Wish Upon A Chef

My favorite part of the holidays always revolves around the aspect of food – making and decorating gingerbread houses, baking cookies to fatten the coworkers, preparing appetizers for holiday gatherings, collecting festive recipes and wishing I had time to make them all.

So my absolute giddiness should be no surprise even in the days following Thanksgiving and Christmas when Boy Toy bestows upon me his beautiful turkey carcasses. My kitchen becomes much like the setting for a production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth…

Scene: A dark Cave. In the middle, a Caldron boiling. Thunder.

Enter the three Witches:

“Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.”

Exit stage left.

My slow cookers are loaded with the bird leftovers and aromatics and simmer for a couple of days to produce the liquid gold that keeps my freezer stocked for most of the upcoming year. I use turkey stock interchangeably with chicken stock because there is no taste difference in my opinion. Bird is bird. And I use every leftover part of the bird for stock – bones, skin, scraps, cartilage, fat - all those pieces and parts that you wouldn’t eat for dinner and would normally throw out.

Homemade stock is a beautiful thing. Not only is it more flavorful, heartier and healthier than store-bought stock, it also makes use of something that would otherwise go in the trash. A 32-ounce carton of chicken broth can cost anywhere from $3 to $4, so making your own stock allows for extra money in the food budget over time. Soups are a huge part of my menu rotation, so it doesn’t take long for me to see the savings.

Making homemade stock is easy and not very time consuming and can be made on the stove top using a large stock pot if you don’t have a slow cooker. The biggest challenge for me is having enough vessels to store it in.  I'm usually scrounging up every empty jar or tub I can find.  I purchase whole chickens from Windy Hill Farms throughout the year but other times when I’m only cooking a few legs, thighs or bone-in breasts and don’t necessarily have enough bones at once, I’ll collect them in the freezer until I have enough for a batch (sometimes the contents of my freezer could be the makings of a good horror flick!) If you catch legs and thighs on sale for a really low price, pick up a couple of packs and use them for stock.

The beautiful thing about the recipe for homemade stock is that there is no set recipe. It can be modified to use whatever aromatics you have on hand, so don’t stress if you don’t have these exact ingredients on hand. I personally never season my stock with salt while preparing – I wait until it goes into whatever recipe I’m using it in so I can control the seasonings.

I also try to maximize my savings by using the same set of bones for two rounds of stock. After I strain the first time, everything goes right back into the pot for Round 2. The first round of stock is best used for soups and dishes where the broth is the main component of flavor and the second round is best used for flavoring things like rice or sauces.

Homemade Chicken Stock
servings = varies

1 onion, quartered
2 stalks celery
2 whole carrots
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
1 bunch fresh herbs of your choice (I like parsley, thyme or oregano or a combination of all)
2 Tablespoons whole peppercorns

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker along with your bones and meat scraps. Add enough water to fill the cooker, leaving about 1 inch of space. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. If using stove top method, simmer in a pot over medium-low heat for 4 hours.

Strain contents of the pot through a sieve or colander and discard the solids (or use for a 2^nd round of stock.) Cool stock overnight. When completely chilled, skim accumulated fat from the surface. Use immediately or store in containers in the freezer.

 

When you date a food nerd, sometimes you just don't know which way a conversation is going to turn.

There's always some sort of soup coming out of my kitchen each week, whether it be freshly made or just thawed from having been squirreled away in my freezer from a previous batch.  I love that making soup requires such little effort and you can be so creative!  Use whatever you have on hand - most of my best batches come from having bits and pieces of leftover veggies and such in my frig that aren't enough to make something with on their own.  No two batches of my soup are ever the same.

I think most of the world's problems could be solved over a bowl of soup - there is something so satisfying and comforting about a collection of meat and veggies in rich warm broth. Chicken soup is definitely a cure-all, solve-all type of soup and it works for alot of my own problems.  Lord knows I lived on Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup when I was a kid but I've far outgrown any premade canned versions of soup now.  And besides, have you looked at the ingredients on the side of the can?


I don't know about you, but I don't often throw things like monosodium glutamate (MSG), ferrous sulfate, sodium phosphates (which is another name for salt, which explains why the sodium content for 1/2 cup of soup accounts for 35% of your RDA of sodium) or even soy protein isolate into my pot of soup. Who wants to eat that garbage?
Soup should be real and made with real ingredients. I love the perkiness that the lemon and fresh dill impart in this version of homemade chicken soup.  I use my own homemade broth and I've been slowly migrating to more whole wheat pasta during my real food lifestyle change, which I'll admit hasn't been easy.  There is just something about the taste and texture that hasn't quite won me over yet.  In the meantime, I've been doing a half/half combination of whole wheat and regular pastas.  It's better than nothing, I suppose, and who knows - maybe I'll eventually completely change pasta teams!

