Tag: chicken

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Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is a fancy-looking dish, that is nevertheless quick and easy to make. Wrapping the chicken in bacon is a bit like an inside-out Cordon Bleu, and keeps it nice and moist. As an added bonus, you get to vent any latent frustrations while pounding out the chicken breasts! 

Ingredients

  • 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1/4 cup Finely Chopped Mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup Frozen Spinach, defrosted and drained
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/4 cup Shredded Monterey Jack  Cheese
  • 1 Clove Garlic, finely minced
  • 4 Strips Bacon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Slice chicken breasts most of the way through into top and bottom sections, and fold open.
  4. Using a tenderizing mallet, pound out the chicken breasts until 1/4-inch thin or less throughout.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together mushrooms, spinach, sour cream, cheese, and garlic.
  6. Spoon a large strip of spinach mixture onto each chicken breast, and roll chicken around it.
  7. Wrap each chicken breast with two strips of bacon, and secure with toothpicks if needed.
  8. Place chicken breasts in prepared baking dish, and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  9. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp bacon.
  10. Remove from oven and transfer to a plate immediately. (i.e. Don’t let the chicken breasts soak in a pool of bacon grease while cooling. Ew!)
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Chicken Satay

I shared my Pad Thai recipe a few weeks ago, and you know what goes fabulously with Pad Thai? Chicken Satay! The great thing about this recipe versus buying a marinade at the corner grocery is that you can customize the spiciness. This version is to my liking, and I’m a spice wimp, so increase the hot chili garlic sauce if you like to pant and say, “Hoooo! Oh, oh…. my…  whoooo!” while you’re eating supper.

Ingredients

  • 2 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
  • 2 tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 cup Light Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Lime Juice
  • 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Hot Chili Garlic Sauce

Directions

  1. Slice chicken breasts into long strips of equal width.
  2. If using bamboo skewers, submerge a number equal to the number of chicken strips in water. Set aside to soak. (Note: Even with soaking, bamboo skewers are still likely to singe, but at least they won’t flame up or completely turn to ash.)
  3. In a small bowl, blend together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and hot chili garlic sauce.
  4. Place chicken strips and half the sauce in a large, sealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  5. Put remaining sauce in a sealed container and refrigerate.
  6. When marinating is complete, skewer each strip of chicken lengthwise, and brush with some additional marinade from the bag if you squeezed a lot out while skewering.
  7. Grill or broil chicken skewers for no more than five minutes per side until cooked through, but not dry.*
  8. Stir the second half of the sauce briefly, warm if desired, and serve with chicken skewers.

*Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not a fan of salmonella. But, I’m also not happy when chicken is overcooked. There’s nothing more disappointing than serving up a chicken dish that you slaved over the proverbial hot stove to make, only to have your dinner guests say, “Is there a sauce or something for this?” as they strain to chew and reach for their water glasses. Remember, you can always cook your chicken a little more, but once it’s dry, the party’s over.

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Not-Too-Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Suizas

I love a bit of spice, but it doesn’t love me! I’ve tweaked this recipe to suit my sensitive stomach, but you can add more chilis of various pain-inducing varieties to please your palate; just saute them along with the onions.

Ingredients

  • 3 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1/4 cup (half-stick) of Margarine
  • 1 cup Chopped Onion
  • 1 can Mild Green Chilis (4 oz.)
  • 1 cup Shredded Colby, Monterrey Jack, or Cheddar Cheese (or a blend of these cheeses)
  • 8 Flour Tortillas
  • 1 tbsp. Corn Starch
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Additional 1/2 cup Cheese
  • Sour Cream and Fresh Cilantro to garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
  2. In a large pot, boil chicken breasts until just cooked through.
  3. When cooked, remove chicken from water an cut into small cubes. Place in large bowl and set aside.
  4. In a skillet, melt margarine over medium-high heat.
  5. Add onions to skillet and cook until translucent.
  6. Add cooked onions, chilis, and 1 cup cheese to chicken and mix to combine.
  7. Spray a baking pan* with cooking spray.
  8. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture, and arrange in pan.
  9. In a large bowl (or a plastic juice pitcher works great for this) combine corn starch and chicken broth and whisk until thoroughly combined.
  10. Add whipping cream to broth mixture and whisk.
  11. Pour chicken broth mixture over filled tortillas.
  12. Sprinkle with an additional 1/2 cup of cheese.
  13. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
  14. Allow to cool for several minutes before serving. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro if you’re feeling fancy.

*Any size that will accommodate the width of your tortillas and will hold eight of them will do. The best part of this recipe is the creamy sauce, so leaving a little space for extra sauce is a good idea.

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Chicken Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of my favorite take-out treats. So of course, I had to figure out how to make it at home, too! I’ve tweaked several recipes into this version, which mimics my favorite restaurant’s flavors, but without the styrofoam box and disposable chopsticks. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 (12 ounce) Package Rice Noodles
  • 1 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1-1/2 tsp. White Wine Vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tsp. White Sugar
  • 1/2 to 2 tsp. Hot Chili Garlic Sauce*
  • 1 cup Bean Sprouts
  • 2 tbsp. Peanuts (finely chopped)
  • 1 to 2 Green Onions (chopped)
  • 1 Lemon or Lime (sliced into wedges)

* Hot Chili Garlic Sauce is a powerful concoction, suitable for Asian cuisine or removing rust stains from a shower drain. Add it sparingly, and taste frequently so as not to damage your palate or your esophagus.

Directions

  1. Soak rice noodles in cold water for 40 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
  2. As with much Asian cooking, once you heat the oil there’s not a lot of time to dilly-dally. So, before your noodles are finished soaking, cut the chicken, chop the green onions and peanuts, and slice the lemon or lime. Then get the remainder of your ingredients assembled and ready.
  3. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet.
  4. Sauté chicken until just barely cooked. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside.
  5. Add additional oil to wok or skillet if needed.
  6. Beat egg and cook in hot oil until firm, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.
  7. Return chicken to pan, and cook while mixing for 3 to 5 more minutes, until chicken has browned.
  8. Add softened noodles, vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and hot chili garlic sauce. (Adjust seasonings to taste.)
  9. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes.
  10. Add bean sprouts and chopped green onions, and cook while mixing for 3 more minutes.
  11. Serve, and garnish with chopped peanuts and wedges of lemon or lime. Squeeze juice onto serving before enjoying.
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Pollo Molto Limone

This chicken has more than just a kiss of lemon; it’s a full-on groping of lemony tartness that’ll make you pucker up and say, “Delizioso!” Perfect over fettuccine or angel hair pasta that’s been drowned in the sauce it cooks in. Mangiamo!

Ingredients

  • 2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  • 1 cup Grated Romano Cheese
  • 2 tbsp. Dried Parsley
  • 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Lemon (Thinly Sliced)
  • 1 cup White Wine
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Cut chicken breasts into three thin slices: top, middle, and bottom. (Not strips.)
  2. Using a meat tenderizer, pound sliced chicken breasts until 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Place tenderized chicken breasts in a large bowl and pour milk over the top. Allow to soak for 30 minutes.
  4. While chicken is soaking, mix bread crumbs, Romano cheese, and parsley in a medium-sized baking dish. Set aside.
  5. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
  8. Remove chicken from milk and dredge with bread crumb mixture, patting to get as much of the bread crumb mixture on the chicken as possible.
  9. Cook chicken in skillet until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  10. Transfer cooked chicken to a large baking dish.
  11. Place one lemon slice on top of each piece of chicken.
  12. Return skillet to heat. Add white wine and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate any browned bits left in the pan.
  13. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet.
  14. Cook and stir until reduced by about one-half (about 10 minutes.)
  15. Pour wine mixture over chicken in baking dish.
  16. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  17. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbling.
  18. Remove from oven and serve over pasta.
  19. Spoon a healthy portion of the sauce onto the pasta, and enjoy the remaining white wine!
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Charlie’s Chinese Chicken

I traded my Lemon Meringue Pie recipe with a co-worker whose parents had a very popular Chinese restaurant to get the secrets to this dish. You can customize it with more or different veggies, by varying the ratio of Hot Chili Garlic Sauce and Honey to increase or decrease the spiciness, or make it with different meats. 

Ingredients

  • Four Servings White Rice
  • 2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup Corn Starch
  • Water (enough to create a thick batter)
  • 4 cups Vegetable Oil
  • 4 cups Frozen Asian Vegetables
  • 1 tbsp. Hot Chili Garlic Sauce
  • ½ cup Honey
  • ½ tsp. Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Directions

  1. Prepare four servings of white rice.
  2. Heat oil in wok or a large skillet over Medium High to High heat.
  3. Cut chicken in to small, bite-sized pieces of equal size.
  4. Mix flour, corn starch, and water into a thick batter.
  5. Add chicken to batter and mix until all chicken is well coated.
  6. Confirm that oil is hot by flicking a few drops of water into the wok. It should be hot enough that you have the impulse to jump backward from the stove when the water hits the oil.
  7. Carefully drop individual pieces of chicken into the oil. Be brave! It’s a bit like dropping rocks into the mouth of a volcano. The closer you get the chicken to the oil before you drop it, the less it will splash, likely saving you a trip to the burn unit at the emergency room.
  8. Cook until golden brown.
  9. Remove chicken from oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
  10. Remove oil from wok but do not wash or wipe. You want to have a coating of oil remaining in the wok.
  11. From this point on, you will be flipping and stirring constantly, so have everything within arm’s reach!
  12. Return wok to heat and add frozen vegetables.  Cook until just hot. Do not overcook as they should still be firm and crisp.
  13. Add cooked chicken to vegetables in wok and combine.
  14. Add hot chili garlic sauce, honey, and sesame oil, and mix until chicken and vegetables are thoroughly coated. You might be thinking, “I just dumped out four cups of oil! Why add sesame oil now?” Charlie always said that adding sesame oil gives food “Real Chinese Flavor,” so don’t skip it!
  15. Remove from heat and serve over white rice.
  16. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Coq au Vin

This classic dish makes my mouth tingle, it’s so good! Coq au Vin is fantastic served over egg noodles with a side of steamed carrots, or just as good all by itself. Other than one spoiled, ungrateful child with an unrefined palate, who referred to it as “that weird purple chicken,” it’s a consistent crowd-pleaser, too. Bonus: The chef gets to sample the “vin” while the “coq” is cooking! C’est formidable!

Ingredients

  • 4 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
  • Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 8 oz. Bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 10 Large Button Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 Large Onion, diced (or about 20 Tiny Pearl Onions)
  • 2 Shallots, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tbsp. Butter or Margarine
  • 1 1/2 cups Red Wine*
  • 1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth

*Just about any red wine will do: Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz, etc. But since you’re only using one-and-a-half cups in the recipe, make sure it’s one you like to drink, too! My current fav is Cupcake Vinyards Merlot. It’s a great balance of low price and high drinkability, and works well in this recipe.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and ground black pepper.
  3. Place bacon in a large, oven-proof skillet and cook over medium-high heat, until almost crisp.
  4. Remove bacon from skillet and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate, leaving drippings in the skillet.
  5. Increase heat to high and place chicken thighs, skin-side down, into skillet.
  6. Cook in hot skillet until browned, about 4 minutes per side.
  7. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  8. Do NOT drain fat from the skillet.
  9. Lower heat to medium-high and saute mushrooms, onion, and shallots in the hot skillet until caramelized.
  10. Stir flour and butter or margarine into vegetable mixture until completely incorporated.
  11. Pour red wine into the skillet and bring to a boil while stirring.
  12. Stir bacon and thyme into red wine mixture.
  13. Simmer until wine is about 1/3 reduced, about 5-6 minutes.
  14. Pour chicken broth into wine mixture and stir to combine.
  15. Set chicken thighs into skillet, skin side up.
  16. Bring skillet to a simmer.
  17. Move uncovered skillet to pre-heated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
  18. Spoon juices over the chicken and continue cooking about 30 minutes more.
  19. Remove skillet from oven and transfer chicken to serving plates.
  20. Place skillet over high heat and reduce pan juices until thickened, stirring well to incorporate any fat that rises to the top. (Tip: Remember to keep a pot holder on the handle! It’s easy to forget once the pan is out of the oven, and will require a lot of cold water, ice, and burn cream if it slips your mind.)
  21. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
  22. Spoon vegetables and sauce over chicken and serve.

 

Très Important: Do NOT substitute some wimpy boneless, skinless, or white meat chicken in this recipe.  Simply put, it will suck, and therefore be a deplorable waste of wine.

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“Secret Sauce” Pizza

The “secret” is something you probably already have in your fridge, especially if you live in the South.  This recipe, unlike other pizzas, is also heartburn free! I make my dough in the bread machine, but you can also do this in the more traditional way if you need an upper-arm workout.

THE DOUGH

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Warm Water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 tablespoons White Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Bread Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

 

Directions

    1. Put all ingredients into the pan of a bread machine individually in order listed.
    2. Select Dough cycle and press Start.
    3. Have a glass or two of wine and watch your favorite cooking show.
    4. When dough cycle is complete, remove from pan and shape on a vented pizza pan
    5. Let dough rest 10 to 15 minutes after shaping before applying toppings.  It’s been through a lot and needs time to come to terms with it’s feelings.

Alternative (Masochistic) Method:  Start yeast with sugar and water. When ready, mix with remaining ingredients and knead on a floured surface until you feel the urge to look up “Bread Machines” on Amazon.  Cover and rise in a place conducive to a nap (i.e. warm and quiet) until doubled in size, about one hour.  Then shape and let rest.

(Sneaky trick: I put the oven on the “Keep Warm” setting of about 170° for just a minute or two while I’m shaping the dough, then turn it off and let the shaped dough rest in a toasty oven while I’m preparing the toppings.)

 

THE PIZZA

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Large Chicken Breast
  • 1 cup Ranch Dressing
  • 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 Roma Tomato, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups Fresh Spinach
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
  3. Cut chicken breast into small pieces.
  4. Cook chicken in frying pan until JUST cooked.
  5. Remove chicken from pan and put on a plate lined with paper towels.
  6. Spread ranch dressing evenly on shaped dough.
  7. Add mozzarella, cooked chicken, roma tomatoes, and spinach, being sure to add a little of the mozzarella on top of the other toppings.
  8. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on how you like the crust).
  10. Cool a few minutes before cutting.
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