Category: POULTRY

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ BLOOD ORANGE CHICKEN

BLOOD ORANGE TART CHICKEN

1/4 cup chopped tart dried cherries, diced
1/2 cup white wine
12 chicken thighs, skin on
1 can Kern’s Apricot nectar
3 tablespoons blood orange vinegar
3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 + 3
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
  • Brown chicken, salt and peppering generously and to taste until skin is crisp.
  • Drain fat, reserving any crisp bits to add to next step.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet.
  • Saute’ onion and roasted garlic.
  • Add cherry pieces, vinegar, wine and apricot nectar – simmer 20 minutes on low.
  • Spray a large baking dish with PURE.
  • Lay chicken pieces in a single layer side by side.
  • Top with onion mixture.
  • Bake uncovered 30-45 minutes uncovered.
  • Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

    PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST & WILTED SPINACH with PARMESAN PASTA

    PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST & WILTED SPINACH with PARMESAN PASTA
    3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    2 tablespoons butter
    2 cloves garlic, minced*
    1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    2 ounces white wine
    1 lemon, juiced
    4 ounces bacon, diced
    1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
    3 cups fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
    spaghetti, cooked and well drained
    1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
    1 large tomato, diced
    *While I prefer fresh garlic, I have found that the roasted jar garlic is a great substitute, especially in the winter.
    • Brown bacon until crisp.
    • Add onion slices and garlic, sauteing until tender.
    • Move bacon and onions to the sides and add butter.
    • When butter is melted, add chicken and brown well on both sides.
    • In the meantime, prepare the pasta per package directions.
    • Remove chicken, keeping warm.
    • Add spinach and saute’ until spinach wilts.
    • Move spinach to outer sides.
    • Toss pasta with wine and lemon juice.
    • Mound pasta in center of pan.
    • Top with Parmesan cheese.
    • Layer chicken pieces over top.
    • Serve immediately.

    ARROZ CON POLLO ala TAMY

    ARROZ CON POLLO ala TAMY
    4-6 portions white rice, prepared to package directions
    2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into tenders
    Paprika
    Salt and pepper
    2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
    2 medium onions, chopped
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 bay leaf
    1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    1/4 teaspoon saffron
    1 (13 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
    1 tomato, peeled and chopped

    • Sprinkle chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper. 
    • Heat oil in pressure cooker. Brown chicken a few pieces at a time; set aside. 
    • Sauté onions and garlic until tender. 
    • Return all chicken to pressure cooker; add bay leaf, red pepper, saffron, and chicken broth. 
    • Close pressure cooker cover securely. 
    • Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. 
    • Cook for 5 minutes, with regulator rocking slowly. 
    • Cool pressure cooker at once. 
    • Remove chicken and stir in rice and tomato. 
    • Return chicken to pressure cooker and heat to a simmer, uncovered.

    Makes 4 to 6 servings

    PAPRIKA CHICKEN

    PAPRIKA CHICKEN
    3-4 chicken breasts, cut in half
    Salt and pepper to taste
    3 tablespoons canola oil
    1 onion, chopped
    1 red pepper, chopped
    5 cloves garlic, minced
    1/4 cup tomato sauce
    2 tablespoons sugar
    2 tablespoons Hungarian-style Paprika
    3 tablespoons dill weed
    1 cup chicken broth
    1 tablespoon flour
    3/4 cup sour cream

    • Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. 
    • Heat oil in 6-quart pressure cooker. 
    • Sauté onions, red pepper, and garlic until tender; remove. 
    • Brown chicken a few pieces at a time; set aside. 
    • Add tomato sauce, paprika, dill weed, and a small amount of chicken broth to oil in pressure cooker; stir until smooth. 
    • Add remaining broth, stirring to mix. 
    • Return chicken and vegetables to pressure cooker. 
    • Close pressure cooker cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. 
    • Cook for 5 minutes, with regulator rocking slowly. 
    • Cool pressure cooker at once. 
    • Remove chicken and vegetables to a warm dish. 
    • Stir flour into sour cream; add to hot liquid. 
    • Cook and stir until mixture simmers and thickens. 
    • Pour sauce over chicken.

    Makes 4 to 6 servings

    POLYNESIAN CHICKEN & ITALIAN FARRO & GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

    I also love to research foods we’ve never tried before as well as try old, old recipes or just plain make things up.  I also take requests if anyone would like me to test out a recipe for them.
    Today we’re making Polynesian chicken (the cheating way) and Italian Farro with Gorgonzola garlic dipping sauce.  I saw a package of Pedon Italian Farro  at the grocery store the other day and it looked interesting (reminded me of rich looking barley) – so the impulse buy won and here we are.
    Here’s the history lesson first:  Grano Farro has a long and glorious history: it is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the primary ingredient in puls, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor. Important as it was, however, it was difficult to work and produced low yields. In the centuries following the fall of the Empire, higher-yielding grains were developed and farro’s cultivation dwindled: By the turn of the century in Italy there were a few hundreds of acres of fields scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany.

