Grilled Chicken With Mango Salsa & Black Beans

Summer is definitely around the corner. I'm nursing my first light sunburn of the year and doing some hardcore research on patio-worthy cocktails (personal fave: Oaxaca Old Fashioned). The barbecue's getting a good work out and my outdoor plants are already potted. Did I mention I'm into summer cocktails (Oh look, so is Martha: http://www.marthastewart.com)?

I'm also spending considerably less time in the kitchen these days since I started working out of town three days a week. I eat camp meals on those days and when home, I look for food that's much simpler to prepare and recipes that include fresh ingredients.

This grilled chicken is a good example of fresh and low maintenance eating. The chicken can be prepped in the morning and then pulled out of the fridge when ready to assemble the salsa and preheat the barbecue. This recipe also highlights my interest in recipes with fewer simple carbohydrates.  In this example, the chicken is served with beans instead of or along with rice. The marinade is also sugarless. Aside from the natural-occurring sugars in the fruit and veg, we're holding back on the simple carbs in order to keep energy and insulin levels more stable between meals, helping to avoid the crashes that come with starch-rich meals. This isn't Atkins, folks; this is just an attempt at choosing foods that make this chef feel well, longer. Anyways, I need to save room for the carb-light cocktails.

Ingredients

Adapted from: http://www.iwashyoudry.com

Serves 4

Chicken

• 4, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 t coarse salt 
• 1 t freshly ground pepper
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 cup canola oil

Salsa

• 1 large mango, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 2 serrano peppers, minced

Beans

From: http://www.iwashyoudry.com

• 2 cans black beans including the water
• 2 cans diced chilis
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 T olive oil

Method

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place them in a large sealable plastic bag and add the remainder of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, heat the barbecue to 400F. Grill for approximately 3 minutes each side or until cooked through to the centre. While grilling, try flattening the breasts with a spatula (we used a cast iron skillet) to ensure the entire breast gets exposed to the grill heat.

Combine the salsa ingredients and set aside.

For the beans, heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the cayenne and garlic powder, stirring well to ensure the onions are coated with the spices. Pour in two cans of undrained black beans and the chilis and allow to simmer for 4 minutes.

Spoon the beans into shallow bowls and top with chicken breast and the salsa. 

Romesco Chicken with Kale Mashed Potatoes

Having a little comfort food doesn't have to mean foregoing nutrition and quality ingredients. In fact, I'm a firm believer that it enhances the recipe. I spent the afternoon catching up on new British murder mysteries. No better time to wolf down some nachos with fresh salsa, guacamole and chopped jalapeño, olives and sharp cheddar. And brownies. And beer. And some leftover Doritos. And more brownies. Even junk food can dig a fresh twist.

To continue today's theme we have Romesco chicken with kale mashed potatoes. Crispy skinned chicken thighs in a tangy pepper and tomato sauce with ground almonds (pumpkin seeds if you have nut allergies) and plenty of garlic. Comfort at it's finest, as long as you're willing to put the Doritos down long enough to make it.

From: http://avocadoadaynutrition.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 1 1/2lb yukon potatoes, quartered
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• salt and pepper

Chicken

• 1lb chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
• 1 jar roast red peppers, drained
• 1 15oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Fill a large pot with water, a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 7-10 minutes, until softened. Throw in the kale and boil another minute. Drain the potatoes of water, add the chicken stock, yoghurt and mash with a fork or standing mixer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the chicken, heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat. Place half the chicken in the pan, skin side down and let cook for 5 minutes or until skin is browned. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and cook the other half of the chicken. Once complete, set the chicken aside and wipe down the pan. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and the garlic and heat for 30 seconds. Add the crumbs and almonds, combining well with the garlic. Pour into a food processor or blender and add the peppers and tomatoes. Blend until well combined.

Return the sauce to the frying pan and place the chicken thighs on top. Add a little chicken stock to thin the sauce to your desired consistency and stir to coat the chicken. Serve on top of the potatoes with a little flat leaf parsley sprinkled over top.

Khow Suey: Burmese Noodle Soup

Check out my bowls for a minute. Yes, I said my bowls! BOWLS!! Home Sense, people! Get on it!