Lemony Chicken Soup
servings = 4

Inspired by bon appetit

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
12 ounces cooked organic free-range chicken
6 cups chicken broth (homemade or organic)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup whole wheat orzo
1/4 cup fresh dill
lemon wedges, for serving

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring often until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Add broth, season with salt and pepper,  Bring to a boil.  Add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.  Reduce heat to simmer, stir in chicken and dill and heat through.
Portion soup into bowls and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over soup.

Last week I harped about not having many Crock-Pot recipes that I enjoyed and I subconsciously suggested that I should take a lesson from the Boy Toy because he crocks alot.  So I took my own advice and asked him to share one of his favorite recipes and now I'm getting even more lovin' from my Crock-Pot.

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian and it's typically a rustic dish that includes chicken, bell peppers, onion, and tomatoes.  The meat is typically braised and everything simmers together in one pot for about an hour, which makes it a perfect recipe for the slow cooker. 

I used a combination of white and dark meat chicken because that's what I had on hand, and if you have a splash of red wine just begging to be used, by all means, throw it in too.  When Boy Toy makes this for his kids, he chops the veggies small so they are undetectable (he's sneaky like that) and serves it over rice.  I dished mine up over pasta but you could also just use a nice crusty Italian bread to sop up the yummy sauce. 

I prepared a double recipe and portioned it into freezable containers.  On the nights that I don't feel like cooking from scratch, I'll just thaw out a portion and prepare the rice or pasta.  Easy peasy and delicious! 

Crock-Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 8

Printable Recipe

8 chicken thighs, with the bone, skin removed
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
fresh herbs such as parsley, for garnish

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.  Pour tomatoes over the chicken, top with onions and peppers.  Add oregano, bay leaf, more salt and pepper and give it a stir to combine everything.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. 

Before serving, remove bay leaf and adjust seasonings if desired.   If you'd like your sauce a bit thicker, you can remove the lid and continue to cook on high for about another hour. 

I'm a couple of months into my real food journey and some days I feel like I'm trucking along pretty good and other days I feel like I've stalled out on the side of the road.  As I mentioned in this post, changing your eating habits to include more real food is not something you can just wake up one morning and decide to do and go at it 110%.  It takes planning and thought (both of which I'm good at doing) and patience (which I'm not so good at having) but it just cannot be done overnight and is not the easiest thing I've ever done.  Check out this article for some tips on getting yourself started in the right direction and budgeting for eating healthier and more real. 

My pantry still contains some processed food from previous shopping trips and I do still use them because I don't want to be wasteful, but as they are being depleted I am buying more suitable real food options.  Can you imagine how long it has taken/will take just one person to deplete the overloaded pantry shown above??  I no longer buy the various brands of crackers that I loved, instead opting for Triscuits since they contain whole wheat and less than five ingredients (and I've even started making my own crackers).  I've added coconut oil, whole wheat flour, and honey to my staples. I snack on nuts and seeds now instead of chips and cookies. I have only purchased one bag of sugar since early December and that was used to prepare treats for Boy Toy's kids (as I don't intend to push my eating habits/beliefs on kids who aren't my own.)



I've also started purchasing meats from Windy Hill Farm, a small family-owned farm located in New London, NC.  They focus on humanely raising animals with no antibiotics or growth hormones.  They offer a CSA program (where you basically invest in a share of the farm in exchange for receiving a share of the crops) or you can shop their products online and have them delivered to one of the three drop-off locations nearest you.  They are also available at area farmers markets (check their website for schedules and locations.)  The folks from Windy Hill were super nice when I met them for pickup and they told me that the whole chicken that I ordered had just been processed a few hours prior.  How's that for fresh??  Check out their products online and make plans to stock your refrigerator and freezer with fresh eggs and meats. 



Another service that I'm currently trying out is ordering organic and locally grown produce and having it delivered right to my door each week from Backyard Produce.  They've got a very wide delivery range including Wilmington, Triangle, Triad, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Greenville,New Bern and Richmond (check to see if you are in a delivery zone.)  They offer several different levels of service and each week you shop with points that you accumulate according to your specific plan.  I get a box every other week simply because it takes me awhile to eat all of what I receive, and that's one of the great things about Backyard Produce - you can put your orders on hold any time you need to.  Their offerings change based on the season and availability.  It's not just produce either - they have North Carolina-made products like cheese, bread, salsa, granola, etc. 

Using these two services has made it much easier for me to make the change to natural, organic meats and produce because I am not tempted to shop strictly based on price for the cheaper non-organic and natural items in the grocery store.  In actuality, I don't feel that I pay any more for these conveniences than I would if I were making weekly trips to the grocery store.

Stay tuned for some fun recipes using the Backyard Produce items and Windy Hill meats. 

Pleasing a teenager is like predicting the weather.  Temperatures and moods can swing wildly from warm and cheerful to cold and frosty at any given time and with no warning.  Even with the best means of prediction, a raging hormonal storm can take you by surprise when you least expect it. 

