Moroccan Chicken in a Pressure Cooker

Morocco is in North Africa, but this recipe reveals its Mediterranean ties: Onion, garlic, olives, lemon, and parsley pack flavor into this easy-to-make chicken dish. Unlike other pressure-cooker recipes, you don't have to brown the chicken! Just heat the olive oil and add the remaining ingredients. The resulting flavor and aroma is amazing. If you want to cut some calories, you can even remove the chicken skin.

Moroccan Chicken

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes under pressure

Pressure level: High

Yield: 4 servings

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 threads saffron (optional)

One 3- to 4-pound chicken, quartered

1 cup chicken broth

1 large lemon, thinly sliced

8 large green Sicilian olives

1 package (10 ounces) couscous

1. Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper, and, if desired, the saffron. Stir well. Add the chicken. Stir to coat with the onion mixture. Pour the broth over the chicken; do not stir. Place the lemon slices on top of the chicken.

2. Cover and bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to stabilize the pressure. Cook for 15 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat. Let the pressure drop using a quick-release method.

4. Unlock and remove the cover.

5. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a platter. Cover to keep warm.

6. Reduce the cooking liquid over high heat until the sauce is thick. Add the olives and cook until warmed through. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

7. Serve with cooked couscous, prepared according to package directions.

Barbecue Ribs the Right Way

Pork ribs need long, slow, indirect grilling to create a rich barbeque flavor. The following is a summary list of important points to consider before heading out to barbecue pork ribs.

1. Build an indirect fire by piling the coals on one side of the grill. (This method gives you plenty of room to place the large rib slabs away from the heat of the fire.) You also can stack the charcoal in a circular ring around the edges of the grill. You can cook the ribs indirectly in a gas grill, but a charcoal fire gives them more flavor.

2. Cook the ribs slowly for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, over medium heat (325° to 350°) and over a drip pan half filled with water. Long, slow cooking makes for moist and tender ribs with a crisp crust. If in the first 30 minutes the ribs are browning too quickly, shut the grill vents.

3. Determining when pork ribs are done is a little tricky, but after 1-1/2 to 2 hours, you can be virtually certain that the ribs are fully cooked. However, the meat's color is not an indication of doneness. Smoke from the coals or from burning wood chips can turn the interior of the meat pink and leave you with the impression that it's not cooked. If you can move the rib bones back and forth without a lot of resistance after 1-1/2 to 2 hours, the meat is cooked.

4. Add any basting sauce that has a component of tomato or other sweet ingredient to the ribs during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Adding the sauce late in the process keeps the sauce from burning.

5. You can toss in a large handful of presoaked wood chips each time you add fresh coals to the fire. Or build the fire by using a combination of charcoal and hardwood oak or hickory chunks to achieve extra smoky flavor.

With these tips in mind, here's a great ribs recipe.

Baby Back Ribs with Sweet-Hickory Barbecue Sauce
In this recipe, baby back ribs are protected from the intense heat of the grill by wrapping them in aluminum foil until nearly cooked. In the final 30 minutes, the ribs are then grilled over indirect heat where they develop a nice brown crust without any charring or overbrowning. This rib barbecue sauce is savory-sweet with a hint of liquid hickory smoke seasoning, which you should be able to find at most grocery stores. It will soon become one of your family's favorite sauces with any kind of poultry, beef ribs, steaks, or even burgers.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Grilling time: 1-1/2 hours

Yield: 3 to 4 main dish servings or 6 to 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients:


2 full racks baby back pork ribs (about 3-1/2 pounds)


4 tablespoons water


2 teaspoons liquid hickory smoke seasoning


1-1/2 cups Sweet-Hickory Barbecue Sauce (see following recipe)

1. In a covered grill, prepare a medium charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium.

2. Cut each rack of ribs in half to make 4 equal-sized pieces, with about 6 to 7 ribs to a piece. Lay 2 pieces of the ribs side-by-side on a long sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap tightly, using a drugstore wrap, but leave one end of the foil packet open. (Figure 1 illustrates how to use a drugstore wrap.) Repeat with the 2 remaining rib pieces and a second long sheet of foil.