    Farro would probably still be an extremely local specialty had the farmers of the French Haute Savoie not begun to supply it to elegant restaurants that used it in hearty vegetable soups and other dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in farro among gastronomes, and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Italy as well, especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.  

    POLYNESIAN CHICKEN
    4 Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts
    1 stick butter, divided in half
    1 cup Frank’s Sweet Chili hot sauce
    1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
    1/4 cup flour
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Using a small food processor,  grind the Knorr soup mix into a fine dust.
    • Add the vegetable soup dust to the flour in a large plastic bag and mix well.
    • Dredge chicken breasts in soup and flour mixture.
    • In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt one half of the butter.
    • While that is melting, melt the remaining butter in a 2 cup measuring cup in the microwave.
    • Add the hot sauce to the measuring cup and heat an additional 20 seconds. Mix well. Set aside to cool.
    • In the skillet brown the chicken breasts on both sides until almost done. 
    • Spray a small cookie sheet with PURE.
    • Coat each piece of chicken with hot sauce mixture and lay on cookie sheet.
    ITALIAN FARRO

    small bag PEDON farro

    2 tablespoons Frank’s Sweet Chili hot sauce
    • Bring a 2 quart pan of water to a boil.
    • Add the Farro and simmer, 10-12 minutes.
    • Drain thoroughly.
    • Add hot sauce and toss to coat.
    • Serve immediately.

    GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE
    1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
    1/3 cup mayonnaise
    3 cloves garlic
    2 tablespoons buttermilk
    salt and pepper to taste
    • In a small food processor, process the crumbles until finely ground.
    • Add garlic, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Mix until well blended.
    • Add buttermilk.  Add a bit more if you would like a thinner sauce.

    CHICKEN with VERDE SAUCE

    • Spray casserole dish with PURE
    • Lay chicken pieces in bottom.
    • Generously salt and pepper chicken.
    • Cover with Fire Roasted Salsa Verde
    • Place a generous dollop of sour cream on top of each chciken piece.
    • Cover with grated Monterey Jack cheese.
    • Sprinkle with diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro.
    • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

    Fire Roasted Salsa Verde 

    My Source for awesome homemade verde sauce =  Chris the wonderful cook, griller, photographer and Big Green Egg enthusiast. Check out his blog at www.nibblemethis.com 
    His Source = Adapted from Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue! 

    1 pound tomatillos, husks removed
    1 Serrano pepper
    1 jalapeno pepper
    1 Anaheim pepper
    1 large onion, peeled and sliced into thirds
    3 cloves garlic, peeled and skewered together with a toothpick
    ½ cup cilantro, chopped
    1 tablespoon bacon fat
    3 ounces chicken stock
    ½ teaspoon sugar
    Salt and pepper to taste

    • Get your grill cooking at about 450f. 
    • Place the peppers and tomatillos on and sear them until all sides are blackened. 
    • This should take a few minutes per side. Remove and place them into a plastic bag for 5 minutes. 
    • Meanwhile, grill the onion and garlic until browned (about 4 minutes a side for the onion, 1-2 for the garlic) and remove from heat. 
    • Skin, seed, and dice the peppers. 
    • Skin and quarter the tomatillos. Don’t be super picky about getting all the charred skin off, you want a little in there for flavor. 
    • Quarter the grilled onions. 
    • Place them all in a food processor and pulse them until you get a salsa like texture. 
    • Heat the bacon fat over medium high heat and then add the tomatillo mixture for 3-5 minutes. You’ll get some thick “pops” as the thick liquid heats but keep stirring. 
    • Mix in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, letting the flavors get happy together. 
    • Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

    Note: Chris is a wonderful cook, griller, photographer and Big Green Egg enthusiast. Check out his blog at www.nibblemethis.com

    FRENCH ONION CHICKEN

    These were serious Dolly Parton chicken breasts that I found on sale.  I just didn’t realize HOW big they were until I opened the package today.  I made these tonight with bone in breasts, but next time will use boneless to make the meal easier for everyone.

    FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
    4 chicken breasts
    4 tablespoons butter
    4 slices bacon, diced and browned
    1 package Laura Scudder’s French onion dip mix
    2 tablespoons dehydrated red pepper
    1/3 cup flour
    1 large bunch green onions, sliced
    2 cups homemade chicken broth
    PURE
    1 cup sour cream

    • Rehydrate the dehydrated red pepper in chicken broth for an hour before beginning to cook.
    • In a large skillet melt butter.
    • Sift together the flour and Laura Scudder’s green onion dip mix into a large plastic bag.
    • One at a time dredge chicken in flour mixture coating well.
    • Brown chicken on both sides until crisp.
    • Using an electric skillet, spray with PURE.
    • Add browned chicken breasts.
    • Gently pour the broth mixture around the edges of the chicken. 
    • Top chicken pieces with green onions.
    • Set on 200 degrees and simmer for an hour.
    • Brown bacon and drain oil.
    • Remove chicken and keep warm.
    • Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken pieces.
    • Bring drippings to a boil and reduce to 1 cup.
    • Remove from heat and quickly whisk in sour cream for gravy.
    • Serve with mashed potatoes.

