Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Thighs (or “Calm Down” Chicken)
Posted: May 30, 2013 Filed under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Uncategorized | Tags: "Calm Me Down" Chicken, Bar-b-que chicken, BBQ chicken, easy, quick, thighs 2 Comments
(Becky, the Mama)
We have been cleaning, decluttering and staging our house to sell. That sentence sounds so simple, but this has been the hardest physical work I’ve done in my life. I actually lost weight, even though –during the dawn to dark labor — I went on a two week drive-through-burger diet. And this, after two months of being mostly a healthy vegetarian and loving it. What can I say? Even for an avid foodie, there are times that McDonalds Happens.
Now we are “showing our house” — and this means that three adults and one six-year-old grandson have to keep our home mostly perfect, at all times, prepared for the random call from a realtor who wants to bring a client by to see it. We’ve been averaging about two showings a day, which has really cut into my napping and cooking time. Not to mention the toll it has taken on what’s left of my sanity.
Finally, this week, I had a few precious “spare” minutes and –determined not to eat another meal in a box, sack, or bucket –I decided to cook my simple recipe for quick bar-b-que chicken thighs in a skillet. My grandson George’s diet that day consisted of way too much sugar and carbs. He’d been hyper and cranky when I finally settled him down to eat a plate of this succulent, sweet and savory chicken dish. He ate as if in a happy trance, and then asked, “Nonny, can I please have some more of that Calm Down Chicken?”
If your life is a busy as mine right now, you don’t have time for lots of ingredients or a great big mess or something that’s going to take more than 10 minutes to throw together for supper. I bequeath to you this recipe for “Calm Me Down” BBQ Chicken Thighs.
P.S. An additional recipe comment from George: “Nonny, tell the people that this chicken also gives you en-gerny and makes yous muscles strong.” So there ya go.
Nonny and Georgie, happy together. This day he was a musician at Kindergarten Circus. But more often he is my sous chef.
Quick n’ Easy Skillet BBQ Chicken Thighs (or “Calm Down” Chicken)
Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients
6 boneless chicken thighs
Grill or Steak seasoning (or your favorite seasoned salt)
1/3 to ½ c. BBQ Sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s)
Dash hot sauce if you like your Bar-b-que Spicy
1 – 2 T. olive oil
Directions
Put oil in a skillet (preferably an iron skillet), so that it covers the bottom of your pain in a thin layer. Turn the stove up to high heat. Rinse chicken thighs with water and then pat with paper towel until fairly dry. Flatten out the thighs a bit with your hands, and then sprinkle both sides with grill or steak seasoning or seasoned salt. Place in super hot skillet, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until one side is golden brown and then flip and cook the other side until it is the same. Pour BBQ Sauce over the top of the thighs (adding a few shakes of hot sauce if you prefer spice), cover the skillet and then turn down the heat to medium and cook about another minute (to make they are thoroughly cooked). Finally remove the lid, crank heat up to medium high and cook the thighs until the sauce that has dripped to the bottom of the pan begans to thicken and caramelize. Turn chicken again, coating all sides with thickened sauce. Serve. (It is delicious and pretty to serve this on one big plate, with slices of fresh pineapple tucked around and if you like them, a sprinkle of green onions or chives.)
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The Title: Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Thighs
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This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Simple Lentil Soup
Posted: May 9, 2013 Filed under: Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Soups, Toddler-Approved, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: 30 minute meals, gluten-free, high protein vegan meal, simple lentil soup, vegetarian lentil soup 4 Comments
Last week Jackson and I flew to Colorado to stay at my mom’s for a few days. It was one of the best visits we’ve had there. Jackson adores his Nonny and Poppy and he’s finally big enough to really play with his big cousin George, whom he thinks hung the moon. Jackson asks for George every day. Every single day. So we watch a lot of videos to hold him over between visits. And George is so good and patient with his little cousin.
The day we flew in, May 1, it snowed and snowed and snowed all day. Not your typical spring visit, but we made the best of it. It’s not every year you see snow in May.
Cousins George and Jackson, buddies for life.
No time like snow time to learn to ride a bike.
This Texas boy has never seen this much snow. He loved it.
The next day, we had pictures scheduled for the book. The sun came out, the snow mostly melted and we were able to get some great shots thanks to our fabulous photographer Molly McMillan. This one will be used for the back cover.
Because one of us is usually behind the camera, I don’t have many pictures of me and my mom. These pictures are one of the many blessings that have come from doing this blog and book together.
After the photo shoot, we were pretty wiped out…and hungry! We both declared we were retiring from our one-day modeling career. Way too much work and not enough food!
With my sister-in-law Julie heading back to the house with the boys and Greg (mom’s husband) on his way home, we quickly transitioned from top models to cooks in the kitchen. Mom was going to run to the grocery store to get fixins for Messy Greek Sandwiches and Reubens and I’d get started on some kind of soup to go along. I rummaged through her pantry and held up a bag of lentils, “How about lentil soup?” “Perfect! I’ve had those lentils for months and wasn’t sure what to do with them,” she admitted. “Oh it’s so easy,” I told her. “It takes no time to get started and will be finished simmering by the time you’re back from the store.” Mom headed to the grocery store and I got started chopping onions and carrots. By the time Julie walked in with Jackson and George, I had the soup covered and simmering, happy to step out of my author/foodie hat and into mommy and auntie role again.
Mom came home from the store and said the house smelled just like her Nonny’s, my great grandmother’s, kitchen. I didn’t know her well, but I’ve heard story after story of her in the kitchen. She was quite the cook. One of my favorite pictures of her is one of her standing in her old 1950s kitchen with a yellow apron tied around her neck. Something about recreating the comforting tastes and smells from her kitchen makes me feel connected to her. I can imagine her cooking up a simple soup like this to feed her nine children on their very tight budget.
What foods and smells bring back childhood memories for you?
Simple Lentil Soup
Makes 3.5 quarts
1/2 cup onion (~1 small or 1/4 big onion), diced
4 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
Olive oil (enough to coat pan)
1 lb lentils, sorted for rocks and rinsed
8 cups veggie broth (2 quarts)
1 32 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
2 teaspoons steak seasoning
Salt to taste (may not need if broth has salt)
In a large pot, sauté onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil (or 1/2 cup of broth for a no fat version) with a pinch of salt until softened. Add lentils and tomatoes and broth. Cover and bring to boil. Uncover and lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer on med low for 20-30 min until lentils are cooked through. Season with steak seasoning and salt if needed.
I served this with crackers, roasted brussel sprouts, and smoky garlicky collard greens. It was husband and toddler approved.
Notes: I’ve found the type of pan and burner I use causes cook times to vary a lot. My heavy duty pans cook much quicker on my flat top stove than my old cheapies that don’t have that nice heavy flat bottoms…so cooking times may vary. It took closer to 45 minutes to cook on my mom’s gas stove top, but I think I may have left the pot uncovered there. If your pots tend to heat up slowly, give yourself some extra time.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Simple Lentil Soups
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-YF
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 