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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2015)
6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL April 29, 2015 Cook's Corner Chick-chick-chicken—it’s what’s for dinner! BY BETTY KAISER For the Sentinel A t our house, many last- minute meals begin in the freezer. If I’ve been gone all day, individually frozen chicken parts can be quickly thawed, prepped, cooked and put on the table. It’s what I call a “biologi- cal function” meal. Chicken is a low-fat protein that is relatively inexpensive and tasty when paired with a vegetable and rice. Still, chicken entrées can get boring. So I started a quest to spice up the bird. Cut-up whole chickens are seldom available anymore, although you can ask your butcher to do it for you. (At our house, Chuck does it. I’m not allowed to handle sharp knives!). However, most of the time when I am only cooking for two, I don’t need an entire chicken. We just need a couple of pieces. Once a rarity, indi- vidual portions are now readily available. Most packages of fresh or frozen chicken are breasts, and that’s what resides in our freez- er. But when it comes to fl a- vor—the thighs rule. They have a slightly higher fat content than breasts, but with the skin re- moved, the fat is also decreased. So sometimes I get wild and crazy and buy thighs for the fol- lowing recipes. I’m real good at oven-frying chicken, baking a whole chicken in the Crockpot or handing it to Chuck to grill. Boring! So I’ve been trying some simple mari- nades and “rubs” to perk up our taste buds and make our meals cluck! Marinades not only add fl avor but also help to keep the chicken moist. Prepare the marinade in a non-metallic bowl or plastic bag. Add the chicken and re- frigerate. When ready to cook, dispose of the marinade. Never use marinade from raw meat. . If you want to use some marinade as a basting sauce, set some aside at the beginning and bring to a boil before applying to the cooked chicken. Rubs are sort of a dry mari- nade that is rubbed directly on the chicken and allowed to set 20 minutes or overnight. Any combination of spices can be used. The following recipes are for four servings. But if you like them, be sure and quadruple the recipe and store it in an airtight container for future use. BTW: If you don’t like the combinations below, be brave and experiment with your own. Lawry’s makes a great lemon marinade that I change up with soy sauce and whatever suits my fancy. Enjoy! Citrus Herb Marinade 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon rosemary 1/2 teaspoon thyme Asian Ginger Marinade 1/4 cup light soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon minced parsley leaves Honey Mustard Marinade 2 tablespoons mustard 1/4 cup soy sauce 4 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Hot and Spicy Rub 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Spicy Mediterranean Rub 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Indian Ginger Rub chicken thighs RUB 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon cardamom 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper SAUCE 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard 3 tablespoons honey, or more, to taste 2 tablespoons chicken stock, or more, to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 sprigs rosemary SPICY HONEY BRUSHED CHICKEN THIGHS 8 skinless, boneless, chicken thighs Spice Rub 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper Basting sauce 1/3 cup honey 3 teaspoons cider vinegar Turn on the oven broiler. Com- bine six spices in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush half of honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Re- move pan from oven and turn pieces over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil until chicken is done. Serves 4 (2 thighs per serving). NOTE: Serve with garlic-roast- ed potatoes and a green salad. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To make the mustard rub, com- bine olive oil and whole grain mustard in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using your fi ngers or a brush, work the mixture onto both sides of the chicken. Make the sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, honey and chicken stock. Add more chicken stock as needed until desired consistency is reached. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large oven- proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Add mus- tard sauce and sprinkle with rosemary. Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal tempera- ture of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately with rice and veggies. Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes that are deli- cious, family oriented and easy to prepare. Contact her at 942- 1317 or email bchatty@bettykaiser.com BAKED HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN THIGHS paramedic Rick Settelmeyer and others including Howard Schesser and began to volunteer with the fi re department, later studying to become a paramedic to be even more helpful. In the late 80s, he signed on full-time and has answered the call ever since. “We focus on fi xing a prob- lem, on doing our job,” he said, “and there’s plenty to do. This town is pretty busy, and there are thousands of calls — it’s a way of life.” The only aspect of the job Eckstine said he didn’t relish is having anger directed his way, an occasional by-product of the life of a fi re marshal. But he’s al- ways gotten by with a little help from his friends and family. “You can be great at some- thing if you love what you do, and my success is directly re- lated to my friends,” he said. “They’ve made the job so fun for me. And I have a good fam- ily; my wife’s an angel, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything without her.” Eckstine said it’ll be a plea- sure to schedule many of the outings that went by the way- side in his younger years, in addition to making time for his wife, Denise, and his kids, most of whom still live nearby. “There’s traveling to do; it’s going to be fun,” he said. “But we love this town and have no intention of leaving.” On Monday, Fire Chief John Wooten called Eckstine “an in- tegral part of building our fi re prevention program.” He said the department will have to fi ll $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM Our Community Newspaper since 1889 Subscribe and $AVE 912 meeting mation call 541-206-9756 or 541-607-1156. Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart will speak at the next meeting of the Cottage Grove 912 Project on Monday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cov- ered Bridge Restaurant, 401 E. Main St. Stewart will discuss his involvement with the Asso- ciation of Oregon Counties and the feasibility of transferring federal land in Oregon to the state. Silk Creek Cemetery Assn. The annual meeting of the Silk Creek Community Cem- etery will be held Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Silk Creek Chapel by the cemetery. All are welcome. Taylor-Lane Cem- etery clean-up A work party to clean up Tay- lor-Lane Cemetery will meet Saturday, May 16 at 9 a.m. at the cemetery. For more infor- Learn PastPerfect Workshop 2 of the Collec- tions Care Series is being held Tuesday, May 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lane Community College in Cottage Grove. This class teaches the use of PastPer- fect, a widely used collection management software program. The $10 fee is payable at the door, cash or check only. For more information, call 541-463- 4202. Garden work party There will be a garden work party in honor of Marlece and Kim on Sunday, May 3 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Arthurs’ home, 31212 Veatch Rd. Volun- teers are asked to bring gloves, a snack to share, and be ready to work and are asked to contact Pat Daniels if they plan to attend at 541-942-2824 or email pat@ cgfarmhouse.com. Join us May 5 th SPECIALS ALL DAY! DINNER SPECIALS! COCKTAIL SPECIALS! Open 7 Days A Week (79 . s NEW: Digital X-Rays (use less radiation) Implants •Teeth Whitening • Extractions Lumineers (no prep veneers as seen on TV) Cottage Grove Dental Dr. Brent Bitner, DDS 350 Washington, Cottage Grove (behind Better Bodies) 541.942.7934 CHICKEN: 8 bone-in, skin-on E CKSTINE Continued from page 3A COMMUNITY BRIEFS Save 10% a void with its building inspec- tion program until Danny Soles- bee can be trained as the new fi re marshal, and SLFR hopes to promote a new division chief from among its current cap- tains. “His knowledge and abilities will be missed,” Wooten said. “He’s had a great career, and the board and everybody here thanks him for his service.” “There are great people com- ing up, so I feel good about stepping out,” Eckstine said. “If they miss you when you’re gone, you know you didn’t re- ally do your job.” When you buy TWO appliances* !PPLIANCES s ,AWN 'ARDEN BUY MORE SAVE MORE Save 15% When you buy THREE appliances* Save 20% PLUS GET AN EXTRA 5% OFF ALL APPLIANCES OR 12 months special fi nancing over $499 w/Sears Card OR Free Delivery over $499 w/Sears Card When you buy FOUR OR MORE appliances* *When you buy appliances over $399.00 each Sale Valid thru May 2nd 'ATEWAY "LVD #OTTAGE 'ROVE .EXT TO "I-ART /PEN DAYSWEEK Shady Oaks Plants & Produce Girls Just Want to Have Fun! Giggles – Grins – Fine Wine – Food – Friends CHICK’S NIGHT OUT Friday May, 10th 5:30-Dark Get out of your coop and come “Free Range” Dinner served from 6:00-7 with shopping and live music By the Fret Boys We have a fun filled evening lined up just for the girls. Husbands are more than welcome. Enjoy some pampering, relax to music, have dinner in the garden and indulge in a bottle of wine from Saginaw Vineyards while lounging among the lovely flowers and plants. Then shop for Mother’s Day with a wide array of vendors to top off the evening We have many vendors who have arranged to stop by. We will offer Door Prizes. (Must be present to win) Dinner will be served in the garden under the Shady Oaks. Dinner - pasta with a variety of sauces, salad and a dinner roll. Beverages: Tea, lemonade and coffee. Cost will be $12.00 including your beverage. Scruptious desserts will also be available to purchase separately. Hope to See You here. (WY 3OUTH s #' s