    Balsamic Sauteed Chicken Breasts

    I needed something in a hurry. 

    I had this awesome Butternut Squash Bake that I was making but needed something to go along with it. 

    With nothing thawed.

    My brother saved the day by bringing home a whole bunch of fresh boneless chicken breasts from Sam’s Club.  So chicken it was!
    These were very simple but incredibly delicious.  Great for dinner when you’re in a hurry!  Very healthy and low calorie too! We ate these with a delicious Butternut Squash Bake!
    Balsamic Sauteed Chicken Breast Recipe
    1/2 cup chicken broth
    1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
    1 tbsp. honey
    1 tbsp. sugar
    5 (6 oz) boneless chicken breasts (not too thick)
    Salt and pepper
    2 green onions, chopped
    • Combine broth, vinegar, honey and sugar. 
    • Spray non stick pan with cooking spray.  
    • Salt and pepper chicken breasts and brown in pan.
    • Cook 4 – 5 minutes on each side until there is a nice brown.  
    • Add balsamic mixture, scraping to loosen bits on the bottom.  
    • Add green onion.  
    • Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup.  About 4 – 5 minutes.  If chicken isn’t quite done, cover and cook before sauce reduces. 
    • Serve sauce over the chicken. 
    Check out more great recipes at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy!

    SPICY CHICKEN STEW

    2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces
    3 tablespoons butter
    2 large onions, chopped
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes
    1 cup chicken stock or broth
    1 cup white wine
    2 teaspoon turmeric
    1 teaspoon red chili flakes
    1 teaspoon paprika
    1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
    sea salt and white pepper to taste
    Two generous cups of fresh herbs (a combination of cilantro, tarragon, basil AND parsley)

    • Bring the butter to a sizzle in a large skillet/saute’ pan.
    • Add chicken and fry on medium-hi heat until slightly browned all over. About 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Keep warm.
    • Add the onions to the pan, stir for a 3-4 minutes.
    • Add the garlic and saute, until onion has softened a little, another 1-2 minutes.
    • Add the chilli flakes and coriander, stir for a few seconds to release the aromas. 
    • Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and wine. 
    • Season with salt an pepper.
    • Bring to a simmer, cover the saucepan and cook for 45 minutes or so, occasionally stirring, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glossy sauce. I found it took about 1 hour and a half  to reduce the sauce. Alternatively, add a little cornstarch or flour mixed with water and stir into the pot as necessary.
    • Shred chicken and return to pan. 
    • Add the fresh herbs. Stir and cover for 10 minutes, so the flavors can infuse. Season again, if necessary.
    • Serve over rice or potatoes and garnish with lemon slices.

    TEXAS RED CHICKEN aka CHICKEN SLOPPY JOES

    I just looooooooooooooove slow cooker recipes for the fall, well actually any time, but A LOT in the fall.  This one is great over rice or served on buns like sloppy joes.

    TEXAS RED CHICKEN

    4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    1/4 cup ketchup
    1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
    1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
    • Whisk together the ketchup, BBQ sauce vinegar, soy sauce, broth and sugar.
    • Place chicken pieces in slow cooker.
    • Add onion pieces.
    • Pour ketchup mixture over top.
    • Cook on low 6-8 hours.
    • Remove chicken and shred – add back to sauce.
    • Serve over Rice or on buns.

    RASPBERRY VINEGAR CHICKEN

    RASPBERRY VINEGAR CHICKEN
    3 chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut in half
    Salt and pepper to taste
    3 tablespoons canola oil
    1/2 pound shallots or small boiling onions
    1 cup chicken broth
    3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
    3/4 cup quick cooking rice
    1/2 cup fresh raspberries

    • Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. 
    • Heat 6-quart Presto® pressure cooker; add oil and brown chicken breasts. 
    • Add shallots, chicken broth, and vinegar. 
    • Close cover securely. 
    • Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. 
    • Cook for 3 minutes, with pressure regulator rocking slowly
    • Cool cooker at once. 
    • Remove chicken and keep warm. 
    • Return pan to heat and bring liquid to a boil. 
    • Stir in rice; remove pan from heat. 
    • Let stand 5 minutes. 
    • Gently stir in raspberries. 
    • Add back in chicken pieces.

    Makes 4 servings