Archive for Chicken Recipes

Roast Chicken Legs with Vegetables

September 8, 2009 at 8:39 pm · Filed under Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , ,

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Here’s a way to create a simple meal of chicken and vegetables, with lots of color and not too many ingredients.  I’d love to change this up as we head into the fall months with a combination of potatoes, carrots and parnsips.  Try replacing the thyme with parsley or even fresh dill.

There was something for everyone with this recipe since I piled the finished dish atop brown rice.   The chicken and rice appealed to my kids while adults in the house enjoyed the roasted vegetables.   The peppery arugula is a nice addition.  This could be omitted altogether if you prefer.

 

Roasted Chicken Legs with Vegetables

Ingredients

1  1/2 lbs chicken legs and thighs

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 lb small red potatoes, quartered

1 large zuchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 medium onion, quartered

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup dry, white wine (I used a Chardonnay)

2-3 cups arugula (I used organic baby arugula)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Add vegetables to a large mixing bowl.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to bowl of  cut vegetables.   Toss vegetable-chicken mixture with minced garlic, olive oil and thyme.  Spread evenly in roasting pan.  Roast for 40 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.  Potatoes egdes should be turning golden and skin of chicken should be browned and crispy.

Add arugula to serving platter.  Transfer roasted chicken and vegetables to a clean bowl or platter. Place roasting pan on stove top.  Add wine and deglaze pan. 

Top arugula with wine and then add chicken and vegetables to platter.  Serve.

Yield:  4 servings

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Lightened Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

July 23, 2009 at 3:34 pm · Filed under Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , ,

I’m not sure why I’m on a casserole kick lately but I guess you could say I’m also on a “don’t waste food kick” too.  I prepare a lot of chicken in our house for our dinners (oven-fried and simple-to-prepare breaded cutlets are mainstays).  It’s definately a favorite with the kids and of course leftovers are generally a part of that as well.   I incorporated leftover broiled chicken into this casserole.

Casseroles offer a way to be more efficient with your food budgt by including leftovers into your recipes.  I approach soups in a similar way: using leftover veggies to make terrific vegetable soups.  Check out this version of a chicken and wild rice casserole.  I’ve tried to reduce the calories where possible.  It’s still bathing suit season after all.

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2 (6 ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix (I used Uncle Ben’s)

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 (8 0unce) water chestnuts, chopped

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I used only breast meat)

1 (10 3/4 ounce) fat-free cream of mushroom soup

1 (10 3/4 ounce) fat-free cream of chicken soup

1 (16 ounce) container of light sour cream

1cup milk (I used skim)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese*

Method

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 13-in x 2-in baking dish.

Prepare rice according to package directions.  Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.   Add onion and saute for 3 minutes.   Add celery and continue to saute 7-8 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.   Remove onion-celery mixture to a large mixing bowl.  Add water chestnuts, cooked rice, and chicken.  In a separate large mixing bowl, blend both soups, sour cream and milk.  Add soup mixture to vegetables, rice and chicken.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.  Top with breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake 7 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*Although my goal was to lighten this casserole by using fat-free soups and light sour cream, I opted not to use reduced calorie cheese because it doesn’t melt very well.

Servings: 10

Kitchen Note:  This casserole is so simple that it adapts to changes well, such as changing the soups, using Panko breadcrumbs or additional vegetables.

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Marinated Chicken Breasts with Oregano-Lemon Sauce

July 16, 2009 at 6:48 pm · Filed under Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , , ,

Lemon Chicken with Modified Chimichuri 009The recipe began evolving when I wanted to marinate some chicken breasts and use the now abundant herbs growing in our garden, but then realized my kids wouldn’t eat  green sauce-laden chicken (even though they helped plant and pick the herbs).  I opted to marinate the chicken in lemon and white wine  and then make a separate herb sauce for the grown ups.

For those of you who are familiar with the flavorful chimichurri sauce well known to Argentina you will find hints of those flavors in this recipe though it is not a true chimichurri.  Chimichurri is most frequentlly served as a condiment alongside steak (flank or skirt are two familiar choices) although it is delicious with grilled chicken or fish.

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Lemon Chicken with Modified Chimichuri 008

Simple Lemon and White Wine Marinade Recipe

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, washed and trimmed

1/3 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

Juice of 2 lemons

Zes of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

Method

Season chicken with Kosher salt on both sides.  Add chicken to zipper top bag.  Add remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning chicken once.

