Monday, September 3, 2012

Happy Labor Day from Mystery Lovers' Kitchen!

What I'm going to say might scare you -- I know what you're doing. You're hiding in a room with the door closed, wondering how long it will take for them to find you. They've already watched all the videos you rented -- four times. You've heard them so many times that you've memorized the lines. What's worse, it's raining. Buckets of rain. Because they're all bored, their friends came over. And now the arguing has commenced.

Going back to work is beginning to sound appealing. Quiet. Calm, blissful quiet!

So now what are you going to do with the chicken you were going to grill? You're contemplating grilling in the rain. It would be so quiet! You could take an umbrella and a glass of wine . . . a bottle of wine! You wouldn't even have to worry about sunscreen.

What's a little thunder and lightning anyway? Hmm, the grill is metallic, isn't it? Ouch! That one was close. The dog is now cowering under your legs. Maybe grilling isn't such a great idea, after all.

So here's how to "barbecue" your chicken in the oven. You can use your favorite barbecue sauce or a variation on the one below. You probably have what you need in your pantry and the fridge. If you like a kick, add a few drops of hot sauce.

Rainy Day Barbecued Chicken
based on a recipe by Judith Olney

1 chicken cut into pieces (or a couple of breasts on the bone or several legs or a mixture of thighs and legs)

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar)
1 small onion, minced
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix together everything except the chicken in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors meld.


Heat the oil in a pan and brown the chicken on both sides. Lay the browned pieces in a baking pan and pour the sauce over them. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.


Remove the foil and raise the oven temperature to 375. Baste the chicken with the sauce. Cook another 25 minutes, basting now and then.

Cook until 165 degrees when tested with a food thermometer.





Enjoy your day off work! Commandeer the remote and watch 9 to 5!

15 comments:

  1. You're so funny Krista! And I have to admit--a little peace and quiet will be welcome:). The chicken sounds delish!

    Enjoy the day everyone!

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    1. Lucy, I hope other areas of the country are experiencing sunshine, but it has been overcast and rainy here all weekend. I bet a lot of people will be very happy to see the school bus arrive tomorrow morning. ; )

      ~ Krista

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  2. For some reason I keep seeing this as dessert. What, those aren't apples in the sauce? Maybe they could be... Looks yummy, either way.

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    1. Chicken with apples, hmm. You know, if you took out the ketchup, that might just work! In fact, mixing apples with the onions would even be good, I bet!

      ~ Krista

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  3. After having lived through the electric bathtub experience, I have a healthy fear of electricity. Don't grill in the rain! Besides, with that tasty sauce, who needs to?

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    1. Electric bathtub? That sounds scary! I expect some people will grill in the rain. I admit that I have, however, not with thunder or lightning.

      ~ Krista

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  4. Krista, how did you know that the house was going to be full today? Brilliant. Granted, I don't have to worry about lightning in Los Angeles for a few months, but indoor grilling sounds like fun. And the wine. Definitely. LOL

    Thanks for a fun post.

    ~Daryl aka Avery

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    1. At least it's not raining in LA, today. Your crowd can play outdoors. I hope you won't find yourself hiding in a room to get away from it all! ; )

      ~ Krista

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  5. Oh such fun to read your post today! Thanks for the smiles and the great recipe. It'll work when there's a blizzard in January as well and we are wishing we could get out our charcoal and Weber! I love your books so keep 'em comin'! Thanks again...Adrienne in MN

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    1. Thank you so much, Adrienne! You're so right about making this in the winter when you're in the mood for a taste of barbecue sauce.

      ~ Krista

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  6. Adrienne is right--perfect for a summer touch in January! Although we wild and crazy people in Michigan have been known to grill in the middle of December in our boots! We were so lucky--gorgeous weather all weekend long! I did ribs on the grill along with chicken wings marinated in teriyaki sauce. Found a great tip for doing them--straighten them out and stick a skewer through them. They cook evenly and are easy to turn. I made my favorite BBQ sauce from an old James Beard cookbook, some vinegary cole slaw to cleanse the palate and oven roasted garlic new potatoes. And the best part--there are leftovers for today!

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  7. Gotta love leftovers, Peg. Especially when they're so delicious. New potatoes! Must look for them at the farmer's market. Yum!

    ~ Krista

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  8. The true adventures of Labor Day 2012 by Krista Davis. Love it! And the recipe looks not only tasty but also low on labor, which means it's a keeper for me--and perfect for a (hardly-any-labor on) Labor Day meal. I can see the clouds forming now in NYC...time to fire up the grill. Have a great day and week, and thx for making me smile. ~ Cleo

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    1. Low on labor! Absolutely, Cleo. I love recipes that don't require a lot of labor. That's the way to celebrate Labor Day!

      ~ Krista

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  9. Thanks for this, Krista! We don't own a grill (heresy, I know! //grins//) and so many of the grilling recipes look tasty. I'll be trying this one day this week, for sure!

    LynneW

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