Bourbon Chicken

This chicken falls into the finger-lickin'-good category! I made this on Mother's Day using chicken wings (which is what the original recipe called for), and there were happy sounds all around the table. No leftovers! We liked this so much we couldn't wait to make it again;  Ole Sweetie-Pi does not care for meat on the bone so this time I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it was so good! 

I think if one cooked down the marinade til it was nice and syrupy, it would be super good to brush on chicken on the grill of if you wanted to cook the chicken in the oven.  Cooked as directed, there is some remaining sauce which I poured over the chicken after plating it, but the sauce would be good on rice or perhaps some grilled vegetables.  The caramelized sauce can leave a bit of a mess in your pan, but as it's sugar based, a little soaking in hot water will make the job a whole lot easier and virtually becomes no effort at all.

**The original recipe says that wings will cook in 16 minutes, (and other reviewers said the same thing) but I found  the time to be grossly understated.  I think I must have cooked the wings a good 30 minutes or more, first because I wanted the marinade to reduce to a syrup and turn to a desirable caramel color and consistency and secondly and more importantly, the chicken did not test done when I pierced it with a tined fork.  The thighs took about the same amount of time, so I would recommend using your best judgment in timing the cooking of this.  Of course, this could be due in whole to my method of cooking, smiles, as I did not cover the chicken while it cooked.  I brought the sauce to a bubble, saw that the chicken was going to simmer in the marinade, and became trepidacious of boiling/steaming the chicken.

Bourbon Chicken
(adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/bourbon-chicken-wings-148454)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
oil for the skillet

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown, but light brown would also be good)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup bourbon (I used Jim Beam, but only because that's what we have)
2 tablespoons ketchup

Give a couple of good swirls of oil in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.  (I place the chicken so that all the top/outer sides are facing me, so when it comes time to turn them I be able to tell that they have all been turned  over.)

In a separate, smallish bowl combine the remaining ingredients and then pour over the chicken.

**Cover and cook over medium heat, about 20 minutes, or until chicken is done, turning frequently to prevent chicken from sticking.

Chicken Liver Pate with Pistachios

I know, I know, the thought of liver sends most of you screaming and running for the hills.  For the most part, it does me, too, except I have acquired a taste for chicken liver. I only like it in a couple of  recipes, and let me assure you, I loved it in this one.  There is a suaveness and sophistication that is beyond description.  If you need something different and elegant, I hope you try this.  I made this for New Year's, and this went down a storm with everyone, except for Ole Sweetie-Pi.  He was running for the hills!

Speaking of elegant, I discovered this keeper recipe on the very elegant Christine's blog,  Fresh Local and Best.  I am a big fan of Christine; her food is consistently amazing and her photography and travels leave me wanting more.  Christine's recipe and  title is fancier than mine, as my little grocery store didn't have porcini mushrooms, and you know they didn't have duck fat, smiles.  I made do with regular button mushrooms and real butter, and this pate was still out of this world wonderful. 

Chicken Liver Porcini Pate with Pistachios
(Christine's Fresh Local and Best)

5 grams dried porcini mushrooms (I used 5 grams fresh)
200 grams chicken livers
75 grams butter, divided
3-4 thyme sprigs
1 scallion
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Marsala wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons salted pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided
3 tablespoons duck fat or butter

Soak the porcinis in hot water for at least fifteen minutes, then squeeze the excess liquid out of them, and chop finely.

Prepare the liver:  Put the liver in a strainer and rinse the livers under cold running water.  Dry with a paper towel.  Remove the sinews and membrane. Cut large livers in half.

Melt 50 grams of the butter in a small saucepan and set aside.

Rinse and dry the scallion and thyme.  Pluck off the thyme leaves.  Finely chop the scallion.  Set aside.

In a small-to-medium saute pan, melt the remainder of the butter over medium heat until it foams.  Saute the scallions.  Add the thyme, liver and porcinis.  Saute until the liver is cooked through, approximately six minutes.  You can test for doneness by taking one of the larger pieces and cutting through the middle.  The center should be barely pink.  Add the Marsala wine and salt and pepper to taste. 

Briefly cool the liver and  then place the liver mixture  into a food processor.  Pulse several times, watching for texture; you do not want to pulse this too fine.

Stir in the cooled butter that was set aside and the heavy cream.  Add half the coarsely chopped pistachios and mix into the pate.  Put the pate in a small bowl that still leaves some headroom at the top.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Melt the 3 tablespoons of duck fat or butter over low heat and pour over the chilled pate with a tablespoon.  Evenly distribute the fat by tilting the bowl so that the fat covers the pate.  Sprinkle the remainder of the pistachios over the pate, cover, and refrigerate for another hour.

Christine says the pate should last about four days.  Ours was gone long before that!

Chicken Pizza Bake

Back in the day, I used to work part-time as one of the bakers in our local super Wal-Mart.  Behind  the biparting doors was the incessant, loud beeping of the ovens; tall, heavy racks of breads and pastries being rushed about; heavy boxes of frozen dough being broken out and proofed; the clatter of bread pans along stainless steel tables.  There wasn't a lot of time for socializing, just run, run, run, and yet in spite of madness, one of my co-workers, Mary, managed to share this recipe with me.

