Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
We're having a heat wave. Normally I would like to be cooking on the barbeque, but the Toddster doesn't really "get" barbequing, and I am afraid of the barbeque. (gas) One of these days we will make it pay for itself, but until then I am trying my best to stay as cool as I can in the house and wishing we could barbeque. I shall just have to overcome my fears and get with the program!
This is an old standby of ours. Something that I make quite often and something that we both really enjoy. I got it from a Good Food Magazine a number of years ago. You can't go wrong with a recipe from BBC Good Food in my opinion. They're the best.
I always have chicken breasts in the deepfreeze . . .
I often have cherry tomatoes on the vine . . . although to be honest, the vine part is more for aesthetics than anything else. Any tomato would taste good in this, even larger ones . . . quartered.
The tomatoes get all sweet and rich, and taste delicious mashed into the lucious cheese sauce that magically appears . . .
a delicious combination of melted cheese, cream and the juices from the chicken.
Make sure you cook something worthy of soaking of all those flavourful juices to serve up along side of this . . .
things like rice, potatoes, pasta and broccoli go really well.
mmmm . . . this is really scrummy.
*Cheesy Chicken Rarebits*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
One of our favourite meals. The chicken always turns out tender and you end up with a delicious cheesy sauce that is delicious spooned over the chicken and potatoes, rice or whatever it is you choose to serve with the meal. We like potatoes. Make sure you squash the roasted tomatoes into the sauce as well when you eat it. Fabulous!
4 skinless, boneless free range chicken breasts
140g strong cheddar cheese, grated (a scant 1 1/4 cup)
1 rounded dessertspoon of grainy mustard
3 fluid ounces single cream
4 small bunches of cherry tomatoes on the vine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Slice the chicken breasts through the middle almost all the way, leaving a bit of a hinge at one end. Fan them out and place them into a lightly oiled shallow baking dish. (Make sure it is large enough to hold all of the chicken breasts in a single layer.) Season them lightly with some salt and pepper.
Mix the cheese, cream and mustard together in a bowl. Spoon this mixture evenly over top of the chicken. No need to smooth it down, it works fine in dollops. Place the tomatoes, leaving them on the vine, around the chicken in the dish. Bang it into the oven and bake it for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown and the tomatoes are squashy and nicely roasted.
Serve the chicken divided onto heated serving plates, along with some of the roasted tomatoes and some of the deliciously cheesy sauce spooned over top.
This has to be one of my favourite ways to cook chicken breasts. I often buy whole chickens when they are on offer and then cut them up to freeze. That way I always have a nice selection of chicken pieces on hand to use in recipes just such as this.
This is a handy video which can talk you through the whole process. It's not nearly as hard as you think. If you have a good set of kitchen shears and sharp knives, it's somewhat of a doddle.
Why do I like this recipe so much? It's easy. First of all because it always turns out and is easy to make. It isn't fiddly, or time consuming. Secondly because it results in delicious, tender and moist chicken EVERY time! Seriously. If you follow the instructions properly you WILL be rewarded in the most fabulous way!
It uses fairly simple every day ingredients, that you most probably have in your cupboard right now. I think the most exotic might be the coconut cream. We get that over here in little tetra packs, each one holding about 1 cup of this gloriously rich thick coconut product. It has a thick consistency of mayonnaise, but if you cannot get that you can use regular coconut milk without too much difference in taste.
Just look at that moist chicken meat! Most people overcook their chicken, and I have to say there is nothing more tasteless or desireable as an overcooked dried out chicken breast. When you remove the skin and the bone from a chicken breast you take away most of what protects the integrity and flavor of that piece of chicken. Leaving it intact helps to keep it moist. You could do this with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but make sure to reduce the time by about a third at the very least. I might even start checking it at half time, and of course you won't have that gloriously sticky skin to indulge in.
*Coconut Baked Chicken*
Serves 4
Quick, easy and delicious!
