Showing posts with label Chicken breasts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken breasts. Show all posts
On Wednesday nights my father always goes out with his lady friends for fish and chips. That leaves my sister and Dan free to have whatever they want for supper outside of my father's taste restrictions.
Dad doesn't like anything too spicy or out of the ordinary. He has a very limited palate, although it is far beyond it was when we were growing up. Mom was only allowed to use salt and pepper to flavor things for many, many years.
Usually on Wednesday nights Cindy will cook them or us something which is a bit spicier than the things we would normally have. I invited them over here this week for a Taco night!
I had not had tacos in a while and I don't think they had either. I also thought they would enjoy some play time with the kittens, especially Dan. (I had to count to make sure I still had two when they left, lol)
I love Tacos. I usually always my own as I have never really lived anywhere near a Mexican Restaurant. The few occasions I have had to eat Tex Mex in a restaurant have been very rare indeed!
But I do love the flavors so I try hard to replicate them at home, as best as I can!
I was really looking forward to some Taco action last night. I know that Dan the man, doesn't really like to try things too far out of the ordinary either (is this a man thing?) although he doesn't mind spicy things as much as my father does.
I decided to make two kinds of tacos. I made the ordinary beef tacos, the kind of tacos you make with the filling that you use Taco seasoning with. My make my own Taco seasoning. You can find that recipe here, along with all of my other seasoning mixes that I make.
I like making my own mixes because if I make my own, I know exactly what is in them. There are no ingredients that I cannot pronounce or have no idea of what they are.
Everything is as natural as I can make it. I think they taste better, and to be honest I don't like filling my body with unknown ingredients if I can help it. Its one of my quirks. I know we all have them!
I also decided to make Chicken Tinga Tacos. One because I am not fond of ground beef tacos. And two because I like Chicken Tacos best of all.
I thought it would make a tasty change from the normal for my sister as well. So I made smaller recipes of the two so that she and Dan could enjoy some of each if they wanted to.
One thing I love about these Chicken Tinga Tacos is that they use relatively few ingredients. Just a few simple things that most of you will already have in your larder, cupboard and freezer.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast. Check! Red enchilada sauce. Check! Onions and green chilis. Check! Chipotle chili powder. Check! Salt and pepper. Check!
That's it. Simple food put together in a simple and yet incredibly delicious way.
You begin by cooking some onion and a seeded/trimmed/chopped green chili in a tiny bit of light olive oil. You add the chicken breasts as well. I used three small ones.
Once your chicken has browned lightly on both sides (and that doesn't take long), you pour over some red enchilada sauce, add some chipotle chili powder, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender.
That also doesn't take long and the chicken absorbs the flavors of the sauce as it is cooking. It comes out shred-ably, incredibly, tender and juicy. You shred the chicken with two forks, right in the sauce.
I like to enjoy it with a soft tortilla myself. I am not overly fond of the hard ones. I broke a tooth on one once and it made me twice shy!
You can serve this with your favorite taco toppings, any or all that you desire.
I like to spread the tortilla with some guacamole before adding the filling. Then I top the filling with my favorites. Sour cream, salsa, cheese, chopped onion.
I also like to add a squeeze of lime juice and some black olives if I have them! You can also add pickled jalapenos if you want.
These can be made as spicy or not, as you wish them to be. I, personally err on the side of caution. I am not a fan of overly spicy food. Oh, I like it, but my gut doesn't, so I need to be careful.
In any case, these are quick, easy and delicious. The filling is also very easy to double if you want to make extra. It freezes really well.
It also makes an excellent enchilada filling. Simply fill flour tortillas with it and roll them up. Schmear the top with some more enchilada sauce and load on the cheese before baking. DEE-LICIOUS!!
I sure miss my gas powered cooktop. It was great for doing things like searing tortillas. Sigh . . . oh well. These were still excellent, seared tortillas or not!