This recipe is easy, has standard pantry items and is so good!  Ole Sweetie-Pi, who thought he was going to turn his nose up at it (doesn't like the idea of "chicken pizza"), went back for seconds. 

Chicken Pizza Bake

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks**

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes

3 teaspoons oregano**

2 teaspoons chopped parsley**

1 teaspoon onion powder**

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 finely chopped fresh garlic clove**

Preheat oven to 425* Fahrenheit.  Have ready a large casserole, baking dish, or oven-safe Dutch oven.

Place chicken in baking dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients together and pour over the chicken.  Bake, covered,  for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with sliced mozzarella cheese and the pizza toppings of your choice, such as black olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper, etc. 

Continue to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

NOTES:  This recipe is quite forgiving and amenable to changing for personal preferences.  There's only the two of us, so I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut up into good sized chunks.  Personally, I'm not a big oregano fan, so I reduced the amount of oregano to about 1 1/2 teaspoons, dried.  I  had fresh parsley so threw in a small handful.  I don't keep onion powder, but I did have dried onion and used maybe a couple teaspoons or so, perhaps more, smiles.  I rarely have fresh garlic, instead keeping those jars of minced garlic and tossed in a half teaspoon, depending on whim and how big I think my clove of garlic is that day.







Chicken with Lemon Sauce

Chicken and lemon has to be one of my favorite all-time pairings, and this recipe did not disappoint. While I didn't love it as some of the other reviewers on Allrecipes.com, I did like it and would certainly make it again. (This recipe is still my favorite, but eeks, all those delicious calories!)   It's pretty quick and easy,  has lots of flavor, and lots of eye appeal.  The crust on the chicken is a beautiful golden brown; the lemon sauce  is nicely flecked with parsley.  The sauce that ran into the broccoli did wonders for the broccoli.  Yum!

Chicken with Lemon Sauce
(from Allrecipes.com)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved **

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

2 eggs **

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried  parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

In a shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons flour, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Dip chicken into eggs; coat with flour mixture.

In a large skillet, cook chicken in 1 tablespoon butter and oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour, salt and pepper; add broth and stir until smooth.

Add apple juice to the skillet you cooked the chicken in, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Stir broth mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Stir in lemon juice; cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and remaining butter; cook and stir until butter is melted. Serve over chicken.

Recipes says it serves 2, but I would say it serves 4, giving each person one half of the chicken breast.  

NOTES:  I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and skipped flattening them as they are already pretty thin.

No way did I think I needed 2 eggs to dip the chicken in; reduced the amount to 1 egg and it was more than adequate.

The original recipe called for 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley;  I substituted 1 teaspoon dried and it worked fine.

PDQ&E Sweet and Sour Chicken

I received an email newsletter from Allrecipes.com which featured a this sweet and sour sauce.  The ingredients are simple and ones we typically have on hand, so combined with the fact that we enjoy sweet and sour when we eat out, this recipe immediately caught my eye.

Yum, this was good!   The sauce is piquant, almost too sharp with the sweet and sour flavor (it makes me sneeze, smiles), but I know it's one that we'll be using often.

The recipe is for the sauce only, so how you use it, is up to you.  We often have bits of fresh vegetable left over, and, so this was an delicious way to use them up, plus give them a new interest; what you add and how much is left up to you.

For the sweet and sour chicken, I used two breasts, cut into generous bite-sized pieces, breaded.  Using a pan large enough that will eventually  hold the vegetables, chicken, and sauce, pan fry the chicken over medium heat until golden. Remove chicken from pan and set  chicken aside.

Wipe out the pan, place over heat, and add a little bit of oil.  Add your vegetables and cook until onions are translucent and peppers are crisp-tender.  I had half a green pepper,  half a red pepper, and half an onion. Carrots or celery cut on the diagonal might have been a nice addition, too.  I had some pineapple chunks, added those, too.

Add the chicken back to the vegetables, pour the prepared sauce over, and let it come to a gentle simmer for 3 or 4 minutes.  Serve hot.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup white vinegar

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Put all the ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened. If the sauce seems a little too thick, add more water. 

Makes about 2 cups of sauce.

This would be a terrific sauce for sweet and sour meatballs.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with Homemade Cajun Spice Mixture

Oh, boy, if you want a dinner that will make your eyes pop open and reawaken your taste buds,  try this quick and inexpensive recipe.  In the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta and cook it, you can have a spicy, piquant meal that is as delicious as it is filling.  There's cream and grated Parmesan cheese in this, which helps to put out some of the fire, smiles, but this is definitely for for anyone who may not care for spicy hot (that would be Ole Sweetie-Pi who wouldn't even take a little whiff to see if he'd even sample it).

I found this recipe on Recipezaar.Com, and made a couple of adjustments.  First of all I  didn't have Cajun seasoning in the spice rack, because I thought it was something I didn't like, but after seeing it was just a mixture of spices that I do like,  I had to mix up my own.  I was a little leery of the cayenne pepper, but in for a dime, in it for a dollar, right?  I used the 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning called for to coat the chicken, but did not add any additional to the sauce even though it was a small amount.  Even if I do say so myself, it was the right decision; any more and it would have been too spicy hot, and as it was, I found it to be tad salty but still delicious.  I would definitely make this recipe again for the enjoyment of my spicy friends.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

(Recipezaar.Com #39087)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips **

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (recipe to follow)
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion **
 2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
4 ounces pasta, cooked and drained

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and mix well to coat chicken.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, and heat through. Stir to bring up any flavorful bits.

