great taste

THE ULTIMATE! Fried Chicken & Angry Potatoes (Papas Bravas)

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Let me warn you – if you don’t like spicy food………. ahhh, don’t worry, if you don’t like spicy, just replace all the cayenne pepper with mild smoked paprika and you’ll be fine.
But if you do like spicy, this recipe is addictive, especially if you combine the Papas Bravas (my own version of this Spanish classic) with the chicken as I have done here. It might take a bite or two to get used to the heat, but then……Heaven 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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The Ultimate Fried Chicken & Angry Potatoes (Papas Bravas)

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The Ultimate Fried Chicken & Angry Potatoes (Papas Bravas)

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juicy lucy…….

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Preparation :
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chicken tighs and breast

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add peeled, raw potatoes, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and granulated garlic

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eggwash : whole eggs, greek yougurt, sriracha, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic

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whisk eggwash until smooth

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seasoned flour : a/p flour, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, kosher salt

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dredge chicken in seasoned flour

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coat floured chicken with eggwash

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dredge flour dredged, eggwash coated chicken once more in seasoned flour, shake off excess flour, fry at 325F for about 20 minutes, depending on size of chicken

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after 10 minutes frying the chicken, add the seasoned totatoes, fry until soft on the inside, crispy and golden on the outside Bout 15 more minutes, during the last 5 minutes, ingrease the temperature of the oil to 375F

after 10 minutes frying the chicken, add the seasoned totatoes, fry until soft on the inside, crispy and golden on the outside, about 15 more minutes; during the last 5 minutes, ingrease the temperature of the oil to 375F

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when potatoes and chicken are done, remove to absorbent paper

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seasoning dip : cayenne pepper, scotch bonnet hot sauce, garlic paste, lime juice, kosher salt, garlic oil

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ready to add the fried chicken and potatoes to seasoning dip

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toss chicken and potatoes in seasoning dip

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The Ultimate Fried Chicken & Angry Potatoes (Papas Bravas)

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The Ultimate Fried Chicken & Angry Potatoes (Papas Bravas)

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The Ultimate Fried Chicken & Angry Potatoes (Papas Bravas)

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Juicy Lucy …….

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Got up late today, so a substantial breakfast and no lunch will be the order of the day 🙂
Later an early dinner and to bed early, 3.30am the new work week starts 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Breakfast Of Champions
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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Preparation :
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fresh croissant

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cut croissants in half

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saute ham in garlic oil, top two croissant halves with ham

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top with sliced spicy chorizo

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top remaining two croissant halves with sweet chili sauce

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grate asiago cheese on top of chorizo

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top with two soft-boiled eggs each

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top with arugula in french dressing

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 38 – Croissant, Ham, Spicy Chorizo & Soft Boiled Egg

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Octopus is one of my favorite seafood. Unfortunately, fresh octopus is not usually available around here. I sometimes order it online, but for the spur of the moment, I usually fall back to canned octopus. I have tried many different brands over the years and my favorite is the Vigo brand in garlic/olive oil. I usually prepare a salad by mixing it with peppers, herbs, potatoes and vinaigrette. Once in a while I mix it in a mixed seafood stew. However, for the dish at hand it was the perfect taste and texture. I even added the garlic oil from the can since it has a strong taste of the sea. A quick, easy and very affordable seafood recipe. If you are not a fan of octopus, replace it with shrimp, just simmer the shrimp and sauce for less time in order to keep the shrimp succulent and moist.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more about Octopus
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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Preparation :
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saute finely diced onions and garlic paste in olive oil

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when onions are translucent add tomato paste, saute another minute

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deglaze with red wine, add octopus with it's canned oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer fr three minutes, check/adjust seasoning

deglaze with red wine, add octopus with its canned oil, finely chopped tomatoes, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for three more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

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meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, mix with olive oil

meanwhile, cook bucatini al dente, strain, add some olive oil

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plate bucatoni, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

plate bucatini, top with octopus ragout, sprinkle with italian parsley and basil leaves

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Polpi In Umido – Italian Style Octopus Stewed In Wine And Tomatoes

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Playing with food 🙂
Green, white and red –
very easy to come up with a real Mexican dish using the mexican flag colors.

¡ Buen Provecho ! ¡ Viva México!
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Click here for Guacamole recipe
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana recipe
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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Preparation :
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mise en place

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season veal cutlet with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

season thinly pounded veal cutlet with mustard, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, bread with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, saute in olive oil and butter until golden and cooked medium well, remove to absorbent paper

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place onto serving platter, drizzle with lime juice, top with guacamole, sour cream and salsa mexicana, sprinkle with chives or cilantro (however, there is already plenty cilantro in the guacamole)

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Milanesa Mexicana

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Breakfast Of Champions # 37 – Raspberry Pancake

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What a difference it makes to make pancake batter from scratch, compared to the packaged crap. You can control exactly how sweet you want it, make a sweet or savory version (bacon pancake anybody?), add vanilla or not and best of all, the texture and taste is so much better when made from scratch. The only thing you want to be careful with is to make sure that the bowl and wire whisk (to whisk the egg whites) is absolutely fat-free so you can achieve stiff-peaked egg whites which are the key to a feather light pancake.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here to watch a video of how to make an epic Bacon Pancake With Gorgonzola And Cicharones
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Raspberry Pancake

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Preparation :
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mix 1 cup of selfrising flour, 4 eggyolks, 2 tbl spoon sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 dash of vanilla extract

mix 1 cup of self-raising flour, 4 egg yolks, 2 tbl spoon sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 dash of vanilla extract