On to the subject of this post: Khow Suey.  Apparently Khow Suey is an egg noodle dish served with either curried chicken or beef, coconut milk and an assortment of condiments. This particular version is more of a soup with a number of colourful vegetables in it. While it has deviated somewhat from its roots, it looks and tastes like a hot damn.

Wait for it......

Another bowl shot! Those colourful vegetables sure compliment my lovely new bowls.

On the subject of colourful vegetables, my friend Scott started growing peppers on his patio this year. His interest in all things pepper-related got a little out of hand, as his patio and indoor plant growing operation could be a candidate for the next episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive. One night, we were rummaging through the fridge looking for a snack and wound up preparing a dish of cheese, crackers and sliced jalapeños. I tried not to be impressed, but the flavour combination was pretty terrific. Now I can't seem to get enough of the hot stuff in almost everything I prepare. I can't eat enough heat.

I wouldn't call this dish a hot number, but there is plenty of opportunity to heat things up. Garnishing each serving with jalapeños is a great way to use up the insane number of chili peppers I seem to have on hand. The coconut-curry combination helps combat the heat and just compliments the flavour altogether.

Whether heat is your thing or not, Khow Suey offers a wholesome chicken and vegetable soup with a ton of dimension. Frankly, nothing will make your new bowls 'pop' in photographs quite like it either.

Adapted from: http://www.spicechronicles.com

Ingredients

• 2 T vegetable oil,
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1T fresh ginger, minced 
• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 t dried coriander powder
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes
• 2 T tamari
• 750ml chicken broth
• 250ml coconut milk
• juice of one lime
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• rice noodles

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and spices, cooking until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and tamari and combine well. Pour in the broth and coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and pour in the chopped cilantro.

Boil 3 cups of water in a large pot. Add rice noodles and simmer for two minutes. Use a set of tongs to remove the noodles and place them in serving bowls. Ladle portions of the soup on top and add handfuls of cilantro and sliced jalapeños to garnish.

Meaty Cobb Salad...with Meat in it.

If you're as desperate as I am to get more meat into your diet, don't ignore the almighty salad. A double dose of meat here can easily be tripled if your beef deficient, but I'm keen on the two-tone selection of chicken and pancetta Jamie Oliver's chosen, although I did double up on the chicken.

We used to summer in the Hamptons Spokane during Nordstrom's summer sale season. During my Dad's frequent power breaks between transactions, he'd head to Nordstrom's cafe for a wedge salad covered in blue cheese dressing. I just didn't get it. Why would you eat something that's clearly gone bad?! Now I can't get enough of the stinky stuff.  Substitute the dressing for another creamy variety if preferred, but note that you won't be able to shop as hard as you would with the powers of Stilton in you. As you wish.

Adapted from: http://www.jamieoliver.com/

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 head Romaine lettuce
• 2 handfuls of mixed greens
• 2 tomatoes, sliced in wedges
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 avocados, sliced in wedges
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced in wedges
• 2 ears of corn
• 4 chicken thighs, skin on
• olive oil
• paprika
• sea salt
• 50 g pancetta

Dressing

• 50 g Stilton
• 1/2 bunch fresh chives
• olive oil
• 50 ml buttermilk
• 2 T Greek yoghurt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 t Worcestershire

Method

Heat your barbecue to medium-high. Prepare the chicken by sprinkling the thighs with a generous dose of paprika, sea salt, pepper and a few lugs of olive oil on both sides. Place the chicken thighs, skin side down on the bottom grill for about 10 minutes on each side. Once cooked, remove from the barbecue, place the pancetta around the thighs and return to the heat for about 5 minutes each side. Check to ensure the thighs' centres are cooked through before removing them permanently from the heat. If you don' t have a barbecue, bake the thighs in an oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F, remove and wrap them in the pancetta to be returned to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Once cooled, chop up the chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside.

The corn can be prepared a number of ways, but if you're barbecuing the chicken, strip the cobs of their skin and rub a small amount of olive oil all over them. Wrap them in foil and grill them on the top rack for about 15 minutes. I unwrap them near the end end place them directly on the bottom grill for about 3 minutes to blacken some of the ears. Alternatively, you can boil the corn for 5 minutes or use the frozen variety.