Place drained pasta in a bowl, and pour the chicken and sauce over.  Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese, toss gently, and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

(GroupRecipes.com)

3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt **
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne powder **
1 tablespoon black pepper **
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme

Combine all ingredients in a covered jar, shake well to mix.

**My notes
I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
I didn't have a green onion, but I did have a scallion, used one small, diced fine
I found this to be a little salty for my tastes, I would suggest reducing salt to half; you can always add.
I used a Penzey's spice mixture called Red and Black, a mixture of  red  and Tellicherry pepper. Wonderful!

Chicken Papaya

 

I'm sampling new-to-me foods and recipes in an effort to broaden my culinary horizons so I'll occasionally purchase a fruit or vegetable that is not typically found in my kitchen and find a recipe to go with it.  This week I purchased a papaya.  I like papaya, eating it as I would any melon, but I've never cooked with it, so when I spotted this recipe on Recipezaar with the high ratings I knew immediately what I was going to do.

Hmm....I  have an admitted fondness for fruits and meats cooked together yet  the jury is still out on this recipe.  I liked this, but I didn't really, really  like it, and I certainly didn't love it.. I found the sauce a little too sweet, but I think it's partly because I used dark brown sugar and the light brown would have been a better choice.  I think the breast should have been cut into bite sized chunks and instead of baking, probably just cooked on the stovetop.  I doubled the sauce because the recipe suggested it, if using over rice. It's a  good idea, but I would not double the amount of papaya.  I loved the addition of orange juice to this; it's perfect company for the papaya, enhancing the delicate flavor.  

And one last thing, I wish I knew more about spices as I think this could have used something to give it a little more oomph.  Maybe a couple of dried chilis or pepper flakes?    

Would I eat this again?  Yes, but I'm going to be a bit bolder and try some spices.  Would I order it in a restaurant, as written, probably not.  

Easy Chicken Papaya Chicken Casserole

(Recipezaar #187171)

1 whole roasting chicken, cut up, or 4 chicken breasts, halved, skinless and boneless
1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 cup butter, melted

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar (I suggest light brown)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups papaya, peeled, seeded, sliced

Preheat oven to 350* Fahrenheit.  In the roasting pan or baking dish, melt the butter in the oven.

In a small bowl, combine the  flour and salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, or alternatively combine the ingredients in a plastic bag and shake until well combined, and add chicken to coat.

Remove dish from oven and dip the chicken in the melted butter, with the buttered side up.

Bake for about one hour or until chicken is tender when pierced with a fork and juices are clear.

When done, drain fat, reserving chicken, and place chicken back back into the baking dish.

While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce.  Combine all ingredients, except papaya, in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring.  The sauce was thicken and become clear.

Add the papaya to the chicken, pour the sauce over all, and bake an additional five minutes to heat the papaya through.

Serve over rice.

Catalina Chicken

This four-ingredient recipe has been a part of my handwritten recipe stash for the past 15 years or so.  It was given to me by a co-worker, Phyllis M. when we worked at an insurance agency together.  A group of us used to get together at lunch time and laugh and laugh, sharing  observations, wild tales, and good humored teasing. The one thing that drew us together was our love of good food; there always seemed to be something delicious in the employee kitchen that someone had brought in to share.

Phyllis shared this simple recipe that she served her family or friends who are like family.   It is made with typical pantry items, it's quick and delicious.  The sauce is sweet-tangy, and it makes a lot.  I think rice might be a better choice to help absorb some of this delicious gravy.  This dish could be put together ahead of time and refrigerated until you wanted to bake it, but really, it only takes minutes to open up several ingredients, combine and stir, then bake.

And the good news...Ole Sweetie-Pi liked this!  I think it's only because he didn't see the can of cranberry sauce, first, though, or otherwise I would have to have endured another long, pained expression, grins.  

Catalina Chicken

4 large chicken breasts, split, or a combination of  10 thighs and legs)
1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix
1 small bottle of Catalina salad dressing **
1 16-ounce can cranberries (whole or sauced, you decide)

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold the ingredients, I used a 7 x 11 inch, and it was plenty big enough.

Place the chicken in the baking dish.  In a separate bowl, mix the onion soup, Catalina salad dressing, and can of cranberries together.  Pour over chicken..  Bake for about one hour, or until chicken is done.

**I'm not sure how many ounces a "small bottle" of Catalina dressing is.  My grocer's only had a large bottle labeled  "50% more free".   I measured out 1 cup of the dressing, tasted the mixture (before pouring it on the chicken!) and it was fine.

Sunday Roast Chicken

One of the traditions of childhood was the frequent visits to Grandma's house on Sundays.  We'd be welcomed by her many hugs and kisses; my grandfather would stand stoically in the background, grim-faced, resigned to the high energy of his only three grandchildren.  Occasionally, if he were overcome by a flash of affection he might pat us on the head and then he and my father would disappear to talk about manly things,  the Saturday night boxing match or hunting.

