Quick and Easy Baked Chicken Thighs

I've posted variations of this recipe before because it's pretty much my go to method for cooking chicken when I don't have the time or energy to get fancy. I've been in the habit of adding olive oil before the seasoning but for some reason I decided not to and I liked the way the skin crisped up without it. So that's the main difference between this recipe and the previous ones.

With this recipe you can buy the chicken on your way home, have it in the oven about 30 minutes after you arrive, prepare your sides while it is cooking, and have dinner on the table with minimal effort.

Home Cookin v9.81 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs QUICK AND EASY BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS 4 bone in chicken thighs with skin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer in a baking dish. Season to taste with the salt and pepper, followed by the garlic powder, paprika and thyme.

Cover and cook for 45 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature registers 165° F.

Remove from the oven and let sit at least ten minutes before serving.

4 April 2021

Exported from Home Cookin v9.81

Salmon en Papillote with Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

I am reviving something from my earlier blogging days that I called “Project Freezer Burn.” Now that I have a better idea of what’s in my freezer I am determined to start using it. First up was a packet of ethically caught salmon that had been in there for months, along with a packet of frozen organic Brussels sprouts and another packet of frozen organic carrots. I’ve never made anything en papillote before and this seemed like the perfect time to try it.

I cut four big pieces of parchment paper into giant hearts and layered the carrots, then the sprouts (both still mostly frozen), and finally the salmon over one half, seasoning after each layer.

I poured a bit of olive oil over the top and then finished it up with granulated garlic, paprika and dill.

I folded the other half of the heart over and crimped the edges to seal the packets.  I was just able to get all four of them on the one half baking sheet.

I baked them in a 375° F. oven for ten minutes. The sprouts and carrots had partly thawed and that was just long enough to cook them without turning them to mush and the salmon was not too well done for me. If you like your salmon well done you should probably cook them closer to twelve minutes. This comes together quickly for a weeknight dinner and also offers a wow moment for entertaining.

You can use other fish and other vegetables - whatever you have at hand. Just bear in mind how long each item needs to cook and adjust accordingly.

Home Cooking v9.81 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs SALMON EN PAPILLOTE WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CARROTS 4 Salmon fillets
2 Tbsp olive oil (approximately)
1 10-oz package frozen brussels sprouts, thawed enough to slice in half lengthwise
1 10-oz package frozen sliced carrots
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp of granulated garlic powder
2 tsp of dill
2 tsp of paprika

Additional items:
4 large sheets parchment paper

Fold the parchment paper in half widthwise and cut out half a heart shape. Combine the spices into a small bowl and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Lay one-fourth of the carrot slices over the bottom of one half of the heart, followed by one-fourth of the Brussels sprouts halves. Season with salt and pepper. Lay one salmon fillet over the center and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of the spices over the fish and what vegetables are exposed.

Close the heart and crimp the edges together, making sure the packet is tightly sealed. Carefully place the packet on a half-sheet size baking pan.

Repeat with the remaining three fillets, laying them evenly on the baking sheet without overlapping.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove form the oven and place each pouch on a plate. Serve immediately, slitting the pouch open carefully.

adapted from this recipe: https://www.jessicagavin.com/salmon-en-papillote-vegetables/

exported from Home Cookin v9.81

Fast and Easy Baked Chicken Thighs

I thought I would share with you what has become my standard baked chicken recipe.  It takes minutes to prepare and you can make rice and whatever vegetables or salad you want to go with it while it is baking.  You can use skinless if you prefer, but that is pretty much my favorite part of the chicken so I always use skin-on pieces and folks can remove it if they don't want to eat it.

This recipe offers a huge return of flavor for minimal effort.  I make it just about once a week.  Once you try it I am sure it will become a regular part of your dinner rotations as well.

Home Cookin v9.76 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs
BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS 6 to 8 bone in chicken thighs with skin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder
1 - 2 tsp paprika
1 - 2 tsp thyme

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer in a baking dish. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 30 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature registers 165° F.

Remove from the oven and let sit at least ten minutes before serving.

