(What to do with burned chicken)

So, this happened last week. I want to share this post with you as sometimes things go wrong. We all have the occasional “off” days; other times we just plan mess up. That goes for me too, although I am a professional food expert; it is important that you see not everything is perfect. I love sharing with you and part of expertise comes from making mistakes. The key to any “failed” attempt is how you react, and what you do with it. I could have very easily cried over these chickens, tossed up my hands and said dinner was ruined. However, that was not an option in my mind.

Here is what happened, and how keeping calm and being creative saved the meal.

Last week my husband Joey and two uncles were building a shed in the backyard. I figured they would be working all day and I wanted to feed my hungry workers. My grandmother was also in town so I thought it would be fun to have her over as well. I had planned the prefect menu that allowed me time to go and pick her up and still get everything on the table. I had all the sides done and tossed the chickens on the grill. Right before I left they would be done perfectly in 1 hour. Perfectly that is if I set the grill at the correct temperature.

I apparently thought that the setting next to “off” was low, however on our grill it was high. I now know better. I was grilling those chickens at 550 degrees. I was lucky they were not complete charcoal. Thankfully, the boys smelled my grilled chickens and took them off earlier.

I got home to 4 hungry people and 2 burned birds. There was no time to make something else so I had to cope with this. I put out the cheese plate I had made earlier; got everyone drinks then went to deal with the little culinary disaster.

Luckily in my effort to cut down on cleaning I had put the chickens in foil pans, which actually protected the wings, legs and thighs. They were fully roasted but still good enough to eat with crispy skin just as they were. The chicken breasts however where another story. That skin was not salvageable so I peeled it off and looked at the meat it was fully cooked. No questions there, just slightly on the dry side. So to add a little moisture and flavor I took some fresh herbs from the garden and melted butter with lemon juice to make a savory lemon herb butter sauce. I poured this over the top and served some on the side. Dinner was saved and everyone ate well.

(Save dry chicken by adding a lemon herb butter for flavor and moisture)

It was definitely not one of my most glamorous dinner parties. However, you can’t judge a dinner party on the food alone. What matters most are the connections between the people at the table. Everyone ate well and had fun even though it did not look as I had planned it. The evening was perfect. This one also gives us another good story to laugh about in the years to come. Next time you are hosting family or friends remember to let go. It may not look as you expected, things may and if done enough will eventually “go wrong” but with a positive and creative attitude you will make it better than before and have fun memories to share for years to come.

Easy Homemade Dressing

(Fresh romaine lettuce from the garden)

Summer is finally here which means the spring veggies are perfect for harvesting and the abundance of summer vegetables is on its way. Veggies can get boring easily so add a flavor kick with a homemade dressing for salads! Use it as a marinade and grill your veggies. Homemade dressings are easier, healthier and tastier than those you will find in the store. Your fresh veggies deserve some fresh flavors and it’s easier than you think! In the video below I will show you how to make simple dressing anytime and a secret on how to do it without dirtying any extra dishes in the kitchen.

Easy Homemade Dressing

Dressings I think are often the most overlooked and under-appreciated aspects of a salad. I love salad dressings because I can whip them up in a flash to add a little kick of sassiness to my salads and they can almost always serve as a marinade or dip for another part of the meal. I love multipurpose items. It is so simple when one item can work twice as hard for you so you don’t have to. In this video I share how easy it is to make homemade dressings and Elizabeth from http://redouxu.com shares some of the health benefits of making your own homemade dressing. We show you how to maximize flavor and leave out the artificial flavors, gums, stabilizers and preservatives.

I share my secret of making homemade dressing without dirtying any dishes and you can even clean out the fridge in the process.

Here is what I like to do: Take a look in your fridge and pull out the old jar of raspberry preserves, fruit jam or even mustard container that has just a tablespoon or two left in it and has been taking up space in your fridge for the last 3 months. The next time you want to make a salad make the dressing right in container. The basic ratio for vinaigrette is 3 to 1, so 3 parts oil to one part acid; this may vary slightly depending on the strength of your chosen acid. Try 2/3-cup olive oil and 1/3 cup acid, (red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, even apple cider vinegar) to the container with a pinch of salt and pepper and shake until well combined.

Taste the dressing and adjust the seasonings if need be, does it make your mouth pucker? Too much acid? Add some more oil or maybe a little sweetness, like sugar, honey or maple syrup! Too oily and bland? Try an extra pinch of salt, some lemon juice or more vinegar, shake and taste again until it is just right. There you did it! Made a healthy dressing and cleaned out your fridge without creating extra dirty dishes.

See recipes below for more guidance and share your favorite salad dressing combinations as well.

(Simple spinach and veggie salad with chicken and Basic Italian-Style Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Basic Italian-Style Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Makes about 1 cup.

For the vinaigrette or marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

cup red wine vinegar
cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Makes about 1 cup.

For the vinaigrette or marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Storage:

You can store dressing in almost any container. I prefer glass with a tight-fitting lid as opposed to plastic because it is non-porous. It won’t leave any flavors behind or leak anything out of the containers. Honestly, an old clean jelly jar is my go to.

Homemade dressings can keep up to 1-2 weeks just check to see: if the color has changed or a different odor has developed it may have spoiled; if so whip up a new batch just to be safe.

grill

What to Do with Burned Chicken