Moroccan Chicken Brochettes

This is just delicious! Recipe reprinted with written permission!

Moroccan Chicken Brochettes

Photo:Erich Coleman

Grilled Barbecue Beer Chicken (with alcohol substitute)

If you like barbecue, and you like beer, why not combine the two?!?! You have to get a nice-sized smoker that can hold a whole chicken upright! It's good to get a nice mild lager and some homemade or store-bought sauce (Secret Six is my favorite from the shelves!). Next, you want to get a chicken stand to hold the can and your bird upright! You can find them online or in stores. Grocery stores have them, and cooking stores definitely have them, and they are less than $5!! Then you just light up your smoker/grill and have a wonderful afternoon slopping on the red sauce and having some friends over, cranking up some tunes and enjoying the day!

First, rub down the whole chicken (cavity included) with cooking oil and any spice rub you have, then pour 1/4 of the beer into the can with the whole beer can torn off. Don't cut yourself!  Carefully place the can in the beer stand and insert into the chicken cavity, then place it on a hot grill! It will take about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours to cook, and with a smoker it will take longer. Just make sure your instant read thermometer gets to 165 degrees F (74 degrees C)! Slather on more sauce as it dries out, the flavor will be triple:fire,b eer, and sauce! No way you can do this only once! Have fun!

(IF YOU WISH TO NOT USE ALCOHOL IN YOUR COOKING, REPLACE THE BEER WITH A NON-ALCOHOLIC MALT BEVERAGE. JUST MAKE SURE TO USE A CAN AND NOT A BOTTLE UNDER THE CHICKEN)

Photo:Erich Coleman

Grill tip: Bend the edges of the torn can inward so the rough metal doesn't get caught on the meat as you are inserting it into the chicken cavity!

Easy as Pie!

Pie really is easy, and it is so delicious when it is kinda warm, after it has cooled a bit from the oven heat. French vanilla ice cream goes so well with it, that it makes you forget your troubles. It is a stress-buster, and somehow makes you feel like a child again. Pies can be bought in the store ready-made, or in can, just pour and bake. My feeling is to go for a little bit of work for a truly scrumptious treat. You can have some fun with your children or a date, or significant other making a homemade pie. Just buy a pie crust from the grocery, or make one from salt, flour and butter. (easy) There are so many recipes out there, you can just google it, or go to myrecipes.com or allrecipes.com and search for one that fits you! The filling can be fresh fruit, canned fruit, frozen fruit. It can be one berry, or a medley or flavors. You usually just have to add sugar, pectin, and/or tapioca, and cover it (don't forget to poke holes in the pie crust on the bottom before you bake it! I am not even going to post a recipe here. It really is very easy to make a good pie compared to the enormous taste and satisfaction you get from making it at home. You might get the fever for it and make some to give away to friends, family, or it can be given as an offering at a dinner party. Anybody can just go buy a pie, but if you make it with your own hands, everyone will know it, and the thanks will be coming your way! Get ready!

Photo:Erich Coleman

Kitchen Tip: Put a cookie pan under any pie that you bake, just in case it spills over from the edges. It is much easier to clean than if it gets baked into the oven surface!

Special Banana Bread

I was trying to think of how to make banana bread different, so I added chocolate! Then I wanted something that would really set it apart, so why not a Gran Marnier drizzle to give it a nice hint of sweet orange? It is really delicious, and the recipe is right here!

Photo:Erich Coleman

Chocolate Banana Bread with Gran Marnier

1 3/4 (414 ml) cups flour

1/4 (59 ml) cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 (7 ml)  tsp cream of tartar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 (6 ml) tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 (5 ml) tsp vanilla flavoring

2/3 (158 ml)cups sugar

2 ripe bananas

1/3 (79 ml) cup butter

2 cups (474 ml) walnuts

4 tbsp (59 ml) Gran Marnier (2 tbsp separated)

2 tbsp (30 ml) simple syrup

(simple syrup: 1 cup (237 ml) water, 2 cups sugar, bring to a boil to dissolve sugar, let cool, then it's done!)

