Category: Chicken Recipes

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

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This soup is super fast and very delicious. I started with a recipe from Jamie at drivemehungry.com, but made tweaks based on what I had handy. It was the perfect supper for a cold, wintery day.

I used chicken thighs since I was out of chicken stock, and just added a bouillon cube. If you have chicken stock, you can use that instead and skip the bouillon cube. Jamie mentions that this is a flexible recipe and you could add sautéed veggies, too.

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups water and 1 chicken bouillon cube or 4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
½ inch piece of ginger, smashed in one piece
2 stalks green onions, white parts cut off in 1″ pieces and green parts in 1/4″ rings
½ tsp fish sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp chili crisp (use less if you don’t like it too spicy)
salt to taste
½ package of Pho noodles or any really thin noodles, enough for 4 servings
1 Thai red chile, or a red jalapeno, very thinly sliced (also optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

In a stock pot, bring water to a boil and add chicken thighs and bouillon cube. If you really love ginger, you could add the ginger, too. Reduce heat and simmer for around 30 minutes.

Remove chicken to a plate and chop into roughly 1″ pieces. Strain chicken stock from pot into a bowl, discarding the yucky stuff, but saving the ginger for the next step if you used it.

Add olive oil to the pot, and add garlic, ginger and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the garlic starts to get brown.

Add chicken stock back in and stir well. Simmer for a few minutes and remove the ginger. (You can leave the onions and the garlic, which gets super sweet.)

Add fish sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, chicken and noodles. Cook for just a couple of minutes until the chicken is warmed back up and the noodles are softened. If you’re using a different noodle, follow suggested cooking times. Taste broth and add salt if needed.

Place noodles and soup in a wide bowl and garnish with green onion rings, cilantro and a few thin slices of red chili. Yum!

French Chicken, Leek And Mushroom Pie (Tourte)

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I’m sure this recipe must have come to me from Pinterest, and the original recipe is from Pardonmyfrench.com. The first time I made it I followed Audrey’s recipe exactly. It was good, but I wanted a little more spice. The second time, I had tons of leeks so I made a few tweaks, (added leeks instead of onions and added red pepper flakes). Samir came for a visit this afternoon and tried a bit off the spoon. He asked if it was on the blog, and that’s when I knew it was a keeper. So Samir – here you go!

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
½ tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, divided
2 strips bacon, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 lb (450g) Portobello mushrooms, sliced
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cups leeks, chopped and washed
6 Tbsp (50g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1½ tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup + 1Tbsp (195ml) water
3/4 cup + 1Tbsp (195ml) milk
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 (13-oz [370-g]) packets ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed for a good 40 minutes.
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp (15ml) milk

Directions:

It seems like a lot of steps, but it’s actually pretty simple. For the filling, you’ll cook the meats first, then the veggies. Then you make a white sauce and dump everything back in. So don’t be scared by the directions!

On medium high heat, heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a frying pan. Add bacon and cook until fat has rendered – at least a few minutes. Season chicken thigh pieces with salt and pepper and add to frying pan. Cook for several minutes, until chicken is cooked through and starting to brown a bit.

Remove chicken and bacon to a plate, leaving any bacon drippings and other oil. Add mushrooms, and cook for several minutes, until they have released their water and dried up again. Remove to chicken plate. Add a tsp more olive oil if needed and add leeks. Sauté leeks stirring frequently, until they have wilted and reduced a good bit. Remove from pan to chicken plate.

Mix flours and seasonings in a small bowl, and have ready.

Add 3 Tbsp butter to frying pan and melt. Add flour and seasonings and stir quickly for a minute. Add water and milk and stir vigorously until you get a smooth, thick consistency. Cook for several minutes stirring constantly until the roux has thickened up a good bit.

Add Dijon Mustard and stir well. Then add the chicken, leeks and mushrooms back in and and stir. Check seasoning – adding salt and pepper if needed. Take off heat.

Preheat Oven to 410 degrees.

Line a springform pan bottom with parchment paper. You can also line a cast iron skillet. Lay the Puff Pastry into the pan. If you’re picky, you can kind of roll it out first so it covers the bottom and sides. Prick with a fork all over.

Add filling and smooth it so it’s fairly even. Take top piece of puff pastry and lay over the top of the filling. Squeeze the top and bottom pastry edges together gently wherever you can.

Mix egg yolk with 1 Tbsp milk and brush over the top of the pastry. If your pastry is totally sealed (top and bottom) cut a 1″ slit in the top crust to let steam escape.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 20 – 25 minutes until the crust is nice and golden brown.