November 14, 2019

exported from Home Cookin v9.76 (http://www.mountainsoftware.com/homecook.php)

Braised Chicken Thighs with Marinated Artichokes

I bookmarked and saved this recipe a few years ago and recently had the opportunity to make it.  It was an unqualified success.  There is a little bit of work involved, as you sear the chicken thighs skin-side down before baking, but other than that it is a simple dish and even with that extra step I was able to make it for guests on a weeknight after work.  And if you really don't want to put in the extra effort of browning the skin I have it on good authority that you can skip that step and it will still turn out delicious.  So for company, I would take that extra step but when it's just for family I will most likely skip it.

But I will definitely be making it again.  For such a simple dish there is a large "wow" factor that makes it perfect for entertaining, as you can see in this photo, which I think looks just as good, if not better, than the original recipe!

The cooking juices are on the thin side so I served it over rice.  It was the right decision, although it would also be good with roasted new potatoes, I am thinking.


You can find the recipe here.  I pretty much followed it exactly as written.  If you do too you will not be disappointed.

Yogurt and Harissa Roasted Chicken

I am not eating much meat these days, but I could not resist the chance to roast some chicken with the harissa I made for our March spice potluck.  I just knew it had to be tasty, so I went looking online for some suggestions.  What I found mirrored the ingredients I was already contemplating so I winged it and came up with my own version.

The result was a juicy tender bird that was quite flavorful; however, I would use more of the harissa in the marinade.  But I just added more as I ate it, so it was not that critical. 

Here is the bird with the yogurt marinade added just before getting closed up and put into the refrigerator for the day.  It was a quick enough process that I was able to find the time to get it ready in the morning before leaving for work, so by the time I got home it was ready to go right into the oven and be roasting while I made some whole wheat couscous with zucchini to accompany it.

Yogurt and Harissa Roasted Chicken would make a lovely dish for company, but it is easy enough to make any time.  As a matter of fact, I have already made it twice.
Home Cookin v.8.67 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs

YOGURT MARINATED ROAST CHICKEN WITH HARISSA
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
2 Tbsp ginger garlic paste, or 1 Tbsp each of chopped garlic and chopped ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste
1 whole chicken
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp preserved lemons (optional)
2 Tbsp harissa, or to taste

Salt the chicken generously and place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the rest of the ingredients and massage them through the bag into the chicken. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit out for at least 15 minutes (but no more than two hours). Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and place it on the rack of a roasting pan.

Roast the chicken for 15 minutes at 425°, then lower the heat to 350° F. and continue to bake until the interior temperature of the thigh reaches 160° F.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes befrore carving.

adapted from a recipe found at www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/yogurt-marinated-grilled-chicken-with-harissa-recipe.html

exported from Home Cooking v.8.67 (www.mountain-software.com)

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

There are times when our long lingering winters get to me more than others.  When that happens, I look for something light and fresh to eat so I can fool myself into thinking that spring really is just around the corner.

I put this dish together last April, after one of the worst winters I can remember in Chicago.  We still had winter conditions and it seemed that spring would never come.  So I made this chicken and broccoli stirfry for dinner and - lo and behold! - spring arrived the very next day.

As if.  But it did help me feel better.  And now that we are once again in the throes of what seems like a never-ending (and is indeed a record-breaking) winter, I plan to make me a stirfry tonight and see if I can't work that magic again.  Maybe if we all stirfry tonight spring really will come tomorrow.

I know.  Sigh.  But I'll be happier regardless.

Home Cookin 8.62 Chapter: My Recipes

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIRFRY

Makes 4 servings

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 3/4 lb.)
2 Tbsp cornstarch, separated
3 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
2 Tbsp garlic/ginger paste*
4 cups broccoli florets
1/2 lb snow peas
6 green onions, separated, whites thinly sliced and greens sliced
about 1/2-inch thick
2 Tbsp sweet sherry
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 fresno or other small fresh chili, quartered and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

*or:
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger

Fill a three-quart saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the broccoli florets. Turn off the heat, cover them immediately and let the pan sit for four minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, then set aside.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces, keeping the size as uniform as possible. Place in a small bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon of the cornstarch. Set aside. Combine the sherry, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, combine a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir to make a slurry.

When all of the ingredients are ready, place a wok over high heat and let it sit until smoke begins to rise from the bottom. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl around to evenly coat, then add the chicken. Cook, stirring continuously, until the chicken pieces are cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the remaining peanut oil to the wok, then the garlic/ginger paste. Stir for a few seconds and then add the broccoli. Stirfry for 2 to 3 few minutes. Add the snow peas and stirfry for a minute more, then add the white parts of the green onions and the fresno chili and stirfry one more minute. Add the chicken back into the wok and stirfry for another minute. Add the walnuts, then pour in the sherry, soy sauce and vinegar mixture and cook until the liquid is boiling. Add the cornstarch slurry and stirfry until the liquid has thickened to the desired consistency.

