicken & Potatoes for Easter

Easy Baked Chicken & Potatoes for Easter Categories: Poultry, Vegetables
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1    3-4 pound fryer, cut into
           -serving pieces
      6    Potatoes, peeled & quartered
      1 c  Crushed tomatoes
      2 tb Parsley
      1 ts Basil
      2    Cloves garlic, minced
           Salt and pepper to taste
    1/4 c  Grated Parmesan cheese
      3 tb Vegetable oil
 
Wash chicken and wipe dry with paper toweling. Put enough oil in a large roasting pan to cover bottom of the pan. Place chicken in pan and place potatoes between the chicken pieces.
Sprinkle tomatoes, parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper over the chicken and potatoes. Lastly, sprinkle with the grated cheese and the oil.
Bake in 375 degree F. oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until chicken is done.
Yield: 4 servings.
 

Laura

COFFEE-CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOINS

    COFFEE-CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOINS

    With Redeye Barbecue Sauce

    Method: Direct

    Serves: 4

    Advance Preparation: 4 to 12 hours for marinating the tenderloins

    1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (2 to 3 tenderloins)

    3 tablespoons ground coffee

    1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)

    1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

    2 teaspoons sweet paprika

    1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    1 teaspoon onion powder

    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

    1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

    1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

    2 tablespoons canola oil

    Redeye Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

    You'll also need:

    Butcher's string; 2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak or mesquite), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained

    Place a tenderloin on your work surface. Remove the silver skin (the thin, translucent, sinew-like covering on the outside) by using a knife to trim it away from the meat. About 3 inches from the end of the "tail" (the skinny end), make a crosswise cut, slicing about halfway through the meat. This will enable you to fold the "tail" back over the rest of the roast, giving the tenderloin a roughly cylindrical shape which will help it cook more evenly. Tie the "tail" in place with butcher's string. Repeat with the remaining tenderloin(s). Place the tenderloins in a baking dish.

    Place the coffee, salt, brown sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic and onion powders, cumin, coriander, and cocoa in a small bowl and stir to mix. Sprinkle this rub all over the tenderloins, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips. Drizzle the oil over the pork and rub it on well. Let the pork marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.

    Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium-high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals.

    When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the pork tenderloins on the hot grate and grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side (12 to 16 minutes in all). To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the meat: The internal temperature should be about 160 degrees F.

    Transfer the grilled pork to a cutting board and let rest for about 3 minutes. Remove and discard the strings, then slice the tenderloins crosswise on a diagonal and serve at once with the Redeye Barbecue Sauce on the side.

    Redeye Barbecue Sauce

    Yield: Makes about 2 cups

    1 slice bacon, finely chopped

    1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

    3/4 cup brewed strong coffee or espresso

    3/4 cup ketchup

    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

    1/4 cup heavy cream

    3 tablespoons brown sugar

    2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

    Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper to taste

    Place the bacon and onion in a heavy saucepan cook over medium heat until lightly browned, 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the remaining ingredients and gradually bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, 10 minutes, whisking from time to time. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu)

    Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu)

    3 pounds lean pork loin

    1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

    1/4 cup ketchup

    1 tablespoon rice wine

    2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

    1/4 cup honey

    1 teaspoon red food coloring

    Mix all ingredients except the pork to make a marinade. Marinate the pork for at least 2 hours; overnight is even better.

    The trick is the cooking process. I hope there is something in the top of your oven that you can wire the pork to so it can hang free during the roasting with a pan of water placed directly beneath it.

    Roast the pork at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Let cool and slice thin. Serve with hot mustard and toasted sesame seeds.

    If you do not have a way of hanging the pork you can use a perforated pan placed on an upper shelf directly above the pan of water. Be sure to turn the pork occasionally.

    ----

    HOISIN SAUCE

4 tb Soy sauce,(dark/light/usual)

 2 tb Peanut butter/black bean pas

 1 tb Honey/molasses

 2 ts White vinegar

 1/8 ts Garlic powder

 2 ts Sesame seed oil

 20 dr Chinese-style hot sauce

  1/8 ts Pepper

    *EXPERIMENT! Now you have control of the taste. Lighter for chicken and pork, stronger for beef and game. Sweeter for Dim Sum.

    *The commercial recipe is presumably the black bean paste. I presume they are the same as Mexican/Spanish black beans.

    *Different types of soy, molasses, some of the oil being hot pepper oil, other styles of pepper sauce.

    All kinds of variations. However, with light soy and honey, the taste of peanut dominates.

    *Simply mix together. At first it does not appear like it will mix but keep at it just a bit longer and you have Hoisin. Letting it rest does not appear to improve the taste noticeably.

Berghoff Hotel's Apple Strudel

Berghoff Hotel's Apple Strudel

    2 C. apple juice

    3 Jonathan or Granny Smith apples

    1 C. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

    1 T. ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

    1/4 C. water

    2 T. cornstarch

    1/2 C. golden raisins

    1/2 C. shelled pecans or walnuts, crumbled into bits

    5 sheets phyllo dough

    1/4 C. butter, melted

    Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

    In a saucepot, bring apple juice to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel and

    core apples and cut into thin wedges. Place wedges in boiling apple juice, add

    sugar and cinnamon and stir. Cook until apples are just cooked through but still

    firm, 4 to 5 minutes.

    Place the 1/4 cup water in small bowl, add cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Stir

    cornstarch mixture into apple mixture. Add raisins and nuts and remove from

    heat. Cool mixture completely.

    Preheat oven to 450°F. Lay out phyllo dough and cover with a damp cloth to

    prevent it from drying out. Separate 1 sheet and place on a piece of parchment

    or wax paper. Brush phyllo with some of the melted butter. Top with second

    phyllo sheet, butter it, and keep repeating with remaining phyllo, buttering

    each time.

    Place cooled apple mixture down center of the top of the stack of phyllo sheets.

    Roll phyllo around the apple mixture to form a log shape. Brush outside with

    butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon and sugar.

    Transfer log and the parchment paper in a baking sheet. Bake seam side down

    until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice and

    serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.