Man oh man, I’ve sure let time get away from me and neglected this here site! I’ve been back in New York City (from my trip to Thailand) for about 6 weeks now, and I just haven’t been able to get back into the right head space to start developing recipes, or really doing all that much cooking at all for that matter. Being in the kitchen and cooking is something relatively new in my life, and when I fall out of habit, it takes me a bit of time to jump back into creating new things. Moreover, I feel like I’m more inclined to be a fall and winter cook. There’s just too many great eating out options in NYC during the summer (especially with Restaurant Week !). And the last thing I feel like doing is testing out recipes in 90 degree heat. But let me stop my bitchin and get to what finally managed to break my blogging sabbatical!
I’m glad I can put this yummy Cherry Chicken recipe out there before the 4th of July because it’s so darn easy and quick, and it would be an awesome addition to a holiday BBQ. It’s a spin off of what Nom Nom Paleo did not too long ago. However, I’ve done some tweaking to make my version a bit sweeter, and tangier. If you’re singing the summer time “I don’t wanna cook” blues like I am, this is just the ticket.
Sweet + Savory Cherry Chicken
- 2 lbs 0rganic, free range chicken drumsticks (please don’t buy anything else, factory farming is so fricking gross).
- 1 bag frozen organic dark cherries, or 1 lb fresh
- 1 shallot
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp raw organic honey
- 2 tbsp cherry fruit spread or preserves, no sugar added
Set out your mise en place. Cherries are in peak season right now so yes, fresh is best, but as I’ve mentioned repeatedly, I’m the reluctant cook these days so…frozen all the way for me baby. Throw everything into a blender (except the honey and cherry preserves).
Pour the marinade over your chicken laid out in a tray, cover and let sit in the fridge for about 6 hours.
Once the drumsticks are nice and marinated, preheat your oven, and whip up your glaze. It’s so simple, just the cherry fruit spread, honey and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Make sure to buy a brand with NO added sugar, as to keep things Paleo! I love this brand I found at Whole foods. it was crazy cheap too.
Okay, so here’s where my laziness shines bright, and things get super ghetto. I didn’t have a wire rack on hand, and didn’t feel like schlepping to Sur la Table or Bed Bath and Beyond because I know I would just leave with 100 dollars worth of random stuff I never knew I needed. So I went across the street to the hardware store to check out what they had. No wire racks for cooking but, there was a wire rack to rest your paint roller on. Whatever, good enough! Picked up a 99 cent paint brush to apply the glaze, too. SUPER ghetto! I don’t recommend this level of laziness though. Get yourself a real, culinary grade food brush. You don’t want to be spending hours picking loose paintbrush hairs off of your raw chicken.
Bake your drumsticks at 400F for about 40 minutes, flipping at the half way point. I like to switch to the broiler for the last 4-5 minutes to get the skin extra crispy and caramelize those fruit sugars. Just keep an eye on them so as you don’t get any too burnt. Alternatively, you can always take these outside and charcoal grill them, even better….yuuuummmm!
So there you have it! a super simple Paleo friendly, primal main dish for when you’d rather be doing anything other than cooking this summer! I DO have more ideas up my sleeve though, not to worry. I’ll be back soon with some fresh veg recipes before you know it. Have a fun and safe Independence day to all the ‘mericans out there!
