Sunday Dinner: BBQ-Fried Chicken

This photo is one of the little one's plates - I always cut the tenders from the chicken breasts as they are easier for tiny hands to grasp.

This week's Sunday Dinner is a combination of things my family loves. Declan (our 9 year-old son) could probably live on barbecue sauce; he puts it on almost everything. The rest of the family is crazy about fried chicken so I put the two together and it was a hit.

I was able to find boneless, skinless chicken breasts at Valley Farm this week for $1.99 a pound - hard to beat these days - and along with homemade breadcrumbs (I never, ever buy them) from a leftover French batard I had, this was quite the frugal dinner.

BBQ-Fried Chicken
Smashed Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Carrot Cupcakes


BBQ-Fried Chicken
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

The larger crumb on these makes them crunchier but can be harder to work with. Be sure to press the breadcrumbs onto the chicken well before frying.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves - pounded or cut to even thickness
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups large-crumb breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Coat each chicken breast in barbecue sauce and then in breadcrumbs - pressing onto spots that are not covered. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides - about 5 minutes each side. Drain well on paper toweling.



Smashed Potatoes
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

8 white or gold new potatoes - washed well
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cook potatoes in boiling water until just tender - about 15 - 20 minutes. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and place potatoes on sheet - several inches apart. Gently press down on each potato until they flatten slightly but do not fall apart. Salt and pepper well. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes - turn over with tongs being careful to hold each potato together. Bake for another 10 minutes until browned well.

Middle-of-the-week dinner

Artery clogging with a little fattening on the side and greens to balance out my conscience.



Little meatloaves - the kind made in mammoth muffin tins and covered in BBQ sauce with Pierogi Casserole smothered in caramelized onions, and roasted broccoli and field greens salad.

Sunday Dinner

"Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything."
Child's Mealtime Prayer

• Breaded Pork Filets
• Risotto
• Broccoli with Orange Gremolata
• Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing

Is that Risotto you see listed there? Why, yes - it is! It's not really as difficult to make as anyone thinks, and so delicious I couldn't think of a better way to spend half and hour at the stove. This is one of those classic dishes I've wanted to share the preparation of for some time anyway. No time like the present.
The Gremolata is most often made with lemon zest, but I was missing lemons today so I subbed orange zest. It was perfect.

First, here are the pork filets.


One 1/2" thick boneless pork chop, trimmed of fat.

The "stick" I beat the pork with (a.k.a. Grandma's rolling pin).

The beaten pork. Strike from the center outward in a steady motion until the pork is 1/4" thin.


After rubbing the pork with the a garlic clove cut in half, sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Rub this in to the surface of the pork.

I don't like a heavy standard breading - flour, egg, crumbs - so I just pat fresh bread crumbs into both sides of the pork. It's light and crispy at the edges without being heavy in the center.

Frying in hot oil - about 3 minutes per side.

Flipped to the other side. Once all the filets are fried, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and finish in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes.

A finished filet.

This is the Risotto:
Arborio rice. See how pretty it is? Arborio is rounder than usual long-grain rice. Do NOT rinse the rice before cooking. All that starch is what makes it creamy.

Half a small onion diced fine and cooked in olive oil - 4T - until translucent.

The rice (1 lb. about 1 1/2 cups) added to the oil and onion and lightly toasted.

Add HOT stock - you will need 6 to 8 cups - a cup at a time to the rice. Stir until the stock is absorbed. Add, a cup at a time, until you have added 6 cups. This takes about 15 minutes over a medium flame with almost constant stirring. Once you hit this point, try the rice to see if it's done. It should be al dente and not crunchy in the center.

This is the stock absorbed about halfway - 4 cups in. The finished Risotto disappeared before I had the chance to photograph it! Finish the Risotto with 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan if you like.
The cake. A simple Wacky Cake with peanut butter icing. 1/2 stick of butter, 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, 1 t vanilla extract and 1 cup of powdered sugar. I have several here who don't like lots of icing so I go light. The center of these two mammoth cakes (gorgeous 10" pans I got for Christmas) was nothing but peanut butter spread in between.

Veggie Wednesday

I found this in an old Everyday Food magazine. I'm sure it would be great as is, but I know once I got started I'd be changing things. For example, I think cashew halves would be better than the peanuts. Thinly sliced red-pepper would be a great addition, too; and the changeover to non-veggie would be fabulous with grilled chicken added.
Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts
Serves 4

Coarse salt
1/2 pound whole-wheat fusilli
2 (2 pounds) broccoli
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, and rinse under cold water; set aside.
Meanwhile, trim 1 inch from the stem end of broccoli stalks. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel outer layer of stalks; thinly slice crosswise. Separate florets into bite-size pieces.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium.Add pepper flakes, broccoli, and 3/4 cup water; cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid has evaporated and broccoli is tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, peanut butter, and soy sauce until smooth. Add cooled pasta, broccoli, scallions, and peanuts; toss to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Sunday Dinner

Mom Foster's Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Broccoli Gremolata
Betty's Carrot Cake

Gremolata is a wonderful blend of parsley, garlic and lemon commonly used on classic Osso Bucco. The fresh flavor lends itself well to many other dishes.