Remove the wok from the heat and add the sesame oil, sesame seeds and the tops of the green onions. Serve immediately.

06/09/2014

Exported from Home Cookin 8.62 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Baking Class: Baked Fish

Once again the holidays are upon us and the year seems to have flown by faster than ever.  I read recently that time seems to pass more quickly as we get older due to the fact that we have simply experienced everything so many more times that each event tends to blend together with the preceding years' worth of events.  It is far easier to remember your first ten holidays than the 30- 40- 50-plus that accumulate over time.  There are some particularly memorable holidays that stand out for various reasons, but other than that I would be hard pressed to remember a holiday for a specific year.

An unpleasant side effect of how quickly time seems to pass these days is that I feel like I have less time to get everything done.  So I am always grateful to find a new way to cook that is fast and easy and gets dinner on the table in about half an hour.  And I am especially pleased to have found a way to cook fish so quickly and easily, as I am always trying to incorporate more of that into my diet and it was not around our kitchen much when I was young (other than that awful frozen block of haddock/halibut that my mother tried to pass off as dinner when we were kids.)

When I saw the halibut at the fish counter I was a bit trepidatious, as I am pretty sure that was one of the awful bland mushy frozen blocks of fish my mother used to cook, but it looked so fresh and so good that I decided it was worth the risk.  I brought it home, placed it on a foil-lined baking sheet, seasoned it, poured a little olive oil over it, added a couple of tablespoon's worth of za'atar, and baked it for about 15-20 minutes.

The result was spectacular.  It was cooked all the way through with a firm texture but still moist, and the za'atar added a marvelous burst of flavor.  And it was so quick to prepare and cook that I have since baked many pieces of fish this way.

The beauty of this "recipe" is that is extremely versatile.  You can use any firm fish and any combination of herbs or spices that you have handy or for which you are in the mood.  I have used fresh thyme, fresh dill, ginger and garlic, or a combination of dried herbs, all with great success.  It is virtually foolproof.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipe

BAKED FISH

Makes 3-4 servings
3/4 to 1 lb firm fish fillets (halibut, haddock, salmon, arctic char)
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 Tbsp fresh or dried herbs, or a spice blend

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay the fish skin side down on it. Season with the salt and pepper, then pour the oil over it so it spreads evenly across it. Sprinkle the herbs or spices over it.

Place it on a rack in the middle of the oven and bak for 15 to 20 minutes, until the flesh is just firm. Remove from the oven and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

9/27/2014

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Slow Cooker Honey Orange Chicken Drumsticks

I was recently offered the opportunity by Hamilton Beach to review their Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker.  Every few years or so I get the urge to use one, so I thought "why not?"  I responded to the offer and within two days I was looking at a brand new slow cooker.

Full disclosure:  I have not had much success with slow cookers in the past, other than keeping Chili con Queso warm and dippable at parties.  They are also good for cooking dried beans and making stock, but I have not been a big fan of any other dishes I have tried to make in them.

I think one of the reasons I was not a big fan of them for much else is because they tend to cook everything to the same consistency, and vegetables always came out overcooked with an odd taste that seemed to come from a lack of oxygen caused by the seal created by the process.  I am sure that is not the case, but psychologically that is the best way that I can explain how it tastes to me - as if the vegetables suffocated for lack of oxygen.  And because I did not like the way vegetables came out, I wasn't going to risk more expensive items like meat, especially if it was going to have that weird aftertaste.  So I would use it for a few reliable dishes every now and then, try a vegetable dish, get put off by that weird aftertaste, and put it back into storage for another few years.

I was somewhat hesitant to take advantage of this offer for that reason, but then I decided maybe it would be good for me to try it.  I know the technology has changed quite a bit since the last time I bought a slow cooker, so I decided to request a review model.

This is not new to the slow cooker world, but I have not had an oval model before and I liked that right away.  It seemed to suggest meat, being shaped more like a roaster, so I decided to make my test recipe a meat-based dish, both to give it a fair shake and to meet the "fall cooking and bringing families back to the dinner table theme."  I was also curious to try the probe, which allows you to program the cooker to switch to the warm setting once the dish reaches the desired temperature. 

