Crispy Chicken a l'Orange and Brown Rice

Crispy Chicken a l'Orange Baked Over Brown Rice.

I can't decide if my favorite part of this dish is the sweet taste of the orange marmalade mixed with the asian flavors of the soy and honey with a bite of juicy chicken or if it's a spoonful of rice that cooks so nicely under the chicken, capturing the savory juices, and crispy pieces along the sides of the pan. Which ever part you like best, this is a winner all around. It's just as good reheated too!

Chicken Fricassee

Happy New Year Everyone!

I was recently invited to a friends for dinner who just so happens to be a French Trained Chef. I was so excited because I knew the dinner was going to be fabulous and I couldn't wait to find out what we were having. To my surprise, he serviced us chicken. Nothing I would think of serving company unless I was having a barbecue. Well, this chicken was so delicious, juicy, tender, and flavorful. I told him that I would have chicken every night if it came out like this. 

Sweet n' Spicy Bacon Chicken Bites

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

All but 4 ingredients is all you need for this appetizer. Everyone loves these and they are so quick and easy to put together. If you need a quick appetizer for your super bowl party, here it is. You get a sweet and spicy surprise when you pop one of these, and who doesn't love bacon. I guarantee these will disappear fast!

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Buffalo Chicken Rolls baked to perfection!

Game day is approaching and I'm craving buffalo chicken! The challenge: make an appetizer with great flavor, that's easy to eat and not real messy for everyone.

Chicken Marbella - “A Classic”

A classic and perfect party dish!

This recipe is adapted from the popular and admired Silver Palate cookbook. Many critics think this was the best recipe from this fabulous book. It's a great dish for entertaining and can be made ahead. The overnight marination is essential to the moistness of the chicken. The chicken keeps and even improves over several days of refrigeration. It's the perfect combination of savory with a hint of sweetness. Everyone will love this dish. It's great served with roasted bliss potatoes and a tossed salad.

I used all chicken breast but the original recipe calls for all chicken parts.

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds of cut chicken pieces, breasts and thighs bone-in
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup dried oregano
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup pitted prunes (or apricots)
• ½ cup pitted green olives
• ½ cup capers with a bit of juice
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white wine
• ¼ cup parsley  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large bowl or plastic bags combine everything through bay leaves. Cover and marinate overnight.
2. Arrange chicken in single layer in one or two pans- spoon marinade over and sprinkle with brown sugar and then pour wine around the pieces.
3. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour basting frequently.
4. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and sprinkle some of the sauce on the chicken. Serve remaining juice on the side.

Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Tomatoes and Basil

One of my favorite dishes is a simple crispy, golden brown chicken cutlet. Using a meat mallet, I lightly pound the cutlets until they are of equal thickness. To keep things interesting, I try to find new ways of serving the chicken cutlets. Luckily, sweet campari tomatoes are available year round and make this dish easy to put together. The sweetness of the tomatoes combined with the fresh basil remind me of summertime.

Serves 4

For The Cutlets

• 4 Boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 2 Cups of seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Cup of flour
• 1 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Course salt and freshly ground pepper

For The Tomato Topping

• 2 Pints campari or cherry tomatoes, cut into pieces
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
• Course salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup Basil, sliced into thin strips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

1. Mix together the tomato topping ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Beat the eggs and dip the cutlets first into the flour, then eggs and then the breadcrumbs and press with your fingertips to help the crumbs adhere. 
3. Over medium heat, place the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the cutlets on each side for approximately 2 minutes until browned.  
4. Transfer the cutlets to a sheet pan and continue baking in the oven for an additional 10 minutes until cooked through.
5. Serve on individual plates with a scoop of the fresh tomato basil topping.

