Poultry Archives - Page 12 of 21 - The Nourishing Home

Foolproof BBQ Chicken {Plus BBQ Sauce Recipe}

A great barbecue sauce is a really a matter of opinion – and opinions run high – which is why it comes in so many varieties. In fact, different regions of the country typically have their own favorite version of barbecue sauce that highlights that region’s particular taste preferences – whether sweet or vinegary, runny or thick, or some variation in between.

Personally, we enjoy a Southern-style sweet-n-tangy sauce with rich molasses undertones and just a slight nuance of kick. I’ve shared our favorite BBQ sauce recipe below, incase you’d like to give it a try this summer. However, if you prefer a more tomato-based Kansas-style sauce, my friend Diana developed a real food version that’s especially delicious.

Tips for Foolproof Grilled BBQ Chicken

Whichever sauce you choose, let me share a few secrets with you for foolproof BBQ chicken that will turn your next backyard barbecue into a deliciously memorable event that will have your family and friends begging for more!

• Consider a rub – Most BBQ gurus recommend seasoning chicken pieces with a tasty spice rub prior to grilling. Think of it as layering flavors. The result is an amazingly delicious depth of flavor. You can use any number of spice rubs, but our personal favorite is to sprinkle on a little bam. Trust me, a little goes a long way! Then, allow the chicken to sit at room temp, while you preheat the grill as described below.

• Preheat – When it comes to any kind of cooking, preheating is key and grilling is no different. Preheating your grill at least 10-15 minutes before cooking is vital to getting a good sear. This not only helps to prevent sticking, but even more important, results in a more flavorful and moist outcome.

• Indirect heat – Cooking bone-in chicken over indirect heat rather than an open flame results in moister, more tender chicken. Indirect heat is also crucial when it comes to ensuring that your sauce caramelizes rather than burns. If using a gas grill, turn on just one side of the grill to high. Allow the grill to preheat 10-15 minutes and then place your favorite bone-in chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs or breasts) on the opposite side of the grill (not over the flames). Cover and allow the chicken pieces to cook until they start to turn golden brown (about 20-25 minutes), making sure to follow the tip below.

• Even heat – Movement is key to ensure all of the chicken cooks evenly. So make sure to switch the pieces halfway through the cook time so that the ones closer to the flames trade places with the pieces that are furthest from the flames. This will ensure all pieces are equally cooked.

• Bring on the sauce – Once the chicken is golden and near done, move the pieces closer to the flames and start brushing the sauce on, making sure to turn the chicken often. It’s important at this point to remain stationed at the grill – brushing, turning, and moving the pieces around. Giving the final stage your full focus will ensure everything cooks evenly and is thoroughly covered in a perfectly caramelized sauce.

• Ready to Eat! Once the chicken’s internal temp reads 165°F, remove the pieces from the grill and place them on a serving platter. Tent with foil and allow the chicken to rest about 5 minutes. Then serve and enjoy some finger-licking good barbecue!

With the tips above (and the great sauce below), now it’s your turn to fire up that grill and get your summer BBQ on! For more great summer grilling tips, be sure to check out “The Top 10 Best Grilling Tips.”

That gorgeous Citrus Salad sure looks good, hey? You can find the recipe here. It makes a delicious sweet-n-tangy addition to any summer barbecue!

Southern-Style BBQ Sauce (GF)

Yield: 1 cup of icing

Ingredients

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp organic unsulphured molasses
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (add more for extra kick)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook until onion begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Then add thyme, chili powder and cayenne pepper cooking. Stir until well blended.
Whisk in the ketchup mixture. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer (once it begins to simmer, you may need to reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer). Allow sauce to simmer for 5-8 minutes. It will thick a bit as it cooks.
Then, remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Transfer to a small bowl or a mason jar. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Sauce may be kept in fridge for up to a week, or store in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in fridge overnight when ready to use.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/06/foolproof-bbq-chicken/

Disclosure: The above recipe ingredient links are amazon affiliate links. By purchasing via these links The Nourishing Home receives a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, please know that it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

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Turkey Bolognese with Zoodles {Special Guest Recipe}

By Kelly · Leave a Comment

Incase you missed the news, I’ve completely fallen head-over-heels in love with the spiralizer kitchen tool. I guess we can blame my new friend Ali author of the awesome cookbook Inspiralized for this new obsession … after all, it was her gorgeous blog that sparked my spiralizing passion.

