Sweet n' Spicy Grilled Hens

I love Cornish Game Hens.  They are delicious and affordable.  When prepared properly, they also leave an impression on those lucky enough to share your table.
For years, I followed my mother's example and roasted the birds.  That was before I grilled them.  Now I wouldn't do it any other way.  This recipe is simple but oh so delicicous and the result and light, juicy, and very, very tasty.  A perfect summer supper!

What's In It:

2 Cornish Game Hens
1 bottle of your favorite vinegar-based salad dressing (I use everything from Italian dressing to Ginger Sesame)
1 bottle Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce

How To Make It:

Split game hens in half.  (Discard innards, if packed inside.)
Rinse birds under cold, running water.  Pat dry with paper towels.
Place birds in marinator (You can find these in the plastics section of any department store for less than $10.00.) or shallow baking dish.
Pour salad dressing over hens and cover.  (When using a marinator, I usually flip the dish several times to coat meat.)  Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Place hens on preheated grill, skin side up.  Close lid, venting slightly.
Hens should cook a total of 45 minutes on a slow grill.  About 30 minutes in, begin basting with the Fischer & Weiser sauce, turning at least once to ensure a caramelized coating on both sides.


© Copyright 2009-2011 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved

Buffalo Chickens on the Fourth of July

I always host the Fourth of July. And, like most Americans, I cook out. The menu is never the same, mainly because I enjoy trying new recipes on what I know will be an appreciative group of taste-testers.


Hotdogs and hamburgers were a mainstay for many years. One year though, I threw a few bratwursts on the grill next to our traditional fare and found myself serving hotdogs and hamburgers for most of the next week.

We’ve cooked ribs, smoked pork roasts, and grilled chicken. I prefer the chicken, especially when marinated in Hula Grill Chili Water. This fabulous concoction is only available at the Hula Grill in Honolulu, Hawaii. Fortunately, they have an online store. It’s pricey, but worth it!

I light the grill just as our guest starts to arrive. This allows the men-folk to share all their favorite grilling tips while the women congregate in the kitchen. And, this is where appetizers come in. I always have three or four yummy things set about to whet my guests’ appetites.

My Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip is always a hit. And you can have some, as long as you get there before my grandson. He’s been known to pull a chair up in front of this dish!


Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

This is best made ahead and re-heated just before your guests arrive!

4 boneless, skinless, cooked chicken breasts ground or chopped in food processor (Grilling as I described above, gives this dish an extra oomph!)
1 bottle wing sauce (Any brand, as there’s very little difference. We prefer hot to mild.)
8 oz. cream cheese (Use low-fat if you want to. I think it loses something in the translation...)
½ cup Blue Cheese Dressing (I prefer the brands refrigerated in the produce section of most grocery stores.)
1 8 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (You may use more, if you like. After all, there’s really no such thing as TOO much cheese.)

Blend wing sauce and cream cheese. Add ground chicken, blue cheese dressing, and cheese. Place in baking dish and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Serve warm with tortilla chips. (Goes great with beer!)

© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved

Macaroni and Cheese, Please...

We seem to get together more as a family during the summer months than at any other time. Of course, the grill is our cook-top of choice. Meats go there. Sometimes I’ll throw on several ears of buttered corn, still in their husks. Skewered peppers, pineapple, and onions bring out the best in most any meat they grill alongside. And the aroma! Mmmmm…I’m getting hungry just thinking about them.


I’ll do a cold pasta salad, and a fruit dish. Sometimes it’s enough to serve a big bowl of plain-old potato chips. But, as much as I’d like, I’m never spared lighting the oven. Because in our family, cookouts aren’t complete without baked beans and macaroni and cheese. The meats are interchangeable, the pasta isn’t necessary, and the fruit, as nice as it is, isn’t the focus of anyone’s meal. I can scrimp on the baked beans. I can save a little time by buying a dressed up version in a can and doctoring it in a saucepan.

Macaroni and cheese, though, is a side of a different color.

I have no one to blame, but myself. When my kids were young and their parents poor, boxed macaroni and cheese was just fine. They ate pounds of the stuff, and loved it. As often happens, our taste-buds matured along with our pocketbooks, and I soon found myself using grated cheddar (sharp, only) instead of packages of powdered facsimile.

I started by using my mother’s recipe. She baked marvelous macaroni and cheese using the recipe from her decades-old Betty Crocker cookbook. My sons fell in love at first bite. It’s a good recipe. I used it for years, with good results. Everyone was very happy. We enjoyed a nice, stable relationship. But, as so often happens, one day I woke up wanting something more, something spicy, something new, more joie de vivre!

Enter Alton Brown who, according to my sons, engineered the penultimate macaroni and cheese recipe. They took one bite, and I never looked back. No family dinner is complete without it.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese (courtesy of Alton Brown)

½ lb. elbow macaroni (I’ve used other kinds, especially when my kids were younger, but elbows really are best.)

3 tbl. butter (Have you read the ingredients in margarine?)

3 tbl. flour (Unbleached and organic if possible)

1 tbl. powdered mustard

3 c. milk (We like “Horizon”)

½ c. onion, finely diced (Vidalias only, when in season)

1 bay leaf (makes such a difference!)

½ tsp. paprika

1 large egg (Thank you Pat, Chloe, Sylvia, and Lucy!)

12 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded (2 things: Yes! It does matter if it’s sharp. And, if you don’t measure and end up using a little more, even better…)

1 tsp. kosher salt

Fresh (of course!) black pepper

Topping:

3 tbl. butter

1 c. panko bread crumbs

(Personally, I can do without the topping, but it does make for a pretty dish.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. (firm, but not hard)

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a separate pot. Whisk in flour and mustard, and keep it moving for about 5 minutes, making sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove bay leaf.

Temper in the egg.(slowing add a small amount of hot mixture to egg before adding egg to mix) Stir in ¾ of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold cooked macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole. Top with remaining ¼ of cheese.

Melt butter in sauté pan and toss bread crumbs to coat. Top macaroni with bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe serves a large family.


© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved