Category — Chicken

I LOVE pizza.  It incorporates some of my favorite food groups:  starch, fat, salt . . . . but I will confess to you that I don’t make pizza at home very often.  One of my big issues with at-home pizza prep is the crust.  I’m a control-freak and I like my own crust the best, but it’s time-consuming.  I cannot stand Boboli and the like – too bready and tasteless.  So when my friend M. started raving about Iggy’s pizza shells, I sat up and took notice.  For those of you not familiar with Iggy’s, it’s a Cambridge, Mass. company that makes fantastic breads.  These pizza shells are sold in a 1.1 lb. package with 2 shells – plenty of palatte for pizzas for a family of 4.  They’re thin and fresh and they cook up crispy on the bottom, with just the right amount of doughyness left behind.  It is, hands-down, the best pre-made crust I’ve ever had.  I will definitely buy it again.

So between the Iggy’s shell and this post on Macheesmo, I was fired up to make my own pizza.  These measures below are approximate – you can tweak them to your liking.  The result is a hearty, flavorful, inventive pie that had D. making those happy snuffling noises he’s so famous for . . . they’re the signal that he’s tucked into something really delicious.

Greek Chicken Pizza

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the lemon juice and olive oil in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.  Add a bit of salt and pepper, and place the chicken in the bowl to marinate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the spinach in a covered, microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1 minute.  Stir and cook 30 seconds more, if needed, until the spinach is wilted.  Uncover and let sit to cool slightly, and then squeeze all of the moisture out of the spinach. Chop it coarsely and set aside.

Get all your other ingredients ready.  Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade (discard remaining marinade) and place it in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in the middle.  Remove from the pan and cut the chicken into ½-inch chunks.

Put your crust on a cookie sheet (line it with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray for easy cleanup and pizza lift-off).  Spread some olive oil in a thin layer over the pizza crust.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the crust.   Continue with the spinach, onion, chicken and feta. Sprinkle the dill over the top, and add a sprinkle of salt (go easy, the feta’s salty) and a few grinds of pepper.

Put it in the oven and bake until the top is lightly browned, approximately 25-35 minutes.

Makes a light meal for 4.  Serve with a tossed salad with a lemon/olive oil vinaigrette.

8 Great Ideas For Pizza Toppings

1. Layer smoked salmon, fresh dill, rinsed capers and red onion atop ricotta cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive
2. Top tomato sauce with mozzarella, bits of freshly cooked, thick-cut bacon and red onion
3. Barbecue sauce topped with chicken and crumbled bleu cheese, garnished after baking with baby arugula dressed in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4. Top bottled peanut satay sauce with grilled chicken, grated mozzarella, slivered green onions, shredded carrots and chopped cilantro, and a little more mozzarella on top
5. Naked crust topped with red onions, grated mozzarella cheese, black beans, corn-off-the-cob, grilled chicken, chopped cilantro and more mozzarella. After baking, top with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
6. Prepared pesto sauce topped with grated Parmesan, artichoke hearts and grated fontina cheese
7. Sauce-free crust layered with havarti cheese, topped with par-cooked asparagus and wafer-thin slices of proscuitto.
8. The sky’s the limit!

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Did you think I forgot about you?  Never!  It’s just that it’s School Vacation Week, so I’m preoccupied with life right now, not blogging.  I am cooking this week, though, and have some tasty new recipes on the way – including this tasty braise we had last night.

Now, I’m a fan of cabbage, but I understand it’s not something that everyone looks forward to.  But folks, it’s so so so good for you – and I think that this might be a good recipe to try if you’re ambivalent – the braising here makes the cabbage very mild and tender, and the apples help create a sweet, yet savory and hearty dish.  The red cabbage called for here makes a really pretty presentation – brilliantly reddish-purple.  And although the cabbage has to cook for a while, it’s a stir-once-in-a-while thing, so you can put it on the stove and do other things while you prepare dinner. 

You can choose to steam some potatoes to use as a base for the braise, or else it’s good on its own, perhaps accompanied by some good bread.  Or, if you’re like me and have overindulged on Chinese New Year and Valentine’s vittles, you can eat it straight-up, ‘cause it’s delicious that way, too.