Chicken Tinga Tacos for Two
Yield: 2-3
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Quick, easy and delicious. Serve with in either hard shell taco shells or soft tortillas along with your favorite taco topping for a real taste treat!
Ingredients
For the chicken filling:
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3/4 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast meat (about 3 medium pieces)
- fine sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 green chili, trimmed seeded and chopped
- 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 3/4 cup red enchilada sauce
To serve:
- warmed taco shells or taco sized wheat tortillas
- guacamole
- Dairy sour cream
- salsa (I like Newman's Own Pineapple salsa)
- chopped red onion
- grated pepper jack cheese
- Sliced black olives
- Lime quarters to squeeze over top
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add the green chili and onion, along with the chicken breasts. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring the onion and chili and turning the chicken now and then, until the chicken is golden brown on both sides. (3 to 4 minutes per side) Pour in the enchilada sauce.
- Cover, and cook over low for 10 to 16 minutes, until the chicken is tender and no pink juices remain.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces. Mix it in with the sauce and gently heat through.
- Serve as desired in either soft tortillas or hard taco shells. Delicious!
I am always on the look out for chicken dishes that are quick and easy to make. I am a no fuss, no muss kind of a person.
I used to do a lot of fiddling about with food when I worked as a personal Chef, and I was being paid to do so, but in my private life, quick and easy is what I like to cook and eat most of the time.
You can call me lazy if you want to, but I just don't like to faff about a lot when it comes to every day eating. I would rather save my efforts for celebratory meals or holidays. I hope I am not alone in that.
Today's recipe is one that I had printed out back in 2007, which I had found on a site which was then called Recipezaar. I used to go on Recipezaar a lot. It was a lovely recipe sharing site and there were loads of really nice people on there.
I got to make friends in real life with a number of them and actually met a few in person. Great people. It is no longer called Recipezaar, and has lost a lot of its charm.
The original owners sold out to a larger company for a great deal of money I believe, and in the process something was lost. It was no longer the friendly community it had once been. In all honesty, I can say I haven't been on there in a very long time. Its a shame really.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
I don't know why these large companies always want to change what is already working well. I suppose at the end of the day it is all down to money and profits.
I personally think that when you take the humanity out of things, you lose something very special. But hey ho, who am I. Just a normal person, and but a tiny drop in a gargantuan ocean.
Anyways, back to this very simple and delicious chicken recipe. It was one I had found there in 2007 and that I had enjoyed. I had saved the printout in my Big Blue Binder and as you know, only the best recipes get saved into that.
For those of you who don't know, my Big Blue Binder has travelled all over the world with me since I was a very young girl. It is a collection of family recipes, tried and trues, etc. It is priceless.
Last year when I left the UK to move back to Canada, I had to leave almost everything I owned behind, including all of my cookbooks. My Big Blue Binder came with me however. There was no way I was leaving that behind!
I am so very grateful that I had enough forethought at the time to think to include it in what I was bringing. It would have been a real tragedy had I not done so. Like Recipezaar, something really special would have been lost.
This is one of my favorite chicken dishes to make. You can see the original recipe here. I haven't really changed it all that much, with the exception of cooking things a tiny bit differently, adding a bit of spice and white wine instead of stock.
I also cut it down to serve only two people. If you want to serve more, by all means check out the original recipe.
You don't need a lot of fancy ingredients to make it, although prosciutto is certainly not a normal every day ingredient to be sure. It is however a lot more available these days than it used to be.
We are living in a much smaller world than our parents lived in and have an abundance of new and delicious foods to try and to use. Prosciutto is one of them.
Prosciutto is an Italian ham which is cured by drying. Traditionally served in very thin slices, it has a lovely flavor which goes well on its own and with many other things, including chicken.
It is uncooked, but you can eat it as is because it has been preserved by drying. It is great on a chacuterie tray. It has a sweet and meaty flavor, and is slightly salty with a lovely bit of soft buttery fat on the edge that practically melts in the mouth.
