Slow Cooker Grilled Honey Chicken

 

  This recipe is a variation of an old favorite recipe we used to make years and years ago. We made Honey Chicken for every graduation party, birthday party, and family event, and it was always a sure-fire hit. 

 So I was recently trying to come up with ideas for the slow cooker, and I remembered this recipe which was usually made in the oven. I thought, what if we make it in the slow cooker and then finish on the grill? That sounded pretty fabulous to me, so I went with it. 

 OH. MY. GOD. 

It turned out so much better than I even imagined it would! Who knew this would be such a win??? It was the perfect sweet and savory chicken, and it managed to hit all the right notes. 

 So if you're tired of the usual tomato based BBQ chicken, try this one for a little diversion. 

It's REALLY yummy! 

 

 

Chicken legs and/or thighs, bone in, skin on

1 cup honey

1 stick butter

1 tbs Roasted Chicken Better Than Bouillon 

 

Place chicken in your slow cooker. Melt together the remaining ingredients in the microwave. Stir until well combined. Pour half of the honey mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

 Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and place on a hot grill. Brush with remaining honey mixture. Grill them just for a couple minutes on each side, just until slightly charred. Done!

 

 

 

Tips;

If you're not cooking a lot of chicken, you can cut the sauce ingredients in half. Or you can just make the whole batch, and then keep any extra in the fridge until next time. 

When you're cooking chicken in the slow cooker, you don't want to let it go for too long. When using boneless chicken, 4 hours on low is the MAX you should be cooking it. In this case, since we're using bone in, you can let it got for a little longer, but definitely no longer than 5 hours.  

 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries, Feta, and Honey

 Every year, I try my best to find new and different Thanksgiving side dish recipes. I mean, for the most part, just about everyone has a turkey, or at least some sort of big something as the star of the meal (ham, prime rib), but it's the SIDE DISHES that you can vary from year to year to add some excitement to your menu! For this one, I wanted something fresh, easy, and yes, I wanted it to be a little lighter. Of course I know it's a huge feast and this is not a day for dieting, but it seems to me that having a few lighter dishes would be a very welcome break from all the super heavy casseroles. Am I right? Yes, of course I LOVE a good rich casserole, but this is a marathon, not a sprint, get it?
 So lets talk about this dish. I've seen it on several websites, but I first found it on a website called Out of the Woods Fitness. So, since that's where I saw it first, that's who gets the credit! It's EXACTLY as delicious as it sounds and it hits all the marks. The honey and squash are sweet, the cranberries are tart, the feta is salty, and the parsley adds a burst of green freshness. It's so perfectly balanced! I swear, when I made it, I could not stop eating it. Some websites also add toasted pine nuts over the top, just to add a little crunch, and I'd be all for that too. But you do you!
 So if you're looking for a new way to make butternut squash, or if you're looking for a new and lighter and dare I say it HEALTHIER side dish for your Thanksgiving, this is definitely the one!




1 large butternut squash, (about 3 lbs) peeled + cubed
a hearty drizzle of olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
2 cups fresh cranberries
2-3 tbs honey
1/4 cup finely crumbled feta
ground cinnamon, to taste
fresh parsley, to garnish, chopped



Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.
Lightly drizzle or spritz a baking sheet with olive oil.
Add cubed squash to the sheet along with another drizzle of olive oil.
Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.
Roast for 25 minutes on the center rack.
At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan.
Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit.
Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon (approx 1/8-1/4 tsp or to taste) along with feta and honey.
Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.



Tips:
To make this in advance, follow the recipe as far as roasting the squash and cranberries, then place them in a sealed container in the fridge until your dinner. Then just reheat (in oven or microwave) and then pick up where you left off and finish the recipe as directed. In other words, don't add the feta, honey, and parsley until you're ready to serve!
In the original, it was noted that the honey is drizzled after the roasting (instead of before) in order to retain some of its health benefits. I don't know if there's any truth to it, but it makes sense to me!

Granola Bars

This is a quick and easy snack that is as satisfying as it is delicious. I was looking for a healthy something for my friend, Matt, and I happened upon this granola recipe from Alton Brown. To be quite honest, I'm not a health expert, but these bars certainly seem like they're packed with all kinds of "good for you". Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grains, and just enough sweet to bring it all together. Works for me!! They're perfect for a quick breakfast on the go or and easy mid-afternoon snack to hold you over until dinner. So go ahead and give 'em a try.
They're so chewy and tasty, you'll forget that they're good for you!
I'm glad you liked them, Matt!


