Category Archives: Poultry

30-minute meals, Appetizers, Asian food, Poultry

Chicken Cakes with Teriyaki Sauce

I vowed to post more recipes in 2013 and, like so many other New Year’s resolutions, find myself failing miserably by the end of January. Despite my blog negligence, I have been cooking up a storm. I now realize that the prospect of free time on the weekends thrills me because I know I will have time to spend a few hours on my feet in front of the stove, my desire to stand around and stir pots all afternoon the result of working a desk job, I guess!

Though these delicious chicken cakes aren’t the best thing I’ve made this month, they were cooked during our sunniest (most photo friendly) weather. I love the rich umami taste of these succulent little meat cakes and the fact that the homemade teriyaki glaze cooks in the pan along with the chicken, requiring no separate sticky pot to wash later. Though we all enjoyed them, Anabelle scarfed hers down fastest with a nod of approval and an it-tastes-like-sausage compliment. If you know my kids, no bigger praise can they bestow on food.

Chicken Cakes with Teriyaki Sauce
adapted from The Cookbook Junkie’s adaption from Around The World in 450 Recipes by Sarah Ainley (editor)

I paired this Japanese inspired dish with a cucumber salad and string beans. A side of rice would also be nice, but don’t expect to have extra sauce to flavor it. The teriyaki “sauce” is really a glaze. These would make awesome appetizers.

makes 1 dozen

For the chicken cakes:
1 lb (450 g) ground chicken
1 large egg [optional, I forgot to add the egg and my cakes turned out just fine]
1/2 small onion, grated
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
Cornstarch or tapioca starch, for coating
2–3 scallions, cut in half, white/light green ends shredded and green parts chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil

For the teriyaki sauce:
2 tablespoons sake or dry white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mix the ground chicken with the egg, grated onion, sugar and soy sauce until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and well bound, about 2 minutes. The mixture will be quite sticky, which makes for good texture. Shape the mixture into 12 small, flat, round cakes and dust them lightly all over with cornstarch. Since the mixture is very sticky, I found it easiest to coat my fingers in cornstarch then drop the semi-formed cake into the cornstarch. Once it was covered in cornstarch I was able to properly form it.

Soak the white/light green part of the scallions in ice water for 5 minutes and drain well.  The ends should curl slightly.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Place the chicken cakes in a single layer, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn the cakes over and cook for 3 minutes longer, until cooked through.

Mix the ingredients for the sauce and pour it into the pan. Turn the chicken cakes occasionally until they are evenly glazed. Move or gently shake the pan  to prevent the sauce from burning.

Arrange the chicken cakes on a plate and top with the scallions. Serve immediately.

 

Bread, One-pot wonders, Poultry, Soups and stews

White Chicken Chili with Bacon Corn Muffins

The birth of a new child is usually heralded by the delivery of clothes, bibs, and other soft pastel things. In my experience, what most moms really need during those early weeks is a hot meal and long shower, not another outfit to wash and put away. It’s not that I didn’t love getting adorable clothes and blankets for my kids, but I wasn’t able to appreciate them for a couple months. I had to wait for life to settle back into a routine and for sleep lasting longer than two hours at a stretch. Since I can’t help out with the long shower, I try to deliver a home-cooked meal for my friends with new babies.

I especially like this menu for gifting. You can easily double the chili and split the batch of muffins — an easy way to make a meal for your family and theirs at the same time. I recommend adding a tossed salad. This week, a salad was out of the question as the meal was traveling too far (a three-hour ride to Chicago due to construction). Instead, I included a ziploc bag of fresh corn, already cooked but still on the cob. As mentioned in previous posts, the corn can be cut off the cob and used in a salad or reheated in a pan with butter and salt and pepper.

White Chicken Chili
adapted from my cousin Bridget’s recipe

Serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g), diced into 1/4‑inch cubes
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 x 4 oz (110 g) can diced green chilies
14 oz (400 ml) chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
8 oz (225 g) sour cream
1/2 cup (120 ml) half and half (or whipping cream)

Brown the chicken and onion in the oil over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the beans, chilies, broth, and seasonings and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and half and half. Heat through, but do not boil.

***

Bacon Corn Muffins
adapted from Gourmet, January 2005

Makes 12 muffins

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup (155 g) yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (75 g) chopped scallions
8 bacon slices (1/2 lb/225 g), cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Whisk together the milk, egg, and butter in a small bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, then add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Divide the mixture among 12 greased (1/2 cup) muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the muffins are golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out.