I've learned that I can somewhat protect myself from impending Teenage Boy Doom by wielding food when I show up to Boy Toy's house.  So far I've managed to thwart a mood swing with chocolate chip cookies, Country Club Chicken, and this Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole. 

This casserole can be made ahead, which I often do and send home with Boy Toy to have for dinner after those long days spent on the baseball field.  After serving it the first time and having the remaining 2/3rds of the pan fall victim to whomever raids the refrigerator in the middle of the night (hmmm...I wonder?) and a request to prepare it again, I knew I had another storm preparedness item on my hands. 

You can take the quicker and easier route to making this dish by using two cans of cream of chicken (or mushroom or celery) soup instead of making the sauce from scratch but in my effort to steer clear of so many processed foods, I've found that it doesn't take very long to whip up a basic cream sauce and I think spending the few extra minutes is worth it.  I also used brown rice for the base and whole wheat bread crumbs for the topping as a way of sneaking in a few health(ier) ingredients. 

Here's how to prepare yourself for Teenage Boy Doom in six easy steps:

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
adapted from www.tastykitchen.com

Printable Recipe

FOR THE CASSEROLE:
4 cups cooked rice
5-6 cups cooked, diced chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
1/2 pound deli-style ham, chopped
1/4 pound sliced Swiss cheese
FOR THE SAUCE:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3-1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
FOR THE TOPPING:
6 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
1-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Spread cooked rice in the bottom of the dish. Top rice with cooked chicken.  Scatter the ham over top of the chicken.  Lay cheese slices on top of the ham. 

For the sauce:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute, but do not brown.  Slowly add milk and whisk constantly until smooth.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.  Stir in lemon juice, mustard, salt, paprika and pepper.  Bring sauce just back to a low boil and remove from heat.  Pour sauce evenly over casserole, making sure you cover the edges.

For the topping:

Melt butter in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl.  Stir in bread crumbs, seasoned salt and parsley.  Sprinkle over top of casserole.

Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Casserole will be bubbly and topping should be golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool about about 5 minutes.

I've always heard that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and Lord knows I travel that route as often as I can for the Boy Toy despite his insinuations that all my cooking is making his "road" more "curvy." My mailbox overflows each month with subscriptions to various cooking magazines to ensure the road to Boy Toy's heart is traveled often, but as a woman I know the stomach isn't the only avenue to a man's heart.

A few months ago I purchased a Groupon that would grant me a year's subscription to Cosmopolitan magazine for a mere $5.  I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on any new tricks of the trade for wooing a man by a means other than with my cooking.  The first few editions came and I scanned through pages and pages of information and instruction hoping to find something useful.  I honestly feared most of the tricks Cosmo was touting to woo a man would land me square in the hospital with a dislocated something or other that my insurance copay would not cover.  I felt the folks at Cosmo were more concerned with how to stop a man's heart than how to find your way to it, so I was ready to toss the useless magazines into the recycle bin when I noticed - far back on those last few pages typically reserved for advertisements about psychics and online dating services - a recipe.  I ripped it from the the magazine and realized I should forget about all those other tricks and tips because surely food WAS the way to a man's heart afterall!

A quick online search of the recipe "Crispy Chicken with Rosemary Lemon Salt" shows that Giada De Laurentiis also takes credit for the published recipe in her cookbook "Weeknights with Giada" which probably proves my theory that Cosmopolitan can't come up with any original ideas on their own to win to a man's heart without making you perform like a circus pony or very minorly tweaking someone else's idea - like suggesting the chicken be served with marinara sauce and calling it their own.  I replaced the cornmeal with whole wheat bread crumbs and also had plenty of herbed salt left over so I've been using it for salads and such.  If you are focusing on "real food" for your meals, use a suitable oil such as coconut oil for frying and use organic, free-range chicken. 

In addition to serving these as an entree, these would make a great party appetizer.

Crispy Chicken with Rosemary Lemon Salt
inspired by Giada De Laurentiis/Cosmopolitan July 2012

Printable Recipe

Suitable oil, for frying
1 (6-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 cup kosher salt plus 3/4 teaspoon
Zest of 1 large lemon, divided
1 pound chicken tenders
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I whole wheat crumbs from my homemade bread leftovers)

For the salt: Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat (the oil is hot enough when a pinch of breadcrumbs sizzles when added to the pan). Add the rosemary sprig and fry for 30 seconds until crisp. Using tongs, remove the rosemary sprig and drain on paper towels. Remove the leaves and finely chop to yield 1 tablespoon. Place the rosemary, 1/4 cup salt, and half the lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until combined. Set aside.

For the chicken: In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken, garlic, rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon salt, other half of the lemon zest, and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs and toss until the chicken is coated. Add 1/2 the chicken to the same skillet used to cook the rosemary and fry until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Sprinkle with the rosemary-lemon salt and serve (with marinara, if you'd like).