To cook the eggs, heat a pot of water until almost boiling. When the water's about to boil, add the eggs and set your timer for 6 minutes. This will get you a soft boiled egg assuming the eggs were refrigerated prior to being boiled. Add another 2 minutes if you prefer a hard-boiled egg. Once you've reached your desired time, remove from the heat, dump the water and replace with cold water to stop the eggs from cooking.

For the dressing, begin by crumbling the Stilton into a jug or container. Chop the chives and add them to the jug. Follow with the remaining ingredients and whisk well until all combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the salad, wash, dry and tear the Romaine leaves into bite-sized pieces. Combine with the mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Strip the corn from their ears and distribute on top of the salad along with the sliced tomatoes and avocado. Add the sliced chicken and peeled/halved eggs as well. I included some of the remaining chopped chives in the salad and dressed each portion individually. Don't forget that crusty bread and a little beer to accompany your healthy meal!!

Liquor Cabinet One-Pot Chicken Bake

If you're wondering where the chicken is, it's under there in a booze-induced coma.

See! And because it's been soaking in liquor for 90 minutes, it falls apart like a Robert Hall suit.

I have renamed this gem, the Liquor Cabinet One-Pot Chicken Bake because as the chef, you may take liberties with your choice of alcohol. The chef I pilfered this recipe from opted for white wine, brandy and port. I went with red because I get to drink what I don't cook with and I prefer to drink red. I also don't have brandy on hand. I never have brandy on hand. Vermouth felt like a good trade off.

I went with skinless chicken thighs because they were available and frankly I could benefit from a little less fat. If you're interested in a richer flavour, then get yourself some good quality chicken meat and some with the skin on. I'm adding this to my 'Make Again' list.

From: http://www.supergoldenbakes.com/

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 10 skinless chicken thighs 
• 150 ml wine (I had red on hand)
• 2 T dry vermouth 
• 2 T port
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 100 g prosciutto, sliced in strips
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, half
• 2 cloves of garlic, whole
• 5 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 pepper (yellow, orange or red), thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 1 T oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
• coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced (use zest if preferred)

Method

Preheat the oven to 340F. Combine the wine, vinegar, port, vermouth and mustard and stir until blended. Place the chicken on the bottom of a large, lidded casserole dish. Add the prosciutto and all vegetables overtop. Season the surface with salt and pepper and add the sun-dried tomatoes. Cook covered for one hour. Remove the lid and cook another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with parsley and lemon. Serve over pasta or rice.

Hard Cider Braised Chicken

Apples and thick cut bacon trim chicken thighs along with a creamy cider-dijon sauce. It is rich to be sure, but you just can't be good all the time. For this recipe I ended up having to buy much more chicken than required and didn't have enough other ingredients to double the recipe. With the remaining chicken, I used some leftover wine to create a version of coq au vin and I was impressed with the results. That recipe will need a little refining, but I will attempt to get that out soon. This hard cider braised chicken is a delicious Sunday meal and makes for great leftover too!

From: http://stripedspatula.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 apples peeled, cored and cut into slices
• 2 large shallots cut
• 3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 cups hard apple cider
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 1 t stone ground mustard
• 1 large sprig fresh sage
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 heavy cream
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven and then add the chicken, skin side down and brown for five minutes each side until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan and return pan or dutch oven to the heat. Add apple wedges and sauté over medium heat until just the apples begin to brown. Remove the apples from the saucepan and set them aside. Add shallots and bacon to the saucepan until the bacon is cooked through and the shallots are soft. Slowly pour in the cider, whisking as it's being added in order to release the bacon bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the dijon, ground mustard, salt and pepper and blend it in with the existing ingredients. Add the chicken, sage and thyme to the liquid. Cover the pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Add apples to the pan and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken and apples and tent with foil. Discard the thyme and sage from the mix. Return the dutch oven to the stove and bring the liquid to a simmer. Whisk in the cream and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then place the apples and chicken on a bed of egg noodles to serve.

