Easy Roasted Chantenay with Lemon & Thyme Chicken

Serves 4.
Preparation time: 15 minutes    
Cooking time: 1 hour

You’ll need:
4 tbsp olive oil
Pared rind and juice of 1 lemon
3 large sprigs of thyme
4 chicken portions
400g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed (and halved, if large)
2 medium parsnips, scrubbed or peeled, topped, tailed and cut into wedges
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
2 medium raw beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges
2 tsp brown sugar
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

What to do:
1.First marinate the chicken.  In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the rind and juice of the lemon, the leaves of a sprig of thyme and some black pepper.  Add the chicken pieces and rub with the marinade.  Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for an hour.

2.An hour or so before you want to eat, preheat the oven to 200˚C/
Gas Mark 6.

3.In a bowl, toss the prepared Chantenay, parsnips, turnips and beetroot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the brown sugar, a couple of sprigs of thyme and bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer the vegetables to a large roasting tin (large enough to hold the vegetables comfortably in a single layer).

4.Place the vegetables in the preheated oven to roast for one hour, turning once or twice during cooking.  Put the marinated chicken into a separate roasting tin, season with salt and add to the oven for the last 40 minutes of the cooking time.  The vegetables are ready when cooked through and starting to blacken around the edges; the chicken is cooked when the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.

5.Serve the chicken on top of a bed of vegetables.

Grilled Ginger-Lime Tuna

PREP TIME 10 Min

TOTAL TIME 1 Hr 25 Min

SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 lb tuna steaks

3/4 to 1 inch thick 1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped gingerroot

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

2 cloves garlic

crushed Lime wedges, if desired

1. If fish steaks are large, cut into 6 serving pieces. In shallow glass or plastic dish or resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix remaining ingredients except lime wedges. Add fish; turn to coat. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate, turning fish once, at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.

2. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Remove fish from marinade; reserve marinade. Cover and grill fish about 4 inches from medium heat 11 to 15 minutes, brushing 2 or 3 times with marinade and turning once, until fish flakes easily with fork. Discard any remaining marinade. Serve fish with lime wedges.

Grilled Scallop and Watermelon Kebabs

30 minutes/serves 12 as an appetizer
Recipe and Photo provided by watermelon.org

12 pieces sea scallops
4 cups boiling vegetable or chicken broth
24 cubes 1 inch by 1 inch watermelon cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger

Cut the scallops into halves across the diameter to create half-moon shapes. Place them in a heat-proof casserole dish in a single layer. Pour the boiling clear broth over the scallops and let them poach for 5 minutes. Drain and cool the scallops. On each skewer alternate 1 half-moon scallop, then 2 watermelon cubes, then another half-moon scallop. Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger and brush the kebabs as they are grilled over a medium hot grill for about 90 seconds per side turning once. Serve warm.

American Pride Pork Chop

5 minutes prep, 10 minutes cook

Ingredients

4 bone-in loin pork chops, 1-inch thick

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Cooking Directions

Combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, allspice and thyme leaves in a small bowl. Rub both sides of pork chops with herb mixture. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes. Discard any remaining herb mixture.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in grill. Pat pork chops dry while being careful not to remove the rub. Grill chops, over direct heat, turning once, to medium doneness or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F., about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Makes 4 servings.

Backyard Barbecue Spareribs

15 minutes prep, 120 minutes cook

Ingredients

2 slabs pork spareribs

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups cherry cola soft drink

1/4 cup vinegar

2 teaspoon paprika

2 teas chili powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

Cooking Directions

Prepare a medium-hot banked fire in covered kettle style grill. Cut each slab of ribs between ribs into four pieces. Place rib-side-down over indirect heat and grill for 1 1/4 hours.

Meanwhile in a saucepan combine catsup, Worcestershire sauce, cherry cola, vinegar, paprika, chili powder, pepper and onion; simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Brush ribs generously with sauce and continue to cook, about 20-30 minutes, basting and turning often, until ribs are nicely glazed.

Serves 4.

Shrimp Salad with Dried Cherries – Feeling Inspired?

25 min/4 servings
Source: Cherry Marketing Institute, Inc., (www.choosecherries.com)

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coarse-ground Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 tsp chopped fresh basil)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Salad:

• 4 cups mixed salad greens
• 1 lb medium-size, cooked, peeled shrimp
• 2 small ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 3/4 cup dried tart cherries
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

For the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, basil and salt; mix with a wire whisk or beat with a large spoon until well mixed. Refrigerate while preparing salad. For the salad, divide salad greens evenly between 4 plates. Combine shrimp, avocados, cherries and green onions in a large bowl; divide shrimp mixture evenly over salad greens. Drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

Watermelon Glazed Mini Barbecued Meatballs

About 30 min/6-8 servings
Source: www.watermelon.org (National Watermelon Promotion Board)

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 24-36 frozen prepared mini meatballs
• 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 1 cup watermelon puree

Heat the oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat or electric skillet set on 325°. Sauté the mini meatballs until browned and hot. Reduce heat to low. Mix together the barbecue sauce and watermelon puree. Pour over the meatballs and simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Bistro Potato Salad with Caramelized Onions

70 min. / 6 servings
Source: www.onions-usa.org (National Onion Association)

• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill leaves (1 tsp dried dill weed)
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Boiling salted water
• Salt and pepper

Sauté onions in olive oil in large skillet over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill. Boil potatoes 20 to 35 minutes or until fork tender but not mushy. Drain and chill in covered container.

Combine mayonnaise with dill leaves, mustard, lemon juice and sugar. Slice chilled potatoes and brush a thin glaze of the dilled mayonnaise over tops. To arrange salad, spoon onions onto plate, spreading into 10 to 12-inch round. Make overlapping circles of glazed sliced potatoes over onions. Spoon some of the dilled mayonnaise into center and pass remainder in a small bowl. If desired, garnish with fresh herbs or a few arugula leaves.

Spiderweb Brownies

1 hr., 25 min/ 16 servings
Source: www.meals.com (NestleUSA web site)

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) chocolate brownie mix
• 2 (2.1 oz. each) chocolate candy bars, chopped
• 1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9- or 10-inch-round baking pan. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in chopped chocolate candy bar. Spoon into prepared pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk in small mixer bowl until smooth. Pipe cream cheese mixture into concentric circles over brownie batter. Using wooden pick or tip of knife, pull tip through cream cheese from center to last circle to create a spiderweb effect. Bake for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into wedges using wet knife.

Grilled Firecracker Chicken Wings

1 hour, 5 mins. /4 servings
Source: www.bettycrocker.com

• 12 chicken wings (2 1/2 pounds)
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp pepper
• Sour cream, if desired

Fold tips of chicken wings under opposite ends to form triangles. Place remaining ingredients except sour cream in heavy-duty resealable plastic food-storage bag. Seal bag and shake to blend seasonings. Add chicken. Seal bag and shake until chicken is coated with seasonings. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours. Heal coals or gas grill for direct heat. Remove chicken from bag. Cover and grill chicken 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 20 to 25 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Serve with sour cream.