Sweet and Sour Marmalade Glazed Oven Baked Chicken

January 26, 20184 Comments

Did you know that Florida produces more than 70 percent of the United States’ supply of citrus? And, that it’s only 2nd in production to Brazil? That’s a lot of OJ!!!

So, obviously, I needed to get my hands on Orange Appeal by Jamie Schler. I am super excited about the fresh citrus that is in season now here. I can’t wait to go orange picking! So fun!!!!

I actually found Jamie’s blog Life’s a Feast years and years ago. Besides her incredible photography featuring food and flowers and life in France, I followed her Instagram because she had a Boston Terrier. Boston Terrier people are my kind of people. RIP Marty.

As well, I really enjoyed following along as she shares her life running a hotel in France. How fun is all of that. I always wanted a bed and breakfast, so following along her life allowed me to day cream about serving homemade scones and coffee to people while telling them about the area and the fun things they could do during the day.

Of course, nothing is all that easy or glamorous, but one can daydream of making jam for toast and filling vases of flowers.

Besides the hotel, Jamie has been busy with creating the wonderful Orange Appeal cookbook. It has everything that you can think of from salads, sauces, cakes, brownies, and cookies. You are covered for orange recipes from breakfast to dessert!

I zeroed in on the Sweet and Sour Marmalade Glazed Oven Baked Chicken because it sounded glorious with the different flavor profiles in the marinade- the sweet from the orange marmalade, the salty flavor from the sour, and the touch of sour from the vinegar.

The only thing that I changed for this recipe was the chicken that I used. The recipe calls for a whole chicken that is broken down into the various pieces or use chicken thighs. I would have used the whole chicken, as I don’t love chicken thighs, but when I was making this, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts were on sale. So I just used them.

Besides the chicken, this would be great with pork or lamb. The flavors in the marinade pair wonderfully with those perfectly as well. Follow the recipe as directed, subbing in the different meats, just cook until appropriate temperatures.

Also, cook the marinade in a sauce pan… A POT! I honestly wasn’t paying attention when I started (#IHave2KidsAndNoBrain) and put it in the skillet and then had a doh! moment. I kept on going, but it would have been a whole hell of a lot easier in a pot, so do that!!

This Sweet and Sour Marmalade Glazed Oven Baked Chicken recipe was a winner in my family.

We were far from civilized once we dug in; picking up the chicken, and taking big bites, and then licking all that delicious sweet and sour glaze off our fingers. It was messy and glorious. But you just need to dive in like that when you have amazing food right in front of you.

Sweet and Sour Marmalade Glazed Oven Baked Chicken

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large shallots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Cup white wine vinegar
2/3 Cup light soy sauce
1 Cup (12 1/2 ounces/350 g) orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs or 1 whole chicken

Process

In a medium saucepan, cook the shallots in the oil over medium heat. Cook until sofa and golden, 3-5 minutes.
Add the ginger and stir until dissolved. Then add the vinegar and oil vigorously until reduced by half 2-3 minutes.
Add the soy sauce, marmalade, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and the marmalade is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Trim excess skin and fat, as needed.
Place chicken in a large bowl or resealable bags, then pour 1/2 the marinade over the chicken. Rotate the chicken in the marinade to completely coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the plastic bags. Let marinade for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a pan with parchment or foil, the oil well. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer. Spoon marinade over the chicken.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees F. Keep an eye on the chicken at the end as the marinade can go from beautifully golden to burned quickly.
While the chicken is cooking, place the rest of the marinade in a sauce pan and simmer until it is reduced to 1/2 to 2/3 Cup and thickened.
Prior to serving, slather with the reduced marinade. Enjoy!

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Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

September 15, 2016August 6, 20178 Comments

Okay, I lied.

So this will be my last summery recipe.

Sure, I said the Blueberry Sour Cream Crumb Cake would be, but it’s just so hard to get out of the Summer mindset when it’s still 90 here in Tampa. Plus, we still have a week until Fall officially hits.

So let’s all this The End of Summer Pasta.

It totally makes sense… corn, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Use up all of your summer veggies with this pasta dish.

Besides that, I just love cooking this way. Just winging it and incorporating what I have in the fridge into a dish. I was originally going to use chicken but then saw shrimp was on sale so I changed it up. Don’t like shrimp, use chicken. It all works.