So I ended up chatting with Ali, you can read all about her in my special interview with her, and of course imploring her to share a recipe with us. Cause seriously, once you taste how yummy these zoodles are, your mind will be spinning with ideas on how to get your family to happily and willingly eat more veggies.

In fact, Ali’s amazing Turkey Bolognese with Zoodles is just the first in a series of pasta make-over recipes I’ll be presenting this month all featuring the amazing zoodle! (See the list of spiralizer recipes below.)

So what is a “zoodle,” you may ask?

It’s zucchini that’s been spiralized into noodles. These “zoodles” as we call them, can be used in place of pasta to create delicious, highly nutritious gluten-free and grain-free dishes with all the fun and bite of al dente pasta, but without the gluten, grain and carbs – making them an excellent choice for those on GF diets, or for those who simply want to enjoy more veggies.

A bonus to spiralizing is that it literally takes just seconds to turn the little handle and create a healthy mound of fresh zoodles. In fact, in far less than the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta, you can spiralize some zucchini and add the zoodles to your favorite sauces and sautés, as they literally only take 2-3 minutes to cook.

Want to learn more? I have a 3 Easy Steps to Spiralizing Photo Tutorial that will show you just how simple and delicious it is to spiralizer. So be sure to check it out!

Okay enough chatter, let’s get to the recipe … It’s so delicious that even the skeptics in my house (i.e. preteen boys) asked for seconds. So there you have it – zoodles ROCK!

P.S. Please be sure to meet Ali by checking out my special interview with her. She’s a super sweet friend that really knows how to create delicious healthy dishes using the amazing spiralizer.

Looking for the other recipes shared as part of the four-part spiralizer series? Here they are for easy reference:
• Part Two: Fresh Caprese with Zoodles
• Part Three: Veggie Sauté with Zoodle Ribbons
• Part Four: The Best Veggie Stir Fry.
• BONUS! Learn to spiralize with my fun photo tutorial: How to Spiralizer in 3 Easy Steps!

Turkey Bolognese with Zoodles (GF)

Yield: 2-3 servings

a special guest recipe from Ali at Inspiralized.com

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini
1/2 cup coarse-chopped celery
3/4 cup peeled and coarse-chopped carrots
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 1/2 tsp oregano flakes (plus extra for pinching)
1/3 cup homemade chicken stock
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp tomato paste
Sea salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped basil
Optional: Parmesan cheese to garnish (omit for Whole30)

Instructions

Using a spiralizer with the small-hole blade attachment, make zucchini noodles; set aside. (For step-by-step instructions on how to make zoodles, be sure to check out my How to Spiralize in 3 Easy Steps Photo Tutorial.)
Add the chopped celery and carrots to a food processor and pulse until finely diced.
Put a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Then add the red pepper flakes, cooking for another 30 seconds.
Next, add the onions and cook about 2 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Then add the carrot and celery mixture and cook for an additional minute.
Push the veggie mixture to one side of the skillet and add in the ground turkey, making sure to crumble the meat. Break up the meat further with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Add in ½ teaspoon of oregano flakes and cook the meat until no longer pink.
Combine the veggies with the turkey in the skillet. Then add the chicken broth and cook, stirring continually until the broth reduces by half.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and season generously with salt and pepper. Then add the remaining oregano flakes and basil. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is completely reduced.
Finally, toss in the zucchini noodles and mix thoroughly to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes or until zucchini softens and heats through.
Evenly divide among 2-3 plates and enjoy!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/04/turkey-bolognese-with-zoodles/

Stay tuned … there are even more delicious pasta makeover recipes to come as part of my special Oodles of Zoodles Spiralizer Series this month.

Disclosure: The above links to the spiralizer kitchen tool are amazon affiliate links. By purchasing via these links The Nourishing Home receives a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, please know that it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

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Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken (GF)

By Kelly · 38 Comments

Growing up in the South, Sunday Dinner was a weekly family tradition – a special time when the whole family gathered around the table to share a home-cooked meal, and even more important our lives! It was such a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with each other, and often get to know others too, as many a guest graced our table.

