GOURMET FRIDAYS GRILLED CHICKEN WITH HONEYDEW SALSA

WEEK 9! GRILLED CHICKEN W/HONEYDEW SALSA...
Since I'm on a weight-watchers kick, all the recipes that Chef Doug gives me will be healthier and hopefully low on points from now on...Today's zesty blend is honeydew-licious!...Dear taste buds, get ready to salsa!




*****Wifey gave it 5 spatulas!******
Here's the video of WEEK 9:
http://www.vimeo.com/9190194

Alright, here's the recipe:

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honeydew Salsa
yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups finely diced peeled seeded honeydew or other melon
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro plus 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded serrano chile
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

Preparation:
Combine diced melon, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, finely diced red onion, lime juice, olive oil, grated lime peel, and chopped serrano chile in medium bowl. Toss to blend flavors. Season melon salsa to taste with salt and pepper.
Spray grill with nonstick vegetable oil spray; prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill chicken breasts until skin is crisp and brown and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
Slice chicken breasts and arrange on plates. Top with melon salsa and cilantro leaves and serve.

Chef Doug's Superbowl Recipes

Caribbean Chicken Wings
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Times:Prep 15 min
Inactive Prep 4 hr 0 min
Cook 40 min
Total: 4 hr 55 min

Ingredients
1 habanero, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
7 pounds chicken wings
Directions
In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.

And last but certainly not least:

Mango Ginger Vinaigrette
4 Ea. Frozen Mango Halves or 2 ea.fresh
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
¼ cup Powdered Sugar
¼ cup Pickled Ginger
2 cups Canola Oil
1 ea Large Carrot
½ Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, minced
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method: Place all the ingredients in a blender, except the oil. Puree all the ingredients, then slowly add the Canola oil. Salt and Pepper, to taste.

GOURMET FRIDAYS MANGO PIE!!

WEEK 8! MANGO PIE! THAT'S WHAT!
Pie deliciousness like this has never conquered your tongue until you try this one! I'm tellin' ya, your taste buds will surrender to this mango pie it's sooo good! In case you were wondering, I'm back on the wagon and excited to continue my apprenticeship under Chef Doug...


****Wifey gave it 4.5 spatulas!*****
Here's the video of WEEK 8:
https://www.thejoyfmmail.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlnJxAZSk2U
If you're crazy about pies or food in general, I recommend Chef Doug's page at http://www.funwithfoodcatering.com/
Mango Pie
Ingredients:
9-inch graham cracker crust
1/3 cup lime juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 very ripe mangos, peeled and seeded
whip cream (optional)
Preparation:
Place lime juice in small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin granules top. Cook on low for about 2 minutes, while stirring to dissolve gelatin. Remove from heat and add milk. In food processor, puree mango. Stir mango into milk mixture. Pour into crust. Chill until set. Serve plain or with whip cream on top...Allow those taste buds to now surrender.

wisdom nugget

this is one of the most profound things i've ever read:

“Ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer’s soul and they promote sanctification. We were not meant to live without spiritual exhilaration, and the Christian who goes for a long time without the experience of heart-warming will soon find himself tempted to have his emotions satisfied from earthly things and not, as he ought, from the Spirit of God. The soul is so constituted that it craves fulfillment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones… The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Savior’s presence. When Christ ceases to fill the heart with satisfaction, our souls will go in silent search of other lovers… By the enjoyment of the love of Christ in the heart of a believer, we mean an experience of the “love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us” (Rom. 5:5)… because the Lord has made himself accessible to us in the means of grace, it is our duty and privilege to seek this experience from Him in these means till we are made the joyful partakers of it.” John Flavel (1630-1691)

heart check

thank God my Creator has his pulse on my heart. Cuz Lord knows that my thoughts and actions leave me a bit embarrassed...
And ya know what... there are many days where your weaknesses are so obvious to you that it makes you think you are hopeless and you'll never do great things...
I think it's a lie. A very tasty and believable lie but one none the less...

Before David of the Old Testament slays a giant and before he takes over as king God saw his heart that was warm towards the Creator.
Even though God knew David would one day become an adulterer and a murderer ... God saw the heart:

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down [a] until he arrives."
12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Gourmet Fridays Leek and Potato soup

Leek and Potato Soup

HERE'S THE VIDEO OF ME MAKING IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mymsgB2xRY0

A nice soup. For a potato soup it has a nice flavor.

Easy to make as a nice appetizer.

enjoy the video... it has little sound and lots of subtitles!

WIFE GAVE 3 SPATULAS OUT OF 5

Leek and Potato Soup

1 large potato
1 garlic clove, minced
½ medium onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium leeks(white parts only) Halved lengthwise, sliced thin crosswise, and washed.
2 ½ cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Method: peel potato and dice. In a 3 ½ qt. saucepan cook garlic and onion in butter over medium heat, stirring until onion is softened. Add potato and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally , 2 min. Stir in broth and simmer, uncovered, 15 min., or until potato is tender. Puree in a blender, until smooth. Transfer to the saucepan. Stir in cream, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and heat over moderate heat, stir occasionally, until hot

Serves 2

GOURMET FRIDAYS WEEK 6!

WEEK 6, a very festive "Maple-Pumpkin Pots de Creme"
Well... for Halloween this dish was a very nice dessert. It may not be on anyones top 10 favorite desserts all time but it fit the evening. Reactions came in slow but i think everyone that tried it was quite intrigued with the blend of the maple and the pumpkin. It was easy to make as well.

***Wife gave it 3 spatulas***
Here's the video of WEEK 6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptFTqBYy6gU
If you're looking for a festive dish to show off for Thanksgiving, this one is sure to stand out. I'm no expert so for extra tips I highly recommend Chef Doug's page at http://www.funwithfoodcatering.com/.
Now let's get down to business:
Maple-Pumpkin Pots de Creme
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
1/2 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
7 large egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Special equipment: 10 (2 to 3-ounce) custard cups or ramekins
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk together cream, milk, syrup, and pumpkin in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat. Whisk together yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.
Add hot pumpkin mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup, then divide among custard cups (you may have some custard left over, depending on size of cups). Bake custards in a hot water bath pan covered tightly with foil, in middle of oven until a knife inserted in center of a custard comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer custards to a rack to cool completely. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.

Garnish with the Maple Brittle and voila!