Honey Garlic Chicken

After a trip to MEAT, a new barbecue restaurant in Edmonton, I went looking for a fried chicken recipes I could

From: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• sea salt 
• pepper
• 1 cup panko crumbs

Honey Garlic Sauce

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T soya sauce
• 1 t sriracha
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, chopped

Method

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix them with a fork to combine the egg whites with their yolks. Pour the panko crumbs into a second bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then the panko crumbs and place on the baking sheet. Once all of the chicken has been breaded, place the chicken in the fridge to allow the pieces to set. Heat the oven to 400F. When the oven is ready, remove the chicken from the fridge and bake it for 30 minutes.

To make the honey garlic sauce, whisk the honey, garlic, soya and sriracha together in a saucepan on medium heat. Combine the water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture in with the sauce, mixing well.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from oven and toss the chicken in with the sauce.

Sweet Potato, Spinach Bacon Burgers

Feedback is important to any endeavour and food is no exception. I made these burgers about 6 weeks ago and brought some to work for my colleagues to sample. They were really well received and even made by a colleague who hasn't stopped raving about them.

When I was new to the cooking scene, I evaluated recipes based on the number of instruments required to make the dish and the number of ingredients. If the ingredients list has more than 6 items and called for food processors or double boilers, I wasn't making it. If you take the same approach, the burgers may appear daunting at first, but I'd ask you to ignore your initial judgement and persevere. The recipe makes about 15 burgers and they're not the kind of food one would tire of quickly.  I should know. I suffer from leftover phobia and can't stomach eating the same dish more than two or three times. Oy, that sounded like a first world problem, if there ever was one! My point is the effort is definitely worth it. I plan on making these again over the weekend. I've served them neat, on a toasted english muffin and on top of a salad. They are filled with all kinds of great ingredients such as sweet potato and spinach, which makes them even more endearing.

Adapted from: http://www.tastesoflizzyt.com


Ingredients

• 1 package of bacon
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 t salt
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1 t paprika
• 2 t hot mustard
• 4 t dried rosemary
• 2 eggs
• 4 T all purpose flour
• 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey

Method

Cook the bacon until crispy, either in a frying pan or my preferred method, on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350F. Once cooked, remove from heat, pat dry and chop into small pieces.

Use a food processor to finely chop the spinach, sweet potato and onion.

In a bowl, combine the bacon, sweet potato, spinach and onion. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Form the mixture into about 15 patties. Place the patties on a line cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 375F. Remove from oven, turn the patties over and return to the oven for another ten minutes. Check the centre of a patty to ensure it is cooked through. Remove from oven and serve.

A Leaner, Easier Chicken Pot Pie

My cooking philosophy changes as often as my mood. I enjoy making as much as I can from scratch, but I cheat often. I soak dried beans one week and buy canned the next. I make a cake from scratch for a birthday and then use a mix for brownies. Any number of factors influence my decision to do it one way or another. The decision to try this easy recipe was also easy. It looked and sounded like a simple and delicious way to make more of the comfort food I've been craving. I was sure glad I took a short cut in this case: I was out of time by the time I got to making dinner. Cheating or not, this chicken pot pie is delicious.

Adapted from: http://www.cookinlean.com/

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 can of low fat cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup no salt added or low sodium chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat Bisquick mix
• 1 cup 1% milk
• salt and pepper to tasted

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large casserole dish coated with nonstick spray, layer the chicken onto the bottom of the dish. Top the chicken with the carrots, celery and frozen peas. Whisk together the stock, soup and salt and pepper if needed in a separate container. Add the mixture overtop of the chicken and vegetables. Combine the milk and Bisquick mix, whisking well to remove any lumps. Pour the batter over top of the pie. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the top of the pie has browned. 

Balsamic Roast Chicken with Tomatoes & Mushrooms

I didn't realize it was already time for my annual thumb grating culinary fiasco, but here we are again. While cooking this morning, I attempted to pull off the guard on my new microplane and ended up shredding my right thumb in the process. Last year was the left with a mandolin. It appears my thumbs are taking turns sacrificing themselves in order to give each other a break.

My sous-chef did much of the preparation on this recipe due to my wound. Handling raw chicken with an open cut isn't sanitary for the chicken or the cook, so I needed a spare set of hands. I was grateful for the help and he was grateful this recipe was easy. 