8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1 ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries


 Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.


Tips:
To make them in a 9x13 pan, simply increase all the amounts by half, and bake as directed.
To perfectly flatten them in your pan, butter the bottom of a smaller pan, and then press it down on top of the granola before baking. You'll have a perfectly smooth top.
This recipe lends itself to any number of variations. I used pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds, and I use dried berries and mangoes. I also added a little bit of cinnamon. YUM!

Majestic and Moist Honey Cake

I was recently asked if I had a recipe for honey cake. Whenever I don't have a requested recipe, my answer is always the same: "No, but I'll find one for you!" (What did we ever do before Google??)
As I browsed through recipe after recipe, I looked for common themes and similarities. It seems to me that these are the ones that are closest to "the classic" one that everyone's Grandma used to make. I think this recipe falls neatly into that category. (I found it on another blog called SmittenKitchen.com. I'm sure they won't mind if I share it with you!) I love that it's pretty simple to just throw together. Oh, and it smells HEAVENLY while it's baking!!
So, whether you're celebrating Rosh Hashanah and hoping for a sweet new year, or just looking for a deliciously moist lightly spiced cake to have with tea, this is the one for you. Yes, Terri, I know it has several ingredients, but they're all readily available at your local market and I'll just bet that you already have many of them in your pantry. So there.
Give it a try!

3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. honey
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
1/4 c. rye or whiskey
1/2 c. slivered or sliced almonds (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Generously grease pan(s)* with non-stick cooking spray. For tube, loaf, or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and whiskey. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)
Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets. Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60 to 75 minutes, loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan.

*This recipe originally stated that it would be enough for three loaf pans, but I only used two, and it was exactly the perfect amount. I guess I have larger loaf pans?? Anyway, you can also use two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or Bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake. I chose to bake it in loaves because (correct me if I'm wrong) I believe that that's how it's traditionally served.

Tips:
 -I must confess, I didn't follow the directions exactly. I sifted the dry ingredients in one bowl, whisked the wet ingredients in another bowl, and the poured the wet into the dry as the mixer was mixing. Worked perfectly fine!
 -The easiest way to line the pan with greased parchment paper: Cut a piece to fit the bottom of the pan. First spray the pan, then place the parchment in the bottom, then spray the parchment. It's worth doing this because this is a really sticky cake and you want to make sure it comes out of the pan. If your cake still comes out in pieces, don't fret. It's sticky enough that you can literally just stick it back together.
 -Since I'm not a whiskey drinker, I didn't want to buy a whole bottle just for a 1/4 cup. So, instead, I bought one of those little tiny shooter bottles. Ya know, like they serve on an airplane... Can you guess how much is in one? YUP... 1/4 cup!

Joey's Pineapple Honey Braised Turkey Thighs

If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you know by now that I LOVE the method of braising meat in a big heavy pot in the oven. It seriously makes the meat fall apart tender, and it makes the whole house smell like Mom's home cookin'. What's not to love about that???
 Not too long ago, I made Apple Braised Turkey Thighs and they were absolutely FANTASTIC. I had another package of thighs in the freezer, so I decided to do them again and try something new at the same time. Once again, I went with what I happened to have in the pantry, and this was the result. Now, I know the title of the recipe might lead you to believe that it's all sweet and sticky, but really it's not. The thyme in the poultry seasoning balances with the sweet ingredients and you end up with a savory thick gravy with just a few hints of sweetness here and there. I can't even begin to tell you how fabulous it is! I know I always say "this is one of the best things I've ever made" but seriously this is one of the best things I've ever made!!! I KNOW you'll love it!!!

2 turkey thighs
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
a few glugs of olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 carrots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
2 or 3 bay leaves
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup honey
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water



 Heat oven to 350F.
Trim excess skin from turkey thighs and season both sides with salt and pepper. Pour olive oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add thighs to pot, skin side down, for about 8-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Turn the thighs over and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove thighs to a plate. Add onions and carrots to the pot. Saute for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add garlic, pineapple, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, and honey. Give everything a good stir. Add broth and sherry. Nestle the thighs back into the pot, including any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover the pot, then place it in the oven for about 2 hours.
After the two hours, it's time to make the gravy.
Using a slotted spoon, remove everything from the pot to a serving platter, leaving the broth behind. Mix flour into cold water, stirring to make sure there are no lumps, then add it to the pot over medium heat. Stir until it thickens. Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper if needed. Pour the gravy over the turkey thighs. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Tips:
When you brown the turkey thighs in the pot, just leave them alone. They won't brown properly if you muss and fuss with them.
If you don't have chicken broth, just use plain water.
I used dry poultry seasoning, just because I had some handy, but I think fresh thyme sprigs would make it even better!
If you don't have dry sherry, use white wine or even a splash of vinegar, or simply omit it!

