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Pomegranate Citrus Chicken and Father’s Day

citrus pomegrante drumsticks

I have realised in the last week or so, how absolutely exhausted I am! I guess in the heat of the moment, adrenaline pumping and the reality that it has to be done, you plough on. It’s only when it’s all done and you finally take a breath that it hits you. Sheer and utter exhaustion! 

I have been pottering around the house working on little projects and then the realisation dawns on me that I haven’t made dinner, haven’t photographed dinner, have no clue what’s for dinner and it’s 7 pm!

This explains my week and my lack of presence. I hope you all had a great weekend and are off to a superb start for the week.

I thought I’d share some photos of our Father’s Day hike to St Mary’s Glacier and a quick recipe for some incredible Citrus Pomegranate Chicken that I made for our picnic lunch. 

citrus chicken

My husband loves picnics but we never seem to have much luck with the weather. Whenever we plan a picnic, it’s either so windy that our food and plates start flying, so cold that we have to huddle together for warmth or as was the case on Sunday, we start hiking and it starts hailing and the temperature plummets to 48℉ (9℃). The white stuff falling and on the ground in the photo below, is hail. 

St Mary's Glacier

I love rainy and cold weather so I didn’t mind at all. It made a wonderful change to the searing temperature down in Denver. I am so lucky to be able to escape the heat when I want by driving up to the mountains and cooling off. It really is a blessing to live here surrounded by so much natural beauty.

St Mary's Glacier water

St Mary’s Glacier is part of the Rocky Mountains (but it’s on private land) and you are able to hike up the glacier, sled or ski down it. It’s about an hour outside of Denver, so it’s very close to us.  At the base of the glacier is a serene lake surrounded by the most intriguing twisty trees. In the summer time and especially when it is sunny, it is beautiful up there. The lake is clear, crisp and cold from the melting snow. My photos do not do the glacier and the glacial lake any justice because it was so cloudy and grey on Sunday.

St Mary's Glacier top

St Mary's Glacier twisty tree

The hike up to the base of the glacier is a bit strenuous if you are not used to hiking but it can be done! The terrain is a bit rocky and you do have to watch your step and have proper shoes. I am not sure how the people wearing Vans didn’t slip and hurt themselves!

I packed a small picnic, nothing too lavish since we had a dinner invitation that evening. We also didn’t want to overeat because we had to lug all the food up there, hiking the rocky terrain and then carry ourselves back down! Hard to do if you stuff yourself!

I made some of these Pomegranate Citrus Chicken drumsticks that were marinated in orange, lemon and lime juice, spices and pomegranate molasses. I wanted to grill them but for the sake of time (and exhaustion) I threw them in the oven. We also had some egg salad sandwiches for the vegetarian, fruit and chips (crisps) and granola bars. 

Pomegranate Citrus Chicken

We ate our picnic on some big fallen tree logs in a wooded area by the lake. The trees protected us from the wind and the occasional rain drop. It was refreshingly pleasant even though it was cold and damp. The last couple of weeks have been so hot in Denver and it was a welcome reprieve to feel winter temperatures again.

St Mary's Glacier lake

I know at this point most of you are thinking that I am totally insane for loving the cold, but I do and I often wonder how, having an Indian back ground, that I totally cannot tolerate hot weather.

I am going to share my quick chicken recipe and there aren’t any fancy photos today but let me reassure you that the chicken is delicious!

pomegrante chicken

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Pomegranate Citrus Chicken and Father’s Day

Serves: 15 drumsticks

Sweet, spicy and slightly sticky chicken drumsticks marinated with citrus juices and pomegranate molasses.
Ingredients
  • 15 chicken drumsticks, with skin
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli/cayenne powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil or coconut oil for drizzling
Instructions
  1. Mix everything but the chicken and oil together in a bowl.
  2. Taste to check for salt, sugar and spice.
  3. The marinade should be sweet and spicy.
  4. Place the chicken drumsticks in a single layer in a large baking dish.
  5. Pour over the marinade turning the chicken to coat all around.
  6. Place in the fridge and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  7. When ready to cook, fire up the grill or preheat the oven to 425℉/220℃
  8. If using the oven, line a baking sheet with foil and place the drumsticks.
  9. Drizzle over the oil and bake for about 30-45 minutes until the chicken is crispy and golden brown.
  10. If you desire, half way through, brush some more pomegranate molasses on the chicken to form a sweet sticky glaze.
  11. On the grill, toss the chicken with the oil and place on a medium hot grill and cook until golden brown.
  12. Brush pomegranate molasses a couple of times to form a sticky glaze.
Notes
For the picnic I did not glaze the chicken and I did not grill it. To make my life easier and to avoid too much stickiness up in the mountains, I did not glaze the chicken. The marinade can also be reduced to a thick glaze and used to brush on while the chicken is cooking. Season the marinade to your taste. You can adjust the sweetness and the spiciness according to what you like.
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All in all, it was a wonderful day and the man of the hour really enjoyed his special day.

an amazing dad and husband, Trace

an amazing dad and husband, Trace

I hope all the fathers out there had an amazing day surrounded by their children and loved ones.

Hope you are all having a fabulous week!


Comments

    • Thanks Nusrat! I was pleasantly surprised too about the colour. It was quite gorgeous!

