EAT MOR CHIKIN!

The Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich was invented by S. Truett Cathy at his first restaurant in Atlanta called The Dwarf Grill in 1946. The chicken sandwich, which was based on his mother's recipe, became so popular that in 1967 Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta. The company now operates thousands of restaurants in 41 states, raking in more than $5 billion in annual sales. Chick-fil-A is known for their strong Christian values, remaining closed on Sundays as well as controversial views on gay marriage, which sparked protests across the country. S. Truett Cathy passed away in September, but rest assured his son, Dan Cathy, has the chicken empire well under control. 

Whether you love Chick-fil-A or hate them, they do know how to make a damn good chicken sandwich! The not-so-secret secret to Chick-fil-A's success is pickle juice! Yes, that's right, pickle juice. Besides making a terrific marinade to ensure tender, juicy chicken, pickle juice has many uses you may not know. Pickle juice is used by many athletes to relieve muscle cramps and restore electrolytes. There is even a sports drink called Pickle Juice Sport. In addition, pickle juice is touted as a hangover cure, a cure for menstrual cramps and heartburn, and may even stop hiccups! So stop throwing out your pickle juice and start adding it to your dressings, BBQ sauce, or anywhere you would add vinegar. Don't believe me? Why not try this fantastic copycat recipe that's floating around all over the internet for the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich! Cows everywhere will thank you!

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich

Serves 2-4 (The coating is ample for 2 and just enough for 4 chicken cutlets.)

*Waffle fries make the perfect accompaniment!

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness and then cut in half, or 2-4 chicken cutlets (Chicken cutlets are sold at most grocers.)

1/4 cup dill pickle juice

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Oil for frying

2-4 buns, buttered and toasted

Pickle slices (2 per sandwich)

Optional: Mayonnaise, cheese slices, lettuce, and tomato

Directions:

Marinate the chicken in the pickle juice in a quart-size freezer bag for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Beat the egg with the milk in a bowl. Combine the flour, sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, dried basil, and cayenne in another bowl.

Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg mixture and then coat in the flour on both sides.

Heat the oil in a skillet (1/2-inch deep) to about 345-350. (I don't bother with a thermometer, instead if you drop a small piece of bread in the oil and it immediately starts to bubble, it's ready.) Fry each cutlet for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.

Drain the chicken on a rack over paper towels.

To serve authentically, place 2 pickle slices on the bottom bun, top with the chicken, and then the top bun. Enjoy!

Witch Finders Direct

*Apparently BBC has blocked this video. What a shame.*

If you enjoyed that, you'll definitely enjoy these Chocolate-Hazelnut Smooches, or as my kids like to call them, "Witch Hat Cookies"!

Witch Hat Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange sprinkles, or orange sugar

1 (9-ounce) package of chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped (Hershey's)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl (or stand mixer), place the chocolate hazelnut spread, butter, and both sugars. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), cream the ingredients together, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated.

Shape the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll the balls in the orange sprinkles or orange sugar, pressing to adhere. Place the cookies on a heavy cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. (I put 8 cookies per sheet.) Bake for 6-8 minutes. (6 for softer cookies and 8 for crispier cookies.) Meanwhile, unwrap as many kisses as you need. Remove the cookies from the oven. Quickly place a chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie and slightly press down, the puffed edges will crack. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for another 2 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Yum!

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis.

Video from CBBC Channel!

Bon Appetit, Ya'll!

I love checking out cookbooks from my local library. It keeps my bookshelves from overflowing and allows me to try some of the recipes before I may decide to purchase the book. When I saw Bon Appetit, Ya'll: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking by Virginia Willis, I just had to check it out! I tried many recipes in the book, including the one for Jambalaya (which does have an error in it), but the recipe I keep going back to is a simple one for "Toasted-Pecan Green Beans." 

When we think of southern style green beans, we assume it's the meltingly tender ones that are slow cooked, usually with some type of pork product and onion. Although I love them, my green bean-phobic husband does not...but he loves these! This simple recipe is like a southern version of green beans amandine, where the green beans are blanched first, then sauteed with buttery toasted pecans, minced garlic, and a dash of fresh basil. The result is perfectly cooked green beans that taste absolutely amazing! In addition, this technique (which works well with other types of vegetables, see Spring Vegetable Tumble) allows you to blanch the beans ahead of time, freeing your focus to the main course, and gives you a beautiful side dish that takes only minutes to put together! Thanks Virginia, for giving me my green beans back!

Toasted-Pecan Green Beans

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds haricots verts, trimmed (Sadly, I am finding it harder to locate haricots verts in my area, so I used regular green beans and blanched them for 5 minutes.)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 garlic clove, very finely minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. (5 minutes for regular green beans.) Drain well in a colander, then set the colander with beans in the ice-water bath (to set the color and stop the cooking), making sure the beans are submerged. (I just dump the beans in the ice-water bath, then drain them before finishing the dish.)

In the same pot (I use a large saute pan), heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and cook until toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and basil; cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.

Drain the beans, shaking off the excess water, and return them to the pot. Toss to combine with the pecan mixture. (Keep tossing until the beans are reheated.) Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.