Category Archives: Chicken

Chicken Simmered with Black Olives and Rosemary

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Chicken_with_Black_Olives_and_Rosemary1 (1 of 1)This is a simple-to-prepare chicken recipe. The list of ingredients is short (at least among my posts), but these ingredients combine very well into a delicious dish. A very important component is the anchovy paste — it does not add any sort of a fishy flavor, but rather an important “depth of flavor,” so don’t skip it! If you have whole anchovy filets, you can substitute 2 filets for the paste. A wonderful Mediterranean take on chicken, hope you’ll give it a try!

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Combine chicken with salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk flour into white wine and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or similar pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on Chicken_with_Black_Olives_and_Rosemary2 (1 of 1)all sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, rosemary and white wine/flour mixture. Cover pan, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Add olives and anchovy paste to the chicken mixture; stir well. Cover pan and simmer gently another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in red wine vinegar. Season with additional salt, if desired. Serve with pasta,  white rice, or pane di casa.

Serves 4.

 

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Khmer-Style Chicken Curry

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Khmer_Chicken_Curry3 (1 of 1)This very flavorful curry dish is served in Cambodia, where it is called samlá. I believe the original version would use a ton of fresh galangal — ginger works fine, as well. I added a touch of galangal (Laos) powder (which I keep in the pantry) to add that woody delicious aroma of galangal. I prefer this curry rather fiery, but if you like it milder, you can cut down on the Thai chilies. If you like curry, you must try this dish and let me know what you think!

4 inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced cross-wise
3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed, bottom 6 inches finely chopped
2 – 4 dried Thai chilies, soaked in hot water 20 minutes, then finely chopped
1/2 tsp Thai shrimp paste
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated lime rind
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Laos powder (dried, ground galangal)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
5 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 shallots or 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 14.5 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Combine first 11 ingredients (through shallots) in a food processor. Process into a smooth paste.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add ginger mixture and stir-fry 1 minute. Add Khmer_Chicken_Curry2 (1 of 1)chicken and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and sugar. Deglaze pan while bringing mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes. Remove lid and let simmer an additional 5 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in lime juice and season with additional salt and/or sugar if desired. Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Rosemary and White Wine (Involtini di Pollo)

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Involtini_di_Pollo1 (1 of 1)This is an incredibly easy dish to prepare, yet the end results make it look like you slaved in the kitchen all day! Unlike my typical blog post, this recipe has very few ingredients, which in my mind, is key to Mediterranean cooking — fresh, simple ingredients that go very well together! Delicious. Hope you’ll give this one a try tonight!

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
3 Tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
8 slices prosciutto
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp sherry
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp sour cream

Combine garlic, rosemary, 1/2 Tbsp of the olive oil, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.

In a large, shallow dish, rub chicken thighs evenly with the rosemary mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 1/2 hour.

Lay the prosciutto slices on a flat surface. Roll each thigh in one slice of prosciutto; secure each Involtini_di_Pollo2 (1 of 1)involtino with two pieces of butcher’s twine.

Heat 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the involtini and brown on all sides, about 13 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Remove involtini, remove strings (gently), cover loosely with foil and set aside. Bring the cooking juices to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken broth, sherry and sour cream and whisk until smooth. Cook sauce down until thickened. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Serve involtini with sauce drizzled over them. I like to serve this dish with boiled new red potatoes and a small green side salad.

Serves 4.

Mediterranean “Stir-Fry” of Chicken, Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Chicken_with_Sundried_Tomatoes_and_Olives1 (1 of 1)Cooking with a wok is great, and can be very healthy. As the name indicates, this dish is a stir-fry, but in cooking method only — it’s quick and healthy, and its delicious ingredients are distinctly Mediterranean (for the most part). Try this dish tonight!

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), thinly sliced crosswise
1 (smallish) red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced or very finely grated
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sambal ulek
1 Tbsp lemon juice
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
1 1/2 oz (about 1/4 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (I prefer those that are not packed on oil or water; just dry, but soak in boiling water 10 minutes, then drain), cut into very thin strips
1 Tbsp chopped parsley, plus some coarsely chopped for garnish

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in wok over medium-high heat.

Add chicken and stir fry 5 minutes. Remove from wok.

Add the other 1 Tbsp olive oil. Heat and add onions. Stir fry until golden brown, about 5Chicken_with_Sundried_Tomatoes_and_Olives2 (1 of 1) minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add back chicken. Add vinegar, sambal ulek and lemon juice. Toss well.

Stir in olives, sun-dried tomatoes. Season with additional salt and ground black pepper, if desired. Serve over cous cous and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

Chicken Simmered in a Creamy Mushroom-Thyme Sauce

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Chicken_with_Mushrooms1 (1 of 1)There’s nothing that makes me happier than meat done with sour cream (some recipes call for heavy cream, but in something like this, I like to use reduced-fat sour cream). This dish is a perfect example of that — all the right ingredients; chicken, butter, olive oil, mushrooms, red wine, sherry and thyme (just to name a few!). This is a great dish — please try it!

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced white button mushrooms
1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin, 3-inch segments
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3 large), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
2 Tbsp sherry
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 spring onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
8 oz dried egg pasta (wide noodles), cooked to package instructions and tossed with 1 tsp butter and 1/4 tsp salt

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms and red bell pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, until soft. Remove mushroom and peppers with a slotted spoon;  set aside.

Combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 ground black pepper, turmeric.

