Recipe - 3 ingredient Grilled Chicken Legs

A friend challenged me to enter a contest with a recipe using only three ingredients.  I have trouble using only a few ingredients, mostly because I like a combination of herbs in dishes.  However, I realized that an herb blend could count as one ingredient, so I got my blend of herbs and only three ingredients (salt & pepper are “free”).  I did not win the contest but the recipe was so good I decided to share it with you.

Three Ingredient Grilled Chicken Legs with Herbs

Serves 6

1/4 cup Herbs De Provence or Italian Seasoning

6 tablespoons olive oil
5 pounds whole chicken legs (7 to 8 pieces)

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix herbs, salt, pepper, and oil in a small bowl. Pull chicken skin back as far as possible. Rub chicken legs with herb mixture then pull chicken skin back in place. (Refrigerate until ready to cook.)

Place chicken, skin side down on hot grill rack; cover and cook until impressive grill marks form, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover, and continue to grill until remaining side is grilled marked. Turn all burners on low and continue to cook chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes longer.  I like to add 2 tsp. of lemon zest to the herbs but that is a fourth ingredient!

If you want to try other recipes using these seasonings. Check out the Recipe Archive on the Backyard Patch Website.

Recipes for Today - Chicken Dishes

My customers at a recent Garden Show asked me how to use some of the mixes they previously purchased.  So I decided that I should share a recipe or two a week using the mixes I make and sell. 

Chicken is my favorite protein to cook with, so I thought I would share a couple unique recipes with you today.

Chicken N’Orleans (serves 4 to 7)

This recipe uses N’Orleans Seasoning Herb Mix which I developed after reading a cookbook written by Emeril.  It of course has garlic but several other Creole style seasonings as well.

3 to 4 large chicken breast pieces, cut into 3 smaller pieces

1 cup oil

1 cup flour

1 (7 oz.) can Rotel Tomatoes (they are seasoned, if you like plain just use regular diced)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

½ cup green onion tops chopped (or a ½ cup fresh chopped chives)

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbls. N’Orleans Seasoning Herb Mix, to taste

Make a roux by heating the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch over, add flour gradually and stir until well mixed.  Lower heat and continue to watch and stir until it is the color of chocolate brown.  This step will take a while, but you don’t have to stand there with it the whole time.  I use the time to get the other items all chopped.

Remove the pot from heat.  Slowly stir in hot water until contents of the pot are about half-way up the side.  Place back on the burner and bring to a boil.  Put remainder of ingredients into the pot of roux, lower fire to a simmer and cover pot making sure it does not boil.  Put remainder of ingredients into the roux, lower the heat to a simmer and cover pot making sure it does not boil over. 

Simmer 1 hour adding water, adding water as needed.  You want to end up with the roux being the thickness of gravy.  If chicken is not tender, continue to simmer on low heat until it is fork tender.

Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve hot, over cooked rice.

Caesar Deviled Eggs (makes 6 servings)

Perfect for picnics and potlucks and you just use prepared Backyard Patch Caesar Dressing Herb Mix

7 hard boiled eggs

¼ cup prepared Backyard Patch Caesar Dressing

1 Tbls. half & Half

2 Tbls. shredded parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbls. finely minced fresh basil leaves

Parm for garnish

Peel eggs and cut 6 of them in halt lengthwise.  Carefully remove the yolk to a small mixing bowl and mash.  Finely grate the seventh egg into the yolks (I learned this from Paula Dean.) 

Stir in the Caesar Dressing, half & half, and Parmesan Cheese until smooth.  Add salt and pepper.

I like to pipe the mixture into the egg whites using a zip seal sandwich bag with the corner cut off.  It is much less messy.  Cover and chill.

Happy Cooking!

Recipe Today - Marinated Chicken Kabobs

I am traveling by bicycle to a special teacher meeting today which means I will be hot and tired by the time I return at the end of the day.  They are predicting some extreme temps for us today.  As a result I will not want to do much when I get home, so in planning ahead I decided to make Kabobs. 

They are quick and easy.  I did all the cutting and I threadied everything onto skewers ahead of time and placed them in a container of marinade.  When I get home I will pop them onto my table top terra cotta "Pig Grill" and have dinner ready in 30 minutes.  We've made this dish before this summer and it is flavorful and easy.  The pictures make you huingry don't they?

Mediterranean Marinated Kabobs

1 ½ T. Backyard Patch Italian Dressing/Marinade Mix

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

2 to 4 chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces

1 green or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1 handful of cherry or grape tomatoes

wooden skewers

Mix together BYP Italian Dressing?Marinade Herb Mix with vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and lemon peel.  Place in a non-reactive container with a tight fitting lid and enough space to hold cut up chicken.  Place cut up chicken in marinade and marinade in refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.  Once chicken is marinated, cut up onion, peppers and wash tomatoes, while soaking skewers in water.  Then thread meat and vegetables, alternating chicken pieces with each vegetable.   Once skewers are filled grill them until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear.  Serve hot over cooked rice.

Variation:  You can also thread the skewers and then cover with marinade and leave overnight.  They will be ready to grill the next day.