Since it's true that people eat with their eyes, I was almost afraid to start today's post with a photo.  There are times that no matter how you arrange food on a plate or how many photos you snap from different angles, the dish just does not look appetizing.

My version of Country Club Chicken (found on Pinterest but originating from Kayotic Kitchen) is one such unappetizing photo example.  Kay made it look absolutely delicious which is the whole reason I decided to try it.  Her photo did not lie - it was amazing - very tender and rich tasting.  So take my advice and don't bypass this recipe simply because of my photo.  Better yet, forget about the photo entirely - hurry and make this for dinner tonight.

I pounded my chicken breasts just a bit and used an unpeeled Golden Delicious apple. Pair this casserole with a green salad for the perfect meal.   


Country Club Chicken
from Kayotic Kitchen

1 pound spaghetti
4 chicken breasts
1 large onion, diced
7 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 or 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 apple, peeled and diced
butter or oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat butter or oil in saute pan over medium-high heat.  Brown chicken on both sides and transfer to a baking dish.  Add onions to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the apple and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Season vegetables with salt and pepper and add white wine, mushroom soup and cheese.  Stir well.  Spoon sauce over chicken breasts and bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.

While chicken is baking, prepare pasta per package directions.

Divide pasta among four serving plates and top with a chicken breast and sauce. 

Have you discovered the newest internet sensation, Pinterest?  Of course you have.  Everyone has.

Several of my friends discovered Pinterest early on and while they were busy making boards and finding creative things and pinning away, I stayed strong on my stance that I would NOT succumb to yet another internet addiction.  Yeah, riiiiiight.  My mighty willpower lasted all of about a month before I sneaked over to see what it was all about. 

I will admit that while I find Pinterest inspiring, it hasn't become as much of an obsession as I feared it would.  It is the digital equivalence of flipping through a magazine and ripping out pages you find interesting, and just like in real time I lay those pages aside thinking I'll eventually get around to doing/decorating/baking/cooking what ever it is and usually never do. 

I needed dinner inspiration recently so I turned to my overburdened "Recipes To Try" board on Pinterest and found this recipe from Witty in the City called "Man Pleasing Chicken"  and with a little tweaking, this kickin' quick and easy chicken made me a very happy girl! 

My package of chicken had 4 pieces, but you could probably go as high as 6 with this quantity of marinade. I removed most of the skin as well and used rosemary as my fresh herb.

Oh, and hey....don't forget to pin this recipe to your board with my easy little "Pin It" button below.  Happy pinning!


Good Enough For A Man But Made For A Woman Chicken
adapted from Witty in the City
serves 2 to 4

• 1 package chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff, not the fake Mrs. Buttersworth stuff)
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• about 4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or sage
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and arrange chicken in pan.  Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. 

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, mustard and vinegar.  Pour marinade over chicken and turn the pieces a few times to coat them really well.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees and chicken has that nice roasted look.  Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes. 

Plate chicken with a few spoonsful of sauce, some fresh herbs and chopped bacon.  Enjoy!

I fell off the blogging wagon last week and I'm sorry that I let you down, my faithful reader(s).  I should be tarred and feathered and sent to my room with no dinner.  Or maybe just tarred and feathered because I've got some really good stuff cooking on the stove today. 

I made a resolution at the beginning of this year that I would publish a blog post here at Wish Upon A Chef every week of the year.  It was my attempt to be more attentive to my blog and to get back into the kitchen to do the things that I love.  I even have this little Post-It Note list in my desk drawer that I derive great pleasure from when checking off each week after I publish.  Sort of like the chart of chores that you do for your kids and award a gold star for each chore accomplished.  I kept my resolutions for 19 weeks before I failed. 

As week 20 rolled around, my house became chaotic while I had some painting done and on top of that, I was all excited about packing for my weekend beach trip. The week came and went and it dawned on me while en route to the beach and the TomTom was taking me off-course through corn fields and desolate towns that I totally forgot to publish.  No gold star for me. 

But perhaps you'll forgive me if I share my recipe for these tasty Teriyaki Tailgate Tenders.  The Boy Toy and I tailgated at the Charlotte Knights baseball game with some friends and I brought these along so I wouldn't have to suffer the digestive indignity of eating a hot dog.  I noticed that even the kids were gobbling them up.  You can certainly use the marinade for chicken breast halves if you're just hanging around the house using the grill - you'll just need to grill them a bit longer.  These would also work great as an appetizer served with maybe a sweet and sour sauce or hoisin sauce for dipping.  I took along a simple pasta salad and made some happy and full tailgaters. 



