Roasted Chicken with Lingonberries

The first time I tasted lingonberries was during a trip to England. As a child, I traveled a lot to Great Britain and stayed with host families so I could improve my English. There would usually be another international student staying with the host family. One time, I stayed with a Swedish girl. It's been so long I can't remember what her name was, but I do remember that she introduced me to many new flavors. Typically, the students would bring a present that represented his or her culture and country. I would usually bring either chocolates, wine or Champagne. But this Swedish girl brought lingonberry preserves that were delicious. Lingonberries are Scandinavian berries with a flavor reminiscent of cranberries but slightly less tart and sweeter. And like cranberries, I think the preserves go especially well with white meat. If you're preparing your Christmas menu, this lingonberry roasted chicken could be a festive and tasty option for your main course. I roasted a whole chicken, adding the preserves to the marinade and glazed the chicken at the end so the skin turned sweet and crispy.

There's a giant IKEA store near where we live. I sometimes wander in the food area and buy Swedish root beer, delicious sparkling pear drink, Swedish meatballs and of course lingonberry preserves. If you don’t have an IKEA nearby, you can always buy lingonberry preserves online.

Today's giveaway is the Caramelini Gift Box of salted caramels from Das Foods. The flavors are unique: Chili Pecan, Orange Honey and Ginger Pistachio (my personal favorite), just to name a few. I grew up with far more traditional fleur de sel caramels from France, so it was very nice to see such a creative take on a classic treat from my childhood. As an added bonus, the packaging is so lovely that they also make a wonderful gift. For your chance to win these caramels, just enter on the 25 Days of Giveaways page.

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Oven Roasted Chicken with Kumquats

The strong flavor of kumquat takes roasted chicken to another level. I marinated the chicken with kumquats and finished the dish by brushing the poultry with a kumquat glaze. The final product was tender and tasty with a crunchy skin.

I served the chicken as one of the dishes for our buffet-style dinner party. We had about 15 people at the house, so I roasted 3 whole chickens. I carved the chickens and placed them in a chafing dish with the chicken drippings at the bottom of the dish to prevent the chicken from drying out or burning. There were literally only a few wings left, so I think it worked out pretty well. Our tree is absolutely bursting with kumquats, so if you're a fan of the diminutive citrus, stay tuned, because I'll be posting many more recipes in the near future.

Chicken Skewers Glazed with Kiwi Chutney

Kiwi chutney helps bring chicken to life by infusing the meat with sweet, tangy and spicy flavors. It's an exotic and flavorful twist on what could otherwise be a boring chicken dinner. I served the skewers with raita (yogurt sauce) and some more of the sauce made from the kiwi chutney. For the vegetarians in the house, I deep-fried tofu cubes, placed them on skewers and brushed them with kiwi chutney. Everyone got to share almost the "same" meal, which is very rare in my home.

I got the jar of kiwi chutney pictured below from our friend Laura. It's just one product in a long line of lovely creations that she has shared with us. Laura makes an amazing French marmalade, flavored with French vanilla beans. I don't have the recipe for the marmalade, but last year, she was kind enough to share her recipe for making vinegar on Pham Fatale.

If you don't have a friend like Laura, or can't find kiwi chutney at your local market, you can always try using other sweet chutneys such as mango or tamarind. No matter what, you'll have a tasty new chicken dish to share with your family and friends.