My take on this dish is as follows:
While the dressing seasons the chicken quite nicely, the selling point of this recipe is the vegetable combination. It is bright and light as a side to the chicken. It was also welcome on Edmonton's first snow day of the season. If you've got a piece of fish you'd like to use, I would expect good results swapping out the chicken for your fish.

Adapted From: http://www.domesticate-me.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1, 3lb chicken or chicken parts (I used 4 chicken breasts & modified the instructions to suit)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T salt
• 1 t pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 2 sliced
• 1 lemon sliced
• 4 large basil leaves
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 2 cups crimini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• fresh arugula or spinach leaves for serving

Preheat the oven to 375F. Whisk the vinegar, oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. 

In another bowl, combine the onion, mushrooms and tomatoes. Pour a third of the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat.

Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry. Pour a third of the dressing under the skin of each of the breasts. Place a lemon slice, a few slices of garlic and a basil leaf under each of the breasts (if you are using a whole chicken, visit the website for prep instructions.

Pour the remaining third of the dressing over the breasts. Rub the dressing all over the meat to coat it well. Place the breasts in an uncovered casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the breasts, baste them with the juices lurking in the bottom of the dish and cook on their other side for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the vegetables around the chicken, tenting the dish with foil before returning it to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven again (last time!) and place the vegetables and juices in a pan, simmering until the juices thicken. Once thickened, serve the vegetables and chicken on a bed of fresh spinach or arugula.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

I've had such a long summer break, I've almost forgotten how to write. What a summer it has been! Fun, sun and a LOT of eating. Having just returned from booze and treat-infused vacation, I felt the desire to look into some fit-inspired recipes. This is what you'll see over the next few weeks. These are items that are lower in carbs, higher in protein and natural with respect to ingredients. That last item isn't new. Synthetic doesn't usually appeal to me. 

Anywho, I have two friends who have made these muffins and enjoyed them. This is key because you won't catch me eating something I don't enjoy. The second piece of good news is the recipe took me 15 minutes to assemble and pop into the oven. I actually baked on a weeknight. Obscene! If the idea of savoury and/or meat-filled muffins don't appeal, I'll keep trying. 

Adapted From: http://www.bodybuilding.com

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup cooking oats
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 2 t ground mustard
• 1 t pepper
• 1 t chipotle pepper powder
• 1 t salt
• 2 cloves garlic minced or 2 T garlic powder
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced

Method

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-piece muffin pan with a non-stick spray or coat ever-so-lightly with butter smudged on a piece of wax paper.  Mix all ingredients into one bowl and blend with your hands. Roll the mixture into balls and place them into the muffin tin. Bake for 40 minutes.

Weeknight Cooking Part 1 of 3: Chinese Chicken Salad

On the quest for quick, wholesome meals, I went digging for recipes that can be prepared in pinch. I narrowed it down to three, the first of which is tonight's entry. In the case of this particular recipe, I would modify how the veggies are chopped if you need to quicken the pace a little. This took me about forty minutes to prepare. 

I was surprised by how good this salad was. It certainly looked test-worthy as depicted in this month's Chatelaine magazine, but it exceeded my expectations. This was a contribution of Gwyneth Paltrow's and while her version included steamed chicken infused with ginger and star anise, I opted out of the steamer and chose my frying pan and some oil. Easy peasy and a little less perfect than Gwyneth's recipe. You'll get over it.

The version below is my modified version. If you want the original, check it out: http://www.chatelaine.com

Serves 4 as an entree

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 T canola oil
• Head of Romaine lettuce, finely chopped
• 1 cup snow peas, julienned
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 T loosely chopped cilantro
• 2 red chilis, diced (optional)
• 1 T toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

• 3 T hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1/4 water
• 1/2 t salt

Method

Heat the oil in a large fry pan on high heat.  If you find the breasts aren't thick enough to cook all the way through when pan fried, slice them in horizontally in half. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper before adding them to the pan. Let them cook for 3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and when the chicken has cooled enough to handle, tear the chicken into bite-size strips.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the salad ingredients and set aside. Next, combine the dressing ingredients, mixing well with a whisk. Finally, add the chicken to the salad and toss well. Serve the salad in individual bowls and dress accordingly...no white after Labour Day. Gawd, I'm clever!