I love pasta but I try not to eat too much of it since I feel so bloated afterwards. Plus, I could eat a mega portion of it which is just killer when you are watching what you eat. By adding in the vegetables to the dish, you reduce the amount of pasta you eat. It’s all about finding balance to enjoying what you love with healthy habits

This light dinner will fill you up with loads of shrimp and fresh vegetables instead of pasta and tantalize your taste buds with so much flavor.

Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound shell off, deveined shrimp
10 ounces of spaghetti
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Cup corn kernels, preferably fresh
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 zucchinis, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into small pieces
serve with ripped basil leaves and shredded Parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge

Process

Remove the tales from the shrimp. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and salt to the bowl. Cook until al dente. (reserve 1 Cup of pasta water before pouring out)
In a large skillet over high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and corn. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and zucchini, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Move the veggetables to the outter edge of the pan to clear the center of the pan. Add the shrimp to the center of the pan with the butter. Stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and 1 cup of pasta water to the pan. Mix the vegetables and shrimp together.
Add the Pasta and basil to the skillet. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste
Serve the pasta with shredded cheese and ripped basil leaves.

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia – SRC

August 8, 2016August 8, 20167 Comments

I am learning the weather here in Tampa Bay is cray cray.

I swear you never know if it’s going to be sunny, rainy, or whatever. The weather changes on a dime. I’m used to that with Boston, to some degree, since the weather there did the same, but it’s a whole different beast down here.

Just yesterday, I took the dogs out for an afternoon walk. It was cloudy, but nothing concerning, so I didn’t think much of it. Wrong…

Thankfully I only planned on doing a 1.25 mile loop with the dogs. It started sprinkling after .8 miles and really started dumping at the mile point. I had to run back with the dogs who don’t love rain BUT are easily distracted with geckos so while running they were still trying to catch geckos, who were fleeing from the rain themselves. I’m sure it was hilarious to watch. Actually, I know it was since a neighbor was standing on her covered porch watching the rain roll in and cracking up at us running down the road.

Price was actually so concerned that he left in the car to get us. We were on a rolling running in the rain so I just waved at him and kept going. He looked at me like I was nuts. What else is new?!?!

Never a dull moment.

At least we were able to come home and lounge while watching the NASCAR race. A nice relaxing Sunday afternoon. Plus, I was able to make a healthy Sunday dinner for us to all enjoy. The perfect end to the day and weekend.

I selected the Parmesan-Crusted Talapia from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures for this month’s Secret Recipe Club post. I knew it would be a winner once I saw it.

Let’s be honest, everything from Renne’s blog is wonderful. I have been a long time fan and was so excited to have it this month. I was ready to make some wonderful food. But I needed to figure ot what to make! I browsed her MASSIVE recipe index and picked out several recipes, including her Chile-Cheese Cornbread, Smokehouse Burgers, Denver Omelette Muffin Cups, and her Apple Rum Raisin Cake. Like I said, I ultimately decided on the fish. But not to worry, I pined several recipes to come back to.

I served the fish with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. We hadn’t had mashed potatoes in forever and I was craving them. And the lemony spinach just worked so well with the fish. A well-rounded meal that everyone loved.

I really hope that you will give this, and any recipe of Renee’s, a try. I just know you will love it. Promise!!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound tilapia loins or filets
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1/4 Cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup egg beaters ( or one beaten egg or skim milk), to moisten fish before coating

Process

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Beat the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl.
In another shallow bowl, combine he cheese, breadcrumbs, dried parsley, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Dip the fish into the egg and then into the breadcrumb coating and place on prepared baking sheet.
Spray the tops of the fish fillets with a bit of cooking spray.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes (the loins are thicker than the filets, so cook for approximately 15 minutes) or until fish is done, opaque and flakes easily.

Adapted from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

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And Autumn loved dinner too!! Just don’t correct her when she says ‘Oooo Mommy! Yummy chicken!” She can think it’s whatever, all that matters is that she inhaled it!

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Check out all the other great Secret Recipe Club posts HERE this month!

And be sure to check out my 4+ years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

A Weekend in Seattle- The Food

June 19, 2015Leave a comment

There are people who vacation and like to shop, but I am someone who likes to experience a place by walking around eating my way through it. Thankfully there are so many creative, delicious places to try. And many use local ingredients as well. Even better!!

{Friday}

I arrived late Thursday night so we had a late start to the day on Friday.

My best friend Emily and I kicked off my sight seeing tour by heading down to Pike Place Market. There are so many options for great food and drinks in and around Pike Place. We skipped stopping off in ‘Original’ Starbucks location as the line was way too long and made a stop for doughnuts instead.