Heat stove-top grill pan over medium  heat.  Add 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.  Remove chicken breasts from marinade.  Discard marinade.  Season chicken on both sides with freshly ground black pepper.  When pan is ready, add chicken breasts skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes.  Turn chicken and cook on the opposite side for 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through*.  Remove chicken to serving plate and keep warm.

 

Lemon-Oregano Sauce Recipe

1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2 medium lemons)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar

1/2 cup each, packed fresh oregano and parsley (Italian or flat-leaf parsely)

1/4 cup fresh chives

1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

1 garlic clove

2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Add all ingredients to food processor.  Pulse until all ingredients are incorporated.  Serve alongside chicken recipe or with grilled fish or beef.  Sauce will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, covered.

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Creamy Chicken, Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole

July 13, 2009 at 3:28 pm · Filed under Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

Casseroles get a bad rap but sometimes you’re looking for simple and tasty and let’s face it, they are the ultimate in comfort food.  I chose to rely on the old standby of Campbell’s cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups.  Definately easy, great for the younger members of your household and most importantly you can adapt this recipe to include your favorite vegetable or topping of your choice (buttery Ritz crackers come to mind).  Use the recipe that follows as a guide and make changes that suit your family’s tastes.

July 2009 126  Creamy Chicken, Mushroom and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces*

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup sweet onion (I used Vidalia)

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 milk

1 lb broccoli florets (if you using frozen, defrost first)

1 Cup plain bread crumbs

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 Cup Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

 

Method

Preheat oven to 350.  Lighly grease and 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and saute 3-4 minutes until translucent.  Add mushrooms and saute until tender about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 2 minutes more.   Season with salt and pepper.

Blend both soups with milk.  Add chicken, mushroom mixture, and broccoli, stirring well.  Spoon chicken mixture into baking dish. 

Blend butter with bread crumbs.   Season with salt and pepper.  Top chicken mixture with buttered bread crumbs.  Add freshly grated cheese to the top of casserole.

*If you’re not using leftover chicken.  You can wash and pat dry chicken breasts.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place chicken into 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. 

Kitchen Note:  Try using Panko breadcrumbs in place of dry bread crumbs.  They are lighter than traditional bread crumbs.  I served my casserole on  a bed of thin, egg noodles from Trader Joe’s.

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Chicken Meatballs

May 19, 2009 at 12:42 pm · Filed under Calling all kids!, Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , , ,

This seemed like a perfectly simple plan for dinner and with the right tools, clean-up is pretty simple too. 

I’m always looking for the next great dish to prepare for my family, which usually translates into deciphering what the kids might try.  One thing’s for sure, whenever I scale down the size of the item, i.e., mini meatball or mini pizza, it’s usually a hit.

I used a stainless steel scoop from The Pampered Chef  (like a mini ice cream scoop) to size the meatballs but you can also find them on Amazon.  This made them smaller than the usual meatball and uniform in size.

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Not only is this simple kid fare but I think this is something that the grown-ups will go for too (even if you’re a kid-free household).  I provided marinara sauce for dipping, but a simple pan gravy would go nicely with these.  They also freeze and reheat beautifully.

Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb ground chicken

1/2 Cup dry breadcrumbs (seasoned or plain)

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 carrot, grated (I used a microplane to get finer shreds)

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 pinches of salt

ground black pepper

 

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a sheet pan by lining it parchment paper or a Silpat.  

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with hands (my preferred method) just until all ingredients are incorporated.  Using your stainless steel scoop or a tablespoon place meatballs onto prepared sheet pan.

Bake meatballs 25-30 minutes.  Meatballs will have a golden brown appearance.

Kitchen Note:  Depending on the amount of ground chicken you may need to increase the dry ingredients.  Even with 1 1/2 lbs of ground chicken, I would keep the amount of eggs the same.  And, yes that isn’t fresh grated Parmesan cheese you’re seeing, but you can certainly fresh grate the cheese and experiment with whatever combination of Italian cheeses that suit your taste buds.  Keep in mind that the saltier of the cheeses, Pecorino Romano would merit reducing the salt or eliminating it altogether.