When the family gathered again, it was often to a chicken dinner, fried, fricasseed, or roasted.  There would always be mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes, and because I loved it, creamed corn.  It has been years since I've roasted a whole chicken, mostly because Ole Sweetie-Pi doesn't care for meat on the bone (I had to slice it before serving him, grins.)

However, I was visiting my friend Carrie of  Carrie's Cooking and Recipes and she had posted a roasted chicken and gravy recipe that I just couldn't get out of my mind.  She made it look and sound so good that I actually went back and posted comments on two separate occasions, telling her how much I wanted to make it.  Have you visited with Carrie?  She's got some good cooking going on at her blog!

When Carrie  roasted her chicken she did a long and slow roast, 250*F for four hours; I opted to roast mine at 350* for just under two.   I also massaged olive oil onto the entire outside of the chicken before applying the rub, and basted the chicken  while it was was roasting.  I just brushed some of the pan drippings over the chicken, nothing fancy..

The result?  This chicken is  so good., easily the best I have ever made.  The meat was moist and fork tender.  The spices and herbs in the rub perfectly seasoned the chicken and the gravy.  This recipe is a keeper.  Thanks, Carrie, we loved this roasted chicken!

The chicken needs to marinate overnight or at least 4-6 hours before roasting so you'll  need to plan ahead.

Sunday Roast Chicken

(adapted from Carrie's Cooking and Recipes)

1 (4 pound) whole chicken (my roaster chicken was closer to 5 lbs)

4 teaspoons salt (I would reduce this to 2-3 teaspoons the next time)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, cut into 4 pieces
5 cloves garlic

Gravy
Chicken drippings
2 tablespoons flour (I use cornstarch) plus water to make a slurry
1 14-ounce can chicken broth, low sodium, fat free

Start preparations the night before, or at least 4-6 hours before roasting.  Remove packet of giblets (keep to flavor gravy or discard, as desired), rinse chicken,use a clean paper towel to pat dry.  Massage oil onto outside of chicken.

Combine all spice and herb ingredients to make the rub and then liberally sprinkle and rub mixture outside and inside of the chicken.  Stuff the quartered onion and garlic cloves into the cavity.  Either place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or place chicken on dish and wrap in plastic.  Place in refrigerator.

There are any number of roasting timetables for chicken, but this is the one that I use.  For my five pound roaster, it took 1 hour 45 minutes to reach 180*F on my meat thermometer.   If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can test for doneness a couple of different ways:  pierce the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear.  Or, wiggle the drumstick; it should wiggle easily. 

When the chicken is done, remove it to a platter and let it rest (resting allows the juices to settle into the meat and will help your chicken stay moister).  Reserve the contents that remain in the roasting pan.

While the chicken is roasting, I start the gravy, typically using the giblets to add a little extra flavor, though if you have an aversion, you certainly don't have to, grins. Open up the little bag and toss the contents in a small saucepan with the chicken broth,  a quartered onion, a roughly chopped carrot and a celery stalk, and let it all gently boil until the giblets are done. Strain to remove the solids and reserve the broth.

To make the gravy, the contents left in the roasting pan into a glass measuring cup.  After a minute or so, the fat will rise to the top and should be removed.  You can try pouring off most of it, and use spooning out any remainder; you can also use a slice of bread to sop up any remaining fat, discarding the bread after use.

There will be gorgeous brown bits in the bottom of your roasting dish and those should be scraped up as they are full of flavor.  Because I use a glass roasting pan and am afraid that direct heat will shatter it, I pour a little of the chicken broth into the pan and use a flat whisk to scrape up as much of that concentrated roasted goodness as I can and then return all to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, make a slurry with two tablespoons of cornstarch and a quarter cup of water.  Stir out any lumps.  Holding the slurry in one hand and a whisk in the other, continuously whisk the gently boiling gravy mixture and add the slurry in a slow steady stream, stopping intermittently to give the cornstarch enough time to cook and  thicken in between additions. You may not need all the slurry.  If, however,  the gravy becomes too thick, add water and stir; if the gravy is not thick enough, make another batch of slurry and do as before.  Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, though I found it perfect as it was.

Chicken Costa Brava

All righty, now here's something that's a far cry from our typical New England Yankee fare, Chicken Costa Brava. I'm always on the lookout for new chicken recipes as we eat a lot of chicken here, but we're also limited in what new recipes are tried as one of us (hint: not me) is reluctant to try new combinations of flavors and new ingredients. I can't lay claim to knowledge of what prompted me to try this, as the addition of cumin and cinnamon to a chicken dish was deemed to have a dubious welcome, but surprise of all surprises, we both enjoy this.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes and I see that reviewers refer to the flavors as being a party in your mouth, having complex flavors, or having a melody of flavors. I like the description of a melody of flavors, as I can taste each ingredient individually, the sweet, the salty, the earthy and spicy, each full and bright, like individual notes, and yet they come together in perfect harmony. Okay, enough musical allusions.

I followed the recipe as written, with the exception of reducing the amount of chicken to only four thighs, which made for a lot of sauce. As a result this was probably more like a stew, but I just love the sauce poured onto rice.

