A PRIDE COCKTAIL: TROPICAL WHITE WINE SANGRIA

TROPICAL WHITE WINE SANGRIA

Notes Before You Start
1. Do not add the seltzer until you are ready to serve.
2. This is perfect to make a day or two before serving.
3. Cool and refreshing, this drink goes down easily and often and I suggest a double batch.

INGREDIENTS
 ½ cup peach schnapps
 ½ cup citrus vodka
 1 (15 oz.) can pineapple rings, in own juice, not sweetened
 ½ cup juice, from pineapple can
 1 bottle dry white wine , like sauvignon blanc
 1/4 cup seltzer water
 1 kiwi peeled and sliced
 4 strawberries, quartered
 4 slices lemons
 4 slices oranges
 4 slices limes
 ½ cup raspberries (about a handful) ¬
 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

• Place slices of lemon, orange and lime in a large sangria pitcher and dust with the granulated sugar. Lightly mash with a wooden spoon until fruit begins to break down and sugar begins to dissolve. 
• Cover fruit with pineapple juice. 
• Quarter 3 of the pineapple slices and add to pitcher. 
• Add remaining fruit, peach schnapps, and wine. 
• Stir lightly, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 
• Right before serving, add seltzer to pitcher. 
• Garnish with orange or kiwi slices & serve with ice.
• ENJOY!

BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN

BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN

The key ingredient of this dish, other then black pepper, is Oyster Sauce - don't be afraid. If you have never tried oyster sauce before, it tastes nothing like oysters. The flavor doesn't even resemble seafood of any kind. It is just salty and delicious. Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce is recommended and you will probably have to go to an Asian market to find it, but it is worth it.

**My 16 year old (very picky eater) nephew tried it when I was making it and LOVED it so much that he had made my sister make it 3x already!

Notes before you start:

1. I like my peppers well cooked so I cooked them first and removed them to a plate while the chicken and garlic cooked. (garlic burns easily so I added when I added the peppers to the chicken)

2. I used a cast iron pan, not a wok, so I needed to use more peanut oil.

3. Make sure you use peanut oil, it has a much higher cooking temp. Vegetable oil will burn.

4. The hardest part of making this dish was getting the oyster sauce out of the bottle - like catsup but worse - I couldn't find the recommended brand.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup oyster sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp black pepper, preferably freshly ground

1 tsp sugar

2-3 tbs peanut oil

6 cups cooked white rice

Preparation

Season the chicken with 1 tsp of soy sauce and allow it to marinate for a few minutes. Meanwhile combine the oyster sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar. Then set the sauce mixture aside.  In a wok over a high flame add the oil. Then add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken turns opaque. Then add the bell pepper and garlic. Continue to stir-fry for a couple minutes. Then add the sauce. Cook for about 1 minute more. Serve with steamed rice.

ORIGINAL PHOTOS

GINGER-ORANGE CHICKEN OVER RICE

The combination of ginger and orange is very pleasing and keeps the dish from being too sweet. I always follow recipes exactly as directed and this one was quick, easy and needed only one pot - a dutch oven. I love my dutch oven. The recipe calls for chicken thighs but you can use/mix it up with drumsticks.  Next time, I want to try lightly fried and breaded cutlets.

Notes before you start:

1. I used 8 pieces instead of 6, it's the way it came packaged, but even with 8, there was more then enough marmalade and sauce to cook the chicken and there was plenty left over.
2. Dry the chicken skin before searing to ensure crisp skin. Always dry your meat for best results.
3. The recipe calls for a toasted peanut garnish -- I didn't use it but have included it in the recipe.
4. The suggested side dish is Coconut Rice but this calls for a lot of extra ingredients and work so I just used plain Minute Rice which was really tasty with the sauce poured over it.
5. I was watching THE CHEW with my mom, sister and our hospice aide and everyone thought this looked great, and it was/is, but what I don't understand is why on a show with Top Chef  Carla Hall (LUV her), and two Iron Chefs, Mario Batali and Michael Symon, that they need/have fashion stylist Clinton Kelly (LUV him would so do him) do the cooking segment.

Ingredients 

For the Chicken: 

• 1 cup Orange Marmalade 
• 1 piece of fresh Ginger (about 1 inch; peeled and grated) 
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 6 Chicken Thighs (bone in; skin on) 
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed Orange Juice 
• 1 cup White Wine 
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar 
• Salt and Pepper to taste 
• Peanuts (toasted and chopped to garnish) 

For the Coconut Rice: 

• 2 cups White Rice 
• 2 1/2 cups Water 
• 1 13.5-ounce can Coconut Milk 
• 1/2 cup shredded Sweetened Coconut (lightly toasted) 
• 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes) 
• 3 Scallions (thinly sliced on a bias; plus more for garnish)

PREPARATION

For the Chicken: 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. 
• In a medium bowl combine the orange marmalade and freshly grated ginger.
• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large dutch oven. 
• Place chicken skin side down and sear for 3 to 4 minutes or until skin is crispy. 
• Flip the chicken. 
• Pour in the orange juice, wine and stir in the brown sugar just until dissolved. The liquid should not cover the chicken. Remove excess liquid if necessary. (I mixed these together in a bowl then poured it in with the chicken)
• Dollop the marmalade mixture on the skin side of each piece of chicken.
•  Place the pot in the preheated oven and cook uncovered for 40 minutes or until chicken is caramelized and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• If the sauce is loose, remove the chicken from the pot and reduce over a medium heat. Simmer until desired consistency. Serve over coconut rice. Garnish with a drizzle of pan drippings, peanuts and sliced scallions.

For the Coconut Rice: 

• Rinse rice under cool running water. 
• Combine the rice, water, coconut milk and a teaspoon of salt in a medium sauce pot. 
• Over high heat, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. 
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Check doneness then remove from heat. 
• Allow rice to sit for 8 to 10 minutes covered before fluffing with a fork.

Chicken after browning (they were browner then they appear here)

Chicken with sauce and marmalade before baking.

Fresh out of the oven.

Nicely Plated for serving.

Final presentation.