We kicked off our weekend of eating by each getting a doughnut from Daily Dozen Donuts. They make and serve mini donuts from their Pike Place Market stall. Emily got a Maple Bacon one and I got a Maple one. They were the perfect 2 bites to kick off the day.

Ultimately, we decided on getting our lunch from Pirosky Pirosky and taking it to Rachel’s Ginger Beer to get some drinks.

Pirosky Piroksy is located outside the Market, but in the area as it’s just across the street from it. They serve a wide variety of hand pies of both the sweet and savory variety. The walk up food vendor does not have

We continued to walk around Pike Place and then ventured into Downtown Seattle, ultimately wandering to the Pioneer Square area. But then we were in need of a refreshment so we stopped by Bar Sajor.

I enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay, while Emily had a cocktail and some oysters.

Taking walk, a bus, a monorail, and another walk ensured that we were hungry for dinner by the time we got back to Emily’s apartment in Lower Queen Anne. Plus we were beat!!! We had been on our feet for hours so getting some takeout from El Camion in Ballard was a perfect plan.

Winner, winner taco dinner!!

Since I was (kinda, sorta!) trying to be conscientious of what I was eating post Whole30, I focused on items that didn’t have cheese, beans, or rice. So I ordered the Shrimp Ceviche ($6.50), a fish taco ($2.00), and an Adobada taco ($1.45).

Everything was really good. I enjoyed the fish taco the most as it was really flavorful and I enjoyed that it was not a breaded and fried piece of fish, which is what I normally get when I order a fish taco.

I was shocked at how large the portion was for the ceviche. I expected it was going to be half the size that it was. It really is something to share with multiple people. It was served with tostadas, but I would have preferred for chips instead as the super crisp tostadas were hard to eat.

{Saturday}

Another day of great activities and great food with my best friend in a beautiful city!

We kicked the day off by walking up to Toulouse Petit in Queen Anne for brunch. Thankfully, we arrived right when they opened so we were able to grab a table quickly. A great ‘win’ as they get really busy because they are so popular being that they are consistently voted one of the best restaurants in the U.S.

I ordered the ‘Eggs Hussarde’ ($18/$15 during ‘Breakfast Happy Hour’), which is once of their 8 different Eggs Benedict options. It consisted of a toasted split English Muffin, Snake River Farms Ham, poached eggs, the Veal Shallot Pan Sauce, and a Hollandaise Sauce. I was so happy with my selection as it was one of the best Eggs Benedict dishes that I have ever eaten. (You can read a really in depth review of it HERE)

We continued on working our our way up and through the Queen Anne neighborhood that morning. We stopped off at Cupcake Royale for a bit of a snack. While some might think cupcakes are a fad I think they are classic so they are always a ‘must’ in my book. You just can’t go wrong with a cute handheld mini cake.

And the Maple Bacon cupcake that we split was so good. The texture had great flavor and texture, the frosting was thick and creamy, and you can’t beat the smokey bacon and sweet maple combo.

Last year, for my first Mother’s Day, Emily sent me Top Pot Doughnut shops’ cookbook. All of the donuts in there look mouth watering, so I was really excited to be able to sample the donuts in the book directly from the source.

We snacked on the doughnuts that we grabbed throughout the day. They were so good that I didn’t want the experience to end!

After a generous amount of food we took a long afternoon hike at Discovery Point. It was such a beautiful day that the walk along the sound was the best way to spend a few hours.

And, of course, work up our appetite again!

Weeks prior to my trip Emily created an email thread of all the restaurants that we should consider to check out while I was visiting. One of the places that she suggested was Revel in Freemont. I was hooked when I saw the menu so I was excited when we went here for dinner.

We split an order of shrimp cake pancakes, short rib dumplings, and a bowl of dungeons crab noodles ($16). I could have eaten another order of those short rib dumplings but we knew from the start that we wanted to split a dessert so we focused on that.

They create seasonal menus and ones focused on different themes. When we first looked at the menu in late January, the dessert theme was based on the Seahawks. This time it was focused on Dr Suess. We selected “In the Zoo” dessert which a banana

We ended the night by taking a trip to Molly Moon’s, a local ice cream shop in Queen Anne that specializes in great quality ice cream and unique flavors. I was tempted to get a single scoop of ice cream with their homemade hot fudge, but reigned myself in as I had already eaten quite a few rich things that day already. I sampled their seasonal Vegan Coconut Chunk and loved it so I got a kid’s scoop ($3) for that. The perfect amount and the perfect flavor.