If you'd like to spice up your life just a little, here's the recipe.

Chicken Costa Brava

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved

10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion cut into thick chunks

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained

2 cups black olives, drained

1/2 cup salsa

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

salt to taste

Drain the pineapple and reserve the liquid. The directions say to sprinkle with salt, but are not specific as to what gets sprinkled with salt, the pineapple or the juice. I personally added it to the juice so that it could cook with the chicken when the liquids are added.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides.

Combine cumin and cinnamon, and sprinkle over chicken. Add garlic and onion; cook until onion is soft. Stir occasionally so that the onions and chicken don't stick and burn to the pan. Drain excess oil and grease.

Add reserved pineapple juice, tomatoes, olives, and salsa. Cover, and simmer 25 minutes.

Mix cornstarch with water; stir into pan juices.

Add bell pepper, and simmer until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in pineapple chunks, and heat through.

And believe it or not, I think I might even like a little more cumin and cinnamon in this.

Slow Cooker Ginger Orange Chicken

I like citrus and chicken together; they have a natural affinity for each other, each providing a venue to compliment the other.

Ole Sweetie-Pi and I are battling the doggone cold that seems to be going around and the last thing I wanted to do was stand around and fuss with cooking. So out comes my slow cooker to rescue me.

I saw this recipe on the Kraft's Food website and decided to try it. I'll reprint the recipe as they have it and put my minor changes in parenthesis. We liked this; it has a pretty assertive orange flavor because of the marmalade, and it's a bit spicy from the generous use of ginger and the pinch of red pepper flakes.

Slow Cooker Ginger Orange Chicken

1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce (I used a Thai sesame ginger teriyaki sauce)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup orange marmalade

3 Tbsp. soy sauce (omitted because of the teriyaki sauce)

8 bone-in chicken thighs (3-1/2 lb.), skin removed (I used boneless, skinless thighs, removing as much visible remaining fat as possible)

Stir barbecue sauce and flour in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken; mix well.

Pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken in slow cooker. (Do not stir.) Cover with lid.

Cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours. Serve chicken topped with the sauce.

Though it's not obvious in the photograph, my chicken was falling apart at the end of five hours, so I think even on low my slow cooker may run a little hot. (Once I saw how falling apart the chicken was, I used a scoop to serve up a couple of whole thighs for you.) I probably should have checked this at four hours, but I read that every time you open the lid on the slow cooker you need to add 30 minutes to the cook time. I have no idea if that's true or not, but I'm willing to pass along yet another urban legend, grins.

This makes a lot of sauce which goes great on broccoli and would be equally good on plain rice.

Simply Great Chicken

I visit all of your wonderful blogs and see so much delicious food that my must-make recipe folders are literally bulging and bursting. There are recipes that don't make it to my folders, however, and those are the ones that look especially delicious, easy and quick, perfect for those nights when I don't have the time or inclination to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to prepare something nice.

Here's a three ingredient recipe that I think that at first blush many would pass by. However, don't let its simplicity deceive you; it's so simple and so delicious that the recipe has earned its name. I discovered this keeper recipe on Bunny's Warm Oven. Carol, who's an absolute doll and one of three fabulous cooks, posted this on Bunny's Warm Oven. If you haven't visited with them before, I hope you do because, as I mentioned, there are three fabulous cooks, each preparing a recipe for a portion of a meal so that we have the benefit of seeing a whole meal. A trio of delicious recipes in every post!

Simply Great Chicken

About 3 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I've used both thighs and breasts)
1 ( .7 ounce) packet of dried Italian dressing mix (such as Good Seasonings)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12 inch x 9 inch pan and set aside, and/or it may be preferable to line your dish with aluminum foil as the sugar tends to caramelize while baking.

Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels.

Combine and the dried Italian seasoning mix and the brown sugar, mixing together well.

Dip and press the chicken pieces into the mixture, coating front and back and place into your prepared pan, topside of the chicken facing up. Any extra coating that remains can just be sprinkled over the chicken.

Carol says to cook for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is done. I do that as well, but during the interim, I turn the chicken over a couple of times and spoon the resultant saucy melted brown sugar mix over the baking chicken allowing, with the final turn leaving the topside facing up for the last bit of baking. I want to get as much of that flavorful coating as I can.

Carol, I want to thank you again for such a delicious share. I've already made this recipe twice and am looking forward to it again and again!

Cream of Chicken Soup and 30-Minute Rolls

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the earthy smells and aromas seeing and the abundance of harvests dot our countryside with stands and farmers' markets. It seems everywhere we go we see signs for bags of apples, freshly picked corn and pumpkins. Farmers markets are selling jams and pies and homemade fudge, and bundled cornstalks and grapevines to decorate our doorways.

I even saw one local enterprising farmer selling hay and bagged manure for $3.00 a bag.

The green meadow across the road from me is golden and the uncut hay sways in the breezes. In my own yard, my lavender phlox perfumes the air, and the last of my rose buds their valiant final flush before the killing frost.

As the night air and harvest moon usher in the waxing summer sun, there is a new coolness, welcomed but nonetheless foreboding of more frigid weather in the short months ahead. (The cats do not want to even stick their little noses outside; they are content open up one eye, give one long lazy stretch in acknowledgment of our presence, and then curl up again into the late morning.) My attention is on soups and breads to warm our stomachs and our hearts. The heat from the oven warms the kitchen, and its warmth draws us in, inviting us to linger.

