A Life, Lived

Huli Huli Chicken

In 1955, Ernest Morgado, a Honolulu businessman, served a group of farmers grilled chicken that had been marinated in his mother’s teriyaki-style sauce. It was such a hit that he decided to market it with the name “huli huli.” Huli means “turn” in Hawaiian and refers to how it’s prepared: grilled between two racks and turned halfway through cooking.

This simplified version calls for chicken pieces and a standard grill.

The original recipe is a trade secret, but you can find many slightly different variations on the internet, typically including ginger, garlic, soy sauce, something sweet (honey, brown sugar or maple syrup) and something acidic (vinegar, white wine, lime juice or pineapple juice). This recipe is adapted from “Aloha Kitchen: Recipes from Hawai‘i” by Alana Kysar (Ten Speed, March 2019).

It also works beautifully with boneless chicken thighs, but adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Enjoy!

Huli Huli Chicken

½ cup ketchup
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
3 ½ to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
Grapeseed or canola oil, for brushing the grill grate

In a large bowl or a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic, and stir or shake until combined. Reserve and refrigerate 1/2 cup of the mixture for basting the chicken later. Add the chicken to the remaining mixture, and stir or shake until evenly coated. If using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours, turning the chicken at least once.

When you’re ready to cook, oil your grill grates well. Heat the grill to medium (for charcoal, the grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds). Add the chicken to the grill, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to keep the chicken from burning, and basting it with the reserved marinade after you turn it, until cooked through. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so be sure to check for doneness: Meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear.) Serve immediately.

Grilled Turkey Breast

I had a half turkey breast (bone in) sitting in the freezer and decided to toss it on the grill.

The recipe I selected had a brine and a rub that had an intriguing mix of sweet and savoury.

The result was an incredibly moist turkey breast. The rub added a great hit of flavour - which is something that turkey needs. Yes, I am firmly in 'that' camp..

Brining a turkey breast is a great way to ensure a moist finished product but also a super way to add in some flavour. This is a fairly standard turkey brine of 2 quarts of water and ¼ cup of salt with some added flavors with the garlic, brown sugar, and bay leaf. You can use the brine to introduce other favours that you want. Add some apple cider, perhaps a quartered orange. Go wild. But the most important thing is the salt to fluid ratio stay approximately the same. It is not an exact science, so just keep it close.

I don't always remember to brine poultry and yet when i do I am amazed at the difference it makes.

When it comes time to grill you will brown the skin some, flip the skin up and turn off half the grill and point the thicker side to the heat. You want about 350° (oven roasting temperature).

Cook until internal temp of 165° (about 1 ¾ to 2 hours). Time will vary by the weight and thickness of the turkey breast and by your grill. DO NOT COOK BY TIME. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Turkey Breast

Brine

2 qts water
1/4 cup table salt
/4 cup brown sugar optional
2-3 cloves crushed garlic optional<
2-3 bay leaves optional

Rub

2 tablespoons brown sugar
teaspoon kosher salt only if not brining and not injected
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons oil

If your turkey breast is not injected or previously brined, brining is an excellent idea. Start with a brine: 2 qt. of water and add ¼ cup each of salt and brown sugar. Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic and add 2-3 bay leaves are optional.

Trim and clean a 3 ½ to 5-pound turkey breast. Add the turkey to the brine and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.

Preheat grill to a grill surface temperature of 350° to 400°. Mix a rub of 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon each oregano, and cumin. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt if you did not brine and if you are sure the breast was not injected.

Rinse the breast carefully, pat dry then brush with a little oil. Apply the rub.

Grill skin-side down for about 5-8 minutes to get some browning of the skin then flip and turn off the direct heat on that side of the grill with the meat. Place the thick side of the breast towards the heat. Keep the temp of the grill 350° to 375° in the area between the direct and indirect sides. Keep the lid closed and your hands off as much as possible.

Cook until an internal temp of 165° in the thickest part and several other locations. This will vary by the weight and thickness of the turkey breast and your grill. Generally about 1 ¾ to 2 hours). DO NOT COOK BY TIME ALONE. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Fonda

Years ago when I was a kid my mom's aunt came to stay for a bit. She offered to cook dinner one night and placed a mouthwatering chicken meal on the table. It was so loved that mom asked her for the recipe and it was soon a regular on the DeQuetteville table. Over the years it was lost but it still existed in mouthwatering memories. A few weeks ago I turned to google and a recipe popped up.

I have no idea if this was the exact recipe that Aunt Mary made but it sure smelled similar. When I tasted the finished product it was as if I was taken back to a simpler time.

This recipe looks a bit odd - who would think of combining mustard, honey, and curry powder?

Looking at it as an adult I am a bit shocked that we liked it since we were the house that bland loved.

