Air Fried Chipotle Chili Crusted Chicken Breast with Cilantro-Lime Rice

The air fryer is really a mini convection oven, and its applications are many.  You can heat leftover foods quickly, prepare fresh or frozen chicken wings, make hamburgers, cook a steak, bake deserts and so much more.

One of my very favorite spices for chicken is chipotle chili powder, which has just a tiny bit more spice kick than regular chili powder, without being overwhelmingly hot. This preparation uses chipotle powder almost like flour, creating a savory crust with a hint of heat.  As a side, I am pairing the chicken with the cilantro lime rice side.  I recommend basmati or jasmine rice for their aromas, but long grain white rice will work just as well. The rice will take longer to prepare, so we will start with that.

 Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati or Jasmine (long-grain white) rice

1-1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp chicken bouillon 

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped cilantro, not too fine.

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water for a few minutes until the water begins to run clear.  In a large sauce pot or deep-sided pan put in the rice, water, the juice of half a lime, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the garlic and onion powders, bouillon and bay leaf.  Stir and bring to a boil.  You will have to keep an eye on the rice, boiling it until nearly all the water has evaporated and little steam holes begin to appear on the surface of the rice.  This should take about 15 minutes.  Once the water is nearly gone, pull the pan from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork and cover it with a tight lid for at least another 15 minutes.  Do not peek!

The rice should be very fluffy at the end of this time and not sticky.  Pour the rice into a mixing bowl and mix in the juice from the other half of lime, the second teaspoon of olive oil and the chopped cilantro.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.  Cover and set aside.

Chipotle Chili-Crusted Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, split or butterflied (you may also use chicken tenders)

4 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can use regular chili powder, but it won't have the little spice kick) 

4 tsp cumin

2 tsp Mexican oregano (or just oregano)

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 lime, cut in half

Directions:

Prepare the dry ingredients is a bowl, mix and spread on a plate or shallow baking dish.  Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees for 3 minutes.  Make sure the chicken is dry and free of excess water.  Pour the olive oil on the chicken and rub on both sides.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Coat the chicken in the spice mixture on both sides, making sure all parts of the split breasts are coated.

Place the chicken in the air fryer and set for 6 minutes at 400 degrees.  At the end of the time, open the fryer basket and turn the chicken over.  If you have an instant read thermometer check to see if the chicken is 165 degrees.  If it's there, reset the fryer for 350 degrees for about 3 or 4 minutes to crisp the second side without overcooking.  You may need even less time for the other side.

Mound some rice on a plate and set the chicken up against it.  A squeeze of lime on the chicken adds a nice touch to the full flavor of the chipotle chili and will complement the rice.  This goes well with a Mexican beer!

Air-Fried Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

 In recent years the air-fryer has become a staple appliance in many of our homes.  It crisps well, it's fast, and it requires the use of far less fats while  "frying" meats, potatoes and other food items.  That being said there are sometimes unsatisfactory results when preparing popular foods like chicken wings. They can come out soggy, undercooked or just plain bland.  Most of these problems stem from preparation.

If you want crispy, uncoated, yet juicy wings, here is the key; the chicken has to be as free from water as possible.  This means not air-frying them while frozen.  Also, there are some preparations which call for the wings to brine in buttermilk or salt water for a few hours or overnight.  If you are deep frying them in oil, this method works.  But we are not using much oil, and we are not breading the wings after they have been brined.  In fact, all we are doing is patting the wings very dry right out of the package, or if you prefer to rinse them, after they have been rinsed in cold water and drained from a bowl.

Here's what you need for a dozen wing parts (I don't use the wingtips):

Mix these seasonings in a small bowl - 

1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper mix, any brand

1 Tsp Kosher Salt

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Paprika

(Optional) Tsp Old Bay - this also contains salt, so be aware

Preparation -

Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees for about 3 minutes.  While the air fryer is preheating. add the dry wings to a bowl and spray them with a cooking spray or pour a teaspoon of avocado oil on the wings and stir to ensure even coating. Next sprinkle the seasoning on to taste and mix the wings again to assure even coating of the seasonings.

I know at this point there are some methods which call for using a corn or potato starch coating for extra crispness,  This is certainly an option, but it requires the use of extra cooking spray to cover the each side of the wings during the cooking process.  That adds more fat, but again it's a choice.

Using tongs, place the wings well spaced in the air fryer basket so that they don't touch, which results in steaming and less than uniform crispiness.  Depending on the size of the basket this might require two batches.  If you have used a starch you will have to use your cooking spray to coat this side of the  chicken now.  Close the basket and set the fryer for 10 minutes at 380 degrees.