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Chicken Piccata

April 5, 2009 at 9:36 pm · Filed under Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

A good friend in San Diego says that this is her absolute favorite chicken entree so I’m dedicating this post and my version of this well-known dish to her.  Coincidentally, when I served it to my husband he said it tasted like the one at The Godfather restaurant …very high praise coming from him, especially since we’ve dined their many times over the years with friends (even celebrating a pre-honeymoon dinner with our out-of-town guests).

To simplify things I purchased thinly sliced chicken breasts, which eliminated having to pound the breasts to the desired thickness.  In my local grocery store I found thinly sliced breasts from Perdue.   Check with your local grocer to see if they carry a similar product.

Buon Apetito!

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Ingredients

4 chicken breasts , pounded to 1/4-inch thickness or 1 package thinly sliced chicken breasts

3/4 c flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp good quality olive oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1/3 cup dry white wine

4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp capers, drained

1 small lemon, cut in half and sliced thinly

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Heat oil and butter in large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. 

Combine flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Dredge chicken in flour mixture and add to skillet.  Do not crowd pan.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on both sides.  Remove chicken to platter lined with paper towels. 

Add wine to skillet (replace with water if not using wine) and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and return chicken to skillet .  Add capers, remaining 1 tbsp butter and sliced lemons.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Sprinkle chicken with parsley when ready to serve.

Yield: 4 servings

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Oven-Fried Chicken

April 4, 2009 at 4:21 pm · Filed under Calling all kids!, Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , ,

Or, in our house we’ve re-named it “picnic chicken.”  To make this dish more appealing to my kiddos I’ve relied on buttermilk, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to flavor the chicken and have edited out other well-known (and traditional) fried chicken flavorings, such as hot sauce, paprika, poultry seasoning or shortening. 

Baking in the oven yields crispy and more healthful results.  Here’s another great thing: with “oven-frying,” once it’s in the oven you’re free to do other things versus standing at the skillet and frying the chicken. 

Give it a try.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one.  And, change up the seasonings to suit your tastes or that of your family.

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Ingredients

3 lbs chicken parts, rinsed and patted dry

1 cup buttermilk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 slices white bread

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Prepare baking sheet with spray oil.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In zipper top bag, add buttermilk , salt, pepper and then chicken.  Seal bag and place into mixing bowl.  Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Place bread into bowl of food processor and process until ground into crumb consistency.  In shallow bowl or dish, blend bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese.   Dredge chicken in bread crumbs, pressing to adhere.  Place coated chicken onto baking sheet.  Do not crowd pan or chicken won’t crisp or cook properly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Chicken should be golden brown.  Remove from baking pan with tongs transfer to paper towel-lined platter to drain.

Yield: 4 servings

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Making a Simple Chicken Stock (and stretching your food dollar)

December 22, 2008 at 12:52 am · Filed under Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Just like everyone else, I’ve got the economy on my mind.  Now, there will be no doom and gloom in this post I can assure you, but I’ve just been thinking about ways to save money in the kitchen.  An easy way to do this in my opinion is to use the food items that you buy for more than one dinner or menu item.  Not a new idea, but certainly one worth trying out. 

I’ve spoken with my Mom many times in the past in how my grandmother (on the Italian side) would boil the bones down from a chicken or roast to create stock or she would add bones to the sauce (tomato sauce) to add rich flavor; leftover rice was made into arancini (rice balls); leftover potatoes were formed into patties to make a type of croquette; and even leftover breadcumbs and beaten egg were combined and pan-fried into little bread patties.  Ok, you get my point.  But there’s a lot we can learn when we borrow from our grandparents and how they used to mazimize the money they spent on their meals.  Money was definately tight for my parents and their families.

I wanted to share the idea of making your own stock.  A couple of benefits (before you roll your eyes):  1) For the most part, you throw everything into the pot and let it simmer while you go onto other things 2) You know exactly what’s going into your homemade stock (no yucky fillers or things you can’t pronounce and 3) you can freeze your stock in one quart containers for lots of uses down the road.  Are you sold??

december-2008-112Chicken Stock

Ingredients

1 chicken or leftover whole chicken carcass

10-15 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 1lb bag baby carrots or 5 whole carrots, washed

5 celery stalks, leaves left on

2 yellow onions, quartered

1 head of garlic, top sliced off

8 black peppercorns

1 tbsp kosher or coarse salt

Method

Place the chicken, vegetables, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper into  7-quart stock pot.  Fill to top, leaving the top 2 inches.  Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours.  Strain the contents of the pot using a stainless steel colander and discard all of the solids, except for the chicken*.  Chill the stock overnight, covered with plastic wrap in refrigerator.  Pick through chicken and add pieces to a zipper top storage bag.  Be careful to watch for tiny bones.

