Food Challenge Day 4 and 5

Day 4

Chicken Skewers with sweet and spicy marmalade

{RJ liked this although he informed me that he didn't like the little "green" things in the sauce. When reporting that they were jalepenos he stated, "Oh,"...he LIKES jalapenos. He probably thought they were green onion and didn't even try them} 

I made this dish on the night I had Bunko {girls night out} So I only got to have a little taste before running out the door, and I liked it, but I don't feel I got the full effect, so I will make this again. 

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp. pepper

SAUCE:

2 TB chopped, seeded jalapeno

1-1.5 tsp. butter

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

3/4 cup orange marmalade

1 TB lime juice

1 TB thawed orange juice concentrate

1/4 tsp. salt

Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness; cut lenghtwise into 1 inch-wide strips. In a large ziplock, combine oil, soy sauce, garlic and pepper. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade. Thread two chicken strips onto each of eight metal or soaked wooden skewers; place on a greased cookie sheet. Broil 6 inches from heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink {I did about 5 minutes per side} 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, saute jalapeno in butter until tender. Add ginger; cook 1 minute longer. Reduce heat; stir in marmalade, lime juice, orange juice conc., and salt. Serve with chicken skewers. 

If I would've had time, I would've done rice with this too. Also, I don't know the rule on broiling, but I always do it with my oven cracked open a bit {just because that's what I've seen others doing} but the chicken seemed to be taking forever to cook {maybe it was because I was anxious to get to bunko} so I closed the oven door and let them cook for a few more minutes. My skewers almost caught on fire! They were wooden, but I had soaked them. Soooo, are you supposed to keep the door open when you broil?? 

Day 5:

Roasted Chicken with Lemon Sauce

This was good, but it took 3 HOURS TO COOK! so, was it "3 hour" good...No. I'll probably just save myself the time and buy a rotisserie chicken next time. But it was a good experience for me, I've never done anything like this before. And RJ really liked it. 

1 roasting chicken {6-7 lbs} I used a 3 lb chicken but did everything else the same

1 medium lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 medium carrots, cut into chunks

1 large onion, quartered

LEMON SAUCE:

1/2 cup sugar

4.5 tsp. cornstarch

1 cup cold water

2 TB lemon juice

2 TB grated lemon peel

1-2 drops yellow food coloring {optional} 

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Pat chicken dry. Cut lemon in half; squeeze juice over chicken. Place lemon in cavity. Rub garlic over chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 2-2.5 hours {this is where I thought, half the chicken, half the time...wrong!} or until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. Basting occasionally with pan juices and adding carrots {and potatoes} and onion during the last hour. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving. 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel, and food coloring.

Serve sauce with chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with green onion.