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mix all ingredients until smooth

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whisk 4 eggwhites until stiff peaks form

whisk 4 egg whites to stiff peaks

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lightly fold egg whites into batter

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pour into medium hot pan

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sprinkle with raspberries

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bake at 380 until pancake has set, flip pancake to brown on other side and to caramelize the raspberries. (to avoid flipping the pancake, you can also turn of the oven when the pancake has set and switch on the broiler), but I personally like the first method better because of the way the raspberries spread out and turn into a caramelized puree 🙂

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to serve, sprinkle with powdered chocolate and sugar, top with raspberry yogurt and more fresh raspberries

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Raspberry Pancake

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Raspberry Pancake

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Raspberry Pancake

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Comfort food at it’s easiest, it’s quickest and it’s best. Once the spinach has been blanched (I always keep some in the freezer for occasions like this), the whole shamukus does not take more than fifteen minutes to prepare, ideal for a lazy day-off lunch while watching a good movie ( Captain Phillips )

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Click here for Creamed Spinach recipe

Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Preparation :
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season chicken and shiitake with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, grill until internal temperature has reached 162F, remove from grill and let rest for fife minutes, carryover heat will cook chickento a perfect 165F

season boneless chicken tights and shiitake mushroom with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, grill until internal temperature has reached 162F, remove from grill and let rest for fife minutes, carry-over heat will cook chicken to a perfect 165F

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place creamed spinach on a serving dish

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top spinach with chicken and shiitake, drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with sliced scallion

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shiitake & Creamed Spinach

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Pork Blade Steak

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If you are on a budget but still like to have more than a tiny steak for dinner, you might want to try this cut. While not overly popular, probably because folks don’ know how to prepare it, it is a great piece of meat, tender, juicy and very economic (meaning bloody cheap 🙂 ) The three steaks in the picture were just $ 4.20, so the whole meal was under six buck’s. Even if you are not on a budget, these steaks make for a great, tasty meal. I guess that most people would have had enough with just one steak (which would then be about $ 2.50 per portion, including the salad), but since I did not prepare any starch, the three of them with a small salad were just the right sized portion for me. And of course, Bella had a few bites too.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pork Blade Steak & Arugula In White Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Pork Blade Steak

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arugula with radish and onions in balsamic vinaigrette

arugula with radish and onions in white balsamic vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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season sliced onions and sliced radishes with kosher salt, set aside

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season blade steaks with kosher salt, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper, dredge in flour, saute in peanut oil

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first one done, two to go…..

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two done, last one on the way

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saute grape tomatoes in garlic/olive oil, season with salt and pepper, just before serving add fresh chives

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meanwhile, squeeze and discard excess juice from radish and onions, add arugula, white balsamic vinegar, freshly ground white pepper, garlic/olive oil and a splash of maggi seasoning

arrange steaks on serving platter, top with sauteed tomatoes and chives

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Pork Blade Steak & Arugula

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Pork Blade Steak

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Pork Blade Steak

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arugula with radish and onions in balsamic vinaigrette

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Living in Florida does not necessarily lend itself to be inspired to cooking with mushrooms, but thankfully the markets around here carry small offerings of fresh mushrooms which I like to enrich by adding some good quality dried mushrooms. Today I got some fresh baby bellas, oyster mushrooms and botton mushrooms, to which I added dry shiitakes and porcini’s. To intensify the mushroom flavor even more, I added some porcini powder to the sauce as well.
And voilà – Mushrooms Galore 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Preparation :
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boil fusilli al buco until al dente, strain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

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saute diced onions and fresh mushrooms in butteruntil onions are opaque

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add garlic paste and re-hydrated mushrooms, saute until dry

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almost….

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add heavy cream, demi glace, merlot, sliced chives, porcini powder, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

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simmer until nape texture is reached, check / ajust seasoning

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add pasta and a small amount of fresh grated asiago cheese, blend well, if too thick, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Friday afternoon, crappy week, don’t feel like doing anything after work, just hanging on the sofa with a drink, flipping through the channels but still want to eat good ?
How about just throwing a bird in the oven and waiting for its georgeous beauty to emerge 90 minutes later?
Actual prep time: Three minutes. Cooking time: About one and a half hour, depending on the size of the chicken. Effort : Zero. Satisfaction: Great.
Voilà, there you have it 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Blend sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic paste and kosher salt. Season chicken with this blend inside and out. Roast on a rack at 420 degrees for 15 minutes, turn down heat to 380 F and cook until chicken has reached 161 F at its thickest part. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting it or tearing it apart. The carry over heat will take the meat to a safe 165 F without drying it out. Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping and lime to drizzle.
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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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Sometimes, in our quest to make evermore beautiful, innovative, stunning, different food, we forget that a simple sandwich, if done well, can give enormous culinary satisfaction if it hit’s the right spot at the right time.
This afternoon was the right time for me to just have a sandwich, a cold beer and a good movie 🙂
The sandwich was a scrumptious Chicken Sandwich, the brewskies were Negra Modelo’s and the movie was Reservoir Dogs.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Garam Masala recipe
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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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Preparation :
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score the top of a skinless chicken breast crosswise, season with cayenne pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic and garam masala, saute in butter until just done, remove to catting board, let rest for 5 minutes

score the top of a skinless chicken breast across, season with cayenne pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic and garam masala, saute in butter until just done, remove to cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes

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