Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
I confess we eat a lot of chicken in this house and if you have been reading my blog for any appreciable of time that won't be news to you. Sorry about that. It's affordable protein, adaptable to lots of flavours and techniques and we like it. It was a lot more expensive when I was a child. I don't think we had it very often then. It was a real treat and usually came in the form of a roast chicken . . .
We really love chicken in this house. It's quite an affordable meat and very adaptable, which is why I was really happy to receive the latest cookery book by Paul Gayler to review, entitled . . . "Chicken & Other Birds, from the perfect roast chicken to Asian-style duck breasts. Photography by Kevin Summers. This is a book that will get a lot of use.
There is something deeply satisfying about a buttery, breaded and spiced breast of chicken baked until crisp . . . yet still fork tender on the insides . . . served alongside of a crisp and flavourful slaw . . . eaten out on the patio on a nice summer's evening . . . and shared with the one you love.
This is the perfect summer supper pour deux. The bread crumbs . . . all savoury and buttery . . . gilding the chicken breasts in a golden crisp blanket . . . with just a hint of spice. It won't smack you in the face . . . but it's there . . .
The chicken all tender and moist beneath that buttery blanket . . . perfectly cooked . . . juicy and still succulent. I favour cornfed organic chicken myself . . . it has lots of flavour.
Don't feel guilty about those buttery crumbs . . . if you are going to take off the skin, you've just got to replace it with something flavourful to help keep that delicious chicken meat from drying out . . . you won't regret it . . .
And that slaw . . . crisp and slightly anisey flavoured . . . fennel goes so well in a summer slaw . . . don't you think??? Save a few of the tender fronds to garnish the slaw . . . I did and it looks so perfectly pretty . . .
With just enough tartness from the lemon juice, which helps to cut through the richness of the mayonnaise . . . the touch of caster sugar, just taking the edge off the lemon. But . . . you can leave it out if you would rather.
We prefer just a bit of sweetness . . . along with that tart lemon, nippy chives, refreshing parsley . . . and rich mayo . . . perfect with the fennel.
Did you know that there are male and female fennel bulbs??? There are . . . the long thin ones are males . . . the short rounder ones are female.
Moi . . . je préfère les femmes . . . they're prettier.
Just sayin, is all . . .
Can you not almost taste it now??? Crisp, buttery . . . moist chicken . . . with the perfect, crunchy and tangy slaw. I'll forgive you if you lick the screen . . . just don't let anyone else catch you . . .
*Crispy Baked Chicken for Two, with Fennel Slaw*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe
Crisp chicken, with a bit of a kick . . . served up with a tangy fennel slaw.
100g of soft white bread crumbs (1 1/2 cups)
50g of butter, melted (3 1/2 TBS)
1 tsp of smoked paprika with sweet red pepper and thyme * (see below)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 (200g) boneless, skinless chicken fillets (ab0ut 6 ounces each)
Fresh Lemon Wedges to serve
For the Slaw:
1 large bulb of fennel, very thinly sliced
2 TBS finely chopped fresh chives
a handful of fresh flat leaft parsley, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 TBS full fat mayonnaise
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp caster sugar
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have a baking dish lightly buttered and ready to use.
Place the chicken breasts, one at a time into a heavy duty zip lock bag. Bash them out a bit with a rolling pin. You want them about 1/3 of an inch all over. Place into the baking dish. Sprinkle with some salt and black pepper
Mix together the bread crumbs, butter and seasoning mix. Sprinkle this over top of the chicken fillets, dividing it equally amongst them.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and the juices run clear.
Make the fennel Slaw while the chicken is cooking. Slice the fennel really thinly into a bowl. (I use my mandoline.) Tip in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Stir in the fresh herbs, just before using.
Serve each chicken breast on a plate along with a portion of the fennel slaw and a few lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken fillets if desired.
*To make your own herb spice mixture:
1 TBS smoked paprika (Pimenton)
1 TBS dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp regular paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Stir all together and keep in a tightly covered container in a dark place.
I just adore this chicken dish, which is really quick and simple to make and oh so delicious! I just love peanut butter and the sauce in this is moreishly peanutty . . . I absolutely love it.
You can use smooth or chunky peanut butter as well. The recipe does call for smooth, but I often like to use the chunky one for more texture.
Not only is this delicious, but it is really REALLY quick to make which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight supper.
It's as simple and quick as cutting some chicken breasts into cubes and stir frying them, along with some sesame seeds . . .
Whisking together the sauce ingredients . . . and then stirring them into the cooked chicken and cooking until the sauce thickens and glazes and flavours every bit.
Some colour and texture is added with some chopped spring onions. Delicious, I guarantee! You can seriously have this on the table in less than about 20 minutes.
*Peanut Sauced Sesame Chicken*
Serves 4
Add the sesame seeds and cook for a further 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the peanut sauce and spring onions. Cook stirring until the mixture thickens. Serve over the cooked rice.
