Some like it hot. Others like it with a twang of vinegar or a smidge of smokiness. I like it sweet and buttery. I am a Southern Girl after all. Ah, can you smell that smoky charcoal burning? Hear the crackle of the flame? See the coals or chips turn from inky black to sooty white? This is a regular barbeque. The flavors of the grill mixed with the taste of slow roasted meats are enough to make you want eternal summer. Alas, most of us college kids don’t have a grill. Buzzkill, right? Now you’re craving barbeque, but you don’t have the means to make it happen. My suggestion: get sauced.
“Wait, what? It’s only noon!” No, no. I’m talking about barbeque sauce.
So you are in this cramped, closet-like dorm kitchen with little more than a mini fridge and an easy-bake oven. You definitely don’t have a grill; doesn’t matter. You can turn even a piece of rotisserie chicken into a barbequed bird by just beginning with the sauce.
Barbeque sauce has to be among the most variant food traditions I’ve come across. Unless you are buying it from the bottle, you cannot have the same type twice. Restaurants might have a “secret recipe”, but you know there is someone in back taste-testing it to her particular preference. Having a recipe may seem sacrilege for those barbeque-ers who cook with the soul, but it’s a necessary crutch we all need until find the barbeque sauce that speaks [to] our tongue.
The best thing about this pasta salad, surprisingly, was that it was cold. The sweet, juicy chicken smothered in buttery barbeque sauce, tossed with fried corn and fresh green peppers was enough to make your mouth say “mmmmm”. It’s the best of your backyard barbeque all made on your stovetop. And it can be eaten cold! What’s not to love? So, when you find yourself reminiscing about a summer forgotten, make yourself a batch of this Barbeque Chicken Pasta Salad.
Barbeque Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
About 2 cups pasta
1 ear of corn/ ½ cup frozen
2-3 T butter
½-1 cup chicken broth or water
1 fresh green pepper, diced
Barbeque sauce [basic directions to follow]
Instructions:
1. In a medium pot, make pasta. Once cooked, rinse with cold water. Place in large container, set in fridge to chill.
2. In a skillet, high oil until hot. Salt and pepper the chicken. Pan sear – be careful not to overcook. Cook about 3-5 min a side [check inside, not pink].
3. Remove chicken after cooked, allow to cool. Then cut into bite sized pieces and add to pasta container.
4. In same skillet, fry corn and butter for about 5 min. Slowly add water, bring to a boil. Cover. Cook until corn is soft and cooked through.
5. Remove from heat. Toss corn and diced peppers with chicken and pasta. Store in fridge.
6. Make barbeque sauce. Mix all together, chill, eat!
Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients:
¾ c ketchup
3 T butter
3 T brown sugar
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 T vinegar
2 t lemon juice
1 t mustard
2 T minced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Mix all together in small saucepan over medium low until hot.
2. Taste test! See what you like.
3. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
4. Add to pasta salad.
5. Eat!
No comments:
Post a Comment