Smoked Paprika and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

We eat a lot of chicken around here. It's good stuff. Don't ya think? Problem is....sometimes I get into a cooking rut. Yea, you too? Thought so. I feel like sometimes I've been cooking the same thing over and over again. Or, it's chicken night. ...what can I do differently to keep smiles all around my kitchen table?

And speaking of the kitchen table--- my awesome husband built ours from wood taken off his family's farm. The boards were used in hog killings back in the day.  Still has the knife marks. (If that makes you queasy,  just stop for a minute, close your eyes, and think of just how good bacon tastes.) It is actually a pretty cool table with rich history. And we get to sit around it every day.  3 times a day!  (Or more) Y'all sit and eat with your family around the kitchen (or dining room, or breakfast nook, or patio) table. Make memories, TALK to one another, pray together.

Ok...I guess you might want to know about this chicken. That is, if you're still reading.

Well, I have this delicious smoked paprika.  I also have fresh rosemary in my herb garden. And a freezer full of chicken thighs. We love chicken thighs...tender and full of flavor. Roasting on high heat does not take long, so that's also a plus for this recipe. Another plus is that I used Kerrygold butter.  Enough said, right?

So basically, melt butter, pour over chicken, season only one side, and roast. Done. And delicious.

Smoked Paprika and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons butter (I prefer Kerrygold)
Sea salt & black pepper
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400°
Pat dry your chicken and place on a baking pan with sides. I  use a shallow stone. Melt the butter. Pour butter over chicken then season with sea salt and pepper. Adjust the salt to your personal preference and needs. Next, sprinkle or rub the smoked paprika on your chicken thighs. Begin with 1 tsp and add more as you like. I like a good amount. Snip fresh sprigs of rosemary all over the chicken.
Place in oven and roast until done...30-45 minutes or until chicken is 180° internally. No need to turn the chicken while it is cooking.

*Note* Regular paprika will not have the same flavor as the smoked, so I would not substitute it.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I love spending time in my kitchen cooking. I love feeding people. But some days I really just want something quick, easy, delicious, and all natural.  I found a similar recipe for salsa chicken online but it was a little too plain for me. I decided to jazz it up a bit with extra seasoning and fancy salsa.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breaststroke
1 cup of all natural pineapple or peach salsa
1 cup of corn, frozen
1 teaspoon chili powder

Spray slow cooker pot with non stick spray. Place chicken in then the other ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is done.
When done, shred chicken with two forks and give it all a good stir. 

Serve over brown rice, tortilla chips, a bed of lettuce, or in a soft tortilla.  Top with grated cheese and fresh cilantro. 

Gingersnaps-- Gluten Free

Ginger, molasses, cinnamon.... those are the tastes and smells of fall, right? Well not necessarily. Many people associate those with fall, yes. In my house, we love them all year round. So I'll be happy to make ginger cookies or molasses cookies or gingerbread muffins (you get the picture) any time! A couple months ago my online friend, Kate posted these spicy gingersnaps recipe.  They looked so good! And they were gluten free. Score! And in that same weekend, my husband and I found a very similar prepackaged gluten free gingersnap with candied ginger in them. Oh those were so good too. I knew I wanted to make a gingersnap...with the candied ginger.  It just took me two months to get around to it.

A peek at the ingredients. That's almond flour back there.

Candied ginger or Crystallized ginger---your choice

G

I used a small scoop because these cookies do spread quite a bit.

I basically used Kate's recipe as a foundation and then tweaked it to suit our taste buds.  I used one teaspoon of sea salt, but I've written the recipe for a half of teaspoon because I thought one was a little too much after tasting.  I use a little fresh grated ginger and I really believe that makes a difference too. 

Gingersnaps-- Gluten Free

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use Kerrygold)

1 cup coconut sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup molasses

2 cups almond flour (I prefer Honeyville)

1/4 cup arrowroot powder (Bob's Red Mill)

1 tsp baking soda (Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 Tablespoon chopped candied ginger

In a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar until creamy.   Add the egg and molasses and mix until combined well.   

In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon.  

Add the flour mixture to the mixer and mix well. Once combined, stir in (by hand) the fresh grated ginger and the candied ginger.  

Chill the dough for an hour or up to two days.  

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using a small scoop, or a teaspoon, drop small balls onto cookie sheet....a couple inches apart.  These spread quite a bit.  Bake for 12-14 minutes.  Cool on pan for 10 minutes or so then transfer to a cooling rack. These cookies will get crispier as they cool. 

Enjoy!