To give it a fair shake, I tried a few recipes to put it through its paces.  I used the manual setting, the programmed setting, and the probe.  I cooked a pork shoulder, chicken, and vegetables.  The eggplant and peppers came out with that weird aftertaste I get with all vegetable dishes.  I used the programmable setting for the pork shoulder and that came out just fine.

But what makes the Set & Forget worthwhile to me is the Probe setting.  I used it for making the Honey Orange Chicken Drumsticks pictured above, and it was delicious.  The chicken was cooked through but not overdone as my chicken so often is, since I did not have to worry about undercooking it.

I found the recipe in the May/June issue of Eating Well magazine.  There were actually a few slow cooker recipes in that issue that looked appealing.  It was easy to make and delicious.  I served it over cilantro rice (which is my dill rice with lime and cilantro in place of the lemon and dill) with my Napa Cabbage Salad with Snow Peas and Toasted Almonds on the side.  It was a big hit and the leftovers travelled well for workday lunches the next day.

The bottom line?  While I wouldn't say that it is a necessary appliance and you should run out and get one right away, I am glad that I have it and will continue to use it, especially for braised meats.  If you are a heavy slow cooker user and are looking for a new one, this would be a good choice.

I did not make any changes to the original recipe so that I could be more objective in my review of the slow cooker, so I will just point you in its direction.  You can find it here. (My photo will definitely suffer in comparison to the original, but I can assure you that it had no impact whatsoever on the way it tasted.

Poached Fish with Tomato and Saffron

A few weeks ago I was talking with the fish guy at Whole Foods, as has become my habit.  I don't know all that much about cooking fish and have been reluctant to tackle it at home.  In the past, when I ate out more often, I would make a point of ordering fish whenever possible partly to avoid having to prepare it at home but still be able to enjoy it on a somewhat regular basis.

It is no surprise that I have so little experience with fish.  The only fish we had at home when I was growing up was canned salmon, canned tuna, and some solid frozen block of tasteless mush that seemed common in the '70s - halibut or haddock or something like that.  The canned tuna went into a pretty decent salad but the salmon went into an especially dreadful dinnertime nemesis of mine:  the dreaded salmon croquette.  And the block of fish ice went into the oven as is and then was splashed with lemon juice (bottled) just before serving.  It was pretty disgusting.  Like most children in America, the only fish I truly liked was fish sticks, and that was mainly as a vehicle for tartar sauce.  As an adult, that morphed into a love for breaded fried fish and that was pretty much it for me.

These days I eat all kinds of fish - fried, grilled, broiled, poached; even raw.  It took some getting used to, but I love sushi and tuna tartare.  Basically, if someone else is preparing it for me, I love all fish.

Sadly, however, these days the only way I'm likely to have fish is if I prepare it myself.  The first technique I learned was how to broil it; mostly salmon and the occasional tilapia.  To my mind, there is little finer in the world than a nice piece of salmon seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and dill and broiled just to the barest hint of doneness.  Whenever I wanted fish I would hope that the salmon or tilapia looked good and if it didn't I would change my dinner plans.

I've been looking to expand my repertoire, both with techniques and with kinds of fish, and I found a recipe I had pulled out of Bon Appetit a while ago for poached cod with tomato and saffron.  I decided to try it on some cod I had finally mustered the courage to purchase, and was pleased with the results.  So pleased that I started looking for opportunities to purchase firm white-fleshed fish so I could practice some more, and fiddle with the recipe as is my wont, and poaching has become a staple in my repertoire.

There have been a few occasions when I was browsing the fish department when I ran across paiche .  I had never heard of it before, so I asked what it was.  Turns out it is a large white-fleshed fish native to the Amazon that has barely changed from the Miocene epoch thousands of years ago.  All I knew was that it looked good so I brought some home with me.  It made for a most flavorful dish.

This recipe is quick and easy, and only takes about half an hour from start to finish.  It is a perfect dinner for those nights when you want something special but don't have a lot of time or energy for anything complicated.

Home Cookin 8.58 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs

POACHED FISH WITH TOMATO AND SAFFRON

2 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced - OR - 1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced - OR - both
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper, or to taste (or red chili flakes)
1 to 2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
pinch of saffron threads
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 5-oz. skinless firm-fleshed fish fillets

Drop the saffron threads in 1/4 cup of warm water and let steep while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and/or onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is just translucent. Do not let it color.

