Category: Poultry

Do-ahead · Poultry

Chicken Marsala

Belinda

Sometimes those old standards are just worth having available and they can still turn heads  if you cook them right. This recipe is well worth it and tastes so good.

Pounding the chicken cutlets before cooking, renders them thin and terrifically tender.
Deglazing the pan with Marsala and stock after cooking the chicken creates a rich and quick sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

1 1/4 lbs chicken cutlets/tenders, pounded until 1/4 inch thick  (about 8)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup flour
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp butter
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced  (I use Cremini as they have more flavor)
2 tbsp minced shallots
1 large garlic clove, minced (or more if you like a good bold flavor)
1/3 cup dry Marsala wine
1/3 cup chicken stock
Italian parsley for garnish

Season the chicken after pounding, with salt and pepper and dredge in the 1/3 cup flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a 12″ saute pan over medium high heat.
Working in batches, add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden brown, (about 8 minutes)
Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add 2 more tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter then add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 8 mins.
Transfer to the plate with the chicken and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet then add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the Marsala and stock and cook scraping the bottom of the pan,  until slightly reduced, about  2 minutes.
Return the chicken and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and serve with buttery egg noodles!!

 

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Poultry

Turkish-style roasted chicken thighs with orange and sesame seed gremolata

Belinda

While trolling the internet for new and interesting recipes I found the beginnings of this recipe and then adapted it. The flavors are really stunning and the chicken becomes sticky and browned with the deep chutney and five-spice flavors permeating it. The orange gremolata sprinkled over the top when you serve it really adds a zing. This is lovely served with simple boiled brown rice in chicken broth

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Serves  4 – 6 but can easily be augmented

1/2 heaped cup of your favorite chutney (make sure it’s a good strong flavored one)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 heaped tbsp spicy brown mustard or coarse grain mustard
1 heaped tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp five spice powder
8  large boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Gremolata
2 tbsp Italian parsley, freshly snipped
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
4 tsp orange rind, finely shredded

In a medium sized bowl combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing well.
Put the chicken thighs in a baking dish, pour over the mixture and coat well.
Put in the oven on a high shelf preferably, for about 45 minutes, taking out and giving a stir about 1/2 way through the cooking.
The chicken thighs should be showing signs of toasty brown bits on them and be lovely with the bubbly sauce.

Mix together in a small bowl, the orange rind, sesame seeds and parsley and sprinkle over the dish as you serve it.
Enjoy!

Gluten Free · Meat · Poultry

Chicken saltimbocca skewers with white bean puree

Belinda

8 x 4 to 5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
24 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup store bought semi dried tomatoes
24 slices of prosciutto
olive oil, for brushing
rocket (arugula) leaves and lemon wedges for serving
White bean puree (see below)
1 regular can white Cannellini beans (16 oz) drained and rinsed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

8 to 10 skewers, soaked inwater for 1 hour

To make the white bean puree, put the drained and rinsed beans, garlic, lemon juice and rind, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms.  Set aside.

Place the chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, flatten the fillets until 1/4 inch thin at the most.
Cut the chicken pieces into three until you have 24 equal sized pieces. Place 1 sage leaf and 1 tomato on each piece of chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roll up to enclose.

Wrap each chicken roll with a slice of prosciutto.
Thread three chicken rolls onto each skewer and brush with oil.
Preheat a chargrill pan or barbeque to high heat and cook the skewers for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with the white bean puree, rocket and lemon wedges.

 

Gluten Free · Poultry

Turkish chicken with orange and warm spices

Belinda

This dish is incredibly scented and layered with such lovely spices like coriander, cinnamon and orange. It is very easy to make and really doesn’t take very long to prepare.