6 TBS coconut cream
2 TBS fresh lime juice
2 TBS soft light brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil flakes
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 bone in, skin on, chicken breasts
Preheat
the oven to 220*C/425*F/ Gas mark 7. Whisk together all of the
ingredients, except for the chicken. Butter a shallow baking dish.
Spoon a small portion of the sauce in the bottom. Lay the chicken
breasts on top, skin side up. Take approximately half of the sauce
mixture and spread it between the chicken skin and the chicken flesh.
Spoon the remainder over top. Bake, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes,
basting every 10 minutes with the pan juices, until the chicken tests
done and the juices run clear. Serve hot.
Note
- If desired you can marinate the chicken in the sauce in a plastic bag
in the refrigerator over night. When you are ready to cook, just dump
the whole lot into a buttered baking dish, skin side up and cook as
above.
When my kids were growing up I often cooked them chicken wings. At that time they were quite a cheap way to feed a family of seven! You could pick up a huge pack of them for not very much and the children loved them. Nowadays they are quite in vogue and so they aren't as economical as they used to be.
We had the missionaries over for their tea the other night. We have two elders at the moment (and two sisters) and this time it was the elders. One is from Russia and one is from Thailand. I had made a chicken pot pie which they both really enjoyed.
The Thai Elder was saying he loved chicken wings the most of all the chicken bits, and I had to concur. I do love chicken wings. They have to be one of the most succulent bits of the bird. I expect that is because their wings don't really get a lot of use, but I am most likely wrong about that.
The "whys" don't really matter in the scheme of things though, it only matters that they are tasty little bits of chicken deliciousness. Especially when they are done this way. The wings, each beingsplit into two pieces, are first marinated in a mix of peppery spices . . .
After an hour or so you dip them into spiced and beaten eggs, and then roll them in some seasoned flour. Once coated, they are fried in a bit of oil until they are nicely crisped. So naughty but so nice.
A lot of wing recipes recommend serving the finished wings with either a ranch or a blue cheese dressing. On that day I opted for serving them with a delicious sweet chili dip, which was very simple to put together, by simply whisking some sweet chili sauce into sour cream, so you had a hint of sweet, a touch of hot and a measure of cool.
They went down a real treat, and made the perfect munch for watching the footy with. Lets face it . . . if I'm going to have to watch the footy, there better be some tasty snacks involved! I hope you'll give these a go. I think you'll agree that they be scrumdiddlyumptious!
*Crispy Spiced Chicken Wings*
with a sweet chilli dip
Crisp chicken wings with a lovely and crispy spiced coating served along with a cooling sweet chili dip for dipping. The sweet chili sauce gives it a bit of a punch but also a cooling effect. You can adjust the spice according to your tastes.
For the Marinade spice:
1 TBS seasoning salt
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning (see below)
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 whole chicken wings, tips removed and jointed to give you
24 pieces
You will also need:
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1 TBS hot sauce
1 tsp fine black pepper
280g of plain flour (2 cups)
vegetable oil for frying
For the dipping sauce:
225ml of dairy sour cream
1 TBS sweet chili sauce, or more as desired
Chopped parsley to garnish
Mix together the marinade spice and grind together with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Place the chicken pieces into a zip lock bag. Add the spice mixture and give them a good mix together, massaging the spice into the chicken pieces. Set in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour.
Beat the eggs, hot sauce and black pepper together in a large shallow bowl. Sift the flour into another bowl.
Heat 1 inch of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot start prepping the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken first into the egg mixture to coat and then drop them into the flour and roll them around to coat all over well. Drop into the hot oil, no more than 4 or 5 pieces at a time. Cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown all over, turning occasionally. The juices will run clear. Place them onto a baking tray lined with paper towelling to drain. Keep warm in the oven while you cook all of the wing pieces.
Whisk the sour cream and sweet chili sauce together in a bowl for dipping. Place the bowl of dip into the middle of a large plate and arrange the cooked wings around it. in an attractive manner. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve hot.
To make your own Poultry seasoning: Mix together 2 tsp powdered sage, 1 1/2 tsp ground thyme, 1 tsp ground marjoram, 3/4 tsp ground rosemary, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container.