Add the Aleppo pepper and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the saffron water, wine and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper,

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Season the fish and place it in the skillet. Cover the skillet and let the fish simmer until it is opaque and starting to flake, 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the pieces.

Serve the fish in shallow bowls with the poaching liquid spponed over it.

Adapted from http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/poached-cod-with-tomato-and-saffron

exported from Home Cooking 8.58 (www.mountain-software.com)

Chicken Pizza

Every once in a while we order pizza for our end-of-month lunch at work, and it is a challenge to find the right mix of toppings for a group that contains vegetarians and various allergies. I usually ask around to get a general idea of what will fly before I place the order.  The last time, when I asked one of my more challenged co-workers what pizza she could eat, she said "chicken." When I asked what she liked with it, she said "Just chicken. Nothing else."

I didn't think that would work well for everyone, so I just ordered chicken on half of a pizza. To my surprise, it was the first to go and folks were commenting on how good it was. So I think I will order a whole one next time.

And it got me thinking about my tendency to overdo in the kitchen. Whenever I start to think of a new combination of flavors, I start with two things that will go well together but before I know it, I keep adding items until I have created a virtual monster. And I will often end up with a mish-mash of flavors that add up to much less than the sum of their parts.

So I decided to make a chicken pizza. A just-chicken pizza. And it was fantastic. The sauce and cheese created the perfect backdrop to let the chicken shine. Sometimes less truly is more.

CHICKEN PIZZA

Makes 2 pizzas

1 batch pizza dough (recipe below or click here to see how to do it)
3/4 lb cooked chicken, cubed
1 cup marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Make pizza dough.  Move a rack to the bottom slot of the oven and preheat it to 550 deg. F. Shape the dough to the desired size. Top with the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add the mozzarella cheese and the chicken, then spread the Parmesan cheese over everything. (If you are making two pizzas, use half of the ingredients for each pizza.) Bake the pizza for 18 to 20 minutes, until it is browned and bubbling.

Serve hot.

PIZZA DOUGH

Makes 2 small pizzas

1-1/4 cup warm water (105 - 115 deg. F.)
1 Tbsp active dry yeast (or two 1/4-oz. packets)
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white bread flour, plus more for kneading
1/2 cup semolina flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
cornmeal, for dusting the baking sheet

Combine the flours, salt and sugar in a small bowl and whisk together to mix well. Place warm water in a large bowl and add the yeast, whisking it together. Add the oil, and then the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.

Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and set the bowl aside. Bring the dough together into a ball and knead, sprinkling more flour over the dough if necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic and is just at the point where it is not sticking to your hands. Try not to add too much flour. Cut in half and make two balls. Dust with flour and put each ball into a plastic bag (leaving room for it to rise) and put the balls in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the pizza. If you are making the pizzas right away, then just put the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it to make sure it is covered with the oil, and let it rise until doubled, about one-and-a-half hours.

You can also freeze the dough at this point. Just give it time to defrost before you get to work.

Follow the directions for the pizza you are making.

adapted from the recipe on the package of Bob's Red Mill Unbleached White Flour.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com

Mannok Kadon Pika (Spicy Chicken Stew)

Here's one of the things I love about my job.  My co-worker was going to Guam on business, and a short while before he was scheduled to leave he was in my office.  We started talking about his upcoming trip, and I mentioned that I didn't really know anything about the cuisine of Guam.

"I've been looking it up," he said.  "It's called Chamorro and I'm really excited to try it."

And thus was born my interest in Chamorro cuisine.  I started looking around online and found a few cool sites.  And some interesting recipes, like this Mannok Kadon Pika.  It looked fairly easy and straightforward and I already had most of the ingredients on hand.  What I especially like about it, though, is that there are so relatively few ingredients involved.  And you just put everything in a pot, let it cook, thicken the sauce, add the coconut milk and you are good to go. 

The original recipe calls for the donne sali pepper, which is indigenous to the area.  I found very little information on that, but judging by information I found on my searches it is similar to the Thai bird chili.  At least that is what I am telling myself, as those are all I have been able to find here in Chicago.

