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Cookbooks by Sloane Taylor, dinner menu, food blog, Fried Chicken, recipe, Sloane Taylor, Tasty Tuesdays
from Sloane Taylor
Ready for some good down-home type cooking that’s finger lickin’ good but doesn’t splatter grease all over your stove? If so, then this is the menu for you.
MENU
Oven-Fried Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Corn
Spiked Watermelon
White Wine – Chablis
Oven-Fried Chicken
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless – legs and thighs work great, too
Milk
½ cup (50g) flour
1 tsp. (5ml) dried thyme
1 tsp. (5ml) dried marjoram
½ tsp. (2.5ml) garlic powder, not salt
1 tsp. (5ml) paprika
¼ cup ((52g) shortening or lard
¼ cup (57g) butter or margarine
3 tbsp. (45ml) fresh parsley, chopped or 1½ tbsp. (20ml) dried
Place chicken in a glass dish, cover with milk, and let sit for a minimum of 3 hours. This is a perfect way to use up milk when it is close to its expiration date. You can also marinade the pieces overnight. If you choose to go longer than 3 hours be sure to refrigerate the dish. I learned this tenderizing trick from a talented chef in Salzburg, Austria.
Combine flour, thyme, marjoram, garlic, and paprika in a plastic or paper bag.
Drain and pat chicken dry. Place pieces one at a time in bag and gently shake to thoroughly coat them. Lay chicken on a plate as you coat the remaining pieces. Set chicken in fridge for at least 20 minutes to set the coating.
Preheat oven to 425° F (220°C).
Add shortening and butter to a metal baking pan just large enough to hold the chicken. Place dish in oven until mixture is melted. Add chicken. Bake 15 minutes and then turn pieces over. Cook another 20 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife.
REMEMBER – all meat continues to cook for 5 minutes or so after it is removed from the oven.
Remove chicken from baking dish to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any oil. Transfer pieces to a clean plate. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
You can also make this dish on your grill. Set the grill on medium-high. Watch carefully so the chicken doesn’t burn.
Mashed Potatoes
Chicken stock, not broth
1 small russet potato per person, peeled and quartered
3 tbsp. (43g) butter
Sour cream, a very large dollop
¼ cup (60ml) milk, at room temperature
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Parsley, snipped or chopped for garnish
Preheat oven to 220° F (100°C).
Pour one-inch (2.5cm) chicken stock into saucepan. Place potatoes in saucepan. Add tap water to cover by at least one inch (2.5cm). Cover pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower temperature to a strong simmer. Cook approximately 20 – 25 minutes. Potatoes are done when a fork inserts easily into a section.
Drain potatoes. Stir in butter, sour cream, and pepper. Mash well. Drizzle in milk. Mash and continue to add milk until you achieve the consistency you prefer.
Keep the saucepan warm in the oven while you finish preparing dinner.
Canned Corn
Sometimes it’s good to go easy and nothing is easier than canned veggies.
1 can of corn per 4 people
¼ tsp. (1.25ml) dried thyme
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Butter
Drain corn, then pour into micro wave safe bowl. Sprinkle on thyme, salt, and pepper. Lay pats of butter across the top. Micro wave for 3 minutes, stir and serve.
Spiked Watermelon
An adult pleasure that tops off any summer dinner, especially when you dine al fresco.
½ watermelon
2 – 3 cups (450 – 750ml) vodka
Remove the seeds from the watermelon. Cut fruit into chunks or use a melon scooper to form balls. Place the cut pieces into a glass bowl.
Pour vodka over the melon. No need to cover the fruit. You just want enough so all the pieces contact with the vodka. Stir gently. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
Serve melon from the bowl along with forks or long spoons.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning romance author with a passion that consumes her day and night. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.
Learn more about Taylor’s cookbooks, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Sizzling Summer,Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire, and Date Night Dinners Italian Style on Amazon.
Excerpts from her romance books and free reads can be found on her website, blog, and her Amazon Author Page. Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter.
Catherine Castle 