Serves 4

2 oz butter
2 tbsp olive oil
8 good sized chicken thighs, seasoned well with salt and pepper. (I used boneless, skinless)
2 thin-skinned oranges, unpeeled, halved and sliced into thin wedges
2 large red onions, halved and cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chile, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
3 good tsp ground coriander
1 long stick cinnamon, snapped in half
3 -4 oz raisins, soaked in boiling water for 30 mins then drained
juice of 1 large orange
6 -7 fl oz good chicken stock
2 tbsp thyme honey (I could only find sage honey, but I don’t think it matters as long as it’s great quality)
a small handful of fresh mint leaves
Greek plain yoghurt

Heat the butter and oil in a shallow casserole and brown the chicken thighs on each side.
Lift out the browned chicken and set aside on a plate.
Add the red onion and orange to the pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, chile, dry spices and raisins and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Pour on the orange juice, stock and honey.
Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Put the chicken and juices back in the pan, cover and cook in the oven preheated at 300F for 30 to 45 minutes OR keep on a low flame and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
Check the seasoning, scatter the mint over the top and serve with Greek yoghurt and cooked rice.

 

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Poultry

Sticky Chinese chicken

Belinda

Delicious and simple!

1 x 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped small
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
3 whole star anise
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup oyster sauce
1 whole chicken cut into pieces, or 3lbs of chicken pieces
steamed rice, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400F
Place the ginger, garlic, five spice powder, star anise, sugar, soy sauce, stock and oyster sauce in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
Place the chicken pieces in an oven proof dish and pour the ginger mixture over the chicken, coating the pieces.
Cover with a tight fitting lid or foil and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.
Bring back to room temp and put in the oven and cook for about 1 hour or until tender. You can leave the lid or foil off in the last 30 mins to get a good bronzing of the chicken.

Serves 6

 

Gluten Free · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Foolproof slow roast chicken

Belinda

“So what’s so special about this recipe?” you may be saying. Well, the chicken is very slowly roasted with wine, stock, potatoes and garlic heads in the bottom of the pan for the long duration of cooking. Stunningly flavorful and moist. Just try it

Serves 4

3 – 4lb chicken
butter, for greasing
2lbs roasting potatoes, peeled and halved or quartered, if large (Yukon Golds are great for this)
2 whole heads of garlic, halved through the middle
4 fl oz white wine
4 fl oz chicken stock
2 large stems fresh rosemary, broken into sprigs
6 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat the oven to 275 F . Brush a large roasting pan all over with butter and smear some over the skin of the chicken.

Place the chicken in the tin and arrange the potatoes around it. Put the halved garlic heads in the tin, pour over the white wine and stock, then cover with foil and place in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour then remove the foil and give the potatoes a shake.
Add the herbs and lemon wedges, then cook uncovered for 50 minutes.

Turn the heat up to 425 F. Cook for 30 minutes more, then remove the chicken and potatoes from the pan.
Cover the chicken loosely with foil and leave to rest on a plate for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Keep the potatoes warm.
Serve with any pan juices.

 

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Poultry

Mexican chicken bake

Belinda

This is very easy and very popular!

Serves 4

3/4 cup short grain rice
1&1/2 cups canned red kidney beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
3&1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1&1/4lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut through into halves
12 oz bottle spicy taco sauce (I use a brand called “La Victoria Red Taco Sauce, medium. Available in all supermarkets)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a deep round 8&1/2 inch ceramic casserole dish.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil add the rice and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.

In the prepared pan combine the beans and 1&1/2 tbsp of the cilantro, then add the rice and toss together. Lightly press the mixture so that the beans are mixed into the rice and the mixture is flat.

Heat the oil in a a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken thighs for 3 minutes, then turn over. Add the taco sauce and cook another 3 minutes.

To assemble, spread half the cheese over the rice. Arrange the thighs and sauce on top in a star shape, sprinkle with the 1&1/2 tbsp cilantro, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned – remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.
Cut into four servings with a knife and scoop out carefully, keeping the layers intact.
Serve sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

 

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Poultry

Glazed orange-hoisin chicken

Belinda

This is one of our family favorites. It’s also very popular with children because of the sweetness and stickiness the orange marmalade creates, but the hoisin and fresh ginger give it a sophistication.