After the 10 minutes, flip the wings on their other side.  Use your cooking spray again to cover the starch on this second side if you used it.  Set the timer again for 10 minutes and 380 degrees.  At the conclusion of this time, flip the wings once more to the first side. This time set the timer for 5 minutes at 410-420 degrees, or what ever your air fryer permits, and reinsert the basket.

If you prefer Buffalo-style wings, while the you are in this final stage, Frank's Red Hot sauce or your choice of hot sauce can be added to a bowl and the wings tossed in from the air fryer.  Some would add melted butter to the sauce before tossing, but the added richness of the butter probably is not needed here.  Again we have choices, because it's a very flexible preparation.  It can be reduced fat, reduced sodium and keto-friendly, or you can include more fat and carbs in a coating.

I serve my wings with fresh cut celery stalks with ranch or blue cheese dips, or more hot sauce. A garnish of parsley or cilantro completes the serving. 

Oven Roasted Reverse Seared Beef Sirloin Tri-Tip

 The Sirloin Tri-Tip was first known in here in the US in Central California as the Santa Maria or the Newport Cut.  In recent years this relatively inexpensive cut has become known and more popular East of the Mississippi River. It's a triangle of meat that usually weighs about 5 pounds trimmed, and is a versatile and forgiving cut of meat, capable of being prepared many ways, from simple roasting to smoking, grilling to pan searing.  The meat is tender and favorable, as long as it is cooked medium rare to medium.  The fibers do tighten up considerably at higher temperatures.

Most recipes  that I have seen or read commonly call for the cut to be treated like a brisket, though it does not require nearly the twelve hours to prepare a tri-tip properly as it does a full packer cut brisket. The preparation method that I prefer is called the Reverse Sear, where the meat is seasoned, then smoked, or roasted at low temperatures until the internal temps are medium rare to medium, and then allowed to rest 15 minutes.  This ensures the juices are re-absorbed  into the meat.  The cut is then grilled or pan seared over high heat for color, which only takes a few minutes.  I like to marinade the meat overnight, but it is not necessary.  This recipe is based on a preparation by Sam Zien, of Sam the Cooking Guy on YouTube, and is easily my favorite.

Marinade:

1/2 cub low sodium soy sauce

1 cup olive oil

5-10 cloves crushed or diced garlic

1 tsp black pepper

Other ingredients:

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

1-2 knobs of butter

Sprig of thyme (optional) 

Directions:

Most tri-tip roasts from the supermarket have the fat cap and silver skin well-trimmed, but you may need to clean up these areas.  I don't mind a thin fat cap, especially if I'm grilling it over flames. The meat may be tenderized at this point if you have one, but it is not necessary.

Combine the marinade and pour it into a sealable gallon bag.  Seal the meat in the bag with the marinade and move it around to coat the entire tri-tip,  If you have overnight to let the meat marinade in the refrigerator that is great, but a minimum of four hours would be ideal.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it set on the counter in the marinade for a hour, or until it comes up to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  

When the meat is a room temp, remove it from the bag and place it on a wire rack in a shallow pan. A meat thermometer comes in handy here.  Insert into the thickest part of the roast and place on the center rack, uncovered.  Roasting times will vary per oven, which is why it is best to use a meat thermometer.  For medium rare the meat should be pulled at 128-130 degrees.  For medium, 135 degrees is best.

Let the meat rest with a sheet of loose foil covering for about 15 minutes.  The meat will continue to cook internally while sealing in juices.  While the meat rests heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat and add some of the marinade to the pan if you wish, or a tablespoon of olive oil and a couple knobs of butter and the optional thyme sprig.  When the pan is hot, sear the roast about three or four minutes on each side, basting with the oil and butter as it sears.  You are looking for color, not to cook the meat any more internally.  

When the color you want is achieved, the meat can be removed and sliced immediately, because it has already rested.  Tri-tips have fibers running in two directions; the long end toward the narrow tip, and the short end running away at an angle. You can separate the meat at this juncture for ease of slicing. You want to cut across the grain, not with the grain.

Serving:

With the drippings from the pam and some of the marinade, its possible to make a pan gravy with a little flour.  Be sure to heat the marinade to a boil in order to avoid raw meat contamination.  The tri-tip also goes well with a chimichurri sauce dressing, made with minced cilantro, garlic, olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes.   