Teriyaki Tailgate Tenders

1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Chicken tenders (I made about 20 skewers)
Wooden skewers

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, cilantro and garlic. Thread tenders onto wooden skewers and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.  Cover them while they are marinating.  After I threaded the tenders onto the skewers, I placed them in a 9x13 baking dish with the ends of the skewers resting on the sides of the baking dish. This prevented the whole skewer from being submerged in the marinade and getting all messy. I marinated overnight and turned the skewers occasionally to make sure the chicken was coated.  To make them easier to transport, I removed the skewers from the marinade and transferred them to a large disposable plastic container. 

Grill over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

There are times when a salad just won't do the trick to satiate your appetite, even one loaded with chicken for protein.  But take those same salad-making items, twist them around and you have quick and easy Chicken Caesar Florentine ~ a chicken breast stuffed with fresh spinach and coated with crushed garlic croutons and zesty Caesar dressing.

It's perfect for those time-crunched evenings when dinner needs to come together quickly and better yet, it's kid-friendly!  


Chicken Caesar Florentine

Adapted from Taste of Home Cooking Magazine, Dec/Jan 2012
Serves 4

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups Caesar salad croutons, coarsely crushed, divided
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup crushed croutons, spinach and 1/2 cup salad dressing. Place equal amounts of mixture vertically along the center of the chicken cutlets and roll up into a bundle.  Secure bundles with toothpicks.

Place remaining dressing and crushed croutons in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in dressing, then roll in croutons.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

The marriage of a fired up grill on a warm summer day with a piece of chicken equals nothing short of a match made in heaven.  The relationship gets even better when the chicken is marinated with the simplest of ingredients that you probably already have on hand in your pantry and turns out tender and juicy every single time. 

This combination of ingredients is my go-to marinade for grilled chicken every single time.  I always let it sit overnight but it would probably be just as good only after a few hours.  Try it and see if it doesn't become your summer grilling favorite!

Marinade for Chicken
source:  Food Network Kitchens

2 tablespoons vinegar (cider, balsamic, red or white wine)
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons garlic powder or onion powder
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Put the vinegar, Italian seasoning, mustard, garlic (or onion) powder and oil in a large re-sealable plastic bag.  Close the bag and shake to combine all ingredients.  Open the bag and drop in the chicken breasts.  Close and shake the bag to coat the chicken evenly.

Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.  If using previously unfrozen chicken breasts, you may freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 2 weeks.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and prepare as desired.  

Heat a grill or grill pan.  When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  You can also bake the chicken in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. 

On a cold, blustery March day there is nothing better than the delicious warmth of a chicken casserole for dinner. Paired with a green salad and crusty french bread, this chicken and wild rice casserole was enough to put me into a creamy dreamy casserole coma this past weekend while March rolled in like a tornadic lion. (I would have never believed tornadic is actually a word, but I heard the weatherman say it and dictionary.com confirms it.)

This is easy enough to whip up ~ I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken and I left out the water chestnuts because while I can't believe tornadic is a word, I do believe water chestnuts are a total waste of time and space.  What's the point of them anyway?   They have no color, taste, or smell.  I don't need a crunchy filler food in my casserole just because.  Anyway, back to the point I'm trying to make....this casserole is easy to make and best of all, it's freezer friendly so it's great to make ahead and have in the freezer for impromptu company or on those days when you just can't be bothered with making something for dinner.


Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Southern Living, December 2011

1 (2.25-oz.) package sliced almonds
2 (6.2-oz.) boxes fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1/4 cup butter
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 (10 3/4-oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup
2 (8-oz.) cans chopped water chestnuts, drained
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan 4 to 6 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Prepare rice mixes according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add celery and onions. Sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, next 6 ingredients, rice, and 3 cups cheese. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch baking dish or 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes. Top with breadcrumbs.

4. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with toasted almonds. Bake 5 minutes.

To Make Ahead: Prepare as directed in Steps 2 and 3. Cover with aluminum foil, and freeze up to 1 month. Remove from freezer, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Toast almonds as directed in Step 1. Bake casserole, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 55 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese and toasted almonds. Bake 5 more minutes.

I am a Southern girl. I grew up with Southern great-grandmothers and grandmothers and my mother who cooked true Southern delicacies like red-eye gravy, cornbread, fried potatoes, fried chicken, pinto beans and collard greens. I love me some good ole' Southern home cookin'.

I'm not sure if it's due to the theory of evolution or just pure laziness on my part, but I don't prepare alot of the dishes that I grew up on in my own kitchen. I mostly think it's because nobody can cook like momma and grandmas and it always tastes better when I travel home and have those things set before me on the dinner table.

Chicken and dumplings isn't something that was prepared on a regular basis while I was growing up, but it is truly a Southern thing so when I saw this Taste of Home recipe I decided to give it a try. There are many, many renditions of C&D's out there and while they are considered comfort food and can sometimes be a little bland, this recipe has a kick ~ the addition of cayenne pepper.

I initially thought I would enjoy these because of the hint of heat, but in the end I'll have to admit that I prefer the true Southern comfort food rendition of these. There was just a tad too much cayenne (probably more so from the addition of it in the stock) to make me feel like I was eating real C&D's.


