So typically I would leave all the writing to my wonderful boyfriend Xai, the creator of this spectacular food extravaganza, however, I am just too inclined to stealing the spotlight from time to time =) Hello everyone! My name is Shawn and I am often portrayed as the wonderful, assistant boyfriend in almost every blog. For those of you who do know me you know me as the couch potato, leave all the cooking to my boyfriend type of guy. Well ladies, gentlemen, fairies, and lumberjacks, this is my sorry excuse of a poor agenda to prove the world wrong; I can cook too =)
You know how when you have a significant other in your life you try to compromise (even sometimes against your will) and get into the things that they like to do? Xai has been wonderful about going out to the tennis courts with me so I figured, “What the heck; I will take a trip to his home court!” And we all know that this means I had to tie up my apron and run the gauntlet known as the Obviously Omnivore Kitchen; a place where no ordinary human being could survive that easily. Luckily, I have been with the man for 3 years and counting and have developed survival tactics like no other. So with all this introductory stuff out of the way let’s sink our cyber teeth into another delicious recipe!
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Chicken Prep and Cook
Now, I don’t know about you guys, but who has had that experience with chicken that looks so well seasoned, but upon sinking your teeth into the façade you find…well nothing?! I refuse to do that to another human being! So with my chicken (I used thighs, but if you want to do the whole white meat thing too it will be just fine!) I decided to do a spice rub. Our food is SO good to us the majority of the time so why not give your cuisine a good massage before devouring it in its entirety. I first brined the chicken to let it tenderize (kind of like a day at the spa in the hot tub with bath salts!) and once it began to soften up a bit I dried them out on a cutting board by dabbing the chicken with a paper towel. Then I took some coriander and toasted the seeds on medium heat to bring the oil and flavor of the spice out, which I must say is AMAZING! I then combined this coriander, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar in one container. Now, we have the luxury of having a Magic Bullet, which grinds and mixes them all together, but if you don’t have this you can use a coffee grinder or even a blender. The smell is off the wall guys! All the spices create that gurgle in your stomach when you are ready to pounce on your prey kind of deal! I proceeded to put my chicken in a large bowl and bathed them in the aromatic rub. Now listen to me well folks, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! Rub that chicken with the intent of making sure that every cubic millimeter is covered! I added some olive oil and added the juice of 1 whole lime for flavor and to speed up the tenderizing. RUB RUB RUB! Then you can pop that in the fridge for about 2 hours and sit back for a bit! You could even do this the night before! The biscuit crust is SUPER simple to do too! We just went ahead and did that while the chicken was marinating so that the dough could cool and firm up.As much fun as it has been, I am letting Xai write the rest of this! I just had to make an appearance! But I will tell you, our friends and family loved it! And I hope you do too! Nice to finally break my silence and I am hoping that all of you continue to read. It means the world to share recipes and bring people together and we are certainly glad to do it!
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okay, so this is the part where i write down the recipe for you guys. this pot pie turned out really good! i wish i was able to take better pictures but unfortunately, i only remembered to take a picture of the dish after it had been savagely consumed by our friends. you guys should try it, shawn did a really good job on this one :)
chicken marinade/rub
what you need:
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicier)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
what to do:
1. toast the coriander on a dry pan over medium high heat to release all the oils from the coriander seeds. do this for about 3-4 minutes.
2. combine all the other ingredients into a blender/coffee grinder and let it do it’s thing until it looks like a thick paste.
3. rub it all over your chicken and let it sit for about 2 hours or more
buttermilk biscuit (adapted from tyler florence)
what you need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
what to do:
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk. Using your hands, quickly fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. You may need to add more buttermilk.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself 3 or 4 times to create layers. Roll the dough to a little bit over the size of your casserole dish.
sweet and spicy chicken pot pie
what you need:
1 lb of skinless chicken thighs or breast, marinated (look above this!)
1/2 cup onions sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots
1 cup bell peppers, sliced into strips
1/2 cup peas
1 cup hot links, sliced
1 cup potatoes, sliced
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
cooking oil/olive oil (it’s up to you)
what to do:
the chicken:
1. after marinating it, put it on a non stick pan and stick it into oven for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
2. check for doneness by cutting or piercing into the thickest part of the chicken and check if the juices run clear.
3. shred by hand or chop it and then set aside.
the main event/putting everything together:
1. turn up the stove to medium high and heat up a pot with some oil and saute onions until transparent.
2. add the sliced hot links, sliced bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes into the pot. cook until carrots and potatoes are al dente.
3. add the chicken stock and let it come to a simmer, about 10 minutes.
4. while letting the stock simmer, on a smaller pan melt 1/4 cup of butter and add 1/4 cup flour. whisk this until you get a paste like consistency. this is called roux. you use this as a thickener. set aside.
5. when the stock comes to a simmer, add the roux into the pot. stir until it starts to thicken.
6. add the shredded/chopped chicken into the pot. and add the peas. let it cook for about 5 minutes so that all the flavors can marry. after 5 minutes, take it out of the heat.
7. put it in a casserole big enough to hold the filling and top it with the buttermilk biscuit dough.
8. brush egg wash on the dough to give it a shiny, golden brown color when it’s baked.
9. bake for about 20-25 minutes on a 375 degree F oven.
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now it’s done and ready to be devoured! enjoy!
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