Loved it we did so I encourage you to give it a try.

Of yes, about the name. Apparently the actor Henry Fonda (I had to add in the actor bit because no one under the age of 50 knows who the heck Henry Fonda was) was quite a cook and this was his signature dish.

There you go - two recommendations for this one.

Enjoy!

Chicken Fonda

3 lbs chicken, cut in parts ( or your favorite parts)
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt

Mix milk, melted butter, mustard, honey, curry powder and salt in bowl until you get a thorough blend.

Roll chicken parts in this mixture, making sure each piece is well coated.

Place coated pieces in roasting pan and put in preheated 350 degrees oven.

During cooking, baste chicken several times with mixture from roasting pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until pieces are golden brown and juices run clear

Chicken Manicotti

Manicotti isn't an Italian pasta shape - it is one of those American Italian inventions. The closest you'd find in Italy would be cannelloni. I like the way the frills of manicotti collect sauce so I prefer it to the simple pasta tubes of cannelloni. In a pinch you could just as easily make this recipe with cannelloni noodles.

Oddly, manicotti became impossible to buy in grocery stores during the pandemic. presumably an issue of limiting what can come across the border. I bought two boxes of manicotti noodles on my one trip across the border when the border was open and no testing was required for day trips. Last week I decided to cook them up.

Normally manicotti noodles are stuffed with a ricotta/spinach/cheeses or a beef/tomato sauce filling. I wanted to shake things up a bit so I searched for a chicken manicotti recipe. This was one of the ones that came up.

I followed the recipe as written. One extra hint - dump the filling in a ZipLoc bag and cut off one of the corners. Use this as a pastry bag to fill your manicotti. You'll save a lot of time and mess.

Enjoy!

Chicken Manicotti

14 pieces Manicotti, cooked according to package
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup shredded chicken
2 eggs
2 tsp oregano
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp italian seasoning
4-5 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combined shredded chicken, Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir until well combined.

Stuff each Manicotti with ¼ cup chicken mixture and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Continue rolling manicotti until all filled and in the pan.

Add crushed tomatoes to a saucepan over low heat. Add Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese and stir until heated and simmering.

Pour crushed tomato sauce over Manicotti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 

Chicken Divan Casserole

Way, way back when in the before times my colleague and I used to organize office potluck lunches. It was always fun gathering with colleagues you rarely had time to see in the business of office living and enjoying one another culinary creations. Of course potlucks were a challenge for people like me who lived far outside the city and had to drive, walk, train, walk, subway, and walk to the office. Try doing that with a crock pot full of chili once and you'll race to sign up for buns and butter the next time!

Anyways.

Often we'd pick a theme (although word to the wise - don't try an orange and black theme for Hallowe'en or you'll get a lot of burnt offerings). No matter what the theme one of our colleagues always showed up with a giant roasting pan of Chicken Divan casserole. This was a revelation for me. I am not sure how I made it through the 70's and 80's without ever having tried this classic casserole but somehow I had.

Happily she shared the recipe and now I can make it whenever I want!

Of course, I rarely remember to do so.

The other week I had a craving so this went on the menu. It was every bit as good as I remembered. This is your classic dump, mix, dump and baker casserole. One bowl, a casserole dish, a spoon, and a spatula. I know there are those who turn up their noses and sniff at the thought of using a can of soup. Whatever. If you are so inclined made a bechamel sauce with half chicken broth and half milk, add in some cheddar cheese. Go crazy. I dumped in a can of soup. :-)

Sometimes you just need to go with easy, quick, and delicious.

Enjoy!

Chicken Divan Casserole

3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup bread crumbs (note, you can also use crushed Ritz crackers)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Steam the broccoli florets in the microwave  until crisp-tender; drain. Place in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish; set aside.

Combine the chicken, soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cheese and curry powder; spoon over broccoli. Top with bread crumbs and butter. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, 25-30 minutes.

Serve over buttered noodles or rice.

Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Long time readers know I am not prone to hyperbolic statements. This is by far the best soup I have made lately. In fact, if you don't already own an Instant Pot I'd buy one just to make this soup.

This recipe (posted on the Dad Cooks Dinner blog) takes longer than most Instant Pot soup recipes because you're not making this soup with store bought broth or that bottled bouillon powder. There are two steps - in the first you make a super rich and flavourful bone broth from a store bought rotisserie chicken. The second step is quicker - you use the broth to make an amazing soup.

Because of the way the recipe is structured you can split it over two days. I made the broth on one day, refrigerated it and then the soup the following day.

There are only two tricks to this recipe:

1. Save the breast meat for the soup. Pressure cooking the pulls the flavor out of the bones and meat into the broth, leaving the remains spent and dull. That’s why I reserve the chicken breasts, saving them for the soup.
2. 1 cup of egg noodles isn’t going to seem like much, but they expand and suck up a remarkable amount of broth. Don’t add more noodles or you’ll end up with a noodle stew, not soup.

