Cucumber-Cilantro Margarita

These cocktails were wonderful! They were the perfect way to use the delicious home grown cucumbers given to me by a friend.

This recipe was adapted from The Village Times Herald, contributed by Barbara Beltrami. Tasty and refreshing.

Yield: makes 2 cocktails

• 1 wedge or slice of lime
• coarse salt
• 3 oz tequila
• 1 tsp orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
• 3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice or key lime juice
• 1/2 cup peeled and seeded chopped cucumber
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 6 cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 dashes Tabasco or Chipotle Tabasco
• 6 ice cubes
• 2 cucumber slices, for garnish

1. Wipe the rims of two margarita glasses with the lime wedge or slice. Dip in a shallow dish of coarse salt; set aside.
2. In a blender combine the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, chopped cucumber, sugar, cilantro, hot sauce and ice cubes; blend for one minute. (I used a Vitamix.)
3. Immediately pour into prepared glasses over ice.
4. Garnish with cucumber slices, as desired.

Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken

The week of President Biden’s Inauguration, our local newspaper published recipes to celebrate our nation. The article included recipes for the Navy Bean Soup that is served in one of the Senate restaurants and White House Chef (1966-1987) Henry Haller’s Cooked Vegetable Salad. The third recipe was late Representative John Lewis’ recipe for Barbecued Chicken.

This oven-baked barbecued chicken was published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution as Representative John Lewis’ “other legacy.” It was originally published in the AJC in 1995 and was re-published after his death. He started making this dish in 1968, serving it to guests with potato salad, with rice and string beans, or with sweet potatoes and green salad.

I adapted the recipe to used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, modified the proportions and method, and included garlic in the sauce. We ate it with crispy oven fries and green salad. It was a crowd-pleaser in my house too.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard (I used Dijon)
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot sauce (I used chipotle Cholula)
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced, optional
• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR 1 whole frying chicken, cut up, or equivalent chicken pieces
• fresh herbs, for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350, preferably on convection roast. Coat a rimmed baking sheet or 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray.
2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, combine ketchup with mustard, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, pinch of black pepper, onion, and garlic, if using. Blend well.
4. Put chicken parts into the prepared pan. Spread half of the sauce evenly over chicken if using boneless, skinless chicken or all of the sauce if using bone-in chicken parts.
5. Bake for 15 minutes for boneless, skinless thighs or for 30 minutes for bone-in skin on chicken parts.
6. Remove pan from the oven and flip the chicken pieces over if using boneless, skinless chicken; coat with the rest of the sauce. If using bone-in skin-on chicken, basting the chicken with pan juices at this point.
7. Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes for boneless, skinless chicken or 30 minutes for bone-in, skin-on chicken parts.
8. Remove pan from the oven as set to broil. Broil the chicken, watching carefully, for 1 to 3 minutes, or until browned in spots.
9. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. Serve warm.

Jacques Pepin’s Quick-Roasted Chicken with Mustard & Garlic

My mom roasted a lot of chicken seasoned with herbes de Provence during my childhood. This version also incorporated dijon mustard and was quite delicious. Splitting the chicken prior to roasting significantly reduced the cooking time.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Jacques Pepin. I increased the amount of garlic and reduced the roasting temperature. We ate it with roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli- which I cooked simultaneously in the same oven. I also served it with sautéed kabocha squash. It was quite a feast! 🙂

Yield: Serves 6

• One 4 to 4 1/2-pound chicken
• 8 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T dry white or red wine
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 tsp Tabasco (I used Chipotle Tabasco)
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees on convection roast or 450 degrees in a standard oven.
2. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the chicken backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast side up and press on the breast bone to flatten the chicken.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut partway through both sides of the joint between the thighs and the drumsticks. Cut partway through the joint between the wings and the breast.
4. In a bowl, mix all of the remaining ingredients.
5. Turn the chicken breast down and spread it with half of the mustard mixture.
6. Set the chicken in a large skillet skin side up; spread with the remaining mixture. (I put the chicken in a 9″x13″ pyrex dish and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.)
7. Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large skillet, skin side up, and place over high heat. (I used a 12″ cast iron skillet.)
8. Cook the chicken until it starts to brown, 5 minutes.
9. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for about 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and the chicken is cooked through. (I used the oven probe and roasted the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.)
10. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
11. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cut it into 8 pieces and serve.

Note: The chicken can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.

BLT Tacos

Why have I never thought of making a BLT taco before? Genius.

This quick and delicious weeknight dinner recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I cooked the bacon at a lower temperature, increasing the cooking time. I think that this method isn’t as messy. 🙂 I added avocado slices, used corn-flour hybrid tortillas, a Serrano instead of jalapeño chile, increased the lime juice, and used chipotle Tabasco in the mayonnaise. I also warmed the tortillas with steam in the microwave.

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, about 10 slices
• 1 pint (2 cups) grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered (mixed colors are pretty here)
• 1 small Serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded or not, finely chopped
• 2-3 T cilantro, chopped
• 1 T fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
• Kosher salt, to taste
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ teaspoons Cholula or other hot sauce, or to taste, plus more for serving (I used Chipotle Tabasco)
• 8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas (I used corn-flour hybrid tortillas)
• Romaine lettuce leaves, sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1 avocado, sliced into eighths
• refried beans and rice, for serving, optional

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection. Lay bacon in an even layer in 2 9-13″ glass pyrex dishes or on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until browned and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plates and let cool. (Keep rendered fat for another use.)
2. While bacon is cooking, toss together tomatoes, chopped chile, cilantro, lime juice and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Taste and add more lime juice and salt, if needed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and hot sauce.
4. Place tortillas in a tortilla warmer or medium bowl. Top with a damp paper towel and seal with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave for 1 minute to warm.  (Alternatively, the tortillas can be warmed on the stove top: Lay a clean kitchen towel in a medium bowl. Using the open flame from a stovetop gas burner (or in a skillet placed on an electric burner), warm and lightly char tortillas, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Transfer warmed tortillas to a towel-lined bowl, and cover with towel to keep warm while you finish remaining tortillas.)
5. Serve, letting people make their own tacos by layering bacon, salsa, lettuce, spicy mayonnaise and avocado, on tortillas. Top with more hot sauce, if desired.