Spatchcock Roast Chicken with Grapes, Herbed Potatoes and Wilted Swiss Chard

This year's Thanksgiving wannabe meal at the Laughren-Eder residence is spatchcock chicken. What is spatchcock chicken you ask? Sadly, it's not as embarrassing as it sounds. Spatchcock is a bird that's been flattened before cooking by removing the backbone. There is likely a reason for this method, but I don't know what it is. Anyways, I like the idea of having fewer bones to contend with, so this particular recipe got my vote. 

I've mentioned on a few occasions that I am not a careful cook or particularly with it for that matter. Preparing for this meal supported my theory yet again. While shopping for the meal's ingredients, I happened upon some beautiful kale and bought that for the Swiss chard recipe. Kale is NOT Swiss chard. Please remember this when you find yourself romanced by other greens. 

From: Chatelaine Magazine (October 2012 p. 241)


Serves 6-8

Spatchcock Roast Chicken with Grapes  

• 2 whole chickens, each about 1kg
• 2 T butter at room temperature
• 1/2 t salt
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 2 heads garlic
• 1 kg red seedless grapes

Position racks in centre and lower third of oven. Preheat to 375F. Have a large roasting pan and a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment ready. Wash chickens and pat dry with paper towels. Place one, breast-side down on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from end to end and remove. Flip chicken breast-side up and open like a book. Press firmly on the breastbone with your palm to flatten. Repeat with other chicken.

Mix butter with salt and freshly ground pepper in a small bowl. Loosen skin of each chicken at neck-cavity end with a finger. Spread 1/2 tsp butter mixture under the skin, reaching in as far as possible. Gently push 2 or 3 sage leaves under skin on each side of breast, keeping leaves flat. Rub skin all over with remaining butter mixture.

Arrange chickens side by side on roasting pan. Slice heads of garlic in half horizontally. Place between chickens. Using a potato masher, gently mash half of grapes just until the skins burst and scatter around chickens. Divide remaining grapes into 8 clusters and lay on prepared baking sheet.

Roast chickens in centre of oven until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165F, about 1 hour. Roast grape clusters in lower third of oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Move chickens to a cutting board. Cover with foil to keep warm. Remove garlic from pan. Pour mashed grapes and pan juices into a medium saucepan. Squeeze in garlic flesh. Mash grapes and garlic into sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Gently boil, stirring frequently until sauce is slightly reduced, 5-10 minutes. Skim excess fat from sauce. Cut chicken into 8 portions and serve with grape clusters and sauce.



Smashed Herbed Potatoes

• 2 kg large Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T grainy Dijon mustard
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Quarter potatoes, then cover with cold water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. 

Whisk oil, Dijon and salt in a large bowl.

Drain potatoes and cool slightly. Break up potatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the oil mixture to the potatoes, mixing well. Toss in the parsley and serve.

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Capers

• 1 kg Swiss chard
• 1 T olive oil 
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 T capers

Cut stems from chard, discarding and tough ends. Slice into two-inch pieces and slice the leaves into one-inch wide strips. 

Heat a one-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add oil, then chard stems and the salt. Cook the stems until they are almost tender, about five minutes. Add the leaves and continue to cook for about three minutes or until the leaves are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Mediterranean Chicken Milanese

For Ruedi's birthday last weekend, his siblings gifted him thirty-five tubes of Pringles. That's right: 35. We have everything from Extreme Dill to Ranch and Barbeque sitting on our kitchen table. Guess I should be looking up recipes that include chips, but the connection here is that it did get me thinking of breaded meats and well, here we are.