So, are you ready for homemade chicken soup, in the Instant Pot, from scratch? Pick up a rotisserie chicken and you're ready to go.

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Rotisserie Chicken Broth

1 (2- to 4-pound) rotisserie chicken, breast meat removed and saved for later
Juices from the rotisserie chicken container
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut in half
1 stalk celery, cut in half
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 cups water

Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
1 stalk celery, sliced ½ inch thick
½ teaspoon< dried thyme
½ teaspoon< fine sea salt
8 cups of Rotisserie Chicken Broth (from above)
4 ounces baby red potatoes, quartered
1 cup wide or extra-wide egg noodles
Breast meat from the rotisserie chicken, shredded
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Minced parsley for garnish

Pressure cook the broth for 60 minutes with a Natural Pressure Release:

Cut the chicken breast meat off of the rotisserie chicken and set aside for later. Add the rotisserie chicken carcass, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and salt to the pressure cooker pot, then add the 8 cups of water. (It should just cover the rotisserie chicken - it’s OK if the knobs of the drumsticks are poking up.) Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 60 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC (Manual or Pressure Cook mode in an Instant Pot) or 50 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally – about 30 minutes. (It takes a long time for all that water to cool off. If you’re in a hurry, let the pressure come down for at least 20 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.) Scoop the chicken carcass and vegetables out of the pot with a slotted spoon and discard; they’ve given their all to the broth. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, and set aside for later.

Wipe out the pressure cooker pot liner, then put it back in the pressure cooker base. Add the butter and melt over sauté mode (medium heat for a stovetop PC). Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and the dried thyme. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and turn translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and the egg noodles.

Pressure cook the soup for 4 minutes: Pour the rotisserie chicken broth into the pot, lock the lid, and pressure cook for 4 minutes on high pressure (same timing for both Instant Pot, electric and stovetop PCs). Let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure. (If the steam that is released starts to sputter and spit out starch, shut the valve and let the pressure come down for another 5 minutes before quick releasing again.)

Add the chicken and season the soup: Stir in the shredded chicken breast meat, fine sea salt, black pepper, and parsley. (Don’t be shy with the salt – this much broth needs it.) Let the soup rest for 5 minutes to reheat the chicken meat, and serve.

Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken

This is one of those recipes that comes along every now and again that wows with simplicity, ease, and amazing flavour. The chicken is moist and flavourful. The veggies perfectly roasted. Dinner will be on the table in just over an hour making this a perfect weeknight meal. The deliciousness factor also means it is a perfect meal for entertaining.

The potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts roast along with the chicken. This blend of vegetables bakes to perfection and every bite is supremely flavorful. The potatoes have a crisp salty skin with a creamy inside and these were some of the best tasting Brussels sprouts I’ve tried.

A whole roasted chicken can be tricky because the chicken breast can quickly dry out by the time the dark meat is cooked through, but when you butterfly a chicken (spatchcock), the chicken breast sits lower in the pan on the same level as the legs so it bakes more evenly and results in a juicy, moist and flavorful chicken. While it is easy to spatchcock a chicken yourself (there are tons of videos on YouTube) do yourself a favour and ask your butcher to do this for you.

The star of this show is a relatively simple flavoured butter. It tastes incredible and makes every bite memorable. I think the butter compound would be flexible and you could play around with the herbs used and even add some chill pepper flakes for a hint of heat.

Enjoy!

Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken

4 1/4 lb whole chicken, spatchcocked
1/2 tsp salt, (we used sea salt)
1/8 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more to drizzle
1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt, plus more for vegetables
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 lbs medium red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
3 medium carrots, peeled and quartered
8 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Preheat oven to 425˚

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, olive oil, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mash with fork for a couple of minutes until lemon juice is mostly incorporated into butter. 

Spread 2/3 of mixture under the chicken skin and and dot/spread remaining butter all over chicken.

Place prepared vegetables all around the chicken and drizzle everything with olive oil. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables generously with salt and some black pepper to taste.

Bake uncovered at 425˚F for 45 min or until instant read thermometer reads 160˚F when inserted into thickest part of chicken breast. Remove form oven and rest uncovered 10 minutes on a cutting board before serving.

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

It is sort of fitting that I follow up my last post with this one. LOL

Let me say right away - the only thing Tuscan about this recipe is the name. That is it. If you can get past that you'll be in for a treat. I confess, it has taken me three years to get past the name thing.

This recipe is a copycat recipe of sorts of an Olive Garden dish. I know, I know. I've never tried it myself but tons of people rave about it so there you go.