In the summer I like to cook meals that are quick and simple and that won't heat up the kitchen. I don't think I am alone in that. We do eat a lot of salads and such, but I also often like to make quick and easy skillet meals such as this Skillet Chicken and Rigatoni with Pesto.
Usually on Sundays I try to put something into the crockpot for dinner before I leave for church. We are always so starving by the time we get home, which usually isn't until about 2 PM! If I haven't been really organized and used the crockpot, we end up eating things we shouldn't because lets face it . . . by that time we don't care what goes into our mouths. We just want to fill that gap! Not to self . . . perhaps carry an apple in your church bag . . .
Sister Johansen who is another Senior Missionary here in the UK, said she really wanted to make this Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing recipe that she found on Pinterest, but wasn't sure if she actually could because they don't do boxed stuffing mix here. Well . . . they do, but it's not like any stuffing mix we are used to in North America. Over here in the UK, it is like cracker crumbs . . . I think it's called crumbled rusk. Anyways, like Sister Johansen, I didn't think it would work in this recipe.
And so I promised Sister Johansen that I would find a way to make it work. And guess what??? I did! I created my own stuffing mix. (You will find the recipe below.) And you know . . . it has to be better than anything storebought with artificial ingredients and additives. Well, that's my theory anyways!
It worked really well! Really, REALLY well. This was delicious and so simple to put together. All I had to do was add some potatoes and vegetables. Boiled baby potatoes and some steamed veg were just the trick. The leftovers the next day were even tastier.
*Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing*
Serves 6 to 8
*Herbed Stuffing Mix*
Makes about 12 cups
Some days it is just too hot to cook. I find really hot and sticky days just zap all of my energy and I just can't be asked to cook anything. Not complaining . . . just saying is all . . .
We had the most delicious chicken for lunch last week when we went to our friend's house. It was incredibly tasty, and I think it's pretty safe to say that nobody was worrying about calories that day! (What with this chicken dish and the Malva Pudding and all!) It's nice to indulge once in a while and this chicken was incredibly tasty. My friend Tina got the recipe from her daughter Kim and it was sooo good that I had to make it for the Missionaries when they came for tea. Once again no complaints. I am calling it Kim's Chicken Dish, but it really should be called the Flippingly Amazingly Delicous Chicken Dish!!
We eat a lot of chicken in my house. We really like chicken. It is incredibly versatile, and most of the time it is pretty affordable.
In today's economy that counts for a lot. I never find it boring because I have about a bazillion delicious ways to use it, like this recipe I am sharing with you here today for rice krispie coated chicken!
The kids are sure to love this one!
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
I was largely inspired in this by a recipe I found in a cookery book entitled, Recipes From My Mother for my Daughter, by Lisa Faulkner. I did adapt it to our own tastes and to what we enjoy.
For those of you who are not familiar with her, Lisa Faulkner is a British Television Presenter and actress. She also won the Celebrity MasterChef series in 2010, and is married to the Australian Celebrity Chef, John Torrode.
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
This is a fabulous recipe that, on its own, is quite delicious. It is also very adaptable to a variety of flavors and seasonings. Crispy coated chicken is something most people love.
Today I used lemon pepper seasoning to spice mine up, but you can keep it old school and simple, or add a curry seasoning if that is what you enjoy, chili seasoning, etc.
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
You can make it ahead and freeze it, ready to take out and reheat when you want a quick and easy supper. Although I live in a smaller household, I always make a full batch, just for this purpose.
After cooking, I pop the excess chicken into an airtight freezer container. You can put a piece of grease proof paper in between layers if you wish to keep them separated.
That way I can take out as many or as few as I need at any given time, ready to pop into a hot oven (400*F/200*C/gas mark 6) and reheat.
Much better than any frozen chicken fingers you can buy in the shops!
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RICE KRISPIE CHICKEN
Simple everyday ingredients. I almost always have these things in my store cupboard and larder.
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
- 10 cups (250g) crisp rice cereal, lightly crushed
- 1 cup (220g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon pepper herb seasoning
- salt to taste
To serve:
- mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, sweet chili sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, BBQ sauce,etc. for dipping
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
But there is so much more you can do with it than just these basic ingredients. There is an enormous variety of flavored mayonnaises on the market today . . . garlic, lemon, caramelized onion, sweet chili, etc. Those alone would make a delicious version.
There are all sorts of herbs that would be fabulous as well, if you are not fond of lemon pepper seasoning, and I appreciate that not everybody is.
Thyme, marjoram, tarragon . . . the tarragon would be especially good with the lemon mayonnaise, and I can see the thyme going well with a garlic mayonnaise. Chili powder would be fabulous with an onion or a garlic mayonnaise.