This particular meal also got me thinking of my varying preferences with respect to quality. My weekend coffee is an espresso we buy at the Italian market, but I'll line up at Timmy Ho's (aka TIm Horton's) for their bitumen-style piss coffee during the week. Street meat, the most suspicious of all meats is among my favorite summer day meals. Junk food of course, makes the top of the list too. Well, the chicken in this recipe was brought to you by your run of the mill grocery store. Now, this isn't unusual for me, but my exposure to locally and ethically grown meats has raised the question: am I going to permanently make the switch? The local food movement is intriguing. I love following other blogs that experiment with growing their own ingredients and sourcing through local producers. In the case of most meals, I notice a difference, but for the sake of convenience I'll pick up a package of water-soaked meat in order to make dinner happen.  I don't have an answer to my question yet, but I suspect that over time, I will buy locally as a rule.

From: http://karmacucina.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or whole wheat)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally and pounded into thin cutlets
• 3/4 cup extra light olive oil

For the topping

• 1 whole roasted red pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved long ways
• 2 cups packed arugula leaves
• A couple of slices of red onion
• 2 T pine nuts
• 8 – 10 shavings of Pecorino Romano or Asiago cheese

For the dressing

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 t balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

What a difference daylight makes to my poor food photos! Man I need to cook mid-day more often. I also need more soups like this hearty multi-dimensional delight. This could use a little heat, perhaps in the jalapeño or hot sauce form. Anyways, I thought a little heat was in order considering that we are experiencing the coldest day so far this winter.

Adapted From: http://eclecticrecipes.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2, 15 oz cans of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1, 15 oz can of black beans
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 1 t chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• handful of tortilla chips

Method

1. Combine chopped chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Preheat a large soup pot. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken to soup pot. Add red onion, green pepper, red pepper, yellow peppers and garlic. Cook over medium heat until chicken is done and no longer pink.
2. Add fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, chipotle chili peppers and adobo, paprika, cumin, dried oregano and chipotle chili powder. Add 1 quart chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 – 30 minutes.
3. Garnish soup with chopped avocado, crumbled feta, and tortilla strips.

Chicken with Coconut Lime Peanut Sauce

You'll be seeing other Thai-inspired meals shortly, but since I've now made this dish twice in the last month it was time to post it. Ruedi and I prepared this dish for extended family and their neighbours without any knowledge of food preferences. Luckily their weren't any allergies to consider, but we felt pretty confident they would love the meal. They did!


Adapted from: http://tastykitchen.com/


The Sauce:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 T Thai red curry paste
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T fish sauce
• 2 t toasted sesame oil
• 1 t honey
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch cinnamon

The Chicken:

• 1 t canola oil
• 1/2 cups diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 lbs chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup chopped asparagus

Garnishes: cilantro, toasted peanuts, green onion and/or toasted coconut flakes.

Sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, honey and spices to form a sauce. Taste and change anything if you want to. Set aside.

Chicken: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened. Add chicken, cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Stir sauce into the chicken. Partially cover and simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavours combine. Add asparagus during the last few minutes of cook time.

Serve with garnishes mentioned above.

Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

From: www.deelish.com


Serves 6


Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup carrot or diced
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into quarters
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 t dried marjoram
• 3 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1, 15-oz cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup croutons for garnish 

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.


With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavours.
Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan, and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary. 


Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons and serve.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Adapted From: Stern, B. Heart Smart 2006. p 238. Random House of Canada Limited. Canada.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 t vegetable oil
• 2 T red thai curry paste
• 1 large onion, thickly chopped
• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups green beans, cut in half
• 2 potatoes cut in 2-inch chunks
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut in chunks
• 2 jalapenos finely chopped (seed and chop only one if heat is a concern)
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, trimmed
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut in 2-inch pieces smashed (Use 1T lemongrass puree if you can't find the real thing. The puree is in the produce section of the grocery store)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 T Thai fish sauce
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 6 cups cooked white rice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet or Dutch over on medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces for about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.

Add curry paste and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant. Add onion, carrots, garlic, potatoes, red pepper, green beens, jalapenos, mushrooms and lemongrass. Cook for about 1 minute. if vegetables begin to stick, add 1/4 cup of stock now.

Add stock and fish sauce to skillet. Bring to a boil. Add chicken pieces. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 

Remove chicken and vegetables from skillet (discarding lemongrass if you used the real thing), cover and keep warm. Return skillet with stock to heat. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until 1-1 1/2 cups of stock remains. Add coconut milk and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until thickened.  Serve over warm rice.