Of course, now that I have a family of my own, it’s one of the cherished memories that my husband and I have committed to passing down to our children too. And although we gather around the table as a whole family nearly every night of the week, there is still something extra special about Sunday Dinner together.

Perhaps it’s because it’s the one uninterrupted family day we have together – no work, no school, no bustling here-n-there to sports and activities. Just a day to enjoy intentional time together as a family.

Roasting a whole chicken is super easy in a crockpot. Just toss in the ingredients and go about your day. A delicious, juicy, tender bird will be waiting for you!

So in order to spend more time with my family (and less time in the kitchen), I try to keep our Sunday Dinner menu as simple and easy to prepare as possible. That’s why this delicious slow cooker roasted chicken is one of my favorites. It’s especially easy to prepare if you chop the veggies and make the seasoning ahead of time.

Bonus! A whole roasted chicken results in more than one meal!

Lots of Leftovers = Easy Meals on Busy Weeknights!
Another thing I love about this recipe is that there’s always plenty of leftover chicken meat that I can use to create other healthy meals later in the week when our schedules are crazy busy, such as easy Zoodle Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry, Creamy Chicken Soup and Chicken & Mango Lettuce Wraps, for example.

And if that’s not enough, once I’ve stripped the chicken bones of all the meat, I put the bones back into my crockpot along with some fresh chopped veggies to create a nutritious bone broth that can be used as a base for my family’s favorite soups and stews.

Slow Cooker Roasted Whole Chicken (GF)

Yield: One 5lb. whole chicken yields about 6 cups of shredded chicken meat

Ingredients

1 4-5 lb. whole organic chicken
1 large onion
1 medium carrot
1 stalk of celery
1 small lemon
1 head garlic
1 bunch fresh thyme

Savory Seasoning Mix

2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Lightly coat the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with olive oil or coconut oil.
In a small bowl, combine all of the Seasoning Mix ingredients; set aside.
Cut the onion in half. Then cut each half into quarters. Cut the carrot and celery into 2 inch pieces. Cut the lemon into 4-5 thick slices. Smash and peel all of the cloves in one head of garlic.
Place half of the onion into the bottom of the crockpot. Then add all of the chopped carrot and celery, along with 1/3 of the garlic cloves.
Next, remove the giblets and neck from inside the chicken and reserve for making stock. Thoroughly rinse the bird in cool running water, trim away any excess skin. (If you are not planning to crisp the skin in the oven, I recommend removing the skin altogether as it will become rubbery in the crockpot). Once you’ve finished cleaning the bird, pat it dry with paper towels.
Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken. Then stuff with the remaining onion and 1/3 of the garlic cloves, along with a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Place the bird breast side up in crockpot and top with the sliced lemon, remaining garlic cloves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Chicken is finished when an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees.
To crisp the skin (if you’ve left it intact), carefully transfer the bird to a broiler pan. Set oven to broil and position the bird about 10-12 inches from the heat source. Broil for approximately 4-5 minutes, just until skin browns and crisps. Delicious and easy! (Remember to save the chicken bones to make easy and healthy homemade slow cooker bone broth!)

Notes

Recipe Variation: For a more traditional garlic-infused bird, omit the lemon and add 6-8 crushed garlic cloves to the top of the bird instead. Super flavorful and makes a wonderful gravy, as noted below.

How to Make Gravy: If you’d like to make gravy using the accumulated juices from the crockpot, remove any large pieces from the liquid. Place a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof 2-cup measuring cup, and carefully pour the liquids into it. Skim off the fat from the top, then transfer the liquid to a small saucepan. Dissolve one tablespoon of arrowroot powder in a small bowl with two tablespoons of water. Whisk thoroughly to form a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the juices while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium and continue to whisk until gravy thickens (about 4-5 minutes). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Place gravy into serving dish and serve alongside the roasted chicken.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/02/slow-cooker-roasted-chicken-gf/

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post include affiliate links, providing The Nourishing Home a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

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