Broccoli Gremolata
Printable Recipe

1 large head broccoli, cleaned and cut into spears
3 T. fresh flat-leaf parsley-chopped fine
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 t. finely grated fresh fresh lemon zest

Steam broccoli until crisp tender. Combine parsley, garlic and zest. Sprinkle over broccoli while still hot. Serve immediately.


Betty's Carrot Cake
Printable Recipe

2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
3 c finely grated carrots
1 c vegetable or corn oil
4 eggs
1/2 c chopped walnuts and or raisins

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Bake in 2 greased and floured 9 inch baking pans.
Cool thoroughly before frosting.

Frosting

2 -3 oz pkgs. cream cheese
1/2 c softened margarine or butter
2 t vanilla
4 1/2 to 5 c confectioners sugar

In a mixer combine butter vanilla and cream cheese until
smooth. Add sugar gradually until consistency you
desire.

Almost Meatless Dinner

Dinner last night for us could very well be dinner tonight for anyone who observes Lent and meatless Fridays. Let me say beforehand, it was good.

Fettuccine Alfredo
Layered Salad
Steamed Broccoli
Garlic and Herb French Bread
Assorted Olives
Cheesecake

I'm not posting exact recipes here since most of it is so easy to do. I make my Alfredo in the minimalist way; fettuccine tossed with whole butter and grated Parmesan. The fettuccine was already garlic flavored, so I left that out this time.

The layered salad was packed out with veggies; Romaine lettuce, shredded carrot, broccoli florets, red and yellow peppers, celery, halved grape tomatoes, shredded cheddar and turkey bacon topped with Ranch dressing.

The steamed broccoli stands alone quite well as do the assorted olives. The bread was my own laced with garlic and basil and the cheesecake was a standard quick version in a graham crust.

Leave out the bacon and you're set for a meatless meal!

Sunday Dinner

Baked Ham With Cumberland Sauce
Oven Roasted Potatoes (good recipe here~I do similar with mine)
Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole
Almost No Bake Dessert

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Baked Ham With Cumberland Sauce

5 lb Ham
1/2 c Brown sugar
1 t Dry mustard
Whole cloves*

Cumberland sauce

1 c Currant jelly
1/4 c Orange juice
1/4 c Lemon juice
1/4 c Apple juice
2 T Honey
1 T Cornstarch

Remove skin from ham; score the surface with shallow diagonal
cuts, making diamond shapes. Mix brown sugar and mustard;
rub into fat of ham. Insert a whole clove in center of each diamond.
Place ham in a large roaster with a baking rack. Bake,
uncovered at 325~ for 20 - 22 minutes per pound. For
sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium
saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened,
stirring often. Serve over the slice ham.

*Note: If you don't want to deal with the whole cloves, a teaspoon ground mixed
into the brown sugar will give the same flavor.

**********
Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole

3 eggs
1 lb. cottage cheese
3 Tbsp. flour
10 oz. pkg. frozen cauliflower and broccoli
1 small can water chestnuts
bacon bits

Mix eggs, cottage cheese and flour until well blended. Fold in the remaining ingredients
and pour into a well-greased casserole. Cover with shredded colby or cheddar cheese
to taste.
Bake one hour at 350. Covered with foil for first half hour.


**********
*Almost No Bake Dessert

1/2 c Margarine, melted
1 c Pecans, chopped
1 1/2 c Graham wafer crumbs
8 oz Cream cheese
4 c Cool whip, divided, thawed
3 oz Chocolate instant pudding
3 oz Vanilla instant pudding
3 c Milk
1 Unsweetened chocolate square
1 c Icing sugar

Mix well margarine, pecans and graham wafer crumbs and
pat into 9x13 in pan. Bake at 350 degrees
till lightly brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
Beat together cream cheese, icing sugar and 1 cup
of Cool Whip. Spoon onto baked layer. Mix both puddings
with milk and beat as per package directions. Let
pudding almost thicken and pour over second layer. Put
remainder of Cool Whip on top and swirl melted
chocolate throughout topping.

*Mom has a version of this called something else, I've seen a few, she makes hers with pistachio pudding and it's really good.

**********
Prayer for Today

I met my husband in a 12-Step program and the first part of this prayer is used
there. Many people have never seen the prayer in it's entirety. There are lines
that are different from the original text but the basic meaning remains the same.

The Serenity Prayer
Reverend Reinhold Niebuhr
1943

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and
the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things right, if I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.