Chicken and Dumplings
courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 bay leaves
5 fresh thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
DUMPLINGS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced chives

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.

In a Dutch oven, saute carrots and celery in oil and butter until tender. Add minced garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add prepared broth. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

Add peas; return to a boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until peas are tender. Stir in chicken and cream; heat through.

For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and eggs; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering chicken mixture. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Garnish with chives before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables that they don't like is always tricky business. You may try to cut the foods into minuscule pieces, hide them in with other foods they like, or resort to a reward system for eating the disliked items. I'm sure my mother probably tricked me into eating yucky foods when I was a kid, but she knew I was on to her when I'd leave nothing but peas and carrots in the bottom of my vegetable soup bowl.

These days, I do try to broaden my food horizons and try things that I haven't liked in the past because it is true that your tastes change over time. But there is one surefire way to get me to eat something previously thought as yucky ~ soak it in alcohol! 

I used to prepare this recipe for Chicken Breasts with Sherried Mushrooms in the catering kitchen and it was always a winner with clients, but I never cared for the texture of mushrooms myself.  I'm learning to like them, though, with Shiitakes being at the top of my list (and they would work well in this recipe) and button mushrooms needing quite a bit of seasoning and/or the addition of other items for me to fully enjoy.  I tried this recipe on a whim last week and was a total plate cleaner!  Even if you aren't a fan of 'shrooms either, I bet you'll love them after they're sauted in sherry wine and served atop a tender chicken breast. 

Chicken Breasts with Sherried Mushrooms
Serves 4

4 each chicken breast halves, butterflied and pounded
2 TBSP flour
kosher salt, as needed
freshly ground black pepper, as needed
3 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
2 cups fresh white mushrooms, sliced
2 TBSP shallot, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry sherry, divided
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and dredge chicken until lightly coated. Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Wipe skillet clean of drippings.

Add remaining 1 TBSP vegetable oil to pan and heat again over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots, saute until tender, about 3 minutes.

Combine 1 TBSP sherry and cornstarch and set aside. Add remaining sherry and chicken broth to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook until sauce is reduced to about 1-1/2 cups. Add cornstarch mixture, cook, stirring constantly about 1 minute or until mixture is thickened.

Return chicken to pan, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, top evenly with mushroom mixture. Garnish with parsley.

Chicken is one of those highly versatile foods as there are literally a zillion +1 ways you can prepare it within any category:

Grill it.
Bake it.
Fry it.
Saute it.
Stuff it.

You can be so creative with marinades and dipping sauces and the like, but my creative strengths lie in the "Stuff it" category.  

I've stuffed chicken and smothered it with crab meat (the story of which always makes me laugh when I think back on it) and I've even crammed fruit into a bird.  There are so many other things that I've stuffed a chicken breast with and I can't believe I haven't yet shared them with you here, mostly because it's a last minute thing of figuring out what in the fridge needs to be used up and makes a good combination and there's no real recipe per se.  Today's offering is no exception to that rule.

I found myself with an overload of Boursin® Cheese thanks to a BOGO sale at my beloved Harris Teeter a few weeks ago and I also rustled up a jar of roasted red bell peppers left over from another kitchen project.  I threw in some fresh sage leaves and some par-cooked bacon and it all made for one tasty dinner.  I've discovered that I prefer using thin cutlets when stuffing simply because a regular chicken breast seems to be a ratio of too much chicken vs. stuffing once it's all rolled up (see how the chicken seems to be a little too top-heavy in this photo?).    I've been known to slice a regular breast in half and pound it out even a little thinner if that's all I have on hand.   

Try your hand at creative stuffings and let me know what combinations you come up with!

Boursin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breast cutlets
1 package Boursin® Cheese
4 slices par-cooked bacon (by par-cooked, I mean partially cooked. Don't cook it until it's crisp and brittle. You want it to be a little pliable so you can roll it up and it will continue to cook while the chicken is baking.)
4 to 8 fresh sage leaves
4 strips of roasted red bell peppers
Seasonings of your choice
Splash of white wine or chicken broth

Spread 1/4 of the Boursin Cheese generously on each chicken breast. Add a strip of bacon, roasted red bell pepper and one or two fresh sage leaves. Roll chicken up into a bundle and secure with toothpicks. Season bundles with your choice of seasoning blend (I usually have one of those premixed poultry seasonings on hand but just salt and freshly ground pepper work fine too).

Add a tablespoon or so oil in a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on all sides until golden brown. Add about 3/4 cup or so of liquid (white wine or broth) and deglaze the pan. Remove chicken and liquid from skillet and place into a baking dish.

