Chicken with Peach Bourbon Sauce

A couple of weeks ago, my hunny and I had a little trip to Bastrop, Tx to witness his granddaughter graduate. I tell myself that was the reason for going, but in reality it was the thought of a real grocery store, a Walmart, Target and of course Specs... the liquor warehouse. We also made a stop at this cute tourist trap that sold local peaches and pecans. We had been planning on stopping there for a while just had never gotten around to it.

I found this great little jar of Peach & Jalapeno preserves that I bought for my honey since he loves spicy foods. It was a flavor combination I thought would make a great sauce for grilling. Instead, I cooked it down into this wonderful baked chicken that fell apart when I used tongs to get it out of the pot. DELISH! I also used a Hot and Spicy pre bottled BBQ sauce to add to the kick. Unfortunately, the sugars in the preserves over powered the spicy. So if you want it hot, make sure to add some more peppers!

This serves 2-3 people. The original recipe I found calls for a lot more chicken than what I had so I cut it down.

6 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
1 tb Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Minced Garlic
1 cup Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon
6oz Bar B Que Sauce
4 oz Peach Preserves
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Worechestershire Sauce

Oven to 300

1) Melt butter with oil in heavy pot. Lay thighs in butter and let brown on both sides; remove to platter.

2) Add garlic to the pot and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes and add the bourbon. Stir, scaping the bottom for a couple of minutes to let the liquid reduce down. Pour in BBQ Sauce, peach preserves, water and worechestershire sauce, whisk to incorporate.

Return chicken to pot, draining juices off platter, cover and place in oven.

3) Bake 1 1/2 hours.

4) Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Thirsty Thursday 1/19/11

Yes, I am a day late. I know. And yes, I'm hanging my head in shame. I'm just still excited about that big ole tumbleweed that blew threw here the other day!

Today I have brought with me a few drinks that is easily available out here in the high country of the West Texas Mountains. Granted, alcohol costs at least twice as much here than any where else. Last time I was in Austin I picked up a gallon bottle of Red Stag for 25.00 while I can buy a litter here for the same price. BIG ouch on the pocket book so we've learned to stock up. Last trip I bought 2 gallons! ;-)

Ale/Beer

Snake Bite Black
1/2 Pint Beer
1/2 Pint Cider
2 Dashes Black Currant Cordial
Pour 1/2 pint Lager and 1/2 pint Cider into a Beer glass. Add Black currant until the drink turns purple.

Bourbon

Bourbon Fog
6oz Bourbon whiskey
6oz Strong Chilled coffee
6oz Vanilla Ice Cream
Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour into a lowball glass filled with ice.

Brandy

Brandy Alexander
4.5oz Brandy
3oz Creme de Cacao Brown
3oz Half & Half Cream
Grated Nutmeg
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

Gin

69 Special
6oz Gordons Gin
2.3oz Lemon Juice
12oz 7 up
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour all ingredients over the ice and stir.

Liqueur

A Piece of Ass
3oz Amaretto
3oz Southern Comfort
Sweet & Sour mix
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour liquors over the ice. Fill with Sweet and sour mix.

Non-Alcoholic

After Glow
12oz Pineapple Juice
12oz Orange Juice
3oz Grenadine Syrup
Pour the grenadine and juices into a cocktail shaker and mix them together. Pour into a highball glass with ice. Garnish with a pineapple chunk.

Rum

24K Nightmare
1.5oz Rumple Minze
1.5oz 151-proof Rum
1.5oz Goldschlager
1.5oz Jägermeister
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a shooter glass.

Schnapps

Apple Martini
4oz Vodka
4oz Apple Schnapps
4oz Apple Juice
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Tequila

(I Couldn't find a good picture of this drink so you have the glass instead)

All Night
3oz Tequila
2oz Lime Juice
1 Dash Grenadine Syrup
1 Egg White
Pour all ingredients into a cocktailshaker and shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Vodka

Alaska Iced Tea
2oz Gin
2oz Rum
2oz  Vodka
2oz Blue Curacao Liqueur
2oz Cointreau
Sprite
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour all the alcohols over the ice and top up with Sprite. Stir gently.

Whiskey

Canada
6oz Canadian Whisky
1 Dash Angostura Bitter
3oz Cointreau
Pour all ingredients into a lowball glass with ice and stir. Garnish with a twig of mint.