Italian food, Poultry

Chicken Canzanese

After years of minimal sleep and constant hovering over infants and toddlers, I really appreciate the little things about having older kids. Things like talking with my husband over coffee in the morning (thank goodness for Saturday morning cartoons) or staying up late to watch a boring British mystery movie knowing the kids will sleep in past 7 a.m.  Now that both kids are officially out of diapers, feed themselves, and can talk (not necessarily without whining), a small amount of free (me!) time has even crept into my weekends. This Sunday, I had a chance to sit on the couch and watch a cooking show on television. I know this doesn’t seem like much of an event, but for any reader with young children, it’s momentous. Sam joined me on the couch, pretty unimpressed with the looks of the recipe until I explained that the chefs were cooking the chicken in broth. Sam immediately perked up at the mention of broth. The kid loves anything with broth in it. Weird, I know.

I had most of the ingredients in the house (and garden) to make this Italian-style braised chicken dish and what I didn’t have, I left out. My stripped down version of the recipe came out great. The chicken was tender, the skin still slightly crunchy, the sauce silky and rich, and the sage and lemon adding a nice spike of freshness. Definitely a keeper.

Italian Braised Chicken

Chicken Canzanese
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Serves 4 to 6

I served this initially with boiled red potatoes and sauteed kale. For leftovers the following night, I made polenta and peas instead. Though both meals were eaten and enjoyed, we slightly preferred the polenta and peas combination.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 oz (60 g) prosciutto, cut into 1/4‑inch cubes or, if thinly sliced, 1/4‑inch strips
4 medium garlic cloves , sliced thin lengthwise
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lbs/1.4 kg), trimmed of excess fat and skin
ground black pepper
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
12 whole fresh sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic slices and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and prosciutto to a small bowl and set aside. Do not rinse the pan.

Increase the heat to medium-high; add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat until just smoking. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it with ground black pepper. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook it without moving until it is well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken and brown on the second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the fat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add the wine and broth; bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in the cloves, sage leaves, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and reserved prosciutto and garlic. Nestle the chicken into the liquid, skin side up (skin should be above the surface of liquid so it stays crisp), and bake, uncovered, until the meat offers no resistance when poked with a fork but is not falling off bones, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Check the chicken after 15 minutes; broth should be barely bubbling. If bubbling vigorously, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil. Remove and discard the sage leaves, cloves, and bay leaves. Place the skillet over high heat and bring the sauce to boil. Cook until the sauce is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups (350 ml), 2 to 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste the sauce again and add the remaining lemon juice if desired (I like a nice kick of citrus with chicken). Pour the sauce around the chicken and serve.

Casseroles, Poultry, Rice

Chicken and Kale Casserole

I know this casserole is not the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen on this blog, but sometimes the most homely looking food is the best-tasting food. And for goodness sake, it’s a casserole. No one expects it to be photogenic, right? Despite it’s ho hum appearance, this baked chicken and rice dish is one of my favorite concoctions. It tastes like the delicious church potluck dishes that I loved as a child but without the Velveeta cheese and frozen broccoli that I detest as an adult. Except for the handful of shredded cheese tucked gently into the rice mixture, it’s healthy — kale, chicken breast, and brown rice — and doesn’t depend on sodium-laden canned soup for its creaminess. Best of all, it makes for an easy weeknight dinner. You can make the casserole in advance, store it in the fridge overnight and simply throw it into the oven half an hour before mealtime. You don’t even have to come up with a side dish since the casserole covers your four basic food groups.

Chicken and Kale Casserole

This recipe is highly adaptable. Experiment with different types or quantities of meat, cheese, and veggies. Broccoli and cheddar in place of the kale and mozzarella is a great combination. Omit the chicken and it’s an easy vegetarian meal. You can also substitute cooked white rice or pasta for the brown rice, though the texture of the casserole will be softer.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, or 1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped roughly
8 oz (225 g) crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons (50 g) butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) milk
2 cups (200 g) cooked brown rice, small grain preferably
8 oz (225 g) cooked chicken breast, diced and if not already seasoned, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
4 oz (100 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 2 quart casserole or a 11 in x 7 in baking dish.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the kale and cook 1–2 minutes, until it starts to wilt. Stir in the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more, until the mushrooms start to soften. Season with salt and pepper and remove the pan from the heat.

While the vegetables cook, make the cream sauce. First, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly. The mixture should bubble and cook for 1–2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the mixture or let it take on too much color. Slowly pour in the milk to the flour/butter mixture, whisking constantly. The mixture should thicken as it cooks. You may need to add a bit more milk if the mixture seems too thick. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper to the sauce. Let it simmer for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Gently stir in the rice and chicken to the vegetable mixture. Fold in the shredded cheese, then stir in the cream sauce. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Pour the mixture into the greased casserole or baking dish and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. If serving the next day, cool the casserole, then refrigerate.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 10 minutes more, until bubbly and slightly golden around the edges.

