Deep Fried...Something

Gourmet S'mores

I've mentioned Tastespotting a few times on this blog.  It's an amazing site, and it's been the inspiration for several of my recipes.  I've submitted a few of my pictures/recipes there, and I've even had a few accepted.  For every one that's been accepted though, I've had at least two or three rejected.  Sometimes the reason they give is fairly clear, and others it's pretty vague ("lighting" for example).  Fairly recently, a new site came into existence for people like me, who think they've taken a pretty decent picture or just want to share their post with other people but they got rejected from Tastespotting.  This site is called Tastestopping.  It's a fun site, very tongue-in-cheek, and I've had a couple of entries posted there as well. 

A few weeks ago, Tastestopping did a contest in conjunction with RegionalBest.com.  The prize was a gourmet s'mores kit, and I was one of ten winners.  The kit contained three items:

• Middlebury Maple Crackers from Castleton Crackers
• Fresh Vanilla Marshmallows from kitchen witch (also the founder of Tastestopping)
• Milk Chocolate Puddles from Grocer's Daughter Chocolate

After shipping the prize, Casey from Tastestopping asked the winners if we'd mind making a post about it, preferably with a picture, to share with other people and help show what people did with their prizes.  I couldn't complain about making s'mores, but of course I don't have a campfire in my front yard either.  I decided to try the quickest and easiest solution: the broiler in the oven.  The result was probably the best s'mores I've ever had in my life.  The marshmallows especially were amazing (and I'm not just saying that because they're from Casey), and the maple crackers were a nice change of pace from regular graham crackers.  I'd love to make these over a campfire someday, but it's also nice knowing that I can make them in my oven any time I want in just a few minutes.

Gourmet S'mores

Ingredients:

• Maple crackers
• Fresh vanilla marshmallows
• Milk chocolate puddles

Directions:

1. Move an oven rack to the top of the oven, but make sure you have enough clearance so the marshmallows won't hit the broiler element.
2. Place a few crackers on a foil-covered cookie sheet.  Place a marshmallow on top of each cracker.
3. Put the crackers and marshmallows in the oven on broil for 1-3 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the marshmallows don't burn more than you want them too.
4. Remove from oven and place chocolate puddles on top of the marshmallows.  Serve and enjoy!

Notes:
If the chocolate doesn't melt as much as you want, you can put them back under the broiler for 10-20 seconds to nicely melt the chocolate on top. 

Check out what some of the other contest winners did with their Gourmet S'mores kits:

Update:  I submitted the picture for this to both Tastespotting and Foodgawker.  Tastespotting approved it in almost record time, and Foodgawker rejected it with the comment, "Primary reason: Dull/unsharp when reduced in size."

Lemongrass and Curry Grilled Chicken Breasts

I saw this recipe in the Taste section of the Baltimore Sun recently, and it sounded too good to pass up.  I'm a big fan of the flavors of lemongrass and curry, and combining them sounded great to me.  The results were pretty good, although I'll definitely use thinner/smaller chicken breasts next time, as I had to cook these for quite a bit longer than the recipe said to get them cooked all the way through.

Lemongrass and Curry Grilled Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 2 stalks lemongrass (sold in herb section of groceries) thinly sliced crosswise or 3 strips lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or dill
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt (sea or kosher)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon for basting
• 4 skinless, boneless half chicken breasts about 6 ounces each
• Lime wedges for serving

Directions:

1. Place lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, curry powder, salt, sugar and pepper in a food processor and finely chop. (Alternately, make a paste by pounding ingredients in a heavy mortar with a pestle.) Gradually work in 2 tablespoons of the oil.
2. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Arrange them in a baking dish just large enough to hold a single layer. Spread the lemongrass marinade over the chicken breasts, turning to coat both sides. Let the chicken breasts marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours; the longer it marinates, the stronger the flavor.
3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
4. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Drain the chicken breasts, place them on the hot grate at a diagonal to the bars. Grill until golden brown and cooked through about 3-5 minutes per side, giving each breast a quarter-turn after 1 1/2 minutes to create a handsome crosshatch. After 3 minutes, start basting the chicken with the 1 tablespoon of oil to keep them moist.
5. Transfer the grilled chicken breasts to a platter and serve with lime wedges.

Notes:
I used dried lemongrass and dried dill, so I added a little bit of water to the marinade to help the flavors spread. This is a surprisingly quick and easy dish to make, as long as you leave time for the chicken to marinate.