I don't always eat unhealthy, fattening stuff here in my kitchen. Sometimes I actually eat things that are really good for you. Healthy doesn't have to be boring. Say that three times and turn around whilst clicking your heels together . . . . wait, that's another story.
We've been having some gorgeous weather here lately! Terrific summer weather, perfect for Wimbledon and for June. The garden is going great guns. All of my herbs are beautiful at the moment. I love it! The rocket is going crazy and we are taking advantage of all of that and treating ourselves to as many fresh salads as we can!
Just look at all of that freshness on that plate. Julliened raw parsnips and celeriac . . . paper thin celery and cucumber . . . hot little garden radishes . . . and fresh rocket.
'\ I partnered that goodness with some pan and oven roasted chicken breasts . . . skin on this time to help keep in the moistness . . . with a touch of thyme and garlic and a wee bit of butter for good measure . . .
Finished off with a beautifully healthy Buttermilk and Tarragon Dressing . . . using buttermilk, yogurt, a bit of lemon, some seasoning and lots of that beautiful tarragon from the garden. Tarragon partners so beautifully with chicken. I use it often in chicken braises and bakes . . . and it does a wonderful job in this simple dressing. It doesn't overpower any of the flavours, only enhances. I do hope that you will give it a go!
*Roasted Chicken Salad with a Buttermilk and Tarragon Dressing*
Serves 4
Healthy and delicious. Simple ingredients put together beautifully.
4 skin on boneless chicken breasts
freshly ground pepper and sea salt
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1 clove of garlic, lightly crushed
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
For the Salad:
2 small parsnips, peeled and then julienned
1 small celeriac, peeled and then julienned
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely sliced
a 4 inch piece of cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into
very thin half moons
a handful of red radishes, trimmed, cut in half and thinly sliced
a couple of handfuls of fresh baby rocket
For the Dressing:
60 ml of whole milk Greek yogurt (1/4 cup)
60ml of buttermilk (1/4 cup)
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
flaked sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste
pinch sugar
2 TBS chopped fresh tarragon
First
cook the chicken. Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F. Season the chicken
all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven proof
skillet. Once it begins to shimmer and is hot add the chicken breasts,
skin side down. Brown well on that side. Flip over. Add the butter,
garlic and thyme to the skillet. Bang the chicken into the oven (skin
side up) and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through and the
juices run clear. Baste several times with the pan juices during the
cooking time Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes.
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together.
Mix
the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add a bit of the
dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad between four chilled
plates. Cut the chicken breasts on the diagonal and fan out around the
salad. Drizzle all with the remaining dressing and serve immediately.
We eat a lot of chicken in this house. No surprise there. It's usually one of the cheapest meats to buy and it's pretty adaptable to all sorts of flavours and cooking styles. I used to only buy free range organic, but these days with a much tighter budget, I can no longer afford to be so fussy, and so I buy higher welfare chicken, which isn't the cheapest, but isn't the most expensive . . . and hopefully it is what it says on the label . . . and is actually higher welfare.
I cook a lot of breasts, but I do love thigh meat more. It is more succulent and has more flavour than the breast meat. It's lovely, skin on and bone in . . . roasted with nothing more than garlic, salt and pepper on it. , until the skin is crisp and crackling and the meat is juicy good. Finger licking good. You can't beat it in my opinion.
Today I opted for boneless skinless thighs. When you take the skin of a lean meat like chicken you have to protect it's juiciness somehow, and so I dredged them in a highly seasoned flour and lightly browned them in a skillet, until they were golden brown on both sides.
I popped them into a shallow casserole dish. I whisked together a jar of salsa (medium) with a heaped teaspoon of Chipotle Chili Paste, which gave the salsa a nice bit of heat and some smokiness. I divided that equally amongst the thighs, dolloping it on top. Then I got really naughty . . . I sprinkled the whole thing with cheese. Once baked the thighs were succulently tender (I love that in a thigh), nicely flavoured and spiced . . . and oozingly delicious with all of that melted gooey cheese on top. In short . . . it was a winner. I love it when that happens. Good food doesn't need to be complicated. It only has to taste good. Simples . . .
*Chipotle Baked Chicken Thighs*
Serves 4
Tender flavourful chicken in a spicy chipotle sauce, topped with cheese. Delicious!
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
70g of plain flour (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
oil for frying
1 jar of tomato salsa (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp chipotle chili paste (or less as desired)
4 ounces grated medium cheddar cheese or Jack cheese
Lime wedges and sour cream to serve (optional)
Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, black pepper and salt in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in this mixture, coating them on both sides. Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken thighs, presentation
side down and brown them over medium high heat. Flip them over and brown them on the undersides. Place them into a shallow baking dish, in a single layer.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Whisk together the tomato salsa and chili paste. Spoon this mixture over top of the chicken pieces, making sure each gets an equal amount. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes in the heated oven. Uncover and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake, uncovered for an additional 10 minutes longer, until the cheese has melted and the chicken juices run clear. Serve hot with or without lime wedges and sour cream. We like rice with this.
During the week, I like to keep suppers pretty much on the simple side. Mind you, if I am honest, I like to keep suppers pretty much on the simple side anyways.
I had way more than enough of complicated when I was working as a chef, more than enough to last a lifetime
That's not to say that I won't ever do complicated . . . just that complicated will be a rarity on my page because I can't be bothered for the most part!
That's not to say that I won't ever do complicated . . . just that complicated will be a rarity on my page because I can't be bothered for the most part!
Delicious and simple works for me!
Quick and easy also works for me. I save complicated for the weekend, or when we are having special guests.
Quick and easy also works for me. I save complicated for the weekend, or when we are having special guests.
That's why I just adore recipes like this one I am showing you here today. It's super simple, quick and easy . . . and delicious on top of it all.
AND . . . it all cooks in one pan, so clean up is a breeze! Not only that, but it is very economical.
AND . . . it all cooks in one pan, so clean up is a breeze! Not only that, but it is very economical.
With two large single boneless, skinless chicken breasts you can feed a family of four heartily and nobody will feel hard done by in the least!
With it's hearty chunks of chicken, chopped vegetables, noodles and that creamy sauce, it will have your family licking their chops and begging for more.
With it's hearty chunks of chicken, chopped vegetables, noodles and that creamy sauce, it will have your family licking their chops and begging for more.
Especially if you serve it up with some hot biscuits/scones. (I'll pop my mum's recipe down below. They're the best!) That's what we love to have with it. I guarantee everybody will be happy!
And that my friends, makes me happy. ☺
And that my friends, makes me happy. ☺
*Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet*
Serves 4
A delicious stove top casserole which is a real family pleaser! NO heating of the oven means the kitchen stays cool! Serve with fresh biscuits for a fabulous family style supper. Serves 4
450ml of chicken broth (2 cups)
1 tin of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk
1 TBS dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound flat noodles, broken if long
a handful of frozen petit pois
180g of grated strong cheddar cheese, divided (1 1/2 cups)
chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add the chopped vegetables. Cook, stirring, without browning over medium high heat until they beging to tenderize. Add the chicken. Season with some salt and black pepper.
Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the chicken is no longer pink, but don't allow it to brown. Add the chicken broth, soup, milk, parsley flakes, thyme, garlic powder and noodles. Stir well together. Bring to the boil, then reduce to low and allow to simmeror 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so to help keep the pasta from sticking together.
Add the peas during the last five minutes of cooking. Stir in 120g (1 cup) of the cheese and allow it to melt in. Remove from the heat and top with the remaining cheese. Cover and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
*Mom's Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes about 36
Printable Recipe
My mom makes the best baking powder biscuits in the world. Now you can too.
280g plain flour (4 cups)
8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
220g white shortening (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
335ml milk (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. You will need several large baking sheets. No need to grease them.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it in with two round bladed knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together the milk and eggs until well combined. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a fork until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the liquid. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with a sharp 2 inch round cutter, giving the cutter a sharp tap straight down and up without twisting. (Twisting will give you lop sided biscuits.) Place onto the baking sheets, leaving some space inbetween the biscuits for crispy all around biscuits, or close together for soft sided biscuits.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and browned. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. These also freeze really well.
