Caribbean Chicken

I really enjoy spicy foods, so when I saw an episode of Guy Big Bite’s on Food TV in which he made a spicy caribbean chicken I was anxious to try it. In the show he actually used the seeds of the jalapenos, and in the recipe it called for a seeded jalapeno. I seeded the jalapenos and regretted it, as I found the chicken could have been spicier. So if you like heat, try adding at least half the seeds of the jalapeno.

Apart from that, the flavors of this jerk recipe are incredible, the allspice stands out, but is not overpowering and rest of the flavors are nicely balanced. Guy also puts his in the oven for about 15 minutes, but I cooked them the entire time on the grill. They were still moist and had that great grilled aroma.

1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice, fresh
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
2 tablespoons jalapeno, seeded, diced
2 teaspoons freshly grated or chopped ginger
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts, bone and skin on
Lime wedges

Puree all ingredients except chicken in food processor. Add marinade and chicken to re-sealable plastic bag, mix thoroughly and let marinate, refrigerated, for 4 to 8 hours.

Heat grill to high, remove excess marinade from chicken and place on grill. Grill each side of chicken for about 10 minutes (or until internal temperature is 165F) and chicken is white.

Tomato-Feta Orzo Salad

This simple orzo salad is perfect for summer at the cottage or picnics. It took me no time to make and was a popular hit on Canada Day. If you want to improve the flavor you could grill or roast the tomatoes first, but it is good just as is. I am going hiking this weekend and will likely make a large bowl of this to take with me and help energize me through what might be a long long hike.

2 cups orzo

3 cups cherry tomatoes halved

2/3 cups feta

1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped

1/2 cup fineldy diced red onion

4T red wine vinegar

2 T olive oil

lemon zest

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta, rinse and drain it. Pour pasta in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss well. Place in fridge and take out 5-10min before serving.

Another great orzo salad is Orzo Salad with Dill & Feta (Roasted Shrimp Optional)

Canada Day Vanilla Buttermmilk Cupcakes

Canada Day turned out to be a beautiful day without any T-storms. Many of my friends contributed to the BBQ with salads, cheese platter, and some very impressively decorated cupcakes (very creative M&D), making the BBQ a success.

In keeping with the theme of Canada Day we played a Canadian Trivia game – the winner received a nice ceramic bottle of a local Canadian beer (Beau’s) and the loser was given ½ a six pack of cheap American beer. The rest of the night was spent chatting, sipping margaritas and indulging in copious amounts of food.

The vanilla cupcakes, made by my friend Michelle were topped with strawberries and cut to look like maple leafs (well done Damien). A great idea - the were just as delicious as they looked.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt1 cup sugar

¼ cup butter, room temperature

1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ tsp almond extract

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Place liners in a 12 cup muffin tin.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it looks creamy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla and almond extracts until mixture is smooth.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until almost combined. Add buttermilk and stir, again, until almost combined. Add the rest of the flour and stir until all ingredients are mixed in.

Divide batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.Let cupcakes cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the muffin pan.

Cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup margarine of butter, softened

1.5 tsp vanilla1-2 tbsp milk

1. Mix powdered sugar and maragarine/butter in medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk.

2. Beat until smooth and spreadable.

Frosts one 13X9" cake, about 24 cupcakes, or one 8 or 9" two layer cake.

...............Happy Canada Day!

Canada Day in the nation's capital is always an exciting event. This year I will not be venturing down to parliament hill, but rather enjoying my backyard with some friends and family - let's just hope the T-storms hold off for the day.

Off course it would be un-Canadian not to have BBQ on Canada Day. However, I am going with a twist and serving up some Canadian BBQ with some mexican flare. Dinner with consist of marinated steak fajitas with all the fixings (grilled peppers & onions, caramelized onions, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, refried beans, cheese, jalapenos), served with salads and margaritas. On the traditional side there will be lots of cold beer ready for consumption.

Here are some great Canada Day Ideas!

Spicy Mussels in Wheat Beer

Beer Butt Chicken

Grilled Ribs in Bourbon Sauce

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Rhubarb-Strawberry Galette