I like to pound my chicken a bit before I cook it. I just use the flat end of a meat pounder and give it a few bashes. I then seasoned it all over with salt and pepper.
Remember prosciutto is salty so you won't need a lot of salt, but pepper you can go crazy with! Or as crazy as you want to. I happen to like lots of pepper.
The original recipe did not call for pounding the chicken, but I find that it really helps to tenderize chicken breasts if you do so. Once you have pounded them, you dust them in some flour.
I added some paprika for color and some garlic powder for flavor. I can't leave well enough alone, I know.
The breasts then get fried in a bit of melted butter until they are golden brown on both sides. I find that about 6 minutes on the first side works well, and then 4 on the second.
Once you have browned your chicken its as simple as putting it into a casserole dish and layering on a few more ingredients.
First a slice of that delicious prosciutto. Oh boy . . . it adds a lovely saltiness and helps to protect the chicken from drying out in the oven.
Next you add a slice of Swiss cheese. I love the sweet nutty flavor of Swiss cheese. It works very well here.
Gruyere would also work well as would a nice melty gouda or provolone.
On top of that you sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese. Again, a bit salty so do be judicious when seasoning your chicken.
The chicken gets place into a shallow baking dish and dotted with some butter. I know . . . but its not a lot of butter and there is no skin on the chicken. Butter just adds a nice nuttiness to the dish.
I pour a bit of white wine around the chicken in the baking dish, which imparts yet another layer of flavor. Always use a wine you wouldn't mind drinking. If it is a wine you enjoy drinking, then it is a wine that will work well with your dish.
It annoys me when people use the cheapest plonk they can find in their cooking. If you wouldn't drink it, then perhaps you shouldn't be cooking with it either!
A short period of time in the oven and voila! You have a delicious main course created with very few ingredients and even less effort! You can't lose!
I served it with some oven roasted vegetables (new potatoes, carrots, cauliflower) and some yellow and green beans I had picked up at the market. This was all very delicious. I think you are going to really like it!
On a side note, are there any recipes in particular that you would like to see me cut down to size for the smaller family? I really want to know!
Chicken with Prosciutto & Cheese
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min
This elegant but simple dish is perfectly built for two. Quick and easy to make, you have tender and juicy chicken with beautiful flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- pinch garlic powder
- 2 TBS flour
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 slices of prosciutto
- 2 slices of Swiss cheese (can also use gruyere)
- 2 TBS Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white wine (alternately you can use chicken stock)
Instructions
- Pound your chicken lightly and season all over with salt and black pepper. (Remember prosciutto is salty.)Mix the flour, paprika and garlic powder together in a small bag. Shake the chicken pieces in this to coat.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready a casserole dish large enough to hold pieces of chicken.
- Melt 1 TBS of the butter in a skillet with a heavy bottom over medium high heat. Once it begins to foam, add the chicken pieces top side down and brown, about 6 to 8 minutes, flip over and brown the other side, a further 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to your casserole dish.
- Top each piece of chicken with a slice of prosciutto. Place a slice of cheese on top. of the prosciutto. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on last. Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
- Pour the white wine into the dish around the chicken.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has melted and begun to turn golden. Let stand for five minutes then serve with some of the casserole juices spooned over top.
Chicken Breasts are something I always have in the freezer. Chicken was not something we had very often when I was growing up. It was expensive and considered to be a real treat.
That is something which has changed quite a bit in recent years. Chicken is much more available these days, and is quite often one of the most affordable proteins we can buy for ourselves.
Chicken is a very versatile meat. I do prefer the thighs over the breasts as far as flavour goes, but the breast meat is healthier, so we eat that most of the time.
People can and do struggle quite a bit with Chicken Breasts however. Whether you are lacking in inspiration or even seeking to find ways to cook it where it doesn't turn out dry and lifeless, I have the perfect solutions for you!
