Grilled stuffed chicken breasts

It's not really a big secret - but we eat a lot of chicken. To prevent chicken fatigue, sometimes it's necessary to kick things up a notch and take the old-school grilled chicken breast to a new level. With some sage advice from my grilling mentor Steven Raichlen - we tweaked his basic recipe just a bit with some really tasty results.

Ingredients
3 -4 large chicken breasts
7-8 large basil leaves or equivalent
5-6 pieces of sun dried tomatoes
1 chunk of asiago cheese

Marinade
1 cup olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
2-3 crushed garlic cloves
salt
pepper

Trim the "tenderloins" and any fat off the chicken breasts and cut each breast in half. Place each half flat on a cutting board and, using the palm of one hand to hold the breast flat, cut a deep horizontal pocket in the side with a slender knife. Make the pocket as large as you can without piercing the top or bottom of the breast. As for the stuffing, we chose to use asiago cheese, fresh lemon basil leaves, and sun-dried tomatoes - but pretty much anything within reason would work. Insert the stuffing into the pocket and seal the breast with toothpicks. Lay the breasts in a flat pan and cover with the marinade, flipping a couple times to coat both sides. We marinated for 20-30 minutes, but the real flavor comes from the stuffing. Grilling time is basically the same as for normal chicken breasts - probably 10 minutes or so on medium high.

This is a really easy, quick way to spice up the usual chicken breast routine and also provides a way to show off some fancy grill marks on the outside and an impressive cross section of flavors on the inside. This is something we'll definitely be doing again.

Beer-can chicken

I have been intrigued by the concept of beer can chicken for some time. I made the plunge and was shocked at how easy and tasty this was. Besides just looking really cool - how many meals can you think of where a beer can is inserted into the orifice of the main course? I'll stop here and answer that question - hopefully not many, but in this case - the technique is more than just for show. There are a number of chicken grilling issues solved by this method --

• The beer steams the chicken from the inside while the skin is crisped nicely by the dry heat of the grill
• The fat just runs off the bird - you chicken isn't swimming in a pool of fat during the cooking process
• The thighs and legs get the cooking time they need, while the breasts get nice and tender without being overcooked

There are a number of variations on how to cook and flavor the bird. For my first pass, I used the instructions and basic rub from Steven Raichlen who popularized the technique - but you're only limited by your imagination and the immediate availability of ingredients. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a recipe for an Asian styled version posted here sometime in the near future.

Ingredients
# 1 large whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
# 3 tablespoons Basic Rub for Barbecue or your favorite dry barbecue rub
# 1 can (12 ounces) beer - I used a beer from a local brewery - Top of the Hill "Trophy Lager" since it is one of the best tasting canned beers around in my opinion.

Directions
1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets, and set aside for another use. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water. then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body and neck cavities, then rub another 1 tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. If you wish, rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill.

2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, preheat the grill to high; then lower the heat to medium.

3. Pop the tab on the beer can. Using a "church key"-style can opener , make 6 or 7 holes in the top of the can. Drink a few slugs of beer, leaving about 2/3 of the can full - then spoon the remaining dry rub into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity.

4. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on the coals. Oil grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird.

5. Cover the grill and cook the chicken, until fall-off-the-bone tender - a 3- 4lb bird takes about 1hr and 15 minutes.

6. Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board or platter, holding a large metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass).

This is the recipe for the basic rub -

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup ground black pepper

1/2 cup paprika

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl, and whisk them all together to mix.
2. Store in an airtight jar.

Yield: 2 cups.

All in all - this was one of the tastiest chickens I've eaten - and we eat a bunch of chicken. This one gets 5 big stars and will definitely be rolled out on a regular basis.

Herbed Turkey Breast with Cider Gravy

Impress your (carnivorous) friends and family! Roast a turkey breast -- it's so good you won't want to wait 'til Thanksgiving. This makes a delicious dinner and equally delicious sandwiches the rest of the week.

One 4 lb turkey breast

Zest of one lemon
15-20 fresh sage leaves
Large handful fresh parsley
2 T fresh thyme
1 t salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 T butter, at room temperature

Small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 orange, washed and quartered
4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
2-3 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan just big enough for the turkey breast.

Mince the lemon zest and herbs and mix into the butter along with salt and a couple grinds of pepper.

Rinse and dry your turkey breast. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from one end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Rub the herb butter under the skin on each side, spreading it evenly. Season the turkey breasts generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the onion, orange, and garlic in the cavity, along with a few bay leaves and some extra sprigs of sage, thyme, and parsley.

Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, until it’s started to brown nicely. Decrease the temperature to 400 degrees and roast for another 50 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer reads 175 degrees.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Do NOT wash the pan yet - you need the drippings to make the gravy. Don't be scared! Good gravy is easier than you think:

1 1/2 c apple cider (or so)
1 T butter
4 T all-purpose flour
1/4 c white wine
tiny bit of lemon juice

Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a measuring cup. Let stand for a few minutes to allow fat to rise to top, then skim fat off. Add apple cider to pan juices in measuring cup to total 2 cups of liquid.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and whisk thoroughly to get out any lumps. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until just starting to turn tan-colored. Add white wine and whisk it in. Add the pan juices/cider mixture and whisk until completely smooth. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and a small squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

Slice the turkey breast and serve with gravy.

Habanero Chicken Pasta

Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Penne or some other kind of tasty pasta
Chopped tomatoes - either a 12 oz can or several fresh 'maters
Olive oil
Crushed garlic
Onion - maybe 1/2 of a small one
Habanero pepper - probably just one unless you're sadistic
Fresh thyme - about a teaspoon
Lime juice - from one fresh lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Five easy steps to prepare
1. Heat oil in pan. Rub chicken with lime juice, salt and pepper and cook until skin is brown. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to let it think about what it's done.
2. Add remaining oil to the same pan and cook onions, garlic, thyme and habanero for 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add chicken breasts and simmer until chicken is throughly cooked. If sauce gets too thick, add a little water or chicken broth
5. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve whole chicken breast with sauce on a bed of cooked pasta.

This is a tasty, simple dish with a slow habanero burn. It's well accompanied by some wilted spinach or a salad. 4 solid stars.