Poultry, Soups and stews

Homemade Chicken Soup

It’s been a tough winter in my house, with bad colds, bad backs, the flu, food poisoning and fevers, topped off by my 3‑year-old getting chickenpox last month. It had been going around his daycare since Christmas, so I had already resigned myself to the fact that he was going to get it; the only surprise was that it took so long. I’ve lost count of the number of pots of homemade chicken soup I’ve made this season, coaxing one or another of us back to health and an appetite.

Chicken soup is one of those things everyone should know how to make. You shouldn’t be able to leave school without knowing how to at least make a roast chicken, chicken soup, an omelette and pasta (don’t laugh — I know someone who didn’t even know how to cook pasta in their early twenties). This recipe is for making stock and soup from scratch, but if you’ve roasted a chicken, you should always make stock with the carcass to extract every last bit of value and goodness from it. It will keep in the freezer for three months, ready for those times when a bowl of homemade chicken soup and a hug is the only thing that will do.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Serves 4

Most chicken noodle soups use wide egg noodles, but I like to use macaroni because it’s easier to scoop up with a spoon, especially for children. If you’re not feeling the best to begin with, you want the act of eating your soup to be as undemanding as possible.

If you’re feeling very organized, prep the soup vegetables when you make the stock and add the carrot peelings, celery leaves and onion and garlic skins to the stock pot. For a stock with an incredible golden color, use a corn-fed chicken. Using my 5 1/2 quart (5.3 liter) Le Creuset pot, I get 3 pints (1.5 liters) of stock.

for the stock:
1 large whole chicken
3 carrots, scrubbed well but unpeeled and cut in half
3 celery stalks, cut in half (leaves included)
1 onion, unpeeled and quartered through the root end
1 head of garlic, cut in half around its middle to expose all the cloves
10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 bunch of parsley
1 tablespoon salt

for the soup:
olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 celery stalks, cut in half lengthwise and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a few handfuls of cooked, shredded chicken
3 pints (1.5 liters) chicken stock
7 oz (200 g) macaroni (use more if you want a more substantial soup with less broth)
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
crusty bread, to serve

To make the stock, place the chicken in a large stockpot, one roomy enough to hold it and all the vegetables plus plenty of water. Add in all the remaining stock ingredients, then pour over enough cold water to cover the chicken. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a steady simmer and let it bubble away, covered, for 90 minutes to ensure the chicken gets fully cooked. Partially uncover the pot and continue to let it simmer for a further 30 to 60 minutes to let the stock reduce a bit and get a more concentrated flavor. Don’t be tempted to let the stock boil for more than 3 hours max or the texture of the chicken will get too mushy.

Carefully remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate and allow it to cool enough that you can shred it. Strain the stock through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the vegetables with the back of a spoon to get as much liquid as possible out of them, then discard them. If you’re making the stock ahead (or only making stock and not soup), cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge overnight to allow the fat to congeal on the top, then skim it off. Otherwise, don’t worry about it — in fact, it’s said that the flu-fighting properties of chicken soup are in the fat anyway.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and any other unsavory bits. Dice or shred the remaining chicken. You’ll only need half of it for the soup, so save the rest for adding to pasta, stir-fries, salads, lentils, risotto, chicken salad sandwiches — you get the idea.

To make the soup, place a pot over a medium-low heat and add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. When the oil is warm, add in the carrots, celery and onion along with a pinch of salt (to keep the onion from browning) and some pepper and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables have softened but not colored. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chicken and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a lively simmer and add in the pasta. Cook for 10 or 15 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through. Add in the parsley at the last minute and ladle the soup into bowls. Pass around plenty of crusty bread to mop up every last drop of nourishing stock. Serve steaming hot and feel better soon.

 

 

30-minute meals, Holidays, One-pot wonders, Poultry

Oven Baked Chicken Focaccia Sandwich

My grandma’s neighbor is a baker and gives her leftover bread, which she sometimes passes down to me (lucky me!). This week I received two loaves of focaccia and decided to use one of them for a sandwich experiment. Not only was I looking for that perfect, toasted, crispy, savory bite, oozing with a little cheese, I wanted to see how much food I could clear out of my cupboard at the same time. I formulated and tested the following hypothesis: 1 jar of sun-dried tomato spread bought on sale a year ago + leftover chicken + excellent piece of goat’s milk mozzarella = hopefully something good enough to serve a guest. Luckily for my friend Denise who served as my test subject, the experiment succeeded. My high school chemistry teacher, or at least my home ec teacher, would be proud.

Oven Baked Chicken Focaccia Sandwich

A note for our American readers, this is a great way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, especially the white meat which tends to be a little bland for my taste.