Some recipes I found have you thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry; others don't.  The first time I made it I did not thicken the sauce, and it was a little thin.  The next time I did thicken it, and I found that it worked better for me.

And it really rocked over vegetable fried (brown) rice.

Home Cookin Chapter:  Poultry

MANNOK KADON PIKA (SPICY CHICKEN STEW)

Makes 4 servings

8 chicken thighs
1/4 cup soy sauce
2/ Tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
2 Thai chili peppers (optional)
1 Tbsp corn starch mixed with 1 Tbsp water (optional)
1 cup coconut milk
green onion, sliced, for garnish

Put the chicken in a large plastic bag and add the soy sauce, vinegar, onion, garlic and black pepper.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Place the chicken and the marinade into a large saucepan, add the chili peppers, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the chicken is just done, about 40 - 50 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid, discard as much of the fat as you can, and cook the sauce for another 10 to 20 minutes, until it has reduced and thickened.  Serve over hot rice garnished with sliced green onions.

adapted from this recipe found on Guampedia.com: http://guampedia.com/mannok-kadon-pika-recipe/

Exported from Home Cookin 7.50 (www.mountain-software.com)

Simple and Satisfying: Baked Chicken with Vegetables

Chicken Baked with Vegetables is the perfect example of how to use what you have to make something delicious, and also illustrates that you do not need a recipe to come up with a quick, delicious dinner.

My project to cook more vegetables fell by the wayside a little just before the holidays, and I was having some trouble getting back into the habit of having them on a regular basis.  I decided it was time to get back on track with that, so last week I made a point of buying a broad range of produce so I would have no excuse to get cooking.

I bought:

a fennel bulb
zucchini
organic yellow pepper (on sale)
organic orange pepper (on sale)
chayote (reduced for quick sale)

I already had onion and garlic on hand.  I had a vague idea of roasting the vegetables but was having some trouble coming up with a method.  Saturday morning I finally had the brainstorm to cook the vegetables with chicken, so I went down to the Apple Market and bought four leg quarters.  Once I had the chicken, everything fell into place.

I will post a recipe for this, but it should be looked at as more of a template than an item-by-item list of ingredients.  I used the crushed tomatoes because I had some leftover from a previous dish.  If I did not have them, I would not have used them and might have added some broth or a little more olive oil.  If I did not have the fresh dill I would have added dried basil or marjoram to the thyme.  If I did not have the fennel and the peppers I would have used potatoes and carrots. If I didn't have the chicken I would have cooked the vegetables alone and served them alongside whatever meat I was using, and if I didn't have any meat I would add some legumes and serve it with brown rice or pasta to make a complete protein.

I purposely used a large amount of vegetables in comparison to the chicken.  That satisfies my goal of eating more vegetables and keeps this dish relatively low in calories and high in fiber.  It  couldn't be any easier and the possibilities are endless.  Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

BAKED CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

Makes 4 servings

4 chicken leg quarters
1 head of garlic's worth of cloves, peeled
1 large onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 fennel bulb, cut into large pieces
2 chayote squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and sliced 3/4-inch thick
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 orange pepepr, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper
1-1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F.

Arrange the vegetables in a 13" by 9" baking dish.  Season to taste with the salt and pepper, then crumble the dried thyme on top.  Sprinkle the olive oil over the vegetables.

Lay the chicken quarters over the vegetables, then season with the salt and pepper.  Pour the crushed tomatoes over the chicken, then sprinkle the chopped dill over the tomatoes.

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and cook another 40 to 45 minutes uncovered, until the skin is crispy and the juices from the chicken run clear.

2/23/2013

Exported from Home Cookin 7.47 (www.mountain-software.com)

Simple and Satisfying: Sinigang

I love how serendipitous life can be.  At our holiday party this year I was sitting at a table where the talk turned to food.  One of my co-workers was talking about the Filipino foods he grew up eating and every once in a while he would turn to the woman who was sitting between us and ask "Have you had that?"  Her response every time was yes, so I started wondering how she had come to be so familiar with Filipino cuisine.  I finally had to ask her, and it turns out that her husband is Filipino.

One of the dishes they were discussing, called Sinigang, sounded especially interesting to me, so I asked her if she would bring me the recipe when she had a chance.  She got up from the table, went looking for paper and a pen, and sat down right then and there and wrote it out for me.  I put it in my pocket and brought it home, then promptly forgot about it.

