Real Canadian Chicken

           We're a little chicken over here in the Peppery Pig household. Not scared or nervous, but full of poultry. Mr. Pepper loves to have leftover chicken on hand, which is why I feel like we're always eating chicken, be it for lunch or for dinner (and as I type I have chicken in the oven). Sometimes we'll roast a full chicken in the oven (once our barbecues reopen, we will resume roasting our beer-butt chickens on the grill), sometimes we do thighs, sometimes drumsticks, sometimes breasts. We base our decision about what part of the bird we'll eat on our weekly needs/menu. When roasting a whole chicken, we'll each eat about a quarter of the bird, leaving the remainder for sandwiches/wraps/salads for lunch. When doing breasts, thighs or drumsticks, we'll double what we need for dinner so we can have leftovers for lunch with sides the next day.

           However, because we eat so much chicken, I was finding that I was getting so bored of having the same old thing, so I began hunting for new and unique recipes that would change up the flavours. Now, don't get me wrong, I still love shake-n-bake drumsticks, and BBQ chicken thighs, but sometimes, you just need to spice things up. It really makes you appreciate those delicate flavours found in that box of shake-n-bake (ha). I should also mention here that I am working really hard to avoid processed/boxed foods and spice mixes because they are full of sodium and unpronounceable ingredients (I probably shouldn't mention that those are Jane's chicken strips in the oven? Don't judge, they were in the freezer). I digress, on my hunt to find new and exciting flavours, I stumbled across the one I am about to share. This recipe is unique because it combines some ingredients that one wouldn't necessarily think to use together. I call it Real Canadian Chicken because of its use of real Maple Syrup. It's a sweet, tangy chicken that is fantastic in a sandwich/wrap the next day with some avocado. It's an easy recipe to whip up ahead of time, and  best of all, it can all be done in one dish (if you'd like).

Here's what you need:

Mustard Seeds soaked in Whiskey

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (I used a combination of Kozlik's 'Triple Crunch au Rye Triple Sec' and French's Prepared Dijon with Chardonnay)
2 tbsp minced fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp grated lemon zest (zest your lemon before you squeeze it)
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)

Here's what you do:

Marinade

1. Whisk together maple syrup, mustard, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, zest, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl or in a casserole dish that is just large enough to hold your 4 chicken breasts so they aren't overlapping.  You don't want one that's too big because your marinade will spread too thin and will most likely burn in the oven.






2. Arrange the chicken in the casserole dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Flip the chicken to coat both sides. (If you mixed the marinade in your casserole dish, just be sure to coat the chicken well.)

3. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.




4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap/lid and transfer casserole dish to the middle oven rack. Bake, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the centre.


5. Place cooked chicken on a serving platter and keep warm. Pour juices and marinade from the casserole dish into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until mixture reduces by half. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

       This is such a good recipe, and it makes enough marinade that if you want to add 2 more chicken breasts to the dish, you can without having to alter the ingredients, you just won't have as much marinade left to turn into the sauce. When we made our wraps/sandwiches the next day, I used the sauce as a spread on the bread. It was delicious. The other nice thing about this recipe is that you can alter it to fit your family's likes/dislikes. Don't like sweet meats? Don't add as much maple syrup. Not a fan of Dijon? Add less or combine different mustards (I'm not a fan, hence the combination). Have fun with the recipe.

                                                                                                                                                     Enjoy!
                                                                                                                                                         Mel

Makes 4 servings
per serving: 289 Calories, 6.4g total fat (1.1g sat fat), 40g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 0.4g fiber, 99mg cholesterol, 322mg sodium

Not Your Average Rabbit-Food

   Welcome Back! Okay, I know, technically it was me that was missing but the world has been so busy lately.

       It's a new year, with new goals and exciting events so healthy living has become a priority. It's been difficult while working at a bakery, not just for me but for Mr. Pepper too. He finally had to tell me to "stop" because he didn't "need a treat every day". I didn't realize I was spoiling him, nor did I think he'd ever complain about being the recipient of brownies, cupcakes, and tarts. I digress, we are now on a healthy kick because have a few weddings to attend (including our own) where we must look our best. We are also competing in the Tough Mudder in May with a group of friends from University. Yes, I think we are a little crazy too, but what sounds like more fun than running 10 miles while completing 25 various military style obstacles with a group of nutty Brock Grads? So, to help us stay in tip-top shape and lose some of those pesky pounds and inches, we've instituted a meat-free day. Mr. Pepper thought it would be hard, but he agrees that the hardest part is finding new recipes to try (we don't want to feel like we're rabbits).

          Here is one of our favourite recipes, and by making a few alterations you could eat it every week and not recognize it's the same dish.

Veggie Medley

 12 mini red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered

3 cups medium-sized mushrooms

2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 medium zucchini, cut into bite-size chunks

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 large red pepper, cut into bite-size chunks

1 large yellow pepper, cut into bite-size chunks

2 cups green beans, cut into bite-size chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried

1 tbsp fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt and ground black pepper

1/2 cup light feta cheese, crumbled

1. Lightly grease a large roasting pan or pyrex dish with butter, oil, or cooking spray.

2. Add vegetables, garlic, oil and herbs. Mix well.

3. Roast uncovered at 425°F for 30 minutes stirring once or twice during cooking time.

4. Turn on broiler and broil vegetables for about 5 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

5. Remove vegetables from oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with vinegar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbled feta over top. Serve warm

To change it up add some different vegetables. We've had it with green peppers and broccoli, and have taken out the mushrooms. I'm sure it would be good with sweet potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, asparagus, or any vegetable you want to add. I also purchased Goat Feta (much to Mr. Pepper's dismay) which has a much stronger flavour than regular Sheep Feta, so I've even made it without the Feta. Trying different vinegar would also change the flavour. I can't wait to try this recipe in the grill basket on the BBQ come summer.

Bon Appetite!

Mel