Michaela Rosenthal started entering cooking contests in 2004 when she first entered the Gilroy Garlic Cook-Off in California. There, she made many new friends who exposed her to the world of competitive cooking. From cooking contests, she became a brand ambassador and recipe developer for several food manufacturers. Now semi-retired, she occasionally enters contests though she spends most of her time creating delicious meals for her friends and family. In November 2022, Rosenthal tied for fifth place in the soup category at the World Food Championships in Dallas, Texas.

Rosenthal has appeared on the Food Network as an Ultimate Recipe Showdown contestant and has also appeared on Good Morning America cooking alongside Emeril Lagasse. Her recipes have been printed in Cooking Light, Gourmet, Good Housekeeping, Taste of Home and the Los Angeles Times.

Michaela has written this recipe especially for The Jewish Outlook.

Ingredients:

1 plump chicken; cut into 8 pieces
1 (12 oz) bottle dark beer
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons sriracha (hot chili sauce)
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 bag pre-washed spinach
1 red or green jalapeño; sliced thin

Directions:

Place chicken pieces in a large (non-reactive) bowl and cover with beer; marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove chicken from beer (discard the beer) and pat dry with paper towel.

Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish and sprinkle with poultry seasoning; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sriracha, chicken broth, soy sauce and orange juice. Pour over chicken.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, basting occasionally.

Increase oven temperature to 450 and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes to brown.

Arrange chicken on a serving platter that has been strewn with fresh spinach.

Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and scatter with jalapeño slices, if desired.

Note: *Chicken meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160°F.