That weekend I met a friend for breakfast and after a couple of hours of catching up we decided to walk down the street to Whole Foods.  I had no meal plans for the week and was getting ready for my annual pilgrimage to Austin so I didn't want to load up with too many groceries.  As I was thinking about what I already had in the kitchen and what I might need, I realized that I already had most of the ingredients to make Sinigang so I bought the few items I still needed, hoping that I was not forgetting anything.

Sinigang is the perfect thing to make when you want something hearty and satisfying but do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  It comes together quickly and easily and is a perfect one-dish meal for a cold winter's day.  It is usually made with fish or pork, but it sure was tasty with the chicken.  The tamarind gives it a fresh citrus flavor that can be achieved with lime juice of you do not have access to tamarind paste. I usually have it on hand now that I am making my own Worcestershire sauce and am always looking for other ways to use it and this is a particularly delicious way to use it. In fact, it would be worth having the tamarind paste hanging around the pantry just for this dish alone.

And it would make an excellent New Year's Day lunch or dinner.

Home Cookin Chapter: Poultry

SINIGANG

Makes 4 servings

2 lbs chicken thighs
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 whole banana peppers
1 lb chopped leafy greens, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp tamarind paste
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken in a large dutch oven and add enough water to barely cover.  Season with salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions and saute until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

After the chicken has been simmering for the 20 minutes, add the onion garlic and ginger mixture to the pot, then the tomatoes and banana pepper(s).  Bring back to a boil, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes.  Add the greens and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is done.

Add the tamarind and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately over rice.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Corn Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli

Woohoo!  Another company lunch with too much chicken left over.  I was able to take home about a pound's worth of meat and as much again of bone.  Truth to tell, I am more interested in the bones than the meat at this point, since I am always looking for scraps for stock.  I also scored about 1-1/2 onions, already sliced up, also for stock.  I will have to get busy this weekend.

What to do with the meat?  I thought about making another batch of the chili chicken sauce I made last time I brought the chicken home.  That was delicious served over polenta.  The only problem is that I already had planned to make my corn casserole, and that is so close to polenta that it didn't make sense to have both at the same time.

I didn't see any reason why I couldn't add the chicken to the corn casserole, though, in addition to the baby broccoli I was already planning to add.  I thought it might come close to a cheesy chicken broccoli casserole my sister used to make, only healthier without the canned cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup that go into that recipe.

I was a little worried that it might be too many ingredients for the base cornmeal, egg, butter and yogurt mixture to handle without getting too dry, but I added a little white wine and that seemed to do the trick.

One other change I made - instead of using the can of mild chopped green chilies that usually goes into my corn casserole, I used a pickled jalapeno (and yes, I did pickle it myself - more on that later).  I found the jalapenos at the Leaning Shed Farm stall at the Green Market, and they are super hot.  So hot that I added a dollop of yogurt to help soothe my palate.  It was perfect.

Because I added almost twice as much volume to the casserole with the chicken and broccoli, I baked it in an 8 x 11" dish instead of the 1.5-quart round dish I usually use.  It was a smart decision.

Adding the chicken and broccoli takes this from a great side dish to a satisfactory meal in itself.  It's a great way to use up leftover chicken.  And it is just as easy to make as the meatless version.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

CORN CASSEROLE WITH CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI Makes 6 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Approximately 1 lb broccoli, separted, stems thinly sliced and tops cut into small florets
1-2 cups diced cooked chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup corn kernels, divided
2 eggs
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup cornmeal
4-oz can chopped green chilies or 1 pickled jalapeno, chopped
1 cup cheese, diced or grated
1-1/4 tsp salt
Additional yogurt for garnish

Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and the broccoli stems and cook until the stems are tender, another 5 minutes.  Add the chicken and broccoli florets and season to taste with the salt and pepper.  Add the wine and the broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low heat covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool while you put together the rest of the dish.

Puree the butter, 1 cup of the corn, and the eggs in a blender or food processor.  Pour into a bowl and add the yogurt, cornmeal, chilies, cheese, salt and the rest of the corn and stir together.  Fold in the cooled chicken and broccoli mixture.

Pour into a buttered 9 x 12" baking dish.  Bake at 350 deg. F. for about 40 minutes, until the top has set and has just started to brown.

Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt or crema fresca, if desired.