Trish's Chicken with Almonds

If you're a longtime follower of my blog, you know that my friend, Trish, is not only fabulous but is also a fabulous cook. I love discussing recipes and comparing notes with her. She cooks a lot like I do (a little of this, a little of that). She often says to me something like "well, I used so and so's recipe, but I always make it THIS way instead.." I LOVE that. I think that's the beauty of cooking, don't you? You find a recipe, and then you tweak it to suit your own tastes. Fabulous!
 I was at Trish's house a while back, and she made this for dinner. I immediately asked her if she'd allow me to share it with everyone, and of course she agreed. There are hardly any amounts listed, because it all depends on how you like it and how much you'd like to make. It's the same method whether you're cooking 4 or 6 or 8 chicken breasts. The spices are all added to taste. The honey and almonds are added to taste. It's like my Mom used to always say. "Do you like a lot? Add a lot." As you can see from the photo, Trish likes a lot of almonds! So tasty!
Thanx Trish!!

4 chicken breasts (or more)
1 lemon
cinnamon 
cardamom 
nutmeg 
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6 tbs butter (or more)
6 tbs honey (or more)
sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350F.
Rub lemon on both sides of chicken. Place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together about 3 tbs melted butter and 3 tbs honey until well combined. Brush on both sides of chicken in casserole dish. Sprinkle the spices on top to taste. Bake it for 20-25 minutes. Just before it's done, place about 3 tbs butter to a sauce pan along with the almonds and lightly saute. When they brown a little, add a little honey to taste. When the chicken is done, take it out of pan and place on a serving tray. Pour almond honey mixture on top. Serve with rice pilaf or couscous.

Tip from Trish:
You can use either bone-in or boneless chicken breasts. The bone-in chicken is probably tastier, but I always use the boneless breasts.
As far as I'm concerned, it's the cinnamon that makes the dish, but be careful not to add too much because it might overpower everything else.

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

I've never understood why people pay TONS of money for bottled vinaigrettes when it's so simple to make your own. Basically, I use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. Add some mustard and whatever extra flavorings you like, and there you have it. It's really just that simple and it's ready in minutes. This recipe is slightly different from Dina's Honey Dijon Vinaigrette, (which I absolutely LOVE), but it's always nice to have variations, don't you think?
I recently showed this recipe to Terri and Phil, and their son Nicholas was my little helper guy. I got such a kick out of the fact that it was time for bed and he wanted to keep cooking with Uncle Joey. How awesome is that? Who knows? Maybe some day he'll be a future chef! Hey, it could happen!
Thanx Nicholas!




1 heaping tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 cup vinegar (red wine, apple cider, or plain white)
1 tbs honey (or more to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt
lots of freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup oil

In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the oil. SLOWLY add the oil in a steady thin stream while vigorously whisking constantly. (you can also use a mixer with a wire whisk attachment). Adjust the seasoning if needed*, then pour into an airtight container or salad dressing decanter. Store in the fridge.

Tips:
*When you test to see if the seasoning is right, taste it on a piece of whatever it is you'll be serving. If you're making the dressing for a pasta salad, taste the dressing on a piece of cooked pasta. If it's a tossed green salad, taste it on a piece of lettuce. You'll get a better idea of whether or not to add more of anything.

I like to enjoy this dressing over a Chef's Salad, which is basically composed of different kinds of sliced or cubed meats and cheeses on a bed of lettuce. Sometimes I'll add a few slices of apple, which go nicely if you use apple cider vinegar in the dressing.

This is definitely a recipe that lends itself to experimentation. The components stay the same but there are countless combinations. All you need is any variety of mustard, an acid, a sweetener, and any variety of oil.

Try different flavored vinegars, such as raspberry, champagne, or white wine, etc.
Also try adding chopped fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, or parsley.

