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Category — Chicken

Weekend Entertaining Menu

It’s August, and here in the Northeast U.S., we all know that our beautiful weekends are numbered.  I don’t know about you, but we’re trying to squeeze in as many backyard BBQs as possible . . . evenings on the patio are precious.  Soon we’ll be shoveling again.

This is a menu I’ve made many times, always to raves from the crowd.  It’s virutally all do-ahead, so you can take some time with your guests instead of running around crazy before dinner.

Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe from Gourmet Magazine – FYI, I use ~3 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it works out well.  Also note that you must marinate this chicken overnight, so plan accordingly!

Pair this with the Orzo With Tomatoes, Feta & Green Onions recipe from Bon Appetit.  FYI, if you can get fresh, multicolored cherry tomatoes, they’ll look really pretty in this.  And a note:  I am usually a hater of pasta salads, but this one has so much flavor, it’s worth the chopping.  Trust me – I’ve never had a party where this was served and people didn’t request the recipe.  Never!

Serve this Fig Salad With Greens & Walnuts on the side – be sure to scale up the recipe to however many servings you need – as written, it only serves 3 people.

August 13, 2009   1 Comment

Farmers’ Market + Costco = Simple Summer Dinner

Farmers’ market and Costco?  The two don’t immediately seem to go together.  When most people think of Costco, they think giant-sized boxes of diapers, frozen processed food, etc.  But I would argue that the rotisserie chicken from Costco is the unsung hero of any busy mother.  No, it’s not organic.  Yes, it’s salty.   But it’s also relatively cheap and delicious, and hey, you don’t eat it every day. 

When people think “farmers’ market,” they think fresh produce, locally grown . . . but often they think of ingredients that have to be massaged into something bigger in terms of making a meal of them.  In other words, food that is inconvenient to prepare.  But with some choice ingredients from the market, coupled with the Costco wonder-chicken (or any rotisserie chicken from any vendor), you can whip up an easy no-cook hot-summer-day supper.

After the gym today, I needed to make a return at Costco, so while there, I swung around to the back to grab a chicken.  It’s in the fridge waiting for me.  This afternoon at the Belmont Farmer’s Market, I scored some beautiful sweet corn, gorgeous tomatoes (all different varieties, sizes and colors), a ball of fresh mozzarella that was made this morning and a nice bunch of basil. 

Here’s my plan:

1/2 hour before dinner time, I will remove the chicken from the fridge and let it warm up a bit to room temperature, then I’ll carve it and put it on a platter.

Then I’ll slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a plate so that they don’t overlap, or so that they overlap only slightly.  I’ll salt them lightly with some Kosher salt, then scatter some slivered basil over the top.  I’ll then drop some slices of the mozzarella on top, and then drizzle some nice olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the whole lot.  Tomato salad – done.

Boil up the corn and serve that alongside the chicken and tomato salad with  butter and salt (or brush it with more good olive oil).

Oh, and in the meantime, I’ll make some pasta for my pasta-loving, veggie-hating kid to eat with her chicken. 

Voila.  A simple, no-heat in the kitchen, fresh and tasty summer dinner for everyone to enjoy.

July 30, 2009   No Comments

Quick & Fruity Summer Salad

We’re on vacation by the sea, and while for some that means endless fried seafood plates, we still cook at home many nights.  Part of it stems from practicality and selfishness:  with a young child, eating at home is just easier some nights.  And part of it stems from healthfulness and food-snobbery.  There just isn’t that much good food on Cape Cod, and a lot of what tastes good just isn’t great for you.

After years of doing this, I’ve come up with a system.  Before we leave home, I designate one cookbook to bring with us.  It has to have mostly easy recipes, and ones that don’t require too many ingredients, especially “exotic” ingredients.  Think about your average summer rental – not a lot of cumin, allspice, hoisin, etc. lying around.  I’m willing to buy some condiments and spices (and I bring a few things with me, like harissa – more to come on that), but I want recipes with only a few ingredients, most of which I’m going to buy fresh.

