Smoked Chicken with White BBQ Sauce

I'd never heard of white BBQ sauce.
Have you?
This chicken is smoked on the grill over indirect heat with a pan of soaked wood chips.
The flavor is amazing!
best. chicken. ever.
And of course it's from America's Test Kitchen, so you know it's gonna be good, c'mon!

Alabama BBQ Chicken
Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen

White BBQ Sauce

• 3/4 c mayo
• 2 T vinegar
• 2 t sugar
• 1/2 t horseradish *(I went w/o the horseradish and it was still good)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chicken

• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 2 whole chickens (3 1/2- to 4-pound), patted dry and split
• 2 c hickory wood chips
• Vegetable oil for grill grate

Instructions

• 1. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
• 2. For the chicken: Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken.
• 3. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, open bottom grill vents completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 90 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Place 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan in center of grill. Pour half of coals into pile on each side of grill, leaving pan in center. Scatter wood chips evenly over coals and set cooking grate in place. Cover, with lid vents positioned over center of grill and opened halfway. Let grill heat for 5 minutes.
• 4. Dip wad of paper towels in oil and oil grate, holding paper towels with long-handled tongs. Place chicken skin side down on center of grill. Cover (with half-opened lid vents over chicken).
• 5. Grill chickens until skin is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Flip chickens skin side up and grill, covered, until breast meat registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
• 6. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with 2 tablespoons sauce, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and brush chicken with 1 tablespoon sauce. Carve and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

Buttermilk Waffles

Look what I got for my birthday from my in-laws.....
Yeah! I love their recipes!!
Last night we tried the buttermilk waffles. They were great and easy.
I love how they try several methods to give you the best tasting recipe yet an easy process. For example, on the waffles they wanted an easier way to get the airyness that whipping egg whites gives traditional waffle recipes.
They figured most people wouldn't want the pre-breakfast workout of making a meringue. Solution: club soda! Club soda is what is used in most Japanese tempura batters to make it light and fluffy, so why not waffles! Brilliant!

Buttermilk Waffles
Americas Test Kitchen

2 c flour
1/2 c buttermilk powder*
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 c oil
1/4 t vanilla
1 1/4 c seltzer water

whisk the dry ingredients.
in a seperate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients except the seltzer water.
gently stir the seltzer into the wet ingredients.
pour the wet into the dry and gently stir until just combined. (batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.)

*if you dont have buttermilk powder you can do 1/2 c buttermilk and reduce the seltzer water to 1 cup.

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Another easy, brilliant, yummy (and a one-pan meal) from America's Test Kitchen. I love these guys!

Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen

1 1/2	c fresh bread crumbs
3	T olive oil
1 1/4	c fresh parmesan cheese
1/4	c chopped fresh basil
2	cloves garlic , minced
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2	c flour
4	chicken breast, cut in half horizontally
3	T oil
3/4	c mozzarella cheese
3/4	c shredded provolone cheese

Instructions

1. Toast bread crumbs in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half of basil. In separate bowl, combine remaining olive oil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, remaining basil, garlic, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
   

2. Place flour in dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 cutlets and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining
   cutlets and vegetable oil.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add tomato mixture to empty skillet. Return cutlets to pan in even layer, pressing down to cover with sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella, provolone, and remaining Parmesan over chicken. Cover with lid and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and serve.

Beef Enchiladas

Well, I say this every time, but it's true. I have yet to find an America's Test Kitchen recipe that I don't like. Those guys are amazing! This recipe is for a shredded beef enchiladas. A nice step up from hamburger and a nice way to use up that 1/4 of a cow in my freezer!

Beef Enchiladas
Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T chili powder
2 t ground coriander
2 t ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
Salt
1 onion, chopped
1 to 1.25 lbs blade or chuck steaks,(or sirloin steak) trimmed to 2 " strips
1 T oil
1-15 oz can tomato sauce
½ c water
2 c shredded Monterey Jack or mild cheddar
¼ c chopped cilantro
¼ c canned japapenos, chopped fine (optional)
12 (6-inch) tortillas

1. Combine garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl. Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a dutch oven (or I used just a deep saucepan) over med high heat. Cook meat until browned on both sides. Transfer the meat to a plate. Add chopped onions to the pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic mixture and cook till fragrent, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and water, bring to a boil. Return meat and juices to the pot, cover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer till meat is tender and can br broken apart with a wooden spoon or fork, about 1 ½ hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350. Remove the beef to a bowl, breaking meat into small pieces, reserve the sauce. Add the cilantro, jalapenos, and 1 cup of cheese to the shredded meat.

3. Spread ¾ cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Microwave tortillas 6 at a time until soft, 1 minute. Spread 1/3 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll the tortillas tightly, and set in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef, you may have to fit a few down the sides of the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas and spread to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining cheese over, wrap with foil, and baked until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking till cheese browns slightly, 5 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Tony was in the mood for chocolate chip cookies and found this recipe from America's Test Kitchen. ATK has never disappointed us yet with one of their recipes, and this is no exception. It is a bit putz-y, mind you, but it you have the time and are up for it, they'll be worth your effort!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
from America's Test Kitchen

10 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar ( white)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar ( soft & fresh)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 eggs
1 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
2. Take 10 tablespoons butter and melt and brown in in a metal pan, swirling mixture as milk solids in the butter begin to brown. Pour into a heat-proof bowl.
3. Add in 4 tablespoons cold butter and whisk until melted.
4. Whisk in the two types of sugar.
5. Whisk in the salt, vanilla and then the eggs.
6. IMPORTANT: Let mixture stand for three minutes and whisk again. REPEAT this process two more times.
7. Combine flour and baking soda. Stir into wet mixture with a large spoon until incorporated.
8. Stir in chocolate chips.
9. Place 3 tablespoons of dough into mounds 2" apart onto cookie sheets.
10. Place in center of the oven (only one sheet at a time) and bake for 11-14 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let cookies cool ON THE SHEET for 30-60 minutes to ensure the ideal cookie.