Sweet and Spicy Apricot-Glazed Chicken

OPEN KITCHEN with NATHAN SCOTT

Sweet and Spicy Apricot-Glazed Chicken

The combination of sweet apricot jam, tart cider vinegar, and spicy Cayenne pepper make this an interesting and delicious recipe for grilled chicken.

Ingredients

            Serves 4 to 6

		Canola oil, for greasing
	1	cup apricot jam, melted
	2	tablespoons red bell pepper, finely minced
	1	scallion, thinly sliced
	2	cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
	2	teaspoons cider vinegar
	¼	teaspoon ground ginger
	¼	teaspoon Cayenne pepper
		Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
	1	whole (4- to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces and patted dry
	6	apricots, halved and pitted

Directions

1.    Preheat the grill to medium-low and grease the grate with canola oil.  In a mixing bowl, combine the melted apricot jam with the bell pepper, scallion, and garlic.  Stir in the vinegar, ginger, and Cayenne pepper.  Season the sauce to taste with salt and black pepper.  Then, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2.    Season both sides of the chicken pieces well with salt and black pepper.  Place the chicken on the preheated grill, skin-side-down, and cook until the underside is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and brush with half of the reserved apricot glaze.  Continue to grill until the chicken is cooked through, another 12 to 15 minutes.  (If the chicken gets too dark before it is cooked through, move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill.)

3.    Brush the chicken with the remaining half of the apricot glaze.  Then, transfer the chicken to a serving platter and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

4.    Meanwhile, arrange the apricots, cut-side-down, on the preheated grill.  Grill the apricots, turning halfway through, until soft and juicy, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Remove and serve the apricots with the grilled chicken.

Orange Couscous-Stuffed Peppers

OPEN KITCHEN with NATHAN SCOTT

Orange Couscous-Stuffed Peppers

Filled with a delicious orange-flavored couscous, these stuffed peppers make a great vegetarian entrée.

Ingredients

            Serves 4

	1	cup homemade chicken stock, or low-sodium canned chicken broth
	1	cup (about 3 oranges) freshly squeezed orange juice
	2	tablespoons unsalted butter
		Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
	1	cup couscous
	½	cup golden raisins
	2	navel oranges
	¼	cup shelled roasted pistachio nuts
	1	scallion, thinly sliced
	4	large bell peppers, stems cut out and reserved, ribs and seeds removed
		Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and greasing

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  In a saucepan, combine the chicken stock with ½ cup of orange juice.  Add in the butter and season with salt and black pepper.  Set over medium-high heat and bring to a rapid boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in the couscous and raisins.  Cover the saucepan and set aside to rest for 5 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed the liquid.

2. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from half of one of the oranges.  Cut the zest into thin strips and set aside.  Then, remove the peel from the two oranges and separate the oranges into segments (discarding the peel and seeds).  Using a fork, stir the orange zest and segments, as well as the pistachio nuts and scallion, into the cooked couscous.  Season the mixture to taste with salt and black pepper.  Then, stuff each pepper with some of the reserved couscous filling.  Place the reserved stems back on top of each pepper.

3. Spoon any remaining couscous stuffing into the bottom of a greased 1½-quart baking dish.  Drizzle over the remaining ½ cup of orange juice, and arrange the stuffed peppers in the dish.  Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with additional salt and black pepper.  Cover the dish with a sheet of parchment paper, followed by a sheet of aluminum foil.  Bake the peppers in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes.  Then, remove the parchment and foil covering, and allow the peppers to continue to roast until lightly golden, about 10 minutes more.  Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Peanut Butter-Filled Whoopie Pies

OPEN KITCHEN with NATHAN SCOTT

Peanut Butter-Filled Whoopie Pies

Since the filling for these whoopie pies contains cream cheese, any uneaten pies should be refrigerated.

Ingredients

            Makes 6 whoopie pies

	½	cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
	1	cup granulated sugar
	1	tablespoon instant coffee granules
		Kosher salt
	1	large egg, plus 2 egg yolks
	½	cup sour cream
	3	tablespoons pure vanilla extract
	1¼	cups all-purpose flour
	¾	cup cocoa powder
	1	teaspoon baking soda
	1	bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
	½	cup smooth peanut butter
	1	cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, coffee granules, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Incorporate the egg and egg yolks, one at a time.  Then, mix in the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract until well combined.

2.    Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  With the mixer running on low, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the batter, mixing until just combined.  Using a ¼-cup measuring spoon or ice cream scoop, shape the dough into 12 balls.  Arrange 6 of the balls on each of the 2 baking sheets, spacing them 4 inches apart and flattening the balls slightly.

3.    Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through (the baked cookies should spring back when poked), 12 to 14 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

4.    In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.  Then, sandwich some of the peanut butter filling between the cookies to create 6 whoopie pies.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Happy National Admit Your Happy Month everybody! Why do we need an entire month devoted to admitting your happy, you might ask? I dunno... But I suppose the real question is – why do we need any holiday to admit that we're happy? I'm pretty sure that every school-aged child knows that “if you're happy and you know it” you should just “clap your hands.” But if you're not the sort who admits to your own happiness (or are incapable of clapping for some reason), this month is a great opportunity to fess up.

And in the event that you can't think of anything to be happy about, below you will find a couple of things that you can feel good about. So get into the spirit of things and BE HAPPY!

Happy Thoughts:

• We live in a world that has toilet paper.

• Bacon – no further explanation needed because if bacon doesn't make you happy, nothing ever will.

• Chocolate is now considered healthy for you.

• If it's raining, it means it's not snowing...

• And finally, when you stand on your head, all the wrinkles vanish.

End of Days, Part XXVI

When planning your End-of-the-Mayan-Calendar Party, it is important to select the right location for your party.  Sure it might be convenient to host the party in the comforts of your own home.  But is that truly the best location?  After all, this might very well be the last party you ever host.  So, it's important to choose the perfect location for your end-of-the-world party.  And in an effort to help you select that perfect party site, allow me to offer the following advice.

• Never host your party in a valley, lowland, or gravel pit.  If/when the world floods in a most Noah's Ark-ian manner, you and your dinner guests will not want to find themselves at the bottom of a newly formed ocean.

• If you live in Antarctica, you might consider moving your party to a different continent.  Should the Sun explode on December 21st, you and your guests are not going to want to be anywhere near the Hole in the Ozone Layer - you might get a little sunburnt.

• Be sure to avoid hosting your Armageddon party near a cemetery.  If/when the zombies start to roam freely, you and your party guests will not want to find yourselves being the first items on the the all-you-can-eat brain buffet.

• And lastly, if you live in or near a corn field, you might want to consider hosting your party elsewhere.  otherwise, if/when the aliens land you may find yourself on the receiving end of a rather unpleasant probe.