Figure 1: Doing the drugstore wrap.



3. Combine the water and liquid smoke seasoning; spoon half of the liquid smoke-water mixture into each foil packet; seal the ends tightly to prevent leakage.

4. Place both packets flat on the preheated grill grid; cover and cook for a total of 60 minutes, turning the packets over about every 20 minutes. Remove the packets from the grill to a large baking pan and let rest.

5. If you're using a gas grill, raise the heat on one burner to create a medium-hot indirect fire. If using a charcoal grill, add more coals to the fire to raise the temperature of the fire to medium-hot, and then bank them to one side.

6. Remove the foil wrapping; place the ribs on a lightly oiled grid, opposite the fire or heat. Cover the grill and cook for about 30 minutes or until the ribs are done, turning and basting both sides with the Sweet-Hickory Barbecue Sauce about every 10 minutes. Heat the remaining sauce just to boiling in a small saucepan and serve with the ribs.

Sweet-Hickory Barbecue Sauce
Preparation time: About 15 minutes

Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients:


1/3 cup soy sauce


1/2 cup water


4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces


6 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed


1/4 cup chili sauce


1/4 cup ketchup


1/4 cup corn syrup


1/4 cup honey


1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoke seasoning

In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients; cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight to meld flavors. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Vietnamese Lemongrass Rub for Grilled Lamb, Chicken, and Seafood

This recipe for Vietnamese Lemongrass Rub creates a wet rub — any seasoning mix that incorporates a little oil to form a paste. The lemongrass offers a nice summery flavor that pairs especially well with lamb. You can use this grilling rub with seafood or chicken, too.

Vietnamese Lemongrass Rub
Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: None.

Yield: 4 servings

3 fresh lemongrass stalks, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer leaves discarded from each stalk

2 shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons freshly chopped and peeled ginger

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

1-1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)

5 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil

1. Thinly slice bottom 6 inches of the lemongrass, discarding the remainder.

2. Puree lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemon zest, lime juice, sugar, salt, cayenne, water, and fish sauce in a food processor, scraping down the sides occasionally, until as smooth as possible, about 2 minutes.

3. To finish the rub, slowly drizzle the peanut oil or vegetable oil into the rub mixture while the food processor is on. Continue processing until oil is incorporated. Store in a glass container and refrigerate until ready for use.

Use the wet rub just like you would a marinade: Marinate in a glass or stainless steel bowl (or use a zippered plastic bag). Cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit on the meat in the refrigerator to absorb the flavors. Turn the meat once in a while to distribute flavor evenly. Blot off the wet rub before you cook.

You can find lemongrass in the produce sections of most grocery stores. It's a perennial grass that has an extremely tough texture but a very fresh and light lemon flavor that is used a lot in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Look for firm stalks that are pale yellow or white at the bottom and green elsewhere. Leave browned stalks of lemongrass in the store. If you're having trouble finding lemongrass, try an Asian market.

An important factor is the size of the meat you're marinating:


Small pieces of meat, like shrimp or boneless chicken breasts, grab flavors in about an hour.
Give steaks and chops at least three hours and as many as six hours.
Veggies do well with a couple hours' marinating time.
Whole chickens, pork loins, rack of lamb, or other big pieces of meat need at least 5 hours and as many as 14 hours in the marinade.
If you're marinating something as big as a pork shoulder or brisket, allow about a day.

Cook Up Carrots, Jamaican Style

Spicy and slightly sweet, Jamaican jerk seasonings bring carrots to life in this recipe. A pressure cooker speeds up the time by 10 minutes. If you are a vegetarian or vegan or want to try something new and healthy, add diced spicy tofu before serving and heat. A bright green vegetable and pasta or rice rounds out the meal. For nonvegetarians, chicken breast or a white fish like flounder goes well.

Spicy Island Carrots

Preparation/Cooking time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1 pound baby carrots, sliced or unsliced, or regular carrots, sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1. In a medium nonstick saucepan, add the carrots and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender but still firm. Drain the carrots and transfer to a bowl.