Remove from oven, and use a butter knife around the outside edge of the pan. Release the pan side and cut wedges to serve. So good!

Cajun Gumbo Recipe

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For Mardi Gras this year, I made a wonderful Gumbo from thekitchn.com.

Both Kumy and I thought it was one of the better Gumbo recipes I’ve tried. The key is to take your time with the roux – it really does need to get nice and dark to get the best flavor.

I used a home-made Emeril’s Essence mix that has plenty of heat, so you may want to leave out the red pepper flakes. Serve over hot rice, with fresh scallion rings on top – it’s just amazing, and even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS
1 green bell pepper (2 if small)
1 yellow onion
3 stalks celery
1 heaped Tbsp garlic powder, or 6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp dried parsley. or 1/2 bunch (½ cup) fresh parsley, roughly chopped.
1 1/2 Tbsp Emeril’s Essence (see note) or other salt-free Cajun seasoning, divided
2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (leave out if you don’t like too much heat)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ cubes
1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 ounces smoked sausage cut into ½’ long rounds (Can use Andouille)
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups chicken broth, at room temperature (Can also use water if you’re using chicken thighs.)
4 Tbsp (½ stick) butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp File powder (optional – I didn’t use and didn’t miss it.)

FOR SERVING:
½ bunch medium scallions
3 cups cooked white rice

Directions:

Cut the vegetables and put in a bowl.

In another bowl, add garlic, parsley, 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper; stir to combine.

In 3rd bowl, season chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning.

In a large dutch oven, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned – about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate

Add 1 Tbsp oil to pan, and brown chicken. Cook 10 minutes stirring often until chicken is browned. Remove to sausage plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add butter, 1/4 cup oil and flour. Cook stirring constantly until roux is nicely browned, for 10-20 minutes.

Add veggies, increase heat to medium-high and cook about 10 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add garlic mixture, sausage and chicken and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add 6 cups chicken broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until gumbo is thickened, about 35-45 minutes.

Check seasoning and serve over white rice with fresh green onions.

Note: Use a salt-free Cajun Seasoning or make your own with this Emeril’s Essence recipe from Emeril Lagasse.

Kale, Lemon & Chicken Casserole

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Lovely image of kale by Christina Rumpf on Unsplash.

I’d picked up kale planning to make soup or a lovely massaged kale salad, but somehow it just didn’t feel like a soup or salad night. Instead, I tweaked a Martha Stewart casserole recipe. We loved it – it was fast, easy and perfect for a weeknight supper. Next time – I’ll probably double the kale.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. shells or other pasta (bowtie or rotini)
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or one heaping teaspoon garlic powder
1 package chopped kale (5-7 oz – but you could easily double it!)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream
Zest and juice of half a large lemon
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (or Parmesan)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Add pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water, and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot off heat.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan melt butter over medium high heat, add onion and cook 4-5 minutes until onion is softened. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring frequently.

Add kale, reduce heat and stir to combine. Cover and cook about five minutes, stirring occasionally until kale is tender. Add to pot with pasta.

Then add chicken, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of Romano cheese, and blend together gently.

Check seasoning and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with slices of fresh lemon for squeezing over.

Delish!

Chicken Karahi (Stew)

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I’ve always loved Chicken Karahi from when we lived in Karachi, but really never made it until I snagged a Shan Masala mix for it. It’s a surprisingly easy dish and Kumy and I both loved it with fresh hot Roti (like whole wheat tortillas.) Another good Shan Masala mix – though it’s pretty spicy when made as directed on the box. I might try doing half the mix in the box if you don’t like things too spicy, or using just one chili.

Also – you’ll note that the recipe on the box calls for 1 1/2 cups of oil, and a 1/2 cup of butter, but have mercy – that’s just too oily! The oil and butter are important to this recipe though, so 1/2 cup of oil and the 1/4 cup of butter are about right.

Ingredients

1/2 to 1 box Shan Karahi Seasoning Mix
3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 Tbsp crushed garlic, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp ginger, julienned
5 tomatoes, diced
4 little green chillies
(You can also substitute 1 can Rotel and ½ can diced tomatoes for the tomatoes and chillies.)
½ cup olive oil + 1 Tbsp olive oil
½ stick butter
3 Tbsp fresh chopped Cilantro

Mix crushed garlic, grated ginger and shan masala mix in a medium bowl. Add chicken chunks and stir until everything is well coated. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan, and add meat mixture. Stir fry 5-6 minutes on high heat. Reduce heat and add juliened ginger, cvoer and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.