Baked Barbecue Beans

 It is easy to grab a can of those commercial beans at the supermarket and toss them into a sauce pan and heat them up.  I'm not knocking it; we all have done that at one point of other in our busy lives while preparing meals for our families.  But if there is extra time available, why not prepare baked beans with a little more love, and a lot less sugar than is contained in our favorite store-bought brands?

It starts with the choice of beans.  I mean after all, they are the star of the show! You can use any kind of bean variety that you like, though the canned variety most often use Great Northern beans.  I prefer red beans personally, because they have a bit more texture and heft to them, which means more flavor to me.  I prefer them dried and soaked in water overnight, but if pressed for time, a couple of low sodium canned red beans, liquid drained are a suitable alternative.  If using dried beans, don't salt the soaking or the cooking water, because that can toughen up the red beans.

Preparations:

Drain the soaked beans and place them in a pot of fresh water, bringing them to a boil in a medium large pot.  Some folks like to add pork shoulder or some type of smoked meat with onions in this step, but I prefer to control the amount of fat.  But that's an option available.  Turn down the heat and simmer for about an hour.  While the beans are simmering, the ingredients for the sauce may now be prepared.

You'll need:

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper (optional), seeded and diced

3-4  strips thick cut bacon, diced

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1-1/2  cups of barbecue sauce, any variety (less sugar varieties are best)

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sauté the diced bacon in a large pan until the fat renders, then add the chopped onions and peppers, heating until the onions are clear.  In a separate bowl combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir to combine, then pour the prepared sauce into the pan, stirring until incorporated.  Let it come to a simmer, but do not reduce.

Drain the beans and pour them into a large casserole dish. Pour over the prepared sauce from the pan and combine well in the dish.  The sauce will appear a little thin at this point. If you are adventurous, strips of bacon may be laid over the beans, but it's totally optional. Place the dish in the oven, uncovered for about two hours, or until the sauce has reduced.

At the end of this time the casserole dish may removed.  The excess liquid should now be reduced and the beans nestled in their thick sauce.  Spoon out and garnish with parsley next to your smoked or barbecued meat of choice.  It's so much better tasting than the old canned standbys! 

Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs

 

Nothing really says summer like smoking, grilling or barbecuing ribs in the back yard or on the patio.  But let's face it, mother nature sometimes doesn't want to cooperate.  You have that taste for ribs, but it is rainy, too cold, or as often is the case here in Arizona summers, the temperature is too hot, over 110 degrees.  Who wants to cook outdoors in those conditions?

But there is an easy alternative, even in the most inclement of conditions - our kitchen ovens.  I like baby back ribs because they are more meaty, but spareribs will also turn out great in this recipe. As for dry rubs, there are many, from your favorite bottled dry rubs to home made.  And if those don't suit your tastes, even salt and pepper will work great.  Below I'll list the ingredients that I like to use for my custom dry rub.

Preparation: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Pork ribs a have a membrane on the bone side that I like to remove.  Some keep it on, but I find that my ribs come out more tender when this silver skin is removed.  To remove it, use a butter knife and push it under the membrane alongside one of the bones near the end of the rack.  Give it a tug up, then grasp the membrane with a paper towel and pull it away from the ribs.  Then pat the rack dry on both sides.

For a spice binder when I'm smoking outdoors I like to use plain old yellow mustard, spread lightly across both sides of the ribs. For indoor cooking, olive oil will give the ribs a nice crispy crust.  Use a brush to coat the ribs on both sides.

The Rub:

There are some great commercial dry rubs easily available in the supermarket.  I have used them, and have even used Old Bay, which works great too.  My favorite scratch-made rub is as follows:

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Procedure:

Season the oiled ribs generously on both sides with the rub.  Place the ribs on a large cookie sheet over aluminum foil, do not cover.  Bake the ribs on a middle rack for two hours at 350 degrees.  At the end of that time, carefully removed the ribs from the foil and replace it with new foil.  Turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

While the oven heats up, place the ribs back on the cookie sheet and liberally brush on your favorite barbecue sauce. When the oven is at temperature place the ribs back in the oven for ten minutes.  Set a timer for this so it's not left in too long.

Now set the oven to broil and place the ribs on the top rack for three minutes.  It might be helpful set the timer once again.  Pull the ribs out and let them rest for a few minutes; they will be very hot.

Brush on more barbecue sauce and enjoy with baked barbecue beans and a creamy, crisp coleslaw.  These ribs are not the fall off the bone variety, but they are very tender.