Add the peas during the last five minutes of cooking. Stir in 120g (1 cup) of the cheese and allow it to melt in. Remove from the heat and top with the remaining cheese. Cover and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
*Mom's Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes about 36
Printable Recipe
My mom makes the best baking powder biscuits in the world. Now you can too.
280g plain flour (4 cups)
8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
220g white shortening (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
335ml milk (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. You will need several large baking sheets. No need to grease them.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it in with two round bladed knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together the milk and eggs until well combined. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a fork until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the liquid. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with a sharp 2 inch round cutter, giving the cutter a sharp tap straight down and up without twisting. (Twisting will give you lop sided biscuits.) Place onto the baking sheets, leaving some space inbetween the biscuits for crispy all around biscuits, or close together for soft sided biscuits.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and browned. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. These also freeze really well.
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I took advantage of some of the really nice weather we had this weekend and my TeFal ActiGrill to make us some really tasty grilled chicken sandwiches. Summer food. Bring it on!
You can pay a fortune for a chicken sandwich in those fast food places these days, and they all taste the same when it comes right down to it. These are a bit healthier I like to think and a hundred times more delicious!
They are also quite economical because with only two chicken breasts, you can make four sandwiches. The chicken marinates for an hour or so in a delicious honey mustard marinade, composed of two different mustards, honey and lemon juice. There is also bacon on them . . .
Not just any bacon however . . . candied pepper bacon that you make yourself. So easy to do and seriously scrummy as well. The chicken is grilled, brushed with barbecue sauce or not as you wish, and then they are put together, chicken, bacon . . . and a nice slice of cheese on top, which melts down over the hot bacon and chicken . . .
Serves on a toasted bun with some shredded lettuce and a mayo ranch sauce, these went down a real treat with the Toddster . . . and I confess I was also licking my chops. Who needs to go out to get a good Chicken sandwich . . . when you can get a tastier one at home??? Not us, that's for sure! This is great summer time food. I cooked mine indoors on the electric grill, but you could just as easily do them outdoors on the barbecue. This is sure to be a real winner!
*Grilled Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Sandwiches*
Serves 4
These are easy and quite, quite delicious. Perfect for an al fresco supper on the patio. Plan ahead as the chicken needs to marinate for several hours.
2 large single chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
4 dessert spoons of runny honey (1/2 cup)
2 dessert spoons of Dijon mustard (1/4 cup)
2 dessert spoons of grainy mustard (1/4 cup)
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, or as desired
the juice and zest of 1/2 large lemon
8 slices of streaky bacon, cut in half crosswise
2 TBS brown sugar
coarse black pepper
4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
(I used the dyed one this time for colour)
(I used the dyed one this time for colour)
barbecue sauce as desired
4 split and toasted buns
2 TBS ranch dressing
2 TBS mayonnaise
shredded lettuce
Using a very sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts horizontally through the middle. You will end up with 4 chicken escallops. Pound them lightly into a uniform size. Whisk the honey, both mustards, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce and lemon juice and zest together in a bowl. Add the chicken and swirl it around so that they are all coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, but no longer than 2 hours.
About 15 minutes before cooking, preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the bacon on top of the foil. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and sprinkle with the coarse black pepper. Roast in the heated oven for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it, until golden brown
and slightly crisped. Don't take your eye off it or it will burn. (You may not need the whole 10 minutes) Remove to a paper kitchen towel lined plate and keep warm.
Heat the grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any marinade in the bowl. Grill over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing with barbecue sauce as desired. During the last few minutes of grilling, place some bacon on top of each piece of chicken and top with a slice of cheese.
Allow the cheese to melt.
Mix the ranch dressing and mayonnaise together. Take your toasted buns and spread the bottoms of each with some of this mixture. Top with some shredded lettuce and one piece of chicken. Replace the tops and serve immediately.
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