In a separate pan, heat a Tbsp of olive oil, and saute tomatoes and peppers for a minute or two stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cook 5-6 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked tomatoes and peppers to the chicken mixture, and increase heat to medium. Cook stirring gently but frequently to prevent burning.

Stir in butter and garnish with Cilantro.

Serve with Naan, roti or tortillas.

Chicken and Veggie Greek-style Sheet Pan Wraps

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Another great recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.  I made a few tweaks of my own, but what I love about this recipe is that it uses all the produce that is so good right now.  My garden is bursting with tomatoes, peppers and zucchini and this is a great way to use them.

It’s also crazy quick – you could start marinating the chicken and make the Tzatziki sauce mid-afternoon and then the whole supper can come together in 20 minutes.

We always have frozen naan in the house, so I made it with naan.  But flatbread would be good, too.

This would also be great with shrimp or for a vegetarian version, try using sliced mushrooms instead of chicken. Just be sure to bake the mushrooms long enough so they’re tender, since they take a little longer to cook.

Chicken:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp garlic powder, or 1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin slices

Vegetables:
2 bell peppers (any color), cored and sliced thinly
1 medium zucchini, sliced into strips (no need to peel)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Tzatziki:
1 cup grated cucumber, squeezed and drained
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar is fine, too.)
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Naan

Toppings:
Thinly sliced red onions
Diced cucumbers
Chopped tomatoes
Romaine lettuce, quartered and cut into thin ribbons

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix the marinade in a medium bowl and add chicken. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Make the tzatziki sauce in another small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly grease 2 half sheet pans. Remove chicken pieces from the bowl and place on one sheet pan.

Toss bell peppers and zucchini in the marinade for a few minutes and spread in a thin layer on a second sheet pan. Discard leftover marinade.  Lightly salt and pepper veggies.

Bake for 6 minutes, and rotate pans. (Drain excess liquid from the chicken pan, if any.) Bake another 6-8 minutes until chicken is done and peppers are fork tender.

Warm the naan in the oven for a couple of minutes. I removed the chicken to a plate and reused the chicken sheet pan.

Serve the chicken and veggies on naan with the Tzatziki sauce and other toppings. It’s also fun to make these at the table.

So good!!!

Chicken, Pepper, Tomato & Zucchini

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chicken,zucchini,-peppers-aWe love dishes with good flavor and lots of colorful veggies – and this one fit the bill perfectly.  It’s based on a recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. (Mel is a wonderful cook and she makes it with Orzo, but I felt like Couscous.)  I also changed out the veggies a bit.  I can’t wait to make it again!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup dry couscous
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter

1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup chopped red, orange and yellow bell pepper (can use green pepper, too)
2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes,
2 small zucchini, halved and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 tsp oregano  (I was out so I used 1 tsp Greek Seasoning.  You could also use 1/2 tsp oregano, a big pinch of basil and a little pinch of dill)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Bring water to a boil and stir in 1/2 tsp salt, butter and couscous.   Remove from heat, cover and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large 12-inch nonstick or stainless skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and cook 6-7 minutes until golden on the outside,flipping halfway through.

Push the chicken to the outer edge of the pan and add everything else except the feta cheese.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often until the mixture begins to dry up.

Push chicken back into the middle and nestle among the vegetables.  Continue cooking for another few minutes.  Check salt and pepper and add more Greek seasoning if needed.

Add 1/2 the crumbled feta and stir through.  Remove from heat and sprinkle on the rest of the feta.

To serve: Put a couple of spoonfuls of the Couscous in a wide flat bowl and top with the meat and veggies.

To make a gluten-free version – serve over rice or buttery mashed potatoes.

 

Southern Chicken & Veggie Spaghetti

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This is one of those very simple, yet surprising delicious old-fashioned casseroles and I think the recipe is from Southern Living.   You could add mushrooms or cooked spinach or zucchini and it would be just as good.  The sauce soaks into the pasta and creates a nice, satisfyingly creamy main dish.

6 cups chicken stock or water
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups chopped bell pepper, any color
1 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped
8 oz spaghetti
1/2 cup half n half or milk
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (lightly drained to remove excess liquid)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Bring chicken stock or water to boil in a dutch oven.  Add chicken and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  (If you start with frozen thighs, which I did, just allow a little extra cooking time.  If you don’t have stock, you can always just use water – the thighs have enough fat and flavor to create a good stock.