This year I brought down the Better Homes & Gardens New Dieter’s Cookbook.  I got this at TJMaxx for $5.99 a while ago on a whim, and I have to tell you, it’s been a great little find.  All the recipes are easy, they’re short, they’ve got some interesting and creative combinations of ingredients, and what’s more, they’re healthful.  You may remember the spicy sesame chicken recipe I posted a while back – that’s from this cookbook.  It’s not gourmet in any sense of the word, but I’ve probably made 15 dishes from this and we haven’t found a loser yet.

Tonight’s salad was a big hit.  It makes a perfect light summer supper.  I adapted it a bit, so this is not verbatim from the cookbook.

Chicken & Stone Fruit Salad

1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins
salt and pepper to taste
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
2 plums, pitted and sliced
juice of one lemon
1/2 c. non-fat lemon yogurt
one scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 t poppy seeds
mixed fancy salad greens

Sprinkle the tenderloins with salt & pepper and set on a broiler pan.  Broil on high for a few minutes on each side until cooked through, then remove and set out to cool while you prepare the remainder of the salad.

Meanwhile, combine the sliced peaches and plums in a medium bowl.  Add 1/2 the lemon juice and toss them gently to coat.  For the dressing, combine the yogurt, green onion, poppy seeds and the remaining juice of the lemon.  Stir.

Divide greens amongst four dinner plates.  Arrange the fruit atop the greens, then layer chicken tenders on top of the fruit.  Drizzle each salad with the dressing.  Serve immediately.

July 8, 2009   No Comments

Cookin’ Quinoa

recipe box full size 

Here is a simple recipe using a renowned superfood – quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”).  By now, most people have heard of quinoa, but do you know how great it is for your body and how easy it is to cook?  Although commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.  The protein-rich seed has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture and a rather nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa is one of the few vegetarian sources of complete protein, meaning, like meats, it has all nine of the essential amino acids.  It’s also gluten-free, full of fiber, and contains other heart-healthy vitamins. This recipe is flavorful and exquisitely simple to prepare – most of these ingredients are pantry staples.  Impress your family with your whole-foods prowess and whip it up tonight.  

Quinoa With Chicken & Peas


1 c. quinoa, rinsed well (use red quinoa if you can find it, it’s prettier)
1 lb. chicken cutlets, cut into strips
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. sweet peas, cooked
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 T white wine vinegar
2 T tomato paste
Finely grated Romano cheese, about 1/2 c.
Salt and pepper to taste

Marinate chicken with salt, black pepper, garlic and 1 T of the olive oil for about 15 minutes. Sauté onion in 2 T of the olive oil on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and tomato paste, mix well and sauté for another two minutes. Add marinated chicken to the mix and cook, covered, for ten minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Turn the chicken pieces occasionally to coat them with the sauce. Add the quinoa and stir in the chicken broth. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for approximately fifteen minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed by the quinoa. Mix in the peas and cheese and serve immediately.

Pair this with a crisp and simple side salad.  Serves 4.

Quinoa on Foodista

June 24, 2009   1 Comment

Spicy Sesame Chicken!

This is quick, a little spicy, nutritious and delicious!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 5-6 oz. each)
Nonstick cooking spray
3 T sesame seeds
3 T all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
3 T lower sod. teriyaki sauce
1 T butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with the cooking spray.

In a large plastic zip-top bag, combine sesame seeds, flour, salt and pepper. Dip chicken in teriyaki sauce. Add chicken to the mixture in the plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat the chicken.

Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle the melted butter over the chicken.

Bake until tender and no longer pink – about 20-30 minutes.

Serves 4.

I served this with chunks of fresh pineapple and steamed broccoli sprinkled with lemon juice. For the starch-eaters in the family, I made thick Chinese wheat noodles tossed with a little sesame oil and soy sauce.

Adapted from the Better Homes & Gardens Dieter’s Cookbook.

Baked Sesame Chicken Breasts on Foodista

February 7, 2009   No Comments

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