Food & Cooking with Cinda Chavich and Mary Bailey

SOUTHERN-FRIED CHICKEN

This may not be the healthiest way to cook chicken but it's definitely delicious. Serve with homemade cole slaw or potato salad, hot or cold. From The Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich.

1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk or plain yogurt

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) cayenne

3 pounds (1.5 kg) chicken pieces, bone-in and skin on (The Guy likes thighs and breasts)

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) cornmeal

1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder

2 teaspoons (10 mL) dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) onion powder

1/2 to 1 cup (125 to 250 mL) canola or peanut oil

In a large, non-reactive bowl, combine the buttermilk or yogurt, salt, cayenne, and chicken. Stir so that the chicken is coated on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, thyme, black pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a shallow dish or paper bag. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess buttermilk, and roll in the flour mixture, or shake in the bag, to coat well. Set a rack over a baking sheet, and place the chicken pieces on the rack for 10 minutes to allow the coating to set.

Serves 4

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN FINGERS

This is a healthy way to make crispy chicken strips that kids will love. Cook some oven fries (just toss potato wedges in a little salt and pepper and olive oil and bake in a single layer alongside), or serve atop a green salad. From The Girl Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich.

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves

1 egg

2 cups dry bread crumbs (or Panko crumbs)

olive oil

Combine mustard, paprika, salt and thyme in a bowl. Cut the chicken into long, lengthwise strips. Add to the mustard mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk the egg with yogurt or buttermilk. In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken strips in the egg mixture, shaking off any excess then roll in the crumbs to coat on all sides. Set the strips on a rack over a baking sheet and allow the coating to set up for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the chicken strips on the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and brown.

Serve with a dipping sauce made by whisking together apricot jam and Dijon mustard. Serves 4.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Wild Blueberry Sauce (wildblueberries.com)

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 small red onion, finely diced

3/4 cup red wine or grape juice

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 1/2 cups Wild Blueberries

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

pinch granulated sugar

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

Drizzle chicken breasts with 2 teaspoons of the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken breasts, turning once for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Keep warm.

In another nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat and cook onions for about 8 minutes or until softened and golden. In small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the grape juice and cornstarch; set aside. Add remaining grape juice and Wild Blueberries to onion and bring to boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring for 1 minute or until thickened. Add balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt to taste.

Thinly slice chicken breasts and serve with Wild Blueberry sauce and celery for garnish. Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 25 minutes. Serves 4.

SALAD ROLLS

People are so impressed when you make these Vietnamese-inspired appetizers - they're fresh, light and completely guilt-free, and especially nice for a summer picnic. You can make a batch up early in the day, arrange them on a plate, cover them with a moist paper towel and seal them with plastic wrap. They'll keep in the refrigerator for several hours this way. Just remember to get all of the fillings ready before soaking the rice paper.

2 ounces rice vermicelli noodles 60 g

2 large carrots, cut into thin matchstick pieces or shreds 2

1 small English cucumber, cut into fine matchstick pieces 1

4 green onions, washed and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) slivers 2

2 cups shredded romaine or butter lettuce 500 ml

16 rice paper wrappers, about 8 or 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) in diameter

1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp or crab meat 250 g

Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup natural peanut butter 50 ml

1/2 teaspoon Asian hot chili paste 2 ml

2 tablespoons soy sauce 25 ml

2 tablespoons coconut milk or water25 ml

Cook the rice vermicelli in a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes until tender, then drain and rinse in cold water to chill. Drain well and cut noodles into 3-inch (8 cm) lengths with kitchen shears. Set aside.

Cut the carrots into 2-inch (5-cm) chunks, then cut thin slices from each side, discarding the core. Stack the slices and cut into thin matchstick pieces. This is known as julienne. If you have a mandoline, use it to make the finest strips.

Cut the cucumber the same way, discarding the seeds in the center. Wash the green onions well, cut off the root ends, and cut the green tops and bases lengthwise into strips before chopping them into 2-inch (5-cm) long slivers.