Braised Cabbage With Apples & Chicken Sausage

If you’re serving this over potatoes, clean them and cut them into uniformly-sized pieces and sprinkle them with some salt and pepper.  Place the potatoes in a steaming basket set in a large saucepan, and steam until fork-tender.  Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until almost tender, about three minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring, until the mixture is golden, about three minutes, then add the apples and stir for two to three minutes.

Add the cabbage to the pot. Toss to coat thoroughly, then add the allspice, another 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and salt to taste. Toss together. Cover the pot, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the sausage, stirring to combine.  Cook for 15 more minutes, until sausage is heated through.  Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt, and add another tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar as desired.

Serve over potatoes, if desired.

Serves 4.

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This is an adaptation of a recipe from Clean Eating Magazine – it’s got an eclectic set of ingredients, but they work together well.  This is a fast, flavorful meal that will add flare to your weeknight repertoire.

Sesame Garlic Chicken, Spinach With Tahini Sauce and Roasted Peanut Quinoa

Tahini Sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet.  With a sharp knife, make 3 slits in each chicken breast, taking care not to cut all the way through the breast.  Stuff the slits with garlic, dividing it evenly amongst the breasts.  Sprinkle each breast with salt, pepper and the sesame seeds.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa thoroughly with water and drain.  Combine the quinoa with the stock in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Add the peanuts to the quinoa and set aside.

Prepare the Tahini Sauce:  In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, agave nectar and 1 t. of water until smooth and combined.

Steam the spinach, either in the microwave or in a metal steamer insert for a saucepan.

To serve, mound a portion of quinoa in the center of each plate.  Arrange the steamed spinach around and on top of the quinoa and drizzle some Tahini Sauce over the quinoa and the spinach.  Place a chicken breast on top and serve.

Serves 4.

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This recipe from Gourmet Magazine (RIP, sniff) is easy, fast, and takes advantage of pantry staples.  I used low-sodium soy sauce and didn’t add any of the additional salt, and the results were terrific. 

Serve up some steamed broccoli and a tossed salad (try a citrusy vinaigrette) on the side.  If you have a starch lover in your family add some lightly buttered egg noodles or rice.  It’s only 30 minutes from start to finish, yet it’ll get raves from your crowd.

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On Tuesday afternoon I was casting about the ‘net for something original to make.  I’d planned on making an old standby, but that seemed boring to me and I wanted to jazz things up.  My only requirements were that the recipe used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and that it was fast.  I was also, for some reason, in the mood for potatoes, which is unusual.

Epicurious is great for times like these.  I plugged in “chicken and potatoes” and checked off the “Quick” box and voila!  Up came this curious recipe for “Chinese Chicken Curry.”  The list of ingredients was so random, I just had to try it.  I, of course, tweaked the recipe based on what I had on hand and my tastes (i.e., the 6 tablespoons of oil called for in the original seemed excessive to me) and came up with a flavorful, if unclassifiable meal. 

So what’s with the name of the recipe?  D. did not love this dish.  He is “not a fan of the home curry,” and when I asked D. what he’d call it, and if I should blog about it, and he said “if you’re going to blog about it, then you must call it the Freaky Chinese-Indian Curry.”  Sometimes, I actually listen to my husband and do what he wants.

I’m guessing, but I think that D.’s thought was that the dish is sorta Indian because as a rule, we don’t see a lot of potatoes in Chinese cookery.  And the curries we eat are from our favorite Indian places.  But that’s more because the Chinese food around here is primarily from places other than Northern China – where they do use potatoes in their cooking.  And the Chinese do do curry as well. 

Nevertheless, whatever its genealogy, this is a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, healthy and interesting meal that will perk up your taste buds on a cold January weeknight.  Enjoy!