Preheat over 350 degrees (177 C). Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour 2 tbsp of Gran Marnier over two cups two cups of walnuts. Turn the walnuts every five minutes or so to absorb the orange flavor. Mix eggs, butter,  sugar, and bananas well. Pour wet ingredients int dry ingredients and turn slowly until well-mixed. Bake banana bread in a bread pan for about one hour, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Combine remaining simple syrup and Gran Marnier and pour on top and down the sides where the bread meets the pan. Try to cover as much as possible, as the heat from the pan will evaporate the liquids. leaving behind a faint, sweet orange flavor with every bite. Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip: Take a clean toothpick and poke it in the center of the bread about 10 minutes before you think it might be done. If it comes out clean, then it is done. Ovens vary in tempurature, and this is an easy way to not over-bake your dessert!

Fresh-baked Bread Cannot be Beat

The smell of fresh bread baking exists in just about every culture on the planet! Sure, it is easy to go to the store and bye a loaf, but that fresh-baked smell cannot be beat! If you have many people in the house, and time in the morning, you could possibly get in the habit of doing this everyday (...our daily bread...). The following recipe is a basic one, so you can add just about any herb or cheese or combination, and it will be delicious...especially if you make the dipping sauce and eat it while it is oven-fresh!

Photo:Erich Coleman

The Bread:

2 cups flour (474 ml)

1 cup water (237 ml)

1 package yeast 2 1/4 tsp (12 ml)

1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar 

1/4 -1/2 cup (59- 118 ml) cheese chunks (more as desired)

2 tbsp (30 ml)oregano

1 tbsp (5 ml) onion powder

1 tbsp parsley (various spices)

1 tbsp olive oil

Add all of the yeast to the cup of water heated to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit (38-43 degrees Celsius)

Stir lightly until all is dissolved. Add sugar and stir it in. Wait about 5-10 minutes or until bubbles start to form. Add spices to flour and mix throughout. In a bowl or on the counter top, create a crater in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the water and fold in the flour until all the water is used up and a dough starts to form. Take it out of the bowl on put the counter top and work it (knead it) until the dough is easy to work with and is not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour, and if the dough is brittle and falling apart, add a little more water. You want a homogeneous ball of 

 dough, that is not sticky. Use some flour on the counter to keep it from sticking. Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes. Cover ball of dough thoroughly with olive oil, and place in a large bowl (dough will rise) covered with a damp kitchen towel. (For this, I like to heat some water in the microwave for about a minute, and then place the bowl in this warm draft-free space. Heat is water makes the yeast rise, so make sure none of your ingredients are cold.

After about 45 minutes, the dough should be about twice its original size. Take it out and pound it down, and knead it for another 5 minutes. Now flatten out the bread dough and place your cheese chunks on top. Fold it over to cover the cheese. Some cheese may melt out of the side and bake on the side of the bread pan. This is ok, and the melted, baked cheese will be delicious! Place in a greased bread pan and cover with damp towel and allow to rise once more. In another 45 minutes, take out and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (177 Celsius) Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown.

The Dipping Sauce:

1/4 (59 ml)cup virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (59 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 minced garlic cloves

3 tbsp (45 ml)capers

2 tbsp (30 ml) shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

Combine in a bowl or mix on  plate.

Kitchen Tip: If you heat garlic up on (husk still on) a dry skillet for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat, it will taste better, it will pop out of the husk when you cut off the little ends, and when you put it through a garlic strainer, it turns to the consistency of butter!

Home-made Alfredo Sauce

There is no better freedom than walking down the aisle in a grocery store and passing up all the jarred sauces, because you know how simple they are to make at home! This Alfredo sauce recipe is easy to remember, especially once you have done it a few times!

Photo:Erich Coleman

The Sauce:

1 stick of butter (1/4 cup: 59ml)

1 cup (237ml) heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cloves fresh garlic

1 cup (237 ml)grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese *optional

1/4 cup shredded parsley

The Preparation:

Heat the garlic cloves (still in the husk) on a dry skillet on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, or until the husk starts to brown. Cut off ends, and garlic will pop right out of the husks with no fuss!

