Somebody's Mom: Maple Soy Chicken

This recipe came about because I was trying a recipe for honey soy chicken, and I discovered I didn’t have any honey left in the house. Out of necessity to have dinner ready on time, I opted to substitute maple syrup for the honey ingredient. It was delicious, and a new chicken recipe was born.  

Sweet and sour go very well together. There are many recipes that only require two ingredients for this combination. A friend of mine makes sweet and sour hot dogs by heating one jar of currant jelly with one jar of Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard. When the two are well blended, add mini hot dogs and serve with toothpicks. 

Another two-ingredient recipe is for honey barbecue chicken. Combine equal parts of honey with a favorite barbecue sauce, blending it together well. Then roll chicken parts in it until well coated. Barbecue or bake your chicken, whichever you prefer. Be a little creative with your cooking and try putting two tastes together without going overboard on experimenting.
 
Many fruits go well in meat dishes. The next time you cook pork, try adding some apricot preserves or apple slices to your ingredients. Pineapple and cherries are toppings usually added with brown sugar to baked hams.  This is too sweet for me, but the kids love it. Lemon juice and olive oil dressings give salads a certain zing that is very refreshing and light. During a visit with my husband’s cousin, she served us a salad for lunch with roasted sweetened almond slices in it. It was a nice change of pace from the regular tomato and cucumber salad.
 
You don’t have to be so crazy when you want to dress up a salad, chicken or a pork roast.  Just think about what you love and try combining a few of those foods together and see what you come up with. It may be your own version of maple and soy chicken or something totally new and exciting. Let me know what you discover in your kitchen today!       

Maple Soy Chicken

• 5 chicken thighs, skin off
• 5 chicken legs
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

1. Mix in a marinating dish syrup, soy sauce, wine, pepper, onion and garlic. Mix well.
2. Place chicken parts in marinade, turning and coating each chicken piece well. Marinate in the morning for dinner or at least 1 to 2 hours before cooking.
3. Preheat your grill to 350 degrees. Place chicken on grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Keep hood of grill closed. If no hood, chicken may take a little longer. Repeat this until chicken is cooked on the inside. Check by cutting fattest part of chicken with knife for doneness and for clear juice coming from chicken. (If bloody, chicken may still be undercooked.) Some grills are hotter than others. So stay near the grill and keep an eye on your chicken. Brush marinade on chicken every time you turn it.
4. ENJOY—Tap that maple tree for some chicken marinade!

Mariann Raftery, creator of Somebody's Mom blog, cooks up comfort food recipes for families here at home, as well as sending homemade cookie care packages to our American soldiers overseas. Somebody's Mom Cooking videos at http://www.youtube.com, search "Thesomebodysmom".