To assemble the salad rolls, quickly dip a piece of rice paper into a bowl of hot water to soften (work with one piece at a time). Set the rice paper on a cutting board or clean kitchen towel. Layer some of the cooked rice noodles, green onions, carrots, cucumber, lettuce and shrimp or crabmeat along the bottom edge of the rice paper. Fold the sides in over the filling, and roll up tightly. The rice paper will stick to itself to seal the roll. Set aside on a plate and cover with a clean damp towel to prevent the rice paper from drying out and getting too chewy. Continue soaking and rolling until all of the rice paper and filling is used up.

Stampede Baked Beans

48 oz tin baked beans

1 1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced bacon

3/4 cup beef stock

1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tsp molasses

3 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp Stampede Hot Horseradish

In a pot cook bacon and onions until golden brown. Add beef stock, beans, sugar, tomato, molasses and mustard, simmer for 20 minutes.

Finish off with Stampede Horseradish and serve.

(great with corn on the cob)

1 1/2 tsp Stampede Horseradish

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Add all ingredients into a pot, melt and brush onto hot corn on the cob.

RECIPE FOR DARREN'S FAVOURITE BURGER

With sundried tomato mayo and Asiago cheese, this is chef Darren Nixon's favourite Alberta beef burger, served at Divine in Okotoks.

4 sundried tomatoes (in oil), drained

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

8 oz Kielbasa (smoked sausage) cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 red onion

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

6 large hamburger buns

8 thick slices red onion

olive oil

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

In a food processor, combine sundried tomatoes, mayonnaise and mustard and puree. Set aside in the refrigerator.

In the food processor, finely chop the kielbasa. Transfer to a bowl. Put the onion, peppers and Worcestershire into the processor and pulse to chop. Add to the bowl, along with the beef, garlic powder, salt, pepper and fennel seeds. Mix with your hands to combine and form into 6 thick patties or 8 smaller patties.

Heat barbecue grill to medium high. Brush onion slices with oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Grill burgers to desired doneness, about 5-8 minutes per side. Sprinkle cheese over burgers and serve on hamburger buns, slathered with sundried tomato mayo. Serves 6-8.

RECIPES:

RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY CRUMB PIE

From The Wild West Cookbook by Cinda Chavich (Robert Rose). You can also use all rhubarb - about 4 cups.

1 9-inch pie shell (homemade or frozen)

3 cups chopped rhubarb

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten

Topping:

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Arrange the rhubarb and strawberries in an unbaked pie shell.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and flour, then whisk in the sour cream and egg until smooth. Pour evenly over the fruit.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugar and softened butter, mixing with a fork or your fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over pie.

Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F and bake 45 minutes longer. Cook and chill before serving.

BASIC PIE CRUST

Use the least amount of water possible and don't work the dough - never with your warm hands - for the flakiest pastry. Make is a day ahead and chill in the refrigerator before rolling. You can also wrap the raw pastry well and freeze it for several weeks. For sweet pastry, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with the flour.

This recipe makes enough pastry for a classic double crust rhubarb pie - just fill with 4-5 cups of rhubarb (or half rhubarb and half strawberries), mixed with 1 cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of flour, top with pastry and bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350F and bake 45 minutes longer.

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons chilled shortening (lard or vegetable shortening)

4-5 tablespoons ice water

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your food processor (or in a large bowl). Add the butter and shortening and pulse, just until the pieces are about the size of oatmeal (alternately, use a pastry blender or two butter knives to cut the butter into the flour).

If using processor, sprinkle in half the ice water and pulse a couple of times. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse quickly, just until the dough begins to hold together. Dump out on a piece of plastic wrap, divide in half and gather into two balls. Wrap tightly, flatten slightly, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Makes 1 double 9-inch pie shell or two single shells

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND MORELS

This is a simple dish to toss together when asparagus and morels are in season.

four slices smoky bacon, chopped

2 large shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups bow-tie pasta (or other short chunky pasta like small shells, penne or orecchiette)

1 cup morel mushrooms, washed and sliced (rehydrated if dry)

3/4 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks

2-3 cups baby spinach, slivered or whole leaves

3 tablespoons chopped chives

1-2 cups freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until just al dente. Drain well and return to the saucepan.

Add the asparagus and mushroom mixture to the pasta, stir in the spinach and toss over medium heat for a minute, just until the greens are wilted. Stir in the chopped chives, Parmesan and reserved bacon. Season with pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4.