Bake chicken in oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Not long ago, I turned to the over-burdened cookbook shelf for motivation and inspiration and happened upon my almost vintage collection of Cooking Light Annual Recipes. I used to be a loyal subscriber to the Cooking Light magazines and would buy the annuals at the end of the each year.  It was a great way to have all the monthly recipes in one place without having to deal with stacks and stacks of magazines lying around the house.  But somewhere along the way, I lost interest.  I'm sure it wasn't any fault of Cooking Light, but rather that I began cooking for a living and that just didn't allow for the luxury of lounging around reading magazines.

Either way, I remembered why I enjoyed the magazines so much when I ran across this recipe for Chicken Fricassee with Orzo.  An easy recipe that is pretty much a full meal all by itself ~ meat, starch and vegetables.  I served this with a green salad and had dinner on the table in no time!

Chicken Fricassee with Orzo
Serves 4

4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons butter (I used olive oil)
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced ham
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 cups hot cooked orzo (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Parsley sprigs (optional) Preparation

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.

Add onions, carrot, ham, and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in broth and wine, scraping to loosen browned bits. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon; keep warm. Add whipping cream; cook, uncovered, over medium heat 8 minutes. Spoon 3/4 cup orzo onto each of 4 plates. Top each with 1 chicken breast half, 1/3 cup sauce, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Even with as many cookbooks and recipe resources that I have access to, I am a creature of habit when it comes to preparing dinners. Always defaulting to what is familiar, I've now grown tired of all my favorite "go to" recipes and taken to my over-burdened cookbook shelves for inspiration and new ideas.

Not only was this vintage Cooking Light recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta quick and easy, it was delicious too ~ you'd never really suspect it was "light" because the cream sauce is rich and flavorful. According to the Cooking Light statistics, a 2 cup serving has 493 calories and 5g of fat (we'll not discuss the fact that it has 63.3g of carbs). Honestly, I couldn't eat a 2 cup serving of this in one sitting because it was that rich and the Cajun seasoning added just the right amount of spiciness to the dish. I'm thinking you could just as easily use shrimp in place of the chicken if you preferred.

I can gawr-on-tee even Justin Wilson would be pleased with this Cajun dish!

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Cooking Light Annual Cookbook 2001
Yield: 4 servings (serving size 2 cups)

1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)
cooking spray (I prefer a drizzle of olive oil)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onions
8 ounces uncooked linguine
2 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I used closer to 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Combine uncooked chicken and Cajun seasoning in a ziplock bag or small bowl and shake or stir to coat well. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray (or olive oil) over medium heat. Add chicken mixture and saute for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Add bell peppers, mushrooms and onions and cook for three minutes. Stir in cooked and drained pasta and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened and serve immediately.

It is one of my (many) guilty pleasures to lay in bed on Saturday and Sunday mornings and watch the Food Network. Mostly I doze in and out of the segments and only vaguely recollect the delicacies my favorite chefs have prepared. Visions of garden parties hosted by the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten and chocolate cupcakes baked by the curvaceous British maven Nigella Lawson dance and flit through my head for the rest of the day after I rise.

But there's one thing that always wakes me from my slumber ~ jolts me awake as if I just realized that I was catering a huge black tie affair for PETA and juicy thick steaks are on the menu. The panic inducing thing that I speak of is none other than the raspy, overly enthusiastic, screeching voice of Rachael Ray.

I'd like to know just how many cups of coffee this woman drinks in a day and I'd also bet that if you cut off her hands, she'd be rendered mute. I've never seen such highly caffeinated, flailing arms, nervous chatter in all my life. And really...once Oprah puts her "My Favorite Things" seal of approval on something, is there anything other than God that can put it asunder? Cooking shows, travel shows, magazine covers, talk shows, cookbooks, cookware, TV commercials. Rachael Ray ad nausem. Somebody give me a garbage bowl, please.

But (there's always a but), Rachael can cook. I dunno about the whole 30 minute deal because I have to stop for a drink every 90 seconds while I'm preparing one of her dishes just to drown out the sound of her voice replaying in my head. "Two turns of (arms waving frantically) EVOO extra-virgin olive oil in the pan" (we know WTF it is by now, Rach. You don't have to clarify (wave your arms some more) the meaning of EVOO Every. Single. Freaking. Time.)

Despite the fact that the mere sight of the woman makes me break out into a cold sweat, I will admit to having and using Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals 2 cookbook. I'll also confess that everything I've ever prepared from the book so far has been very good and this Chicken Paillard is no exception. Quick, easy, fresh and delicious, it's one of my favorite go-to dinners when I'm crunched for time.

Rach, honey, you drive me absolutely nuts but I totally dig your food.

