Tag: chicken

Creamed Chicken

Note to self: next time sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley for color and definition.

1 tbs. butter
1 tbs. garlic-infused olive oil
3/4 lb. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup heavy cream
steamed rice, to serve

Heat the butter and oil in a skillet. Season the chicken and tip into the skillet. Over a medium heat, brown the chicken on all sides. Add the chicken stock and cream, then bubble for about 5 minutes to thicken.

Spoon the rice into a bowl, pushing it up the sides, then tip in the chicken and cream sauce.

Serves 3-4 children or 2 adults

Rib-Sticking Stir-Fry

What makes this sassy stir-fry “rib-sticking” is the addition of cannellini beans. I know that sounds odd, but it really works.

2 tbs. vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs, cut into strips
4 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Mirin or Chinese cooking wine
1 x 14oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet. Add the chicken and toss until cooked through. Add the vegetables and toss until they have softened, then add the soy sauce and Mirin. Stir in the beans and bubble everything until the sauce thickens and the beans are hot.

Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Serves 2

Chicken Stew with Couscous

Harissa, a mild chili sauce, brings a lovely warmth to this cosy stew.

1 tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
sea salt flakes
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
1/2 cup chicken stock, plus more if needed
6 carrots, peeled and cut into batons
2 celery stalk, cut into batons
1 can chickpeas
1 heaping tsp. harissa
cooked couscous, to serve
toasted pine nuts, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook gently until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cinnamon, cumin and cayenne pepper for a minute or two. Nestle in the chicken, sprinkle with salt and brown on both sides.

Add the chicken stock, carrots and celery, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Check several times and add more stock if the stew seems dry. Stir in the chickpeas to heat them up, then add the harissa.

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions. Serve the stew over the couscous and sprinkled with pine nuts.

Serves 4

One-Pan Sage and Onion Chicken and Sausages

Featuring the classic condiments of Britain (English mustard and Worcestershire sauce), this chicken is as easy as it is delicious.

1 large onion, cut into eights
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp. English mustard
1 tbs. dried sage
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
4 lbs. chicken pieces (skin on and bone in)
12 pork sausages
2 tbs. chopped fresh sage

In a resealable bag, combine the onion, olive oil, mustard, dried sage, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Season the chicken well and add to the bag. Schwelch everything together well and leave in the fridge for a few hours or up to two days.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the contents of the bag to a large roasting tin, placing the chicken skin-side up. Nestle in the sausages and sprinkle with the fresh sage. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning the sausages over half way through.

Serves 6

 

 

Sunday Night Chicken Soup

Any night chicken soup!

4 tbs. sake or sherry
3 tbs. mirin or dry white wine
1 tbs. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried chili flakes
2 boned, skinned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 nests of Asian egg noodles
1 bunch Asian vegetables (such as box choy) or 1 bag frozen Asian vegetable mix
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
3 cups chicken stock

Mix together the sake, mirin, soy sauce, garlic and chili flakes. Toss in the chicken and leave to marinate 1 hour, if you have time.

Heat a pot of water and cook the noodles according to the package directions adding the veg a few minutes before the end. Drain and set aside

Heat the oils in a small skillet and cook the chicken. Tip in the marinade and bubble until glossy.

Heat the stock. Arrange the chicken, noodles and veg in bowls, then ladle over the hot stock.

Serves 2

Chicken Fricassee with Marsala, Chestnuts and Thyme

Lovely, homey and warming – this is pure comfort food.

3/4 cup Marsala
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sea salt flakes
good grinding of nutmeg
good grinding of pepper
4 boned and skinned chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 tsp. thyme leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup vacuum-packed chestnuts, crumbled
basmati rice, to serve

Heat the Marsala and porcini in a small saucepan. As soon as it comes to a bubble, switch off the heat and leave for at least 10 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a jug. Chop the mushrooms and set aside. Save the Marsala.

Tip the flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper into a freezer bag and add the chicken pieces. Shake to coat the chicken. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan and add the leeks. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the chicken with any flour from the bag and the choppedvmushrooms to the pan along with the thyme leaves and cook over a medium heat until the flour is no longer visible

Pour in the Marsala and at the stock followed by the chestnuts and bubble on low for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickened. Serve over the rice and sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Serves 4

Lemon Roast Chicken

What’s better for dinner than a perfectly aromatic roasted chicken?!

1 chicken
1 lemon, halved
1 tbs. sea salt
1 heaped tbs. butter
1 tsp. olive oil

Heat the oven to 425°F. Leave the chicken at room temperature for 1 hour, then place in a roasting tin. Put one lemon half in the cavity, sprinkle with sea salt, rub with butter and drizzle with olive oil.

Roasts for 1 1/2 hours. Let the chicken rest in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a carving board. Put the roasting tin over a medium heat and deglaze the pan with the juice from the remaining lemon half, letting the juices caramalize and thicken. Serve drizzled over the sliced chicken.

Serves 2 – 4

Chicken with Red Grapes and Marsala

I you can’t find chicken supremes, simply use bone-in breast or thighs. It’s really all about the lovely sauce.

4 tbs. Marsala
4 tbs. chicken stock
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. olive oil
2 chicken supremes
20 red grapes
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 400°F. Mix the Marsala, chicken stock and mustard in a little jug.

Heat the oil in a sturdy skillet or shallow casserole that will fit the chicken snuggly and will go in the oven. Season the chicken and cook, skin-side down for 5 minutes, or until golden. Turn the chicken over and add the Marsala mixture. Bring to a bubble, then drop in the grapes and transfer to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin crisp.

Transfer the chicken to two shallow bowls or dinner plates. Put the pan over a high heat and bubble for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauces has reduced and thickened. Pour over the chicken and serve.

Serves 2

St. Tropez Chicken

Here is the smell and flavor of the south of France on a plate.

10 chicken pieces, skin-on and bone-in
juice of 1 lemon
`1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup rose wine
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
1 tbs. mixed herbs with lavender, such as Herbs de Provence

Put the chicken in a large plastic freezer bag. Add the lemon juice, honey, oil, wine, garlic and herbs. Squelch everything together well and chill overnight or up to two days.

Heat the oven to 325°F and tip the chicken into a roasting tin with the marinade, skin side up. Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours. Remove the foil and turn the heat up to 425°F. Cook for another 15 minutes to brown the skin. (Alternatively, grill over a medium heat for 7-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through.)

Pour the juices from the roasting tin (of if grilling, the marinade from the plastic bag) into a small saucepan. Heat over a medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Serve with the chicken.

Serves 6

 

Chicken Fajitas

Delicious, Dazzlingly Easy and Do It Yourself!

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1 tbs. garlic flavored olive oil
2 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. vegetable oil
2 small onions, peeled and cut into thin half moons
3 bell peppers (orange, yellow and/or red), deseeded and cut into
strips
8 soft flour tortillas, warmed, to serve

Optional accompaniments:

grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream
corn kernels
avocado
iceberg lettuce, shredded
fresh cilantro
hot chili sauce

Over a shallow bowl, cut the chicken into strips with a pair of scissors. Toss in the oregano, cumin, salt, olive oil and lime juice. Leave to marinate.

Warm the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok and cook the onions over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Tip in the bell peppers and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until everything is softened.

Add the chicken with the marinade and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with warmed tortilla and the accompaniments of your choice.

Serves 4