Using the instant pot means you'll have this dinner on the table in less than an hour. In fact, I made it on a day where I got sidetracked and forget to get dinner started. I was about to pull some leftovers out of the freezer when I decided to give it a shot. I am glad i did because it really is quick and delicious.

The chicken is juicy and moist with a garlic infused sauce with the tang of sin dried tomatoes and spinach.

Enjoy.

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

1 tablespoon sun dried tomato oil from the jar
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds (900 grams) chicken breasts skinless and boneless
1 teaspoon salt divided
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic minced
½ cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
½ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup parmesan
2 cups baby spinach leaves

On the Instant Pot choose the SAUTE setting. Heat the oil and melt the butter.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook the first side for 2-3 minutes until golden (adjust heat if browning too fast), then flip and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add minced garlic to the pot, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add chicken/vegetable stock and deglaze the pot by removing any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, these bits contain a lot of flavor that will enrich the cream sauce. This step is also important to avoid getting the BURN message.

Season with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.

Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 5 minutes at high pressure/8 minutes if using bone-in chicken thighs. The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.

Carefully remove the lid, take the chicken out of the pot onto a plate and set aside.

Choose the SAUTE setting, stir in the heavy cream and the freshly grated parmesan.

Add chopped sundried tomatoes, and spinach leaves to the pot. Switch off the SAUTE setting, and allow the spinach leaves to wilt.

Put the chicken back in, and spoon the cream sauce over it. Serve over buttered pasta or rice with extra grated parmesan cheese.

Honey Sriracha Chicken

This is in the running for the 'best thing I grilled this year' award. The finished dish is sweet, spicy, and addictive! Once you try this easy recipe, you'll want to make it over and over again - I know that I do The simple yet flavorful sauce is used first as a marinade for juicy chicken thighs. The rest is reserved to create this gorgeous, spicy glaze.

My favorite part about this recipe is the combination of sweet and savory-spicy ingredients. You can use a little sriracha or a lot. I am a big fan of this chili sauce. Don't let the heat scare you away. Once it cooks, it isn't as spicy...but the flavor of the chili peppers comes through.

By the way, did you ever read about the time we made our own Sriracha sauce?

Grilling tip - watch your grill temperature carefully and be sure to turn the chicken often. Since the marinade and sauce contains honey, it can burn quickly. 

Enjoy!

Honey Sriracha Chicken

10 chicken thighs bone-in, skinless
½ cup honey
6 tablespoons sriracha hot chili sauce
6 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger

First, trim excess skin from the chicken thighs. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside in a large dish.

Next, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, sriracha, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger.

Pour about two-thirds of the mixture over the chicken. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for later.

Using tongs or a fork, toss and turn the chicken pieces until all sides are coated in the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour.

When you are ready to cook, heat your grill to about 350. Make sure the grates are well oiled.

Shake the excess marinade off of the chicken, removing large pieces of garlic so they do not burn. Place the chicken skin side down and let sear for 2 – 3 minutes.

Cook and rotate the chicken, searing each side. Turn FREQUENTLY until done. Baste every few minutes with the reserved sauce, turning and cooking to create a nice glaze.

The chicken is done when the meat near the bone is no longer pink and juices run clear. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees using a digital thermometer.

Finally, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and serve hot.

Grilled Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers

These chicken skewers took a round about way to get to the table. I think I first saw this recipe shared on a blog a couple of years ago - I remember thinking 'yum' and pushing 'print'. Unfortunately it promptly got lost in a swirl of papers in the den. Last week I was looking for a grilled chicken skewer recipe and this popped up in a google search. I pushed 'print' again but made them!

WOW

I really regret not making them sooner (bloody excess of paper in our lives).

These are delicious. The combination of sweet and spicy is perfect with the lime bringing it all together. In the end nothing completely overwhelms and the taste is fabulous.

Because of the amount of honey in the recipe you must watch these carefully as the honey in the marinade will caramelize, causing the chicken to burn and stick to the grill. I used my handy grill mat and there were no issues at all.

While the recipe called for chicken thighs we used chicken breast since Paul had just brought some home from the store that were being cleared out at 50 % off.

Do yourself a favour, don't wait two years before you make these.

Grilled Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers

3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lime zest, from one lime<
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2 limes
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1-1/2 square inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (between 8-10), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus a few whole sprigs for garnish
Limes, sliced into wedges, for garnishing platter (optional)

In a blender, combine the soy sauce, honey, oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinade into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this will be your sauce).

Combine the chicken and remaining marinade in a large Ziplock bag and seal tightly. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.Be sure the grill is clean, then preheat to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kebabs, covered, until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it -- if they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the skewers to a platter. Warm up the reserved marinade in the microwave and either drizzle it over top or pass it alongside. Scatter the chopped cilantro over top and garnish the platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.