Remove chicken  to a plate and add spaghetti to the stock. Cook spaghetti about 9 minutes until done, then remove spaghetti, keeping stock. Turn the heat up to medium and let stock cook down until there are about 2 1/2 cups left. Once chicken is slightly cooled, cut it into 1/2″ thick slices.

Meanwhile, in a large oven proof frying pan, melt butter and saute onions and bell peppers for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk together half n half, flour, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Pour into the stock, stirring constantly and continue cooking 3-4 minutes, until the stock is thickened a little.  Remove from heat.  Check seasonings.

Add spaghetti, chicken and tomatoes to the sauteed veggies and gently stir to combine.  Pour the stock over and make sure the stock is coating everything.  Drop the shredded cheese on top and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

You can also serve this in a 9×13 baking dish sprayed with vegetable oil.  It makes a delicious main dish that is bursting with veggies and fresh flavors!

Sweet Potato Stuffed BBQ Chicken

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sweet-potato-bbq-chickenI am always a little leery about fusion recipes (mixing flavors of one style of cooking with another.) I’ve had a few of those that just didn’t mesh well. This recipe isn’t one of them!

Yes, you’re mixing some very Southern flavors with Mexican flavors, but in this case they are amazing. After one bite, I couldn’t stop smiling. This recipe is based on one from MelsKitchenCafe.com. Mel is an amazing cook and her food is always delicious.

The Lime Cilantro dressing in this recipe seems (even to me) to have a million ingredients, but it is totally worth it!

(The photo shows mostly the corn and  black bean salad, with the Lime Cilantro dressing, but you’ll have to trust me, underneath it all are sweet potatoes, chicken and BBQ sauce!)

INGREDIENTS

4-6 sweet potatoes, washed and halved
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used meat from a Costco roast chicken)
1 to 2 cups BBQ sauce (I used Ray’s original)

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

1 can (15-ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels, frozen
1/2 cup rough chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

TOPPINGS:

Shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)
Tortilla chips (optional – I didn’t use)
Chopped tomatoes (optional – I didn’t use)
Cilantro Lime Dressing – recipe follows

Poke sweet potatoes with a fork several times. Then put cut side down on a baking sheet, and bake for 35-40 minutes at 425 degrees, or until super soft when poked with a fork. The sugars in the sweet potato will start to caramelize. Check and bake a little longer if they aren’t completely soft.

Warm up the chicken and BBQ sauce in a sauce pan until warmed through.

Mix the corn and bean salad ingredients in a bowl, and let sit for several minutes, to let the corn thaw.

Make Cilantro Lime Dressing. (recipe below)

Eat several spoonsful of the Cilantro Lime dressing until you remind yourself that you need some for supper.

To serve, scoop out sweet potato flesh, and place in a bowl. Top with BBQ chicken, corn and black bean salad. Drizzle generously with the Cilantro Lime Dressing and top with a little cheese and the other optional ingredients. (I didn’t use the chips or tomatoes and didn’t miss them at all.)

Delicious!! For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and just use a little BBQ sauce on the sweet potato.

Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa verde (I used a mild green chili sauce that was great, too.)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 medium lime)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp onion powder
Pinch of dried dill weed (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 green onion, white and green parts coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a medium pitcher (One that will hold 4-5 cups) and buzz well with an immersion blender. Or you can use a blender. Will keep for several days and is soooo good!

Brodo with Chicken and Spinach

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brodo-3Another great recipe from Johanne Killeen in the Slow Food Fast recipes in the WSJ – with some changes.  Brodo is a simple soup that comes together fast and is incredibly satisfying.  It’s also quite flexible and can use different pastas and different greens

It’s been ridiculously cold and windy here!  We needed something to warm us up – and this sure fit the bill.  This makes enough for two people, roughly.

Ingredients:

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups rich chicken stock
2 eggs
1 cup chopped cooked chicken, optional
2 cups chopped fresh spinach or thinly sliced kale
1/3 lb capellini, spaghetti or linguine
fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente and drain water. Keep warm.

At the same time, add the chicken stock to another pot and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and gently drop eggs in to poach. After 3 minutes or so, scoop eggs out onto a plate.

Add spinach to chicken stock and cook for a few moments. (You may need to cook a little longer with Kale.) Add chicken meat if using and stir. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Place some pasta on one side of each bowl. (It’s going to slip around a bit, but that’s okay.) Ladle the chicken and spinach with broth on the open side of the bowl, and top with the poached egg.

Grate cheese over, sprinkle once more with black pepper and serve. The egg yolks will help thicken the broth and add incredible richness.

So fast and so delish!