Barbecue Spice Oven Fried Chicken

Barbecue Spice Oven Fried Chicken

With the weather warming up this early April and winter relinquishing its grip this month, I am beginning to yearn for the upcoming barbecue and grilling season. Last summer I came up with Smokin' Summer Spice Dry Rub which I have used in many ways since on pulled pork, beef brisket...even as a seasoning for grilled burgers. I really do think it has a great combination of flavors in the herbs and spices that are used in it. 

When I was making dinner last week, I set out to use my original recipe for The Best Oven Fried Chicken which our whole family loves. When I pulled out the spice drawer to get the spices needed, I noticed that there were a few tablespoons of that Smokin' Summer Spice Dry Rub left from the last batch that I made. I decided to give it a shot as the seasoning for the fried chicken and it turned out great!

We served it with some delicious pasta salad for a quick meal but I recommend if you have the time that you try my easy Unfried Crispy Wedge Fries which go great with fried chicken as a lower fat alternative too.

Cut one whole chicken into parts or use 3 lbs chicken parts of your choice. Add the chicken parts to a large Ziploc bag and then mix together and pour in:

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (optional
• 1 1/2  tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Push as much air as you can out of the bag, close it and place in a bowl in the fridge for 6 - 8 hours or overnight.

Make a dredge for the chicken by mixing together:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 to 3 tbsp Smokin' Summer Spice Dry Rub

Drain the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and then dredge thoroughly in the flour and spice mixture to coat the pieces evenly.

Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet or large baking pan with approximately

• 3 tbsp canola oil  (light olive oil or peanut oil are also good)

Place the coated chicken pieces in the pan and lightly spray the tops with olive oil from a spray bottle. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Drumsticks and wings will take only about 45 minutes. I use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the largest pieces reaches 165 - 170 degrees F.

30 minute Easy Chicken and Chickpea Curry

30 minute Easy Chicken and Chickpea Curry

This recipe was the result of a bit of a challenge that I set for myself based upon an email I got from a reader asking if I had a really quick chicken curry recipe that didn't use a lot of hard to find spices, was only mildly spicy and low in fat. Normally my favorite curries take a while to simmer so the quick requirement was my biggest concern but I decided to give it a whirl anyway.

There are a couple of Asian markets that I go to in my neighborhood for curry spices but for this one I decided to only use spices that were easily found in the spice aisle at the supermarket. This one only has 4 spices and probably the least common of those is the Indian spice blend, garam masala but I checked the last 4 supermarkets I visited and each one of them had it in the spice display so it's now pretty commonly found.


Long story short, even with only a few ingredients and spices, it was terrific. Spouse is not one for hot curries so she was particularly pleased with this one; it's her new favorite. The kids scarfed theirs down too and were even happy to have the leftovers the next day. I would absolutely recommend making a double batch and plan for leftovers of this tasty, economical meal.

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, diced
• salt and pepper to season
• 3 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion diced fine
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp yellow curry powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup drained low fat yogurt (or low fat Greek yogurt)
• 2 cups canned chick peas, drained and rinsed 

Heat the peanut oil in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat,  Brown the chicken pieces for a few minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and add the onions and garlic. Cook them for a few minutes until they soften then add the turmeric, yellow curry powder, garam masala and cardamom.Stir them well into the onions and garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Return the browned chicken to the pot along with the fresh ginger and and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a slow simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the yogurt and chickpeas and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve over plain basmati rice.

30 minute Easy Chicken and Chickpea Curry

Oven Baked Double Crunch Kung Pao Wings

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Superbowl Game Day Food

Oven Baked Double Crunch Kung Pao Wings

If the small group of friends that I served these outstanding wings to this past weekend is any indication, this is bound to be a very popular recipe. With the sweet, spicy and slightly salty sauce sticking to super crunchy wings it isn't hard to love these finger lickin' good morsels.

I used the same double dip method for getting a good crunchy crust on my fried wings but this time decided to switch up the cooking method by baking them on a lightly oiled baking sheet with a light spray of oil over the surface of the wings before being popped into the oven. A quick flip of the wings about half way through the cooking time was all it took to make these beautifully crunchy and ready for a quick drizzle of the kung pao sauce before serving.A terrific party food or add some fried rice or spicy noodles for a delicious family meal that will get them rushing to the dinner table.

Mix together:

2 cups flour
6 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper

Prepare an egg wash of 2 eggs and 4 tbsp cold water whisked together.

Wash, pat dry, trim the tips and cut into sections:

3 pounds chicken wings

Dip the wing pieces into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash. Quickly drop the wings one by one, back for a final time into the flour and spice mix. Drop the coated wings onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Don’t crowd them together closely, they need a little space between them to make them crispy. Bake the wings in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 30- 35 minutes or until fully cooked at the center.  The wings should also be turned over once about 20 minutes into the cooking time. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the wings you use. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels for a few minutes before tossing with the Kung Pao Sauce.

Kung Pao Sauce

2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 cloves minced garlic

In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic until almost completely cooked. Add:

1 tbsp crushed chile paste or chili flakes (more or less to taste)

Toss the chile paste in the oil and garlic for a few seconds before adding all the following ingredients quickly and all at once.

¼  cup rice wine
1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
1/2 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
few drops toasted sesame oil

Simmer together for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Drizzle over the cooked wings and toss together lightly.

No Added Fat Apple Walnut Muffins

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of no added fat baking but at times everybody is looking to cut back on calories and fat so a delicious healthier option muffin recipe option is often appreciated. I have a couple of good low fat muffin recipes but this is the first time I've tried to go totally no fat added and I absolutely didn't regret the experiment. These muffins get their moisture from unsweetened applesauce and with added chunks of apple steaming inside as they bake, a little more moisture is imparted to the muffin as well.

As I always say with low fat or no fat added muffins, these are not meant to be baked well in advance. Being oil free, these muffins will have a short shelf life and are intended to be baked and eaten while still warm out of the oven at their freshest and best. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a fragrant spice touch which smells terrific as they bake and the toasted walnuts add a tasty, crunchy textural contrast as well. Overall, I really enjoyed these wholesome and healthy muffins and I will definitely be making these again.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place paper muffin liners in the muffin tins.

Sift together and set aside:


2 cup flour (you can use whole wheat or a combination of both)
3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg


In the bowl of an electric mixer beat whisk together until foamy


3 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir in:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1 cup chopped apple

Gently fold in the dry ingredients by hand. Be very careful not to overmix this batter or your muffins will be quite tough when baked. When the flour is just fully incorporated stop folding and spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. You can garnish the tops with apple slices and walnuts if you like. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Apple Breakfast Muffins

Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Apple Breakfast Muffins

Here's a great weekend brunch baking idea that also makes a terrific alternative to the Monday morning quick granola bar breakfast if you have some left over. I think these are best served warm as a wholesome quick breakfast. These dense hearty muffins are very satisfying with very little added sugar or oil. The mashed bananas and grated apple keep these muffins particularly moist and a few seconds in the microwave to warm them make them just as good the next day.

Makes about one dozen.

Mix together and set aside:

• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup all purpose or 60% whole wheat flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Beat together until fluffy:

• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 tbsp sugar

Blend in:

• 2/3 cup milk

Fold in the dry ingredients and when the flour is almost incorporated fold in:

• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1 cup grated apple (approximately one large apple)

Do not over mix. Fold in only until the fruit is mixed through the batter.

Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 -25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes about 10-12 muffins.