Beer-Braised Chicken

I tried this recipe for dinner tonight, and not only was it super easy to prepare, but it tasted incredible!  I knew my youngsters wouldn't like the sauce, potatoes and onions, so for them, I just pulled out the chicken, made some white rice with butter and salt and a side of broccoli.  They loved it and you will too, trust me!  The chicken is SO flavorful and tender!  This is a winner in my book and will be added to my dinner rotation!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: This recipe comes from the Food Network Magazine, but I have made changes to make it gluten-free.

BEER-BRAISED CHICKEN

1/4 pound slab or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Gluten-free flour, for dredging
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 12-ounce bottle gluten-free beer (preferably brown ale)
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/2 pound small red-skinned new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1)  Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

2)  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.  Add the olive oil to the drippings in the pot.  Add the chicken in batches and cook over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 1 minute.

3)  Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 cup of water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged.  Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Discard the thyme and stir in the bacon and parsley.

NOTES:

~I recommend buying all natural gluten-free bacon with no nitrites or other chemicals and I also buy chicken that is hormone free and minimally processed.

~I trimmed the fat from the chicken before seasoning and dredging it.

~I used almond flour for dredging.

~I used Green's Gluten Free Amber Ale, which I found in a 1 pint .9 oz. bottle, so I measured out 12 oz. and drank the rest!  It's the first time I have tried a gluten-free beer and it wasn't half bad!

~I used spicy brown mustard.

~There was one faulty thing with this recipe and I suspected it before making it.  The potatoes were NOT getting soft in that short amount of time!  You could try cutting them smaller, but instead of doing that, I just pulled them out and microwaved them for a minute or two and they were nice and soft!  I plopped them back in and we were ready to eat!

~The parsley is optional, but it does add nice color.

Cinnamon Baked Sweet Potatoes

I had a girl's night recently with a couple of my sisters and my friend Virgene made these awesome sweet potatoes!  They were tender and sweet and I couldn't believe they didn't have any sugar on them!  I had to have the recipe!  I made them tonight for dinner and they were incredible, once again.  I'm not sure you can call it a recipe, it's a little vague when it comes to amounts, but here goes!

Enjoy,
Kirsten

CINNAMON BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Sweet potatoes (washed and cut into bite sized chunks, skin on)
Cinnamon
Paprika
Coconut oil

1)  Preheat oven to 375F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, or brush with oil.

2)  Put sweet potatoes into a large bowl, drizzle with coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and paprika.

3)  Toss until potatoes are covered evenly in the oil and spices.

4)  Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

NOTES:

~I used about 6 sweet potatoes and I have a ton left over, which is what I wanted, but if you don't want leftovers, I wouldn't use more than 1 potato per person.

~I have no idea how much cinnamon and paprika I used.  Just sprinkle and toss, sprinkle and toss until it looks covered and smells nice!  I used more cinnamon than paprika, you want the paprika to be a background flavor, so don't use too much - and do not use Smoked Paprika - just regular Paprika!

~You could use olive, canola or any other oil, but I like coconut oil.  It's super healthy and it adds a great flavor to this dish.  Unless your house is hot, it will be solid, so you can melt it in the microwave first.