Saturday, March 24, 2018

Snow Day Barbecue Chicken with Cauliflower Grits #recipe by Denise Swanson author

While I used to love snow days as a child and even when I worked as a school psychologist, now that I write full time, I find them at best inconvenient and at worst downright annoying. Today my DH and I were supposed to travel to Peoria, IL for a tour of the Caterpillar plant, but a freak spring snow storm ruined everything. To cheer up both of us, I decided to  make a hearty snow day lunch. 

But, despite my desire for comfort food, I still wanted to stick to my Healthy, Inexpensive, and Tasty eating plan so I decided to use this lighter recipe.



 Ingredients
12 ounces cauliflower florets (or frozen riced cauliflower)
 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
 1/2 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup unsalted tomato sauce
 3 tablespoons water
 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
 1 tablespoon unsalted ketchup
 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 lb. shredded chicken breast--seasoned with Mrs. Dash salt-free chicken blend and grilled (you can also use rotisserie chicken)
  1/4 cup sliced scallions


Here's how I make the cauliflower grits:

Process half of the cauliflower in a food processor until very finely chopped. (Don’t rush processing the cauliflower; it’s key to giving the puree the consistency of grits) 














Transfer to a medium saucepan. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower. Add stock and cornmeal to pan; bring to a boil over high. 




Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until cauliflower is cooked and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, pepper, and salt. Cover to keep warm.

Here's  how I  make the BBQ chicken:

Combine tomato sauce, 3 tablespoons water, mustard, ketchup, garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. 








Stir in shredded chicken. 














Divide cauliflower mixture among 4 plates. Top evenly with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with scallions.

Here's a bit about my April 3rd book:  Tart of Darkness.



Right when Dani thinks she's hit a dead-end in her career, she unexpectedly inherits an enormous old house in a quaint college town. This gives her the perfect opportunity to pursue her true passion—cooking! So Dani opens Chef-to-Go, preparing delicious, ready-made meals for hungry students attending the nearby university, as well as providing personal chef services and catering events for the local community. To help support her new business, she opens her home to a few students, renting them rooms and becoming almost like a big sister figure in their lives.

But just as Dani is relishing her sweet new life, the friend of one of her boarders is murdered, and Dani becomes one of the primary suspects! She'll have to scramble to clear her name and save her business before the killer reappears—perhaps to silence the new chef forever.

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6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipe! I love finding new ways to incorporate riced cauliflower into dishes and "sneaking" extra veggies in for my non-veggie-loving granddaughters :)

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    1. Most of my recipes are very veg heavy, but not as sneaky as this one. :)

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  2. Clever and, I'm sure, quite tasty.

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  3. I have to try your method of making barbecued chicken. Seems so logical!

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  4. Looks wonderful Can't wait for the new release.

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