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

I have a secret for you. The key to moist, velvety chicken in a stir fry is to first coat the chicken with an egg white and cornstarch mixture. This prevents the chicken from overcooking and becoming dry. I had some cooked noodles and was looking for a quick dinner to throw together really fast. Use whatever you have for vegetables and use whole wheat pasta or brown rice and you have a quick, healthy dinner with tons of flavor. You would think by my recent posts that I do a lot of Asian cooking. I really don't, but in an attempt to avoid ordering take-out to satisfy my husbands cravings, I've been making a few things.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons low sodium teriyaki
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2-3 cups of broccoli florets (1 bag of frozen)  
• 1/2 pound of cooked noodles

1. In a bowl, mix together the egg white, cornstarch and salt.  Add the chicken and coat lightly using your fingers to be sure all the pieces are coated well with the mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
2. Microwave the broccoli for 3 minutes to soften.
3. In a wok or large non-stick frying pan, heat oil to a medium/high heat, add the chicken and cook through browning all sides. 
4. Add the broccoli, teriyaki and pepper flakes and toss with the chicken for 2 minutes. Add the noodles or rice and toss until ready to serve.   

   

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

The stars were aligned!!! I had some of my favorite ingredients on-hand and put together this simple yet elegant chicken dish during our last snow storm. Pounding the chicken ensures a tender chicken breast. Browning the chicken before baking gives a beautiful brown color and really holds the bundle together. Finishing in the oven, the chicken cooks evenly throughout and plumps the chicken leaving it very juicy.   


Ingredients

• 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breast pounded thin
• 4 ounces of herb goat cheese, divided 
• 3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
• 3 oz. Artichoke hearts, quartered  
• Olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Butterfly and pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch
2. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken
3. Place goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes or artichokes in the center of each breast 
4. Roll the chicken together like an envelope and secure using a few toothpicks
5. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat
6. Place the chicken in the pan, top side down and brown on all 4 sides (about 2 minutes each side), the chicken firms and holds together quickly making this easy to do
7. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes
8. When the chicken is cooked through, remove the toothpicks and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.   
9. Use the pan to toss whole wheat pasta in the pan drippings, adding a few sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Add a little oil from these jars if you need to. 

Butterflied and pounded thin to tenderize before filling with savory ingredients.
 

Rolled together from all sides and secured with toothpicks. You will be surprised how nicely these cook in the pan without falling apart!

Ready for browning on the stove. You could prepare the chicken up to this step ahead of time and keep chilled, just be sure to let them sit for about an hour to bring to room temperature to ensure even cooking or you may need to increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.

Toss pasta or cut vegetables in the same pan to coat with the savory drippings.  

Browned on all sides and ready for the oven, this could be done ahead of time.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes when done baking.

Enjoy! 

Asian Chicken Thighs

No need for take-out with this recipe! This one is for all of you that don't like to be in the kitchen but want a delicious home cooked meal with an Asian flair. It truly is so easy, fast and delicious. Serve with rice or noodles or you could cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces and serve as an appetizer.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 6-7 boneless skinless chicken thighs 
• 1/4 cup Tamari reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chicken stock
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or dry sherry
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
• Chopped scallion

Directions
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, chicken broth, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a large zip lock bag. Mix until well combined. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, seal the bag, and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

1. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and coat with cooking spray.

2. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken thighs, 3-4 at a time, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through. Don't move the chicken once you put it in the pan, let it get nice and brown on one side before you turn it over. Remove the chicken to a serving platter.

3. Pour the remaining marinade in the hot pan and cook down for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Strain the sauce in a sieve and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or the chopped scallions.

Note: Tamari is a type of soy sauce that his a richer flavor. Once you try Tamari, you won't buy any other soy sauce again!

Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey

To stuff or not to stuff, that is the question!! In my world, the only way to make a real turkey at Thanksgiving time is to go all out and stuff the bird before roasting. I always make another pan of stuffing and than after the bird is done, I'll mix both stuffing's together into one pan and continue baking until I'm ready to serve. Roasting a turkey is one of the easiest things to do, it's basically foolproof.