The cream of chicken soup was very good. I think the chicken, as cooked according to the recipe, was too dry. It definitely needs less cooking than specified in the directions. The good news is, I absolutely loved the foundation of this soup; this is the soup base I've been looking for to make other chowders such as corn and clam. The onions and potatoes were perfectly flavored by the bacon, the flavors intermingling and blending and fully complimenting each other.

We have certain "go withs" when I make soup; one of them is a nice hot roll. I saw these 30-minute dinner rolls on The Sisters' Cafe, and I could not resist the temptation to have hot dinner rolls without all the rising times. Melanie states in her post that she thought they weren't fluffy enough; I thought the fluff factor was quite satisfactory, grins. (I made two pans of eight rolls, so perhaps mine were a little larger?) Also, even though her recipe didn't specify, I lightly kneaded the dough for several minutes to make a smoother looking dough and added additional flour to roll into balls. I used active yeast for these, and I'm wondering if these might not have been a little better with instant or rapid rise yeast. (They require less rising time than active yeast.) What I did find to be a drawback is the lack of the signature yeasty flavor that is imparted with long risings. I thought these were a tad on the bland side. That would not stop me from making these again, as I think they're terrific in a pinch, though I do have other hot roll recipes that I much greatly prefer when time allows.


Cream of Chicken Soup

3 slices bacon, chopped
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about one breast)
2 tablespoons butter
3 large potatoes, chopped
3 large onions, chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley for decoration and color

In a good sized stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the bacon and chicken, and without any added fat, fry for about ten minutes. Stir frequently to ensure that these do not burn or stick to the pan.

Add the butter, potatoes, and onions, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring all the time.

Add the broth and milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30-45 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Just before serving add the cream and simmer (do not boil) for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

I was thinking that this needed another spice to really round out the flavor. Thyme maybe?

Paula Deen's Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan. Now that's something I haven't had in ages. We spent the morning cleaning and washing out the fridge, (try not to be envious of our madcap lifestyle, grins) and I had some sour cream and cheese that needed to be used up.

I remembered this old favorite and I did a little web search, looked at my cookbooks and decided on Paula Deen's version. She uses a lot of pantry items in this, but what decided me was the little bit of white wine and the curry.

I had some trepidation about the curry as I'm not spicy, but for my curry loving blogging friends I went with the full teaspoon. Ole Sweetie-Pi had already declared he wouldn't eat it because of the broccoli (I wouldn't even dare mention the curry to him as that would have been the kiss of death in trying to convince him to at least take a bite.) I told him to eat the chicken and leave the broccoli, which smoothed the way into his trying this.

Surprise of all surprises, Ole Sweetie-Pi and I both liked this. This dish is rich, a little goes a long way. The curry is subtle, the wine adds a nice note, as does the lemon. There's enough flavor going on that the broccoli 's presence is almost secondary to the other flavors. Ole Sweetie-Pi even ate his broccoli!

This is a once-in-a-while dish with all the canned soup and cheeses, (I think I must be into next weeks sodium allowance). It was good to revisit this. I'll sure we'll be seeing this again.

Chicken Teriyaki

it's "sticking" My brother asked me the other day if I had any idea of how our mother made chicken teriyaki, one of our favorite meals when we were growing up. I have a general idea of how she did it based on what I remember she usually had in the pantry: soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar, ground ginger. What I don't know is the proportions. I've fiddled with the ingredients over the years and haven't come up with anything that tastes anywhere near as good as I remember her making. I've tried asking her, and as Grant can attest, she mysteriously, as if suddenly afflicted, doesn't speak English and will muffle and mumble her words and finally shrug and wave me away. She has so few vanities and knowing that she makes the best chicken teriyaki or Japanese pickles or curried rice is one that she savors (no pun intended), grins. So, we are left on our own to find a suitable replacement.

Hence, this recipe. I was out at my favorite antiques barn and spied a little promotional cookbook for Karo corn syrup, printed in 1981. It's rather dingy but in scanning the recipes, many of them seemed appealing and timeless, and when I saw this little recipe, I knew that I must try this.

It's not as good as Mom's (my mother's chicken teriyaki had a much deeper brown color and flavor), but it's quite satisfactory and will be my go-to recipe.

Chicken Teriyaki

1/4 cup dark Karo corn syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (optional, but nice if you have it)
2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

In a shallow dish or sealable plastic bag combine corn syrup, soy sauce, white wine, ginger, garlic and green onions (if using). Add chicken. Allow to marinate several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove chicken from marinade and place on foil-lined baking sheet and bake until done, probably 45-60 minutes, basting with marinade several times during cooking. Turn chicken part way through to ensure even cooking on both sides.

This would be very nice cut into nice cubes and threaded on a skewer and broiled or grilled.

Marinade is also very good for a pound or so of flank steak.

Cooks Note: Because I elected to cook my chicken breast whole, I slightly flattened it to make it the roughly the same thickness to ensure that the chicken cooked evenly.

