Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

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I love the kinds of meals that are made with reinvented leftovers. Such was the case with these chicken sandwiches. I had made Huli-Huli chicken on Monday night, then on Tuesday Jon took the day off due to an unexpected issue with the hot water heater. I like doing something special when we’re all home for lunch on the weekends, so I figured I’d whip up something different with the leftover chicken in the fridge. Whenever I’m grilling chicken, I always like to toss an extra couple of pieces on the grill. Leftovers can always easily be turned into another dinner!

I’d seen a similar sandwich at my favorite local BBQ joint before, so I figured I’d go with it. I just shredded the chicken down, then added a little bit of additional bbq sauce for moisture’s sake. Tossed some fresh pineapple slices on the grill pan while I was making up the cole slaw  – looooove grilled pineapple. Then piled everything high on a toasted whole wheat bun. I ran out to the store to look for King’s Hawaiian hamburger buns, but alas, my plans were thwarted. It would have been a nice touch, but eh – they were great without them! A great sandwich to enjoy during these last few days of summer.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
4 1/2″-thick slices of pineapple
4 King’s Hawaiian hamburger buns
coleslaw, optional (recipe below)

Combine barbeque sauce and pineapple juice in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken, tossing to coat, and cover. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat. Place the pineapple slices in the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, to slightly soften the pineapple and obtain grill marks. Remove from pan and set aside.

Split the burger buns in half, and lightly toast them in the grill pan.

Pile the barbequed chicken on the bun, topping with the grilled pineapple, and coleslaw if desired.

Source: adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy

Coleslaw

2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
1 cup thinly shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, greek yogurt, vinegar, and honey. Add in shredded cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cover and refirgerate for and hour to let flavors meld before serving.

Huli-Huli Chicken

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Nothing beats chicken on the grill in the summertime. Whether it’s smoked, BBQed, or marinaded – you really can’t go wrong. It’s an easy dinner that doesn’t heat up the house. Have had this recipe dog-earred to try for a couple years now, but just never got around to it. Last week, I found myself with a few chicken leg quarters (thanks Dad!) so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

The chicken is soaked in a soy-sauce brine for a few hours, then grilled and brushed with an uh-mazing pineapple juice based brine for the last 15 minutes or so of grilling. I changed a few aspects of the recipe – first off, using chicken pieces instead of a halved chicken. It’s what I had on hand, and it cuts down on cooking time. Win, win. Also, I don’t have a charcoal grill (a situation I need to remedy – nothing beats that flavor!), so I just made a packet of hickory chips that I smoked on the grill along with the chicken when it was cooking. If you didn’t want to go that route, you could probably add a drop or two of liquid smoke to the sauce to get a smokey effect.

We all really, really enjoyed it. Flavors we know and love, that are perfect for summer! This would be a great recipe to make for a crowd as well. Something a little more special than burgers & dogs! I served with a big bowl of Hawaiian macaroni salad and fresh pineapple wedges. I have reinvented the leftovers in a couple of different fun ways this week too, so stay tuned!

Huli-Huli Chicken

For the chicken:
1 quart water
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (leg quarters, breasts)

For the glaze:
3 (6-ounce) cans pineapple juice
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 cups mesquite (or hickory) wood chips, soaked for 15 minutes

To brine chicken; combine water and soy in a large bowl. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into soy sauce  mixture. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 8.

To make the glaze; commbine pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger and chili-garlic sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until thick and syrupy (you should have about 1 cup), 20-25 minutes.Set aside.

Prep grill. Seal wood chips in foil packet and cut vent holes in top. Open bottom vents on grill. Light about 75 coals. When coals are covered with a fine gray ash, spread evenly over the bottom of the grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered with lid vent open halfway, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low.) Scrape and oil the grate.

Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange skin side up on grill (do not place chicken directly above foil packet). Grill, covered, until chicken is well browned on bottom and meat registers 120 degrees, 25-30 minutes. Flip chicken skin side down and continue to grill, covered, until skin is well browned and crisp and thigh meat reaches 170 to 175 degrees, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter, brush with half of the glaze, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining glaze at table.

Source: slightly adapted from Cook’s Country, June 2009

Perfect Roasted Chicken

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There are few things as comforting to the mind, body, and soul as a chicken roasting away in the oven. My boys have been feeling a bit under the weather the past few days. It was too hot for soup, so I made them our favorite Sunday dinner instead. After eating like birds for two days, I knew they’d be hungry – and, I was right. It was a large roaster, and after all our tummies were full there remained only a small amount of thigh and breast meat. Was happy to see my boys hungry again! Leave it to a stick-to-your-ribs home-cooked meal to bring back their appetite!

Roasting the chicken at a relatively high temperature of 425 helps to ensure that the bird develops a golden brown skin, yet the meat underneath remains perfectly cooked and juicy. I stuff the cavity with citrus, mostly lemons – but I’ve been known to use oranges in a pinch too, and some fresh herb sprigs from my garden. Those fresh flavors really permeate the meat of the chicken, and produces a bird that is unparalleled – at least in my opinion! I’ll usually roast one chicken a week in the summer – just to pull the meat off the bones and keep in the fridge. It’s great for creating so many different quick and easy meals throughout the week, and much more affordable than buying a rotisserie chicken from the store.

Perfect Roasted Chicken

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 large bunch fresh rosemary
1 large bunch fresh sage
1 lemon, halved
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and herbs. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Temperature in thickest part of thigh should register 165. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken, and place on a platter. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

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I love stir-fry. Great for those nights when you’re not quite sure what’s on the dinner docket, stir-fries are quick and easy. My neighbor Janie gave me a printout of an article that was in Food Network magazine a few years ago, in which they broke down stir fry – listing meats, veggies, and sauces that then you could mix-n-match and do your own thing.

I treasure that printout, because a few months later we lost Janie to a brain tumor. The best neighbor anyone could ask for – I always enjoyed chit-chatting about vegetable or flower gardening with her in the backyard, or asking her advice on a certain variety of hydrangea. Needless to say, I think of her often this time of year, and of course when I pull out my trusty stir-fry sheet. I know she’d really take delight in all the tasty things I’ve been whipping up in my kitchen these past few years!

One of my favorite things to order from Chinese takeout is chicken and broccoli. But, as most take-out would have it – something that is seemingly healthy is laden with calories and fat. That’s why we do it at home, kids! Pieces of tender chicken, and plenty of broccoli that still has a bite to it. I also had some carrots to use up, so I threw that in too. We all devoured it, especially the boys! William will choose a green veggie over a piece of meat any day of the week. If you’re looking for a way to try to get your little ones to eat more veggies, stir-fries are a great place to start!

Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, chopped

For the sauce:
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Combine soy sauce, veggie oil, garlic, and scallions in a Ziploc bag. Add chicken to bag and toss to coat. Let marinade 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the veggies and sauce.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of ice and 2 cups of water. Toss broccoli florets into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove, and place in the ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking process. Drain, and place florets on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

Drain the excess marinade from the protein. Place your sauce, vegetables and protein near the stove.

Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the protein; stir slowly until almost opaque; about 1 minute. Transfer to plate; discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

Heat the pan over high heat; 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil and add the vegetables, starting with the carrots – then the broccoli and onions. Stir-fry until crisp-tender.

Add the protein and sauce and stir until the sauce is thick and the vegetables and protein are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Think with chicken broth, if needed. Garnish with sliced scallions, peanuts, sesame seeds, or cilantro.