In the morning, skim the fat off of the surface and then store stock into freezer-safe containers or zipper top freezer bags.  Label and date containers (or bags).  Freeze for up to 3 months.

*I use the leftover chicken to make chicken noodle soup.  This is because once my husband comes home and smells the aroma of the simmering chicken stock, he generally starts looking for a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

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Easy Entree + Food on a Stick = Happy Kids

October 2, 2008 at 2:05 am · Filed under Calling all kids!, Chicken Recipes ·Tagged , , , ,

My kids are huge fans of dipping something into well, anything.  Every parent knows what I’m talking about.  Carrot sticks into ranch dressing, chicken nuggets into ketchup, a tiny finger into frosting.  

Now that they have developed a real affinity for pizza and they’ve aways been fans of any type of breaded chicken cutlet, I wanted a fun way to combine the two, while still letting them dip into some type of sauce.  In this case, it’s pizza sauce.

What I came up with was breaded chicken tenders placed onto a wooden skewer and then let them dip them into pizza sauce and then into shredded cheese.  I used a combination of Mozzarella, Parmesan and mild cheddar.  My oldest child came up with “Pizza Chicken on a Stick” and he quite liked the dinner that night!

Here’s a simple recipe for you to follow to recreate your own “Pizza Chicken on a Stick:”

1 lb chicken tenders, washed and patted dry

1 Cup seasoned breadcrumbs

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (I use Filippo Berio)

Unsalted Butter

3/4 Cup shredded cheese (I used Parmesan, Mozzarella and cheddar)

Directions:  Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in large pan over medium heat, being careful not to burn butter (turn heat down if butter begins to brown).  Add chicken tenders to egg, letting excess egg drip off into bowl.  Next, dredge in bread crumbs, pressing lightly to adhere.  Make sure all sides of chicken tender are coated in breadcrumbs.  Add coated chicken tenders into pan.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Do not crowd pan. 

After 2nd batch, watch that the bread crumbs that are left in saute pan, don’t scorch.  That burnt breadcrumb flavor will transfer to any subsequent chicken tenders.  The pan can be wiped down with paper towel (off of the flame) to remove any excess breadcrumbs.

Chicken tenders cooking in olive oil and butter.

Chicken tenders cooking in olive oil and butter.

Place cooked chicken tenders onto a plate lined with paper towel. 

Add your favorite pizza or marinara sauce and the shredded cheese  into individual dipping bowls for each family member.

Once chicken has cooled slightly, place a wooden skewer into the bottom of each.  Place onto a serving platter.

 

Simple chicken tenders become more interesting with the addition of skewers.

Simple chicken tenders become more interesting with the addition of skewers.

Instruct your family members to dip their chicken first into their bowl of pizza sauce and then into their bowl of shredded cheese.

I found my asian dipping bowls the perfect size for each of my kids.

I found my asian dipping bowls the perfect size for each of my kids.

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Simple Citrus Marinade or…

July 9, 2008 at 2:25 am · Filed under Chicken Recipes, Marinades and Rubs

how to get dinner on the table without a lot of fuss.  So, it’s July and summer is in full swing.  As many of my clients (and family) know, I love to use marinades and then broil or grill poultry, meats and seafood.  I wanted to quickly share a marinade that has only four ingredients.  If you’re as busy as I am in the afternoons, this is a great one to set up the night before and then marinate overnight.

Lemon-Rosemary Marinade

  • 3 large lemons, washed and cut in half
  • 1/2 Cup fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced

You can add coarse or Kosher salt and fresh, ground black pepper to taste.  Of course, that would make it six ingredients instead of just four.  Squeeze juice from lemon halves inside zipper top bag and then add the lemon halves.  Mix the remaining ingredients inside the bag.  Add 3 to 4lbs of chicken to the marinade inside the bag and marinate 4 hours or overnight in your refrigerator. 

The next day, you’ll be able to easily grill your chicken when it’s time for dinner.  Just add side dishes as appropriate.  Super easy.

 

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