I think the next time I use this sauce, I am going to heat it in a sauce pan until it slightly thickens. What I found is that the sauce that was caramelized to the foil actually had a lot of flavor, and when brushed onto the chicken, really added to the visual appeal because of it's deeper, richer color as well as "sticking" quality.

Hope you enjoy!

Asian Orange Chicken

I found this keeper recipe on Allrecipes and as my grandmother would say, "I'll tell you what, this as some good!" If you like Orange Chicken at your local Chinese restaurant, chances are you'll really like this too. This recipe is so adaptable and flexible that most changes will work perfectly. Add vegetables (such as peppers and onions, though broccoli would have been a terrific addition), increase the heat by adding dried chili peppers instead of dried red pepper flakes), substitute pineapple juice for some of the water (I've used chicken broth in the past). Add chopsticks and enjoy!

Asian Orange Chicken

Sauce

1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (I used powdered ginger)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Vegetables, if desired, such as pepper, onions, broccoli, baby corn

Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, , cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the first nine sauce ingredients into a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let it gently boil for a couple of minutes and then remove from heat. Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the sauce has cooled, pour 1 cup (reserving remainder of marinade in separate container) over cut up chicken and allow to marinate for at least two hours. Turn chicken a couple of times while it's marinating.

In a separate bowl (or plastic, resealable bag), combine the flour, salt and pepper. Drain marinade from chicken and discard. Dredge or shake the chicken pieces in flour mixture.

In a hot pan, add the oil oil and stir fry the chicken until browned and cooked through. Remove cooked chicken to a plate and keep warm. Wipe out pan, add a little more oil and quickly stir fry any vegetables that you are using.

Add back the chicken to the vegetables and pour in reserved sauce. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water and add to the mixture. If sauce is too thin for your tastes, make a little more slurry; if it's too thick, add a little more water. Allow to gently simmer a couple of minutes, stirring, to ensure that the cornstarch has reached its full thickening potential and that it's cooked.

Either serve Asian Orange Chicken on the side, or serve over rice. This is good either way. One cup of sauce is not a lot, you may want to increase the sauce ingredients (still using only 1 cup for the marinade).

Apricot Glazed Chicken

This has to be one of the very first recipes I learned how to cook. Back in the day, I made this with chicken wings (and I still think this is better with wings), but Ole Sweetie-Pi doesn't like meat on the bone, so I used boneless, skinless chicken breast here. It's quick, easy, inexpensive, made with pantry items I typically have on hand, and delicious. It's good for a workday meal as the preparation work can be done in the morning and then the chicken marinates in the sweet, tangy apricot sauce, waiting for you to bake it in the oven. I'd even hazard a guess to say it would be pretty tasty on the grill if you occasionally basted it with the marinade.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1 package dried onion soup mix (like Lipton's)
1 bottle Russian salad dressing (like Wishbone or Kraft)
1 medium jar apricot preserves

Place chicken in a foiled lined (for easier clean up because the sauce will caramelize) 9" x 13" baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the dried onion soup mix, the entire bottle of Russian salad dressing and the apricot preserves; mix well to combine. Pour over chicken. Allow chicken to marinate for at least an hour in the fridge (giving the onion soup time to hydrate and the sauce to ripen) or all day if you're preparing it in the morning for that evening's dinner.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for an hour or until chicken is done.

If I were doing chicken wings, I'd spread the wings out on a cookie sheet and bake and at the end might run it under the broiler to give it some added color and crispness.

The recipe is pretty flexible; you can add more dried onion soup, you can add a little garlic powder. I've even seen recipes where you can swap out the Russian dressing for Catalina (also good!).

Pasta with Chicken & Pepperoni

As there are only the two of us, cooking usually means leftovers for an additional two or three meals. I like leftovers and sometimes will eat the previous night's dinner for the next morning's breakfast, but after the second meal I am searching for ideas for a "new" and tasty meal. That's what happened after I made the Chicken Marsala: we had an abundance of noodles and chicken.

I went back to my Chicken Recipes Step by Step cookbook and found this. Sweetie-Pi and I have had this once before and we enjoyed it, and it certainly worked very well in giving new life to our leftovers.

The measurements are in metric, but because this is cooking and not baking, I didn't bother to recalculate the math. I just eyeballed what I thought would be enough pasta and pepperoni, but followed the sauce recipe exactly, because of the balance of flavors.

Pasta with Chicken & Pepperoni
Chicken Recipes Step by Step
The Confident Cooking Promise of Success

1/2 barbecued chicken (from the deli, your own, or in my case, plain, pan fried chicken)
500 grams rotini (1 pound)
50 grams pepperoni (about 2 ounces or less than 1/4 cup)
1 medium green pepper, sliced in thin strips
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cream
Salt and pepper

Cut chicken into strips, set aside.

Heat water for pasta and cook according to package directions.

In a large fry pan, heat the oil and add the pepperoni, onion and green pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender.

Stir in the all remaining ingredients, except chicken, and simmer gently for two minutes.

Add chicken and heat through, stirring the mixture occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and pour the chicken and sauce over. Stir to combine.

Serve immediately.