Chinese Curry Chicken (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Heat the oil in a wok or large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and stir-fry until translucent.  Add the tomatoes, curry powder, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, turmeric and chili powder and stir until combined.  Mix in the potatoes, 1 c. of the broth, and the vermouth.  Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to get tender.  Add the chicken, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more.  Meanwhile, combine 1/4 c. of the broth with the cornstarch, shake or whisk to combine and make smooth.  Add this to the pan and stir, bringing the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes.  The sauce will thicken slightly.

Serves 4.

We ate this served over steamed broccoli (again, not Chinese) and it was very tasty.  It would be great atop rice (use brown for added fiber and nutrients), as it’s very saucy.  You could easily substitute tofu and vegetable broth for the chicken (I think the pre-fried tofu puffs you can get at Asian markets would be particularly tasty) to make this a vegan meal.

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Ahhh, there is nothing better than the feeling of arriving home after a long journey in the economy section of a packed jet, is there?  We arrived home on Saturday to a foot of snow in Boston.  But we arrived on-time and without any major hassles with security, so we were psyched.

Madrid was awesome, despite the rain which persisted all. week. long.  It was dismal, but we managed to squeeze out a lot of fun and make some great memories.  Not the least of which was meeting and loving up my new niece, Baby A., and visiting with my sister and brother-in-law.  And the food – sigh.  When we asked L. what she liked most about our vacation in Madrid, she said “I liked all the ham and the roasted chickens.”  Guess what?  Mama liked ‘em too.  And mama also enjoyed herself a box of marzipan, churros y chocolate, Spanish tortilla, myriad pinchos (anchovies & manchego, anyone??), chorizo, fried eggs atop fried potatoes with various amenities (roasted peppers and jamon Iberico, slightly stinky cheese), a wide variety of croquettes, empanadas . . . oh, the list goes on and on.  I need to peruse the La Tienda site more thoroughly, and order myself up some authentic tastes of Spain more often, I think.

I also read some food-related books on my week off.  I polished off The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee.  It’s a super book that traces the history of fortune cookies along with America’s passion for Chinese food.  Lots of cocktail party trivia in there, for you.  I also started Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell – it’s good, but she might be a bit too much of a whiner for me.  It is, however, a book that any lover of food who happens to be a food blogger must read, so I will soldier on and let you know what I think in the end.   [Read more →]

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Today’s recipe is a little more time-consuming than the usual 30-minute jobbies, but it still clocks in at a reasonable time for a weeknight dinner – 40 minutes.  Warm apple slices and onions compliment tangy, mustardy chicken cutlets to serve up a healthful, yet flavorful main dish.

Chicken With Apples And Onions

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper and coriander.  Brush each side of the cutlets with the mustard.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the cider; reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add the apple slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 5 minutes.

Spray another skillet (preferably cast iron – you’ll get a nice crust) with cooking spray and heat it over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Serve the chicken topped with the apple mixture.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine.

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This quick little recipe features bok choy, a Asian green sold in either mature or baby form.  It belongs to the plant family cruciferae, the other members of which are, as you know, some of my faves: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.  Bok choy’s a good source of lots of important vitamins, and is actually a great source of calcium.

Mature bok choy has white stems and dark green leaves; baby bok choy is light green in color. It’s relatively cheap to buy, and can be stored unwashed in a plastic bag in your fridge for up to 3 days.  To prepare bok choy, rinse it off and chop the leaves and the stalks – you may want to keep them separate depending on how you’re using your bok choy because the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves.  Baby bok choy is good cooked whole.

This is another 30 minute recipe, originally written to serve 4, but D. and I agreed it’s better suited for 2 people. 

Vietnamese Chicken With Bok Choy

Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and red pepper in a small bowl.  Put the bok choy cut side down in a large skillet.  Add enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the pan; cover and bring to a boil.  Turn the bok choy over, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.  Drain; transfer the bok choy to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is soft.  Add the carrots and cook until they’re softened.  Add the chicken, the salt, and the pepper; cook, breaking up the chicken with a spoon, until the chicken is no longer pink.  Stir in the scallions.

Divide the bok choy between two dinner plates.  Spoon the chicken mixture over the bok choy and drizzle the lime juice mixture over the top.  Serves 2.

Adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine.

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