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted, slowly pour the cream in while whisking to blend well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat just a little bit and pour the shredded cheese in slowly while whisking as the cheese melts into a nice sauce. If you don't have Gruyere cheese, just replace it with more Parmesan.

Sprinkle in the parsley, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Voila! You have just made fresh Alfredo sauce, and the stuff in the jar will never be on your grocery list again!

It seems a bit complex, but after you do this two or three times, you won't even have to measure anymore! Match with your favorite pasta: fettuccine, bow ties, angel hair, etc.

Don't forget the garlic bread and the white wine! Enjoy

Kitchen tip: Place chopsticks or a wooden spoon on top of your boiling pasta, so that it won't boil over! ;-)

The Dessert of Kings

Baklava is multi-thousand year old recipe that cannot be traced to its origin! It was, without a doubt, the food of kings! It has amazing taste, texture and aroma! If you have never had it, you should change that as soon as possible! This dessert was my #1 favorite for years and years, until I met creme brulée!
To make it, you should buy one package of phillo dough (most grocery stores have it in the frozen food section.), honey, butter, sugar, pistachios, or walnuts, or cashews, or a combo of nuts, and cinnamon.

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/erich.coleman.5/videos/10153649834819829/

Video:Erich Coleman

1package phillo dough (thawed)
3/4 cup melted butter (177 ml)
2 cups chopped pistachios (474 ml)
1/2 cup sugar (divided in half) (118 ml)
1/3 cup honey (79 ml)
1 1/2 cups water (355 ml)
2 tbsp cinnamon (30 ml)

THE BAKLAVA:
First, preheat your oven to 350 F degrees (177 C). Take a glass baking dish that is 9"x 13" (22cm x 33cm), and let the phillo dough thaw for at least an hour. Be careful as you unroll it. If it breaks easily, let it thaw until it is easy to work with. Unroll all the dough onto your counter space, and cover with waxed paper and then cover again with a damp dishcloth. It is extremely thin and will dry out quickly, if you don't do this.
Divide out 1/4 (59 ml) cup sugar, and add to chopped nuts and cinnamon in a bowl. Carefully place a few sheets of phillo on the bottom of the baking dish, using a culinary brush, brush it with the melted butter.Then sprinkle some of the nut-sugar-cinnamon mix on top. Repeat this until the butter, phillo, and nut mix is used up. Butter, sprinkle, repeat! the last layer of phillo should have twice as many layers as usual. You will have about 7-10 layers depending. If you run out of butter, just melt some more, no problem. Make sure you cover the phillo dough back each time you take some from under the waxed paper. IT DRIES OUT QUICKLY!
The top layer should be buttered as well. Now CAREFULLY cut diamond shapes through out the entire dish. (Refer to video) The buttered phillo dough will stick to your fingers, but with practice, you will get good at keeping it down. After it is all cut, place it in the preheated over for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

THE SYRUP:
The syrup is made from sugar honey and water, and can be done while the baklava bakes. It does not need to be done ahead of time.
Heat the water in a small pan (preferably one with a pour spout) if you don't have one, you can always transfer the prepared syrup to a measuring cup.
Without bringing to a boil, add the remaining sugar, and honey. Stir constantly, the mixture will become thickened, and smell delicious, after about 10-15 minutes.

THE FINISH:
Once the baklava is ready and browned, carefully take it from the over and immediately, but slowly pour the syrup over every area of the baklava. You will hear it bubble and sear into the dried hot dessert, and the heat from the glass dish will further evaporate the water in the syrup, which makes it thicker. Be sure to pour all along the sides and on top of the baklava (see video).
I call this the "Magic Moment", and if you are doing this at a dinner party, you can time it so that your guests can watch this part. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the dessert to cool. If you serve it a la mode, while it is still a bit warm, I guarantee success! Refrigerate any that is leftover; there won't be much!

Kitchen tip: Clean out your microwave oven easily by heating up a cup of water for two minutes in it first. This softens the cooked on food for easy clean up!