Special Equipment

A tool used to measure liquor. The small end holds 1 ounce of liquid while the larger end holds 1.5 ounces. Great tool to have in any home bar!

Thanks to Drink Secrets for the info!

Thirsty Thursday 1/12/11

For those who really like to try new things, each Thursday I will attempt to bring you several different drinks to tempt your pallets. Please though, do not try all of them on the same night. I really do not want to be responsible for many people across the world hitting the floor.

“I went out with a guy who once told me I didn’t need to drink to make myself more fun to be around. I told him, I’m drinking so that you’re more fun to be around.” 

― Chelsea Handle (Added from Liquor.com)

Beer/Ales:

After Shock Surprise 

(Made in a Pint Glass)
1 1/2 oz Aftershock® Hot & Cool cinnamon schnapps
1 1/2 oz sambuca
4/5 pint Carlsberg® Export lager
Add Aftershock and sambuca to a pint glass almost filled with Carlsberg, and serve.

Bourbon:

Cherry Bliss 
(Made in a Highball Glass)
Fill glass with ice. Then these ingredients:
2 part Jim Beam Red Stag
2 part Black Cherry Sparkling Water
Garnish with a cherry.

Liquors:

Bob Marley
(Made in a 2oz Shot Glass or a Pony Glass)
1/2 oz Midori® melon liqueur
1/2 oz Jagermeister® herbal liqueur
1/2 oz Goldschlager® cinnamon schnapps
Float each liquor in order to create layers.

Non-Alcoholic:

Alcapulco Gold
(Made in a Highball Glass)
3 oz pineapple juice
1 oz coconut cream
1 oz whipping cream
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
Shake and strain into glass with cracked ice.

Rum:

Abilene
(Made in a Highball Glass)
Fill glass almost full with ice then pour in the ingredients.
1 1/2 oz dark rum
2 oz peach nectar
3 oz orange juice

Tequila:

Bandera
(Made in 3 shot Glasses)
1 shot tomato juice
1 shot white tequila
1 shot lemon juice
Align the shot glasses in the following order: Tomato (red), Tequila (white) and Lemon (green), resembling the Mexican Flag. Quickly gulp one after another: Tomato, Tequila and finally finish with the Lemon.

Vodka:

A Southern Screw
(Made in a Tall Glass)
2 oz vodka
2 oz Southern Comfort® peach liqueur
6 oz Sunny Delight® orange juice
Orange Slice
Pour all over ice and garnish with an orange slice.

Whiskey:

6 Wise Men
(Old Fashioned Glass)
1 oz Jack Daniel's® Tennessee whiskey
1 oz Evan Williams® Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz Jim Beam® bourbon whiskey
1 oz Maker's Mark® bourbon whiskey
1 oz Johnnie Walker® Scotch whisky
1 oz Jameson® Irish whiskey
Pour into glass, then fill with ice.

Pomegranate, Apple & Bourbon Muffins

I was on a search of a different recipe using up the remaining apples I had sitting on my counter. I hate to waste anything, but one person can only eat so many apples in their salads before they explode. On top of that, my partner isn't too keen on apples, so hiding them in food for him has become a challenge. What I ended up with worked out pretty well. The flavors complement each other without anything being over powering.

I used Red Stagg Black Cherry Bourbon for this. The fruity flavors blended nicely with the apples. This makes about 12 muffins.

1 cup Pomegranate, dried
1/3 cup Bourbon 
1 3/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ginger, fresh grated
1/4 tsp All Spice
1/4 tsp Nutmeg, fresh grated
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 cup Splenda (real sugar works as well)
2/3 cup Oil
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 Medium-Large Apple, peeled, cored and diced small

1) Soak Pomegranates in bourbon no more than 30 minutes, strain, reserving liquid and bring liquid back to 1/3 cup.

2) Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins.

3) In medium bowl combine flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda.

4) In large bowl beat the sugar, oil, eggs and lemon until smooth.

5) In portions, add in the flour mixture and stir until semi smooth. Then add in the fruits and bourbon. Mix with spoon until all is well blended.

6) Using spoon, place mixture into muffin tins to fill up to the top rim. Bake about 20 minutes. The top will brown nicely and you should be able to insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin and remove it cleanly.

Now, this recipe doesnt call for a frosting, but I found that adding a light drizzle of sugar glaze to them makes them outstanding!