I've been food blogging for about 10 years now I reckon. I did a number of years on AOL Journals, moving over to blogger and my blog called A Year From Oak Cottage when they closed the AOL Journals in 2007. That blog was food for the soul and the tummy. In 2009, I began the English Kitchen, wanting a separate spot for my cooking and recipes that was totally dedicated to food and all things foodie alone and nothing else. The rest is history.
I love the food blogging community. I have made some really brilliant friends via this medium. Sharing food with people has always been like one of the ultimate ways of sharing the love with one another, breaking bread together and whilst we may not actually sit together at a table (unless we are very lucky and can afford to travel or live close to each other) we do kind of the same thing with each other when we share our recipes and cooking experiences together.
One of my favorite food blogging friends is April, who has the sweetest blog called Dimples and Delights. She always calls me her mentor, but I have to say it's always worked both ways because . . . just as I may have inspired her at times, she always inspires me too. I may be old enough to be her mother, but we share so many things in common . . . the Gospel, our love of family, gardening, travel and Cockers . . . and that ultimate loving experience . . . food and recipes.
I was on her page the other day and she had this fabulous recipe for Baked Honey Mustard Chicken and as soon as I saw it I knew it was something I just had to cook and so I did. She was inspired to cook hers by another food blogger . . . she inspired me to cook it . . . and like all things we always tweak the recipes a tiny bit don't we. So here is April's inspired recipe tweaked by me into quite a tasty dish indeed.
Her's called for cooking some onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil first and then putting them in the casserole dish as a bed for the chicken pieces. I am a tad bit lazy and so I just put the onions and garlic in the baking dish, along with the herbs and a knob of butter, cut into bits, covered it with some cling film and microwaved it for a minute or so. That way I saved on the washing up and stove mess . . . and it was all done in the one dish.
It worked wonderfully. I lay the chicken on top of it, poured that lovely honey mustard sauce over top, covered it with foil and baked it as per April's instructions.
The end result was utterly fabulous. Delicious moist chicken, with wonderful pan juices that are fabulous spooned over top . . . tasting of honey and mustard, with a slight onion and garlic and herby undertone that was oh so delicious. I served this with rice and a veg on the side and we were all really pleased with the results, so much so that what I thought was going to last us for two meals only lasted us for one. Some things are just that tasty. C'est la vie!!
*Baked Honey Mustard Chicken*
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted from a recipe found on Dimples and Delights who was inspired by Good Life Eats. This is delicious.
2 1/2 to 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, cut in half crosswise4 tsp melted butter, divided85g of grainy Dijon mustard (1/3 cup)85g of smooth Dijon mustard (1/3 cup)115g of liquid honey, plus 2 TBS (1/3 cup plus 2 TBS)1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
a few springs of fresh thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Place the onions into a large glass baking dish, along with the chopped garlic and thyme. Drizzle 2 tsp of butter over top. Cover with cling film and cook on high in the microwave for 2 and a half minutes. Remove, uncover and set aside.
Whisk together both mustards, the honey and the remaining 2 tsp melted butter. Place the chicken breasts on top of the sliced onions. Season to taste with some sea salt and black pepper. Spoon the honey mustard mixture over top of the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and uncover. Baste the chicken with the honey mixture. Return to the oven, uncovered and cook for a further 20 to 25 minutes, basting every 8 minutes or so, until the chicken tests cooked through and is nicely glazed. Serve hot with some of the sauce spooned over top.