    • I loved the temperature that day! It was so hot in Denver and escaping to cooler climes was just so welcoming. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike. Thanks for stopping by!!

  5. Isn’t it crazy how our bodies can keep going going but as soon as we take a breath our bodies jump in and say you have had enough! lol This chicken dish looks absolutely amazing and the hike looks like it was a nice one…so funny that you have bad luck with the weather. You never can tell in CO though! So maybe it isn’t you but just this wonderful state we live in 🙂
    Lilly Sue recently posted..Great Divide Turns 19My Profile

    • Hi Lilly Sue! Yep, its def Colorado but I love it and wouldn’t change it for anything. Thanks for stopping by, its nice to hear from you.

    • Hi Miss Messy! Oh, you don’t want to be a carnivore, I wish I had enough conviction to be a vegetarian.

  7. I wish I had the chance to spend father’s day with my dad 🙁 Though to be honest, we always jsut went out to a restaurant of his choice to eat, never something as exciting as your day! The chicken looks AMAZING. I love the sound of that combination of flavours, and I’m totally bookmarkign this for my next picnic. Hopefully with my family :(…
    shuhan recently posted..The night we invaded Yum Bun’s kitchenMy Profile

  8. Hi, Nazeen! I’m so glad you took the time to comment on my blog as it led me to you!
    I absolutely LOVE hiking so St.Mary’s Glacier sounds heavenly. Whoa hail..now that’s intense. Yes, it never ceases to amaze me that people would not wear proper shoes! They have a lot better balance than I. I love picnics too. Everything just seems to taste 1,000 times better even if it’s just rice and seaweed roll. I’m glad you had a lovely time with your husband. This recipe sounds delicious! Pomegranate molasses….mmm…

  9. You know Denver, Rocky Mountains are all words I fell in love with when I discovered John Denver in my teens 🙂 You are the first person I know who actually lives in Denver 🙂 Loved the photos of your hike, the one with hails looked a little scary, specially if you are stuck there, but you seem to have enjoyed a great day! About the chicken, it looks awesome, { inspite of the lack of fancy photos :-)}. I just love the glaze on the chicken in the first pic, will give this a try and let you know how it went! Cheers, Suchi
    Suchi recently posted..Herb Garden at South Bank Centre, LondonMy Profile

    • Thanks Suchi! I was never a big John Denver fan but I did watch his funeral years back…it was in Colorado. We had a fabulous day and the rainy, cold weather made it perfect.

  10. Wow Nazneen…you live so close to where my brother lives.! What a lovely colour and the dish looks out of the world! I love visiting this space because I find we have a lot in common in terms of flavour choices and preferences.I so love pomegranate molasses for the intense flavour and colour it imparts to a dish. Lovely picnic pictures too…a well deserved break for you!
    Sugar et al recently posted..Raspberry Celebration Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache FrostingMy Profile

    • Where does your brother live? Is he here in Colorado? And most importantly, do you ever come to visit??

    • Thanks Nami! We had a great time. I hope your husband had a good Father’s Day too.

  12. Lovely to see a photo of your husband and happy Father’s Day to him. Your chicken looks really delicious but I can’t believe you had a picnic with wind and hail and 9C temperatures. You are much hardier than I am. Maybe you got used to the cold growing up in the UK – that would be balmy weather for the Brits I’m sure xx
    Hotly Spiced recently posted..Almond Biscuits and…Starting SchoolMy Profile

    • Thanks Charlie and yes, he had a good day. We love the mountains and the cool weather so we had a blast in the hail and the rain. It always really good to escape the heat in Denver. I am definitely used to the cooler weather growing up in England and thats why I enjoy it.

  14. That’s some stunning scenery… we don’t have any such thing near here, sigh :(. What I wouldn’t give to hike around glaciers! That chicken looks fabulous Nazneen – a perfect picnic food. I usually just cook chicken in a homemade bbq sauce but this pomegranate concoction sounds incredible!
    Charles recently posted..Midsummer Madness – Swedish style!My Profile

    • Hi Charles! yes, it is beautiful here but so is Europe, maybe not Paris, but you have your beautiful scenery. The chicken turned out well but next time I want to grill it. Thanks for stopping by!

  15. I’m so glad you didn’t call off the hike and picnic because the weather wasn’t cooperating. Think of all the good times — like Father’s Day — that would have been missed had perfect weather been a requirement. It sounds like your Father’s Day was a good one and I am definitely going to give your chicken recipe a try. It looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing your day and a great recpe.
    ChgoJohn recently posted..Homemade Gnocchi in Gorgonzola SauceMy Profile

    • John, there were no signs of thunderstorms in Denver but once we climbed up to 10,000 feet, there they were! We have never cancelled anything for weather, I love rain and snow and have no problem getting a bit wet. My only issue is heat!

    • I love your tagine Dave! Has really great Moroccan flavors. I will definitely give it a try since I need to use my tagine again!

  18. Your photographs are gorgeous and the chicken drumsticks look delicious, just calling out to be made straight away! What a lovely Father’s Day outing, despite the hail (I absolutely love that photo!). We have the same luck with planned picnics here in London 😉

    • Thanks Danielle! It was fun despite the weather.I know London weather too well and know what you can encounter!Thanks for stopping by!

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