Serves 4

1 loaf focaccia bread
7 oz (200 g) prepared sun-dried tomato spread or pesto
1/2 lb (225 g) boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast, cooked and sliced
1/2 lb (225 g) mozzarella, sliced or shredded
4 oz artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Carefully cut the loaf of focaccia in half horizontally. Spread one half of  the sun-dried tomato spread or pesto onto the cut side of each piece of bread.

On the bottom (spread side up) of the soon-to-be sandwich layer half the cheese. Next, cover the cheese with the cooked chicken, seasoning the chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the artichoke pieces around the chicken then add a final layer of mozzarella. Top the sandwich with the other bread half, spread side down and push the sandwich together lightly.

Wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the sandwich for 20 minutes or until the cheese just begins to melt and the bread is golden and toasty. Cut the sandwich into 4 wedges before serving.

Appetizers, Grains and pulses, Poultry, Salad dressings, Salads

Cheddar Chicken Salad and Farro with Cucumber

There are a million ways to make chicken salad, but my mom’s recipe makes a knock-your-socks-off, can’t-go-wrong sandwich, especially when served on a buttery croissant. It’s perfect to take to baby showers, wedding showers, work lunches, picnic lunches, or any other place where you aren’t sure how picky the eaters are going to be. Everyone enjoys it. Pair it with this fresh and fabulously textured farro salad or, if you don’t feel like babysitting a pot of simmering farro or wheat berries but want an equally healthy and tasty side dish, try some roasted chickpea snacks. The Good Bean sent me a few complimentary packets of their pre-packaged version and we all loved them, especially my husband. I plan to pack them in lunches and throw them in my purse for snack emergencies.

Cheddar Chicken Salad

Makes a dozen cocktail sandwiches (or 6 full-size sandwiches)

3 cooked chicken breast halves (boneless, skinless), diced
1/2 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
4 oz (100 g) chopped pitted black olives
1/2 cup (50 g) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
small croissants or cocktail rolls (about 1 dozen)

Gently mix all the ingredients together except the rolls (obviously). Fill the rolls and serve. If not serving immediately, chill the salad for up to 24 hours or filled rolls for up to 2 hours in the fridge, covered.

***

Farro with Cucumber
adapted from Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking by Mario Batali

Serves 6

As much as I love this recipe and Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking, the cookbook it came from (currently on its third renewal from my local library), it doesn’t taste great as leftovers. Try to eat it within 24 hours of preparing it unless you like seriously chewy grains.

8 oz (225 g) farro or wheat berries, picked over and rinsed
1 lb (450 g) cucumbers, cut into 1/4‑inch dice
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4‑inch dice
1 red finger chile or serrano chile, cut into tiny dice
1/3 cup (10 g) packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
1/2 cup (125 ml) red wine vinaigrette (below)
Maldon or other flaky sea salt

Combine the farro and water to cover by 2 inches in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, skimming off the foam. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cook until the farro is just tender, about 25 minutes if using pearled farro, about 1 1/2 hours if using wholegrain farro (or wheat berries).

Drain the farro and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, chile and basil, mixing well. Add the vinaigrette, tossing well. Season well with salt and serve, or let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to bring out the flavors.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup (250 ml)

1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) good-quality red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) sparkling water

Whisk the oil, vinegar and water together in a small bowl, or shake the ingredients together in a small, lidded jar, until well incorporated. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Fruit, Poultry

Baked Chicken with Plums, Ginger and Soy

Last week I went to visit a local cheesemaker, Peter Thomas, who makes the award-winning Bellingham Blue cheese. He also has a big garden and the beginnings of a small orchard, and after admiring all the fruit, he promptly pulled up more rhubarb than I could carry and sent his daughter out to pick a big bowlful of plums and apples to send home with me. With such unexpected bounty (not to mention half of wheel of cheese!), I pulled out this old favorite for dinner. Kids like it because of the sweetness from the jam and fruit. It’s the perfect dish for this time of year, when plums are in season — especially if you’re lucky enough to get them fresh off a tree that’s so laden down with fruit that its branches are breaking from the weight.

 

Baked Chicken with Plums, Ginger and Soy
adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook 

Serves 6

If you can’t get plum jam or fresh plums, try using apricot jam and fresh apricots instead.

olive oil
6 chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a knob of butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 x 12 oz (350 g) jar of plum or damson jam
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 to 8 fresh plums, stoned and quartered
cooked plain rice, to serve
steamed broccoli, to serve

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Heat some olive oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts on both sides and brown them in the pan, then set aside. Add a knob of butter to the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Saute the onion for 10 minutes, until soft but not browned (add a pinch of salt to the onions to help prevent them from browning). Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add in all the remaining ingredients except the plums and simmer for 15 minutes.

Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a large baking dish. Cover with the sauce and scatter over the quartered plums. Cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice and some steamed broccoli on the side.