BLACKENED CHICKEN RECIPEMy blackened chicken recipe is worth it's weight in gold. You adjust the seasonings to how "hot" or mild you want it. I offer tips on how to save hundreds of dollars a year with my original recipes.
BLACKENED CHICKEN RECIPE Great on a summer's day with grilled corn-on-the-cob and mashed potatoes. It's delicious when cooked on the grill too. 4 chicken breast halves or thighs 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp homemade cayenne pepper, or to taste 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp homemade onion powder 1/4 tsp homemade garlic powder 1/2 tsp homemade Cajun seasoning, divided in half (or to taste) vegetable or canola oil spray Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking (this brings the chicken closer to room temp and the chicken will cook faster). Mix the 8 seasonings together (not the Cajun seasoning) and place in a resealable bag. Heat a cast iron pan on high for 5-10 minutes until smoking hot. Meanwhile, spray the chicken directly with vegetable or canola oil and place in the seasoning bag and shake until coated. Place the chicken in the pan and lower the temperature to medium-high; letting it cook for 5-7 minutes (you will see the sides of the breast turn white). Spray the uncooked side with vegetable or canola oil and again sprinkle with the remaining Cajun seasoning; flipping it over. Cook another 5-7 minutes. Take it out of the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Heat pan till it's smoking hot, to help cook chicken faster and allowing it to sear and seal in juices. Let chicken sit 10 minutes after it is out of the pan for the juices to flow throughout the chicken. If you cut it too early only the first bite will be juicy the rest will be dry, and you don't want that. |
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SECRET #1
There are many way to prepare these strawberries, but I am going to give you my easy methods. When you are melting the chocolate over a double boiler, don't let the water touch the bottom of your upper pan. Heat until only 1/2 of the chocolate is melted, then remove from heat and stir gently until it is all melted.
The chocolate should actually be cool or tepid to the touch. If it's hot, chances are it will seize up and thicken. If it does that, no amount of heating or stirring will fix it.
If you don't have a double-boiler, use a saucepan - bring the water to a boil, and then use a stainless steel bowl to rest in the saucepan to melt the chocolate.
SECRET #2
Strawberries are grown with many pesticides, so rinse the strawberries first with a veggie wash, and let them drain on paper towels until they were thoroughly dry so the chocolate would adhere properly. Any moisture would have interfered with the chocolate adhering.
SECRET #3
Spike the strawberries! Fill a syringe with a sweet white dessert wine, and slowly inject the wine into the strawberries from near the stem (after you've done the dipping in chocolate.) You want to inject enough wine to saturate the berries, but watch not to add too much otherwise they end up becoming runny. These are always a hit when I bring them to dinner parties.
SECRET #4
Pierce the strawberries on the stem side with a toothpick. Holding the strawberry by the toothpick, dip into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.
PERFECT Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipes
A delicious twist on my favorite red velvet cake recipe. Yum.
HOMEMADE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
CRUST:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 TBS white sugar
shaved chocolate bar
CHEESECAKE:
3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3 TBS cocoa, unsweetened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring
TOPPING:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
shaved chocolate bar, for garnish
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. The cake is baked with a water bath to prevent cracking. Wrap a large pan with foil (big enough for the spring form pan to fit in).
Mix the graham crackers and sugar together and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with chocolate shavings from a candy bar.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1-1/2 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in the center of the foil covered pan. Fill with water.
Bake for 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center is firm. Cool completely on a wire rack.
TOPPING:
Beat the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with the shaved chocolate bar.
*Buttermilk:
Place 1-1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Wait 15 minutes, stir, and it's ready for this recipe.