When I made this, I had two boneless, skinless chicken thighs remaining, which I cut up. I sliced up about a dozen of those pepperonis used for pizza topping. I had leftover pasta from the night before so I did what a lot of restaurants do: I just boiled a pot of water, turned off the heat, threw my pasta in for a couple of minutes to heat it through and drained.

This dish doesn't have what I'd describe as a big flavor (probably partly because I didn't use barbecued chicken). The strongest flavor was the pepperoni, which gave it a nice spicy flavor that wasn't bold. For a family that fluffs their meal out with a salad and bread, the sauce would probably cover enough pasta to serve four people, but the pasta will not be swimming in sauce.

This is not the best meal I have ever eaten, however, it is far from the worst. I will turn to this recipe again and again because of its simplicity, good flavor, and quick preparation.

Chicken Marsala

I really enjoy Chicken Marsala and will frequently order it in a restaurant. I don't know what it is, but lately I've been terribly disappointed in the flavor of the dishes I've been served. They just don't seem to taste Marsala-y enough for me. And I swear, one restaurant substituted white wine for the Marsala, a big no-no if you're craving a particular flavor!

I've tried a couple of home recipes; they've been just okay, but not worth repeating. I was beginning to think that perhaps this is a dish best prepared and served in a fine restaurant. Until...in my little $2.99 cookbook, I found this keeper. This recipe does not call for mushrooms or onions that I traditionally associate with this dish, but it doesn't need it. The person(s) who developed this recipe pared the ingredients down to the essence of what makes this a delicious and repeatable Chicken Marsala.

Chicken Marsala
By The Confident Cooking Promise of Success

4 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups chicken stock (14 oz can works just fine here)
1/3 cup Marsala wine (not the cooking wine)
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a heavy frying pan and add the oil, then add the chicken. Cook the chicken over medium heat until cooked through and golden in appearance. Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a dish, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Pour off any fat that remains in the pan.

Add the butter and garlic, stirring over medium heat for about two minutes. Try to scape up any little chicken bits for added flavor. Add the chicken stock and Marsala; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about five minutes.

In the meantime, combine the flour, cream and Worcestershire in a small bowl to make a slurry; stir out any lumps. Once the liquid in the fry pan has been reduced, carefully stir in the slurry, and continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens.

Taste sauce for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. Serve hot, poured over chicken.

Very good with broad noodles.

No Name Chicken (or Pork) Dish

Hmmm...believe it or not I do have some limits on the amount of fat, cholesterol, or starch I can consume in one sitting. It's true. However....

During my child bearing years (I hope that is a delicate way to express this) there were times when my closest friend and I would need something just creaking with carbs and fat. (My arteries are sclerosing as I write this, but I do this for you!)

My friend received a copy of this recipe from her sister without a title, so we don't know the actual name. We've always just called it "Chicken Dish" or "Pork Dish" ( if we were using boneless pork chops). The phone would ring; I'd answer, and she would say just two words, "Chicken dish!" and I would say, "I'll be right there!" Sometimes I'd stop to pick up a cheap (sorry, I mean inexpensive) bottle of white wine. She would prepare this; I would watch. And then the two of us would eat unladylike mountains of sauce covered chicken and mashed potatoes, toast the day, and groan in bloated satisfaction.

She makes it far better than I ever could; I have no idea what her secret is, and I've stood over her and watched her make this numerous times so I know the recipe hasn't been altered (as some cooks do when they don't want to share their signature dinner). I'm going to give you the recipe as she gave it to me. I think part of it is that her dashes of this and that are far more generous than what I perceive a dash to be. The recipe calls for small amounts of butter, but I distinctly recall her using maybe half a stick at a time. It's one of those recipes where you kind of have to taste as you go along. One of the joys of cooking, I think.

Just let me leave you with this caveat; I think there is not a lot of real food value in this dish. It is extremely high in fat, sodium, and all else that is not good for you. But if you are in dire need of carbs to get you through the day (or the week), this will more than suffice. And as I used to say to my friend, "I'm going to push my car home just to burn off some of these calories."

No Name Chicken (or Pork) Dish

Mix 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon seasoning salt, and black pepper in a plate or dish. Dip the chicken (6-8, however many you are feeding or how hungry you are) in the flour mixture. Set aside.

Heat a skillet with vegetable oil (I think she used a half a stick of butter here with a little oil). Fry chicken until browned on both sides. Remove chicken to dish, set aside.

Slice and cut into bite-sized pieces one onion, one red pepper, one green pepper. Put in the saute pan with two tablespoons of butter (again I think she probably used half a stick here), 2 tablespoons of wine. Saute until tender. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 can of cream of mushroom, one-half of a 16-ounce container of sour cream, 1 can of milk, 1 teaspoon wine, half a can of French fried onions, chopped mushrooms (I just used a pint container), 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil, dash of celery salt, dash of season salt. Mix together with a whisk.

Combine the sauteed vegetables with the sauce mixture.

Place the chicken in a 9"x13" baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top. Crumble the remaining canned French fried onions over the sauce. Bake at 350 F for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

When done remove the chicken and put on a platter. Add the remaining half of sour cream to the sauce mixture' serve separately.

Scoop generous amounts of sauce over the chicken and heaps of creamy mashed potatoes made with real butter and cream. Swear you will never eat this much food again.

The day will be infinitely brighter.