Chicken breast meat is an incredible canvas that you can use for layering on other flavors. When I see a piece of chicken breast meat I am inspired because, to me, they hold a world of opportunity and flavor.
Here are some of my favorite ways of preparing them. Always delicious, never dry, always exciting.
Tender and juicy chicken breasts with a lush lemon sauce. With a few simple ingredients and about 45 minutes in time from start to finish you can be eating this incredibly tasty dish, and with a few tweaks it can also be relatively low in fat and calories. With lemon juice, parmesan cheese and some cream or evaporated milk, this is pure and simple deliciousness. Click on the recipe title to go to the complete recipe.
Deliciously tender and flavour filled crisp coated chicken breasts, baked atop a flavourful mix of spaghetti and marinara, and topped with oozing mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Although this delicious dish is sized for two it is very easy to multiply the recipe to feed more people. Quick, easy and delicious. Click on the recipe title to go to the complete recipe.
I can tell you that this is even better than my mom’s Maryland Fried Chicken! That's why this is called Heavenly Chicken. When something is called heavenly, you better believe that it is!
Chicken breasts are pounded lightly to an even thickness before coating in a flavourful mixture of sour cream and some seasonings. You then roll the coated breasts in fine round buttery cracker crumbs, before baking to perfection. Always tender. Always moist. Always incredibly delicious.
Click on the recipe title to go to the complete recipe.
This is really fresh tasting and delicious! In recent years we have all embraced Mediterranean flavours and tastes. Not only is the cuisine from this area of the world delicious but it is also much healthier for us.
This quick and easy entrée is no different, filled with fresh tomatoes, capers and sage. Its quite simply lovely. Click on the recipe title to go to the complete recipe.
This fabulous chicken curry is a very simple dish to make. Cutting chicken breast meat into cubes or strips always renders it tender. In this case chicken strips are seasoned in a spice mixture and then lightly sautéed.
It boasts a fabulous sauce of onion, aromatic spices, coconut milk, mango chutney, mint, and orange juice. Quick and easy to make this fabulous curry always goes down a real treat with whoever I serve it to.
We like it with rice and crisp poppadum's. Click on recipe title to go to the delicious recipe.
This is a low carb entrée that will have everyone smacking their lips. Chicken breasts are stuffed with a lush cheese filling. This delicious filling combines cream cheese and cheddar cheese, and not a lot of each actually. Just enough to keep the chicken nice and moist.
Because the chicken is split the cook time in diminished and the splitting actually helps to keep the chicken tender and moist. If you are a fan of tender moist chicken, filled with flavour you are sure to love this! Click on recipe title to go to the full recipe.
CHICKEN STRIPS WITH HONEY & MUSTARD DIP
If you are a fan of sheet pan dinners, prepare yourself to fall in love. This simple sheet pan dinner is composed of tender crispy coated chicken breasts, crisp buttery roasted potatoes, green beans, and sweet baby plum tomatoes all roasted together to perfection on one pan.
Simple to make, easy to clean up after, with incredibly wonderful Italian flavours. Click on recipe title to go to the full delicious recipe.
Not sure how it works, but the addition of sour cream to this chicken dish always renders it beautifully moist and tender. Juicy and never dry.
Careful timing and the addition of layers of flavour are your friend. In this dish the flavour comes from a tasty layering of textures and flavours. First the chicken, then a layer of cheese.
Finally some sour cream and herbs, before baking to perfection. This is quite simply scrumptious. See the full recipe by clicking on the recipe title above.
Do you love chicken burgers as much as I do? They are one of my favourite sandwiches to eat and when we are eating out in a burger place, I always, always have the chicken burger rather than the beef.
These spicy chicken burgers are exceptional. The chicken is marinated in a mix of beaten egg, oregano, chili powder, hot sauce and a bit of salt before coating in a fabulously tasty crumb made from pulverised tortilla chips.