2. Dry the saucepan and coat with nonstick spray. Add the brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.

3. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sugar bubbles and the spices are fragrant. Add the carrots. Toss or stir to coat the carrots with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

You can add lots of vegetables to this dish, but keep them small. Try diced celery, peas, chopped parsley, or chives. You can even add diced cooked poultry, ham, or beef if you want to use it as an entree with meat.

Easy Beef Soup

Economical and filling, this tasty beef soup is one of the easiest recipes to make. Serve it with some crusty bread and a salad for a satisfying meal.

Spanky's Beef Soup with Tomatoes and Potatoes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours

Freezes well

One 14-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, broken into pieces with the back of a spoon

4 cups beef broth or water

1 pound beef chuck, shank, or bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 medium potatoes, about 12 ounces, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

2 plump cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, about 1 sprig, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, broth, beef, onion, potatoes, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until the meat and vegetables are tender, about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Skim off any foam that forms during the cooking process.

Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley.

Per Serving: Calories 192.9; Protein 14.2g; Carbohydrates 12.3g; Dietary fiber 1.8g; Total fat 9.4g; Saturated fat 3.7g; Cholesterol 38.7mg; Sodium 689.4mg.

Bartending Basics: Creating Non-Alcoholic Drinks

A good number of your guests may choose not to drink alcohol, but this decision doesn't mean that they're stuck with boring soft drinks. Any of the following recipes are sure to impress, especially when served in traditional bar glasses.

Cranberry Collins
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1/2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1 cup Club Soda, chilled
Ice Cubes
Lime Slices
Mix Cranberry Juice Cocktail and Lime Juice. Stir in Club Soda. Add Ice Cubes and Lime Slices.

Chocolate Banana Colada Shake
1/3 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1/2 cup Milk
1 Tbsp. Chocolate Syrup
1-1/2 cups Chocolate or Vanilla Ice Cream
1/2 cup Sliced Banana
Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Coco Lopez Shake
2-1/2 oz. Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup Ice
Mix ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Dust Cutter
3/4 oz. Rose's Lime Juice
6 oz. Schweppes Tonic Water
Combine over ice in a tall glass.

Fruit Bowl
1 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Grape Juice
1 oz. Grapefruit Juice
Shake with ice. Serve in a tall glass.

Grapefruit Cooler
8 oz. Grapefruit Juice
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Pour Grapefruit Juice into a tall glass filled with ice. Add Bitters and stir.

Kona Coast
1 oz. Rose's Lime Juice
1/4 oz. Rose's Grenadine
5 oz. Mott's Apple Juice
2 oz. Schweppes Ginger Ale
Stir together and serve over ice in a tall glass.

New Orleans Day
2 oz. Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1 oz. Butterscotch Topping
1 oz. Half & Half
1 cup Ice
Mix in a blender until smooth.

Nada Colada
1 oz. Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 cup Ice
Mix in a blender until smooth.

Orange Smoothie
2-1/2 oz. Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
3 oz. Orange Juice
1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup Ice
Nutmeg
Mix first four ingredients in a blender until smooth. Sprinkle with Nutmeg.

Pina Colada Shake
1/2 cup Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1/3 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1-1/2 cups Vanilla Ice Cream
Mix in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Red Racket
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail, chilled
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice, chilled
10 Ice Cubes
In a blender, combine Grapefruit Juice and Ice Cubes. Blend on high speed till frothy. Pour into a tall glass.

Ruby Cooler
1 cup Ocean Spray Cranapple Drink
1 tsp. Instant Tea
Lemon Wedges
Mix Cranberry Juice and Tea. Pour over ice into two tall glasses with Lemon Wedge garnishes.

Shirley Temple
1 oz. Rose's Lime Juice
1 oz. Rose's Grenadine
6 oz. Schweppes Ginger Ale
Pour ingredients over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a Cherry.

Virgin Mary
4 oz. Tomato Juice
dash Worcestershire Sauce
dash Salt and Pepper
dash Tabasco Sauce
In a glass filled with ice, add Tomato Juice. Add a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco, Salt, and Pepper. Garnish with a Celery Stalk.