{Sunday}

We had discussed taking a ride on a ferry on Sunday but the weather was kinda grey, so we visited Freemont again. I liked what I had seen the night before, and I also wanted to see a few things in the area, like the Freemont Troll and Gasworks Park.

Plus, there the Freemont Sunday Market which features food trucks and different vendors so we could browse that while doing some touristy things. (I ended up buying Price the cuff-links that he wore at our wedding from a local craft vendor!)

Besides doing some shopping, we, of course, ate some delicious food. We checked out the different food trucks and decided on getting some Taiyaki from BeanFish.

Besides thinking that the Taiyaki was super cute… hello fish shaped waffle!… I thought it was a just a great hand-held meal, perfect for browsing the stalls. It was a fun way to kick off the day. Of course I could have happily eaten all of them, but I was satisfied with the savory K-Pop. But I still think I should have gone back for a Gimme S’mores or the Elvis. Okay, I should have gone back for all of them!

The general theme for the weekend was: eat, walk, eat, walk, eat… repeat.

It worked out really well as it gave us a chance to try a lot of great food and do plenty of catching up as we walked from place to place. I love days/weekends like that.

After Emily and I visited the Troll and went to Gas Works Park, Peter and their dog Aldo met us so we could all go for lunch. We ended up at The Leary Traveler, where we enjoyed some food and hard ciders. It was a great pub with a nice selection of brews and food.

I enjoyed their Steak Frites ($15). The 6oz Bistro Steak was served with Frites, Caramelized Onions, and a Demi Glaze. The portion of the food was great for the serving, and the price. I felt like I was getting a great value for lunch as it was so filling, flavorful, and presented so nicely. The Demi Glaze was so good that it was so nice to dip the steak and the fries in it. I did request it medium rare and it came out very rare so I did send it back but a quick extra minute on the grill made it perfect.

It was a grey and rainy so we kept the rest of the afternoon pretty low key with some relaxing back at their apartment. All the walking and eating was catching up with us!

We tossed around a few ideas for dinner but in the end decided on the Steelhead Diner, which is located above Rachel’s Ginger Beer outside Pike Place Market.

I knew that I was in for a real treat for dinner as soon as I had one of their Crab and Shrimp Tater Tots. I was dreaming about them for weeks afterwards. I was hooked immediately. I was tempted to order another order. I couldn’t help falling in love with the flavors from the crab and shrimp and the creamy texture from the potato. The crunch from the deep fry was the perfect contrast from the soft filling as well.

They were promoting their restaurant week offerings so Emily decided to pick a starter, entry, and dessert from the selection. She enjoyed the soup, but didn’t love the entree, but still thought it was a good menu for the value.

I ordered the wedge salad which seems like a safe pick, but it could have easily fallen flat on it’s face as it’s base of ice berg lettuce is so very basic. But the salad toppings worked so well with the crisp and crunchy lettuce. I was pleasantly satisfied with the salad for dinner.

Seattle Weekend-101

While Emily has a (slight-ish) allergy to walnuts and pecans, we still split an order of their Theo Chocolate Pecan Pie. It was a perfect combination of sweet chocolate with the toasted nuts. It reminded me of Thanksgiving, but with a delightful chocolate spin to the typical Pecan Pie. Plus, it was topped off with a generous spoonful of Bourbon Chantilly Creme.

It was so good that Emily happily suffered through the mouth itching!

{Monday}

Prior to going to the airport for my flight home, Emily took me over to Nielsen’s Pastries to get some Danish pastries. It was tough to pick something as their selection of pastries looked fantastic. I am a big fan of kringle, but I wanted to try something I hadn’t had before so I picked a Snitter, which was described as a flat cinnamon roll that is topped off with a bit of custard. Oh my god. It was so freaking good. Just like a cinnamon roll but 10x better. We each had a Snitter so 3 cost $8.25.

Before heading back to their apartment we grabbed iced coffees from Tully’s.

At the airport I grabbed a Mariachi Mac and Cheese from Beecher’s. They have an outpost at Sea-Tac so I was able to enjoy their “World Famous” mac and cheese. A very generous 8-oz cup was $6. I enjoyed my mac and cheese on the plane. It was really, really good, although it was cool by then.

The Mariachi Mac and Cheese uses the Classic Mac and Cheese base but also adds roasted Anaheim chilies and a blend of fresh veggies giving it a great South of the Board kick.

It was a wonderful way to end a great foodie weekend!!