Baked to perfection and served in a toasted bun with a homemade coriander lime mayo and plenty of melted pepper Jack cheese, what's not to love! See recipe link by clicking on the above recipe title.
Perfectly cooked chicken with a luxurious velvety sauce. The rich and creamy sauce is flavoured with lemon and pesto and is meaty with plenty of sliced mushrooms. I serve this with mixed vegetables and rice for a supper dish that always pleases.
You can amp up the pesto if that is a flavour you really enjoy. Myself I prefer the flavour to be more subtle rather than slap you in the face. You can find this delicious recipe by clicking on the recipe title above.
I think Caesar Salad is one of my absolute favourite salads, next to the Cobb Salad and when you add some grilled chicken it becomes even more so! I create my own Montreal Chicken seasoning to coat the chicken with before grilling it.
The cooked chicken is sliced on the diagonal and served atop a bowl of tasty romaine lettuce, and adorned with little heart shaped garlic croutons, crisp bacon, and grated parmesan cheese before being drizzled with a lush caesar dressing
Whats not to love? See full recipe by clicking on the recipe title above.
These chicken strips I am sharing are really, really good. Nicely flavoured and spiced and made from real whole chicken breast which has been sliced into strips.
Coated, fried to crisp perfection they are delicious served with a wonderful homemade honey and mustard sauce for dipping. Easy peasy.
For full recipe click on recipe title above.
The sauce for these crisp, yet tender chicken breasts could not be any simpler . . . it uses only a few ingredients.
Butter, garlic, cream, lemon juice and zest, and some grated Parmesan cheese. Simple. Rich and creamy, and yes . . . something you would only want to make once in a blue moon as it is rather high in fat and calories . . . but oh boy, is it every tasty!
For the delicious recipe simply click on the recipe title above.
I love Asian flavours and I quite simply adore this Grilled Peanut Chicken! This recipe is for a delicious marinade that you can make for marinating chicken. You could also marinate other proteins, like pork, fish or even tofu in this tasty mixture.
It is the perfect mix of salty and sweet. The Asians do that combination so very well. I served it with some sesame noodles and broccoli for the win.
For the easy recipe click on the recipe title above.
This is a chicken marinade that I like to use which gives the chicken a really nice flavour. Its filled with lots of lovely chopped herbs, lemon and other seasonings that results in a well flavoured juicy piece of chicken.
I often marinade chicken breasts and then cook them on my electric grill to have in the refrigerator for use in salads and sandwiches. Click on the recipe title above to go to the simple and delicious recipe.
So now that you have a few recipes to tempt you as far as cooking chicken breasts go, here are some handy tips that you can apply every time you are cooking chicken breasts that will go a long ways towards preventing you from having dry and flavourless chicken even when you are cooking them in the simplest ways!
1. If you are cooking your chicken plain, it is always better to cook your chicken breasts with the skin on rather than it off. The skin helps to protect the meat and keep it from drying out. You can always peel it off and discard after cooking if you don't want the extra calories.
2. Chicken breasts can be a bit dry. This is because they are much leaner than other parts of the bird. A marinade, brine or rub goes a long way in adding flavor to the meat and keeping it moist. A basic salt and pepper rub is just fine if you want to keep things simple.
3. Pounding chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat pounder always tenderises them a bit. Even if you are not going for larger flatter pieces of chicken, a bit of pounding helps to even out the pieces and breaks down the tissues a bit rendering that tiny bit more succulent.
4. Keeping them all as much the same size as you can. You can do this by pounding, or by slicing them into smaller thinner pieces. They will also cook faster this way.
5. Overcooking. This is the main culprit when it comes to producing chicken breasts which are dry and unpalatable. You need only cook them until the juices run clear. Bear in mind, that they will continue to cook when you remove them from the pan. Let them rest, lightly covered for a few minutes and you will achieve perfection.
So there you have it, my hints and tips towards chicken breast perfection and some of my most favourite ways of cooking it!
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