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
HOW TO MAKE RICE KRISPIE CHICKEN
Nothing could be simpler. Start by preheating the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a large baking tray, or line with baking parchment.
Put the cereal into a large bowl and crush.
Put the mayonnaise into a shallow bowl along with the mustard and seasonings. Mix well together. Put about half the crispies into another shallow bowl.
Cut the chicken into thick strips.
Coat the chicken strips first in the mayonnaise mixture and then roll them into the cereal (adding more cereal as you need).
Place the coated chicken pieces onto the prepared baking tray. Season lightly with salt if desired. Bake in the heated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning them over halfway through the bake time.
Serve hot with more mayonnaise, ranch dressing, sweet chili sauce, barbeque sauce, or your favorite sauce or dressing for dipping.
.jpg "Rice Krispie Chicken")
The end result of this quick and easy recipe is a delicious chicken, that is moist and tender inside, but crisp and crunchy on the outside. Perfect for dipping. Children love this, and I confess, I love to eat it with a salad and drizzle the dip/dressing over everything!
Some other quick and easy chicken recipes you might enjoy are:
Swiss Style Chicken. Filled with lovely flavours. This is a very simple dish. Tender moist chicken topped with a creamy mushroom sauce and gruyere cheese. Delicious served with baby peas and homemade roasted oven wedges.
Mediterranean Chicken Bites Mediterranean Chicken bites is a delicious, quick and easy way to get your chicken fix, mid-week. This chicken always turns out tender and is fabulously tasty.
Not only that but it is quick, quick, QUICK to make! Aside from the initial time of marinating the chicken, the cook time is a short 10 minutes. That's because the chicken is cut into small, tasty bites.
Rice Krispie Chicken
Yield: 4
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 27 MinTotal time: 37 Min
Sliced chicken breast is rolled in zippy seasoned mayonnaise and crushed crisp rice cereal and then baked to dipping perfection!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
- 10 cups (250g) crisp rice cereal, lightly crushed
- 1 cup (220g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon pepper herb seasoning
- salt to taste
To serve:
- mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, sweet chili sauce, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce,etc. for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a large baking tray, or line with baking parchment.
- Put the cereal into a large bowl and crush.
- Put the mayonnaise into a shallow bowl along with the mustard and seasonings. Mix well together.
- Put about half the crispies into another shallow bowl.
- Cut the chicken into thick strips.
- Coat the chicken strips first in the mayonnaise mixture and then roll them into the cereal (adding more cereal as you need).
- Place the dipped chicken pieces onto the prepared baking tray. Season lightly with salt if desired.
- Bake in the heated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning them over halfway through the bake time.
- Serve hot with more mayonnaise, ranch dressing, sweet chili sauce or barbeque sauce for dipping.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Are you ready for another delicious one pan chicken meal? I know I am. We do eat a lot of chicken in this house, but that is totally because it is economical, adaptable and delicious.
It never gets really boring. I would love to eat more beef or lamb, but in all honesty, it's not within my budget except for on very rare occasions these days.
You are going to love this casserole. Truly. It is simple and easy to do.
This simple recipe also uses things I am betting you have in your kitchen right now!
Cooked chicken. You can use leftovers from your Sunday Roast, or quite simply poach some boneless skinless chicken breasts.
I picked up a pack locally, for less than a fiver . . . which had four really large and meaty pieces of chicken in it. I poached them in some lightly salted water.
Just bring it to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes and then I let it cool down in the water until I can just handle it by hand. End result.
Perfectly moist and tender chicken breast meat. I used two, shredded, for this recipe . . . and I have two more chilling in the refrigerator for another recipe another day.
Two baking potatoes sliced thinly, along with some frozen peas, a delicious cream sauce and some crispy salad onions (like Durkee's French Fried Onions.)
And that's all you need. Truly.
Put together in just the right way, you end up with a truly delicious casserole that will have everyone scrambling for just a tiny bit more.
The recipe serves 6, but I just know people will want seconds to plan on using it for four. I do hope you will make it and that you will enjoy it as much as we do.
Crispy, buttery potatoes, layered just right with moist chicken and a deliciously creamy sauce and peas. What more could you want?
A nice chopped salad on the side and some crusty bread perhaps. Enjoy!
*Chicken and Garlic Potatoes Casserole*
Serves 6
Whisk in the stock, milk and cream. Season to taste with sage, thyme,
salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook, whisking constantly until
bubbling and thickened. Set aside.
Sprinkle the
chicken over them and then sprinkle on the remaining peas and onions.
Layer the remaining potatoes over top. Brush with the melted butter
and sprinkle with some garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and black
pepper. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake in the heated oven for one hour. Increase the temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Remove the foil and then bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes longer until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.
I hope that you will agree that this is a most delicious casserole. A great use of leftovers and a wonderful meal to make on any day for any occasion.
Simple ingredients done well and put together in the most delicious way. That's my promise to you!
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