Combine chicken stock, red wine, sherry, thyme and 1 tsp salt

Decrease heat to medium and add chicken. Stir for about 3 minutes, until browned. Add flour mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine mixture; bring to a boil and deglaze pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Whisk in sour cream and spring onions, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the mushroom, redChicken_with_Mushrooms2 (1 of 1) bell pepper mixture and the chopped parsley. Season to taste with additional salt and ground black pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve over pasta and garnish with additional chopped parsley.

Serves 4.

Curry of Chicken Soup with Rice (Mulligatawny)

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Curried_Chicken_Soup1 (1 of 1)Mulligatawny is a delicious Anglo-Indian soup that has its origins in South India. The name is said to come from the Tamil words milagu (“pepper”) and thanni (“water”). Pepper water  doesn’t sound so appetizing to me, and it not representative of this great soup. If I had to pick out one ingredient that I think makes this soup shine, I would definitely say it’s the cloves — they really add to the depth of flavor of this dish. Hope you’ll try it tonight!

2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2 large), trimmed of all visible fat
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp butter
12 black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
6 cups chicken stock
1 large apple (such as Golden Delicious), peeped, cored and diced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup cream
1 recipe steamed jasmine rice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the flour, curry powder, 1 tsp of the salt, ground ginger and ground turmeric. Rub into the chicken and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the diced apples and lemon juice; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and any of the Curried_Chicken_Soup2 (1 of 1)spice mixture that may have fallen off. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp salt, peppercorns, cloves and chicken stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to deglaze the pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the apples and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes.

Remove chicken breasts from the pan. When cool enough to work with your fingers, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from the bones and shred. Add shredded chicken back to the pan. Stir in the cream. Season to taste with additional salt.

Divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls. Ladle soup over each and top each with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve.

Serves 4.

Chicken with Pearl Onions and Mushrooms Simmered in a Red Wine Sauce (Coq au Vin)

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Coq_Au_Vin1 (1 of 1) Yum, French comfort food! The first time I had this French classic was at a restaurant in Germany — it was delicious! Over the years, I’ve taken bits and pieces from various recipes to create this lower-fat/lots of flavor version. You could also call this a “lazy man’s coq au vin,” because I remove the chicken from the bones after the dish is cooked, and add it back to the sauce. A great meal for a chilly fall evening, I hope you’ll try this recipe!

3 1/2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (I cut a whole chicken into 8 pieces, and trim off any bit of fat I can find)
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 ground black pepper
2 slices bacon, coarsely diced
1 Tbsp butter
20 pearl onions, peeled
8 oz button mushrooms, stems trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup brandy
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a medium glass bowl, combine wine, bay leaves, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir well. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Heat a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp and golden brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Reserve 1 tsp of the bacon fat.

Heat butter and 1 tsp bacon fat in a large, non-stick skillet over low heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic, and saute for 5 minutes.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Add the chicken and 1/2 tsp salt to the onion mixture. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour.

Transfer chicken to a Dutch oven. Pour brandy into the skillet with the onion mixture and boil, deglazing for 30 seconds. Pour over chicken in Dutch oven. Add the marinade, onion/mushroom/garlic mixture, chicken stock and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the chicken pieces, and let cool for a few minutes. Discard skin and remove chicken from bones (discard bones, as well). Add chicken back to sauce and sir well for 1 minute over low. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve with steamed or mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

Makassar-Style Chicken (Ayam Makassar)

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Makassar_Chicken1 (1 of 1)This simple chicken dish hails from Makassar, which is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is unique in that the chicken simmers in a spicy coconut milk until the liquid has just about evaporated. The chicken ends up sauceless, but tender and very flavorful! I like to serve it with a spicy condiment, such as sambal ulek or sambal petai. I hope you’ll try this dish!

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp shredded (unsweetened) coconut
1 lemon grass stalk, outer leaves removed (white part only/bottom 6 inches), very finely chopped
1 cup coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves, loosely torn
1 tsp salt

Heat oil in a wok or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coriander, cumin, black pepper, shredded coconut and lemon grass. Saute until the coconut is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken to the spice mixture and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid has just about evaporated, about 15 minutes. Remove lime leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

North African-Inspired White Beans and Chicken

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White_Beans_and_Chicken1 (1 of 1)I’ve always thought that chicken and beans go great together. This recipe is a nice, North African-inspired version. The beans dominate the recipe (thus “beans and chicken,” rather than chicken and beans). I think this dish would probably have been prepared with chickpeas in North Africa, but the cannellini beans are delicious with the North-African spice blend. I hope you’ll try this one!

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 lb ground chicken
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp plain flour
1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large saute pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the celery and jalapeño pepper;  saute for another 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high;  add the chicken and brown, stirring to break up clumps (4 minutes). Add the garlic, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and cumin. Stir well to combine for 1 minute. Add the flour, stirring well.

Stir in the tomato, stock and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes.

Remove lid. Add beans and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Add the sugar and season with additional salt to taste, if desired. Garnish with the cilantro, sprinkle with black ground pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

Garlic Chicken Simmered with Pearl Onions in a Tamarind Broth (Ayam Bawang)

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Ayam_Bawang1 (1 of 1)This Indonesian chicken dish is quite different from many of my others, in that its flavors are much more subtle, and the sauce, which is typically very thick, is much more of a broth. For this, I really enjoy this recipe for a change. The tamarind broth is simple and delicious! I hope you’ll try this dish!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), cut into bite-size pieces
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp Laos powder
1 red Thai chili, chopped
2 Tbsp tamarind water
1 Tbsp kecap manis
1 cup water
10 pearl onions, peeled

Combine chicken with salt and black pepper in a bowl.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and Laos powder, and stir fry for an additional minute. Add chili, tamarind water, kecap manis, water and the pearl onions. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.