Rachael Ray's Chicken Paillard
Serves 2

Ingredients

* 4 small whole chicken breast cutlets
* Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
* 4 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped and finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
* 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, a handful
* 1 lemon zested and juiced
* Coarse salt and black pepper
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
* 1 sack, 5 ounces, mixed baby salad greens, available in produce section

Directions

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Arrange the chicken in a shallow baking dish and drizzle meat with extra-virgin olive oil to just coat the chicken, about 1 1/2 tablespoons, total. Combine chopped herbs and lemon zest and sprinkle over the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub the chicken and coat evenly with the herbs and seasonings. Wash hands with hot water and soap. Using tongs, transfer chicken in a single layer to hot skillet and cook chicken cutlets 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Cover cooked chicken loosely with foil to keep warm and repeat with remaining cutlets.

Return pan to heat and add butter. When the butter melts, add flour to the butter and cook, stirring with whisk, a minute or 2 to make a light roux. Whisk in chicken broth. When broth thickens to just coat the back of a spoon, remove pan from heat and turn off burner.

Toss salad greens with lemon juice and coarse salt. Drizzle 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil around the bowl and re-toss greens.

To serve, cover the bottom of a dinner plate with warm sauce. Top with a small pile of salad greens and 2 chicken cutlets.

Was a blown out flip-flop to blame for Jimmy Buffet's unfortunate fall from the stage in Australia earlier this week? I'm sure some people will claim there's a woman to blame but according to news reports, it was the lighting man's fault.

Like a zillion other Parrotheads, I'm sending well wishes and good karma to the iconic legend for a speedy recovery because it was just this past Saturday that I was logged on to my computer at 10:02am to purchase tickets for Jimmy's April 21 "Welcome to Fin Land" tour stop in Charlotte. My friends, family and I were all logged on and texting each other as to what our wait time was for tickets ~ it was the first time I've ever had to stand in line online for something! After all the "I got them!!" celebratory texts came through, we set about making tailgate plans because the show is exactly one week before this pirate looks at 40 and I have a feeling this may be the tailgate of all tailgates.

Wasting away in all the escapism of Margaritaville made me terribly hungry and since there were no cheeseburgers on hand, I decided this Key Lime Chicken would be just the thing to pay homage to Jimmy Buffet. The recipe originally called for marinating in key lime juice (Joe and Nellie's is an excellent choice), but I find it to be a bit too tart for my tastes. Suit yourself, but either way don't forget to add the brown sugar because it is the perfect balance to the tartness. I've never allowed the chicken to marinate longer than 30-45 minutes because the acid breaks down the chicken fairly quickly and if you let it go too long, it will be mushy.

It's one of the quickest and easiest chicken dishes you'll ever make and leaves you with plenty of time to maybe roll in the sand with a rock 'n' roll man somewhere down Montserrat way!


Key Lime Chicken

Recipe By :Peggy Waller
Serving Size : 4
Categories : Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 each chicken breast half
1/3 cup lime juice (key lime or regular)
2 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger -- 1" piece, grated or minced
2/3 cup flour
salt and pepper
2/3 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 teaspoon garlic powder
vegetable oil -- for frying
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Trim fat from chicken and pound to slightly flatten. Place in a bowl; add lime juice, fresh garlic, fresh ginger. Marinate 30 mins to 2 hours (Alison's note: I don't recommend going much longer than 30 minutes). Drain marinade & reserve.

Mix flour, salt & pepper, ground ginger and garlic powder in a bowl. Lightly dredge chicken breasts. Heat oil in skillet and fry chicken breasts until browned on both sides (do not overcook).

Place fried chicken breasts in 9x13 baking pan. Pour chicken broth and reserved marinade around chicken; add some water or more broth if bottom of pan isn't fully covered. Sprinkle brown sugar on chicken breasts.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 mins. Brown sugar will melt to becaome a crunchy topping. Do not let broth mixture totally evaporate; add some water if necessary. If brown sugar looks dry, spoon a little of the pan juices on top of chicken. This will keep in a warm oven about 1 hour without drying out.

Source:
"Culinary Memories of Merridun"

If I could spend my days frolicking with the Boy Toy in the Caribbean sand, I would.

But since I have bills to pay and the sand chafes me, I'll settle for being reminded of the Caribbean with these yummy fresh fruit and chicken kabobs.

Quick and easy to make, these kabobs are perfect for the grill and keeping you out of the kitchen during this blazing hot summer.

If you don't have the time to marinate, just baste them with the glaze while grilling but I do recommend marinating if you have the time ~ since the marinade ingredients are so light, it adds a little more depth to the flavor. I like to serve these with a simple side dish like rice or a green vegetable and a light salad.

Simplicity. Deliciousness. The next best thing to building sand castles in the Caribbean with the Boy Toy. Almost.


Caribbean Chicken Kabobs

Serves 6

1-3/4 cups honey
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh ginger
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 pounds boned and skinned chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
6 each plums -- pitted & quartered
4 cups fresh pineapple -- cubed
2 cups coconut, toasted

Combine first four ingredients. Skewer chicken and fruit then use half of the marinade to marinate chicken for several hours or overnight. Grill, turning and brushing frequently with remaining marinade. When chicken is done, roll in toasted coconut.