For a citrus vinaigrette, use freshly squeezed lemon and/or lime juice instead of vinegar, and a tbs of orange marmalade instead of the honey.

If you're counting your carbs, substitute Splenda for the honey and choose a vinegar with zero carbs.

Honey Glazed Baby Carrots

Here's an easy variation of your regular steamed or roasted carrots. The glaze enhances the carrots' natural sweetness without being too sugary. Serve them next time you make a roast beast.
They're SO good!

2-3 cups small baby carrots
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of kosher salt


Heat oven to 400F.
Melt butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar, honey, nutmeg, and salt. Pour mixture over carrots and gently toss until well coated. Place in oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Tip:
If you don't have honey, you can easily substitute maple or corn syrup.

Dina's Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Dina is another one of my most favorite people on the entire planet, and she just happens to be a fabulous cook. Every time I stop over for a visit, we inevitably wind up talking about food and whatever new recipes we've tried and cooking shows and such. She recently made this vinaigrette for Tricia's bridal shower and it was a big hit. I'm so glad she shared it with me! Thanx Dina!



Here's the recipe for the salad dressing. It should yield you about 2 cups, enough to dress a couple pounds of lettuce - if you need more just double it! I used baby spinach for Tricia's shower. Enjoy! (P.S. If you're not into mayo, omit it and just add a bit more honey!)
Love, Dina



1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup vinegar (red, white, or cider)
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together mustard, mayo, vinegar, honey, salt & pepper. Gradually
whisk in the oil. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Note from Joey:
When I made it, I didn't have the exact ingredients, but I used what I had on hand and it all worked. I used regular vegetable oil instead of olive oil. I used half cider vinegar and half white vinegar. And I doubled the amount of honey, just because I like a sweeter dressing. My friend, Paul, loved it so much he said he wanted to bathe in it. It's THAT good!!!!

Super Smoothie

I recently read this recipe on another blog and immediately wanted to make one. It's a great way to start your day plus you get all the added health benefits that come along with it. Have one every morning! It'll definitely add some sweetness to your life!

1 cup pineapple, fresh or canned
1 banana, frozen
1 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs honey

Optional ingredients:
1 raw egg white
2 TBS wheat germ
2 TBS flax seed
1 shot wheat grass juice

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Drink immediately and enjoy!


Tips:
I like to go a little lighter on the spices, so I usually cut those amounts in half. This allows the freshness of the fruit to come through.
To freeze bananas, peel and slice them, then arrange slices in a single layer on a parchment lined tray. Place the tray in the freezer until the slices are frozen, then bag them in ziploc bags. Freezing them separately keeps them from becoming one big frozen clump. Then you can use just as much as you need for smoothies, baking, or even straight from the freezer for cereal or desserts.

Honey Chicken

Many, many years ago, our good friend, Roz, was taking a class in ceramics. They had a class Christmas party where they served Honey Dipped Chicken. She liked it so much she asked for the recipe, and it immediately became every one's favorite dish. Every bridal shower, baby shower, surprise birthday party, and any other family event had Honey Dipped Chicken on the menu. Seriously, EVERYONE made it for EVERY event. Eventually, we sort of moved on to newer exciting and delicious things to cook and this was sort of pushed to the back of the recipe box.
Last year I catered a retirement party for one of my coworkers and I decided to make it because I remembered how it was always a huge hit. Let me just say, it was a big success! Everyone LOVED it, once again, just as everyone loved it so many years ago! This one is definitely worth bringing back! Thanx Roz!!


8 pieces of chicken, skin on
1 tbs. granulated chicken bouillon
salt and pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
a little squeeze of lemon juice


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange pieces of chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle with granulated bouillon, salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for one hour. Combine honey, melted butter, and lemon juice. Pour some of the honey mixture over the chicken and bake for another hour, basting periodically with the rest of the honey mixture.


Tip:
I like to use legs and thighs for this recipe, mainly because that's what was served the first time I tasted it. Yes, I leave the skin on because it gets nice and crispy and helps keep the chicken unbelievably moist. Of course, you have the option of discarding the skin after it's baked, but are you kidding? That's the best part!
The original recipe used the same ingredients, but a slightly different cooking method. It also required baking at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time. I prefer to go the 'low and slow' route. When you taste how moist and delicious the final result is, you'll see that it's totally worth the wait!