10/27/2012

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Chicken with Mustard and Apricots

This is a seasonal dish that I have been working on for a couple of years. As soon as apricots come into season, I buy some and cook them with chicken and thyme. It is a good combination, with the potential to be great, but I have not yet found the perfect proportion of the ingredients to make everything shine together.

This year it was close, I think. I put a layer of roughly chopped onion and a head's worth of garlic cloves in the bottom of the baking dish, then added several sprigs of fresh thyme. To that I added about a cup of sliced apricots. I seasoned with salt and pepper, then sprinkled olive oil over the top. I then had the brilliant idea of adding some of my homemade mustard, so a few tablespoons of that as well.

I layered the seasoned chicken (I use the leg quarters, as that is my favorite part of the chicken), and then inserted fresh thyme and sliced apricots between the skin and the meat. I covered the chickens with more mustard and sprinkled more thyme around the dish, then added another cup of sliced apricots.

I baked the chicken at 375 deg. F. for 45 minutes, then lowered the heat to 350 deg. F. and baked for another 30 minutes, until the skin was browned and crisp.

The result was good, but not great. I think the main reason I did not hit it out of the park is that I used too much of the mustard, or at the very least, did not add any honey or sugar to help offset the acidity of that particular mustard. It was a little too tart, and the flavor was overpowering instead of enhancing. It could also have used a little more thyme.

I was going to add the first of the season's new potatoes to bake with the chicken, but I forgot about them until the chicken was halfway baked. Instead, I removed the onions (but not the garlic!) from the cooking liquid, put it into a saucepan, and cooked the potatoes in that. And again, the acidity from the mustard was a little too much, but it was otherwise good.

And I had no trouble whatsoever eating the results of this experiment. Depending on how long the apricot season is this year, I might try it again now instead of waiting until next year. But whether it's this year or not, I believe my next attempt will be the keeper.

How Chickens are Processed

If, like me, you are interested in knowing from where your food comes but don't have easy access to any providers, you should check out this piece by Mark Ruhlman on how chickens are processed in a small operation.

Ruhlman visited Schmidt Family Farms in Medina, Ohio, a small organic farm that gives space in the summer to Bradley Cramer to raise chickens. The pictorial essay and accompanying video are interesting and informational.

Chili Chicken Sauce

Here is an excellent example of how to cook with what you have. I made salsa over the weekend, but even after giving some away I had more than I needed. I did not want to buy chips so I thought about what I could make to go with it that would constitute a meal, not a snack.

My answer? Oven-baked three-cheese polenta. I love this method of making polenta. It is so simple, and comes out perfectly every time. And, it allowed me to go back to using regular cornmeal instead of the much more expensive instant polenta I was buying to avoid having to stir that thick, gloopy mixture for 45 minutes. If you haven't tried this method, you really should. I will be forever grateful to Sarah Moulton for sharing this recipe on her show "Sarah's Secrets for Weeknight Meals." It has changed my cooking life.

It made for a decent dinner, if not an incredibly exciting one. And then we had our monthly lunch at work, which left us with a mountain of leftovers, some of which was grilled Greek chicken with lemon and oregano flavors. There was so much chicken left over, as a matter of fact, that there was still some left on Friday. I took it home with me, thinking that if nothing else I could make stock with the bones.

But the chicken was still good and I started thinking about ways I could use it. I also had leftover pureed tomatoes in the refrigerator and fresh cilantro in the vegetable crisper. Add those to the polenta and salsa, and I realized I had the makings for a tomato-based Mexican-inspired sauce that would be the perfect complement for the polenta and salsa. The lemon and oregano seasonings on the chicken would also complement a Mexican-themed dish.

The result was delicious, and turned a decent meal into a fantastic meal. This sauce is full of flavor, and would work just as well over rice, pasta, tortillas. In fact, it would make some killer enchiladas.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

CHILI CHICKEN SAUCEMakes 6 servings

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons oregano
1 28-oz can tomatoes, cushed, diced or whole
1 pound cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salsa

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for a minute or two, then add the garlic. Continue to cook until the onions are translucent. Add the cumin and cook, stirring constantly,
for a minute, being careful not to burn the cumin. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.

Add the chicken and continue to cook until it is heated through. Add the cilantro and remove from the heat.

Serve over polenta, topped with salsa and garnished with more cilantro, if desired.

02/04/2012

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)