It’s great straight out of the oven, at room temp and even cold the next day. Terrific for picnics too.

Serves 4 but can easily be doubled

Marinade

3 tbsp hoisin sauce (Available in the Asian food aisles)
1 tsp chili paste/sauce with garlic (If you can only get chili paste, that’s fine too, but add a couple of cloves of minced garlic)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dark or toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup Dundee-orange marmalade

3 to 4lbs chicken quarters

Garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
orange slices

1/ Combine all the marinade ingredients except for the marmalade in a large bowl. Add the marmalade and whisk the marinade well. Taste for seasoning.

2/ Add the chicken quarters to the marinade and coat all the pieces evenly. Cover and marinade the chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, turning the pieces once or twice.

3/ Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the chicken quarters skin side up in a large shallow roasting pan and roast for 50 to 55 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown. Baste with the juices once or twice while it is roasting. After this, turn the oven to 350F and loosely cover the roasting pan with foil, roasting at for another 30 min. Turn the oven off and leave in there for another 20-30 mins.
The meat should be falling off the bones and very moist.

4/ To serve, remove the chicken from the pan and degrease the drippings. Arrange the chicken on a large serving platter, spoon some sauce over it, and garnish with scallions and orange slices.
Serve immediately.

Advance preparation

This recipe can be made 1 day ahead, refrigerated and served chilled or prepare it up to 2 hours ahead through step 2 and refrigerate.

 

Poultry

Easy chicken piccata with lemon and caper sauce

Belinda

I made this again last night and was reminded of the tangy, clean flavors. We had it with green beans tossed in lemon, olive oil and garlic, but it’s also lovely over pasta with the lemony caper sauce coating the pasta.

Serves 4

4 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2″ thickness
salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
All- purpose flour for dredging
4 – 6 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp capers, drained. For a more intense flavor, try mincing half of the capers, leaving the rest whole
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (squeeze 1/2 cup incase you need more)
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 tbsp cold diced butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

After pounding the chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness, season them generously with salt and pepper.
Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour until completely covered, shaking off the excess.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and just cooked through. Put the chicken on a warm plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep warm.

Add the capers and wine to the skillet. Turn the heat up to high and boil for  2 to 3 minutes or until the wine has reduced by half. Be sure to use a spatula or spoon to scrape up all the bits stuck on the bottom of the pan as this is where a lot of the flavor is.

Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken back to the pan.  Toss the chicken in the sauce for a few minutes until heated through. Remove the chicken to a warmed serving platter.

Add the diced cold butter and chopped parsley to the skillet and whisk for 1 minute or until the butter emulsifies into the sauce. Check the seasoning and spoon the hot sauce over the chicken.
Decorate with lemon slices if you like, or just some more parsley and serve immediately

 

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Poultry · Soup

Slow cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Belinda

This is a pretty low calorie comfort soup and you can leave it to “do it’s thing” for several hours.
I just love weather that asks for soups and stews!

Serves 6         260 calories per serving

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz can tomato sauce (or more to taste)
1 to 2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more if you can take more heat)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and more for the garnish
15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes,
2 cups frozen corn (or tinned sweet corn niblets, drained)
1 tsp cumin (I use roasted ground cumin)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or if you prefer, chicken thighs
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for topping
fat free sour cream, optional

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 mins, till soft
Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to the boil
Add the cilantro and remove from the heat.
Pour into a slow cooker (crock pot)

To the slow cooker, add the drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir.
Add the chicken, cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours.

Remove the chicken and shred with two forks.
Add the chicken back to the soup and season again with salt and more cumin, to taste

Serve in bowls and top with sour cream, cheese, cilantro and scallions.

If you’re not too worried about the low calorie aspect of this soup, it is divine with sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips on top!!